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AnotherScott


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Yes, many kudos to AS!!! Much appreciation! And for this forum! I've frequented many forums and this one is by far my favorite. Lots and lots of knowledgeable folks who are generous with their thoughts, and very few to no trolls.

 

Scott, I'm guessing that part of your expertise comes from owning so many boards! Of the ones I remember, you have a NS3 compact, Casio MZ-X500, SL NC2, Kurz Artis, MODX7, and Korg Pa1000! And I'm sure many more.

 

Been meaning to ask you, as someone who's had quite a few boards from the last 3-5 years or so. The Korg Pa1000 is the only board I've got that is less than 10 years old (other than my mz-x500 that was stolen). I'm wondering about sound quality, if there has been a radical jump in recent years, and so I wouldn't have a point reference.

 

I'm completely blown away by the sound quality of the Pa1000 (my partial list of former boards is the XS7, the M3, the mz-x500), and on the whole, I'd rate the Pa1000 at 9/10 or 10/10 for sounds that inspire me to play and drums that sound punchy and real. Every board I've had before this would get a max of 6, maybe 7/10 from me. Is it just that I don't have anything recent to compare it to, or would you concur with these ratings?

 

Overall, it's a joy to play, but the sounds that stand out to me and are exceptionally expressive are brass, woodwinds, bass, guitars and drums. Surprisingly, EPs are alright but lacking compared to many many stand-out sounds, but I'm new to this board, haven't added to it yet. If you don't want to go OT, I'd appreciate a PM.

 

Thanks again!

 

Randy

Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425

Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder

QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus 

Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB

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I'm guessing that part of your expertise comes from owning so many boards! Of the ones I remember, you have a NS3 compact, Casio MZ-X500, SL NC2, Kurz Artis, MODX7, and Korg Pa1000! And I'm sure many more.

...

The Korg Pa1000 is the only board I've got that is less than 10 years old (other than my mz-x500 that was stolen). I'm wondering about sound quality, if there has been a radical jump in recent years, and so I wouldn't have a point reference.

 

I'm completely blown away by the sound quality of the Pa1000 (my partial list of former boards is the XS7, the M3, the mz-x500), and on the whole, I'd rate the Pa1000 at 9/10 or 10/10 for sounds that inspire me to play and drums that sound punchy and real. Every board I've had before this would get a max of 6, maybe 7/10 from me. Is it just that I don't have anything recent to compare it to, or would you concur with these ratings?

 

Overall, it's a joy to play, but the sounds that stand out to me and are exceptionally expressive are brass, woodwinds, bass, and drums. Surprisingly, EPs are alright but lacking compared to many many stand-out sounds, but I'm new to this board, haven't added to it yet.y

The PA1000 is one of my more recent acquisitions and I haven't done all that much with it yet, but yes, I think the sound set is strong.

 

I wanted something light with good enough speakers that I wouldn't have to bring an amp for a casual (non-drums) rehearsal or a solo/duo cocktail hour or wedding ceremony. As a bonus, I've never used arranger functions before, and that could open up some new avenues for experimentation and fun, and maybe even some actual accompaniment on occasion, like in a non-drum duo/trio thing. I wish it were a bit lighter and had 73+ keys, but this was the best board I could find for a lightweight, versatile board with strong built-in speakers.

 

Before that, for this purpose, I was thinking about the Kurzweil KA90 with an iPad (since the KA90's internal sounds are weak)... the iPad easily connects and plays its sounds through the KA90 speakers. It was just a bit bigger and heavier than I wanted, and as quick as an iPad setup is, I was drawn by the "just turn it on and play" aspect of a self-contained solution. Which may be ironic, in that in the time it takes the PA1000 to boot, I could probably hook up an iPad to a KA 90. ;-)

 

The MZ-X500 is another really nice and also under-rated board. I did get that before the PA1000 and liked it a lot, but the speakers, while above average, kind of wimp out on the low end, so it just doesn't sound nearly as full and rich as the Korg (of course, it's a lot cheaper, too). But I agree with you... as good as it is (quite flexible, a lot of really nice sounds, and pretty light, too), I think the Korg generally outclasses the Casio in sounds/features, and while I haven't played a PA700, I suspect the Casio may suffer from being awfully close in price to that model. The Casio is weaker than the Korgs on MIDI, too.

 

I was also surprised that the PA1000's EPs weren't more impressive, considering that are supposed to come from the SV1 which is great. I suppose it's some combination of the action and the tube/amp simulations. I'll have to see what I may be able to tweak out of them.

 

As for the basic question of whether newer boards sound better... I don't know. ;-) I guess it varies with which sounds you're comparing, and there's personal taste too. I don't think I'm as fussy about sound as some others are. With so much of my focus on gigs, a lot of sonic subtlety gets lost there anyway, and I end up paying more attention to easy/fast load-in/setup and good operational ergonomics, as long as the sounds are "good enough." But if a sound brings an unexpected smile to my face, that's a nice bonus. ;-) But for a little perspective, as good as the MODX and PC4 sounds are, probably more than half of them are the same as in their Motif XS and PC3 predecessors from 10+ years ago. Similarly, most current Kronos sounds were in the original 2011 Kronos.

