The Casio XW-P1 Synthesizer (NAMM Sneak Preview)

Here’s another look at the Casio XW-P1 Synthesizer, which will officially debut at the 2012 NAMM Show.

The Casio XW-P1 Synthesizer seems to have come out of nowhere. The last real Casio synth came out in something like 1988 and, as a result, a lot of readers that have experience with vintage 80’s Casio synths are excited by the announcement.

Here are preliminary specs for the Casio XW-P1 synth:

  • The XW-P1  is a hybrid Lead and Groove Synth;
  • Mono solo section with up to six oscillators: two virtual analog, two PCM, noise, and external audio;
  • Poly section with ‘a wide variety of gig- ready sounds’;
  • Drawbar organ mode;
  • Nine-track step sequencer with dedicated drum track.

The rumored price for the Casio XW-P1 is $699.

Note: This info comes via Sonic State & KeyboardMag and should be considered unofficial. We will have official details on the Casio XW-P1 next week as they become available.

19 thoughts on “The Casio XW-P1 Synthesizer (NAMM Sneak Preview)”

  1. No Phase Distortion? Whats with that!?!?!?

    That right end does look a bit like a parking slot for iPad…
    …and its a bit lower than the rest of the panel…
    …if it had connector for iPad, it would almost atone the sin of forgetting PD.

    1. It could have an analog filter. Casio has done it before and called it a hybrid. This would also make the EXT more desirable.

  4. I have two words for the geniuses at casio:
    PHASE DISTORTION. Get with it. The market has enough virtual analogs, and besides, my cz101 sounds warmer than most V.A.’s. They would have something nobody else is doing. What a let down.

    1. I like how the majority of you geniuses out there bitch and moan about a $500 synth that doesn’t have all of the bells & whistles of a pro keyboard such as Korg.
      You want all of the performance of a $1000-$2000 synth for $500 and act surprised when Casio doesn’t deliver everything you want for a consumer level price(despite the fact that most-if not all,of you KNOW that’s never going to happen).
      Forget about Casio and either buy a midi controller keyboard and Propellerhead Reason 6(or something like a Korg for live use) and please shut the f**k up…you people are patently absurd in your attitudes towards a company that has never produced anything that was equal to any professional line of keyboards.
      When are you people ever going to be able to distinguish between consumer grade and pro grade keyboards and the difference in pricing amongst the two??

      1. Thomas,
        There are those of us who consider a korg a toy.
        casio certainly abandoned us, but the cz and vz series of boxes made some interesting noises. They uses a strange little engine called “phase distortion” and the people asking for PD here are not asking for the “bells and whistles of a pro keyboard”, but a trip down memory lane

  5. Was a little excited about this until I read the word groove and for that matter the term virtual analog. I’m already over it. Most unofficial leaks of specs like these usually are accurate with some variation. Most everything like this at shows like NAMM come across more like a thud than a bang. It’s hard to stay excited about much thats cranking out for over hyped shows. Its more excitingbto see stuff come out on it’s own terms.

  6. Disappointed with no PD but the fact that Casio are back in the game might mean a PD synth might follow soon. Don’t forget that the R&D costs in this space are hellish more expensive than their current home keyboard market so the commercial risks have to be managed accordingly. If the XW-P1 generates sufficient interest then they might be inclined to pull the trigger on a PD synth later on.

  7. Guys, did you really think they were going to do another phase distortion synth? Really? I don’t disagree with your points, I just can’t believe people actually thought that would happen.

    The spec, assuming is accurate, is exactly what I thought it would be. The keys are how well it sounds and how smart and intuitive the controls andvperformance options are.

    @zymos I could be wrong but i think they meant 1 mono 6 oscilkator part for bass and leads etc and then 2 polyphonic VA parts, probably 2 oscillator each or something.

  9. I really like the drawbar organ idea, those really need to catch onto these cheaper synths. Step sequencer is cool too. If it has analogue outs for that I’m sold…*fingers crossed*

    1. Perhaps the PD could come as a separate knobtastic module, that would be slotted into that…parking slot on the right side of the front panel. It would be called XW-P2(player 2).

  11. nice to hear! Had got my eye on a Korg Triton Extreme. But if this is as progressive as some of the older casio kit it will be great! All for new ideas! Hope it comes in different sizes! My CZ1000/Vz-1 and DH100 🙂 are very much in use!
    iPD would mean custom chips? Casio had already moved on to dsp @ the start of the nineties! Let’s hope for the functionality! And this mono 6osc lead synth sounds very nice. . Wonder if they have guitar an ewi control implimented?

    Cheers

    Nativ

  12. I’m slightly worried about the VA. If its mono only, it does kick its usability into nuts.

    But, to include a rompler into same box is nice, and Casio has had very nice samples since 2000. Shame though, that this seems to be based on WK-7500, which does have awesome sounds but its rompler engine is FAAAAAAAA…AAAAAARRRR from MZ-2000. MZ-2000’s rompler engine could work as a synth on its own.

    Also, only Casio can include a VA, rompler AND organ modelling into one box @ 700$. If it had MZ-2000 engine and PD I would already have preordered it, no matter the cost.

  14. well. I’d like CASIO to release other synthesizers, like: XW-P2 76-keys and XW-P3 88 keys. This time with the Phase Distortion you guys are asking for. What do you think?

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