JFP

“why does this keyboard ruin my life because it needs a tiny fan that I never heard until someone told me to listen for it" ; that's simply not what it is like. If I tell you that the fan/hum sound that my M7 makes is audible even in another room, than I am not exaggerating or imagining that the sound my unit makes is clearly audible. It is not as if you have to put your ear to the unit to notice the hum, it's simply clearly audible and always there when the unit is turned on. The fact that some other units , or maybe all M8X models do not suffer from this problem, is no guarantee that other M6 and M7 units DO have an unacceptable high , let's call it noise floor and that people, like me , are indeed complaining about it. It is not as if I , or some others are too sensitive to this noise, or simply like to whine about something just for the sake of it. It is clearly an issue with certain units and seems to be especially common with the M6/M7 and less (or not at all?) with the M8X models. I had almost all kinds of keys under my hands you can imagine and this new M7 clearly stands out in this respect - not in a positive way. The only other unit with this kind of background noise I had was the Kronos 2 88, but there the fan was variable, could be turned of altogether , or easily be replaced by a 3rd party industry standard (standard connectors) silent fan. With the M7 it seems that is not so easy. Also there is no variable fan control or way to turn it off. It's simply stupid that this passed QC (if that still exists at companies like Yamaha). Therefore I compared it to the useless aftertouch implementation on the Fantom 7 with its flaws. Things like that are super easy to catch during development and testing IF YOU DO PROPER TESTS with people that are actually using the board and if the company is open for bottom up critical notes and follows up on those. Which seems doubtful somehow, since most Japanese companies still seem to have the "we know better / top down / no criticism allowed / no intentions to listen to input from customers, actual users" business model. I had shameful responses from Roland sometimes where they literally asked me how I had the nerve to post feature request or report bugs or even suggested ways to fix them or improve certain workflows. With Yamaha there is usually no response whatsoever. Also all the input on the so called musicians forum seems to be totally ignored. Products like the Fantom (EX) , Montage etc are not cheap or intended as a toy. So do your proper R&D, testing, implementation and QC and filter stuff out before it hits the market. And come up with a quick fix if something slips through. Often that doesn't happen. Fantom keybed AT still sucks, M7 / M6 background noise will probably be 'within; acceptable range" just to avoid call-back/repair expenses, also FSX without PAT (after 10 (?) years of developing a Montage successor) is a shame, Korg Keystage series without endless controller knobs is a stupid idea that should have been adjusted during development / beta testing, Arturia with faders and controls on the right instead of left (and tiny tiny round screen now) and so on. Why don't they let a bunch of experienced pro users / musicians test these products in real live and when all the quirks and stupid design choices have been fixed, come with the finalised design before productions starts (stupid choices are usually introduced by marketing and finance people or lab techies and programmers , but not by users or with users in mind). Enough ranting, but often I simply do not understand how things like this can slip though and how these companies can be so sloppy, out of touch with the customers and sometimes arrogant. There are so many misses and so few hits in this section of the music industry how hard can it be.

I have a new M7 and this machine makes a lot of humming / background noise. Even audible in another room. I suspect it is indeed the fan. Asked my dealer about it but he said the unit there had the same issue and that Yamaha is aware of the problem. If they come up with a fix for owners with this issue remains to be seen. Bit of a deja vue with my Kronos 2 in 2016 - replaced the fan myself for an expensive ultra silent fan, but you could also simply turn it of in the menu. Wasn't really that much needed in practice. Also I had the Fantom 7 that had a terrible aftertouch response; they knew about it , but never fixed it. After three units (they suggested it was exemplary) I was done with the Fantom and Roland way of (mis)treating customers. Hope Yamaha doesn't ignore the complaints as well. But I don't hold my breath about it considering Japanese companies are completely living in their own bubble and don't seem to listen to care about customer input at all. Suggestion/ feature request - they always seem to be totally ignored. Its the traditional to down , no questions allowed arrogant - out of date - business model they still use. If there is a flaw , you simply ignore it or tell the customer they are wrong (or ignore it totally). I send in a support mail about this several times. Zero response. The amount of hum noise coming from the M7 is unacceptable in a studio, or even in e normal room. Apart from that I love my M7 , but boy - for this kind of money and in the Pro Range of instruments , how could they ?! My dealer told me the M8X probably has this issue too, but from the responses here it seems that only the M6 / 7 suffer from fan noise ? Perhaps we should inquire if this is true (M6 / M7 / M8 users what is your experience with this?).