 

As for my collection, it's too many. ;-) One of these days, stuff will start popping up in the Garage Sale here.

 

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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There's a richness to the sound I've never heard on any other board. It reminds me of the Neo-Soul Keys Studio where you can dial in alot of dirt, release sounds, and other mannerisms that help to make a sound authentic, but then there's something else, a sheen to the sound I find intoxicating. I've boosted the Global Limiter, which helps it punch louder and of course the Global 4 band fully-parametric EQ is no slouch either.

 

I've heard it said that, in general, most boards are roll-your-own, and arrangers they give you the full package right from the get-go. I find the velocity expression wonderful on so many of these sounds, I can lean into it with great effect. With 24 oscillators, they've got a lot to work with.

 

Yeah, the MZ-X500, in retrospect, seems almost toylike. It had some great features, but they're a 5 or 6 out of 10 for sound quality and the Styles. Be sure to check out the beats, it sounds like you've got a real drummer with you, and it's infinitely tweakable.

 

Here's a link for better EPs,

Rhodes

from the Korg Forums.

 

 

And now to resume our lavish praise and thanks to brother Scott...

Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425

Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder

QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus 

Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB

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I've heard it said that, in general, most boards are roll-your-own, and arrangers they give you the full package right from the get-go.

I can see that, especially with some of the automation of articulations on arrangers. But it does vary among boards. The Nord Stage 3 is more "roll your own" than, say, a Kronos or Forte... but Nord provides a front panel interface that makes it more appealing to roll your own than those boards do. There's always a trade-off somewhere...

 

Drums is one thing I almost never use in any board, since I almost always play with a drummer. But as I alluded to, I could see possibly using the PA1000 as a nice "drum machine" for some stuff where I'm not playing with a drummer. I used to do more of that kind of thing, but you never know...

 

Thanks for the Rhodes link, I would never have seen it there since PA3X section isn't one I check. Demo still sounds "too clean" but it may make for a useful alternative starting point. I was thinking about maybe putting an Ibanez Nu Tubescreamer or similar pedal on the PA to get the tube overdrive I miss from the SV1.

 

 

 

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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Yeah, like I said, the drums and drum patterns on the Pa1000/700 are top notch spanking good. But even more than its use as a drum machine, I've been blown away with the Styles. Many of them are so realistic and professionally played that if nothing else it's a hella fun board to practice different types of music with, and I'll definitely put it at the top of the list of boards for people to learn music from. I've found most of the Styles very worthwhile to play along with, a first for me even having had a handful of arrangers in the past.

 

And then there's this lushness to the orchestration, for the first time I feel like I've got a wonderful orchestra at my disposal, it's really quite glorious. I worry though, 'cause some of these types of sounds smack of the 1 man band arranger stuff that always sounded so corny to me. But heh, if you've got the Lawrence Welk orchestra at your fingertips, it's an uplifting, ultra smooth ride! I'm must be getting old!

 

Please let me know your progress with better EPs.

Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425

Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder

QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus 

Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB

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My question is, who is the other Scott that necessitates AnotherScott? :confused:

The Scotty that beamed up James T. Kirk of course!

and to that I say, "Great Scott!" (english or scottish accent required)

 

I suppose you think you can get off Scot-free (as in unpunished) if you drink enough Scot-ch in Scott-land!

 

(sorry! words become so much nonsense if you focus on them too long! but that doesn't make me a Scottish terrier!)

 

Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425

Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder

QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus 

Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB

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When I first started joining internet sites back around the dawn of time, the first username I would try was Scott. But even back then, it was rarely available. Hence, I was always Another Scott.

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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Many thanks to AS too for in-depth LH Bass discussions/contributions - very much appreciated.

Kawai KG-2D / Yamaha CP33 S90ES MX49 CP4 P515 / Hammond SK1 / NS3 88 / NS3Compact

QSC K8.2s K10.2s KSubs / SoundcraftUi24 / SSv3 / GK MB112 MB115 MB210 Neo410

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Scott has helped me not only on this forum but others :D I don't even have to look at the name to recognize the style, tons of info and lots of pros and cons (which fits exactly with how I think about things....I think sometimes I drive people nuts at work with my devil's advocate and "on the other hand" info sessions!). I like to have it all on the table and Scott provides!
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It's funny, I had never seen the appeal of the SV1 with its limited sound and feature set, high-ish travel weight, and non-budget price... until one day I happened to actually play one, then I got it.

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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Scott may be the only other forumite who digs the Korg SV-1 as much as I do. :D:cool:

Hey D', I know Benjie Porecki used a SV-1 years ago, I haven't seen him for a while. Thought you might know as you two are in the same general area.

 

:nopity:
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