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Studiologic Numa Compact 2x


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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.

You missed it, it's called 16-part mode

 

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

 

I suspect none of them.

 

As I've discussed many times, I prefer a multi-keyboard setup. But there are times where a single board is called for, and I've got some good options. Being able to split/layer 16 sounds would not necessarily be a criteria for me, though.

 

I don't want to derail the NC2X thread, so I'll start a new one for "If you must gig with just one board..."

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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Im definately giving one of these a look see just as a spare, and possibly another sound source controller that takes very little space...

 

I think this is a fantastic idea, the C2 had a great price, but the synth and real-time Controllers plus the meat and potatoe sounds makes the C2X a great axe.

 

Must hear the sounds though.

Too used to Kontakt PianoTeq Keyscape.

Some big shoes to fill.

Magnus C350 + FMR RNP + Realistic Unisphere Mic
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Well it looks like the Dexibell S9 is going to be in stores before the Numa Compact 2X. Sweetwater is now officially a dealer and finally I know what it's going to cost. Sure it's going to be 5 1/2 times the cost, but at least you'll be able to buy one.
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Whoa, good news, hot from the oven LOL. Hope you like it and hope to hear more about your experience!

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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Well, not a lot of time to tinker tonight. I had very recently purchased a numa compact 2 without realizing the 2X had been announced. It seemed the European vendors were getting it first as they come from Italy, so I monitored them for availability and they came in stock late last week. 30 Euro shipping plus the approximately $200 premium (2X vs 2) didn't seem like a huge price to make the upgrade so I returned the 2 and ordered the 2X.

 

I really liked the 2. It was very easy to use, had great feel, and very good sounds. The 2X in theory has all the same sounds plus more sounds and customization/control of the organ and synth patches.

 

The organ seems clearly better and more feature filled on the 2X vs the 2. Although the organ patches on the 2 were quite good as static sounds, the drawbars, and vibrato/chorus and percussion controls on the 2X give a much more B3-like (numa organ-like) experience.

 

Not being much of synth expert, there will be more of a learning curve for me to assess the synth advantages.

 

Also, yet to be explored is apparent more featured MIDI implementation. From the typo-infested 2X manual (page 34):

 

You can play a Drums & Bass groove on MIDI CH3 and 4 and record a live part on UPPER and/or LOWER, creating a 4 part arrangement of any kind. The four KEYBOARD Parts (as summarized in the MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART at the end of this manual) have a separate MIDI Channel each one, corresponding to the following MIDI structure:

 

KEYBOARD MIDI PORT

Upper= MIDI Ch1 (send and receive) Part3: MIDI Ch3 (receive only)

Lower= MIDI Ch2 (send and receive) Part 4: MIDI Ch4 (receive only)

 

My older brain appreciated the simplicity of the 2. It sounded great and could easily control more powerful plugins on my Mac. The organs on the 2X are clearly a step up. I'm sure over time, I will value the other improved features of the 2X.

 

Anyways, after a few days, I'll try to post an update.

 

--JC

 

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Thnaks for the report so far! If you can, talk a little bit about user sounds and how one can access them once they are saved, since there's nothing on the front panel dedicated to this... That's one of the features that makes me more curious...

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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Except for the supposedly improved organ in the Numa Compact 2x, are the other sounds (AP's, EP's clavs, strings, etc.) the same as those in the older Numa Compact 2?

 

Also, for those who've had hands-on experience with the Numa Compact series, are the SW keys as tightly sprung as the NE4/5d's or are they lower tension and looser / softer like a Kurz SP4-7 or Sk1/2?

Gigs: Nord 5D 73, Kurz PC4-7 & SP4-7, Hammond SK1, Yamaha MX88 & P121, Numa Compact 2x, Casio CGP700, QSC K12, Yamaha DBR10, JBL515xt(2). Alto TS310(2)

 

 

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Also, for those who've had hands-on experience with the Numa Compact series, are the SW keys as tightly sprung as the NE4/5d's or are they lower tension and looser / softer like a Kurz SP4-7 or Sk1/2?

I'd say heavier feeling than an SP4-7, lighter than SK1, and much lighter than Nord.

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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Hmmm.... That's interesting because I'm able to play AP licks better on both the Kurz SP4-7's and Sk1's action than on the more tightly-sprung NE5D's action.

 

If the Numa Compact 2X's B3 sound is better than the Kurz SP4-7's, I may consider unloading my Nord 5D 73, as well as my Kurz SP4-7, and buying it as an all-in-one superlight-weight portable board. I would have a bunch of left-over cash to buy some other gear as well. Of course this scenario assumes that the Compact 2X's AP's, EP's, and clavs are gig worthy (hopefully as good as the SP4-7's) and sound good in mono.

 

If I need a top notch B3 sound, I still have my 15 lb. Hammond Sk1 61. I have three fully-weighted 88's I can use for piano when required.

 

 

Gigs: Nord 5D 73, Kurz PC4-7 & SP4-7, Hammond SK1, Yamaha MX88 & P121, Numa Compact 2x, Casio CGP700, QSC K12, Yamaha DBR10, JBL515xt(2). Alto TS310(2)

 

 

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Thnaks for the report so far! If you can, talk a little bit about user sounds and how one can access them once they are saved, since there's nothing on the front panel dedicated to this... That's one of the features that makes me more curious...

