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Swiss Army Knife Gigger's Synths - 2020


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Criteria:

1. Discerning players' quality synth or organ action in 61/73/76 keys (waterfall or diving board) that triggers well along the entire length of the key

2. Multiple engines (samples, modeling, synthesis) to cover acoustic pianos, electric pianos, digital pianos, organs, orchestral (strings, brass, woodwind, etc.) and synths (leads, pads, bass, motion, etc.)

3. Split and layer functionality for each engine/section

4. High trigger for organ section and low trigger for other sections maps with splits and layers

5. Pitch and Mod Controls, etc.

6. Quality FX section with flexible FX routing for separate engines

7. Nine drawbars or faders that offer reverse functionality for live drawbar control

8. Aux output and/or panning functionality for use with external fx like a Neo Ventilator

9. Balances features with ease of use for live playing - doesn't have to be a "workstation"

10. Quick recall of setups for set lists

11. User samples?

12. Gig sturdy and dependable but lightweight build

13. Functions well as a controller with iPad or AU/VST Host

14. * Other

 

Contenders:

Nord Stage 3 Compact - $3599 US

73k semi-weighted, aftertouch, 22lbs

 

Korg Kronos 61 - $3199.99

61k semi-weighted, 31.5lbs

 

Dexibell Combo J7 - $2499

73k waterfall, 22.04lbs

 

Yamaha YC61 - $1999.99

61k semi-weighted, waterfall, 15.6lbs

 

Korg Vox Continental 73 - $1899.99

73k semi-weighted, waterfall, 18.52lbs

 

Korg Vox Continental 61 - $1699.99

61k semi-weighted, waterfall, 15.87lbs

 

Kurzweil PC4-7 - ??? guessing $1599.99 (just under Forte SE)

76k semi-weighted action, aftertouch, 19.4lbs

 

Roland VR-730 - $1599.99

73k semi-weighted waterfall, 21lbs, 14oz

 

Pro/Cons, additional features, additional models, thoughts and opinions welcome!

 

Thanks!

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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thoughts...

 

...don't use the Forte SE as a price guide. I suspect it's out of production, and priced where it is just so they can move them out (meaning it had to be noticeably less than a PC4)

 

..requirement 4 isn't met by the YC61

 

...requirement 8 isn't really met by the YC61. I thought it was, because you can use the panning effect to put a sound to one side or the other, but it turns out you can't save that pan positioning. So you can't recall a split patch and automatically have the organ going to your Vent and the other sounds not. Requirement 8 is also not met at all by the Vox Continental. It wouldn't normally be met by the VR730, but it looks like you might be able to do it with the freeware CTRLR editor.

 

...requirement 10 is questionable for the Roland VR730. If you need more than 16 saved setups accessible for a set, you'll have to start scrolling to get to them.

 

So now the question is: Do you leave things on the list that don't meet all the requirements? If you do, some others that arguably come close but don't meet everything include Casio MZ-X500, Dexibell J7, Roland VR-09B, Numa Compact 2X, Hammond SK (particularly the SKX), Nord Electro 6. Maybe you could discriminate between the "musts" which can quickly rule something out, and the "prefer to have" where, the more of them a board has, the better.

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 - always a great resource for insight on what boards can and can't do!

 

thoughts...

 

...don't use the Forte SE as a price guide. I suspect it's out of production, and priced where it is just so they can move them out (meaning it had to be noticeably less than a PC4)

 

Then possibly $1699-1799.

 

..requirement 4 isn't met by the YC61

True, it also lacks a functional FM synthesis engine - not programmable and can't load sounds.

 

...requirement 8 isn't really met by the YC61. I thought it was, because you can use the panning effect to put a sound to one side or the other, but it turns out you can't save that pan positioning. So you can't recall a split patch and automatically have the organ going to your Vent and the other sounds not. Requirement 8 is also not met at all by the Vox Continental. It wouldn't normally be met by the VR730, but it looks like you might be able to do it with the freeware CTRLR editor.

