sleepwalk
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Posts posted by sleepwalk
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I sold an old upright recently, and I felt a little sad about it for a little while, but that has mostly gone away. Anyway, I'm going to replace it with something much better, so it's for the best...
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Some of these mixers have only mic and line, while others such the ZED6 also have "inst" or "hi z" (some also say "guitar"). I am assuming for a Rhodes I would need to use inst or hi z (which I read mean the same thing). Is that the best way? People with a real Rhodes please chime in here with your experience...
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4 hours ago, stoken6 said:
A few questions:
1. What do you mean "power the Rhodes" - does it use phantom power? Do you mean/need a hi-impedance input for the Rhodes?
2. What is "not that good" about your existing ART/Behringer setup?
3. Do you have a budget in mind? SSL SiX is wonderful, but might be overkill for this application.Yamaha has a good reputation, as does Allen+Heath.
Cheers, Mike.
1. Yes that's what I mean. Some of the channels in these mixers have gain and some don't. If they don't they may work fine for a digital keyboard but not a Rhodes, which is more like a guitar.
2. The ART Tube MP is noisy/crummy sound, bad clarity and definition, plus I'd like one mixer instead of having to hook up 2 things together.
3. Yeah that's too much. A couple hundred bucks tops. Plus I only need 2 channels really. Just wondering if there is something giving a better cleaner gain. I'll look into your suggestions, thanks!
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I'm looking for a mixer. I want to run the Rhodes direct, and run a mic (sm58) in also, to play and sing and monitor with headphones. I have a cheap little Behringer, but it only has one channel with a mic pre/ inst pre that can power the Rhodes. The other channels are just line in and don't sound good for the Rhodes (not enough gain I guess). So I've been using this cheap ART tube pre for the Rhodes and running that into the Behringer. Not horrible but not that good either lol, so I'm trying to simplify/upgrade this if I can.
Am I limited to the small Mackie/Yamaha/Soundcraft mixers, or is there some better brand out there I should look for? Is Soundcraft better? Or will I not really notice a difference, and should just get a Mackie?
This mixer is not for recording/mixing, just for playing at home and working out ideas/writing/etc...
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Miles said he learned a lot from him and his use of space. The space in between the notes says as much as the notes themselves.
Saw him at the old Yoshi's in Oakland in the 90s. Beautiful music. RIP Ahmad
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Also I played the YC88 today. It's really nice. Organ sounds great as does the Rhodes. Wasn't sure about the pianos because I forgot to bring my headphones and they had it going through some crummy speakers. I'm sure it's good though if it's the same as the CP88.
And I tried a Stage 3 and Nautilus again. I figured out how to pull up the EP Mark I, II, V etc on the Nautilus and remove the effects and amp models. Some of the Rhodes sounds are new and some are from the Kronos. I think I prefer the ones brought in from the Kronos. I compared dry Rhodes sounds with the Stage 3 and I can see why some prefer the Korg sounds, they have more definition to my ear, but the Nord sounds are by no means bad...
I think at this point I am leaning towards a used Korg as it will be an excellent value, but I may try a Kurzweil one more time to be sure...
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On 3/4/2023 at 9:47 AM, Sundown said:
It’s only going to matter what you want … What you enjoy playing… Absent a very narrow niche of jazz clubs, no one in the audience will know whether you’re playing the latest Nord or a 30 year-old Ensoniq. As long as the set list is good and the energy and playing is good, the audience is oblivious to our attention to detail. That being said, pick something you really enjoy, because it’s reason enough to get a good board. Just recognize who you’re doing it for.
From a gear perspective, Kurzweil shines with orchestral instruments (both solo and ensemble), choirs, pianos, and the KB3 engine is completely useable in a band. I would say their synth sounds fall short of other brands (despite how deep and powerful VAST is). The raw sample material for synth sounds isn’t as competitive as other offerings, and I don’t think the VA oscillators make up for it.
I think Yamaha is doing some great stuff across the board and I’m partial to some of their synth sounds. Organs are going to be mediocre (at least on a Montage). But if you go with a Montage you also get a great FM engine, besides just sample playback.
Korg lost me a long time ago, other than the great work they are doing with their legacy plugin instruments. Modern Korg patches sound nasal to me. It’s hard to put a finger on what I don’t like about it, but it’s the best descriptor I can provide.
Nords sound great in YouTube videos, but I’ve never really played one so I’ll have to recuse myself. They are definitely a board I would look at if I wanted another weighted board.
