PSR Keyboards (11 Boards) > PSR-E Series

PSR-E463 and PSR-EW410

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SciNote:
Indeed, we'll see what comes down the pike.  I've found pictures of the CTX-5000 online ( https://music.casio.co.uk/ctx5000/ ), and there are no drawbar/slider controls (like on the CTK-7200), no live control knobs -- nothing that seems like it is designed to significantly modify the sound while playing.  It looks like it has a volume knob, a main data-entry rotary control, a pitch-bend wheel, and what is likely a modulation button by the pitch-bend wheel.  So, as always, it will probably have some things not available on the PSR-E's, whereas the PSR-E's will have some things not available on the Casio's.  And, if the street-price ends up being around $450-500, which may be the case, then it would be understandable if it has a few tricks up its sleeve!

SeaGtGruff:
Regarding the two Split Point fields (Accompaniment Split Point and Left Voice Split Point), they must have been "inherited" or "left behind" from older PSR models that had two Split Points, just as the PSR-S models do. And while the PSR-E panel controls and Function menu don't let you set the two Split Points individually, the Split Point you set in the Function menu is written to both Split Point fields-- so in that sense, both of the fields in the Registration memories can be updated from the panel controls (just not separately).

However, I spoke too hastily, because it's certainly possible that a Registration might contain fields which aren't directly accessible from the panel controls-- but in that case they would presumably contain default values.

For example, I have a few Backup (BUP) files from the PSR-E353, but unfortunately they all contain blank Registration memories because the owners hadn't saved any settings to a Registration, so I don't have any clue what each byte is used for. However, based on the size of the Registration section, coupled with the fact that the PSR-E353 has 9 Registration memories, I can tell that each Registration contains 54 bytes. If I list the fields that the Owners Manual says are saved to the Registration, it appears that there are about 20 bytes unaccounted for. That means it's possible there are a number of fields associated with the Main Voice, Dual Voice, and Split Voice which are stored in the Registration even though they aren't accessible in the Function menu. In particular, the Function menu lets you set the Octave and Chorus Depth for the Main Voice, as well as the Voice Number and Octave and Chorus Depth for the Dual Voice and the Split Voice. Notice that the Function menu doesn't show the Voice Volume, Pan, and Reverb Depth for each Voice, even though those are very basic settings. If by chance those parameters are stored in the Registration after all, it would account for 9 of the 20 bytes. That would still leave room for the Attack Time, Release Time, Filter Cutoff, and Filter Resonance for the Main Voice and Dual Voice. But I really have no idea what the PSR-E353's Registration memories look like, so this is just pure speculation.

SciNote:
Well, I just took a trip to the local Sam Ash music store today, and sadly, there was yet no PSR-E463 or Casio CTX-700.  Not surprised about the E463, as it is not supposed to start shipping until May.  But I did take a quick look at some current Casios -- the CTK-7200, and the CTK-4400.  The key feel on the 7200 leaves MUCH to be desired -- very "springy" and "plasticky" -- they will need to make serious improvements to the key feel on newer models to be competitive -- unless this was just a worn demo model.  The 4400 was better, but still no match at all for the Yamaha PSR-E400 series.

A keyboard needs to have a quality feel, and this is one of the things that drew me to the E433.

They did have some keyboards from a brand I had never heard of before -- Medeli.  One was an $80 entry-level model that had a cheap key feel and decent sounds for the price.  Interestingly, there was a preset that came up on display as an abbreviation for "drawbar organ", but was labeled on the case (with a printed menu of voice names on the case) as "Hammond organ."  It was pretty convincing for the price.

But one up from that model was one that cost about $180, but really had a quality sound, and the key feel wasn't bad, either.  It seems like it's the same concept as the new Casio CTX-700, in that they have seemed to concentrate on providing a good sound for the price, but do not include many ways to modify the sound.  There is a DSP button, but it appears to simply turn on and off a preset DSP effect for a particular sound.

SeaGtGruff:
Casio has posted the User's Guide for the CT-X800. It has the same tones and rhythms as the CT-X700, and they appear to be nearly identical, but the CT-X800 has a pitch bend wheel.

I've heard of Medeli through other forum sites from posts by members in Europe (I think). I had searched for information about them and found manuals for many of their keyboard models, which I downloaded to look over. Those files are all dated May 18, 2014 on my computer, so that was almost 4 years ago, and I'm kind of fuzzy about it now, but my recollection is that their keyboards had (IIRC) 100 timbres to choose from, 100 accompaniments, etc.-- which struck me as similar to early (as in pre-GM1) Yamaha and Casio models. I didn't keep up with them after that.

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