Brad Kaenel

Sent this note to VV, via their website: "Good morning, VV folks, "My name is Brad Kaenel. I’m a nobody; just an old guy out in SoCal who plays a lot and posts a lot on the Keyboard Corner pro forum. I called in last week and spoke with [an employee], who was helpful in directing me to a reseller (?) in Los Angeles, Vintage King, who had a Deluxe console on the floor, available to play. I’m enthusiastic about your recent Marquis announcement, and having not laid hands on a VV piano since their original NAMM appearance (they are unicorn-rare out here) I wanted to play a contemporary version before considering making an order. "I’m writing to you because I think there may be a real problem with the setup of the piano that Vintage King has – bad enough that perhaps you should ask them to take it off the floor, or better yet replace it with a better-regulated one. "I have nothing else to compare to, but I have read so many glowing reviews of the VV piano that I was rather shocked at how poorly the action of the one I played was setup; very heavy, very slow and “clunky”; nearly impossible to articulate anything at speed. It wasn’t what I expected, and many of us on the KC forum are kind of scratching our heads over my report, thinking that something must certainly be wrong. Collectively, we love what VV continues to do for the keyboard community, and for the Rhodes piano particularly. No one, certainly not myself, intends to disparage or be overly critical about your instruments, and it would be unfair to make sweeping judgements based on my subjective opinion about one piano. But this instrument in Burbank just seems “wrong”, and I think it might be worth investigating. "If I can help you further in some way, please don’t hesitate to contact me! "Regards, "Brad Kaenel"

I use one of these on my mini 6, which has only an USB-C port: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087BTVJX6

Yes, since I called them last week to get their referral to the piano at VK, I will call them back and share our collective confusion about it. Maybe they would be willing to provide one to someone for a GearLab review (?)

I tend to agree; I wish we had another one to compare to. Ironically, it was VV that steered me to that piano when I called them to find out if they knew of any in the L.A. area that I could visit and play. Today, VK told me that someone had actually purchased that piano, and that it was due to be shipped out to Nashville (!) They also said they had several more in stock, in boxes, in their warehouse — maybe they’ll place another one on the floor that is a better representative. Just to be clear about the three models (well, four, if you count the new Marquis): the Classic and the Deluxe are mechanically identical, the latter simply offering more customization options; the Concert has acoustic-piano-like felt hammers, rather than the standard rubber-tipped ones; the Marquis has the traditional braced Rhodes legs, rather than the Wurlitzer-style; all four can be paired with an optional Suitcase-like amp console.

Well, the field trip out to L.A. today has released my GAS build-up for the VV Marquis/Deluxe. Sonically, I give it full marks. The Variable Voice Control feature isn’t just a gimmick, and combined with the preamp’s tone controls you really can dial up a pretty good range of timbres (though I concur with jazzpiano88 that the whole dynamic re-voicing feature may be a bit oversold, and most players will just find one, or perhaps two, combinations they like and then “set-and-forget” it.) The feel and performance of the keybed action was, for me, quite uncomfortable. I don’t intend that as a criticism; it’s just my subjective response. I played the piano for about an hour; different styles and genres, volumes, tones, etc. Setup properly, a Fender Rhodes has a light, fast, somewhat bouncy key response; setup poorly they feel heavy and can be a real slog. This particular Deluxe was, unfortunately, in the latter category. I found it difficult to execute quick articulations; it just felt heavy and kind of “clunky” to me, and was tiring to play. I was quite surprised, because a sluggish action is one of most common criticisms leveled at Rhodes pianos, and I was not expecting the VV to be a “bad” example. Frankly, the Fatar TP100LR keybed in my Viscount Legend70s is much closer to the “good” example Rhodes’ I have played. I really wanted to pull the lid and check to see if this piano was sporting VV’s touted Dual-Capstan action, and take a look at the shape of the hammers and key pedestals, but no dice. Unlike a classic Rhodes, the harp cover is screwed down, so I could not easily get inside to investigate further. I’m really glad I made the trip out to play the VV piano. It is remarkably compact and sleek, well-built, and certainly succeeds in its goal of making a true electro-mechanical tine piano lighter, and more portable. I didn’t find it satisfying to play, and I’m glad I know that now (though I still wonder if regulation could render the action more to my liking), but that is simply my personal preference. So now I’m really hoping that the Mk8 provides a legitimate “wow” experience…

Much as I've loved and lived with the old instruments, I'm enthusiastic about the modern materials and engineering of the new ones, particularly the regulation, effects/voicing, weight reduction, etc. To be sure, I have enough experience to properly maintain the vintage ones, but I'd like to be part of the instrument's future, too, to the extent that it seems reasonable and prudent.

Hmmm. In the video on VK’s website there is a short glimpse of the Deluxe they have; it *is* a “cherry cola” sparkle top, and you can see the slider for the Variable Voice control. It was this feature that caused me to think that this piano was rather new, and thus would be representative of the current keybed. I guess we’ll see. And yes, I’ve communicated with Nick in SB, and am just waiting for the Mk8 to be returned from “on loan”. Thanks again, Dave!

