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Casio gives the CT line a bump


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Just stumbled across a couple of nice reviews of the Casio CT-1 from Andertons on YouTube (the first is just Casio CT-1, the second is a comparison with the Roland GO:Piano).

 

Of course Jack is an acquired taste (kind of the Robin Williams of keyboard presenters - fun if you like watching a direct feed to an unfiltered brain).

 

But, I think he does a great job in these videos showing off how great the CT-1 is for basic sounds you would actually use in a gig.

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]

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Mike, 'secrets', like not mentioned in the manual? You got me intrigued.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Gig bag for S1: in the past couple years, I've discovered rifle cases as inexpensive alternatives to expensive gig bags for specific branded bags for some instruments. I just got this rifle case for the S1. It's a VERY tight fit width/height-wise but with a little patience with the zippers, it works. The big side pocket holds the music stand and there are 4 other pockets for AC adapter, cables, sustain pedal, batteries, charger, whatever else you need to carry with it. You could also put more stuff in the big side pocket along with the music stand, or without the stand if you don't use that. You could probably put in a change of socks and underwear too. And a toothbrush. $29

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VDS2Q85/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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Nearly all the budget 61 size keyboard gig bags, like Donner on Amazon for $39 (10mm padded), are 40" x 16 "x 6" . The backpack straps are handy too.

The Casio CT-S1 is 35" x 10" x 3.3 ". Mine arrives tomorrow in black!

I have a $49 Gator GKBE-61 (10 mm padded) 41" x 20" gig bag for my Mojo 61 that will handle the CT-S1 and accessories. My amp will weigh in at 18 pounds: Fender Rumble 40 with custom speaker, no more exhausting hauls. I have less to move than a guitarist now!!!

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Nearly all the budget 61 size keyboard gig bags, like Donner on Amazon for $39 (10mm padded), are 40" x 16 "x 6" . The backpack straps are handy too.
Yeah, I didn't like that the 61-key bags are much bigger than the S1. I have a gig bag for 49-key (for my Roland Lucina Keytar) that measures 37" x 15" x 6" which I could use for the S1 but even that feels too big and awkward. I like the rifle bag at 38" x 11" x 2". It's that 2" which makes for the tight fit but there's enough play to close the zippers. And I like all the pockets.
These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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Piano Pad lets you play melody without the pad tracking your single notes, excellent! It tracks only 3 note harmonic groups.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Price from the usual online retailers is $199! :ohmy: I paid more than that for a budget TV soundbar not too long ago. .

 

I just looked up the price to see if it was cheap here in Oz just if I may need a couch board as you guys certainly have created a hype about this. Gas escapes...

 

Hmm so much for that great price here in the land of Oz as it's 500 AUD. Converting 199US to AUD should result in 250 AUD not 500.bux. Even if it was 350 AUD it might be closer to understandable. I'm pretty sure there is not much street pricing deals going on as there was in the 80s in the Casio dealers as most of their mom/pop buyers are the type not to quibble. Unlike gigging Musos who generally do so I feel the dealers can STICK firmer to MRP.

 

Struth we are closer to Asia where it's made than the US so logistically we should have even cheaper shipping and we shouldn't be marked up simply because we are a smaller market.

 

In the past Aussie was a testing ground for Casio products I believe. Now we are the "suck em' dry" money squeeze for all manufacturers not just Casio.

 

I was one of the early adopters of Casio Privia products. (Not to mention some of their early pro gear) in fact such an early adopter I got poo pooed on here for using casio. Casio is not cheap here.

 

When the Privia came out it was cheap compared to the heavier pianos that were the norm but that was comparing heavy [albeit dearer] against light weight which is what many wanted but now that distinction is blurred.

 

I am a Casio fan boy but Casio has got so dear in Aussie that when the PX5s came out I refused to buy one after not long replacing my earlier Privia with a PX330. I couldn't justify dumping the 330 to get the 5s model I really wanted. Even my wife tried to push me to get the PX5s as she knew I really wanted it for its zoning [we were in the store & as I walked out the door she said get it]. But being a Casio fan boy I made that 330 work for me [ I loved it] as it is a really good product like most of their Privia range. So I didnt want to spend just for the sake of it..

 

I just wish Casio and other manufacturers would look after us a bit better. And I know we aren't the only countries experiencing this discrepancy. Hey we are in Asia's manufacturing back door so being so close should at least offer some shipping advantage. I love you Casio but to be fair this rant is not just directed at you it's directed at all manufacturers. Give us & other Countries a break. I know we are the backswoods cousins no one mentions unles they are "throwing a PRAWN on the Barbie...[shrimp] but hey we did support you in those early years.

 

We really are the arse end of the world when it comes to consumerism.