having had TP100 boards and now the Numa X with TP110 I cannot wait to see Arturia releasing a MKIII with TP110. I'd dump my Numa X for it since I use it only as a controller anyway and miss the versatility of a real integrated controller like the Arturia . They need to do three things for me to make it perfect: - one is a better but still lightweight keybed , like the TP110 or Kawai RHIII, - second is an integrated audio interface (preferably USBC) . Just plug in a USB-C cable and you're done. - Third is a joystick controller at the left or just above the keys on the left of the keybed like on the Korg Kronos / Krome / Nautilus boards. Ik hate pitch/ mod wheels somewhere places on top of the board far away. Not a natural positioning and also musically a joystick rocks for many synth and other sounds. Professional Rolands have both; that's even better.

Lack of GAS - to be honest - in the hardware camp for allround boards (workstation type) there have been zero to none innovations since Kronos and Montage took stage. The new Fantom is not really that new either - especially considering the old sound palette they still use. Same with Kurzweil , even the K2700 - still same sounds / same OS , same ergonomics. In other words , there is no revolutionary board that justifies GAS , just small evolutions of stuff that's already been available for years. Sort of consolidation of what they already had lying around and put it in one instrument (Nautilus, K2700, Fantom). On the Synth side , there is more interesting stuff , but most of these boxes make noises from the 80's / 90's analogue synth arsenal in a new disguise. There are however some small movement in better control over the sound with better keybeds (HydraSynth, Expressive E Osmose, Neova Ring ) , but all in all it's a bit of a stand-still. What I personally am still waiting for is a do-it-all main-keyboard as a centrepiece that is a all-in-one controller wonder. So a 88 key , relatively lightweight , poly aftertouch or even MPE , keybed with a shitload of controls, joystick (Korg-type) over wheels, ribbon, breath input , you name it . Furthermore a good audio interface and USB- controller inputs (extra controllers direct into the mainboard , as on the Dexibell and Fantom) , enough empty surface space to put your laptop and/or iPad and excellent and future proof (!) integration with your favourite DAWS, MAINSTAGE type live performance tools (Camelot etc), and direct mapping of controls to your plug-ins. Furthermore it should have a setup for 16 zones of control , meaning you can create one program (performance set) with 16 zones of Plug-ins on the fly from your main controller, as you would do on a Kronos, or K2700 or similar when programming live performance sets. But NO INTERNAL SOUND ENGINE. Don't need that. The laptop or tablet is your sound engine. Roland , Kurzweil, Studiologic etc- they all keep adding the sound engines and libs to their board, which adds to the cost and weight and makes it a crippled controller for your software. You loose channels (have to choose between internal/external ), add complexity and pay much more for stuff you don't really want or use. Studiologic Numa X Piano without the 'piano' part (no sound engine) and with 16 zones and additional hardware controls would be a good start. The Numa X Controller 88/73 (keep the buold-in audio interface of course). That would trigger me to buy new stuff. Not yet another stage piano recycled workstation or another synth that recreates sawtooth PAD sound from the 80;s..seen that , done that , been there.

Sorry , but can't chime in on that. I had the Decibel S9 with TP400W without escapement , which was an excellent , very easy to play en smooth keybed with very good aftertouch response , but had no escapement. So if the TP400W with escapement in the Numa GT is a redesign I can't say for sure if it will be the same experience. I expect the basic feel and touch to be the same, but who knows. Hope it is actually, regardless of the escarpment (which doesn't;t bother me at all for a multi purpose stage piano , only for a digital acoustic home piano type of instrument. On a stage you also play organ , EP , strings , brass etc , so escapement might only be in the way in the end...

