I figured it was before you got into the EQ.I talked to a few friends here in Canada,and they said the same thing about the EQ making a big difference.
I'd love to have aftertouch on the 3k,and even considered a controller with 76 keys,but it would be too much of a hassle with portability.
Hopefully the new 3*** will have aftertouch...which is strongly rumored...it may even use the old Tyros keybed.

If you buy the MZ2000, and you do not have the manual....here is a link to the manual in PDF.

Maybe it would be interesting for others to read what the MZ2000 has to offer..
http://www.casionz.co.nz/Site/Pronto/Files/user_manuals/MZ2000%20USER%20MANUAL.PDF

Nobody has mentioned the polyphony of the two keyboards. I don't know what the Casio is but the Yamaha PSR3000 is 128. Can someone tell us what the Casio MZ polyphony is?
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

64 note poly.

Squeak

Much like the PA80, I almost never ( noticeably at least ) ran the MZ out of notes with it's 64 note poly. OTOH, I ran my PSR's and my original Motif out of notes consistently with Yamaha's 64 notes of Poly.

The MZ is truly one of the only boards I've ever had that I really regret not holding on to. I enjoyed it more ( if for nothing else than it's actual synth type sounds ) than any other hardware sample based synth I have ever played. OTOH, I can see why someone who does what Gary primarily does would prefer the PSR3000. For bread and butter performance sounds and styles right out of the box, I might too. My priorities are different right now though, and to me the most important sounds are the synth types and the organs. For me, no PSR can compete with the MZ and the abilty to edit and mangle sounds on the fly. Sadly, not even my Motif ES can.

The only other board I can truly say I miss is my Polysix. It surely wasn't the greatest analog synth on earth, ( kind of primitive in the filter and sound generation areas actually ) nor was it close to being the best analog I've ever played on, but it was my first, it was about as simple to navigate with and program as any analog could ever be, and it was a lot of bang for the buck. OTOH, the software version is so close that it easily replaces it, and for sonic quality even the freeware Synth 1 and Superwave P8 softsynths go way deeper with fatter and more interesting sounds.

AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 01-10-2006).]

One issue that seems to pass by due to everyone's excitement and enthusiasm over MZ-2000 is the service.

Gustavo has already stated from the beginning that there is " very little or almost no support " and this seems to be something that is being overlooked by the MZ's promoters.

The MZ-2000 is not only out of production,the company that produced it for Casio,Technics,is also not making keyboards any more!!!

No product is perfect,and will sooner or later require attention,and the parts to repair an MZ-2000 may become very scarce,especially under the conditions I have just stated,and the ones expressed by Gustavo in his opening statements.

While it may be nice to own a "classic" it does bring it's attendant problems,much like owning a rare classic car would present,and I think a prospective purchaser,should consider the whole package,not just the thrill of getting a unique instrument. Retro synths are nice,but the reason they are being produced as "software plug-ins"is because maintenance is very expensive and parts are difficult to find.I imagine,finding parts for an MZ-2000 in Argentina would be more than difficult,especially considering it's Technics parenthood.

I think this is a consequence of buying and owning an MZ-2000,as wonderful as it is, that can't be stressed enough because of the very real potential of not being able to have it fixed,warranty or not.....and once out of warranty,the issue of maintenance/repair will be very expensive,judging by the outrageous purchase price of keyboards in Argentina.

At least the PSR-3000 is still in production,and Yamaha has a great history of maintaining parts availability.

Yeah,the MZ-2000 is nice.......but the Yamaha is truly much more practical in every way........better to have "bread and butter " than "burnt toast" that you can't eat.

Ian.

Ian, I find myself agreeing with you on the service/parts point..
If the keyboard represents your "bread and butter" instrument...Ten years down the road, after this purchase....I still want the MZ2000..It could very well be worth every penny you pay today,,,10 years from now...I don't believe the PSR3000 will retain the same value[because of so many newly released PSR models that are on the horizon]..