One of these expensive boutique instruments is likely in my near future (well, if you consider a 6-8 month build lead-time to be “near”). It’ll be my last, significant gear purchase going into my retirement years, and will be destined to take the place of my sentimentally-beloved Baldwin baby grand, which cannot follow me to a two-bedroom condo. Although acoustic pianos were what I learned on and grew up with, it was the Fender Rhodes that won my heart — it is the instrument I’ve logged the most hours on in 55 years of playing, and is attached to the greatest number of fond memories. I believe I’ve owned eight different ones at various times. While it is not yet a foregone conclusion that I will actually spend the $15K necessary to acquire one of these pianos, it *is* a certainty that I will have to lay hands on them before any such extravagancy can even be considered. Fortunately, I happen to live in one of the few locales where I can actually get to both of them with a couple of hours of driving — the Mk8 in a Santa Barbara showroom/studio, and the Deluxe (not a Marquis, but has all the features, so close enough) in a retail store in Burbank. So, the Roadtrip begins tomorrow, and I am willing to be as much of a surrogate as I can to the Forum, given the unicorn-like availability of these instruments. If there is something you would like me to view, find out, assess, or offer an opinion about on either of them, please leave a note here and I will do my best to provide a thorough response. I will also post my own “comparison chart” as I begin to evaluate what matters most to me, personally. So much fun!

Great; thanks, Dave. There's an email on that page; I'll try contacting Nick through that. Would be a great mid-week trip for a retired couple -- drive up to Santa Barbara, try some gear, visit the beach. My wife would be down for it, no question!

Yes, I agree heartily that it's a great blessing to have my wife affirm (or deny) such a purchase, as I am often myopic when it comes to my own wants/needs; she knows this. At 65, I'm rapidly approaching the point where purchasing new gear is both wasteful and impractical, and despite spousal approval I would have to admit that this Rhodes is both of those. If I were to consider one last "vanity" purchase before closing my checkbook for good, it might instead be a VV Marquis 73 which, although still a $10K instrument, appeals more to me for its homages to the original, the Harold Rhodes family, domestic origin, and mechanical innovation. That said, I could never spend that kind of moola without actually playing the instrument first, which will be a challenging, though not impossible, task on its own!

My wife said, "It's pretty; why don't you order one." Um...

Worked today on a Nord Piano 5...

Alesis Quadrasynth S4 1U module Had one of these in my gigging rack 30 years ago. Didn't get it for the keyboards (though they are excellent), but for the stellar (IMO) orchestral patches (clarinet, flute, trombone, bassoon; wow!); well, and a little nostalgia. Now in my home studio for musical theater projects. Tip o' the hat, Alesis -- you've made some great gear for us. Arturia MiniLab MkIII My new auxilary board for one-handed organ-playing with VB3m/iPad (runs off the iPad's battery, over USB.)

Now there's a real "Tiny Desk" concert! How 'bout this one: Arturia MiniLab3 and iPad 6 Mini ("Look ma, no power cord!")

Jupiter-Xm! Can't get more JOAT than that in a small footprint, if you don't mind mini-keys. But if that's way overkill for your needs, I second an iPad and a small controller, or one of the 3-octave Korg synths like the Wavestate. Assume you're talking about just one-handed playing?

I wanted to follow-up on the usage of External MIDI zones, specifically in reference to a Global Setting that is present, but undocumented in the user manual: MERGE IN: [OFF] [TO DIN] [TO USB] This setting, when set TO USB, was the crucial missing link to enabling me to control an external MODULE with an external KEYBOARD, through the Numa X. Many others have already reported how simple it is to add a modern iPad, as a sound source, to the Numa X. You simply connect the USB-B port on the NX to the USB-C port on the iPad, and then configure an EXTERNAL MIDI zone's "MIDI Port" setting as [MIDI USB]. Voile; MIDI flows to the iPad, audio flows back to the NX, over the same cable. You select and play the EXTERNAL MIDI zone exactly like a zone that plays one of the NX's internal voices. This is a great feature, as long as you want to play the external zone using the NX's keyboard -- but I wanted to play it from an external keyboard controller, and still have the NX be the only "main out" for all of my audio. I had already accomplished this in another way, by MIDI-connecting the external keyboard directly to the iPad and connecting the iPad's headphone output to the NX's built-in mixer. But that required "yet-another-cable", an iPad dongle to get at its audio (since modern ones don't have a headphone jack), and just required more moving parts than I'd prefer for live setup and performance. What I wanted was to be able to play the iPad, from the external keyboard, through an EXTERNAL MIDI zone. And here's where the MERGE IN and COMMON CHANNEL global settings come into play. Select a preset on the NX where all 4 zones are assigned to an internal voice. Set MERGE IN to [OFF]. Set COMMON CHANNEL to [OFF]. This assigns MIDI channel values of 1-4 to the NX zones 1-4, respectively. You can still play all of the (unmuted) zones from the NX's keyboard, in the usual way. Connect an external keyboard controller to the NX, using a standard 5-pin MIDI DIN cable. Set the controller's MIDI channel value to 4; you can now play the zone 4 internal voice from the external controller. Set the controller's MIDI channel value to 3 (or 2, or 1); you can now play that zone's internal voice from the controller. Connect the iPad and the NX using a USB-B-C cable, as described above. Configure the software instrument on your iPad to use MIDI channel 6 (for example). Likewise, set the controller's MIDI channel value to 6 (to match the iPad); play the controller -- you will hear no audio. Set MERGE IN to [TO USB]. Now play the controller -- you will hear the audio from the iPad! Set zone 4 on the NX back to internal voice; now you have access to 5 voices -- the 4 internal zones, plus the external connection to the iPad. So you see, you can have it both ways. Connect to the iPad through a zone, and you have access to the real-time knobs to control whatever CC values you want to manipulate while playing. Or, bypass the zones by connecting on a MIDI channel higher than 4, and you can still control the iPad instrument from anything available on the external keyboard AND still have the 4 internal zones available for playing from the NX's keyboard.