I see several X 73 and X 88 already being offered as B-Stock, meaning returned bij the customer after a very short period , because the units have only come available very recently. Wonder what this says about the Tp110 acceptation . Unfortunately still no reviews yet

Cybergene, My ES920 is pretty portable with the new plastic casing and RHIII (version2) keybed. If they put that in a MP7SE successor and make it really light to cary around , it's a winner IMHO. The key action is pretty light to play and ver responsive. Some people complain about bouncing keys and key noise . But to be honest - it doesn't bother me when you are actually playing the thing (either with speakers or good headphones). It may be a distraction for people in the room when you play with headphones, but which key action isn't. Only the GFII / III is very quiet and perhaps the Hybrid Grand action in the current Roland LX series. In other words - a lightweight action / case design doesn't have to end with a stiff and heavy to play keybed. You can actually have a very portable piano with very good action these days if it all fits together..., but the Tp100 was not.

They are never going to fix the AT. It simply sucks to the point of being totally unusable (just a marketing gimmick). Shame , because most presets and programs DO respond to Aftertouch , in other words , have some useful modulation / expression programmed for aftertouch response. But as Aftertouch seems to be mostly an afterthought at Roland , I do not expect them to put any effort in fixing this hardware related problem (would need a redesign / recall) , nor add usable AT in future products. They probably ditch it again , just like so many other manufacturers . Such a shame..new products like Hydrasynth go exactly in the opposite direction.

Isn't that what I meant ? That on the TP100LR triple sensor and the TP40W (and to a lesser extend the Tp400W) it is virtually impossible to really have any benefits from the 3rd sensor in the form of fast repetitions / trills etc from the 'low key" ?! At least that's how I feel about it. 3rd sensor does not add the functionality / behaviour you experience from for example the Kawai RHII versus RHIII ( repeating note right from the bottom was impossible on my old Kawai Mp6 , but very easy on the ES7/8 and now 920. Also on the GFII / III the 3rd sensor makes repeating notes and trills a breeze . Something that cannot be said about Casio PX560 / 330 hammer actions and PX5S and all the fatal based keybeds. Even the - otherwise very nice S9 keybed - failed in that respect. Odd at least...

As AnotherScott , the casing is no clear indication about the actual dimension, mechanics en pivot lengths of the keybed . In my experience and understanding the black keys on digital piano actions have a shorted pivot pint on the black keys. And TP110 has a shorter key lenght than TP400W. I know the Tp100 and TP400W quite well , and the TP400 is much easier to play , with no pushback resistance and better to play into the keys (further behind) as well. I don't know the Tp400W version that is used in the Num GT, but I guess it won't be that much different from the one in the Dexibell S9. TP100 really sucked in my opinion , that's why I wonder how much it has been changed and improved now. Not in marketing speak , but real world comparison. Of all the Fatar keybeds I know , either 2 or 3 sensor , the repetition is not great compared to the competitions. IMHO Kawai still rules in that respect. Roland comes in second. With Casio (HAII) en Fatar keypads the 3rd sensor is placed way up too hight and makes hardly any sense. You have to lift up the key too much for a new repetition , which misses the point. On a real acoustic grand or fast digital keybed you can play again from a low point of the key release , which is what makes it fast en enjoyable. Even the Korg RHIII , which is a 2 sensor keybed , has faster repetition than a 2 sensor Casio of Fatar. I had Korg kronos and Tp100 (2 sensor) and TP40W (Sl88 grand) side bij side. T400 is not much different in that respect , but because it is faster as whole in key release than the TP100 and TP40W, it still feels easier than these two. I really liked the Decibel S9 T400W , though bottoming out was a bit shallow in comparison to Kawai etc.