 

+1 on this - would love to hear how the patch selection process works in live usage

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Thnaks for the report so far! If you can, talk a little bit about user sounds and how one can access them once they are saved, since there's nothing on the front panel dedicated to this... That's one of the features that makes me more curious...

 

+1 on this - would love to hear how the patch selection process works in live usage

Based on the Numa Compact 2 (and as I mentioned earlier), you store your user sounds into the 99 Program locations (some of which are pre-filled with factory sample programs, but can all be over-written). You recall them by scrolling through the list on the display, using the knob to the right of the display.

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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Just got the word got early November on these.

 

... of 2019

'55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D

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Just got the word got early November on these.

 

... of 2019

 

Gives me plenty of demos from Europe to check out.

 

One thing I still dont understand from ROMpler manufacturers.

Where are the damn Horn Sections.

Its really the only reason I still use rackmounted PCs.

 

Well the Disco Strings too.

But all of the Orchestral stuff I have I rarely use.

 

The 2X would be perfect if they came out with sections that have swells sustain, and falls.

Really helps with pop covers.

Magnus C350 + FMR RNP + Realistic Unisphere Mic
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Ok, my Numa C2x arrived eventually, well its no RD300NX ( my usual piano ) and I also have a VR-09....to be honest the NC2X is pretty basic compared to the VR-09, the effects are just ok, the overdrive is useless, there is no real editing for the effects apart from mix level, the stereo pan on the VR-09 is fantastic, not so on the NC2X

There is no facility to adjust the Rotary section ie. upper and lower rotor speeds and levels, your stuck with what youre given, no leakage levels although there is key click level control, The organ is acceptable, once again no wow factor, also, as in a lot of Clonewheels the reverb is not affected by the Rotary effect...which is totally unrealistic as on a really Leslie the reverb decays as the rotors spin...on the NC2X the reverb comes out straight...the only was to get close to the real sound is to use external reverb..the VR-09 suffers from the same fault.

There is only one Rhodes piano which is just ok, adjusting reverb, effects and touch velocity improved it a bit...bit disappointing, it really needs more Rhodes samples..

The default Acoustic Piano is not to my liking, I settled for the Vintage piano which sounds pretty authentic, I used that sound on its first gig and the sax player remarked how good it sounded.

The aftertouch only adds vibrato to the sound only ! No filter, pitchbend etc on aftertouch...

There is noticeable Aliasing on some sounds, in comparison to the high quality sounds on my 11 year old Yamaha PSR S900 the NC2X is definitely reflective of its low price!

Its early days as Ive only had it a week...its ok, the key feel is firm and pleasant but I missed the hammer action on my RD300NX, but I bought it for the reduced weight and size for easier gigging.

There are a few things the NC2X can do that the VR-09 cant..Like having two sounds playing but with different effects...I had organ and strings together and the rotary working on the organ only, creating a huge impressive organ / orchestra patch...good for Pink Floyd stuff....

Ive not really got into the synth section as its not my bread and butter sounds being a predominantly jazz based musician.

Regards to all.....

 

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the overdrive is useless

That's what I was afraid of.

 

as in a lot of Clonewheels the reverb is not affected by the Rotary effect...which is totally unrealistic as on a really Leslie the reverb decays as the rotors spin...on the NC2X the reverb comes out straight...the only was to get close to the real sound is to use external reverb..the VR-09 suffers from the same fault.

Are you talking about whether the reverb occurs before or after the rotary effect? There are arguments for both, depending on whether you're trying to duplicate the sound of a Hammond with a built-in spring reverb going into a Leslie, or the sound of a Leslie in a given sized room (or mic'd up in a studio and processed through a reverb unit).

 

There is only one Rhodes piano which is just ok, adjusting reverb, effects and touch velocity improved it a bit...bit disappointing, it really needs more Rhodes samples..

Roland does provide a wide variety of Rhodes sounds, but from what I recall, I like Numa's one Rhodes better than any of Roland's. Though it benefits from rolling back the treble, and unfortunately there's no way to save EQ settings on the Numa.

 

The aftertouch only adds vibrato to the sound only ! No filter, pitchbend etc on aftertouch...

I'll give them that one, as the board is low-cost and in many ways minimal, and vibrato is AT's most common us... I'm glad to see AT at all on any low-cost and/or lightweight boards. You can always have it do other things in the context of using it as a MIDI controller, i.e. triggering a synth in your iPhone/iPad.

 

There are a few things the NC2X can do that the VR-09 cant..Like having two sounds playing but with different effects...

Yes. That, the 88 keys, the aftertouch, the ability to have the 9 sliders send out MIDI CC, a few more real-time synth controls, and built-in speakers are clear advantages over the VR09, and I think a lot of people will prefer the Numa's action. Also, I think scrolling through your sounds with the small wheel is a lot better than the Roland's big wheel (plus you can call up your saved sounds via MIDI to avoid a lot of that scrolling completely). OTOH, Roland has a wider variety of sounds available, a full editable synth section (via iPad app), the rhythm section, and buttons for quicker recall of 4-banks-of-4 registrations, which isn't a lot, but is better than none. And as you point out, in many cases, the Roland may just sound better.

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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Thanks for the report, Noel. Glad to hear you found a usable piano.

 

Minuses: I often use aftertouch to control filter frequency. I like a touch of overdrive on B3. Sounds like I'd be out of luck on those.

 

Would love to hear more about the synth section and to what extent it's programmable.

 

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