Hi, it's around 6 months since I bought a WK3500. For anyone who does not use the Casio Pianoman Forum, you are welcome to visit my website to hear various styles of piano playing on the WK at http://www.soundclick.com/tonygayle/
So what's my opinion of it? Well I've reached the limits of it now. I am working on Chopin Polonaises and finding neither the touch nor the 6 octave range adequate. But it was an absolutely GREAT buy and I have nothing but absolute praise for this instrument. It just simply begs you to play. These will go down in history as being one of, if not THE Casio finest musical product ever. The clarity of tone is exceptional. The actual keyboard itself I have to say is not up to my 15 year old Yamaha Electone and YPR Piano quality, but you get used to the 'clicky' feel. I now have to decide on just what to buy next !!

Hope this link helps you.

Tony.

[This message has been edited by TonyG (edited 09-08-2005).]

[This message has been edited by TonyG (edited 09-12-2005).]

Tony,
I'm with you on this issue. I too have the WK-3500. For what it does for the price is amazing. One major feature is the ability to load new samples. Now the newer model has twice the user sample memory.

The only thing I felt the 3500 needed was 16 tracks for recording and style recording. However I have Cakewalk, and I use my WK with that software sequencer. Plus the instrument definitions I got for the WK open up the ENTIRE voice set for recording (not just the GM voices).

Now my 3500 is complete. I can do loop, and overdub recording, or pattern based recording. It was like a whole new keyboard when I started using Cakewalk

Squeak

I have one also and I do love it. It is the only keyboard I have now. I am toying with upgrading to the WK-3700. For the price you can own both right?

-Linda

First of all apologies, as I'm working on my website and it does not have any music at present. I have purchased a Yamaha P60S piano. The keyboard mechanism, touch and feel is wonderful. It's many, many years since I played an acoustic piano weighted feel and glad to say I still am able to! This enables me, as a pianist, to phrase pieces, a far greater range of 'piano' and 'forte', grace notes and trills work properly, staccato works properly, you can play Chopin works (and others) as written over 7 octaves etc. I am enjoying the WK all the more now! I feel as though I am hardly moving my fingers playing it!! I don't sequence music myself, but I do really enjoy the way the WK reads your left hand and puts those great auto accompaniments in. It's just like working in a band where all the players are doing what you want them to! I like the tonewheel effects and use the modulation wheel to achieve the old 'Leslie' Chorale to Tremolo effect. I did find however that on a single manual board your left hand drowns out your right. So I now use the 'silent' left hand, i.e. 'fingered' setting. It enables a very enjoyable use of the tonewheel organ. Anyone thinking of buying a WK, just go ahead. I can assure you that I would not have bought a 'toy'. It is a musicians instrument.

Hi Tony,
I'm just wondering, have you tried playing the Casio via the Yamaha's keyboard? (It should be possible by just connecting MIDI-out of the P60S to the WK-3500's MIDI-in, assuming matching MIDI channels.) If so, I'd be interested in knowing what you think of how the Casio performs (piano in particular) when played with a decent action.

--Barry

Hi all,

This is EXACTLY what I do with my WK3000 and my Privia 400R piano - connect them via midi, as I prefer the Grand Piano sound of the WK3000 (fuller and richer in my opinion). This way I have the best of both worlds - the wonderful weighted action and touch of my 400R with the brilliant Grand Piano sound of the WK3000!!

A perfect combination!!

Chris (new member)

Hi Chris, and welcome to Synth Zone. It seems Tony never saw my question, so I appreciate your reply. I've always felt that the recent Casio WK models provide good-quality sounds considering their cost, but that the keybeds are the limiting factor. Thanks for confirming that using the Casio sound engine, but with a better controller, is "key" (pun intended) to good performance.

--Barry

The new Casio Privia PX110, PX310 and PXR700 all have the ZPI engine found in the WK series. These piano sounds are 3 samples per key and are much better than the old PX100, 300, 400 and 555. The PX310 also features GM sound set, and all the factory styles from the WK series. Casio has also improved the graded hamer weighted action over the older models. What a great value these new models are! Prices range from $499 for the 110, $599 for the 310 and $699 for the 700 which features a more home piano look with a built in stand, speakers in the stand are much more powerful than those on the 110 and 310 and this model also comes with a 3 pedal assembly and a roll down lid over the keyboard to more closely resemble a real piano.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California