Jose EB5AGV

Well, I can't resist when I see a cheap, not working synth... Last week I saw an M-Audio Venom, in apparently good shape, sold as "only MIDI controller, unknown fault". It was 75€, shipped, so I pulled the trigger. It arrived yesterday but won't have time to even open the box until tomorrow. But I couldn't resist to open this thread, just in cause someone has gone already this way 😅 More to come! Jose

Here in Spain the unusual is to find a piano in a church, at least on the predominant Catholic ones. You can find tube organs in some larger ones, and electronic organs in others. But acoustic pianos are not usually found. In fact, I am trying to remember any church around this area with a piano, and can't remember any. So, yes, it seems a cultural thing 🤔

Here you have a short report. We did a sound check the day before. The church was large, with 15m or so ceilings and the instruments to be used were a cello, some Spanish guitars and the piano. The piano was going to be played only along the cello. I tried the B2 with just its speakers and was clearly too weak. I had taken an small 45W mono amplifier and with it at about 50% gain and the B2 at 60% output, the volume was enough for the intended pieces (classical except for some ballad from Lord of the Rings 😉) Well, the wedding was last Saturday and the piano setup was simple: KORG B2 connected by its headphones output (there are no other options) to a Behringer K450FX. The cello was not amplified but is incredible how it projects its sound. I placed the amp pointed to the public on the longitudinal section of the church (piano and cello were on the front left side) and, based on several recordings, could be heard from all the church (people behave nicely and were quiet) I was not intended to play but, as the player was only going to play the classical music, I played on the final festive piece, if just church organ chords (the main instrument there was a singer with a guitar, amplified through the church speakers). It took by surprise to my family and guests. And even myself 😅 All in all, we had a great ceremony and the humble piano setup did its job. And now I have another keyboard to play! 😁 Jose

Although already published in other threads, this summarises my minimalist setup, with good piano action. As the KORG B2 has audio and MIDI USB, wiring is minimal. And then, if more than 15+15W is needed, the audio can be amplified using the headphones output to a regular amp (done that last Saturday and worked just fine). The iPad is running AUM and several VIs, including KORG Module Pro

At least we know now the regular price for it!. I wonder why they don't put both prices when discounted... All in all, you are right, "need" in one of these is not usually accurate 😉

MODX+ model has no updates available as of today. Don't try to update it with previous MODX firmware!

Thank you all for your contributions to this thread. Lots of interesting sidenotes to it also! I have finally bit the bullet and bought several KORG Module expansions. Initially, I already had these, also bought on previous sales: KORG Module Performance Expansion KORG Organ & Clav Collection SYNTHOGY Ivory Mobile American D SCARBEE Classic EP-88M KORG Wurley Electric Piano KApro Monumental Choir Dreams KApro Orchestral Dreams KORG Mellow Tape Keyboard KAPro Dreamy Synths Now, I have added these: KORG 80s Dance Pop KApro London Symphonic Orchestra KApro Supreme Cello KORG Far North KORG Hybrid Synth Pack 2 And, as a plus, I have got also MIDI Layers So I am set until next sale! Jose

CME WIDI devices work perfectly for me: https://www.cme-pro.com/widi-premium-bluetooth-midi/

I have been looking to the very clear and multiple angled pictures on Thomann listing of the Astrolab (which BTW shows availability in 1-2 weeks), and have found two things so far that call my attention: -Transpose buttons have a visual indicator of 2 semitones up and down (I am guilty of using it 😉 and, sometimes, with larger values) -I see some slots just over the round knob/display... They could be for cooling purposes. Would be just passive or would have any kind of fan inside 🤨?

Yes, I got the pro expansion on another sale. That was a no brainer at the price it was at that moment 👍🏻 Will look at the ones you comment that I still don't have, as the Hybrid and Oasys I wish I had tracked prices! 😅

In my search for alternative portable setups, I am working on two options, both based on a MIDI controller plus an external sound source: Controller + iPad running AUM (and on it, KORG Module Pro among other VIs) Controller + Laptop running Gig Performer As a controller, I can use from simpler keyboards, with no controls, as the KORG B2, adding perhaps a Micro Kontrol 2 on it, to more complex controllers, as the Arturia Keylab 61 MkII or any other one on my stash of gear. For the laptop option, I have plenty of VSTs which cover all what I would need. But for the iPad, I have less instruments. There is a discount on the KORG software until tomorrow (BTW, I hate they say "up to 50% discounted" and you can't see the regular and the discounted prices!) So the question is what expansions to get on the KORG Module Pro. I have already some, but would like to know which ones people use and on what kind of music. Yes, I can hear the demos and even try them. But actual users for sure will have a real-world opinion on them 😁 Thanks for your feedback! Jose

