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Yamaha MODX


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This question has probably been asked but....

 

Does the MODX 88 have the same or similar keybed to something like the Yamaha P -45/ P125?

 

If so , I would probably not be interested.

 

I have had a P-45 for approximately a year and it is developing noise.

 

Also, I did not have good luck with some of the older Yamaha keybeds. The P 140 I still have comes to mind. It is similar to something like the CP33 as I recall.

 

Issues seem to happen with boards like these, whereas my Roland RD300 GX ( yeah!) is still going strong .

 

I am a fan of Yamaha sound but over the years... too many key issues .

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Does the MODX 88 have the same or similar keybed to something like the Yamaha P -45/ P125?

At least similar, if not identical. All are characterized as GHS actions.

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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  • 1 month later...
Just updated to V2.0. So far, no issues. Haven't had time to mess around with the sequencer as I've been getting the board programmed for a gig this weekend.

Hardware

Yamaha MODX7, DX7, PSR-530, SY77/Korg TR-Rack, 01/W Pro X, Trinity Pro X, Karma/Ensoniq ESQ-1, VFX-SD

Behringer DeepMind12, Model D, Odyssey, 2600/Roland RD-1000/Arturia Keylab MKII 61

 

Software

Studio One/V Collection 9/Korg Collection 4/Cherry Audio/UVI SonicPass/EW Composer Cloud/Omnisphere, Stylus RMX, Trilian/IK Total Studio 3.5 MAX/Roland Cloud

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Does the MODX 88 have the same or similar keybed to something like the Yamaha P -45/ P125?

At least similar, if not identical. All are characterized as GHS actions.

 

it s SIMILAR to the P-45. I say 'similar' because the housing of the two instruments are different. This is why I returned the MODX8 even though I loved the engine!

"I have constantly tried to deliver only products which withstand the closest scrutiny � products which prove themselves superior in every respect.�

Robert Bosch, 1919

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Just updated to V2.0. So far, no issues. Haven't had time to mess around with the sequencer as I've been getting the board programmed for a gig this weekend.

 

Cool. I"ll be updating tomorrow after this weekends gigs.

David

Gig Rig:Casio Privia PX-5S | Yamaha MODX+ 6 | MacBook Pro 14" M1| Mainstage

 

 

 

 

 

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MODX7 brothers - can we talk cases?

 

anyone buy an aftermarket keyboard gig bag? I have the Yamaha one. Fit is perfect and its ok but imo padding is way too thin, no bolster edge at all, etc. to offer much protection. I use it on local gigs as i want backpack carry. But i dont trust it protects so I really baby it, very careful where I put it., worried when i do mult-band venue gigs....

 

I eyed this one - wonder if anyone can recommend or dissuade (or has another?):

 

Gator 76 Slim Pro Gig bag

 

For travel gigs I got an SKB 1SKB-5014 TSA molded case. Not sure its still in production, i found it on amazon. #Endorse if you need a hard case. It has an alum lip on top and bottom shells for nice secure closure, very good torsional stiffness. I upgraded internal padding - i went to an upholstery place and had them custom cut me a foam piece for bottom - the 4 Velcro/plastic corner cleats that it comes with can pop loose in travel (be warned). Otherwise I fully trust it with airline baggage monkeys, it"s taken a half dozen flights with no issue. I previously had the 61key version for my MOXF6, same design concept, loved it too. Its significantly smaller exterior dimensions than the equivalent Gator TSA model, better stiffness, better latches, just better design (once you correct for the corner cleat design flaw). I first got the Gator TSA one and sent it back, it was huge and not as well designed, wouldn"t even stand up on its edge well without falling over.

The baiting I do is purely for entertainment value. Please feel free to ignore it.
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Does the MODX 88 have the same or similar keybed to something like the Yamaha P -45/ P125?

At least similar, if not identical. All are characterized as GHS actions.

 

it s SIMILAR to the P-45. I say 'similar' because the housing of the two instruments are different. This is why I returned the MODX8 even though I loved the engine!

Same here. Even got a MODX6 next and returned that too for keybed (and one inaccurate knob) reasons. Maybe, just maybe, I"ll get a Montage6, 'cause I indeed love the engine.

 

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MODX7 brothers - can we talk cases?

 

For travel gigs I got an SKB 1SKB-5014 TSA molded case. Not sure its still in production, i found it on amazon. #Endorse if you need a hard case.

