Not much to brag about on these new ones. Same 6 watt speakers as the WK-1800. Same 32 note Polyphony. Same 6 track Sequencer. If I remember correctly the WK-1800 had a stereo sampled Piano too. Smart Media is a plus and there is Aftertouch too which is nice. I think this would be a good beginners Keyboard for starting out. But beyond that it just doesn't cut the mustard imo.

Best regards,
Mike

PS: I think Casio's marketing rationale is in targeting beginners and children (music students, etc.) for the upcoming Fall school year and the upcoming 2003 Holiday shopping season. Apart from that I'm sure they would love to sucker any unsuspecting, ignorant- "in regards to understanding the ins and outs of Keyboard advancement technology in general and the application of it in real world settings, ie., Gigging, Recording, Mixing, Sound department, etc." I mean for few hundred dollars more a person could get an excellent Arranger in the Yamaha PSR 2000/2100 which I am sure will blow that WK-3500 out of the water. No offense Casio but you are still producing just toys when comparing to other Arranger Keyboard Manufacturers. The MZ-2000 was your best offering to date and even that couldn't stand up to the Big Boys. So apparently you decided to stick to what you do best, ie., manufacturing sub-quality, sub-standard Arranger Keyboards. Oh well, I think kids and beginners would enjoy these new offerings if for no other reason than it's low price, light weight, 76 Keys and it makes for such a nice spectacle gift wrapped underneath that Christmas tree! , payed for out of someone else's pocket which is the best feature of all of course. Sorry for being so livid. I am not really angry though just venting my thoughts and hoping Casio will see this and in the process make them livid (angry) enough to do something about it, ie., (start producing good quality advanced Arranger Keyboards that will compete with the best of them.

I'm outta here! Have a nice day everybody.

I totally agree with you Idatrod. The new Casio will miss the Summer Namm Show, that professional arranger musicians will be watching , but will be ontime for the September, back to school crowd.
Starkeeper

I don't think the MZ did as well as it could have because Casio already shot themselves in the foot at least 1000 times before they released the MZ. Everyone knows Casio as the toy department for keyboards.. You see them everywhere from Radio Shack, K-Mart, WalMart, and other big chain stores. When they released the MZ I don't think anyone really took them seriously on it.. They had been making toys for years (their last real pro line was the CZ series.. remember those...????). People just couldn't seem to justify paying $1,000 for a Casio. I thought the MZ was a really good step foward for Casio.. They didn't market it as well as they should have though. This new line up of theirs would be great if they just added the recording power of the MZ-2000. Given it the same sequencer, and pattern sequencer (that allowed you to loop and overdub).. If I remember correctly the style recorder on the current WK series does't allow looping or overdubbing.... Casio could easily enter and compete with the big dogs if they wanted to.. They have the money and the resources to do this. I think they're happy where they are.

Squeak

I have pictures and prices at my store.The WK-3000 will list for $449.00 and have a MAP price of $299.00. the WK-3500 will have a list price of $549.00 and a MAP price of $399.00.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

I've never owned a Casio myself and maybe
Casio keyboards don't come up to serious (whatever that is) arranger players' expectations. Casio obviously sees a niche market in targetting those folks who just see a lot of buttons and stuff and are eager to buy a keyboard for little Johnny; they're free to spend their hard-earned money where they want. At least it gets little Johnny's hands on a keyboard and, with a bit of luck and perseverance, he could grow up to be a pretty fine musician who can play with the best of them on a top line board. We all had to sit at a keyboard for the first time and, unless Poppa was flush enough to bring home a 2100 or Pa-80, we probably started out on something pretty ordinary and we developed from there.

As a parent, not knowing whether or not that little moptop stuffing his face with Cheerios at the breakfast table was a musical genius, I don't know that I'd want to be shelling out a bundle on something that may just sit in the corner gathering dust after the initial enthusiasm had worn off, so Casio would seem to be a reasonable starting point, and they're good enough for George to sell at his store.

George, how many Casios do you sell? More than a few, I'd bet.

I'm with Big Red on this one...I think it's definitely a good thing for every family to be able and afford a musical instrument, no matter how humble its origins or how little it costs. If everyone in the world was involved in making music instead of all the other crazy things we do, wouldn't this planet be a better place? I honestly don't understand how some people can cast such dispersion upon Casio because their product just doesn't meet their own personal high standards or isn't perceived to be in the same league as the competition. Casio isn't trying to fool anyone into thinking they are buying a professional keyboard and they appear to be making a real effort to improve the quality and capabilities of their keyboards, while keeping their prices affordable for consumers. I applaud them for this and sincerely wish them well in their endeavors. I hope that thousands (no, millions) of more people will be introduced to the joys of making music...and if Casio makes a shitload of money in the process by selling lots of "plunkers", God bless 'em!

Go, Casio, go!!!

Michael

Looking just at the price, it probably won't be an upgrade to my Yamaha PSR550.
Starkeeper

Yamaha needs to bring out a 76 note keyboard with the voice set of either the PSR550/PSR1000 or ultimately PSR2100.
They could introduce it as a new model.
Starkeeper

Yamaha has the solution for that 76 key version you're looking for... It's called the 9000 Pro.. I agree it would be nice to see a 76 key version of the 550, or even the 1000/2000.... It wouldn't be hard either.. They already make a 76 keybed that's used on the DGX models.

Squeak

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 06-02-2003).]