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Artomas

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About Artomas

  • Birthday 01/19/2022

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    Pearl of the Commonwealth

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  1. I wanted to play my Reface and MIDIable fx from my digital piano, on the go. Even though it wasn't for gigs (much more casual) I still wanted as few things to set up as possible. When I was a kid, even Casiotones had DIN MIDI. So, you could get together with friends and chain them together, or if someone has a digital piano, and their younger sibling has a Casiotone with MIDI, they could hook them up. Some of us just like to stack sounds. MIDI jacks aren't just for pros at gigs, IOW. There are potential workarounds for connecting USB MIDI hardware without going thru a computer, 3rd party USB host boxes and so on, but nothing as obvious as "plug this MIDI out to that MIDI in". That being said, I ended up upgrading to a stage piano that filled my updated needs, including DIN MIDI. So, it actually worked out well for the manufacturer to exclude DIN MIDI from the entry model, but then include it in a model that wasn't TOO big of a leap up. I understand not putting it on the bare bones, keep the price down model. But some home users want to supplement the sounds without bothering with a computer (for whatever reason - people have their personal reasons). There are all kinds of cool little synth modules that have TRS or DIN MIDI, and aren't USB hosts, that can supplement Kawai's great piano sounds. However, that's for a more advanced product - I understand that. This one seems to be trying to deliver Kawai's core competencies for as little money as feasible... so, even the frills that only cost a few dollars extra will be omitted. But on the models that these buyers will be upgrading to, in a few years... don't forget the DIN MIDI on those.
  2. The CK88 keys are pretty much the same as my P115. The only difference - the CK88 chassis seems to magnify the mechanical clunk of the keys, which you won't notice in headphones or a loud PA. I would've preferred the YC88 keys (same as CP88) but I needed to keep the weight under 30 lbs, and I prefer the user interface on the CK. It has my favorite of the lightweight (meaning, physically light to carry around) portable digital piano keys. A good pianist, who's accustomed to playing an acoustic, may find them acceptable, or not. I needed something I could carry, and that was non-negotiable. It's nice to have the 3 band EQ on sliders on the panel (you set the frequencies in the menu system). There's also a mixer section for the 3 voice layers, with volume sliders and buttons. The fx are very well laid out, so I actually can keep track, even with 3 voice layers. The pianos and EPs are good, and there are a couple of mono pianos, if needed. There are only 2 clavinet sounds, and I wish there were more. Between the fx, the AR envelope, and the filter (and resonance) you can shape the sounds pretty well, but I wish there were more. I had better and more realistic clavinets on the Kronos, but the CK's are playable. The organs are pretty good, but not the very best emulations out there. Even Yamaha has better ones on the YC model. But they're better than you'd expect, and there are drawbars and controls you'd expect on a Hammond emulation. The keys are piano style keys, of course. The MIDI zones and capabilities are pretty good, too. You've got a different situaion than I did, so IDK whether that would suit you. It's bulkier than the P series digital pianos, even though it weighs about the same. The relatively clunky physical key thud echoing thru the slightly larger than it had to be chassis might bother some people who are in a very quiet setting. But that doesn't affect how it plays - pretty much like a newer example of my old P115. Definitely try one in a store, if possible. Or, if you try a P125, and those keys are unacceptable, then the CK88 won't be an improvement. All of the portable piano-style keys I liked better - YC/CP88, RD-2000, ES920, Stage 4 HA - were too heavy for me to carry around reliably (I didn't check the Nord's weight due to its price!)
  3. I self-released a synth album this year. Does that mean I'm going to sell some synths, in order to finally buy some fake teeth? Noooooo🤣. The keyboard keys will be my teeth! They were the Matsushita of teeth.
  4. I hate to double post, but you know what? Here: Maybe not exactly solo piano arrangements, bit I mean for some more song ideas. Either the video description or comments lists each song and artist, with timestamps.
  5. I can't believe I'm thinking about buying an arranger keyboard. SMH. Most of the info I'd want would be on Korg forums, which is being renovated or something, so Play Old Town Road... everybody knows and grooves along to that one, even though it's been 5 years gone already.
  6. Every so often, I listen to out-of-tune music on purpose and like it, and I vote. But it's usually the XXedo type, instead of whatever uncanny valley that harpsicord was summoned from. Here are some musical examples that I unironically like. I saw you chuckle when I said "musical"... LISTEN FIRST, hey. Some of these might not make you want to kill. Everyone loves King Gizzard, right? Quartertone yellow Steinberger: 22edo and 5/4 time, Sevish - Gleam: 31edo (try from about 1:30 onward): JI, but unusual note choices: 15edo Lo-fi: Well, that's enough easy listening. Here's the reverse engineered harpsicord from the Roswell crash, finally used as the ETs fully intended. The MIDI controller in the last 2 videos is called a car down payment... er... Lumatone.
