MPN21

No Waves Update Plan and no subscription! Good thing that I didn't go deep with their platinum bundle. The only reason I signed up for Roland Cloud last year was because I can keep two plugins for free; I chose D50 ($149) and XV5080 ($129). It was cheaper to sign up for a year and get those two plugins free than buy these two plugins outright. Besides no subscription, another policy of mine; never buy again any plugin that allows only one computer activation. Waves is one, it seems. No more EastWest, Steinberg, and etc. Yes to those plugins and hosts with a generous number of activation; Arturia, NI and for that matter Kontakt 3rd party libraries, Ableton Live, Gig Performer, and etc. Roland Cloud has changed their policies quite a bit ever since they started. When consumers say no, they will change.

I was hoping that at least the custom bank would be able to call up sounds by PC messages like Kontakt. I couldn't find any reference in the manual. Then again, I thought to myself that non of the current Roland VSTs offers patch remain except for Sound Canvas VA, and that patch change vi PC messages without patch remain is not really useful for me. I use Gig Performer to send multiple PC messages to an external module, but more and more I find myself creating custom patches in Gig Performer and taking advantage of its own patch persist. Then I can call up those patches or rack spaces via PC messages.

I'd jump on a CK73 even better if the keys are from C to C.

Hoping that somebody comes out with a weighted 73 key with built-in speakers at this NAMM. If not, I am going with the 121. Someone suggested a Casiotone. I purchased a CT-S1. What a fun inexpensive keyboard! Someone said everyone should have a Casiotone. I will say plus a 73 weighted key.

Once I considered buying the desktop version, but only two parts were a deal breaker for me.

Thanks for the explanation. I was reading the other thread on the VC. Over 500 posts there..... Certainly the VC is attractive but if I have to use any of my plugins for better tonewheel, I will pass it up.

Monopoly is never good for consumers. I used to get a lot of emails and phone calls from Sweetwater. I had to tell them not to call my cell phone. When sales people contact you, well, I'm sure sales is on their mind. I usually shop around and try to find the best deal in a number of aspects. That's why when I see something on Amazon, I compare it with other online and local stores. Quite often, I find better prices at Walmart (Walmart even delivered for free the same day!), Home Depot, B&H (for electronics, sound gear, and instruments), Kraft Music, and so forth. After I saw the VC on Sweetwater, I immediately went to B&H to purchase one; I use their store card and they pay the sales tax for you when checking out. Then I pay off in the 1st month. Anyway, their price on the VC $1,600. The Sweetwater sales is through March 13. I have decided to wait a week or so and see other stores are doing. In the meantime, I've been watching some YT demos of the VC. I need to find more about their tone-wheel emulation as it doesn't sound that good.

At first I couldn't "believe" what they singing and I didn't even notice it was a fake! How about this one, "Let My People Go" by a Russian military choir? It is a real deal. I thought the solo singer and the choir did a great job with the song in a style not familiar to them.

This is from a friend of mine who is currently staying near Russia. I thought the music was OK, but the lyrics..... https://fb.watch/iN4p5PSjKQ/?mibextid=2Rb1fB

No, not really. The Evo is basically an FR8x without the stepper motor in a real acoustic shell. The wooden key feels nice but the bellows are still stiff like all Roland digital accordions. Roland tried to do too much for the 8x - bulky and not well balanced at all. I had the 8x Dallape model. Got rid of it real quick. The new model by Marco is called Proxima. It sounds like a GM module from the 80s. As for the pricing, I have an Italian friend whose father had an accordion shop in the SF area years ago. He always says accordion dealers priced themselves out of business. If Casio or anybody else can build an accordion controller with a good midi implementation at an affordable price, I'd say it would sell very well.

Probably no more new models by Roland as they folded up their Europe operation. The Italian man responsible for the very first Roland FR7 accordion started Dexibell. So Dexibell has the capability to come up with a digital accordion. Another former Roland Europe employee named Marco who has license to put the 8x electronics in a real acoustic case/wooden keys came up with a new model, but it doesn't sound too good. I will say Casio needs to build inexpensive digital accordions besides a 73 weighted key.

