johnchop

Hmmm… Not sure (off the top of my head) if it’s an option in the Components software to invert the values.

Seems we have similar impressions: I’m satisfied, too, and yeah you can program just about all of the controls to send CCs. While I’d like controllers to have more than just sustain input, and while I’d like one less thing, the MIDI Expression Quattro more than solves the problem. It is just too damn cool.

Mine came in today. Initial impressions: - Action is very fast and light, with mechanical noise that's easily obscured by headphones. It's decidedly not a piano action, but it does NOT feel springy, spongey, or "clackey" like some controller actions. It's nowhere near as stiff as a Kurzweil PC3, and it doesn't have that initial resistance that the Akai MPK series has. It bottoms out somewhat quickly, akin to a Roland action. - There's a little bit of a front lip, but the key edges are otherwise rounded and comfortable to play. Key depth is not as long as a digital piano. Key spacing is consistent. - Black keys feel a hair different...I think? It may be me. Whatever the case, it's not distracting. Velocity response is consistent. No concerns there. - Controls are exactly the same as the 61. All good for this class of controller. Wheel placement (above) is completely fine. - The only immediate negative for me is the chassis: there's a tiny bit of flex to it. It's not awful but it's there. I have it on a desk-like platform and feel more secure than I would using an X-stand. It should be a keeper for banging out anything that doesn't require delicate articulation. My newly acquired Roland FP30x will handle more subtle stuff. Hope this helps someone. -John

I learned a phrase in my time here… maybe it was timwat who posted it?… “this wasn’t made for me.”

Literally just walked back in the door from the music store, having played its precursor, the Hammer 88. I guess it’s different from the pro though (lacks graded action, aftertouch). I thought it was … fine? Compared to a digital piano action, like the Roland FP30x in the same room, it felt weird to me. Not as heavy or sluggish as Yamaha’s GHS. What kind of playing do you generally do?

1500 def gets you a better action, more (although not necessarily better) sounds, and an easier user interface (the FP30x does kinda suck in this regard). No one ever got fired for buying Yamaha. <-- I just made this up

I'd vote for the digital piano option, too. There are just too many additional compromises at the sub $1K mark for weighted 88 key boards. I'll note that the FP30x and RD88 have the same action (PHA4 standard). RD88 price went from 1300 to 1600, so I think it's getting out of your price range. FP30x is at 900. Actions are personal, but I like lighter actions, and find the PHA4 easier on the hands than Yamaha's GHS action (I have a P121 that I'm not thrilled about). The Roland's keys are also textured, which IMO makes them easier to play. Sounds are find for the practice room. You'll get pianos and electric pianos that are absolutely good enough to rehearse with. Not sure where you're located, but if you're within driving range of a Guitar Center, they tend to stock the Rolands and Yamahas. Kawai ES series is also around your price range and worth a look if you can find them. -John

Sure. Was still a bit surprised to see some of the price jumps, but maybe the relative stability of the past 7 years or so have been the real anomaly.

While I haven't been living under a rock, I'm still surprised to see 20%+ increases on newer gear over the past year. That A88 mk2 I've been considering--once $999--looks less attractive at over $1200. (My main audio interface, purchased four years ago for $450, now retails for $1,400. 😲 ) Anyone with a crystal ball out there who can see prices dropping back to last year's MSRP at least? Is anyone getting significant "call for best pricing" deals out there? -John

49 for synths and in a band situation I’m fine comping on 61. It’s not a limitation as much as a forced strategy for staying out of the bassist’s space.

+1 for getting more out of Kontakt libraries with an upgrade. I have SampleTank 4, but I don't feel like the sample quality is sort of hit and miss, and I've had some issues with crashes. As for UVI, you could always try Sonic Pass for a month if you don't mind burning $24. That's what I am doing, mostly to give Falcon a try. I didn't feel compelled to get a lot of other sample libraries as I already have Komplete AND Steinberg Absolute. I'd actually recommend a hard look at Absolute (or at least Halion) if it wasn't for the damn elicenser locking you to one device. I expect they'll address this in the near future given their shift in licensing schemes. Have you looked at any East-West offerings?