 

Add on edit: I could see this becoming a new line of unweighted keyboards for casio with an 88 version for a bottom tier under a lightweight 61 [say the XW-P1] for really a lightweight team [ a privia baby brother???]. But to be honest that 88 should only be at the 500 AUD price point that this 61 noter is priced at as there are a bunch of 88 note unweighted or semi weighted 88 noters here at that price or less. So proof a major manufacturer should be just as cheap as they have higher volume of the build thus reducing its buy in price., The big 4 of Yammi, Roland, Korg & Casio really dont bargain out their products here but surprisingly the smaller manufacturers seem to be able to do that with assumingly less volume of sales. why is it so when the competition is biting at their heels.?

 

Rant over resume transmission

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Hmm so much for that great price here in the land of Oz as it's 500 AUD. Converting 199US to AUD should result in 250 AUD not 500.bux. Even if it was 350 AUD it might be closer to understandable.
Yikes. 500 AUD converts to about $385 US. I probably wouldn't have pulled the trigger at that price point. I already have 6 keyboards (or more?) and I have my preferred gigging board + others. I just got the S1 for grins and giggles and to take to my grandkids' house to play along in the living room. I hate price gouging. It offends me like shipping gouging. A friend wanted to order a dress she liked online for a really good price but they wanted a huge amount for shipping, far more than the actual shipping cost, so she decided not to. Do not support shipping gouging or price gouging.
These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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CT-S400 is $229. It does Splits, has 600 tones, a pitch bend wheel, a display, and all the extra arranger stuff... same dimensions, weight, speakers.

 

Question: are the 'Stage Piano' and 'Stage E Piano' identical tones on the CT-S1 and the CT-S400 ?

 

Or is the CT-S400 the same tone bank as in the older CT-X700 ?

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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I guess the sound bank of the CT-S400 is like my CT-X700. Thus, the CT-S1 must have better Piano and Rhodes.

 

CT-S400

I'd like to try to clarify a few things. The CT-S400 is not a CT-S1 with more.

 

Specifically the sound set of the CT-S1 has many tones that are unique to this instrument. Of the 61 tones, nearly 30 of them are new and developed specifically for the S1.

This includes:

Vox and Farfisa organs, OB Synth, Lead synth, String Machine, Vibes, Electric Grand (CP-70), the "Advanced Layered tones", The classic Casio sounds and more.

 

The CT-S400 is a more versatile instrument as it has 600 tones and 200 rhythms. In terms of sounds and rhythms, there is some new content and improvements over the CT-X700. In addition to the size, speaker system the real big advantage is the user interface built around the LCD display. The menu system under the display can be configured for your needs. So things like Layer Balance (not found on the CT-X700) can be set to a button under the display an example.

 

Obviously our focus this week was on the CT-S1, it ships to stores in Mid-May. The CT-S400 and the LK-S450 will be a month behind. We're working on video content which will include a video on what the differences between the instruments are in video form.

 

Hope this helps,

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Received a CT-S1 today and love it, it has good sound qualities, decent dynamic control, and nice styling.

I programmed my personal "Tone Memory" set for each time I power it on:

 

1. Mellow Piano

2. Stage E Piano (Rhodes)

3. Phaser E Piano (Rhodes)

3. 60's Wurly (Tremolo 60's)

4. Vibes

5. Classical Piano

6. Bass-Piano Split

 

 

I set all the Reverbs to Room 3. Hold Function, press D D.

 

The Jazz EQ somehow makes the melody hand more robust. Hold Function, Press E Ab

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Received a CT-S1 today and love it, it has good sound qualities, decent dynamic control, and nice styling.

I programmed my personal "Tone Memory" set for each time I power it on:

 

1. Mellow Piano

2. Stage E Piano (Rhodes)

3. Phaser E Piano (Rhodes)

3. 60's Wurly (Tremolo 60's)

4. Vibes

5. Classical Piano

6. Bass-Piano Split

 

 

I set all the Reverbs to Large Room 1.

 

Glad your initial impressions are good. I haven"t settled on the reverb I like best. Curious what you think of the Wurly. The tremolo is faster than I prefer but there are certainly people who like that speed.

Yamaha CK88, Arturia Keylab 61 MkII, Moog Sub 37, Yamaha U1 Upright, Casio CT-S500, Mac Logic/Mainstage, iPad Camelot, Spacestation V.3, QSC K10.2, JBL EON One Compact

www.stickmanor.com

There's a thin white line between fear and fury - Stickman

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In my Tone Set the 60"s Wurlitzer with Tremolo is the weakest in the group, imo. It sort of sounds like a Rhodes. It"s a tone that sounds better with the Surround Off and the Reverb low, IMO.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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My initial impressions of the CT-S1 as compared to the CT-X700:

 

- The smaller form factor of the S1 makes it an actual lap keyboard while sitting on a couch or chair. The X700 requires too much of a balancing act and really needs a table/stand.

- The S1 keybed is a significant upgrade in resistance, textured surface, and quietness.

- The default Stage Piano tone is really enjoyable to play through the built-in speakers and the surround mode puts an echo of the piano in front of your face that simulates what you would hear if you were playing an actual AP. Also a significant upgrade vs. the X700.