  7. I'm going to try, as much as possible, to avoid the influence of psychopathic groomers. And lose weight, of course. And make music that will stop humanity from killing ourselves and everyone else. I'll call that last one a stretch goal🤪 maybe more aspirational than likely, but who knows?
  8. It was iconic enough that people gutted them so they could tour with other keyboards inside the shell: ^Cordovox/Moog White Elephant Here's a relatively recent but still iconic piano, just due to sheer ridiculousness: ^Klavins 470i Even though it's already been mentioned... for me, nothing says "keyboard synth" like a Minimoog. There are today keyboards that everyone instantly recognizes, like "Nord red" or Keystep, but whatever. Luckily, there isn't a single keytar that stands out as iconic.
  9. Headphones (DT990, SRH440, M-100) plugged into phone, computer or Livetrak mixer/recorder, playing mp3 or wav files I ripped from CD... or else I stream from YouTube. Sometimes I'll plug my phone and my Yamaha CK88 into separate Livetrak channels, so I can play the keyboard along with YouTube music, and still record both tracks separately. Then I import the wavs from the recorded YouTube track into Audacity audio editor on my computer, and trim it (dead space, or split a show into separate tracks), bring the level up, and even add fx if I'm feeling cheeky. Then I'll export the tracks as mp3s and wavs, and send the mp3 copies to my phone, so I can listen later without streaming. I also have hundreds of CDs and at least half a dozen working CD players (including car, boombox, walkmen, USB DVD burner, home stereo system, home DVD player, old Bose wave radio, Marantz practice assistant with timestretch to slow the CD music playback down digitally...) and both active and passive JBL monitors... and yet I mostly listen to my ripped, or streaming, versions of them, thru headphones.
  10. I really dislike the tone of my 15" Behringer keyboard amp for anything but loud synth bass (I bought it for Minimoog bass). In theory, the 10" version should sound much better for regular keyboard instruments. But, under the given circumstances, it seems kind of snooty for the guitarist to complain about it.
  11. I've already got the Prophet VS waves in my Wavestate, which is ok because Dave Smith worked on the original Wavestation... which was by Korg, so that can justify the VS waves in the Kronos, too. And the Groove (3rd Wave) guy also worked for Dave, so he can use the VS waves too... but did either of them order the waldorf salad?! Just kidding. I'm not gonna buy a Crave, Edge or Swing, but reenacting an analog 80s synth, but with more voices, and a polyAT keyboard, and selling it for under $1200... I don't see any issues with that. If, after over 5 years in development, someone finally opens one up, and if it looks remarkably similar to the voice circuits in an OB-X8, then I'll change my tune, about that. I'm not rushing out to buy one. I'd rather have an UDO Super Gemini. The UB-Xa is a third of its price. That's the part that's tripping me out. Once these actually ship to people, we'll know more. For polyphonic aftertouch, there have been more options lately. I think Native Instruments also announced a polyAT controller keyboard. So did Korg, and everyone knows the Hydrasynth, and Iridium and Quantum 2. Osmose has a polyAT mode. The 88 key Yamaha Montage has it. Once the UB-Xa is out, that will represent 5 different key manufacturers - Medeli, Fatar, Yamaha, Behringer, and Expressive E (I listed them last because those are the most different from regular keys, and also they're OEM, AFAIK).
  12. Oh, I remember this is the song I used to play when I was grounded, and I was determined to go outside. Kids today don't understand... staying inside all day used to be considered a punishment. Isn't that backwards? Now the punishment is you have to leave the house!
  13. There are things I prefer the Volca touch strip for (mostly for legato patch flipping with percussion patches), and things I only could do with a Continuum (very bendy sounds, like strings, and I'm trying to do lap steel style playing, which sounds so MIDI when I attempt it with a keyboard and pitch wheel). Otherwise, I'll happily take a Yamaha GHS or BHS in exchange for portability. For faster stuff, I think I'd like Korg's "natural touch" synth keys (Kronos etc) in a waterfall shape. I like that key action, for faster playing... but for that type of playing, I have weird technique that would be freer if I didn't have to be conscious of lips and gaps and sharp edges on keys. However, I'm no virtuoso, and I don't need perfect conditions. It's actually probably for the best, if the shape of the keys keeps me from Sun Ra-ing the keyboard too hard or too often. I already screw around too much as it is. But that would be close to my ideal synth/organ keyboard (Korg natural touch waterfall). I've tried the recent Vox Continental - it's nice, but those keys aren't exactly what I'm talking about. Still, if that had to be my non-piano board, I wouldn't complain.
  14. Wow, my memory wasn't wrong for once. Mine is the Keystation 49es. I originally bought the Alesis V49, so I could play the Kronos from around the room, via USB. The Alesis gave me stuck notes with the Kronos, so I traded it for the Keystation, which was plug and play and just worked. The weight feels about the same as the Korg Wavestate, so I'd guess about 6-7 lbs... but I'll see if I can find a scale that's accurate in that range, when I get home.
  15. The best bass preset in a 25 key keyboard: Yeah, yeah, I know... but listen to the damn thing. If it only had real keys, it would be perfect for the OP. Instead, you get chicletas for keys. Still, I want one just for that preset.
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