 

Scratch them off the list! ;). The VR-730 is a conundrum, it has great potential - many shortcomings look fixable by firmware update that never comes.

 

...requirement 10 is questionable for the Roland VR730. If you need more than 16 saved setups accessible for a set, you'll have to start scrolling to get to them.

 

That is an unfortunate limitation. Not even sure what a workaround would be for that.

 

So now the question is: Do you leave things on the list that don't meet all the requirements? If you do, some others that arguably come close but don't meet everything include Casio MZ-X500, Dexibell J7, Roland VR-09B, Numa Compact 2X, Hammond SK (particularly the SKX), Nord Electro 6. Maybe you could discriminate between the "musts" which can quickly rule something out, and the "prefer to have" where, the more of them a board has, the better.

 

Nope, definitely remove them from the list UNLESS the weakness is made up for in a big way by other strengths.

 

Dexibell J7 is two engines right? Samples and organ modelling. No functional synth - but it would be a pretty good controller for an iPad or AU/VST Host. And Dexibell appears to be continuing to work on this instrument via firmware updates.

09b is off my list for it's action alone.

Numa Compact 2X - i'm not familiar enough. Also no functional synth right? How is it as a controller?

Hammond SK - very limited sample library for covering the other sound categories, correct? Same is true for the X?

Nord Electro 6 - I don't find the "sample synth" adequate, personally, but you're right it's a consideration.

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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High trigger for synth and normal trigger for other sounds is certainly a ideal feature, but I think it unduly narrows the list to make that a requirement. Any "swiss army knife" keyboard will have some compromises and I don't think lack of high trigger is an unreasonable compromise. Do Kurzweil and the Kronos have this dual trigger feature?

 

But it's your list, you decide what's on it!

 

The Nord Compact has a long legacy as a gigger's swiss (er . . . Swedish?) army knife, with the emphasis on "gigger's." But at a hefty price.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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High trigger for synth and normal trigger for other sounds is certainly a ideal feature, but I think it unduly narrows the list to make that a requirement. Any "swiss army knife" keyboard will have some compromises and I don't think lack of high trigger is an unreasonable compromise. Do Kurzweil and the Kronos have this dual trigger feature?

 

But it's your list, you decide what's on it!

 

The Nord Compact has a long legacy as a gigger's swiss (er . . . Swedish?) army knife, with the emphasis on "gigger's." But at a hefty price.

 

Thanks, Adan. Valid points, it is my list, but other perspectives are welcome.

The Nord Stage Compact - I know! In the US the street price is outrageous (and I'm always disappointed by the feel of the synth action you get on the Stage and Electro at their price points).

 

Apparently the Kurzweil PC4 does both high and normal trigger points that change with the engine. AND, it sends them as high and normal as a controller!

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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...requirement 10 is questionable for the Roland VR730. If you need more than 16 saved setups accessible for a set, you'll have to start scrolling to get to them.

 

That is an unfortunate limitation. Not even sure what a workaround would be for that.

 

Nothing easy unless they implement an ability to select registrations via MIDI. Then at least you could get to them directly via another board, a smartphone, etc.

 

This is also why (repeating something we discussed in PM) I wish they would take a page from Numa Compact 2/2X and Dexibell and at least let you re-order the sounds that come up under the various category buttons. If you could more easily use those buttons to bring up your favorites with less need for having to scroll there as well, you might be able to get through a lot of stuff more easily "on the fly" without having to store stuff in registrations.

 

If you are well versed in sysex, in theory, you could create sysex macros you could send from your smartphone that would essentially serve as registrations, i.e. by setting the various parts (upper, lower) to the various desired sounds, etc. If you're willing to gig with a laptop or Windows tablet, you could presumably use the freeware CTRLR program to access whatever VR sounds you want at any time, too. That seems a little more appealing to me on the VR730 than the VR09, because there may be space for it, and because so much of the appeal of the VR09 is its "12 pounds, toss it up and play" vibe that having to find a place for a tablet and wire it up seems kind of at odds with its raison d'etre. But not out of the question, it could work for some. I'm hoping to have the opportunity to play with a VR09 and CTRLR before long.