That's probably because of the short pivoting point. black keys suffer more from that , because they are even shorter , hence harder to control (heavier)

Hi Thomsurf, I cannot decide between de GT with Tp400W , but much heavier (!) or the improved (?) TP110. I played both the TP400W - in my Dexibell S9 and the TP100 in the Numa Studio, but I sort of hated the TP100 , especially because it was exhausting to play and the keys had a sort of 'push up' against your fingers. Was if it was pushing back. The TP400W is very nice , but if the TP110 is indeed improved to the point where it it is not so odd in sluggishness and pushing the key back up , I would rather have a lightweight board (Numa X instead of GT). How would you judge the keys after some more playing the last days on the TP110 ? Is the bounce and sluggishness en back push al history now . Some things that plaged the TP110 ...

Why oh why does it sound soooo bad. It"s one of the only reasons I didn"t order one yet. All the standard bread and butter sounds are so terribly old and JV1080 'quality' . Really. Synth engine and filters are great, interface is great and some controller features are great, but I keep on being flabbergasted by the lack of any good quality basic sounds , like EP, Organ, Brass, Guitar, Strings you name it. Terrible. They should have just left them out altogether , leaving just the synth sounds and leave the acoustic section to your plug-ins in mainstage . And half the price of course. Can;t stand anymore recycling...

When there is no Kronos successor thuis year at NAMM at the Korg Boot, I would take that as a 'yes , we"ve abandoned the WS market and moved somewhere else'. Leaves Roland and Yamaha (and Nord ?) as competitors in that market. Rather see a K3

Considering the usual update policy and abandon your products strategy of Roland I wouldn't hold my breath. For me that is the EXACT reason I don't pull the trigger on a Fantom yet. If it is supposed to be a one-instruments does it all (for live gigs) solution, like the Kronos, then the acoustic sound palette is very small, old and unconvincing. I see no improvement over , let's say , the Integra7 and Jupiter80 there in terms of sound quality, sound quantity and playability (totally missing out Super natural and especially behavioral modeling (JP80)!). It's all romper sampling (80's / 90's) again , presumably in small memory packages. Synth side is promising, V-piano very expressive, although it could use an update to the models found in the latest LX paint series (why not Roland?), which have much more substance and body (European Grand). Workflow , controls, integration with DAW , Audio/ midi integration is all great - but where is "the sound" ; I don't hear it. And those tiny Axial sets (32 MB ?) are not going to change that, just recycling same old material. Come on Roland - you can , and should do better by now. Give us the fresh , new , big updated sounds and enough memory to store them (GB's not MB's) ; this is almost 2020 , not 2005. It makes me wonder what Korg will be cooking up as catch-up response to the Fantom. If they incorporate a big FLASH RAM with lots of content from there massive EXS libraries and the engines of Kronos in a fast , lightweight and mean controller package , it will give Roland a run for the money. These Kronos acoustic EXS packs sound soo much better , although they are like 10 years old and aging too. Would have thought Roland would catch up there after the Fantom G debacle (weak acoustic sounds) , but so far - I don't see it happening.

USB - perhaps my question was misunderstood. I don't intend to power the Numa from an iOS device through USB. That wouldn't really make sense to me (for MODX out of the question of course). What I wanted to know is if the MIDI/AUDIO I/O streaming works out of the box and without hickups when you connect an iOS device to the Numa. With acceptable latency and audio quality that is... Power will be taken care of one way or the other...Thanks !

- USB Power on the macbook pro works okay until you feed in audio over USB and then it literally disconnects due to lack of power. My guess is that this process uses more power which the computer can't feed the keyboard. Probably not an issue on more recent laptops (and I didn't have this issue on a desktop computer). What happens when you connect an iPad or iPhone ?! I want to use an iPad / phone for additional sounds like KORG Module , Korg iSynths, Synhmaster, Garageband e.o. Can I just connect an iOS device through a camera connection kit and start streaming MIDI and Audio from - and to - the NC2X ?! Dealbreaker for me. If that does not work , I'll go for a MODX8 or similar...Thanks !

