I got wonderful news yesterday from Casio's newest employee. The man who ran the arranger keyboard group at Yamaha US up until a couple of years ago who had moved over to the piano division and left Yamaha a while ago just became the new West Coast Manager for Casio. This is a very exciting event because he brings an enormous amount of knowledge about the arranger keyboards and what the needs of players to a company who could use this kind of insight. I am personally pleased because of the longstanding relationship between the two of us. He visited my store often when being with Yamaha and I was often invited to come down to Yamaha in Buena Park for brainstorming sessions and for my input in design of many of the products you have been playing for the past several years. This was a big step in the right direction for a company who has been growing like crazy in the digital piano world but could use some help in the arranger keyboard products.


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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566
www.kayesmusicscene.com

Thanks George:

Looking forward to future scuttlebutt from Casio's new insider. I sure hope they take a serious swipe at the arranger market. I realize the arranger demand is extremely small and completely misunderstood by most of the retailers... present company excepted... LOL!

I appreciate the things you do for us here at the Zone.

Dave Rice
http://www.ShowCaseYourMusic.com/DaveRice

Casio is one of the few keyboard companies putting out an excellent product at a low price. It wouldn't surprise me if they put out a quality mid-level arranger, but they would have to work a miracle to wean me off of my Yamaha PSR-S910.

They would have to have a unit with a mic input and a harmonizer.

They would have to have hundreds upon hundreds of styles to compete with the amazing variety that I have on my pen drive of styles from the PSR-9000, T1, T2, T3, purchased styles, great freebies, and styles converted from other keyboards.

Last, they would have to provide an easy to learn operating system.

I think Casio could give Yamaha a run for it's money, but I don't think they could make an arranger with the amount of styles that would get me interested in switching.

But I'd be happy for Yamaha to have some competition to keep them working hard to keep people like me aboard - especially with Technics and GEM gone, Ketron struggling with technical and other problems, Roland down and out, and Wersi in restructuring.

Beakybird

As a Home Hobbyist keyboard player, I will never regret 20 years ago finally opting for the Yamaha arranger.
Looks like I made a wise decision!
Of all the other boards I ever bought, Technics was the nearest to my ever-favourite (I can still long for their organ sounds) but even they are now history.

As long as Casio really cares about what he has to say and doesn't choose to pursue other strategies, it will be good news.

Even if they care a lot, I wonder how much time will it take to R&D, produce and market a new keyboard, or even to "shift" or "branch" the existing marketing strategy to include higher spec arrangers, like the PSR and Tyros line.

Nevertheless, it sounds like a suitable chap for the position. Now imagine if he joined Lionstracs.

Jim Presley ?

It's funny the different attitudes you can get towards a company depending on what part of the world you live in. Here you really only find Casio keyboards in toy department stores for children. Nobdoy would consider them for any serious use here.

I even remember when I was learning keyboards as a child Casio were even frowned upon back then because the Single Finger chord mode did not operate as any other keyboard on the market did. Casio were the only ones doing it differently, so they where not recommended by the people teaching at that time.

Regards
James

Times have changed. Casio now have excellent entry level keyboards with very good lesson functions.

[This message has been edited by FransN (edited 01-15-2010).]

Casio WK series has fantastic piano and organ sounds.
DonM

Recently the Privia series have gotten pretty much rave reviews with the lastest being the PX-330. Keyboard Magazine gave it high marks for not only the AC. Piano sound but also the nice action of its fully weighted key bed. Remarkably, it weighs under 25 lbs as well. The only thing that held me back from considering it was the lack of a Mod wheel. It does have a Pitch Bend wheel though. The price is an added bonus too.

FWIW, Mike Martin (formerly of Yamaha U.S.) is also now working at Casio too, although in the marketing department from what I understand.

Hopefully Jim Presley?? could convince Casio to put a Mod wheel on the Privia to go with its Pitch Bend wheel (or a combination Mod/Bend Stick)?? The Privia PX-330 also has arranger type functions on it too. If Casio made a full blown arranger in the Privia line it would probably be a huge hit since it would have 88 keys, be fully weighted, have a Mod/Bend wheel or combined Stick (hopefully), be reasonably priced, lightweight, and did I say have 88 keys?

The new Privia's also have 128 note polyphony as many of you already know.

All the best,
Mike