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Dexibell Vivo S9?


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Its nice. Its the same sound engine as in all Dexibell boards so nothing new there. It has motorized sliders that can be used for organ and other controls - and - some of their knobs have LED segments on them to show what knob position the knobs are at! This is the first time I've seen a board incorporate both of these features together (Nord has those segment-displayed knobs on some of their boards, and Behringer had a controller with motorized faders).

 

Didn't get to play one as the only one hooked up was being demo'd by Dexibell. The keys are supposed to be of better quality than the others in the Vivo line because they "wanted something that was better matched the quality of their sounds". Its not the Fatar TP40/wood, but something new (I assume its still Fatar though but don't quote me).

PianoManChuck

Authorized reseller: Casio, Dexibell, Kurzweil, Nord, iLoud, Viscount

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I'm intrigued by the S1 for its portability. 68 weighted action (TP100) keys, 18.7 lbs, minimalist form. There isn't anything else like it. To my thinking, it would just need a good piano sound to be useful, and (like all Vivos) it seems to have that. But it's pricey at $1400.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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Thanks Chuck! The Dexibell stuff is iteresting to me. Have you had a chance to play the S3 with the TP100? If so, how playable is it? I like the small form factor and weight.

 

I have and S3 (plus four other Dexibelles). I think it is a wonderful piece of work. I have compared Dexibell's piano to all of my other keyboards and Dexibell is the best. They combine sampling and modeling. Very intelligently done. The powerful quad core processor that they use in all their keyboards provides great ability to do what they want. The sampling length is up to 15 seconds - much longer than any other manufacturer. Controls are well designed and the build quality is excellent. Metal construction.

Thomas Shea

Nebraska

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I'm intrigued by the S1 for its portability. 68 weighted action (TP100) keys, 18.7 lbs, minimalist form. There isn't anything else like it. To my thinking, it would just need a good piano sound to be useful, and (like all Vivos) it seems to have that. But it's pricey at $1400.

 

I agree. There is a lot of appeal to the S1 for rehearsals and small pick-up gigs. But the price is just a bit off-putting. It also suffers from the RD-64 problem of the controls being on the left cheek block, making it longer than it should be.

 

In general, I haven't been to thrilled with the Rhodes sound on the Dexibells. The chime part seems a bit over pronounced. A lot of the Kurzweil Rhodes patches tend to have the same quality.

 

Can the chime attribute of the EP be customized and toned down?

.

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To my mind, there's a sweet spot for # of keys in a portable weighted action board. I actually think Roland hit it on the nose with the RD64, but then they put the controls on the left to make it basically as long as a 73. The RD also weighs 28 lbs. It's really more table top computer ware than portable piano board. I wish the S1 were 64 instead of 68, but it's still looking like the best thing out there for a carry-around weighted board.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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I'm intrigued by the S1 for its portability. 68 weighted action (TP100) keys, 18.7 lbs, minimalist form. There isn't anything else like it. To my thinking, it would just need a good piano sound to be useful, and (like all Vivos) it seems to have that. But it's pricey at $1400.

 

I agree. There is a lot of appeal to the S1 for rehearsals and small pick-up gigs. But the price is just a bit off-putting. It also suffers from the RD-64 problem of the controls being on the left cheek block, making it longer than it should be.

 

In general, I haven't been to thrilled with the Rhodes sound on the Dexibells. The chime part seems a bit over pronounced. A lot of the Kurzweil Rhodes patches tend to have the same quality.

 

Can the chime attribute of the EP be customized and toned down?

 

According to the manual, yes, you can adjust the "bell" parameter. Remains to be seen how effective that is.

 

My thing is, I like to get around by motorcycle. In the Bay Area, it's not just for giggles, it's for practicality. There has never been a weighted action board I could take 2-wheeling, until possibly the S1. So would it be worth $1400 for me to be able to do that? Possibly. Putting that consideration aside, though, it seems like a hefty price for the hardware, though you are getting the same engine under the hood as the other Vivos.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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Im open about the merits of this pianna but this lady ( where have you been all my life?)seems to like it and endorse it.

What a beautiful relaxed voice - and in front of such a dead audience.

 

 

Another demo rippin' up Dolphin Dance

 

 

I think Dexibell must have a descrete team just coming up with end-cap designs - they just dont seem intergrated.

Still - wouldn't kick one out of bed on that account

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It's definitely a nice piano sound. But when other brands can boast of really great Rhodes, wurly, etc while Dexibell seems just middlin' in those areas, it's hard to get super-excited. The downloading possibilities may prove to be an equalizer.

 

I see now I was wrong about the S1, I thought it had the same hammer action as the S3, but it doesn't. The S3 weighs 22 lbs with 73 keys and the S1 18.7 lbs with 68, so from a weight standpoint, it wasn't a stretch.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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  • 2 months later...
According to Dexibell, the keyboard action on the S9 will have a new version of the Fatar TP40 Wood called the TP400H. I assume the "H" stands for "hammer".

 

Common Fatar terminology for keyboard actions is:

 

S = synth diving board

O = organ waterfall

 

Then some semi-weighted actions where you don´t find the "S" or "O" in the name ...