Assuming I could have the same with none of the issues I experienced? Kurz PC3, Matrix 6, Fantom XR (with expansions), Korg M3+Radias are all keeps. Nord Electro 3 is a waffle. Loved everything but the action, which I grew to hate with a mighty passion (and tendonitis to boot). Korg DW6000, Alesis Micron, Yamaha MO8, Roland JV1080, Yamaha P121 are pass.

Yeah, so without disk streaming, and with the relatively slow performance loads, I wonder how well this would work as a live performance device for a keyboard intensive gig with lots of patch changes, especially if it's not caching plugins between performance switches. For example, if there's the same piano preset playing across two performances, does it reload the same piano when you switch between them? That aside, there's certainly a TON there for use as an idea machine.

This is still the MPC OS. You can't run any VST. And even if they opened the platform, I can't imagine there's enough of a market to make it worth a third-party dev's time to develop for it. Also, what Akai did before (along with other inMusic brands M-Audio and Alesis) was create a controller (Advance) that integrated with VST hosting software, called VIP. THAT product had a ton of potential. Oh well. -John

Thanks for posting that. What a sweet remembrance.

Per Steinberg forum post, demo slated for end of August: https://forums.steinberg.net/t/demo-version-chords-lyrics/791822/6 Here's hoping it supports plugin caching as well as global patches (like a piano) that can be referenced/aliased in each preset. I would also expect this to be packaged into the next Absolute collection upgrade.

The STD branding issue did not go unnoticed by the working group! Someone on KVR suggested CLP. I don’t think there are fees for VST3 development, but I believe you have to sign an agreement with Steinberg. Legal issues aside, the CLAP devs were also frustrated by what they saw as limitations in existing plugin SDKs. I don’t see Steinberg or Apple adopting. But if Studio One and Live add support… 👍

Someone wise noted that "the great thing about standards is that there are so many of them." VST2, VST3, AAX, RTAS, AU, and now... CLAP This may actually have legs if they can get some additional high-profile devs on board.

And there it is. This was rumored a while back. Potentially killer for the DAW-less crowd.

I'd say reintroduced, not discovered. I was a teen in the 80s. She was a known quantity in my experience. (Thinking back... I had a Kate Bush poster on my freshman dorm wall!) Thanks to the "Stranger Things" soundtrack for signal boosting this stuff. My 16 year-old, who would have otherwise piled it in with "OLD people music my mom and dad listen to... WHATEVER" is totally into it now. What's next? Talking Heads? XTC?

Could something like this beast live again? Or are the Summits and Prophets and Polybrutes creating a crowded space? I'm sure you'd have to shave costs everywhere, but I could see keeping the voice architecture but slimming down the overall size and controls, e.g. collapsing envelope controls into a single row with a toggle between them.

Haha all good. At 50 'Murica width units, I think it will fit on my desk. Wheel placement seems ok. I'm considering ordering this through a big box guitar-oriented retailer who has a store here, as I don't want to ship a return. If the keys feel good and the body seems sturdy enough (i.e., no discernible flexing), I'll sell my 61 along with some other older gear. The rest of the unit is a known quantity for me. Good-enough pads, if a bit small, decent faders and buttons, good knobs. Just about everything can generate MIDI CCs. -John

Haha me neither. You did imbed a video, so you get style points for sure. I say we use this thread for positive feedback, and my thread for the requisite KC wingefest about all the things it doesn't do.😆

Dude. Do we arm wrestle to see who wins here?

I second Stokely here. I wouldn't sweat staying on Windows 10. I've got Win 10 as a VST box and Win 11 for my new DAW machine. I'm yet to see a particularly big boost from Win 11, despite running an Alder Lake i7 chip. And when I first thought the Alder Lake chip would smoke my 7700, it's... not? I'd need to benchmark it, of course, but I'm not seeing some sort of huge boost in VST performance. Enjoy what you've got!