zephonic

Do you know if Equator Audio has definitively gone out of business or are they trying to keep it going?

The D5's are nice if you come from NS10-type monitors, you know, very pronounced midrange. I think of them as a good, useful set of secondary monitors; they won't give you the whole picture, though. AFAIK, Equator Audio never formally closed its doors, but I think it is safe to say they are out of business. Too bad. But it's a good time to buy powered studio monitors. In the $600 price range, also check out Presonus and Focal.

@dreamchilde: since you live nearby, you should come check out my HEDD Type 05 monitors, I also have the Equator D5s. I posted a review on my blog, if youre interested.

So this is sort of weird... As I have mentioned before, the MODX8 (and MX88) output level is considerably lower than that of my other boards. Bumping the MODX' output up by +6dB helps when using it live, but in the studio it distorts the inputs of my interface. Frankly, I don't really need the extra dB's in the studio, so I can just toggle the +6dB on/off as needed, but I want to understand why this is? The Fantom, Nord, and Krome don't have this discrepancy, their levels seem consistent relative to eachother, both live and in the studio.

I have similar keybed noise from both the MX88 and MODX8. Not ideal, especially in the studio, but for gigs it doesn't really matter.

I have both and to me the MODX' display feels better than the Krome's.

Sure, but FWIW, to me the CP5 did not feel the same as the CP1. It's been a long time since I played either one, but the CP1 was really good, whereas the CP5 never did anything for me.

Welcome to the forum. For years I thought I was the only one who doesnt like the CP4.

though they also all have a lot less in the way of capabilities/electronics/ controls than the MODX. I would also disagree that none are particularly heavy. The lightest is the CP40 at 36 lbs, all the rest are more in the 40 lb range, which makes a big difference compared to the MODX8 at about 30. It's an interesting question, even IF they could have put in the GH action at the same price (or even at a small increase of say $100), whether they would sell more or fewer MODX8 if it had a GH action but weighed 40+ lbs. (The MO8 weighed 46 lbs.) The CP40 is indeed 36 lbs, the P255 (with amps and speakers) is 38 lbs. Those are the most recent models with the GH. I dont see why they could not make a MODX successor under 40 lbs. That would make it as heavy as the Nord Piano (all metal with internal PSU) and that felt super-portable to me. But sure, while some may feel like I do, others might prefer the weight savings of the GHS. Heck, in spite of all my ramblings, I bought one as soon as it came out. So I doubt Yamaha will change the formula.

But with all that, I have to say I have really warmed up to the Bösendorfer sample. Its easy to play dynamically, you really have a wide range of volume at your fingertips. Even with the GHS, lol Seriously, even the CFX isnt far behind the Bosie. I dont think I have ever experienced this level of dynamics in a DP. Same goes for the clavinets, too. I still need more time to get completely familiar with it, but the UI is actually fairly transparent, and the sound quality is really great (once you get past the low output levels). However, the presets were made to sound great on studio monitors and headphones. For a typical band situation, youll need to tweak to get it to work.

Well, assuming it's a more expensive action, than either they'd have to raise the price, or take something else out. The bigger issue might be that the board would probably weigh more, which would reduce its gig appeal in another way. These things aren't sum of parts. They set a price point they want to hit and see how much stuff they can cram in. The original MO8 had the Motif's BH action and it was heavier than its successors, but cheaper. I assume they stuck the GHS in the MOX8 to save weight, but also increase margins. Cheaper instruments with the GH action include the P140/155/255, CP33/40/50. None of these are particularly heavy, and the P series carry on-board amps and speakers. Price-wise, these are all mid-tier instruments. This has me convinced Yamaha can add the GH action with acceptable weight increase and retain reasonable margins, without extra cost for the customer. I really feel the GHS has no business being in a $1900 keyboard. It's fine for the MX88 and P115 or whatever, but instruments in this price range should have the next step up. Like I said, it's not a dealbreaker, but with the demise of the S-series, the MODX is clearly the successor to both the MOXF8 and S90XS. Its price reflects that. Not having the GH is a missed opportunity, as it would have made this a worthy alternative to the S-series.

No, I feel that way about every GHS board I have owned or played. But its not a dealbreaker, you just learn to adjust to and live with it. It sure would be nice if Yamaha put the GH in the next gen, though. At this price point that doesnt feel like an unreasonable request.

I dont love it, but I can live with it.

Im not yet convinced by MODX8 as a live instrument. It sounds fabulous on studio monitors, but it requires much more tweaking to get it to work live. And the position of the volume knob is almost a dealbreaker. The +6dB isnt enough to get the levels to match the Krome, the +12dB feels a little hot. Good thing is its flexibility, and the ease of use. Setting up performances and live sets is almost self-explanatory. I need to further study how parts are broken down into elements, though. It does make me want to get a 7, but Im thinking maybe I should go whole hog Montage 7, then. Getting my aftertouch back would be great, but the ultra-portability of the MODX7 is definitely a big factor.

