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Yamaha CP88 or Korg SV-2?


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Kwyn, thanks for the report. That's disappointing to hear about the SV2. How different were the EPs on the SV2 from the Grandstage? And did they have the same kind of noticeable jumps between velocity layers that plagues the SV1?

 

I haven't played the CP88, but the EPs on the CP4 have left me absolutely cold the handful of times I've played them on gigs. APs were a pleasure, but the EPs were a fight from the get-go.

 

Hey Josh. They sounded very similar. Maybe the SV2"s were a little more 'natural' sounding, like closer to the real deal. Maybe a little softer. The GS seemed to bark a little brighter and with less effort, which I prefer (even if it is 'less realistic'). They both sound great. The amp sims on the SV2 are kinda cool. The GS only has a 'Drive' option, that needs to be tweaked in a menu. On the SV2, the knobs are right there. Also, so many additional effects on the SV2. The chorused Wurli sounded just like the Goodbye Stranger Wurli to me.

 

Please try these out for yourselves. This is only one guy"s opinion. I am not as experienced as most of you and YMMV.

 

FYI...

I played a Rhodes a few years ago, but obviously couldn"t A/B it with these boards. Never played a Wurli. I own a Hammond C3/21H.

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I tried a CP88 and thought it was limited for the money and it"s same old same old as far as Yamaha"s versions of what those AP/EPs etc are supposed to sound like. I think I"ve played too many Yamaha DPs to get exited. Liked the action, though.

 

I ordered a Grandstage, which will arrive any day now. Lots more of what I"m looking for, especially in the EP category. and I"ve always thought Korg led the way

 

 

Did you use it on a gig? That's where I first really noticed the difference. The CFX sample, and especially the S700, seem to me to be a little narrower bandwidth that sits in a mix better and fares better in echo-ey, sparsely furnished rooms. Another difference is that the CP's sound better mono than the older ones, not phasey. But yes, you can still tell it's Yamaha. Enjoy your Grandstage!

 

 

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Crazy ;-) But not surprisingð¤ Then please make a new report on what you did, and give us your new impressions. I"m really interested ð And for this SV1 variant, it is not new right?,,

 

It's the SV2, the new one, not the SV1. Long story short, I Eqd, and played with velocity curves and didn't realize I had 2 different reverbs, and some additional variables going on. .also I had them set up in different places running through the same speakers, so using the Grandstage standing and the SV2 kneeling made a big difference in what I was hearing. Will play more, but I have much better impression of the SV2 now. Quick new impressions:

 

APs can be tweaked to sound almost identical. Slight edge to the GS for cutting through.

 

EPs almost identical but much more variations on the SV2 and also a big edge to the SV for effects

 

Organs (I'm not gonna use)

 

Extra Sounds- Grandstage has some really nice pads. Haven't explored enough of the SV

 

Action is almost the same but since I've had the GS for a week longer it feels a little less stiff.

 

 

 

 

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Went to my local music store today and they had Korg SV2-73 on display. My impressions are that it's the same SV-1 machine but with additional "other" sounds.

The keybed felt similar to SV-1, a bit heavier and more sluggish than RH3 on my Grandstage (which has a very light and fast keybed).

I was mainly interested in EP sounds - and to me they sounded identical to the SV-1, with audible velocity layers jump, so I still much prefer modelled EP's on the Grandstage.

And to be honest, I think that "tube" is a gimmick.

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The keybed felt similar to SV-1, a bit heavier and more sluggish than RH3 on my Grandstage (which has a very light and fast keybed).

 

So you"re saying that Grandstage has different keybed action from SV? They both have what Korg calls RH3. I wonder if there are different 'variants" of RH3s. I went to Guitar Center the other day and they had a Kronos there. I could swear the action felt faster than in my SV-1 and yet Kronos has RH3 too. I really liked the Kronos RH3 and would love to hear that SV-2 has the same action.

 

By the way, I put my SV-1 for sale when I heard that a new version is coming and the SV-1 sold right away. So, I"m in the market for a new weighted board and I"m seriously considering SV-2. I think my choice will probably be between SV-2 or a Controller + Mainstage.

 

 

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Do folks have experience playing any of these in a live band setting? I've seen comments like "sounds great alone at home, but can't cut through a full band." about the RD2000 and some others. Curious if anyone has experience with the CP88, etc. with a band?

 

Currently leaning hard towards the CP88, but could still be talked out of it / into something better. Grandstage fans have piqued my interest. I'd have to be convinced that the action is comparable, though.

 

CP88 is weak in the Clavinet department. Not a deal breaker, but disappointing.

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Cutting in band setting vs. playing solo - especially with piano sounds is largely an EQ adjustment. Narrow the spectrum and boost in key frequencies that aren"t eaten up by the other players in the band vs. full spectrum and shaping to taste for the amplification and the room.

 

There"s a lot of adjustability on all these boards it just takes time to get them sounding the way we like. It"s also a great excuse to learn one"s way around the interface and to crack the manual to figure out how these expensive instruments work! :)

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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I'm always skeptical when someone says "can't cut through in a band setting." While I believe they had that experience, the keyboard itself is but one of many variables for why that might be. Other culprits are more likely. Until you eliminate all other variables, you shouldn't blame the instrument.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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My CP73 does great for cutting through, without having to tweak or EQ extensively. My Yamahas (P200, P50m module, P120, S80, Motif Classic, CP300) have always shined in that regard.

 

I recently tried out a Korg Vox Continental 73 (same samples FAIK of the Grandstage), and it was at least the equal of the CP73 for that. But I much prefer the CP73 CFX and S700 pianos to those of the Korg.