As a piano VST hoarder 😅, with lots of them to compare, I have also found the evolution of Piano V to be excellent and I plan to extensively use it on my laptop based setup, as licensing is lots better than Pianoteq system. Kudos for the updates and your work on them 👍🏻

It has been very interesting to read this thread, as is a way to better know people here. We are not just anonymous posters, we are real people. I could imagine what could have been my life, had I discovered earlier this wonderful world of playing keys and, more generally, music. But that is only a fantasy... The real thing is that, besides some very simple Spanish guitar playing (just basic chords), back when I was 18-20 or so, I didn't got into music until I was 50, about 6 years ago. So during those years, I got married, had four children, worked on R&D (I am a Telecommunication Engineer) and, since June 2012, work at home, fixing mostly radiocommunications electronics (but also some music gear lately 🤩) When I began playing at home, as a hobby, on 2018, my wife thought it would be nice to gift me a piano course on a local music school. And after that, and also some music theory classes, four years later, thanks to a friend, I joined my first band. And since then, she has been supportive with our gigs, attending and helping to carry my gear on most of them so far. And she has also allowed me to build my increasingly big gear collection, including all the needed gear for gigs, and the three music setups I have at home. So I can only thank her for being so supportive on this late-time life hobby which is being so important for me. We are married for 33 years and counting 🥰 She will probably never read this, but this will be forever on the Internet archives... I ❤️ you

Yes, by making Analog Lab so usable, they have put the bar too high to compete with a tiny round display. I guess MK2 will solve that

That is my approach, but using Gig Performer instead (and Windows, as I don't have a MacBook) All in all I hope the Astrolab project is a successful one and, in few years, we can see it evolve 👍🏻

Also thinking out loud 😅... You could use one or two iPads on a regular music rest. This is one of my planned rigs: a Korg B2 connected by USB (MIDI and audio) to one of them, which would have AUM along Korg Module and some other VSTs, and the other one with ForScore on it. And, in case some paper is needed, you could put it over the iPads. BTW, I am talking of cheap ones (mine are both Air 2) but you can use any model which fits your needs

It took me about 5 months to buy it after the trial expired (BTW, if you have not used it already, it is a good idea to begin your journey), but I finally bought it a couple weeks ago and it is an incredible tool. I am using a Ryzen 5 3500U laptop with Windows 10 and 16GB RAM and 1TB internal SSD and a T7 2TB external one, so by no means a beast, and it works really fine. There is of course a learning curve, but the beginning is incredibly easy and the available resources on its forum are a blessing. Give it a try!

I put this on another thread, but in case you missed it, this is my newest keyboard, bought for a niece's wedding (as if I needed an excuse to buy another keyboard 😆) It is a used but close to mint KORG B2. And I want to add that, after playing it for a while, the keybed is very useable and consistent. At less than 250€, shipping and soft transport bag included, seems like a good acquisition.

I am also a mono-keyboard gigger (in my case mostly because of my limited abilities so far 😆) and find the MODX/MONTAGE very good on seamless patch changes. Not all can do it, but quite a lot do. As is also seamless when you switch scenes and the sustained notes keep sounding at the original volumes, even if the new scene has louder or quieter ones. That is really useful when switching from verse to chorus and vice versa. So this new keyboard seems to me like a good idea, but somewhat limited. Perhaps the MK2 will be closer to what I would like. Meanwhile, GP+laptop+V Collection (and other VSTs)+controller will do for me when I jump to that wagon 😁

That seems pretty low-spec. Not good

Yes, I had just seen the same on Jeff's video... Well, that detracts a lot of "extra value" as what you get is the same you get with any other Arturia controller, in that case (i.e. Analog Lab Pro) So, again, I find my real V Collection along Gig Performer and a controller is, for me, lots better (and cheaper) solution, as it can also integrate on the rig any other VST I own. About the Spanish language video... perhaps it was kind of click-bait 🤣 Jose

I have both. The good thing about Arturia Piano V3 is that the license allows more installations than Pianoteq and, if you remove it, that computer can host it agan in the future. Pianoteq is very picky on that and you won't be allowed to install it again on it. That is plainly mad IMO

Another nice review. I like Jeff style:

As all Matt Johnson videos, AWESOME! (at least for beginners like me! 😅)

The question is... would it include the license for all desktop instruments on that price?. Because if you don't have them, that is a good value to take into account. Not in my case as I have V Collection 9, Pigments and some other Arturia things...