lekanout

I prove the YC, and this is a great waterfall keybed,very pleasant to play. Nothing similar to a Modx, a piano action or another thing. Just a great organ waterfall keybed. Eps and piano are from some off the CP séries, but not all (i have a CP88), and feel great to play on this keybed.

I've just bought a roland jupiter 50,and tomorrow i'm waitîng for a brand new JDXA. Roland forever!

Well,even if it's funny for some answer,i would like to thanks everybody for sharing experiences here in this topic i created.

I discoverded this morning this KK thread. It was so fun to read the first part where so many people think like me for the keybed.. In fact the king korg is certainly one of the best sounding VA for the price. I spent 2 hours on it and it was pleasant to hear. Nothing is wrong for the sound i think. But the keybed is boring. I hate this kind of keyboards because it seems it's not made for people who love playing keyboards. It seems for me they are made for some geeks who wants to turn knobs and don't care about playing music with fingers. I'm sure it's a kind of truth about how people buy synth today.. It's a shame for me. Imagine the king korg with a solid hardware and a very good keybed.. I would be a killer instead of a consumer product for people who want to dream they are synth players..

I love what everybody share in this topic. Thanks again:))

I don't disagree too. In fact 20 years ago i had 2 KB100 and it was quite good for what i remember.

Interesting:-)

Thanks for the feedback!

Hi everybody. Many thanks for all these(sometimes funny)posts. I have so much respect for all the community here because i know people is very kind and experienced. So i have so much consideration for what you write. Sven: I did that with the words "roland kc150"with the search function in this forum,and i didn't find a lot of things.. I did a research in google with "KC150 reviews",and didn't find so much things too. I thought at first it was simple to have information about these products but strangely you have far more with amp speakers. In fact here's the problem: I have montarbo powered speakers(nm250 A,well known in europe)and they are quite good,but little so in the bass range they can't do miracle. I'm using often as wedge monitor on little scenes(we are speaking about little gigs because for sure in the big scenes we know structure,engineers etc are here),or sometimes for direct sound.(i have a little mackie vlz3 for premixing my keyboards,and put the stereo output of my mackie in the 2 montarbo for stereo) If i'm not directly amplified by my little montarbo,i'm sending the mackie output in the PAsystem of mly band. The problem is simple: My sound is not directy near my instrument,but with the voices...while guitar,bass(with their amp)are "near" their sound. So i thought"why not having my sound with 2 specialized keyboard amp...near me,like in the old ages..a kind of direct and pure sound in the same spirit than the guitarist near his amp. I thought maybe it wasn't a bad idea.. I thought maybe it was a "fatter"solution. So i made this topic to have some feedback...and wasn't delused about all you said. Well,it seems there is a consensus about how shit they are ) So let me asking you another question: Is it possible to find today some specialized keyboards amp who can do better (for pure and direct output,like guitar amp)than high class amplified speakers? Thnks again,and excuse me,i promise you i'm doing my best because i love this forum and this community,but sometime i can't understand all the subtilities of the posts from others because of my native language!

Hi guys. All is said: Do you have any experience with tha roland KC keyboard amplifier series on stage? I had an idea for small gigs: Why not 2 KC 150 for my set(2 keyboards)playing small gigs? I don't have any idea about the sound..it seems amplifiers like that are not as used as in the past.. Is there any advantage with these solutions? Thanks for sharing experience about that:)

The fa08 keybed can't compare to the rd700.. If you're more oriented pianist i would say keep the rd 700nx and the fa06. I personally wouldn't lost a rd 700 nx like that. You win weight,but you loose a killer stage piano with high level keybed and engine.

your audience? funny pic!

Ok..that was the solution i missed! Many thanks to you xKnucles:-)

Hi guys: Don't want to be off topic,i did a search and didn't find how to.. I'm on ipad or mac,and i want to upload my pics on the topic;but i can't find the solution.. I've got only the "insering image "icon who ask me an url,but don't find how to simply upload a file. May i ask you how to do please? Many thanks for that.