The so-called Stradella bass system on most accordions is not really bad at all. It is as if there was only one key/scale to learn. A keyboard player will learn to play a piano accordion rather fast. Besides, there is a Biblical approach to accordion playing that's very effective; don't let the left hand know what the right hand is doing! Kidding aside, I picked up the accordion some years ago again just in time for the Roland digital accordion. I find a midi accordion to be a versatile, powerful midi controller.

Yes, I agree. As I mentioned, the ones on YT are home-made. A commercial one should be better than those somewhat like the DM48x digital harmonica.

Every time I look at my Hammond 44, I'm thinking of midi melodica. One company is interested in making one but they are in the middle of some big project right now. I've seen some home-made ones on YT.

Yea, the midi din plugs are handy. come to think of it, I can also attach my WIDI devices to it for Bluetooth MIDI.

I carry my Numacompact 2x in a different Casio bag. It fits just. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Y08846/?tag=digitalguid0a-20

I use this this midi breadth controller. No Bluetooth but USB plus MIDI in and out https://compasflamenco.com/midi-c-3/midi-breath-controller-mbc1-p-5.html

Thanks to your posts, I took delivery of my CT-S1 today. For the price, it's amazing. I call it rain gear. Cheap enough to be used in rain and yet it does its job. Only today did I notice so many posts on the CT-S1. Thanks.

If a person already has an MBP or any other Apple computer, $29 or so for Mainstage makes sense just to have the sounds, but I would not buy an Apple computer just to use Mainstage though I'd think that's one way for Apple to make people buy Apple hardware. Besides, I have seen quite a few Mainstage people switching to Gig Performer as a plugin host and live performance tool. I have two old MBPs. I run Gig Performer in Windows machines and MBP. Windows Audio driver has significantly improved recently, and I can just play plugins without an audio interface. Gig Performer does very well in both machines. As for iPad, I've used iPad for music for many years and last year I bought an M1 12.9. I noticed that I have not really used my iPad Pro at all other than ForeScore to show sheet music to others that play with me. I was thinking my iPad Pro has turned into a very expensive sheet music viewer. I could have done the same with Mobile Sheet Music Pro which runs in Windows and Android devices. it has quite a few pros over ForeScore, too. Lots of choices out there.

Thanks for the clarification.

Did you mean to say the P125 which doesn't have audio over USB? I could not find any info on the P-121A.

You might also want to look into the Korg Microkey series 25,37, 49, and 61. Both Bluetooth & USB MIDI.

Honey, Eric shrunk my key from 73 to 61! Amazing how my 73 key got transformed on this forum. LOL Just ordered a CT-S1 from B&H and used their Payboo card to avoid the sales tax of $17.54. The funny thing is that I might even use the CT-S1 at my regular, weekly gigs once in a while though down the road I would also get a weighted 73 key. I had to wait one day before ordering to make sure it arrives on Tuesday not Monday. In the meantime, I read this post of yours which served as a confirmation for me. Thanks.

You talked me into it. I am buying one. Thanks for being a "cheap" influence on me! LOL I was about to buy one when I noticed a number of different Casiotone models. I don't think I am getting the one without touch sensitivity. Now I will have to do some research to decide which Casiotone. I agree to your statement, "Every piano person should have a cheap Casiontone." I'd add, though, "plus a slim 73 weighted key." Casio, are you listening? Make one. I will buy a 73 key version of the 7000, 6000, or whatever . If not, I will get the Yamaha P121 in addition to a Casiotone.

Perhaps I should have clarified my reason for a slim Casio type 73 key but thanks to all the great feedback, now I have a better idea of what would be the best choice for me. A 73 keyboard to play at casual gigs, easy in and out and possibly for traveling in a class B camper van. I wanted the Numa x 73 so bad(the price is right, slim, lots of sounds, and so forth, but I just don't want to fumble around with external speakers and cables) that I had to fight myself! The P121 would be a better choice for my purpose. I went to B&H to buy one. It won't be in stock again until March. Well, I guess I can wait.