My S.O. wants a "blonde compliant" keyboard (EZ to use). She also wants FDD for MIDI file storage.
We're looking at:
CASIO WK-1800, CTK-731, and
YAMAHA PSR540.
Which model would you recommend as the best sounding and easiest to use?
Best deal?
Worst deal?

I don't know about Casio keyboards, but I would ask you these questions.
Does the Casio have a 16 track sequencer with a 165,000 note capacity? The Yamaha 540 does.
Does the Casio allow you to make your own user styles(patterns)? The Yamaha 540 does.
Does the Casio have XG, not just GM sounds?The Yamaha 540 does.
Does the Casio have Registration memories to store your favorite settings? The Yamaha has 128 memory locations.
Does the Casio offer a multi effect DSP effects processor besides Reverb and Chorus for using effects like Rotary Speaker, Guitar Distortion, Wah effects, etc.? The Yamaha 540 does.
I really don't know if the Casio's offer these features, but I don't think so from what I've seen and read. Check these features out, because this is why I sell so many 540's in my store. The Yamaha offers so much bang for the buck, and one more thing I forgot to mention, is when you are playing midi files in the disk drive, the Yamaha has a revoice and volume mode that allows you to quickly by just pushing one button, change the sounds and volumes for all 16 tracks of the midi file, and if you like these changes, there is a mode for saving them on the disk. I've always thought that the more recent models of Casio sound much better than they did before, but I find their feature list to be somewhat limited.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

Owning both the PSR549 and the WK-1800 I would recommend the PSR for two reasons. First the psr sounds are a little more realistic and better. Second, with the psr you can play the split voice with the left hand while finguring the chords. This is nice forballads-pads and for layering sounds. The only problem I had was recording the left hand peyered voice overtop the autoaccompyment. The Casio has two good fetures too. 76 keys, and a notation window. The notation windowis great if you don't read music but would liketo learn.

Isn't it a little unfair to criticize a Casio for not conforming to Yamaha's proprietary XG format? I thought the Roland VA-7 was supposed to be the best sounding arranger keyboard at the high end, and it does not conform to XG. I think the same is true of the Solton X1 and will be true of the upcoming Korg PA-80. The Roland VA-7 does conform to GM Level 2, to which none of the low end arrangers conform.

Jeff, in my mind, the MAIN reason to prefer the Yamaha is that if your SO ever wants to upgrade, Casio gives her nowhere to go. If she gets the 540 and later buys a high-end Yamaha, chances are her investment in learning the features and developing any styles will carry forward. Of course, this would apply to you as well if you play her synth. Likewise, if she ever wants to expand the sounds using an external midi module, Casio (I believe) does not output the autoaccompaniment in midi form, while the Yamaha does. So if there is an upgrade in the future, Yamaha should be strongly favored.

[This message has been edited by Clif Anderson (edited 09-10-2000).]

Maybe an MZ2000 over a PSR740, but not sure if the WK's are better than the PSR540 or at least the PSR640. The old CTK811 was not a bad board, and I would give it the nod over the old PSR620. Now isn't the picture clearer?

As a novice recent purchaser of a PSR540 I find it simple to use and great for my rock/country/dance music preferences. Good sound quality except there is a buzzing noise occasionally. If I find it simple to use, anyone will! Perhaps most importantly, not for one moment do I regret my purchase.

If I am not mistaken, the posters have
given the following ranking:
[] PSR-540
[] CTK-731
[] PSR-340
[] WK-1800
w/o FDD
[] PSR-GX76
[] WK-1600
- - - overall sound, Yamaha is a winner,
- - - bang for buck, Casio is a contender.
Last Question:
If a user wanted to have a portable MIDI system for playing out, would it be better to have a FDD unit in the Keyboard, or a stand alone MIDI recorder/arranger?
And any suggestions for a cost effective stand alone unit?