 

I believe I have the same SKB. Its been a tough road warrior. However, you are mentally unwell if you don't buy a model with wheels. 12% of my current hobbling comes from hauling that wheel-less thing through airports and the like. I can't speak for the hardiness of Gator, but no problem, as my touring period ended about 400 chiropractor visits ago. :eek:

 "I want to be an intellectual, but I don't have the brainpower.
  The absent-mindedness, I've got that licked."
        ~ John Cleese

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MODX7 brothers - can we talk cases?

 

For travel gigs I got an SKB 1SKB-5014 TSA molded case. Not sure its still in production, i found it on amazon. #Endorse if you need a hard case.

 

I believe I have the same SKB. Its been a tough road warrior. However, you are mentally unwell if you don't buy a model with wheels. 12% of my current hobbling comes from hauling that wheel-less thing through airports and the like. I can't speak for the hardiness of Gator, but no problem, as my touring period ended about 400 chiropractor visits ago. :eek:

 

My SKB case has wheels. Couldn"t agree more with the advice, I wouldn"t get a hard case that didn"t have wheels. We"re not animals.

The baiting I do is purely for entertainment value. Please feel free to ignore it.
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Just got done with 2.0 update. It went flawlessly.

 

When it was done, I loaded the backup file I created tonight and all my setting and libraries are intact

 

Quick observation. Touch screen feels faster.

 

Haven"t played with the pattern sequencer yet.

That"s because I found the new Mini Filter. Yeah. I"ll be digging into that the rest of the evening

Good stuff.

 

If/when you do the update, make sure you follow the directions exactly.

 

I used two usb sticks. Formatted both from the MODX. Then one became my backup, and the other for the update file.

Once booted into update mode it took about 7-10 minutes total.

Powered off them back on, initialized all settings, then loaded my back up.

 

Everything works. Okay back to playing with the new Mini a filter

David

Gig Rig:Casio Privia PX-5S | Yamaha MODX+ 6 | MacBook Pro 14" M1| Mainstage

 

 

 

 

 

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Just got done with 2.0 update. It went flawlessly.

 

When it was done, I loaded the backup file I created tonight and all my setting and libraries are intact

 

Quick observation. Touch screen feels faster.

 

Haven"t played with the pattern sequencer yet.

That"s because I found the new Mini Filter. Yeah. I"ll be digging into that the rest of the evening

Good stuff.

 

If/when you do the update, make sure you follow the directions exactly.

 

I used two usb sticks. Formatted both from the MODX. Then one became my backup, and the other for the update file.

Once booted into update mode it took about 7-10 minutes total.

Powered off them back on, initialized all settings, then loaded my back up.

 

Everything works. Okay back to playing with the new Mini a filter

 

Thanks David, good to know it went well :thu: I will probably wimp it until after this weekend's gig, but good to know it worked.

 

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MODX7 brothers - can we talk cases?

 

anyone buy an aftermarket keyboard gig bag? I have the Yamaha one. Fit is perfect and its ok but imo padding is way too thin, no bolster edge at all, etc. to offer much protection. I use it on local gigs as i want backpack carry. But i dont trust it protects so I really baby it, very careful where I put it., worried when i do mult-band venue gigs....

 

I eyed this one - wonder if anyone can recommend or dissuade (or has another?):

 

Gator 76 Slim Pro Gig bag

 

For travel gigs I got an SKB 1SKB-5014 TSA molded case. Not sure its still in production, i found it on amazon. #Endorse if you need a hard case. It has an alum lip on top and bottom shells for nice secure closure, very good torsional stiffness. I upgraded internal padding - i went to an upholstery place and had them custom cut me a foam piece for bottom - the 4 Velcro/plastic corner cleats that it comes with can pop loose in travel (be warned). Otherwise I fully trust it with airline baggage monkeys, it"s taken a half dozen flights with no issue. I previously had the 61key version for my MOXF6, same design concept, loved it too. Its significantly smaller exterior dimensions than the equivalent Gator TSA model, better stiffness, better latches, just better design (once you correct for the corner cleat design flaw). I first got the Gator TSA one and sent it back, it was huge and not as well designed, wouldn"t even stand up on its edge well without falling over.

 

I can't help answer but will be watching...I also have the Yamaha bag and dislike it for the same reasons. Especially considering the modx has a touch screen, I really regret getting this flimsy bag. My Nord bag for my electro is far better and cost about the same--though even with that one I'm getting the "gig bag blues" when it's time to stack stuff on my cart. Now, I don't even need my cart most of the time, but when I need it I really need it :) Still working out the best way to stack things so that they don't damage each other AND they stay on the cart without needing 10 bungees....the biggest culprit is my Spider Pro stand in it's bag, because it's basically a cylinder, plus it's heavy enough so that I don't want it on top of those gig bags.

