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Korg Grandstage.....Anyone tried it?


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I was looking for excellent AP and EP Sounds, adequate strings, brass, reed inst., etc and most of all simplicity to set up and execute. I love my Kawai MP7, but was looking to cut weight, so I did compromise going to a 73 keyboard. Will take some adjustment but I think it will work out. So far, I couldn't be happier as I believe it will meet my needs.

 

Drawbacks are still some weight although less than the MP7 and the ability to adjust sounds. Most of the time I can find what I need on the board. I owned an SV1 years ago and did like the pianos in that board. These are even better in my opinion. I am interested if any of you are planning to purchase as well.

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Can you create multitimbral setups on it? 3-way splits, or split+layer combinations?

Life is subtractive.
Genres: Jazz, funk, pop, Christian worship, BebHop
Wishlist: 80s-ish (synth)pop, symph pop, prog rock, fusion, musical theatre
Gear: NS2 + JUNO-G. KingKORG. SP6 at church.

 

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I've tried it, I had one, and I have review and demos on it here.

 

 

Feel free to send me personally any questions you might have!

 

Macsaint777@gmail.com

 

Ben Allen.

 

 

I have gear. Don't we all? Some is old, some is new. Ask me what I've got and I'll tell you. 

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I haven't had a chance to try the Grandstage, though it looks appealing. Its weight is still over my limit. I think the Kurzweil SP6 might give it a good run for its money at a better travel weight.

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 have a 73. Had an SV-1 several years ago when they first came out. I think the GS pianos play better and sound better, not to mention having the much broader palette of non-piano sounds. On the other hand, if you want to be able to play a Rhodes patch and tweak the effects settings, on the GS that takes a button push and a couple knob twirls, not as immediate as some would like.

 

I've been playing it at home and a few piano gigs but that's about it. For my current funk band I use 50% B3, 20% clav, 10% synth, and 20% Rhodes, so there isn't much motivation to take a 38-lb board out for that.

 

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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To my ear the Grandstage sounds better than the Kurzweil. Plus again I am looking for simplicity and not wanting to tweek and set up a lot of personalized patches. I had an SP6 that I returned to the store. You are right about the weight, but unfortunately, it has been my experience that quality is directly proportional to weight. I like the sound of heavier boards (unfortunately).
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Can you create multitimbral setups on it? 3-way splits, or split+layer combinations?

 

You have to remember, I am not very technical and am totally looking for simplicity, but to my knowledge, so far, I believe you can create splits and have the ability to 'swap' them and you can layer two voices only.(If anyone knows differently, please jump in and correct me). I don't think you can do multitimbral setups, but again, I may be wrong. BTW, Ben Allan, who is on this thread is a very good source for questions on this board.

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I've tried it, I had one, and I have review and demos on it here.

 

 

Feel free to send me personally any questions you might have!

 

 

Macsaint777@gmail.com

 

Ben Allen.

 

Hi, Ben, I now follow you on You Tube. You are one of the reasons I bought the board. I sat through your long review of this board and it answered most questions I had. Thanks and good job!

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The GrandStage does allow for splits and layers. It is a nice DP that to me feels and sounds like a "best of" Kronos. I still prefer my SV-1. :cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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The GrandStage does allow for splits and layers. It is a nice DP that to me feels and sounds like a "best of" Kronos. I still prefer my SV-1. :cool:

 

I would have bought another SV1, but I need brass, sax, flute and strings.

 

As an alternative to the SV-1 or Kronos, I definitely think you made the right choice in choosing the GrandStage considering your needs. :cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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The GrandStage does allow for splits and layers. It is a nice DP that to me feels and sounds like a "best of" Kronos. I still prefer my SV-1. :cool:

 

I would have bought another SV1, but I need brass, sax, flute and strings.

In case anyone else is in that boat, here's a possible solution:

You could hook up an iPad for brass, sax, flute, strings (using Korg Module, for example), and pretty easily switch between internal and external sounds, by taking advantage of these three SV1 features...

...the SV1's Line Inputs allow you to add the iPad sounds without needing a mixer

...the SV1's front panel "Local Off" button provides an easy way to mute the internal sound when you want to hear iPad sounds only

...the SV1's Function button plus MIDI Channel select key allows you to quickly toggle between different MIDI transmission channels, so you could transmit on your Korg Module channel when you want to hear its sound, and transmit on an unassigned channel when you don't.

 

So at any given time, you could be playing the internal sound, the external sound, or the two layered together.

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've had a Grandstage 73 for about a week and really like it. It is pretty much exactly as you described in your original post, excellent AP and EP with adequate other sounds. It is super simple to use. (Of course you give up many editing options for that simplicity, but fortunately the sounds are very good as they are.) The variety and quality of AP sounds will allow me to leave my laptop (AP sounds) home. It weighs a bit more than I like, but the trade off for that is a better playing action. Also a shout out to Ben Allen's excellent review(s) which influenced my decision. Very happy with it so far.

