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High Diving Act

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Posts posted by High Diving Act

    Best Compact Mini Key 49 and 61 Key Controller?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Thank you everyone for chiming in. All of your suggestions were very appreciated. I am going to give the Midiplus X4 a try (just ordered on amazon). The Korg microkey air option was also considered but I recall really not liking the playability of the keybed on the microkorg synths. I'll report back about the midi plus once I give it a run through.

    Best Compact Mini Key 49 and 61 Key Controller?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Thanks Scott.. ya I didn't put must because if I found the right board.. I could use a midi host if needed. And ya I have already considered using a rechargeable battery pack. The goal is compactness with the least peripheral gear. I already have a Casio ctx 700 for a portable Jam keyboard and previously the Roland Go Keys but neither of those are convenient to play on my lap which means I bring a stand.. etc. To be honest if the Reface CP had 49 up to 61 keys.. I wouldn't be posting this. It checks all my boxes and I can jam on it but.. I would like to have an option with more keys available. That's why mini keys would be best for me as long as they have decent velocity response and don't rip my fingers up from shitty sharp edges.

    Best Compact Mini Key 49 and 61 Key Controller?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Thoughts? Must be capable of running on battery power and preferably has 5pin din.

     

    To be more specific... I go out with my motorhome frequently in the summer. I am looking for an ultra compact controller for jamming at the fire.. etc. Something I could put in a large backpack type of deal. I already have a Reface CP and a Roland Mobile Cube.. but I would like the option to have a controller with more keys than the Reface offers but can control the Reface. I don't really care if it has any additional controls beyond the keys. I have researched already but.. just checking if anyone may have a suggestion that I have maybe not seen or considered.

    Yamaha MODX

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I have been downloading, sifting through, auditioning and editing/customizing patches over the past week for live shows.

    Here are my soundmondo submissions. I think they are great starting points for some bread and butter sounds. Hope these are helpful to a some of you.

     

    PIANO https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/29515

    RHODESMKV https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/29533

    CLAV https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/29532

    BRASS https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/29518

    STRINGPAD https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/29520

    POLYSAW https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/29519

     

    HDA, I followed the above links, theres nothing to click on to play your demos. Googled it, and theres a Yamaha Soundmondo app, which i installed on my ipad. Clicked again on the above links and it still just takes me to a page with no play button.

     

     

    There is no preview on soundmondo. You have to hook your modx up to the computer and using google chrome only you click on the sound.. click sync.. and it will load onto your modx to preview on the keyboard. It will not save there unless you choose to save it to your keyboard.

    Yamaha MODX

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I have been downloading, sifting through, auditioning and editing/customizing patches over the past week for live shows.

    Here are my soundmondo submissions. I think they are great starting points for some bread and butter sounds. Hope these are helpful to a some of you.

     

    PIANO https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/29515

    RHODESMKV https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/29533

    CLAV https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/29532

    BRASS https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/29518

    STRINGPAD https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/29520

    POLYSAW https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/voices/29519

     

    Yamaha MODX

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    While I have always liked Yamaha, it was never my "go to" brand because I didn't find the UI very friendly. After spending a week with my MODX7, I am now staring to fly around the os structure and edits. I am reprogramming patches for my next show and I am very happy with the outcome! I may officially be a convert!

    Yamaha MODX

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I Yamaha STILL doesn't get organs, do they?

    Picking up from the previous comment... I noticed that the Montage had an upgrade a while back that included organ improvement (still not a full clonewheel engine), and I assume that made it into the MODX as well... Here's what they said about it:

     

    New Rotary Speaker Effect with New Organ Performances - If youre an organ player, youve got to check out MONTAGE OS v1.51:

     

    MONTAGE OS 1.5 Organ Performances

     

    The new rotary speaker effect features authentic rotor simulation with assignable speed up/slow down. The new effect has improved overdrive behavior for a warm, full vintage sound. The new Performances feature the new rotary speaker along with drawbar control via the MONTAGE faders.

