I gigged with my MP6 last Sunday. I have a good soft case with wheels. My car is big enough to fit it easily. I have been going to а gym regularly for an year. Yet I hated the experience of moving the MP6!

Nord Electro 4 HP could be a solution but is so expensive and cannot layer and split (to my knowledge).

And here comes the Casio PX-5S! Full 88 keyboard with great sounds, layers, splits, effects, etc in a 11kg package. And for $999. Could this be the holy grail of gigging pianos? I have a GAS

I strongly doubt that

Well, let's call it the *budget* holy grail then

Other possibilities at substantially less weight than the MP6 (still with plenty of layer, split, and fx capabilities) would be the Yamaha MOX8 and Korg Krome 88. But Casio will have the advantages of lower price, lighter weight, and less depth for better ergonomics when you want to stack a second board above it. We'll see about the sounds...

I'm curious, what specifically do you doubt?

... that the holy grail can be had for 999 bucks.

p.s. -- forgot what may be, for many, potentially the biggest advantage the PX-5S will have over those other possibilities... a really nice action.

It may be preordered from KraftMUSIC for $999 and that even includes a bundle with headphones, USB drive, etc or soft case:

Casio Privia-Pro PX-5S on KraftMUSIC

We'll see about the looks...

(Sorry couldn't help myself).

I think the px5 is , apart from the looks, almost perfect. If they would have added aftertouch at perhaps a little extra cost, I think it would have hit the bulls eye for even many more people. Still it's a long wait for April to finally see/ hear the finished product.

The looks?

The feedback from the show was overwhelmingly positive.

I must admit I was initially disappointed by its looks but it kind of grows on me and I like it now, at least on the pictures. It might have something to do with a certain childhood memory I have about the first electronic keyboard I've ever played as a kid and that was a white Casio synth my cousin got as a present. I was so deeply impressed by all the sounds and effects that I may have developed a subconscious association between white color and good feeling

AUGH! Now Kraft is saying April 30. I've chosen this for my boat studio... GAS here too, and the only thing that eases the agony of waiting is the sense that goodies are still being added...

What do you guys mean by "GAS"?

It is a bit too early for Kraft to be saying specifically when in April. I do believe it will be early in the month.

G.A.S = Gear Acquisition Syndrome

The software has change significantly since the NAMM show. We'll be working on updating all the specs and features on the web and then shooting videos in the coming weeks. Details coming asap.

If you are planning to use one on stage it looks much better than black under stage lighting. This in addition to what AnotherScott has mentioned about legibility of controls under stage lighting. It catches all of the drama of theatrical lighting. Here it reflects the colors of a sunset.

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We'll apart from the "looks" thingie , the Casio Px is certainly on my list. Looks promising , can't wait for the added specs where all the additions and improvements are listed, that we're developed since NAMM.

Last time about the looks; I fully understand the visibility/ readability reasons for choosing a non black approach. However what makes it most odd to me is the black box approach on the right side. It sort of abruptly breaks the design flow of the instrument. If that could have been the same white as the rest , or another creative color scheme solution, that would do a lot already. But I'll put it to rest.

Dave, you're right about the 88 keys. We, piano players, always need the *full* range BTW, I am so happy with the MP6 as a touch and sound, and I even discovered a totally new area for me with few of the analog style synth sounds that worked extremely well on the Herbie's Chameleon - such a fun! If it wasn't the weight, it would have been such a great gigging machine! But the topic is about the Casio, so let's wait and see if it's going to set a new standard for a portable lightweight 88-key stage piano.

That picture was taken in my kitchen.
There wasn't much light...except the sun which was setting. (and one overhead light)

If this was the holy grail you'd be able to play your choice of many fully sampled APs, EPs, etc. residing on the USB drive. When will we get that?

You don't need full sampling on a gigging board. You need that for a solo piano recording but on stage there are different rules. For example Roland SN pianos are known to be excellent for solo piano recordings and weak on a stage with many other instruments, failing to cut through the mix, etc. Being able to load samples is great but not necessary for a gigging piano.

+1

Weren't we talking holy grail? Nords have uploadable voices and are primarily gigging boards.

Quick edit - just to get rid of the black box :-) It's not art or perfect in my limited time, but with some creativity , you could redesign the rest.

I tried contacting Casio, but no luck yet.

Do any of you know if the PX-5S is gonna be available in Norway? Mike?
And will it come with a damper pedal included?

I'm considering it for home playing mostly, but also for band purposes.


Really getting sick of waiting to buy a new DP though

I don't know the details of all the distribution world-wide, I'll see if I can get any info from my colleagues at Casio Europe.

Well, everybody has his own personal view of what is a holy grail. I'd agree that the more, the better. (With a minus sign for weight and price of course :D) However as of now there is no board to offer all of it.

In my personal view:
Nord Piano is probably OK, however it is almost twice as heavy and 2.5 times as expensive as PX-5S, offers only simple split and layer versus multiple zones and it was only the latest piano to offer delay for example, not to mention more sophisticated effects and chains, keyboard is another story.

Nord Electro is lightweight, however it is not multitimbral (doesn't offer split and layer), is not full size keyboard, etc.

I can say similar things for Kawais, Rolands, Yamahas, Korgs, Kurzweils, etc.

So, in this world of *not so perfect* gigging boards, the Casio seems like the best compromise of price, weight, size, keyboard feel, sounds, features, effects, etc. which in a way makes it a holy grail to me. Yeah, if there was a possibility to upload sounds like in a Nord, it would certainly be even better but who knows if the price could have been the same...