 

The portable/lightweight actions like TP-100/ TP-100L/R

 

for the "better" hammer actions:

 

L = lite

M = Medium

H = Heavy

GH = graded hammer

 

w/ the addition of:

 

WOOD (typically graded hammer and heavy w/ wooden keys)

 

These already existed for the TP40 actions.

 

I doubt they now changed that for a new model 400 action.

So, my guess is, it´s a heavy hammer action.

 

A.C.

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  • 2 months later...
So when is the S9 coming out? Theyre supposed to have an Italian Grand in their sound library sometime soon, too.

 

"Bonners"/ UK announce it for july 2018.

You have to watch the vid for the announcement.

The action is in deed Fatar TP400 ...

 

quote:

 

Wooden Hammer Action Keyboard

 

The S9 is fitted with a newly developed, class-leading TP400 Hammer Action keyboard which is a hybrid structure of both wood & plastic. The natural materials give the correct key weighting, whilst the manmade parts contribute to long-lasting reliability. Each key has 3 contacts, aftertouch, ebony/ivory feel graded weight with precise note by note calibration, expertly setup in the Dexibell Factory.

 

clonk

 

[video:youtube]

 

The organ and leslie sim sound horrible in the vid.

 

:)

 

A.C.

 

 

 

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Just played an S7 at Bananas in San Rafael, late to the party but first time I've found one to demo.

 

The AP is really nice and playable to me. And while there are only two Rhodes presets, I found both pretty playable. You don't get the range of options the CP4 gives you, but I could gig the S7 for AP and EP.

 

So...basically same weight as a CP4, all metal construction, decent keybed, 1700 vs. 1900. If I didn't already have a CP4, this would be a consideration, but even then the CP4 has the superior keybed, I'd probably still end up going with the Yamaha. As a bonus, the "extra" sounds on the CP are (IMHO) better than the Dexibell...by a stretch. Of course, I seldom use them anyway, but for those that do...

 

 

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The organ and leslie sim sound horrible in the vid.

It hasn't sounded good in any vid I've seen. If that were the organ in a sub-$1,000 (non-dedicated) board, I'd say, okay, I get it, it's cool that it has clonewheel in it at all, but for a $2-$3k board that's going up against Nord, etc., I think these vids are an embarrassment.

 

Just played an S7...basically same weight as a CP4, all metal construction, decent keybed, 1700 vs. 1900. If I didn't already have a CP4, this would be a consideration, but even then the CP4 has the superior keybed

...and if you factor out the superior keybed, you could also consider the CP40 at just $1400, which I suspect still feels at least as good as the Dexibell.

 

As a bonus, the "extra" sounds on the CP are (IMHO) better than the Dexibell...by a stretch.

Yeah, when I played the P3, other than piano, I didn't think the sounds were at all in the Yamaha league. The appeal to me was only in it being a small, lightweight hammer action piano with reasonably loud speakers. But the fact that you can load soundfonts does open up more possibilities in the additional sounds.

 

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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And while there are only two Rhodes presets, I found both pretty playable. You don't get the range of options the CP4 gives you, but I could gig the S7 for AP and EP.

 

How did the Wurli fare by comparison? For me that was always the CP4's major dealbreaker.

 

I only briefly played a few Supertramp tunes on it, suffice to say I was not sufficiently drawn to it to play any more. Personally, I think the 1-layer Wurli in my Nord Wave is better than either the CP4 or the Vivo...or at least more instantly, "Hey that's a Wurli".

 

To me the real draw of the Vivo is undeniably the acoustic piano, at which it is really superior. There's a touring tribute I sub for occasionally which is all acoustic piano work - for those venues that have backlined a Motif, I'd have killed to have a Vivo (in a shell hahaha).

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IMO the Vivo Wurli is not impressive. The Vivo rhodes is just ok -- useable but rather pedestrian and the various modeling components somehow don't integrate together well to my ear. I didn't find either of them inspiring to play.

 

I'm a fan of the Vivo AP, I think it gives the CP4 a run for it's money in terms of authenticity and responsiveness but the CP4 action is clearly superior.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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The Vivo rhodes is just ok -- useable but rather pedestrian and the various modeling components somehow don't integrate together well to my ear.

 

Compared to Kronos, the Rhodes modeling tweaks don't really provide the wide variation in sound that I was expecting. No matter what I adjusted, it seemed like I ended up with...pretty much what I started with. I could gig those two Rhodes fine, but all these things are personal taste of course.

 

For Rhodes sim, I haven't found anything yet (in hardware) that would tempt me to leave Busch's Winter Rhodes. It's my go-staple. Gigged it all night at last night's wedding gig.

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I agree, Dexibell's EPs don't work for me either. Roughly comparable to the organ sounds discussed a few posts up.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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I agree, Dexibell's EPs don't work for me either. Roughly comparable to the organ sounds discussed a few posts up.

 

I have a Dexibell P7 and I find the Rhodes sounds to be very authentic. One of them reminds me very strongly of a Rhodes I used to own. It also has a quality that is hard for me to put my finger on. It responds to my keyboard playing dynamics in a unpredictable manner. What I mean is it doesn't just sound like I am triggering the same sample over and over. Like any real acoustic piano or a real Rhodes, the same key can sound slightly different each time you play it, because it's impossible to hit the same key with the exact same force each time.

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