Tom

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Ben, if your checking in, or if anyone else can answer, regarding updating O.S: After you download new OS file, what happens to the favorites, that is the factory ones and the ones you've over written as your own? The PDF instruction file mentions doing a factory reset to get the fav's back after the upgrade, but then I would think you'd also need to add the ones you've created back in.
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I need a smaller board so I played both recently and really wanted to like the Grandstage more but the SV-1 just seemed more fun to play. Cant explain why, I just seemed to connect better to the sounds even though the pianos aren't as good.

 

I want to give the GS another chance since I know the pianos are and most all non-Rhodes sounds are better and the SV-1 is now almost 10 years old so it needs to be updated. But it seems like Korg is replacing the SV-1 with the GS maybe? If I thought they would update the SV1 I would wait but seems doesnt seem like they plan an SV2.

 

If they would just update the RH3 action I would buy in a heartbeat. My CP4 action is much better.

 

I too follow Bens U-tube channel and his reviews and they are great and super helpful. I also appreciate the thoughts from Dave and all the other pros since I only play for fun.

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I want to give the GS another chance since I know the pianos are and most all non-Rhodes sounds are better and the SV-1 is now almost 10 years old so it needs to be updated. But it seems like Korg is replacing the SV-1 with the GS maybe? If I thought they would update the SV1 I would wait but seems doesnt seem like they plan an SV2.

IMO, the SV-1 "is what it is" and as a result I do not think Korg will upgrade it.

 

To that end, I believe the GrandStage is the Korg product that fills the gap between the SV-1 and Kronos. :cool:

 

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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Yes, I think the Grandstage is in a sense their SV-2, an updated take on a preset-based piano/EP-centric bread-and-butter board with a direct hands-on interface, but priced at enough of a premium to the SV-1 that there can be a market for both.

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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Playing the SV-1 made me not a fan of the RH3 action. Playing the GS makes me accepting of it. I can't explain why. The difference, if there really is one, is subtle.

 

I would like to see an SV-2 with sounds updated. But even if they did, they probably wouldn't address my biggest issue with it, which was the physical proximity of the control panel. It felt claustrophic to my fingers. A few more centimeters of separation would fix that for me.

 

If there was an SV-2 focused on just pianos that felt, played, and sounded like the GS and allowed a little more finger room, I'd trade my GS for it.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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Adan is the action doable though if you had to use it?

 

Not sure if you're asking about the SV-1 or the GS. Imo, the GS is incrementally better than the SV-1, and that increment sort of crossed a line for me between not liking and liking. But this could be perception rather than reality (though maybe perception IS reality, but I digress . . .).

 

Both are very "do-able." To me, this is part of a discussion about which is the best available DP action. I don't think RH3 is in the top 3, but it's well above the "do-able" threshold.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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IMO, the love/hate relationship with the RH3 action goes back to the FTEC (finger (KB feel) to ear (sound) connection).

 

For me, the FTEC is stronger with the SV-1. I get an immediate response between playing the RH3 and the sound(s). Fortunately, the control panel does not get in my way. :D

 

Yet, whenever I play a Kronos and GrandStage which has the same RH3, the FTEC is not the same. I think it is because the sounds/samples are different. Maybe I could tweak the sound(s) and/or adjust the velocity.

 

Because of the split/layer capability of the Kronos and GrandStage, I would have replaced the SV-1 in a NY minute with either one of them if FTEC was the same or better for me.

 

The SV-1 feels and plays like an instrument to me while the Kronos and GrandStage feel like I'm playing a VST. :laugh:

 

To be fair, I have not met a MIDI controller/computer-based setup where that 1 ms of latency doesn't bother me.

 

The FTEC is real. So, I'm not surprised that musicians differ in their response to the RH3 action and how it is implemented in the SV-1, Kronos and GrandStage. :cool:

 

 

 

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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Ben, if your checking in, or if anyone else can answer, regarding updating O.S: After you download new OS file, what happens to the favorites, that is the factory ones and the ones you've over written as your own? The PDF instruction file mentions doing a factory reset to get the fav's back after the upgrade, but then I would think you'd also need to add the ones you've created back in.

 

I just updated OS. My sounds were saved so I didnt have to reload

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I

The SV-1 feels and plays like an instrument to me while the Kronos and GrandStage feel like I'm playing a VST. :laugh:

 

Which indicates higher latency w/ Kronos/ Grandstage vs SV-1 and what you hear when playing Kronos ARE Linux/WINe optimized virtual instruments,- call ´em VSTs or whatever.

 

Does the SV-1 use the same "engine",- Intel industry mobo w/ Intel Atom and running Linux/WINe on it ?

I guess NO !

But even I´m not sure, I can imagine Grandstage uses such engine too.

 

A.C.

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