 

Dexibell J7 is two engines right? Samples and organ modelling. No functional synth

True, though the sampled instruments do include things they refer to as modeling, for things like on and off noises and sympathetic resonances, and the sampled synth sounds do provide 5 stage envelope controls (albeit not separate envelopes for amp and filter) and a monophonic mode (but no portamento, as far as I can see in the manual).

 

but it would be a pretty good controller for an iPad or AU/VST Host.

Decent... it includes 4-zone MIDI controller functions, and all the organ controls send MIDI CC. No pitch bend. No mod wheel, but you can assign a pedal to that. It does audio in over MIDI, but I had a chance to play with it and found it better to use the audio line in for less latency.

 

Numa Compact 2X - i'm not familiar enough. Also no functional synth right? How is it as a controller?

It does include VA synth. Single oscillator IIRC (though you can layer two sounds). For filter, you have cutoff, resonance, LFO speed and depth, 3 envelope controls, plus there are 2 more envelope controls for amp. It also has pitch bend, mod lever, and aftertouch. No monophonic mode or portamento.

 

How is it as a controller?

Good... two zone, the 9 sliders have programmable MIDI CC, some other controls send a fixed CC, and again, it has the pitch bend, mod lever, and aftertouch.

 

Hammond SK - very limited sample library for covering the other sound categories, correct? Same is true for the X?
Yeah, pretty limited sample library, but it covers the essentials. Probably not too different from the Numa in this respect. Though even the YC and Vox don't have particularly large libraries. Compared to the other SK models, the SKX gives you more flexibility in how you assign those sounds, and makes better use of the patch select buttons for quick recall. The whole SK series really doesn't have synth functionality to speak of, though. Of the bunch mentioned so far, Hammond would be weakest as synth, Nord Electro second (it at least has some basic envelope controls, and wider range of sampled synth sounds available).

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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Do Kurzweil and the Kronos have this dual trigger feature?

Kurzweil does, Kronos does not.

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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Do Kurzweil and the Kronos have this dual trigger feature?

Kurzweil does, Kronos does not.

 

Scott, do any of the others have this feature?

I'm pretty sure...

 

Nord Stage 3 and Vox have it internally, but not over MIDI (MIDI is low trigger only).

 

Dexibell J7 has it both internally and over MIDI.

 

Roland VR will do high trigger organ internally and over MIDI *if* it's the only sound. If you split or layer organ with another sound, organ reverts to low trigger, not just over MIDI, but internally as well.

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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Fleer, the new Roland Fantom Checks enough boxes I"m throwing it in the list.

Last I checked, it did not have an internal drawbar controllable clonewheel organ mode, has that changed?

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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PB wheel seems like a must have. Sure you can use a footpedal, but the footpedal has other arguably better uses.

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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Fleer, the new Roland Fantom Checks enough boxes I"m throwing it in the list.

Last I checked, it did not have an internal drawbar controllable clonewheel organ mode, has that changed?

 

Bugger, that"s a shame. It seems Roland, like Yamaha with the Montage, developed a top of the line synth and didn"t take organ as seriously as some might like them too. Unfortunate, as both attempt to do so at lower price points with the V-Combo and YC models. Fantom, you"re off the list!

 

GSi needs to do a DMC-122+Gemini in a single manual 73k waterfall.

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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I would be surprised if Roland did not eventually have a "SuperNATURAL organ" or similar available to download into the Fantom. But afaik, it's not there yet. I only hope the delay is because they want the organ to be better than what they have, for example, in the FA and Integra, which are the other recent Rolands with what I think are similar effects structures to the Fantom.

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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I can see 4 (high trigger point for organ) as a bonus but hardly essential. And if it's supposed to be a "swiss army knife" I'm not going to want to bring extras like a Vent, making 8 (separate outs) irrelevant.