No don't worry When you hit shift and the performance button on the same time,it´s like you are in a "quick selection voice mode" After that you're able to switch quickly by pushing 1 of the 16 voice category buttons: So 1 push and direct access to switch between perf 1 and per 13 and direct selection to one of the 16 perfs of the group. It´s just less easily to move between groups of 16: To move between groups,you have to push shift and + Example: If you want to move between perf 3 to perf 50: You push shift and + to scroll between group 1-16 to 17-32,one more time between 17-32 to 33-48,and one more time again from 33-48 to 49-64. After that(3 push to access to this group)just another push for the direct access to the perf 50. Sorry if i'm boring,hope that helps..

Totally agree al coda. I'm convinced today by the sound quality of these stage pianos(like the cp4,kawai or RD800) I can't imagine a keyboard player with a bad sound from these on stage. They are full of good parameters and functions to sound good. if you try to find where are the bad things with samples,you will always find somethîng. But who cares? Just try it,if your connection is bad buy another better for you.. But all of these are good products and have the proffesional sound for high level gig. If there is a bad sound,it´s because of the keyboard player,engineer etc etc.. That's what i'm always trying to do if i'm not happy live: "What i did wrong",not "this keyboard don't sound good" We are in a good period,even some cheap keyboards sounds right now.(the problem is more the keybed quality or other things)

Theo: In my organization,this is not because i want to put e piano with e pianos,ac piano with ac piano...etc etc. The only thing i want to do is to find the right sound quickly. I thought a lot about that,and never found a better solution. Fot what you said about my coloring monitor,a listening a very quality headphones..etc etc: When i say the CP4 sounds right,it's because yamaha engineers found a good compromise with good samples from 2014. When i buy a synth,i never look for all the bad things i can find in the sound. I'm just trying to adapt my playing to the sound..and that's all! I'm essentially a live player,i need realistic keyboards sounds for the audience,a good keybed...etc etc My vision is simple: Less is better for sounding right on stage.(so less reverb for example,or less low frequencies..etc etc) We have some subtiles considerations about sound,samples etc etc in the forums,between us. ...but on stage how the audience can hear your 3000 layers piano samples? That's why for example i always find a good sound with the kurzweil old samples pianos(i had 1 year gig with a PC3k8) We are not alone on stage(except for solo gigs)so who cares about the best and bigger piano sound in the world when you have to take your place in the mix with a band? The yam CP4 is well done for helping me to find easilly the good sound for me on stage(playing rock'n roll,pop,soul and blues..) And all he effect ar really very very good,if you tweak you can find very good vintage emulations like in the past,even if it´s numeric. For top keyboards sounds(samples,effect chain..etc etc),i don't have bad things to say with the CP4. It's really a good bang for the buck at a good price. I would have surely pay more without problem for the same CP4 with a little fun to use,less plastic and more metal..and always 17,5kg.

Well,i was refering more of the preset organisation than how they sounds. Honestly,i found the factory preset really well done on the CP4. All the acoustic pianos,different eps...etc etc are well designed. It just sounds right! The advantage is to be more efficient without spending so much time. While i modify 80 per cent of the sounds,,when a sound is well done no need to tweak a lot. What i dislike is for exemple the reverb level on factory performances: A little too much for my taste.

Yes,i understand what you mean. Actually ,i'm spending so much time to program and organize my stage configuration. When you buy the CP4,the factory configuration isn't really usable: All the 128 performance presets are not well organized. To select quiclky your sounds on stage,the CP4 offer to navigate by group of 16 direct sound acces with the sound category buttons. (performance presets 1-16,17-32,32-48...etc etc) You just have to push shift and the performance button at the same time... You can change the group of 16 direct access sounds by pushing shift and the + or -buttons. It´s quite good to have 16 direct sound available in 1 push,but yamaha made this "shift and another button push"way to do a little boring for me. But i bought keyboards since 30 years,it´s always the same: Nothing is perfect. I dont´t think so much on "how yamaha can do better",but "how can i do my best with this system" While my CP4 is essentially used for keyboards sounds(i have other synth for complex layers)here's my organisation: -1-16 for pianos(the 3 grands,a bright preset for each,a rock type preset for each,a light compressed preset for each..and some diverse own preset. 16-32 for rhodes(the first 8 for classical type rhodes presets,and the last 8 with my own like some distorded,flange and delays programmation. -32-48: the first 8 for wurly presets...the last 8 for clav type presets(all with my own programming -48-64 for Dx type,and diverse various sounds.. etc etc So if a sound enginner wants me to give him a compress piano or another thing etc et ..i know where are my sounds. This is my simple and efficient way to do. But i don't use the CP 4 to recall program changes or complex stage config..

