Keyboard amps are reviled. I use a powered monitor - honest, real full range sound. Mono reinforcement is the ONLY way to go unless you don't want the audience to hear what you hear....

Thanks Jerry for all the info. Three questions:

1) When the ad copy says "three-way," "seven-way," etc., is that referring to velocity layers?

2) Is "transistor piano" the lawsuit-repellent term for an RMI, or something else?

3) Is "sharp brass" a "real" brass sound or a synth brass sound?

Really looking forward to getting to audition one of these.

Just listened to all the clips, quick impressions:

In reply to above:
2) sounds like an RMI or similar Elka transistor piano to me
3) 'sharp brass' appears to be the dreaded J*mp analog synth sound.

Pianos, rhodes, clav, strings, tron strings, and wurli sound good to me.

Unfortunate that the included choir is just a synth choir and not a tron choir. Big mistake there IMO.

The CP80 is not bad but I think the one on the Stage is noticeably better. OTOH, the acoustic pianos compete very well with the Nord.

I did not hear the promised pianet sound in the demo files. If I missed it, please point it out to me.

The hammond organs are completely unusable to me, and the leslie sim sounds state of the art for circa 2000. The transister organs are also a big cut below the Stage.

Moe, listen to 17 ElectroPiano.mp3 I'm not sure it's a pianet but I think it sounds lovely.

In comparison to the Stage, I know the RH3 action and will take it over the Fatar ANY DAY. Also, it looks like there is a roughly $1500 price delta.

Busch.

My, there are many things you dislike strongly, aren't there?

Personally, I find more than a few keyboard amps not up to the standards that I need for live performance, but I've found more than a few that definitely are. My Motion Sound comes to mind (not knowing it was to be reviled, I've been happily using it for years now), as do Tony Barbetta's amps. TOA used to make a pretty kickass keyboard amp as well, and I've heard plenty of good things about the Traynor stuff, although I've never used one.

Of course, it depends on the gig. I'm not that big a star, so I need something compact that can fit easily on a small stage. My Yamaha PA cabs usually don't fit along with my amp rack and mixer...

dB

Yeah, but I love me some dB

You've found it.

Regards,

Jerry

1 - yes.

2- yes.

3 - synth/sawtooth based synthesis.

Another point regarding sounds - users can use the editor to tweak/program sounds based on the onboard effects etc., with the editor providing more detailed controls/parameters for those effects.

Korg can provide additional sounds via the editor that are edited/created based on the full synthesis system under the hood, and share them via the editor/web. So when the product is in the market and we get feedback from our users we can certainly try to fill "requests". We're already working on some more sounds to be made available by the time the SV's hit the stores in early November.

Regards,

Jerry

Korg Guy

That looks real nice.

Man, this piece sounds like a great direction for Korg. I'm a hardcore Electro 2 fan, my Electro 2 rack as many frequent flyer miles as I do, and this is the first thing I've seen to make me reconsider the Electro. Can't wait to give it a whirl

This does look awfully sweet. Not too many hardware pieces raise my eyebrows, but I'll be checking this bad boy out. No drawbars make me not even want to consider its Hammond sound, but if the Wurly, Rhodes, Clav & Piano are killer, I may have to tell my son he's on his own for college tuition next semester.

Doesn't sound like the pianet I owned. This one must be sampled from the later T model.

From what I understand, the Combo Pianet (which I owned) and the Pianet N, L, and C had a harder, more wurli like sound. They also had no dynamics whatsoever and no possibility of sustain pedal.

Later ones (model M, T) switched to rubber pads and passive pickups, which supposedly had a much mellower sound.

I like the sound you captured, but would love to hear the "other" pianet sound too.

So if Korg is taking requests Jerry, here's my list:
- pianet C, N, L, or Combo
- tron choir replaces synth choir
- ability to unload organs and replace with new pianos

From ad copy:

The SV-1 Stage Vintage Piano will be available early November 2009. The 73-key SV-173 will carry an MSRP of $2700.00; the 88-key SV-188 will carry an MSRP of $3000.00

I vote for this one as well.

Ouch. More than I wanted to spend.

Yeah the price is more than was surmised based on earlier info (it's cheap in Japan). Doesn't mean it's not worth it.

Busch.

Might seem a facile question given the nature of the board...but with the couple of layered pianos will it be possible to increase/decrease the amount of string/pad behind it on the fly?