     

    Check out some of the Organ Performances featuring the new Rotary Speaker effect below:

     

    The Basics (Blues with Walking Bass, Arched Top and Real Brushes Kit)

    888862200_2

    Foolish Organ

    Rock Hard

    So for those who say the Yamaha organs are still the Yamaha organs, I think it's worth being sure you're checking out the newest programs, because the old Motif series ones are probably still there too, and they probably do sound just the same as they always did.

     

    The organs in the modx are the updated montage versions. The rotary is much better than before... I think its even better now than the rotary sim on the juno/jupiter/fa lines. I have a stage 3 for my organs so... not something I would use a bunch but they are usable enough in a pinch. I think the new yammy organs will sound great through a vent or similar.

    Yamaha MODX

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I played the MODX8 today...They also had an MOXF8 and I like the newer action better.

    I got a chance to play the MODX8 next to the DGX660 in a store (I mentioned earlier in the thread that I was surprised to think the DGX660 in the store felt better than my MOXF). They did not feel identical to me. I preferred the feel of the DGX, but of course, these things are subjective and someone might prefer the MODX. But to me the DGX felt a little lighter/quicker, a little "snappier" if you will. This was not due to different velocity curves or the presence of the vibrations of the built-in speakers, as I did this comparison with no sound. Though I would not say this necessarily means the actions are different... the MODX had just been on display for a matter of days, the DGX could have been there a year for all I know, and it could feel different after a lot of in-store playing. But while I didn't have the chance to compare them directly, the MODX8 did remind me of my MOXF8, more than the DGX did. If it's not the same, it at least seems pretty close to me. (But maybe some of us have experience with different feeling MOXF8s, who knows?)

     

    IOne thing really annoys me: there's a huge amount of empty space (on the 88 key version) between the keys and the screen (and buttons / wheels). It's going to make the screen very difficult to see if I have a keyboard above it. Everything is pushed up and further away from the keys.

    Yes, this bothered me too. There may well be a very good reason it had to be done this way, but regardless, I don't like how far away it will push a second tier board.

     

    I had been trying to decide between a MODX8 and a MODX7 (with a small outside chance I might have considered getting both)... the combination of both of those things has put me firmly in the MODX7 camp. But I'll be really curious to see how piano plays from that semi-weighted action, to see whether I would ever consider using it as a "bottom" or solo board, or only as a top.

     

    Scott.. I have been messing around with my MODX7 for a little over a week now. It took about 2 days before I had acclimitized to the action but now I'm good. I was unsatisfied with how the stock pianos played.. kinda bummed me out a bit. I contacted Wojtek Olszak and he sent me a link to his soundpack. The piano he created plays really well and to my liking. The velocity settings he used in different zones of the board made it much easier to play expressively on the synth action. I highly recomend getting his sound pack.. he did a great Mark V in there too.

    Yamaha MODX

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    True, touchscreen is still a bit of a double-edge sword (ask a Kronos owner). I have not used Montage, and I'm really curious to try the MODX screen.

     

    I'm also curious about the MODX touchscreen, though my concern is more over the durability.

     

    I'm a Korg M3 owner, and it touchscreen is known for being on the delicate side.

     

    Can't comment on the durability (yet) but I was playing the Montage and MODX side by side and what I noticed was the Montage's glass touch screen picked up reflections and glare from everything while the MODX's matt plastic screen wasn't plagued with this issue.

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

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Oh gotcha.. thanks for the clarification.

     

    The held hostage remark comes from the fact that PhotoBucket had allowed storage of pictures for free for a long time, but has moved to a model where the pictures are replaced by a stock graphic from them unless one pays them. Understandable from a business viewpoint, but really annoyed a lot of folk.

    Your Latest Purchase (music related)

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Marillo-

    My 2 cents on the FA07 action - feels very much like a Kronos 61. That is, the best synthe-action board I've ever played - very expressive and a good amount of resistance. There are a few velocity curves in the global area, and a velocity offset parameter per patch. You should be able to hone in on a comfortable feel for you.

    Yes, very playable for piano IMNSHO.

     

    I haven't played the FA07 yet but I do have a Kronos 61. I used to own a Jupiter 50 and the way you describe the action makes me think Roland used the Jupiter 50 keybed. It was pretty nice to the touch.. like the Kronos.

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