I think maybe i can understand your confusion: When you go to select a voice in the 16 category voices,you just select a voice included in a performance. You can't save one of these voice in a user voice bank. There is just the performance mode for that. That's how yamaha system think about the way to save. On a workstation,you can often save a voice in a user voice place,or a performance in a user performance place. On the CP4 whatever you do there is only one place:the performance mode. So don't think"single voice" But thinkl "single voice in a performance" I was confused at first too,now it´s ok. Just another thing: The rd800 is on the same way: All is saved in a performance too..

Ok. Like i said,the structure for saving is on performance mode. Whatever you modify,if you don't save it in one of the 128 performance presets,you loose what you did.(when you change the performance or turn off the keyboard) That´s the only way(if i'm correct)to save and recall your own settings. I've started to make my own presets with my own effect programmation,i saved all my work each time in a performance,valid..and all my work is perfectly recall. So if you want to save the settings to the same patch,remember your patch is saved in a performance place. Just modify what you want and store it on the same performance place and it´s ok! You don't have another choice or another way to do.

Thanks for the kind words: 16251: To understand the CP4 ,just a few advice: -Saving your own setups is made on the performance mode. You have 128 reinscriptible performance to put your own sounds(one single sound,one split or layers and diverse things. (You can scroll between the performance pushing the performance/play button and turning the dial) -you can program your own piano sound by selecting one of the 3 pianos you want,and after you can modify all you want in the effect chain. (to choose the sound you want in the performance mode,just select a performance, select a sound with the 16 category sounds buttons on the right,and scroll with the dial to choose the exact type sound you need to tweak) On the left side of the cp4 panel you have: -chorus -reverb -part effect A -part effect B So: 1-select your piano type 2-press shift and -reverb -chorus - effect part A - effect part B when you do that,you're directly in the edit menu of these effects. 3-Choose the effect you want for the piano you selected,and move in the page parameters with the < > or up and down buttons. 4-Tweak and modify what ou want. 5-press the "store"button,select a performance destination,valid(yes/no)and it´s ok! In the data list pdf available on your CDrom,you will find all the effect parameters you can tweak. If you want to tweak the basic parameters for the sounds,just press edit,and you have to scroll to find the "zone part edit",push enter.. ..and after you can find 2 pages in these menus to modify the sound: 1-play mode 2-filter/eg On these menus you can tweak the adsr,filter..lfo...etc etc Same procedure for saving and it's ok! Hope that helps. Ps: Take a moment(just half an hour for exemple)and just try to sit in front of your CP4. Go in the edit mode,and scrool in the menus(and enter to valid the page,scroll in the parameters,push exit to go back in the previous menus...always the same way). There are not so much pages on the cp4,so if you learn to navigate in the system you will be more familiar with it and you quickly integrate your keyboard to be more efficient.