 

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I have the Gator PG 61, not slim, and love it. Backpack straps work well, and it even has a shoulder strap. It feels like the keyboard is fairly well protected. For my keyboard its a little large, I've got a 2-3" of height, width, depth that I don't need, though it does make room for more stuff. Sometimes the 61 note bag will work with 76 noters. The large zipper pouch is good as well.

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 did some more new feature testing last night.

 

Hooked up my Komplete Kontrol S61MK2 to the MODX via USB. The MODX host function is solid. I could play the MODX from my Komplete Kontrol.

 

This is very useful for anyone who may want to use an 88 note controller that only has USB and not MIDI. In conjunction with the new MIDI Hybrid Mode that's also part of the update, it opens up more possibilities of what I may want to control the MODX61 with.

 

As you know, before Version 2, you had two choices with MIDI function: Multi or Single. In Multi, Parts 1-8 receive on their own channel (1-8). In Single Mode, all parts receive on the global channel you have the MODX set to.

Where this can cause problems is when you want to play some sounds from the MODX itself, and the rest from your controller, and your controller can't send on 8 separate channels at the same time..such as my PX5S.

 

This limited me to performance I'd control from my PX to 4 parts. So if I had a great performance with more than 4 parts to be played from the PX simultaneously, I was out of luck.

 

With the Hybrid, I could, for example, control parts 1-6 (as a 6 layered sound) from the PX, and control parts 7-8 from the MODX. (parts 9-16 are for another discussion)

 

For me, the two things I talk about here are leading me back to the new Casio PX-S3000. I don't need my 88 note board to have the workstation-like capabilities of my PX5S.

The S-3000 is awesome, still lightweight, and in my rig is a great backup piano, and by itself sounds wonderful! I could even run it thru the MODX and use the MODX effects.

 

So, yeah, still loving the MODX

David

Gig Rig:Casio Privia PX-5S | Yamaha MODX+ 6 | MacBook Pro 14" M1| Mainstage

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Interesting analysis of MODX" internals:

'The MODX has only one SWP70 tone generator integrated circuit (IC). The Master SWP70 performs both AWM2 and FM-X synthesis. The MODX printed circuit board (PCB) has space and connections for a second SWP70 (in Slave mode), but the real estate is unpopulated ('No Mount'). Yamaha have planned ahead for a future model. They did the same thing with the MOX, BTW, leaving space and connections that were filled in the MOXF.

The extra computational capacity within a single SWP70 is surprising! The Master SWP70 provides 128 channels of AWM2 polyphony and 64 channels of FM-X polyphony. In order to pull off this trick, Yamaha utilize a second dedicated DSP RAM channel and SDRAM. Montage, on the other hand, utilizes only one DSP RAM channel on each SWP70.

Thus, the SWP70 can expand in two different dimensions:

* DSP RAM (two dedicated channels max) with a corresponding boost in DSP computation, and

* Wave RAM (two dedicated channels max) with an as-yet unexploited boost in AWM2 synthesis.

MODX illustrates the first case while Montage has an unpopulated position and connections for a second WAVE working memory channel. Your guess is as good as mine as to how Yamaha will expand and exploit these channels in future products.

SWP70 is in early childhood and Yamaha have left room to grow in both the MODX and Montage. In addition to unpopulated PCB sites, Yamaha can build out by using higher capacity NAND flash devices for waveform memory.'

(http://sandsoftwaresound.net 11/6/19)

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Thanks, Fleer! I'm finally getting back to writing, again.

 

Yep, the SWP70 is designed for the long-run and has much capability which we have not seen as yet. Another use case: Yamaha uses the SWPs in their digital piano products, too. The extra DSP power may be needed for Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM).

 

I included direct links (below) to a few of the recent articles about the internal design of Genos, Montage and MODX.

 

All the best -- pj

 

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-modx-inside-stuff/

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-montage-internals-revisted/

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-genos-main-cpu/

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-genos-tone-generation/

 

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I've been considering a MODX8 for a few months now, most principally to use as part of a lighter-weight "B rig" to accommodate a couple of venues my band plays where load in/out is a royal PITA. Just stopped into my local big-box store after work today and discovered an early "Black Friday" price of $1,699. My initial plans were to wait for any new candidates to emerge at NAMM, but this is very tempting...

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw

 

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Yamaha raised the US price by $100, to $1999. Looks like the tariff thing since the keyboard is made in China.

 

$1699 sounds pretty good !

 

I am also a NAMM waiter. Umm, you know ;)

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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Every time I try to get rid of the MODX a gig comes up where I absolutely need it.

I"ve started messing around with the synth engine and sound design again and bloody hell it"s so deep.

