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Studiologic Numa Compact 2x


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A little wide for that. Edgar WInter's 5'11" and the Univox 61 (plus side panel) looked almost too big for him.

 

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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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Numa: 2 MIDI zones, 9 sliders that send MIDI CC, plus aftertouch; 100 storable presets, but not accessible through direct buttons

 

If I understand it correctly there are also two split/layer zones for the internal Numa sounds, allowing you to split/layer 4 ways per program (preset).

I believe there is only a single split point available for a program; you can have two internal sounds (one on top and one on bottom), and two MIDI-triggered sounds, (one on top, one on bottom, same split point). So while it is capable of 4 sounds (2 internal and 2 external), it still has only two MIDI zones. Whether the two internal sounds count as two additional (non-MIDI) zones (as opposed to more sounds you can put into the same zones) is a matter of semantics, but they're not additional MIDI zones.

 

Oh, that sucks! I thought the internal zones were independent of the MIDI zones.

The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers

 

People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin

 

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For the time? I don't know, what was significantly better?

 

Actually there was nothing better, but nothing worth a crap as far as authentic piano reproduction at that time. I saw White Trash live and the sound was very tinny. I just take umbrage at the term authentic in the ad.

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They are independent, but just upper/lower for each.

 

BTW, there is no battery compartment. It can be bus-powered via USB but tablets don't have enough juice. Not sure if one of those portable device backup chargers would do it either.

Oh, right, bus powered, not battery, thanks.

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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It's an interesting concept... I wonder if they had targeted $799-999 what they might have beefed up. The build, the sounds... Maybe nothing. Maybe this is just the instrument they are aiming for and intend to sell a lot of them.

 

They can't sell any of them if they don't get them into stores.

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Numa Compact 2x owners manual is now posted and available on the Studiologic website!

 

here!

----------------------------------------------------------

 

Gig: Yamaha MODX7, NumaX 73 Piano  Studio: Kawai ES-920; Hammond SK Pro 73; Yamaha Motif ES7 w/DX,VL,VH; Yamaha YC 73; Kawai MP-6; Numa Compact 2x

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There's also a new organ sound demo there, but it sounds very bad to my ears and do not present the overdrive...

 

Anyway, reading the manual, I still did not figured out where the hell the "user sounds" are saved and how do you access them after editing/saving... There's a kind of live mode, where the instrument remembers the last settings on the sounds, but not enough IMHO....

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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Anyway, reading the manual, I still did not figured out where the hell the "user sounds" are saved

I believe there are 99 Program locations, period. Some or all may be pre-filled with factory sounds, but all locations are writable, they are all User locations. The fixed factory sounds are the tones you access via the category buttons. For accessing the 99 programs, from the manual: "When the focus {in the OLED window} is on the Program area, rotating the Encoder you will select the various Programs." Well, more or less. ;-)

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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Looking at the manual, the synth engine seems pretty weak. In fact, it doesn't even seem like a true "synth engine" but rather the same sample-based engine with a few extra parameters controllable via sliders.
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Looking at the manual, the synth engine seems pretty weak. In fact, it doesn't even seem like a true "synth engine" but rather the same sample-based engine with a few extra parameters controllable via sliders.

Well, you can pick waveforms, though I don't know whether they are algorithmically generated or sampled. The availability of PWM (and a supposed Sledge heritage) implies the former, but there's no reference to the expected reduced polyphony compared to the 128 polyphony of the sampled sounds, so maybe not. Probably single-oscillator, though the board lets you layer two sounds and detune them, so that helps, as long as you don't need any other split sound at the same time. There does not appear to be any monophonic mode or portamento, unfortunately. LFO seems to be sine only, with fixed routings. It may be derived from a Sledge, but it looks like about 5% of a Sledge to me.

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 come across 4-5 typos so far! Hopefully the release of this product isn't far behind.

MainStage; Hammond SK1-73; Roland XP-80, JV-90, JV-1080, JV-1010, AX-1; Korg microSAMPLER;

Boss DR-880; Beat Buddy; Neo Instruments Ventilator; TC Electronic ND-1 Nova Delay

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Looking at the manual, the synth engine seems pretty weak. In fact, it doesn't even seem like a true "synth engine" but rather the same sample-based engine with a few extra parameters controllable via sliders.

 

Maybe the Compact 3 will have a more extensive synth engine.

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There is a price-point demographic niche that each design must focus on. For seven hundred bones, should anyone really expect a full-fledged Sledge and a complete Numa Organ plus a decent stage piano with a smattering of peripheral ROMpler noises inside one box of 88 keys with aftertouch, and be a topnotch midi/usb controller as well?
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Oh, that sucks! I thought the internal zones were independent of the MIDI zones.