And Roland is a tough one … There’s some good synth sounds on a Jupiter X, some decent APs, but I’m not sure about organs. The organ demos I’ve heard fall short of others (e.g. Nord, Kurzweil, etc).
If you want to try something off the beaten path, checkout a Sequential Prophet X. There’s no drawbars (and I doubt it has a Leslie sim), but it is sample-based and it will be very different from other more popular offerings. And the synth sounds will crush most of the competitors. And it has knobs galore … It’s definitely a board I would consider if I had $3,500 at my disposal.
Todd
I played around on a Jupiter X today. Wow, it sounds amazing. I don't think it's right for what I'm looking for right now, but it certainly produces some incredible sounds. I got lost grooving out some dusted, spaced out, dub funk 😎
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I had an Emu Proformance Plus back in the mid 90s. I remember liking the piano sound (back then) but not liking the Rhodes. So I sold it and got a Micropiano. The Rhodes was better, but I didn't like the piano as much. Shortly thereafter, I found a real Rhodes for $250, which I still have and record with. (the Micropiano was sold soon after)
I am intrigued by the idea of using an iphone. I wonder how reliable that is. My phone is an Android, but I have an old Iphone 7 I don't use that my mom gave me when she got a new one. Apparently the Ravenscroft app would work with that. Are there good Rhodes sounds or B3 sounds for iPhone? Wonder how that works...
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1 hour ago, AnotherScott said:
If you end up wanting to try this, PM me. I think I'd sell mine, for a bit less, but more importantly, unlike the one on reverb, you could send it back if it didn't work out for you.
Wow, thanks Scott. I appreciate that. If I go in that direction I'll be in touch. 👍
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So we know for sure the DB-1 works with the Nautilus? I thought there might be something else that was cheap and easy but I guess the DB-1 is all there is. There's one on Reverb for about $390 with the shipping. The cost makes me kind of lean toward the Kronos, which can just do the drawbar thing with the faders. But, well, I have to think about it...
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1 hour ago, AnotherScott said:
I think the only issue with Korg NanoKontrol is that it has 8 sliders, and you'd want 9. Assuming that's correct, (a) you could use a knob to control the ninth drawbar, (b) you could try to locate a first generation NanoKontrol, those had 9 sliders, or (c) you could use some other 9 slider controller, like Icon i-Controls, Worlde EasyControl.9, Studiologic Mixface.
What I read is that the Nanokontrol works for CC on the Nautilus, but the drawbars are Sysex, so it can't control them. I'm not sure if there is another small controller that can. Maybe there is someone here that knows.
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Does anyone know if there is a small controller that could be connected to the Nautilus to control the drawbars in the organ? I've read that the Korg Nanokontrol cannot do this, but I was wondering if there was something else that can?
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3 hours ago, Paul Woodward said:
Haven’t managed to read the whole thread but going back to the original post…
this week I decided I had just bought too much stuff (keyboard wise) so two board are going. I had a conversation on another forum about the AP’s on my YC61 just not sounding great and preferred my Korg Grandstage. Someone (quite rightly) reminded me that key feel is the main thing so I hooked up the GS to the YC and wow…the YC Pianos came alive and, for some, I preferred them to the GS. Reminded me of my CP4 and the RH3 keybed and YC sounds were a match made in heaven.
So, @sleepwalk have you considered a nice fully weighted controller hooked up to a YC? You can set any of the three sound sources to external, internal or both so you can essentially get a Yamaha piano and the rhodes, organs etc. from just one sound source. Add in a cheap iPad and you can have Moog, Korg, Roland sounds and more integrated into your setup with the YC doing all the work here and you only need two outputs for everything.
Thanks for the suggestion. I am trying to get one 88 board to do it all. But I have not been able to test a YC88 yet. It looks like a good option. I have to look around and find one. I played a CP88, and it was nice, but I didn't like how the organs were just presets, and I could not adjust the settings. My favorites that I have played so far are the Korg Nautilus and Kronos, and Nord Stage 2/3.
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3 hours ago, AnotherScott said:
I don't believe it's possible to put a bigger SSD drive in the Nautilus.
I read on the Korg forums that there is a way to do it, but it is not as easy as on the Kronos, where you can just add in a second drive. You have to open up the Nautilus. But, if it seems too challenging....pretty sure I could put the Kronos sounds on an external drive, attach to the USB port and play them from there? I would rather have everything inside, but as long as it works I guess...