Note that is Suggested Retail price - your mileage may vary...

:-)

regards,

Jerry

Korg Guy

Yes, it's a later model.

Perhaps I didn't make it clear - we can't replace the samples, we can make more new sounds based on the samples already in there. So we're not going to be making the kind of sound "swaps" you're asking for. Sorry.

They are good ideas, of course!

regards,

Jerry

Korg Guy

With the current presets the answer is no.

But in the architecture we can increase/decrease the RX noises, so you'll find you can increase/lessen key clicks on the organ, and a variety of the noises of the electro and truly mechanical boards. We have already been discussing using that method to make some of these layered sounds where we put the layer into that part of the voice so they could be varied as you are suggesting. I think it's a good idea too!

regards,

Jerry

Korg Guy

Go for it! I've just come off-stage in the UK and w finish with a version of 'Nobody does it Better' which starts with minimal strings behind the piano and then builds throughout.

I realise that song isn't really what this board is about but it'd still be a really useful feature!

Agreed in spades that my favourite Pianet sound is the N/L/C models. But they really are hard to come by (Nord/Clavia has been promising them for ages and gave up when they failed to find a good specimen). Even with the new sticky pads, they sound distinctly different (way too much "plucking" sound -- maybe they're too sticky).

Having said that, the Wurlitzer sound on the SV-1 is programmed to be very bright and "hot" and sounds alot like the early Pianet. Listen to the 07 Reed EP1 mp3. I think it can be quite easily programmed (remove a few of the lower velocity layers) to make a very good Pianet N impersonation.

I would like to see more programs with the existing samples, to give an idea of the variety of sounds that you can get out of them. I like Kurzweil's method of matching them with signature sounds in classic songs.

+1

Those patches are a lot of fun, and SOOOOOO realistic.

Back atcha, mah brutha...

dB

Methinks this bromance needs a soundtrack.

It's a pity you can't load new samples into it a la Nord, though. I have a gig this afternoon and have just been torn between tucking the Stage into the car or going with the RD. The RD won in the end, but only because I'd changed the samples in the Nord ready for sale (I didn't have either electric or upright patch bays filled for example).

Hey Jerry, can I just say that it's great to have you so accessible and responsive online.

Elsewhere you said this: "Most of the samples are all-new, and the voice engine is taken from our Pa products with the DNS architecture."

Does that mean the piano and/or EP samples are not the same as the ones used in the OASYS? Or any other existing Korg board?

That in itself makes this super interesting ... it means everybody needs to try this out in person to get a handle on the new sounds. Can't wait.

O.k., thx.
I listened to the audio demos and have read the manual now.
If the presets sound like the audio demos in the web, I´d be fine w/ all the piano type patches and layered ones.
I see organs, brass, choir and strings as additions and this reminds me to my SG-Rack I have in my rig up to now.

Functionality:
What I miss and compared to the SG, is the possibility to do my own layers incl. balancing the layered programs in a performance mode the SG offers.
After I´ve read the editor manual now, I´m aware of this isn´t possible at all.

Next,- I miss a realtime midi-out on/off push-button like in the Roland/Rhodes MK80, which allows to disconnect a midi-rack module on the fly while playing and without getting hanging notes.
Maybe this could be implemented and addressed to one of the already available buttons in a software update.

Is there hope for a ring modulator effect in future,- CC pedal assigned to sweep frequencys ? Would be nice. :-)
Assignment of the CC-pedal to the delay time of the tape delay would also be a great feature,- like moving the playback-head of a Echoplex tape echo machine.

Program request:
I´d also like to see a layered program of 02 Tine EP phaser/ 19 Grand Piano 1 and/or some more acoustic/electric piano layers using the existing programs/samples.

A.C.

Yes, the acoustic pianos, most of the main electric pianos, 1 of the clavs, all the real vintage stuff (including new tape strings) and all of the organs are new. So the majority of the instrument is new.

Regards,

Jerry
Korg Guy

Those are the built-in, single sound demos untouched, so they are EXACTLY what the presets sound like, promise.


Good input, but I cant make any promises about future things.



I hear you about both of these. I don't know, but I'll be sure the team hears your request. When showing the Editor to artists whenever I moved the Delay time and got the tape pitch effect everyone always lights up, so you're not alone!



Already in the works!

Jerry

Korg Guy