 

I've recently programmed my YC61 to do function gigs and it totally gets me there, replacing what has always previously been 2 keyboards. The alternatives would be a Nord Stage Compact or a Kronos, Numa Compact 2x if you're on a budget or want 88 keys, possibly a Kurz, not impressed enough by the online Dexibell organ demos to seriously consider it.

Gig keys: Hammond SKpro, Korg Vox Continental, Crumar Mojo 61, Crumar Mojo Pedals

 

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It's remarkable how the need to include an organ model in a multipurpose board drives a number of other requirements (assignable outs L/R, high trigger) that aren't necessarily difficult to implement, but often missed.

Yes. The two main reasons I look for and have often used assignable outs are (a) organ to Vent and (b) LH bass to a bass amp or to its own mixer channel. Of course, if you want to do both of these things at the same time, a single pair of output jacks won't work, you need at least three.

 

More recently, I happen to have been thinking about using separate outs for the purposes of a 2-board rig where the 2nd board is often triggering sounds that are in the first. When each board is only playing its own sounds, there are always convenient volume controls available for each board as needed, on their own front panels. Once the sounds you're playing on both boards are being generated by the same board, that board's volume control suddenly affects the sounds for both of your boards, so I'm thinking it would be convenient to keep the remotely-triggered sounds routed to their own outputs, making it easier to treat them as the same kind of second set of outs they would be if you were using outs that were located directly on a second board. But this requires true separate assignable outs, and not merely the ability to pan some sounds to each side. I've never tried this, but if it works the way I think it will, out of the lower cost and lighter weight boards, this could be a reason to choose a Kurzweil PC4 or Roland FA.

 

Which brings me to this: If you're willing to lose the high trigger and can dig up some ocean beach drawbars, the Roland FA-07 arguably becomes another contender for the master list of this thread.

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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We all have specific requirements. Mine is: the ability to be driven from a controller board for one (preferably more) splits/layers, while simultaneously playing other splits/layers locally. Bonus points for reassignable pedals (sustain and/or rotary from the same pedal, for example).

 

Cheers, Mike.

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We all have specific requirements. Mine is: the ability to be driven from a controller board for one (preferably more) splits/layers, while simultaneously playing other splits/layers locally.

Are you speaking about this as a general requirement even if all the sounds are ultimately merged at the outs of the local board, or, as in the context of my last post, of keeping the local and remotely played sounds of a board isolated to their own outputs? A lot more boards can do the former than the latter, but yes, even for the former, it's something you can't count on a board being able to do. Especially if the controller board doesn't have MIDI channel zoned split/layer capabilities of its own. (Getting back to the two boards I just mentioned, the Kurweil can zone MIDI input from an external controller, the Roland cannot.)

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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Forgetting the criteria put out in the OP (not necessarily my criteria), from my Swiss Army knife perspective the PC4-7 will have to be put pretty high on this list. Not only can it do pretty much everything I need it to do the price point should be well under $2K since the PC4 can be had for $2K. Consider what it delivers from internal sounds and features it is also a great controller. Weakness is the internal leslie, but seriously, who doesn't use an external leslie sim on their organ sounds anyway? I sometimes use a Vent with VB3. I could also import the double leslie that I created for the PC3 that I've also used on gigs. Currently I do half my gigs now with one keyboard (PC3) with either the Gemini module, the Voce/Vent or just the PC3 with a Vent. The PC4-7 is now a cut above that; how can it not be a true contender?

57 Hammond B3; 69 Hammond L100P; 68 Leslie 122; Kurzweil Forte7 & PC3; M-Audio Code 61; Voce V5+; Neo Vent; EV ELX112P; GSI Gemini & Burn

Delaware Dave

Exit93band

 

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I can see 4 (high trigger point for organ) as a bonus but hardly essential. And if it's supposed to be a "swiss army knife" I'm not going to want to bring extras like a Vent, making 8 (separate outs) irrelevant.