Hello Casio vs.Yamaha seeker,
Wk1800 has 76 keys ....the PSR540 does not
I rank the sound quality to Yamaha. However,
with the WK1800 having 76 keys and the disk drive makes a nice package. Here's a tip ....
Some of Casio's best sounds are near the end of the sound selection. i have the best piano to be sound selection 130 ! Not the 1st sound 000. When playing midi files , you can see the keys illumiate in the Display. As a learning tool is better with Casio !
If you need more info email me at oneils4@home.com or Call Guitar Center in Towson Maryland 410 821 5200 ask for Dan O

Quoth George Kaye: “Does the Casio have XG, not just GM sounds?The Yamaha 540 does. … Does the Casio offer a multi effect DSP effects processor besides Reverb and Chorus for using effects like Rotary Speaker, Guitar Distortion, Wah effects, etc.? The Yamaha 540 does.”

Quoth Clif Anderson: “Isn’t it a little unfair to criticize a Casio for not conforming to Yamaha’s proprietary XG format? I thought the Roland VA-7 was supposed to be the best sounding arranger keyboard at the high end, and it does not conform to XG. I think the same is true of the Solton X1 and will be true of the upcoming Korg PA-80. The Roland VA-7 does conform to GM Level 2, to which none of the low end arrangers conform.”

While it’s true that XG is owned by Yamaha, they are willing to license it to competitors. Korg makes XG-capable synths (complete with the XG logo), and ESS makes XG-compatible (complete with logo) sound chips (Maestro, etc.) that compete directly with Yamaha’s own YMF series for PC sound cards.

Indeed, XG exists in the first place because Roland renéged on their promise to make GS available to competitors. Yamaha first made a fully GS-compliant tone generator called the TG-300B, and submitted it to Roland to license the GS logo and rights to use the GS term in advertising it. Despite their prior assurances that any maker of any MIDI device that met the GS criteria could license the GS name and logo, apparently Roland decided to have one of the “GS criteria” be that the device had to be made by Roland. So, neither Yamaha nor anyone else could use the GS name or logo.

So, Yamaha got sick up and fed with Roland’s backpedalling and obvious attempt to falsely promote a proprietary format as an industry standard, and decided to one-up GS, and so was born XG (which is superior in most respects, having had the advantage of 20/20 hindsight on GS’s mistakes and limitations), which as I said before, Yamaha does make available to competitors.

To this day, all XG devices from Yamaha (yes, including the PSR-540!) have a “TG-300B emulation mode” built-in — while they can’t say so in their specs, this mode actually is GS!! It even recognizes the GS System On MIDI SysEx message that all GS MIDI sequences have near their beginnings, and automagically switches to that mode! It supports all the sounds and enhanced SysEx features of the original Sound Canvas.

So, the PSR-540 can play GM1, Level 1 XG, and Level 1 GS (but not GM2 — yet!) MIDI sequences as-is, without modification, exactly as the arrangers or composers intended. But so can my $15 YMF-724-based PC sound card. (See PC Hardware and Software Forum, Topic “Best Bang for the Buck in a PC MIDI sound card.”

[This message has been edited by COMALite J (edited 09-15-2000).]

Hi COMALite J

Interesting history. Can you enlighten us or at least me on GM Level 2. What are its advantages? Who owns it? Is it like GS, another Roland trick?

Clif

Thanks for all the great information!
I happen to have 2 YMF-724-based PC sound cards - and I have Power Tracks and Band-in-a-box. But as I mentioned in the first post, my S.O. needs a blonde compliant keyboard.
She is particular about subtle things like keyboard feel, and color (Green is her favorite). She is reluctant to delve into the software I already have. Sigh...
I have recently become intrigued by the Casio MZ-2000. It has been offered by zZounds at less than $1100. It has many features that previous CASIOs didn't - e.g., Line in and Mic in, that can access internal DSP.
But I suspect they haven't upgraded their keyboards, nor their sound samples. There is no mention of the size of ROM in the unit.