I 100% agree with the Original poster. The 3rd sensor implementation of the Fatar Keybess in both the studio And grand Version are useless . The sensor is placed much to high so hou have to release the key almost entirely. Precise the opposite of what youre expecting from a correct implementation , wich is being able to repeat almost from the bottom of the key. IMHO the best implementations are from Kawai and Yamaha. Then Roland (already a bit higher), then Casio (already too high up the key) and worst al fatars. The RH3 Korg is already so fast , it does not really need A third sensor. With its two sensors it is alteady way more responsive than the fatars. Believe me - Ive owned or own them all and the way the keybed reacts is something I am very picky about. My current PHA50 keys are very responsive but 3rd sensor behavior was better in my Kawais (GF, RHII, RHIII). And I will never go back to A TP100 keybed; hoped the Kontrol S88 MKII would have better keys , but unfortunately.

And how about switching setups , sounds , preset, or whatever they call a performance setup on the K4 when there is NO internal engine involved ? E.g. like switching setups on a bare K4 (no EX) . Is that fast and seamless ? And will notes be cut-off on your external (software-) synth or parameters changed abruptly , or is everything smoothed out and intelligently being processed ? That there is a gap for internal sounds is now clear. But when you use the Physis purely as a controller you don't want any delays , gaps , or parameter jumps either. Is that all OK with the K series ?? O yes - and again - the boot-up time of the keyboard. If there is a difference between EX and non-ex version that is also interesting to know (can imagine EX version takes longer ?) Thanks for the info. Seems a great controller board. Just try to filter out the 'catches' on this machine so it won't dissappoint for live performance.

Thanks . That is 2 minutes for the ...? K4 , K4 EX , Kronos ?

Questions to all Physis piano users , be it K series (with or without EX) or H series: - what is the boot-up time of the instruments ?? I heard it is like a Kronos above 1 1/2 minute. Is that true ? Also for the pure controller K4 /K5 boards ? - How's the responsiveness of the K4/K5 system ? Does it switch immediately and seamlessly from preset to preset , or is there a certain lag noticeable (deadly in a live situation). - Will parameter jumps be smoothed out between presets , so no sudden cut-offs of jumps when you go to the next setup ? - How's the keybed. For the K4 it's the Tp40L , same as in most Kurzweil's etc. Is it a nice compromise for piano AND synth and organ style playing and the repetition fast enough ? Curious -> want to buy one, but it has to come from far and can't return it, so it better work without flaws or annoyances as described above. Thanks ! J

Is that the SRX-12 ?

I just experienced THIS. I am not happy! This "carry over effect" IMO is a glitch which should be fixed in an update ASAP ! Unless there is something being obviously overlooked, as the original poster stated this makes using individual programs within the studio set, each with their own MFX, useless. Me too. At first I thought the DAC was damaged or something, cause effects like Phaser / Chorus and/or Amp simulations stayed on when switching to other studio sets or single presets. These effects have a lot of hum and noise in them (50Hz hum is perhaps also a bug ?!) and stayed on all the time when switching sounds. It happens a lot that effects are not properly switched off , or exchanged and seem to 'hang'. Regardless of the mode you're in. I say it's buggy. Hope for an update to fix that...

Bit OT, but does anyone know if the Roland CB-88 RL keyboard bag is big enough for the FA-08. I know length and depth are ok, but hight is exactly 142 mm , which is the same as the FA-08. It's a just fit , or just NOT fit scenario. So anyone who know's if it will fit ; please let me know. Thanks.

FA keybed has no three sensors ? I thought it did ? Can someone confirm this ? For all I know it's the Yammie Mox that has a two sensor keybed. For the other stuff ; purely subjective. I do like the Roland AP over the Yammie exactly BECAUSE of the dynamics (SN engine). You do have to tweak the touch curve settings however , the factory set is far from perfect (to say the least) . Should be somewhere between medium and light and more carefully tweaked. Pitty you can only offset the velocity - which is not the same thing.