Tom Williams Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 I'm camped here! Got in just before dark after slow progress up a very torn up Highway 69.(Sending thoughts of jealousy, envy, and covetousness.) Okay, I'm over it. Have fun, and bring us back a full report. Quote -Tom Williams {First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucktunes Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Im in Ft. Wayne at the hotel now, and Ill be at Gearfest when they open. Ill be the fat white guy with the ponytail and the Moog T shirt. Hope to see some if you there! Quote ><> Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucktunes Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Okay, who else is here? I'm listening to The Sweetwater All-Stars now. Quote ><> Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimkost2002 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Aer they streaming any of these performances? Quote "I have constantly tried to deliver only products which withstand the closest scrutiny � products which prove themselves superior in every respect.� Robert Bosch, 1919 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted June 22, 2019 Author Share Posted June 22, 2019 I've retired for the day. Feet and back gave out finally. Concert is going on next door and we are enjoying that. Had a nice hang with Allan. Spent more than I intended. Details to come. Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted June 22, 2019 Author Share Posted June 22, 2019 Forum member and Hammond artist Jim Alfredson checks out the Novation Summit. Apologies for sideways pics, but they preview normally so I don't know what's up! http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/gearfest2019/gf-alfredson-summit.jpg At the Dexibell booth. http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/gearfest2019/gf-dexi1.jpg http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/gearfest2019/gf-dexi2.jpg http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/gearfest2019/gf-dexi3.jpg Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted June 22, 2019 Author Share Posted June 22, 2019 Allan checks my mighty leslie. http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/gearfest2019/gf-allan-leslie.jpg At the SpaceStation booth with Aspen. http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/gearfest2019/gf-aspen.jpg Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted June 22, 2019 Author Share Posted June 22, 2019 Mike Martin, Craig Anderton, and Rich Formidoni at the Casio booth. http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/gearfest2019/gf-anderton-casio.jpg Kurz PC4 and Forte http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/gearfest2019/gf-pc4-forte.jpg Studio Electronics SE-1X http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/gearfest2019/gf-se1x.jpg Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doerfler Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 Spent more than I intended. Details to come. I'm surprised even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted June 22, 2019 Author Share Posted June 22, 2019 So here's my impressions of the gear I tried today. I only scratched the surface of everything that was here. Dexibell - the S9 was impressive. Their audio engine comes in 88 key hammered, module, and 73 key waterfall packages. Sound was very good and high fidelity, and I enjoyed the hammer action. In person the hardware looks more elegant than might come across in pictures. Novation Summit - same comments - sounds great, nice action, hardware looks professional. Moog Matriarch - another winner. It brought the Moog sound, and the paraphonic capabilities are actually useful. I have not bonded with a lot of Moog synths, but I like this one. Studio Electronics SE-1X - have always loved these. It almost out Moogs Moog. This is a new rerelease (debut was today at GearFest) with all the extra sound bank goodies and hardware upgrades over the years thrown in. I think they may be making only about 25 of these. Deep bass for days. Radial KL-8 - I came, I saw, I bought. Nord Grand Stage / speakers - It's a Nord! With a very nice action - the nicest I have played on a Nord to date. Arturia Matrixbrute - I managed a few tweaks on it and it seemed promising until crap player next to me started blasting thru the same speakers. The Arturia rep unplugged the headphones from the Matrixbrute, plugged them in for Mr. Crap so he could hear, but didn't turn him off in the speakers. Sigh. To be continued some time... Kurzweil Forte - spent a few seconds on this one. Action was not as nice as the Grand Stage I had just played. Bright Piano is bright! Roli Seaboard - lots of people interested in these, but it's not for me. Too set in my ways. Hammond XK-5 - Jim A put this one thru its paces for me and I sat down for a couple of minutes. Multi contacts work and do a good job with the key click, and shines when doing slapping percussive playing. CV is still not my fave, but I had fun playing it nonetheless. Casio PX-S3000 - I played this one and bought it in less than 5 minutes. I don't know if there are good Rhodes or other sounds in there and I don't care. I loved the action, and the connection to the sound engine is something I can only dream about on my Nord Stage. Mike told me the action is 2 sensor instead of 3, but I could do fast hammer repeats easily. The grands sounded nicer and less plunky than those in my PX-5S. I choked up on the black keys to check for leverage problems but couldn't really notice anything. Love this one - it's just fun to play. Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S_Gould Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 Forum member and Hammond artist Jim Alfredson checks out the Novation Summit. Apologies for sideways pics, but they preview normally so I don't know what's up! Literally! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 Back from Gearfest. Had a great time meeting up with mate stubb. He pointed me to the Novation Summit which is not a bad sounding synth. Nowhere near as chaotic as NAMM, and plenty of synths (including euro modular) to check out. They had a flea market tent with used gear. Hammond XK3c w/lower manual "B" console, Rhodes piano, and restored whiteface ARP Odyssey with a LOT of original ARP literature and patch sheets that lay over the panel. Not much other than used guitar stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 Final thoughts: It was like Disneyland for musicians. It was incredibly organized and well run. Employees (and Chuck himself) were uniformly friendly and helpful. I was very impressed with the facilities, and you can tell the company is growing like crazy. They have huge plots of land to expand even further, and are building a giant new warehouse next door. It was alarmingly easy to get a show deal and scan your badge, then go to checkout later. Our parking lot was located right next to the vendor tents and the concert venue. With my increasingly creaky bones, it was clear that having the coach handy to retreat to was what allowed me to enjoy the trip so much. It was great meeting a bunch of virtual friends for the first time - Allan Evett, Michael Caloroso, Jim Alfredson, Craig Anderton, Mike Martin, Aspen Pittman, and Rich Formidoni. I had a near miss with vonnor, hope to meet him sometime. Heard a lot of music being made. Jim was smokin' in the Hammond booth as usual. The evening concerts were fun, but I have to confess that by the end of the fest, we skipped Eric Johnson and went to supper and crashed early. Came home with a Radial KL-8 mixer and a Casio PX-S3000. Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chromedoggy Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 I saw you several times, now I will know who you are next time. Oddly, I went home with a psx 3000 and a key largo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 I made a very late, last-minute-decision to attend GearFest, one of the advantages of living relatively close to Sweetwater. My band played at a festival on Friday night and didnt think I would be up for going the next day...and by the time I got moving I arrived just three hours before it closed. I did get to hang with my pal Allan Evett, but sorry to have missed everyone else. Quote "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Wow... That was fast. My sixth Gearfest; they all seem to go too quickly. Starting to think it should be a longer event.. Saw several friends from the previous G 'fests and NAMM shows: Mike Martin and Rich Formidoni, from Casio; Ed Diaz and Scott Tibbs, from Roland; Mike Eisenman from Yamaha; Bucktunes, Moonglow, Vonner, Jim Alfredson, Scott May, from Hammond. Got a fantastic Prophet X demo from Gerry Bassermann at the Sequential booth. Great to finally meet you, Dave - aka 'Moe', aka Mate Stubb; awesome hang at Club Moe and dinner! Also Chromedoggy, at the Casio booth; wish we'd met earlier in the fest! Missed you, dB! Got caught up on several demos of gear I'd meant to catch much sooner: Sequential Prophet XL (got lost in an extended programming session, after Gerry Bassermann's demo); Moog One; Novation Summit; Yamaha CP88; Dexibell Vivo S9; Roland AX Edge; Nord Grand, Kurzweil PC4; Casio PX S3000 and Grand Hybrid; Kawai ES110; Arturia Matrixbrute (Crazy sound and depth. If I was in the market for a mono monstronsity this'd be on my short list, if a list was even necessary. And if there is ever a poly Matrixbrute...). Biggest pleasant surprise, and value no-brainer, was the Casio PX-S3000. Insanely playable - with lots of mojo happening in the velocity curves and DSP. Very pianistic envelopes, and the effects engine got my attention rather quickly. A slew of great additional sounds (especially with the Kemper Profiler-based FX engine). Just ordered one this morning for my church gig (and grateful for a generous 'supplies' budget) . Will likely get one for the teaching space before long. A 'work in progress' patch on the Prophet XL [video:youtube] Dexibell demo Moonglow at the Summit Jim Alfredson at the Moog Monstrosity Quote 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doerfler Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Okay, who else is here? I'm listening to The Sweetwater All-Stars now. not me, Steve. Life got in the way this year. Next year, maybe? :idk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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