One other question.....has anyone played a Kronos LS action? Is this like an Electro action, or is there more weight to it, like Nord HP? Just curious because I just heard about it today and didn't know about it, and wondering how people like it ...
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I got to play that Kurzweil K2700 today. The pianos are nice. But I didn't like the Rhodes sounds and I didn't like the organ. I know I can load the Purgatory Creek Rhodes, but that organ just isn't going to do it for me. There was a Kronos 1 right next to it (the sales guy said it was new which is weird considering how old those are) and I played it and much preferred the sounds in it.
So I think I am narrowing it down to a Kronos, Nautilus, or Nord Stage (2/2ex/3?). The Nautilus is appealing because if I want, I can buy a bundle with all the Kronos sounds that aren't on the Nautilus, to have access to all the sounds from both keyboards. Although I think I may have to put in a larger SSD somehow to accommodate all that. Anyway, it's good to have options. I still would like to try the Yamaha YC-88 and see what it's like, and try the Korgs and Nords at least one more time to pick my favorite.
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1 hour ago, artdob said:
Which store in LA has the 2700? I would like to play it too as I’m considering this one. So hard to find quality boards to try before purchase these days.
It's called International House of Music downtown. I talked to Manny today, he says it's on display and it's the only Kurzweil they have. He told me the Forte and PC4 are discontinued, but I still see the PC4 on Sweetwater...?...to be honest if I get a Kurzweil I will probably get a used Forte or PC4 because it will be a much better value used. But I have never played a Kurzweil so I want to try the K2700. It has a lot of the same sounds as the Forte, but the Forte pianos have more samples, so actually a bit better sound than the K2700 pianos.
I am pretty surprised it is so hard to find a place to play a Kurzweil in Los Angeles. The store said they didn't even have one until someone requested the Kurzweil distributor for a store to demo one. That was me that sent the email to the distributor.
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I found a store in LA that has a K2700, so I'll try to play that soon.
I've been thinking about 3rd party sound possibilities....it appears the best options in this respect are Korg and Kurzweil. Is Korg the brand with the most/best 3rd party sounds available? I noticed some 3rd party sounds sound great, whereas others sound like something I would never ever play, but I guess that should be expected as they are just small independent developers so there will be a wide range in quality. Anyway I think it would be great to have that flexibility to add in different sounds I like.
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The most important thing is that I love the sound that I'm playing. That's what makes me play. Whether it is considered the most "realistic" by me or someone else doesn't matter as much to me, as that can be subjective. I don't play in a cover band where I am trying to match the sound on the record.
If I love the sound, that is what makes me want to play. I admit that what I hear as "most realistic" is usually the kind of sound I prefer, but I know that every player doesn't like the same organ sounds I like, Rhodes sounds I like, piano sounds I like, etc..
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4 hours ago, MikeT156 said:
I used the ES8 16 track sequencer for just about every song I played when I use to book live shows. I was not as critical as you were on the Rhodes sounds because I had guitar, bass. drums playing the same time in addition to horns strings, etc. The Rhodes sound on the ES8 only had 3 velocities as I recall and the organ sounds were even worse. But I didn't use many organ patches in my sequences. the Leslie Sim was awful. But the ES8 filled a role that no other instrument could back then so it worked out for me. I got a lot of solo work because I was a one man band and kept the volume under control and charged less $$$ than a band. The instruments you buy and play depends on how you use them.
Are you still taking live shows? If not, it seems to me you could buy more than one instrument to keep in your studio if you can't find one that satisfies you.
Not playing out at the moment. I would love to see if I could satisfy my needs with one 88 board, so that's my goal right now. If that doesn't do it, I'll add a 61 or 73 on top later on to fill the gaps.
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16 minutes ago, Synthaholic said:
I bought a Korg Pa4X and sent it back the next week, much to the chagrin of my sales guy. I assumed the pianos, EPs were from the Kronos. Nope! Lesser quality, from a different line. I was shocked! Shocked, I tell ya! Very disappointing.
On the Kurzweil site there is a comparison chart. I was comparing the PC4 to the Forte, it said:
* These pianos are an optimized version of the Forte® Grand pianos, derived from the same quality content but using less samples.
So the Forte would I guess have a better piano sounds than the PC4. Not sure about the other sounds.