 

Anyways, I have a gig on Sunday where I need to use both the MODX and Nord Electro. I only have one expression pedal, which is a PITA because I need it on both boards (not at the same time, but screw unplugging and plugging it in after every song)

 

Is there a way using MIDI jiggery-pokery to use the one pedal for both keyboards? I want to use it for swell/wah on the Nord and for whatever I assign it to on the MODX.

 

Alternatively, if I borrow a 1/4 inch cable splitter from work will it work if I plug it into both keyboards at the same time?

Hammond SKX

Mainstage 3

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been wanting to ask this, but kept forgetting:

 

I want to globally assign a footswitch to control tap tempo. This to sync FX/arps to whatever tempo the band is playing on the fly.

 

I've been unable to figure this out and inclined to think it is not possible. Anybody here done this successfully? thanks.

 

 

On a different note: has anybody updated to v2.00?

 

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I"ll concur with Nursers. I updated to 2.0 when it was released.

No issues

Hybrid mode and ability to be a host to usb only controllers is what allow me to use my new PX-S3000 with my MODX6

 

 

I haven"t used tap tempo so unable to answer that

David

Gig Rig:Casio Privia PX-5S | Yamaha MODX+ 6 | MacBook Pro 14" M1| Mainstage

 

 

 

 

 

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I'm interested in MODX6. I was at a Luke Juby demo at the weekend and we got to A/B some of the Krome 61 features I use. A few couldn't be emulated but one could, albeit by a different method. It was to clock out an AWM2 sound at a lower rate, but re-tuned or transposed, to be at the original pitch. This was to slow the vibrato rate on sounds where it's part of the sample, and not LFO or chorus derived. Unfortunately we were working through stuff quickly, so I was just checking what was possible and not possible. rather than the fine detail of how. Anyone here have an idea how this was being done? TBH it wasn't quite right as we were getting different rates of vibrato on different keys with the same sound, but the principle seemed to be in there somewhere.
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This was to slow the vibrato rate on sounds where it's part of the sample, and not LFO or chorus derived..TBH it wasn't quite right as we were getting different rates of vibrato on different keys with the same sound.

When the vibrato is part of the recorded sample, the rate of vibrato will be different on different keys. The Yamaha is essentially "speeding up" or "slowing down" the recording as it stretches a sample over adjacent keys, until you get to a point where it's using a different sample... and then, you're using a different recording, where again the vibrato speed could be slightly different anyway. If you want to control the vibrato speed and maintain its consistency, use a sample where they did not record the person playing a vibrato, and use an LFO instead. Though the human player has the advantage of sounding more like a human player. ;-)

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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This was to slow the vibrato rate on sounds where it's part of the sample, and not LFO or chorus derived..TBH it wasn't quite right as we were getting different rates of vibrato on different keys with the same sound.

When the vibrato is part of the recorded sample, the rate of vibrato will be different on different keys. The Yamaha is essentially "speeding up" or "slowing down" the recording as it stretches a sample over adjacent keys, until you get to a point where it's using a different sample... and then, you're using a different recording, where again the vibrato speed could be slightly different anyway. If you want to control the vibrato speed and maintain its consistency, use a sample where they did not record the person playing a vibrato, and use an LFO instead. Though the human player has the advantage of sounding more like a human player. ;-)

 

One way on a Krome is to 'lock-in' a down pitch bend, using one of the joystick buttons, then transpose the patch to maintain the correct pitch position on the keyboard. There's another way but it's a control on the edit window that I can't recall it's exact name. but it just has a slider which both clocks out slower (or faster) but automatically adjusts the pitch to compensate. All you hear is the vibrato rate change. There's no LFO involved as the vibrato is in the samples. Luke's results were quite extreme in the vibrato rate change, but the keyboard pitching seemed correct. I don't know if he was using an FM sound at the time.

 

I think this is the control. It's called 'pitch stretch', but it's not explained much in the Korg docs.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I'm quite interested in the MODX in my never-ending search for the perfect gig keyboard. I'm sure it sounds great, there's a shed load of user performances (which is the mode I'd stay in live). Effects seem to be retained from programs in 4 element performances, which is critical for me. I just have one question; how do you change sounds? I've never had a keyboard that doesn't have a numeric keypad. If I've programmed song XYZ in performances 245 - 250, intending to step through them with a foot pedal, how do I get to performance 245 in the first place? Is there a keypad in the touch screen? How do you guys use the MODX live?

 

I'd be looking at the 73 (6?) note version. Also hoping that Kurzweil bring out a PC4 76. Thanks for any guidance you can give me.

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