Bosendorphen

I still use my QS7 occasionally at gigs and a QSR in my studio. Although I also had a QS8.1 and QS6.2 at times in the early 2000s. I created a synth patch that would use the mod wheel to crossfade from a sawtooth sound to a sort of noisy resonance sound (using some various synth and noise waveforms) which was a rather convincing pseudo-analog patch, considering the QS series didn't have resonant filters. Built like a tank indeed. My QS7 still plays just dandily!

Frankly, I really enjoy playing the NC2 and love the action for a semi-weighted. I have no issues with it and can really dig in. It's a bit more resistant than my old Studiologic TMK-88 which was nice (and 13.5 lbs). I guess I've learned to adapt to many actions since starting on piano 54 years ago but the NC2 is a pleasure, particularly the 15.5 lbs. for transport.

I got the 2 for Christmas and am loving it! May consider the 2x (or 3!!) when it comes out. http://flyboyfilms.tv/Aethellis/Ashland%20Cafe%202018.jpg

Late to the party here but yeah I still have my Vintage Synths Q-card and the Classical Q-card as well. Also a 4 MB Flash card with some Mellotron and CP-70 samples on it. I still use my QS7 live and and have a QSR in my studio. Use several patches from the Synths card live almost every gig. Kudos to Dave!!!

I'm not a purist by any stretch! :-) I do love the piano and that's where my primary training was, but have been playing organ since 1973 and synths since 1976 and I love them too. And the only fully weighted piano action I have is my acoustic piano. Everything else is some kind of semi-weighted which for me is good enough for live and even studio as I play a lot of synth sounds there. I've adapted to semi-weighted actions for live as I don't wish to haul heavy gear around anymore. As long as there is some resistance or feeling of solidity, I'm good. I was fine with my old Kurz SP76 and in my studio I'm still using a CME UF7 and I love the action on that. My Fantom X7 is a bit light for my tastes but acceptable. I love the action on my old Kawai K4 too.

I'm a "piano player" (coming up on 54 years next month) and I'm fine with the action for a semi-weighted board. It's similar to my old Kurzweil SP76 action, just a bit more shallow key travel. But it feels solid and better than my old Studiologic TMK-88. And hey, at 15.5 lbs I REALLY love hauling it around to practice!

For Christmas I got a Studiologic Numa Compact 2. Love the weight, action and many of the sounds. Considering the Mellotron Micro for my 60th birthday next month. We'll see.

My Polysix did a pretty good Hammond back in the 80s, particularly with the attack at 0 and a touch of resonance you got a good key click effect. The built-in chorus and phaser effects helped too. Recently I put my Polysix through a Eric Clapton Crossroads distortion pedal; one of the presets has a rotary effect which is pretty good. Together they made a decent rock Hammond sound as I A/Bed it with my VB3 software.

Interesting perspective and I've heard other people I know who said prog was too serious and pretentious. So I'd play them "Benny the Bouncer" or "Harold the Barrel" or "Battle of Epping Forest" or some witty, funny Tull. Prog didn't always take itself seriously, particularly the Canterbury side of it. And for me, prog is more emotional and less clinical than jazz fusion which often (not always) feels cold to me. I remember crying during "Afterglow" and "Ripples" when I saw Genesis in the 70s. "The Great Gates of Kiev" got my to my heart whenever ELP did it. From my perspective there was a balance between virtuosity and emotion in prog. Yes and UK are two of my old faves as well. "Carrying No Cross" gets to me with all its moods. And so many tunes are well constructed by all the bands I've mentioned with themes, developments, recapitulations, etc. Edward Macan's book "Rocking the Classics" does some excellent analysis of several classic prog tunes from a compositional perspective.

Gee I hope not!! (largely ignored that is!)

Wow... it did have a familiar feel but I couldn't quite pin it down!

Hey Jazzoo, try this link instead - Lento e allego Thanks for the kind words Lin-Scare-You, dr.doerflerstein (I know, Halloween names) and linwood! I love watching the notation while sequences play; I do it often for kicks (I don't get out much). Lovely music, goosebump worthy; when you do a final version please post, linwood! Kudos Jazzoo! I'd love to be do what you two do with those "new" versions!