And not sure about other brands. Supposedly the Nautilus has the same sounds as the Kronos, but some people say the Kronos sounds better and "fuller", which I don't know if they are imagining this, or if they are actually higher resolution or more samples...
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1 hour ago, MikeT156 said:
Having great sounds can be inspiring when you write your own material. I don't know that any one KB can have ALL great sounds, or there would only be one company making it. Think about it. Back in the dark ages I had a Yamaha Electric Grand, an Oberheim, a Prophet 5, an Oberheim drum machine, a Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase piano that I used for live shows. These days we don't have to lug around all that equipment, but there are compromises we have to make.
My more recent set up was a Motif ES8, I used the internal 16 track recorder, loaded new sounds from Yamaha's library, and sound effects I got off the internet. My rig is dated, but I'm retired now, so it doesn't matter. I did a one man band gig and got a lot of great jobs because I was a substitute for a band and didn't play too loud. I could sing and did a lot of Billy Joel songs when they were popular. There is nothing like having a Real Rhodes piano for songs Just the way you are, and James.
I still have my suitcase Rhodes, and IMO it is the genuine sound. nothing sounds like a REAL Rhodes. Its a bear to move, so it stays home.
Choose wisely.
Yes I used to gig with a Rhodes and a Hammond XK-2 on top in a soul-jazz band. This was before the Nord boards were out with the good Rhodes sounds. I feel like they were the first one that was acceptable. I still have the Rhodes, but like you, I'm not moving it anymore.
The modern boards sound good. Yeah, it's not the same as the real thing, but, I still enjoy playing the sound, so it'll be great..... I got the Motif Rack years ago because people said it had a good Rhodes sound...but I never liked it and never used it. I do like the modern ones though.
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7 minutes ago, MikeT156 said:
I don't know if anyone else has asked of Jon, the OP. What kind of music do you play? Are you a solo act that plays music but doesn't sing? Do you work in a Trio or a band? A solo musician that just plays music but doesn't sing is after the most authentic sound available, whereas a KB player that works in a band doesn't have to be so picky, most KB players in bands get a back seat to deaf guitar players and drummers.
Inquiring minds want to know.
I played in bands in the past, but now I write and record songs at home. I sing. It's a songwriter style. I'm really just looking for something that sounds really good for all my favorite sounds, to play on and write on, and record with. Also something that I could use if I decide to play live solo or with a band. As I said my vst laptop experience has not been great so I wanted to get a good hardware board. My current hardware is a 90s Fatar 88 controller and Motif Rack and Roland XV-2020 which is obviously lousy compared to what I can get nowadays. I feel like when I bought a piece of gear 20 years ago, usually it would have maybe 2 or 3 sounds I liked, if that, and then the rest were uninspiring or just something I would never ever play with. Whereas nowadays, I can get great simulations of all my favorite sounds in one board.
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Here's a video of a PC3 organ vs a B3. PC3 organ sounds pretty similar (I'm assuming the PC4 sounds the same).
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1 hour ago, K K said:
About more recent Korg acoustic piano sample sets, the Nautilus has a new Steinway piano (I think it is called German 2) with which you can adjust close and ambient mics. It also features a Fazioli (Italian Grand) which I bought for my Kronos and IMHO sounds excellent.
Yeah I played a Nautilus and I did like the pianos..certain ones I like a lot.
One keyboard for most realistic sounds - which do you choose? (no plugins allowed)
in The Keyboard Corner
Posted
Just wanted to let folks know my search has ended with the purchase of a Kronos 88! It's been updated to the latest OS and has 3GB ram and a 500GB SSD added inside. It's also in really nice condition, been really well taken care of. The guy I bought it from says he's a tech; he recently opened it up and cleaned the contacts in the keybed. Plays great. Also has the Italian grand and Berlin grand installed. The pianos sound really good.
I just started playing it the last couple nights, and last night I installed one of the Purgatory Creek Rhodes sounds, which is a really excellent Rhodes sound. I'm going to install the other free one tonight.
Other than getting to know the Kronos and exploring all the sounds, the other thing I am interested in is seeing if I can convert some free piano sounds that I have downloaded from Pianobook.com to the Korg format and see how they play in the Kronos. I think there are a couple softwares I can try for this. I'm going to try this one I found called ConvertWithMoss. I will let you guys know if it works.
Anyway I just want to say I appreciate everyone who made suggestions and gave advice to me here. You guys provide great information and insight when you share your experience with these instruments. Thanks! -Jon