CHarrell
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Posts posted by CHarrell
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Yeah I was looking that up last night and saw a post from I think Yamahamusic forums or something by a mod that said Yamaha has no intentions at this time for a separately available VST.
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58 minutes ago, David Emm said:
While visiting Poland, I believe, Frank Zappa encountered a young musician who had used various modules to create some meaningful orchestral results. Even he was impressed, no small feat. The year escapes me, but I immediately envisioned E-mu Proteus series pieces. Even today, some of those appear in serious racks. I hate seeing some musicians lose work over it, but up to a high point, project studios are the friends of those with less-than-Zimmer-sized budgets. Besides, I'm too hooked to be impartial. I love laying hands to some sky-splitting mega-patch that makes me feel like unto a god.⚡
Zappa was pretty notorious in the 80s for wanting to remove "the human element" of performance, and used the Synclavier to realize many of his later pieces of music. He was actually shocked that people could play some of the music he wrote at the end there! He even ended up sampling some of those players and using those for his last (posthumously released) project.
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1 hour ago, pianomikeoct said:
I had my Nephew do a firmware update on my Numa x 88 key piano, Thought it would take the ringing out of some of the keys but the ringing is still there , is there any way to get that high pitched tinny sound out that some keys in the upper register have?
Without knowing exactly what you're referring to, maybe trying dialling down some of the sonic aspects such as duplex resonance to try and isolate the issue.
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15 hours ago, CrossRhodes said:
I work on feature films on the previs/postvis side and games as well doing animatic and cinematic editorial. I've worked with some amazing composers and that is the workflow. Games often have really big budgets for music and it's great to see the composers being able to hire orchestral players and really bring their vision to life.
On the other hand though, especially on the indie side--and this is for various forms of media--there are a lot of projects that have small overall budgets and if we as composers had to split that for hiring players, booking sessions in studio spaces, etc., we wouldn't have anything to buy groceries with, or more accurately, would be in the negative since we'd have to spring for it out of pocket. When I first started, I had a very anti-sample stance, but I learnt quickly that not using those meant not getting any work at all.
I think the majority of keyboardists here have also, in some situation or another, have had to cover horns, strings, and lord knows what other instrument parts on stage as well.
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1 hour ago, AnotherScott said:
When playing the YC73 piano sounds from the Numa, I felt they played better than from the YC73's own keys (and my preferred YC pianos played from the Numa X also sound better to me than playing Numa X's own pianos). So I would have no qualms about the previously discussed idea of pairing a Numa X piano with a YC61. The YC61+Numa X combo would play better than a YC73 alone for both pianos and organ (playing the latter on the YC61's keys). And you'd get some bonuses, like triple sensor, aftertouch, Numa's own sounds (which can fill some Yamaha gaps), better MIDI zone controls, and a controller that sends release velocity. Of course, the combination of the YC61+Numa X is pricier than a YC73, and if you still need some other board in your rig (i.e. something more workstation-like), you'd be up to three boards instead of two.
Overall I think both fill a very similar niche, with the YC having a broader sound palette due to its organ and FM engine, and both have very similar gaps in what they can't provide, so I don't know how effective a pair those two would make if you're thinking about efficiency of setup and bank account.
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This went from boring to really interesting really quick.
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*walks up to the microphone, taps it*
*looks left and right**leans in*
Yamaha YC > Nord
Okay, so at this point, I'd say Nord Stage is really the one premium all-in-one stage board that can do practically everything, so in that sense, it doesn't have any direct competitor. However, I think that also comes at the price of feature compromise, and...well, price. I would prefer to get a board such as the YC that I would love for 80-90% of everything, a lightweight yet way more fully featured dedicated synth (or hell an iPad synth app with a lightweight controller), and still have over $1,000 saved than had I purchased a Nord Stage 4.
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2 minutes ago, Dave Ferris said:
Yeah that makes sense. I had one of those for a minute when they first came out. I had a Nord Piano 2 and also a Yamaha CP4 at the time and each sounded way different through it.
There was an historically long thread here about the Spacestation. Aspen Pittman, the designer, was 20 minutes away over in San Fernando and I went back and forth trying it out. I ended up not keeping it after quite a few gigs, in the end I just preferred my RCF TT-08As. You couldn't beat the convenience factor of it though.
When you get stereo effects dialled in right through the amp's settings, such as the CP/YC/CK autopan, it's magical, but for overall clarity and "everyday" sonic character without carving out a damn-near new instrument through EQ or effects, I think I've reached a point where I would prefer two conventional PAs as well.
