Casio MZ-X500 workstation...

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 3:42 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9YNHXjpC5s

Just watch the video, and you will find that the MZ-X500 is so much more then a typicall arranger... but if they would have added this kind of functionallity to the Montage, it would have been a homerun.. (not so much the arranger part, but the 16 pads that can be programmed with midi phrases, loops, chords, samples)

Now dont get me wrong, i am certainly not criticizing the Montage for what it is... But as a workstation man allways looking for creative tools, this little under €800 keyboard blows me away... its like having an ableton live setup on top of an arranger with buildin synth.. (and no, it can not compete to Kronos. pa4x or Montage and Tyros5 soundquallity, espescially acoustic sounds like guitars, brass, woods, winds, solo strings lack depth and inspiration)

to me it proves however that stepping away from a workstation towards a performance synth might not be the wisest thing to do for Yamaha, espescially now more and more people are stepping away from computers again towards hardware..

It also shows why the Kronos should have had 16 pads with this functionallity, and it proves that having arranger styles in a workstation is not neccesarilly a bad thing for challenging peoples creativity

I think i dare predict a future as a cult thingy for this little creative Casio instrument.. streetprice will start under €800 and as usuall drop even further with Casio after a few months..

Jan1 · Post by **Jan1** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 6:03 pm

Impressive and it looks like a lot of fun to use it, but you should also bear in mind that the price of the MZ X500 (which AFAIK is €999,-) is on par with workstations such as MOXF6, FA-06 and the Krome 61...
I think the line between the traditional workstation and arranger workstations is fading away as you see features like ARPs and Karma functionality in the traditonal workstation and editable styles and full-fledged synthesizer/sampler engines in arranger workstations.

One additional thought: an often heard comment when it comes to the hardware way of doing things vs. the DAW is that the DAW does everything quicker and more efficiently, and it has a lot more going in terms of functionality, flexibility and scope.
There is however one element missing in the equation: the joy and boost of inspiration you get from your workflow. It is not about the quickest and most efficient way of doing things, but it's about the joy you have in the process of making music.
And I think some manufacturers are missing that point when they are skipping hardware functionality because 'you can do it quicker and more efficiently with a computer'.

Pioneer on the other hand seems to realize there's an increasing market of those who want to be able to make music away from the dominating computer, and I bet the new Toraiz SP-16 will sell well even though it is not cheap.

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 6:16 pm

Jan1 wrote:Impressive and it looks like a lot of fun to use it, but you should also bear in mind that the price of the MZ X500 (which AFAIK is €999,-) is on par with workstations such as MOXF6, FA-06 and the Krome 61...
I think the line between the traditional workstation and arranger workstations is fading away as you see features like ARPs and Karma functionality in the traditonal workstation and editable styles and full-fledged synthesizer/sampler engines in arranger workstations.

One additional thought: an often heard comment when it comes to the hardware way of doing things vs. the DAW is that the DAW does everything quicker and more efficiently, and it has a lot more going in terms of functionality, flexibility and scope.
There is however one element missing in the equation: the joy and boost of inspiration you get from your workflow. It is not about the quickest and most efficient way of doing things, but it's about the joy you have in the process of making music.
And I think some manufacturers are missing that point when they are skipping hardware functionality because 'you can do it quicker and more efficiently with a computer'.

Pioneer on the other hand seems to realize there's an increasing market of those who want to be able to make music away from the dominating computer, and I bet the new Toraiz SP-16 will sell well even though it is not cheap.

Streetprice will be under €800 ... Undercutting all those workstations as well as many arrangers.. S770, PA600...

ErnstDabest · Post by **ErnstDabest** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 4:16 am

...but, it's a Casio

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 4:48 am

ErnstDabest wrote:...but, it's a Casio

exactly.... its a casio.....

which says more about the sleeping competition, that it happens to be Casio putting all these great features(tools) into a single board...

fcoulter · Post by **fcoulter** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:28 pm

I'd like a larger version, but not 88 keys. Something in the 70s.

csteen · Post by **csteen** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 1:15 pm

ErnstDabest wrote:...but, it's a Casio

Yes it is amazing on how much better their keyboards have been progressing lately and this is a great example of just how far they have come. They definitely got my attention with this one. All of that at a pretty sweet price point also.

Jan1 · Post by **Jan1** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 2:24 pm

Bachus wrote:Streetprice will be under €800 ... Undercutting all those workstations as well as many arrangers.. S770, PA600...

You mean that eventually the street price will come down, or could it be that you are referring to the MZ-X300?
All the shops I know advertise with a street price of €999 for the MZ-X500.

Ksynth · Post by **Ksynth** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 2:30 pm

Rich Formadoni on the Casio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3L0a8KRYAg

Ksynth · Post by **Ksynth** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 3:18 pm

And another Rich F demo.

Nice that it has a usb card / drive slot for recording etc

Happy Jack · Post by **Happy Jack** » Wed Apr 20, 2016 4:24 am

csteen wrote:
ErnstDabest wrote:...but, it's a Casio
Yes it is amazing on how much better their keyboards have been progressing lately and this is a great example of just how far they have come. They definitely got my attention with this one. All of that at a pretty sweet price point also.

It's got my attention, too. The clincher for me is the MZ-X500's ability to read / convert Yamaha styles!

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Wed Apr 27, 2016 1:36 pm

Actually seems like Casio finally did it...

They broke the thin line between workstations and arrangers... And created an instrument that is as much an arranger as it is a worlstation....

Instead of an arranger with added workstation functionallity... This is more like added arranger functionallity to a workstation... This is one huge creative toolbox...

Ksynth · Post by **Ksynth** » Wed Apr 27, 2016 1:38 pm

Bachus wrote:Actually seems like Casio finally did it...

They broke the thin line between workstations and arrangers... And created an instrument that is as much an arranger as it is a worlstation....

Instead of an arranger with added workstation functionallity... This is more like added arranger functionallity to a workstation... This is one huge creative toolbox...

Now you've stirred my GAS affliction and I already have way too many devices.

Ha ha

RichF · Post by **RichF** » Fri May 20, 2016 6:26 pm

Ksynth wrote:And another Rich F demo.

Nice that it has a usb card / drive slot for recording etc

Wow, I definitely have "trade show voice" in this one. Must have been day 4.

cello · Post by **cello** » Fri May 20, 2016 7:32 pm

So many functions that I'd never use - seems it's trying to be everything for everyone; but I'm absolutely amazed at how good those cinematic sounds are! Casio is clearly upping their game - future developments should be interesting to watch...

In the meantime - are those cinematic sounds enough for me to go for it, whilst never using most of its functions? Hmmm.

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Casio MZ-X500 workstation...

Casio MZ-X500 workstation...

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