A movement in 5/4 I wrote back in my 20s and rerecorded and released in 2014 on the album Conversations with George Edgar Selby.

1st movement from my first piano concerto I wrote 30 years ago (new recording for a new CD) - Lento e Allegro

My latest soundtrack CD just released on the Melodic Revolution Records label, Conversations with George Edgar Selby. Soundcloud sampler Melodic Revolution Records page The album is in two parts, the first a concerto and the second music from the soundtrack to the World War I drama Beside the Manor Selby starring cult actors Conrad Brooks and George Stover. It's a refreshing change from doing the prog rock with Aethellis!

Yeah, it was the first synth I ever played. I didn't own one but a friend of mine in high school (who got me into ELP) had one and was demonstrating it to me in early 1975. I played it a little at band practice but it was going through its own little speaker setup (with the ARP logo) and no one could hear it through the din of the band! I had a loaner in 1982 for a concert but barely touched it as I had 4 other keyboards of mine own already. Man, with Moog, Dave Smith, Vintage Vibe, etc. and now this it's really amazing how things have come back from 33+ years ago. If you jumped ahead in time from back then you'd had no idea that many companies/synths bit the dust before they had a return. What next, a new Ensoniq Mirage/ESQ-1???

Looking at this thread I'm hearing John Carpenters's theme di-di-du-di-du-du-di-di in 5/4.

Fixed that for ya. Gad I prefer my CME UF7's keyboard (Chinese) to the Korg M3. I love the action and response on the UF7. I never understood the love for the M3 keybed.

This is called "Sounds Good" from Aethellis: Northumbria. We think it does sound good! http://www.reverbnation.com/aethellis/song/14706403-sounds-good

My Novation Xiosynth has a really nice semi-weighted action. It cost me $250 (granted this version is only 2 octaves but the 4 octave version isn't a whole lot more). Plus it's a really great little virtual analog. I've always loved Korg synths (had the MiniKorg, still have Polysix and DW8000) and their budget synths were quite well built. At least up until around 2000. When I bought the MS2000 it felt very fragile and cheezy (despite some metal there) and the mainboard went up on me after a few years. Didn't like the Triton LE action some time later. I was attracted to the M50 even years later but it just seemed way too fragile/plasticky for $1000. I disliked the action and the King Korg's feels worse. I agree that Casio has been doing the budget keyboard thing so long they've refined it near perfection for buck/bang ratio. Another company that (used to) do budget gear really well was Kawai. I had a K4 synth (18 lbs.) that took a pounding for years and still works perfectly (sold it to our guitarist). Not even a battery change. And it had a solid action. Same reliability for my Q-80 sequencer. I recall a review on the K4 on Harmony Central and under "reliability" the reviewer said, "The most I can give it is only a 10?" as it had survived every beer-soaked club/frat party gig he'd played for years and years.

Also, reliability is not necessarily reflected in how solid something feels. A MemoryMoog is built like a tank, but is not exactly the most reliable keyboard ever made. Meanwhile, plenty of plastic chassis boards seem to work forever. I hear you.... My lightweight mostly plastic PX330 takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I've had other far more expensive and heavier boards (e.g. one made by a company that begins with "Y") that were nothing but problems in terms of reliability. Yeah... 9 years ago I got that Studiologic TMK-88 controller for playing strictly piano sounds (MIDIed to a QS synth at the time). Played it hard for years and it's been fine. Still use it on occasion for gigs where there's a long haul between cars and the stage. And I actually like the action. It's like a light piano; solid and has this subtle bounce-back and is very responsive. It's my Rubbermaid keyboard! Paring the VR-09 with the TMK-88 would be real lightweight pairing - 25 lbs. for both. A tempting thought but I'll probably stick with what I've got for this year's gigs as I'm planning on leaving the gigging scene for a while.

For Prog fans, the 11 minute "Northumbria." http://melodicrevolutionrecords.com/track/northumbria

Awesome!!!! I'll place my order for two please!