Dave Bryce Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 So, what do you guys think of what Dr. Fortner is doing with this new interactive review format we've been trying out? Yamaha CP Piano VIP Review http://www.quickmeme.com/img/c3/c308d88f9e24a0e87e70925ad19c39c2cae411a95aa5312b9f0e3c671739ccfe.jpg dB Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmerJFudd Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Excellent, this is a deep, time taken look at the newest CPs. The forum"s format is quite good for sharing a picture and linking to media for audio and video reference. Also a thread is great for continued review of things like firmware updates, or things you notice over time like hardware failure or something new you"ve learned. Quote Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doerfler Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 So, what do you guys think of what Dr. Fortner is doing with this new interactive review format we've been trying out? as for me, I am digging this all day long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I had been successfully ignoring these products until I read his review. Looks like they took inspiration from the Nord Stage. Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Fortner Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 For all who are interested, I just posted another segment, this one on the CP's Sub section, which contains all its synth and other supporting sounds. Quote Stephen Fortner Principal, Fortner Media Former Editor in Chief, Keyboard Magazine Digital Piano Consultant, Piano Buyer Magazine Industry affiliations: Antares, Arturia, Giles Communications, MS Media, Polyverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxcvbnm098 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Completely badass, and yet another feather in the cap of MPN. Glorious review and clearly a ton of work put into an insanely deep dive Mr. Fortner. Major kudos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimkost2002 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Great work, as always, Dr Fortner! 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...
Adan Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 A thorough soup-to-nuts review like that from a trusted source and the ability to ask questions is extremely valuable. I don"t where else you can find that except here. Quote Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro Home: Vintage Vibe 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted January 22, 2020 Author Share Posted January 22, 2020 Well, cool. Let's do more of them then. Thanks, guys! dB Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamuelBLupowitz Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I love this (especially since the CP88 has been giving me the kind of GAS I haven't had for a digital/stage piano for a long time -- life is tough, yeah?). Really appreciate having yet another great resource here! Thanks for the bump, dB -- as much as I want to keep up with the other cool MPN forums, I find myself checking Keyboard Corner reflexively, then forgetting about the others. Quote Samuel B. Lupowitz Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyFF Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Well written and fun to read! Love it when someone much more knowledgeable than me does an in depth review of gear I'm interested in! Thanks for the bump, dB -- as much as I want to keep up with the other cool MPN forums, I find myself checking Keyboard Corner reflexively, then forgetting about the others. Yes indeed, same here, still getting used to there being a second page to check out. One way to address this would be to start a thread in the Keyboard Corner forum for each pro review. Every time you write another section you bump the thread and provide a direct link, alerting KC forumites that there's more to read, and effectively reminding folks of the existence of these other forums. Wouldn't hurt if there was also a teaser paragraph of the latest installment. Quote 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 It's always a privilege to learn from Dr. Fortner. In this particular format he has the freedom to put us in the drivers seat, zooming into particular topics with videos and drill-downs. This is a fabulous resource for old hacks like me, and also newbies who might need a little confidence to "step up" to their gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Very in depth review. Not just lots of words but meaningful discussion. Some short-attention-span netizens blow them off as TL;DR - I welcome the in depth reviews. Run that baby: One thing that is nice about MPN is that the review is not limited to number of words like those in a magazine, and I enjoy the comic relief in the writing style. It shows that the reviewer is not just quoting the promo sheet. Chapters: While a lengthy review is welcome, it is even better to see it divided into "chapters". Makes for easier reading. Media: Good that YouTube demonstrations are included, a big plus. Qualifications: Mr. Fortner as a piano player and synth enthusiast is well qualified to examine a digital piano with synth/FX controls. This is a valuable skill that is often overlooked; you don't assign a player to review a keyboard when keyboard is not his primary instrument! (replace "keyboard" with "synth", with "guitar", with "kazoo", etc) A reviewer without extensive playing experience on a real piano would not had addressed the quality of the DP piano action. When I open a magazine or website to a review, the first thing I look for is the reviewer's name which says a lot. Pros and Cons: Pros are good, nice to see that he is not reluctant to discuss the cons. If I didn't see any at all, I start questioning things. Cons aren't always deal-killers. Most times, I may still purchase the unit with a work-around the cons. All in all, Mr. Fortner set the bar to aim at for future reviews. Well done. Some input not directed at Mr. Fortner: Things I would like to see: Intuitive UI: can the UI be operated without opening the user manual? We don't always have time to read a large user manual. Is the manual well written, and free of flimsy translation? Is a remote editor available that can improve the UI experience or access features hidden under the hood? I don't mind referring to the manual for features not often used, but if I have to read the manual just to change patches then it is not intuitive. If the operation is very awkward - poor navigation, poor organization of parameters, takes too long to perform a simple operation or design a patch - it is good to know this. Some of us are preset surfers who may never alter a patch, some of us are habitual tweakers. Power: Some of us prefer to avoid wall warts, some of us outright refuse to use them for stage work. If it's an internal power supply, that is valuable information. Quick Synopsis table: how about a generalized quick-n-dirty table at the head of the review. Things I would be careful of: Parameters: While I am an engineer by trade, when I read things like "this rompler has 32MB of memory for storage" that means nothing to me as a musician. 32MB of WHAT? It doesn't always translate to number of patches or length of sample libraries. Editorial control: I know Mr. Fortner has editorial experience and I don't question him. When other reviewers are involved, will their work be reviewed? While humorous writing is good for comic relief, there needs to be some assurance that it is not offensive. Some companies, who shall remain unnamed, have attempted to sue others who have criticized their products. While the case was dismissed, this is a dangerous precedent. Imagine writing a review for one of their products, then being reluctant to describe problems for fear of being hit with a lawsuit. This is not fair to the customers, or to MPN staff. In fact, if I saw a product review from such a litigious company I would not read it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 MIke check out my CP88 sometime. Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickzjamm Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 If Yamaha could add some organs off the YC61 in the next OS update... Quote You don't know you're in the dark until you're in the light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Though I don't currently own a CP73/88, I'm still digging this first VIP review. The interactive capabilities and lack of printed product restrictions is great! As soon as a VIP starts a review thread on the Fantom, I'll be jumping in on that. Still wrapping my brain around that bad boy, but now that I'm getting a clue about live use, I want to both interact on those functions and learn more about its sequencing and sampling capabilities. Reviews like Stephen Fortner's would be awesome; love the detail! Might Mr. Ed Diaz be 'in the wings' for such a project? 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...
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