Hi guys. Just a few words about the CP4 and the RD800,because i bought the 2. After buying the RD800,i decided to sell my nord piano 2 to buy the CP4 too essentially because: - i need 2 high level stage pianos -the cp4 is lighter and more compact than the roland -the sound is different. -i was looking for a better keybed than my nord,and better rhodes. After some weeks playing and working with the 2,here are my sensations in use: -hardware: The roland is so fun to use,a pleasure. All seems to be better on the roland in use(ergonomy,hardware commands...etc etc) The yamaha isn't difficult to use,but not very pleasant in the menus,the commands..etc etc The Rd series from roland are a reference for me,and yam seems to look for something to catch in every new keyboards. The LCD on the rd is top,while the lcd and menus on the cp4 are like an old jv 1080.. We are in 2014. I've started to prepare my own stage configuration on the cp4 for my september gigs. All is ok for me,i'm doing the job and i'm familiar now with the system..but i don't really like working with it honestly when i love that on the roland. My advice: If the "easy to use,and pleasure to use"is important,take the roland! Keybed: I'm more in the yam since 2 weeks because i took it with me for holidays. I've played. hours and hours with it. The yam has really a great keybed,the connection with sounds is top too. But i have a personal feeling the roland connection with keybed is a little more subtile(hard to explain,and i'm not the best pianist you can find....but that´s what i feel) I prefer the roland ivory feel on the keys than the yam,the roland has more "grip"i think. -sounds: They are completly different and i'm feeling really lucky to have both. We can speak hours for sounds,it´s difficult and only a personal test can give you your truth and connection between these keyboards and your piano vision. The thing i like the most for piano sounds is the fact they are different. Out of the box,i prefer the CP4 maybe because all the 3 grand pianos presets are on top for different situations. Yam did a fantastic job to make a beautiful"ready to play"stage piano. The roland is different. for piano sounds: I need to tweak more to find my sound "out of the box" But when the yam is"you like or not,nothing to modify",the roland is"go on the engine,tweak..and you will find what you want" The supernatural engine for acoustic pianos is far superior to the yam. To resume: When you test acoustic pianos on the yam,you have all and nothing to do if something disturb you. When you test the roland,you can feel only a part of this keyboard can do,but not all because there is an engine to tweak. That´s what i feel. ----- For Eps: -the difference between the 2 is the same than acoustic pianos because the roland has a supernatural engine the yam don't have. A few parameter on the yam,much thîgs on the roland(you can do a kind of morphing with different ep type properties for example) But we all know the Eps sounds depends of the effect too. -honestly,(while roland did a better job on th 800 than on the 700)i prefer the yamaha rhodes. I'm in love with the yamaha rhodes. They are really one of. the strongest part of the CP4. All are superb,and the effect chain is high level. I took time to tweak a lot the different rhodes,programming my own sounds with the effect.(amp circuit simulation...etc et ) I found fabulous sounds.. I own 2 sv1,a kronos,roland and kurzweil sounds..nords...and honestly i can't see a better sound i found for rhodes emulation than in the CP4. I bought it for that too,and i did right! Oh,rhe rd 800 can give you very good ep sounds,efficient... But it's jus the fact it sounds more dirty and authentic on the yam. I know i can have more than my ex-korg sv1(for example)if i tweak the amp simulation(even if the korg has a tube)with some programming. And the yam keybed is far better than the korg keybed so it makes finally the difference! for other eps sounds wurly are good on both,cp and dx better on the yam. That's what i feel. For organs: Much things to find on the roland,good rompler organ sounds on the yam..and that´s all. Useable,but not as good as the best clones..but everybody knows that! Other diverse sounds: -some acoustic samples(from motif series )are quite good on the cp4,but don't expect a motif. Acoustic sounds not really better on the roland..depends. Synth sounds: Some good and efficient samples on the yam,but i think the roland is superior: If you tweak and program layers on the roland(more fun to do than the yam),you can have more than the cp4. That´s how i feel. conclusion: The cp4 hardware product is not for me a sex appeal machine: Plastic,ergonomy..etc is quite annoying. The roland is more sensual,pleasant... But these considerations are only a little part of the choice. When you forget the cp4 annoying plastic case and you play it,damn it's a beast It just sounds right and so good to play. When i sold the nord piano 2 for the cp4,i was looking for a better keybed and better rhodes at first,in a light case. I did the right choice! I think as a pianist the cp4 is better. But Nord knows how to produce light(17/18kg)good keyboards in a solid metal case..i would love to have the CP4 sounds and keybed in a 18kg metal case... Yamaha miss 2 things (even if i don.t worry about reliability,yamaha never delused me like korg did with the sv1 and kronos): -too much plastic -not as fun and pleasant to use as the roland or kawai series Except these points,the CP4 has the good sound at the good price! But if you want more fun and programming,i think the RD 800 is better. If i listen yamaha comercial argument to sell the CP4"we produced our best stage piano ever" i can't see where the cp4 is better than a CP[(except the CFX and a different keybed) But i think (if i consider sounds,keybed and weight) the CP4 is the best stage piano (for a oriented pianist feeling )ever made in 17,5 kg. Hope that helps

Hi yannis. Thanks for your kind words. I've send you a PM.