Two thumbs way, way up again for the Numa X's external zone and MIDI implementation. Playing a Motown show this weekend, and adding VB3 was just dead simple -- one MIDI cable. Done. Another nice benefit of those blank areas on either side of the NX's controls -- my magnetic iPad folio really grabs on. It ain't goin' nowhere...

It's not just the tiers, though; there's also a strut that connects the triangular legs together at the bottom. As far as I know, you can't buy one of those, so the stand is fixed at the width it was designed for the VC. It might be helpful to read these earlier posts in this thread: https://forums.musicplayer.com/topic/167744-new-vox-continental-some-thoughts/page/3/#comment-2675538 https://forums.musicplayer.com/topic/167744-new-vox-continental-some-thoughts/page/6/#comment-2764165 I still use my VC73 stand everyday (though not with that keyboard). The only way you can utilize the standard Sequenz tiers that are available from retailers is to purchase a long one (model STA-L-B), disassemble the end caps (easy), cut the bars to the needed length (also easy, with a hacksaw), then reassemble the end caps. The included VC stand is custom-sized for that keyboard, so you essentially have to custom-size your add-on tiers from the stock ones.

I know that's a josh of endearment , but it's still a good question. There are many responses here of bandmates sticking together after literally decades -- I submit that the absence of financial pressure is a significant factor in a band's longevity. When we started our band, we all agreed from Day 1 that any money we made from gigging would be banked (our drummer was the treasurer!) and used only for recording studio costs, should we ever get the opportunity/desire to make a record (we made two, eventually). And as we introduced replacement players through the years, that was our principal stipulation. I firmly believe we're still playing, and still friends, today because we never had to stress about money, or making a living. (Which is, admittedly, easier when your bandmates come from a polytechnic university, and everybody is an engineer. )

The jazz/fusion septet I helped to form in 1980 still gigs once a month to this day with four of the original members. I gave up the keyboard chair 20 years ago, but they still let me sit in occasionally. We are still great friends. I have one even-longer connection to a talented flutist I first met in high school, in 1976, and was their competition accompanist until I graduated. We still communicate regularly and talk much about music, though we haven’t played together since then.

Yessir, it certainly is. That keyboard, and Logitech thumb-trackballs, saved me from carpal tunnel 20 years ago, and I've never used anything else since. Always felt sorry for techs at work, or anyone in my office, who sat down to use my computer: "What is this weirdo mouse you have? And how do you even type on this, this THING??!" I've had several, and they're unicorns -- especially the white ones. Hope I never have to replace it!

Rather than buy a whole new composer desk setup, I found a local craftsman (David Laake AudioWorks) who built a second tier for me, and a keyboard tray, for my existing corner-desk. After 40 years, I can finally just have everything ready to use, whenever the need strikes!

Ideally, yes. I own a nice Epson printer/copier/scanner that can handle larger documents. And I do the opposite with choir music octavos, which are smaller.

I've never been one of those players that preferred to have a whole multi-page chart laid out in front of me, nor someone who used live "page-turner" helpers at recitals and such (though it was always so gracious for them to offer). From my very first lessons, my teacher required me to turn my own pages -- if that meant taking my hands off the keyboard to do it, so be it. I've always been thankful for being forced to learn to read ahead, "memorize" a few bars on the fly, and play those while I flip pages. Two pages visible has always been enough, and is my preferred way of playing long charts. So, all that said, I always set my music up, double-sided, in sheet protectors in a 3-ring binder. This has always worked for me: big band, broadway musicals, classical recitals. Especially nice outdoors where the extra weight of the sheet protectors mitigates the wind blowing things around. I usually get these: Avery Non-Glare Sheet Protectors, but other thicknesses and sizes are available (and, yes, I get that most published charts are larger than 8 1/2 X 11) This might work for you, depending on the nature and size of the charts you're working with. TIP: In a sheet protector, I can make notes "on the music" using a dry-erase marker pen -- which I can then wipe clean without marking up my originals permanently.

I didn't take pictures, but here's how to open the Forte: https://forums.musicplayer.com/topic/172043-kurzweil-forte-tips-tricks-amp-other-cool-stuff/#comment-2735027