.

 

Agreed. I see some cognitive dissonance in talking about the swiss army knife keyboard but at the same time wanting clone-quality action and authenticity, including sim. Yeah, those are great to have and I personally want them anytime I'm serious about organ. But if it's a gig where I'm serious about organ, I'll want a separate keyboard for that. It's about the functionality, but it's also about the psychology and the stage optics.

 

Function gigs are a good case in point. Back in the day when I did more of them, I just wanted to get in, get out, and get paid. And do a good job, of course. But it was always a safe bet that no one in the audience of a function gig cared if the leslie sim was crème de la crème. They're too busy getting drunk and trying to hit on their wife's cousin, or whatever.

 

That's a job for a gigging swiss army knife keyboard.

 

Just my perspective, not saying other perspectives aren't valid.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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When there was still work for musicians I had regular gigs where the club had no stage and the audience was right in your face all night falling against my gear and splashing drinks on the Keys. During break I had to stay next to my Keyboard otherwise it would get knocked over or somebody would put a drink on top of it. On that type of gig I wouldn't risk using a $1000 instrument let alone a $3000+ Keyboard. The least of my concerns is whether it is the best sounding or has the best Keyboard action. I used the cheapest Keyboard I could find that could cover the sounds reasonably well. Certainly it wouldn't be near the same league as a a Nord or Kronos but it had to be expendable due to the potential risk of damage. The best solution I found for this was a 76-Key Casio WK series I got new for $300. It has a Rompler section, Tone Wheel Organ section, splits/layers, L and R outputs with enough editing capability to tailor sounds as needed. On safe gigs I will often take out two or three valuable Keyboards but in certain cases it's about getting through a gig with the smallest amount of gear and the least risk that's more important. I rarely do the safe gigs with one Keyboard but If I felt the need to do so the Stage 3 Compact would be my choice having a Tone Wheel section with drawbars, Piano section, Sample/VA section, splits/layers, multiple outputs and plenty of physical controls.
C3/122, M102A, Vox V301H, Farfisa Compact, Gibson G101, GEM P, RMI 300A, Piano Bass, Pianet , Prophet 5 rev. 2, Pro-One, Matrix 12, OB8, Korg MS20, Jupiter 6, Juno 60, PX-5S, Nord Stage 3 Compact
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I can see 4 (high trigger point for organ) as a bonus but hardly essential. And if it's supposed to be a "swiss army knife" I'm not going to want to bring extras like a Vent, making 8 (separate outs) irrelevant.

Personally, I prefer to have separate outs available if I'm playing LH bass. For example, if there's an FOH system, the soundperson retains the ability to mix the "bass guitar" separately from the rest of the keys. Just saying there are other useful scenarios besides organ/vent.

 

I've recently programmed my YC61 to do function gigs and it totally gets me there, replacing what has always previously been 2 keyboards. The alternatives would be a Nord Stage Compact or a Kronos, Numa Compact 2x if you're on a budget or want 88 keys, possibly a Kurz

alternatives all of which have aftertouch which is nice (if the Kurz is a PC4 or Forte), but certainly not essential for everyone. But that's the beauty of all the mentioned boards, the ones you mentioned here, and the others that have come up in the thread... I think most of them could totally get you through typical function gigs nicely if your goal was indeed to do these things with one board. We'll just all each have our own requirements and disqualifiers which will vary. I personally would shy away from the YC61 as an "only board" because of it having just 61 keys, though I could manage if I had to. OTOH, some people must have pitch and mod wheels... I'd have no problem doing a gig without them, and would definitely take the extra keys rather than the wheels if that had to be the tradeoff. But someone else might well choose the reverse.

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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Are you speaking about this as a general requirement even if all the sounds are ultimately merged at the outs of the local board
Yeah, primarily. One do-it-all board, one controller. Avoids the need for a mixer and extra cabling. Although I'd like assignable outs as well (to add a Vent, dedicated bass amp, whatever) as well, I would probably rarely use that latter feature.

 

Cheers, Mike.

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Forgetting the criteria put out in the OP (not necessarily my criteria), from my Swiss Army knife perspective the PC4-7 will have to be put pretty high on this list. Not only can it do pretty much everything I need it to do the price point should be well under $2K since the PC4 can be had for $2K. Consider what it delivers from internal sounds and features it is also a great controller. Weakness is the internal leslie, but seriously, who doesn't use an external leslie sim on their organ sounds anyway? I sometimes use a Vent with VB3. I could also import the double leslie that I created for the PC3 that I've also used on gigs. Currently I do half my gigs now with one keyboard (PC3) with either the Gemini module, the Voce/Vent or just the PC3 with a Vent. The PC4-7 is now a cut above that; how can it not be a true contender?

I agree. Even FOR the OP's listed criteria, if the action turns out to be decent, this looks like the pick of the litter. The only real tradeoff compared to some of the others--which is not relevant to any listed requirement--is that it uses generic assignable controls instead of having dedicated operational ergonomics. And related, it's more flexible than those but may take more thought/time/effort to learn and get working the way you want. Though just to nitpick, I don't think its only organ weakness is the Leslie. I remember there have been conversations here about other shortcomings, e.g. putting percussion through the C/V, and the poor quality of the key click. But yeah, for the average function gig, it's fine, and if you want, there's always the option of triggering B3X or whatever.

 

Getting back to the OP's request for other features to consider:

 

If it's your only board, some kind of seamless sound switching is very desirable. Related, if you're playing LH bass, the ability to switch your RH sound without glitching the bass line that may have to keep playing through your RH sound change. But I think all the contenders pass this test.

 

Patch selection is an area where there are some significant differences:

 

...As alluded to above, Roland VR gives you 100 registrations to save your customized sounds/combinations, but you can only get to 16 without scrolling. To compare to some other "all in one" contenders (though not all from the list that meet the OP's requirements)...

 

...Dexibell gives you only 36 memories, but at least you can get to all 36 easily, plus you can re-order the factory programs within their categories to make it easier than on the Roland to grab sounds and create sound combinations in real time with minimal scrolling. (You can also load your own soundfonts, and they go into additional user program locations and don't necessarily need to take up any of the 36 memories.) You can load alternate sets of 36 from USB, but obviously that's not something you'd want to do in the middle of a set.

 

...Numa Compact gives you 100 user programs, but ALL selection requires scrolling. Though it's another where you can re-order the factory sounds to more easily grab sounds on the fly, and also, even though there's no direct selection of your user programs, they CAN be selected via MIDI Program Change (e.g. from a smartphone). No patch remain, but at least on the fly, you can change your RH sound without glitching your LH sound.

 

...Vox gives you 64 scenes, and you can get to all 64 pretty easily. Grabbing sound in real time is relatively cumbersome on the Vox, though, since not only can you not reorder them within their categories, but also there's no alpha display, so the only way to get to a particular sound is to know what number it is.

 

...Nord Stage 3 gives you 400 programs. Their number pad mode gives you quick (2-button) access to 25 at a time, and it's easy to switch to a different set of 25 (they're all simultaneously resident), and you can also select any of the sounds via MIDI Program Change. They also have an alternate mode where, instead of using the 5 buttons to get 2-button access to banks of 25 sounds, you can use the 5 buttons to get 1-button access to sets of 5 sounds, your choice. You can also assemble "songs" which are sets of 5 pointers (like Mac aliases or Windows shortcuts), so you can create sets of 5 single-button selectable sounds for different songs, without using up more program locations if you want to use the same sound in multiple songs.

 

...The YC61 gives you 160 live sets, with single-button access to 8 at a time.

 

...The workstations, Kronos and PC4, have tons of user locations and flexible ways of accessing them, with Kronos' Set List probably still the benchmark.

 

This kind of thing can really impact how you use a board, and doesn't easily show up when you compare specs.

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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