I have just purchased the PriviaPX-400 and I must say that I am disapointed with most of the tones.To me they do not sound right
especially the brass.The keyboard in the shop where I purchased it sounds right when the professional plays it.
I am only a mug seventy year old learner. Perhaps I am not setting it up right.
Can anyone help.

Don't blame yourself to much here. I have found that show demonstrations and shop demonstrations products have sounded very good to me. It's only when you have had a couple of day with the keyboard in the quite of your home can you come to terms with what the product really sounds like and if it's right for you.

Graham is quite right. Product demos usually feature the best characteristics of the sounds. If a brass patch sounds good stabbed but not sustained then you will only hear that sound used in parts that feature the stabs.

But this applies to ALL keyboards not just Casio. Even playing Roland, Yamaha and Korg sample playback keyboards will most probably leave you feeling the same. Sample playback synthesis is very much just a snapshot of an instrument and only works in that particular context. The skill as a performer is to play the patches in a way that makes them sound natural. And that may mean using one patch for stabbing stacaato parts and changing to another patch for sustained notes.



[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 11-10-2004).]

I have not heard this keyboard yet.

Maybe the professional player had the line-outs going to a hi-quality mixer/amp setup that increased the sound quality.

Does it sound as bad to you through the headphones?

Maybe the keyboard's two 16cm x 8cm speakers are the difference.



[This message has been edited by MrEd (edited 11-10-2004).]

Thank you all for your replies.
I have since found changing the key of some instuments improves its sound.
Perhaps there are other methods of improvement.

Patches often only sound convincing close to the key they were sampled in. Stretching a sample up or down too far will make them sound unatural. Playing technique is also critical. You must always play the sound like the original instument it emulates. It takes a special skill to mimic different instruments on a keyboard.