I am curious, where did you find info that Technics built/designed the MZ2000...It is possible, but not probable.....I can't imagine the conflict of interest between two major companies...Panasonic and Casio..

It would be interesting to me to read about this report...true or false..

I agree with your points as well Ian and Fran. The thing is though, once a model is out of production, while it is possible to have repairs done, it also seems to be very costly. This was my experience with both the PSR740 and my Korg M1 before it.

So today, yes it is more practical to have the PSR3000 in that regard. No argument from me on that. A couple of years or so down the road, when it has long become old news and 2 generations of PSR's have surpassed it, pretty much the same boat as the MZ I think.

Fran, I've heard the same thing about the MZ being based on the Technics K5000. I have no idea whether this is actually true, or whether perhaps it might be believed because the 2 boards do share some similar features, plus the ability of the MZ to import and use Roland and Technics styles.

AJ

[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 01-11-2006).]

Ian wrote: "I'd love to have aftertouch on the 3k,and even considered a controller with 76 keys,but it would be too much of a hassle with portability."

I have a 3k hooked up to a Fatar SL-880 controller and have never got the 3k to receive aftertouch data, even though all midi channels are set to receive it. I remember reading someone else on here with the same findings, so this may not be possible with the 3k sadly.

Carrie

Fran and AJ,and, of course,Gustavo,
You must understand I am not trying to say one keyboard is better than the other in terms of features/sounds etc.
That's a personal issue.
My concern is the integrity of the information I pass on to our friend Gustavo.
I can't prove the Casio/Technics connection(I will try and find more information,but it isn't readily available) but I have read reviews that "almost confirm" this issue.I believe in the adage,"where there is smoke...there is fire"
If Gustavo were here in Canada,or in the UK or USA where there were lots of Technics and MZ-2000 keyboards that could be cannibalized for parts,than I would tell him to go ahead with the Casio purchase.
The power of Yamaha parts/service was demonstrated to me several years ago when a friend of mine called me about a problem he had with a Yamaha D-85 Electone organ,which was made in 1980 and was at least 15 years old at the time.
It needed components that the local dealer did not have,but through Yamaha Canada,I was able to get the OE parts from Japan,and the cost wasn't even outrageous (It did take a few weeks) .Now,that's pretty good... and one of the reasons I am pro Yamaha.
I have witnessed other people get PSRs and DX7 parts the same way....so it wasn't a one-off thing.
Maybe Technics was beginning it's downward period when it shared the technology with Casio.
I remember the big fiasco when people found out several years ago that Hohner was using Casio portable keyboards in their line...albeit the panels and the name was altered slightly.A German company with Japanese engineering!!!.
Radio Shack uses Casio stuff as well, under the" Realistic" name.
The name of the game is big business, fierce competition,and profits!!!!
The bottom line is..... will our friend Gustavo,be able to have the MZ-2000 repaired,and within a reasonable time? Will the store provide him with a replacement keyboard while his is being fixed(they should offer this in the warranty if they have that much faith in the product.But they seem to be "gougers" ,at least by the ridiculous prices they charge.
It is already "used" and slightly damaged...not good signs,and even worse,where in Argentina,the product is very scarce....no support is available.
I love old gear,and would love to still have some of the keyboards I used to own,but maintenance and parts and poor reliability(even when new) made keeping them too much of a burden.
A.J. is correct,the ability to have these instruments in "software" is terrific, and a person can have ARPs, Moogs and Yamaha CS-80's....all incredible sounding,and unreliable or too large and heavy keyboards that would be a nightmare to maintain in hardware form.
What will keep the PSR-3000 a viable instrument ,long after it's superseded by newer PSR models, is Yamaha's ability to provide parts and service(even after the warranty is over) for many years after the purchase.
The PSR-3000 may not be the perfect keyboard,but there is no denying it is an outstanding value.
I wish Gustavo the best of luck with whatever ends up on his keyboard stand.
Ian