- This setting wasn't in the X700, but with the S1, you need to set whether you are using Alkaline (default) or rechargeable NiMH. You need to hold down the Function key and press the C#2 key. Each press alternates between one tone sounding (for Alkaline) or two tones sounding (for NiMH). See page 8 of the manual.

- The S1 is something you wouldn't mind leaving out in the open depending upon your decor. It's sort of an Ikea-like minimalistic design where you can't tell it's a $199 keyboard. I got the black, but in a modern room, the white would be cool. The X700 looks every bit of a low-end, starter keyboard.

- The smaller size and similar weight of the S1 make it feel more solid and substantial.

Nord Stage 3 HA88, Nord Stage 3 Compact, Casio CT-S1, Radial Key Largo, Westone AM Pro 30, Rolls PM55P, K&M 18880 + 18881, Bose S1 Pro, JBL 305p MKII, Zoom Q2n-4K

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In my Tone Set the 60"s Wurlitzer with Tremolo is the weakest in the group, imo. It sort of sounds like a Rhodes. It"s a tone that sounds better with the Surround Off and the Reverb low, IMO.
Each to his own taste. I don't mind the speed. But what I'm most amused by is this level of in-the-weeds evaluation of the speed of the tremolo in the Wurly voice. I'm not being critical â it's what we do, we want to hear the voice exactly the way we want to hear it â but these detailed discussions of the sounds in a $200 board are fine points, given the quality of many of the sounds and the other features of this inexpensive board. I could express my disappointment that the organ doesn't sound like a B3 with rotary speaker on my preferred speed too. It's all good ... until somebody gets butt-hurt. Enjoy your S1. I'm having a lot of fun with mine.

:cheers:

These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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Did you feed Mac audio back into the Casio speakers? How did it sound?

Yes, I fed the Mac audio into the Casio S1 speakers. For the player, VST/AU sound quality is ok and playable. For an audience, a distance of 10 feet / 3 meters is probably the max; after that volume drops off fast.

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Lots of buzz about this...of course I have been curious

 

I called a couple outlets near me but no one seems to have one in stock

 

Hey Jazz +... So the Rhodes is good? My main interest...not a lot of hope for organ so I am hoping that they did Rhodes right If they can even come close to Williams Legato Rhodes with tremelo I'm in...

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Hmmmmm.... I understand the buzz, but I think the real test will come when the S400 is available. Then there'll be the inevitable comparison with the S1, and the CT-X700/800/3000/5000.

 

When I bought the CT-S300 I was shocked at how lousy the speakers and the sounds were. The keybed felt decent.

 

Mike Martin suggested I tried the CT-X700. The speakers of the X700 are pretty darn good for this price point, esp considering they're only 5 watts total, and the sounds are decent, it could credibly serve as a backup board for a gig.

 

Was quick to dismiss the S1 at first, given how impressed I was and how much fun I've had with the X700. But it sounds like there's extra resistance in the keybed, thus giving better dynamic control, something that could use improvement on both the X700 and X5000. And apparently, they improved the already decent speakers with the addition of a bass reflex speaker and a surround mode. And being simpler to operate could make it more accessible for a larger audience, but buyer beware, you've got to do A LOT of button and key presses on the S1 for any degree of editing

 

I think however, before people get too excited, they might want to take a look at what the CT-X3000/5000 offer. We're still talking less than $450 ($300 for the X3000), so if you don't strictly need a couch keyboard, and it doesn't have to be less than $250, both the X3000 and X5000 have a lot on offer. The X5000, which I own, has speakers that stand up and shout! Probably 3xs the volume of the X700, which was the most outspoken board under $200 I've ever heard. Altogether, the X5000 has been one of the funnest boards I've ever had, and while it doesn't offer battery power, it's easy enough these days to get a little lithium/inverter battery that costs less than $100 and weighs less than 5 pounds to power it. And the X3000 will run on batteries.

 

As a couch board, the S1 and S400 do seem wonderful. With a depth of only 10.1" compared to 13.8" for the X700, I'm sure it'll feel more lap friendly. And while the S300 offers an attractive price point and handy carrying handle, it's really not worth getting, period, esp when the S1 and S400 are available for not that much more.

Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425

Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder

QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus 

Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB

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I notice that the Casio CT-S1 and PX-S1000 have the same retro-form factor/styling. So reading the tea leaves, I'm wondering if we're going to see a 61-key PX-S1? I know, I know - those who know won't tell etc, etc, ... but still, I gotta wonder if we'll see this Unicorn... :gofish: - maybe, maybe just maybe, Santa will bring one for Christmas.

 

Casio CT-S1

CTS1RD-large.jpg

 

Casio PX-S1000

PXS1000RD-large.jpg

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Yes, the Casio's red has much more subtlety, the Nord is kind a run of the mill in-your-face red ... :roll::wacko:
I post as a double Nord owner, but Nord is everywhere. You turn up with two red boards, get chatting with the drunk guy at the end of the gig who had 7 piano lessons as a kid "actually, they're Casio..."

 

Cheers, Mike.

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