 

Im still bummed. I was hoping to do Numa organ/piano splits while reserving upper octave real estate for an additional split of MIDI zones. I hate to sound like a broken record but I dont understand how Alesis could have keyboards in the 1990s do 16 way splits/layers, per Multi, yet not one keyboard since has accomplished it, from any manufacturer. So frustrating.

The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers

 

People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin

 

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I hate to sound like a broken record but I dont understand how Alesis could have keyboards in the 1990s do 16 way splits/layers, per Multi, yet not one keyboard since has accomplished it, from any manufacturer. So frustrating.

Can you elaborate on what it is the Alesis does that is unique? Because I'm pretty sure 16-way splits/layers are available on plenty of keyboards from Kurzweil, Korg, Roland, and Yamaha.

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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So I realize this would have likely already been posted to this thread if anyone knew the answer, but just for grins, does anyone have a solid feel for when Studiologic is ACTUALLY going to release the 2x? Musiciansfriend.com originally estimated early Aug, but now it's been pushed back to late Sept.
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So I realize this would have likely already been posted to this thread if anyone knew the answer, but just for grins, does anyone have a solid feel for when Studiologic is ACTUALLY going to release the 2x? Musiciansfriend.com originally estimated early Aug, but now it's been pushed back to late Sept.

 

I'm going with shortly after the 2019 winter NAMM.

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There is a price-point demographic niche that each design must focus on. For seven hundred bones, should anyone really expect a full-fledged Sledge and a complete Numa Organ plus a decent stage piano with a smattering of peripheral ROMpler noises inside one box of 88 keys with aftertouch, and be a topnotch midi/usb controller as well?

 

All that doesn't matter if they can't get it to the marketplace.

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True, but still a valid point considering all of the discussion about its features.

MainStage; Hammond SK1-73; Roland XP-80, JV-90, JV-1080, JV-1010, AX-1; Korg microSAMPLER;

Boss DR-880; Beat Buddy; Neo Instruments Ventilator; TC Electronic ND-1 Nova Delay

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I hate to sound like a broken record but I dont understand how Alesis could have keyboards in the 1990s do 16 way splits/layers, per Multi, yet not one keyboard since has accomplished it, from any manufacturer. So frustrating.

Can you elaborate on what it is the Alesis does that is unique? Because I'm pretty sure 16-way splits/layers are available on plenty of keyboards from Kurzweil, Korg, Roland, and Yamaha.

 

I spoke inaccurately. Higher end keyboards did this, but this 1990s era software solution didnt get implemented across the board as a standard feature for cheaper ones, even in MIDI controllers. How hard would it be? Its another MENU item. Yet so useful.

The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers

 

People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin

 

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True, but still a valid point considering all of the discussion about its features.

 

Many years ago Yamaha showed a workstation at NAMM. It sounded like it was going to be amazing. Then it disappeared. Eventually the SY-77 came out instead. Also many years ago, Korg showed the original OASYS concept keyboard at NAMM. It had to be scrapped because it was too ambitious for the technology of the time. A watered down version came to market later. I'm just saying lots of things can be SHOWN at NAMM. It happens all the time with concepts at car shows. Look up the Buick Avista and ask yourself why GM was too stupid to realize they needed to bring it to market.

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I spoke inaccurately. Higher end keyboards did this, but this 1990s era software solution didnt get implemented across the board as a standard feature for cheaper ones

If I understand what you want, even low-cost boards can do it these days, maybe you just haven't looked at the right ons. I'm pretty sure you can find it in these under-$1k boards: Korg Kross (and discontinued even cheaper Microstation), Roland DS, Yamaha MX (requires free downloadable editor). Though only the Korgs are adept at mixing internal and external sounds (i.e. can send user-definable Program Change messages over the 16 channels), if that's part of what you're looking for.

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 spoke inaccurately. Higher end keyboards did this, but this 1990s era software solution didnt get implemented across the board as a standard feature for cheaper ones

If I understand what you want, even low-cost boards can do it these days, maybe you just haven't looked at the right ons. I'm pretty sure you can find it in these under-$1k boards: Korg Kross (and discontinued even cheaper Microstation), Roland DS, Yamaha MX (requires free downloadable editor). Though only the Korgs are adept at mixing internal and external sounds (i.e. can send user-definable Program Change messages over the 16 channels), if that's part of what you're looking for.

 

I just read the Roland DS88 manual, and it looks like you can do one split, not 16 splits across the keyboard.

 

So, which of these boards would you use as your only keyboard in a one-keyboard setup?

 

I suspect none of them.

The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers

 

People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin

 

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