 

I do agree that it if you like a keyboard, you can likely find some way to make it work for cutting FOH. The greatest challenge I have faced for that was my 90's Kurzweil K1000. Kurzweil's piano module was a significant improvement.

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I'm always skeptical when someone says "can't cut through in a band setting." While I believe they had that experience, the keyboard itself is but one of many variables for why that might be. Other culprits are more likely. Until you eliminate all other variables, you shouldn't blame the instrument.

 

Most definitely.

____________________________________
Rod

Here for the gear.

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Also, would you guys be mad if I told you I spent all night and this morning tweaking and I changed my mind? Lol! I'll to explain later, but please don't make big decisions based on my first impressions.

 

Honestly soooo sorry

 

 

I'm making all my big decisions on you!!!!

 

I'm leaning towards what I think is the safe choice, the CP88. I've played it, it's nice, it does the things. It has a USB MIDI Audio Interface, which is nice. But is "nice" what I really want?

 

Giving it another day for someone to come out raving about the SV-2 and convince me. It looks like such a ballsy, rock & roll instrument. Is this a gimmick? Is that Tube on the front just fooling me? Or am I passing on a Rocker for a "nice" piano without Balls?

 

 

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I"ve heard nothing but praise for the cp88. The sv2 is too new to figure out how good or mediocre it is. It is available in shops yet? I think you may struggle to get any proper feedback on that board yet as it"s too new.

 

The sv2 doesn"t look like a major leap forward to me in terms of sound. Looks great, simple layout, knobs to tweak etc but the pianos on version 1 always left me cold. Nice to play but the Korg action is nowhere near the cp88 imo. I had the cp73. I loved it but sent it back as I use the modx8 and it covers most of what I need.

 

I don"t think you"d regret the cp88. The action is great, sounds good and they do expand them supposedly every 3 -6 months.

Yamaha MODX8, Legend Live.
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The keybed felt similar to SV-1, a bit heavier and more sluggish than RH3 on my Grandstage (which has a very light and fast keybed).

 

So you"re saying that Grandstage has different keybed action from SV? They both have what Korg calls RH3. I wonder if there are different 'variants" of RH3s. I went to Guitar Center the other day and they had a Kronos there. I could swear the action felt faster than in my SV-1 and yet Kronos has RH3 too. I really liked the Kronos RH3 and would love to hear that SV-2 has the same action.

This sounds like another case (as with Korg NW action and Yamaha GHS) where different boards with ostensibly the same action feel different; and it's unclear as to whether it is unit-to-unit variation, or model-to-model variation. Unlike the other two I mentioned, we do know for sure that there are some variants in RH3, in that the later SV1 actions were made in Japan and the earlier ones were not, and the Kronos version has aftertouch while the SV and Grandstage versions do not. Personally, I have found the SV1 actions I've played to fo feel lighter/quicker than the Kronos 73/88 actions I've played (though still not among the very lightest/quickest). I have enjoyed playing the SV1, but not the Kronos. But I couldn't swear as to whether it's an inherent difference between those models, or if I might feel differently if I had played some different units.

 

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The sv2 doesn"t look like a major leap forward to me in terms of sound. Looks great, simple layout, knobs to tweak etc but the pianos on version 1 always left me cold.

 

Complete speculative BS from me:

 

Do we think Korg actually felt the need to really move the SV-2 forward? The SV-1 sold well, for a long time. An incremental upgrade, addressing a few of the common gripes but leaving the board and sounds relatively intact seems fairly safe with this one. It has many detractors, but it also has many faithful users and a clear market. Not gonna win many new customers but they're maybe ok with that :idk:

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One thing that Korg missed with the upgrade is that the control panel still doesn"t transmit MIDI (I"m assuming that"s the case because the MIDI implementation in the user manual has no changes in it). Some of the buttons like the preset buttons transmit MIDI but wouldn"t it be cool if for example the EQ pots could be mapped to control the EQ in Mainstage or some other external module. The SV-2 could have made a killer MIDI controller with access to all the effects, reverb, overdrive, EQ etc. right there in the front panel.

 

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The CP88 is pretty easy to figure out how it fits in -- this is Yamaha getting a bit aggressive vs. Nord Piano 4. $500 price retail spread, and reasonably close on feature and ergonomics. A smart move I think, as I'm always looking for cheaper, decent alternatives to the Nords I seem addicted to.

 

As it wasn't an upgrade to my NP4, not really interested at this time, thanks.

 

I played one briefly at a GC that thankfully had one. Classic Yamaha buttery action. Decent sounds, layers, etc. I wouldn't kick it out of bed for eating crackers.

 

The Korg SV series always appealed to me as a spanking EP board, not an AP board. That hot glowing tube sort of seduced me. And, damn, I could spank some smoking licks on it. But I'm not in the market for a dedicated EP board with a few other bells and whistles.

 

Korg could bring better game if they wanted to.

Want to make your band better?  Check out "A Guide To Starting (Or Improving!) Your Own Local Band"

 

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The sv2 doesn"t look like a major leap forward to me in terms of sound. Looks great, simple layout, knobs to tweak etc but the pianos on version 1 always left me cold.

 

Complete speculative BS from me:

 

Do we think Korg actually felt the need to really move the SV-2 forward? The SV-1 sold well, for a long time. An incremental upgrade, addressing a few of the common gripes but leaving the board and sounds relatively intact seems fairly safe with this one. It has many detractors, but it also has many faithful users and a clear market. Not gonna win many new customers but they're maybe ok with that :idk:

I was told at NAMM that the sample memory went from 512 MB to 6 GB. I tried the board for a minute on Sunday at NAMM and while the piano didn't blow me away nor was it optimal listening conditions, I didn't hate it and could see using it.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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