I wish it was semi-weighted, that would have been perfect.

Bose pno takes about 480 mb of the 1 gb limit. IIRC If you load the Chick Corea EP's too, it's just about all gone. I tried the Corea ones, but tbh the factory ones are just as good if not better IMO. Yeah, I'm not sure I'll keep the CC MkV. It's a very nice tone, but not one I'd need a lot live. I'm leaving it in there for now, but if I need that space, it'll have to go.

This drives me nuts. Manufacturers come up with something that works well, you'd think it would be easier to just re-use that something rather than reinvent something else. I see it at work with the front-end software designers, the mentality seems to be that everything new is always better....irritating. Even if they can't physically reuse the part, they could recognize a good ergonomic element and fold it into the newer product. Makes you wonder if they bother to get any feedback whatsoever from the users of the product, then bother to take action (or not) based on that feedback... It's like Apple removing the switch on the iPad. On the older iPads you could change and lock orientation with the hardware switch, one action, easy as pie. With the newer models, you have to swipe up from the bottom to get to the control center, unlock orientation, get out of control center, reposition your iPad, swipe up for control center, and lock orientation. That's five or six actions (depending on how you count), just to change orientation and lock it. Why the boffins at Apple think this is the superior solution to a function I use countless times a day, I really don't know...

My observations after the first weekend of gigs with MODX: * The positioning of the volume knobs is an ergonomic fail. Whoever greenlighted that doesn't use a two-tier setup. To me, this is the instrument's largest flaw. Not only are they too far back, they are also too close together. Why on Earth they removed the excellent faders of the MOXF is beyond me. * The low output has been remedied somewhat by the +6dB setting, but it's still not as hot as the Krome. Think I'll try the +12dB on the next gig. Makes you wonder if Yamaha uses -12dBFS as their nominal peak level? That makes sense, as it is practically gospel in engineering circles. * The Bösendorfer sounded great in the studio, but got drowned out on the friday gig. Adjusting EQ (roll off LF) and reverb helped it shine on saturday. I really like this piano now, it is warm and bright at the same time. Normally, I need a natural and a bright piano patch in a band context, but the Bosie does both. Also, it has way more volume than the other AP's, somehow. * When in doubt, there is all the old Motif stuff to get you through the gig! This is actually great if you need to hit the ground running.

Tonights my MODX8s maiden voyage and while the gig hasnt started yet, I can already say that the positioning of the volume knob is sub-optimal in a two-tier setup. I like to have the top-tier board pretty close to the bottom-tier, but now I had to raise it by ~2 just to be able to get to the volume knob of the MODX. Even so, the knob is still outside my normal line of sight, and the other two knobs (AD in/USB in) get in the way, too. Operating the touch display also requires the top board to be higher up. Well see how it goes tonight. Another thing, like the MX88, the MODX8 seems to have lower output than the Krome. I dont remember that from my Nord or Fantom. Is that a Yamaha thing then?

Yeah, the Bosie and CC MkV are nice upgrades. Have you tried the Bosie live? I have yet to take it out, and while it sounds great on my studio monitors, something about the frequency response has me suspicious it may not be a good fit for a band. I have the MODX8 and MX88 side by side now, interesting. The MX88 really punches above its weight when it comes to the AP.

I'm not a legit organist by any standard and my experience with the real thing is limited, but yes, the new organs in the MODX feel much better than the Motif stuff. The "9 Bars!" preset is a lot of fun, makes me question whether I should return the 8 and just get a 7, or better yet, a Montage 7. Frankly, The MODX is great value, but after a day or so with it, I do understand better why the Montage is worth the extra money.

Yes, but the HEDDs sound different. I never much liked the ADAMs. In size, my type 05s are similar to the ADAM A5X, but they are in a different league to my ears. More depth, more low end.

Same as what? MOXF8? Same as any other GHS I have owned/played. Not ADAM. Its the HEDD Type 05: http://www.hedd.audio/en/studio-monitors/type05/ Same designer, though, Klaus Heinz. After he left ADAM he founded HEDD with his son Freddy. On top of the HEDDs I have a set of Equator D5s. Very different type of speaker. They complement each other, in a way.

I got mine. I have a gig later today, but I wanna be a little more familiar with it before I take it out. I feel like I do need to RTFM for this one. The GHS feels the same to me, if they tweaked it, it is below my range of perception.

While they didn't break on me: