[DESPERATE MIDI HELP NEEDED]

+1 on MIDI-OX, thanks @Nathanael_I

 

Cheers, Mike

[DESPERATE MIDI HELP NEEDED]

You can integrate the M-Audio with a simple A-B USB cable. I don't know Cubase Elements, so I don't know how it would show up in there, but you have what you need - you don't need a different 49-key keyboard.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Have you gone from hardware stage keyboard to an iPad and controller setup for bread and butter piano/keyboard sounds? How did it go?]

3 hours ago, kanefsky said:

Another configuration worth mentioning is USB-C iPad -> small USB audio interface -> keyboard(s) via 5-pin MIDI.  This wouldn't require any dongles/hubs/CCK and you'd get the benefit of the higher-quality audio and ability to use standard 1/4" or XLR audio cables to the amp/speakers.  It does require that the keyboard(s) support 5-pin MIDI of course.

You would not be able to power the iPad with this configuration. (That's why I keep banging on about the need for audio interfaces that support USB Power Delivery).

 

Of course you can get a "USB audio interface" with USB type-A sockets (i.e. a built in USB hub). That removes the 5-pin MIDI requirement. But I haven't found one with USB power delivery.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Want to play 1984, the prelude to Jump, on one of my keyboards]

Lots of good advice in this thread.

On 8/16/2023 at 1:40 PM, rockit31 said:

I don't currently own a synthesizer per say.    I have 3 boards,  Roland RD2000,  Yamaha MX88, and a Roland Ax Edge keytar.

("per se"). From my quick listen, you need a bass patch with an envelope sweeping the resonant filter, and a strings patch. I'm sure the first two can do adequate strings, and the keytar must have that big resonant sweep sound - it's virtually illegal not to put this on a keytar.

 

On 8/16/2023 at 2:15 PM, ABECK said:

Why don't they just play those tunes a half step up and save the headache?

I get that this makes it too difficult to sing.

 

23 hours ago, ProfD said:

Those 2 minute detuning sessions will add up.  IMO, it's an amateurish look onstage. 

 

Also, there's no room to transition between songs unless the set-list is configured to accommodate hold and wait while we detune.

Two transitions (one to detune, one to retune) is too many. I would start one of the sets with this tune, and find a way to cover the second transition. Or cover the "detune" transition with this, and Dance The Night Away to end a set. 

 

23 hours ago, CEB said:

I would play it personally but I have the gear.   I wouldn’t buy the gear for one song.

Agreed. Plenty of great gear around for this kind of sounds, but it's not worth it. (Although imho I would recommend an unweighted alternative to the MX88, to complement the hammer action RD). 

 

23 hours ago, CEB said:

Sample the Prelude.

 

Record it to an iPhone and play it in at gigs. Like how Queen would start Bohemian Rhapsody at their gigs.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Dig My Rig--Let's see your setup!]

Nice @mcgoo, and I see you've velcroed the PSU to the back of the piano? I thought I was the only one who did that!

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Dig My Rig--Let's see your setup!]

8 hours ago, mcgoo said:

2 rigs for 2 very different bands... 

Love that first rig.

 

I'm intrigued by your velcro-powered prop - where does it attach to the Omega stand?

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Random Thoughts and One-Offs]

10 hours ago, Synthaholic said:

I do not believe that she is human!!!

To add insult to injury... among her siblings, she's merely average.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Just got the Numa X Piano 73 - Maybe there's something better]

Yup, we’re all unique.

 

Well, not me obviously. I’m different. But the rest of you-all unique.

 

Cheers, Mike

[Have you gone from hardware stage keyboard to an iPad and controller setup for bread and butter piano/keyboard sounds? How did it go?]

2 hours ago, CHarrell said:

Keyboard USB out, iPad USB, Minilab USB > USB hub > UMC > UMC audio out to external speakers

Kinda, sorta. You need the iPad on the “host” side of the hub and the keyboard, minilab and umc on the “device” side. Imagine the usb hub giving you three usb ports for your iPad (because that’s what it’s doing).

 

Cheers, Mike 

[Have you gone from hardware stage keyboard to an iPad and controller setup for bread and butter piano/keyboard sounds? How did it go?]

10 minutes ago, CHarrell said:

So would this work as a USB MIDI hub?

I don't think so. The Kawai ES120 acts as a USB Device, but the UMC204 does not have a "to device" USB port. The USB type-B port in the picture would connect to your iPad. 

 

If you want to simultaneously run USB MIDI from your Kawai into your iPad alongside audio out from your iPad, you'll need a hub with multiple "to device" ports (one for the Kawai, one for the Behringer). Or some audio interfaces include USB ports (M-Audio Air, Novation AudioHub...). 

 

Cheers, Mike.

[B3X B5 Comparison]

2 hours ago, JamPro said:

Valerie by the Zutons - I give points for keyboard playing done well enough so I can identify the material played.  Well Done.

Yeah, great playing. Of course that's Amy's version (needs to be added to the list of "best ever covers").

 

Cheers, Mike

[Just got the Numa X Piano 73 - Maybe there's something better]

On 8/7/2023 at 11:40 PM, kanefsky said:

The official Nord 88-key soft case with wheels weighs 19 lbs

 

On 8/9/2023 at 1:46 AM, JohnCorda said:

Well the case I use is a Nord case (and I can't say what it weighs on its own)

So the case is almost half the weight of the board? Yeah, there's opportunity for some savings there. One way would be to use a non-wheeled case, plus a trolley/truck. 

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Little help for a passion project, plzthx?]

1 hour ago, CHarrell said:

a technology that came and went without much fanfare, called "M.I.D.I." or something

It will never catch on.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Mounting a computer monitor to a keyboard stand]

@Pat Azzarelloif your monitor has VESA mounting holes (most do), then something like this might be useful: https://www.thomann.de/gb/millenium_vesa_stand_mount.htm. Combine it with a mic boom arm for your StandTastic (if such a thing exists?).

 

Cheers, Mike.

 

 

[Rocky Mountain Way Synth Break: Need Hivemind help getting THAT sound]

Great playing, and I see the mixer is maintaining the (dis)honoured tradition of having keys too low in the mix.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Mounting a computer monitor to a keyboard stand]

What keyboard stand are you using?

 

Cheers, Mike.

[De-Motivated After Discussions With My Piano Teacher]

3 hours ago, Iconoclast said:

it's the piano solo at the end of Sweet Home Alabama, but it's got some techniques that are not part of my normal bag-o-tricks and it's trying my patience too. You'll get there.

Working on it as we speak! It's sort of "one wheelhouse along" from where I normally am - which is great for my development as a musician.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[IK Multimedia Uno Synth Pro X]

Within 30 seconds of that video I was estimating $600. If it's what you need, that seems a reasonable sum.

 

Thankfully we have proper 5-pin DIN MIDI, not USB and not those crappy 1/8in trs jobs.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[New Studiologic Numa X Piano]

5 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

It is disappointing that the Numa X does not include all the MIDI controller functionality of the lower priced SL controllers.

I'm hoping that Studiologic's next controller uses the TP/110 and adds this kind of additional functionality.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Just got the Numa X Piano 73 - Maybe there's something better]

13 hours ago, JohnCorda said:

Some day a Nord Stage 4 76 may come out and have better action than the NS3 HP76 but for now...

 

36 minutes ago, ImproKeys said:

There is a Stage 4 73, which has a great action [...] But now I came to the conclusion that I want to reduce weight

Yeah, the Stage 4/73HA is not desperately light. If you want light, decent hammer action, not TP100,  with drawbars/wheels/assignable outs, your choices are limited.

 

If you go with a Nord compact, consider that you can add easily a lightweight hammer-action controller to it (needs 5-pin MIDI, so a s/h Yamaha P35 or Kawai ES100/110 for example) and the weight is about the same as your NS2 - but spread across two units. So that's one in each arm, or two trips, whatever.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Just got the Numa X Piano 73 - Maybe there's something better]

1 hour ago, JohnCorda said:

I didn't mean the 6HP. 

Conclusion: you'd be happy with an organ-style action like on the Electro 6D

1 hour ago, JohnCorda said:

this addition/change is about keeping my back intact.

Conclusion: you want something (meaningfully) lighter than your NS2

1 hour ago, JohnCorda said:

I'm liking the Nord Piano 5, but [...] mod/pitch missing seems an odd design decision, for being such a basic feature. 

Conclusion: you need mod/pitch control (and also assignable outs). 

 

Suggestion: trade your hammer-action NS2 for a Stage 3 Compact? The same action as the Electro D (but with aftertouch), drawbars, pitch/mod, assignable outs, assignable control pedal. I don't know if that's in your budget. NS3 prices should be dropping in the wake of the 4 being launched.

 

Cheers, Mike.

 

 

[Just got the Numa X Piano 73 - Maybe there's something better]

18 minutes ago, JohnCorda said:

Nord Piano 5 73 and Nord Electro 6D 73

Nord Piano has the TP40 action, which is liked by quite a few forumites. It's comparable to (allegedly better than) your NS2/88. Electro 6D has a non-hammer (i.e. sprung, organ-style) action and is a very different animal. Warning: if you meant the Electro 6HP, then we're back to TP100 action!

 

With either option, you'll be giving up a lot of Stage-only capabilities, such as synth editing, morph, arpeggiator, pitch/mod, MIDI control capabilities and more.

 

Cheers, Mike.

 

 

[New Studiologic Numa X Piano]

9 hours ago, CHarrell said:

At this point I'm almost curious to try out the 100 the way people go see a movie everyone says is trash.

It's an experience everyone should try once in their life. Just to say they hated it.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Just got the Numa X Piano 73 - Maybe there's something better]

10 hours ago, JohnCorda said:

I just received a Numa X Piano 73 and I'm a little underwhelmed for a few reasons.  The action is just okay, it's not bad but not great either. 

 

10 hours ago, JohnCorda said:

I'm looking at the Yamaha CP73 and the Dexibell VIVO S3 Pro 73.  They're both approx twice the price but maybe they are approx twice as good. 

The Dexibell uses the Numa action's predecessor, the TP/100. If you don't like the Numa, you're unlikely to like that one.

 

I'm like you: I have a NS classic hammer-action and I like it (many don't). I found the TP/100 unusable, while the CP73's action entirely tolerable (although not quite as good as the Nord). 

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Would like some thoughts about music lessons for my daughter (5yo)]

Related thought: my daughter started piano lessons at about 5-6 years old. After a while she wasn't enjoying it, and we let her drop it. 

 

Then Frozen came out. We heard hear quietly toddle to the piano and try and pick out C G C G C E D E (if you know, you know). We very deliberately didn't mention it for a few weeks, and then asked "do you want your brother's teacher to help you with that after his lesson?"

 

Long story short: she restarted lessons, now also playing violin and trombone, and has recently won a music scholarship at her secondary (high) school.

 

Cheers, Mike.