Hi everybody. I've sign up in this forum since some month but i've forgotten to introduce myself. Sorry for that. I'm laurent,from france. I live near Paris. 44 years old. I'm with keyboards since i was so young I was playing trumpet at the beginning( classical study,and some orchestral experience.)but i was 12 years old when i put my fingers on a keyboard...and it was a poliphonic revelation! I made some simple chords,found that so beautiful.. So i bought at first a little casio in the 80,and a little psr yamaha...after i bought some Technics arranger(kn 800,kn 2000,kn 6000) I was as a young boy always in the shops,there was the korg M1 period. I dreamt about it,but some years after i had the money to buy my first proffesional synth: The korg 01/W pro. A good friend of mine(who came back to the states and was singing in a san fransisco gospel choir)took me as a keyboard player in a band to play theses original songs from this american choir. So we play theses songs,made some little show..earn some money. After that,we went 1 month to san francisco for holidays,and gave the money we did to the choir. After this period,i played with some friends in some bands,a lot of friendly moments.. I followed the technology: korg workstations,roland workstations(3/4 of the fantom series),yamaha motifs(i know very well and love all the motif series.) I had the roland MC groovebox too(i loved the 909 and 505),or korg electribe. I took the Alesis ADAT revolution(multiple adat XT,yamaha 02/r,mackie series) Since some years i'm with mac and controllers too(macbook pro and Mac pro,i'm a big ableton live and reason fan)(nektar panorama,maschine from native,and akai apc40) The last years,i had some personal musical thoughs: -i realized i love the most playing music as a traditional keyboard player. -i realized I'm an absolute fan of the 60/70 vintage music. What i love the most is playing piano,eps sounds and organ(while i'm not a pure organ player) For exemple i'm not a big fan playing annoying pads as a keyboard player. So i am lucky to have a good job where i can modulate my agenda,and i'm playing with 2 bands(1 blues rock 60/70 oriented,the other southern rock and psyché rock oriented)and we are playing in differents places/festival/etc etc in france. So i think i can be qualified as a semi-pro player. I'm an absolute fan of the rhodes,unfortunatly i can't have one to play(too heavy)so i'm always in search of the best hardware rhodes sounds. In the last years i had 9 nord keyboards,1 kronos,1 jupiter 80(i'm a big fan of the jupiter 80),3 korg SV1..and a kurzweil PC3k8 I love the the kronos and sv1 rhodes,but i don't like korg vision for reliability. I love the NORD(i have the electro 4 and i will buy the stage 3 for sure)because they are some of the best friends you can have on stage(sounds good,reliable...) My favourite actual synths are: -the motif XF(so reliable and efficient) -the jupiter 80(sounds so warm for me,i sold it and took the integra not to be too sad) -the kurzweil pc3k series(i sold my pc3k8 for weight,and took a used pc361 in perfect conditions to keep kurzweil) The most efficient keyboards for the music i play are high level stage piano,and a waterfal type organ clone. I recently sold my nord piano 2 and roland RD700 nx,and bought the RD800 and yamaha CP4. I love both,but i found a lot of pleasure with the CP4 rhodes for exemple. I think i can't have better rhodes than these in the yam. I tweaked a lot and find a good feeling with it. Oh: My dream would be to buy a vintage vibe..but expensive and heavy.:-( One day in the future maybe. I hope next year to buy a hammond sk1 and a neo ventilator 2. I was reading all the topics in the keyboard corner forums since so many years,and recently decide to sign up. What i love in this forum: -not geek oriented,i can feel the real musician in everybody here..i love it. -i'm feeling very near from so much live oriented players here. -There are so much kind persons here,with so much experience. I know i can learn a lot with you..and i'm very proud to share with this community. Thanks for reading me,and sorry english isn't my native language(i know i'm not alone)and i'm always afraid to make some mistakes and write the opposite i want to explain. Excuse me if this appears.