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1 hour ago, Dave Ferris said:
Really? I haven't played the CK88 so I wouldn't know. But I'd be hard put to ask for any more clarity, at least with bass & drums in a straight-ahead jazz context, then my CP88.
It could be my amplification settings, especially since the CP doesn't have an output dB setting, but the CK sounded brighter and more pronounced on my Spacestation v3.
22 minutes ago, AnotherScott said:There are differences even not counting the FM sounds. I was disappointed to see that the CK is missing the "overblown" flute that the YC has.
I did oversimplify, yeah, I felt like there are so many differences in that whole department between all three that it would take a lot longer to go in the weeds (I did forget about the overblown flute though).
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I have sold my possessions and assigned a power of attorney on account of the cancer I spontaneously developed reading this joke.
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22 hours ago, To B3 said:
As I already know that the organs are not in the same level of the YC, I´d like to know: how does the Pianos/EPs/Clavs/Vintage Synths/Mellotrons on the CK vs the YC? Same? Almost the same? Totally different?
Same question regarding the effects especially the ones more comon to vintage keys, like rotary, overdrive, tremolo, wah, phaser.
Pianos: Similar but not as many. Could be placebo but CK CFX sounds clearer and brighter to me than CP CFX.
EP: Similar but not as many. They chose my favorite CP sounds for them.
Clavs: Almost identical if not identical
Synths and other sounds: Waaaaaay more than CP, different than YC since YC features FM.
Effects: As far as I know, most of the same, more than CP, almost identical to YC. VCM is one of Yamaha's biggest strengths, they need to sell these in a modern standalone package.
My dream that Yamaha would probably never ever do is sell a CK rackmount, the only big thing holding it back for me is the action on the 88. Otherwise, it's an amazing gigging board.
Never played the Numa, but Yamaha vs Roland: overall I'd give Yamaha the edge in most departments, but there's something about the VR organ I find really charming, and though you need an iPad to edit these in depth, I do give Roland for shoving a (sample based? Can't remember if it's based on Gaia or not) VA in there.
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3 hours ago, Mark Schmieder said:
I just learned from another source that Hal Leonard bought MuseScore in December 2023 (I did not know this) and as a result they think it will become the new standard, maybe starting with the upcoming v5, which apparently promises to finally deliver a pro-level app (MuseScore v4 and earlier versions, is seriously flawed in basic ways).
It'd be a tough thing for people to digest if HL takes Musescore out if open-source, I still remember downloading that first alpha back in 09...it's come a long way!
4 hours ago, Mark Schmieder said:regarding DAW capabilities (especially integrated into StudioOne after PreSonus bought them).
Still waiting on Cubase integration, one of the reasons I went with Dorico 5 years ago. 😭
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Allow me to take the opportunity to say that Dorico is immensely badass and the consistent rate of intuitive, time-saving new features is extremely appreciated and exciting. I've been using it consistently since 2019 and it just keeps getting better and better with a very active and tuned-in development team.
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5 minutes ago, Dave Ferris said:
Thanks for the nice comments guys, greatly appreciated!
I haven't done any line recordings yet on the AG since I got my Crane Song Interstellar A/D piece, but here's the iPhone 14 mics capturing a couple choruses blowing on "You stepped out of a dream".
There's no comparison to any digital stage piano but there shouldn't be considering I paid 14.4K for it. But I hear the headphone sound of the N3X as not very good at all. Very enclosed sounding, even with the HD650s being "open" cans. P515 and CP88 sound much better with phones. AG is all about the speaker experience and action.
Okay that little phrase at 1:00 is too slick 😂
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8 hours ago, pawelsz said:
I find headphone outs on current Yamahas to be quite weak. I have much better playing experience listening to P515 from line outs into PC4-7 input, and then from its headphone out. P515 headphone output is kind of little lo-fi, low-pass filtered and less dynamic compared to it's line outs. I read on pianoworld that they made P525 headphone output even weaker than P515, but I haven't played one. Same goes for CK61. CK61 was quiet on both line outs and headphone out by default 0dB gain setting but there is a possibility for adjusting it. And also sound from line outs is better. I don't have a mixer but the Kurzweil is probably the clearest sounding input to output from all my boards I had. Very low background noise level, nearly unhearable, and good dynamics.
This also can affect your impressions.
And I use AKG K271 MkIi with 55 Ohms impedance. Not the lowest, but not high. Seems like current Yamahas are being designed for something 32 Ohm level.
I've definitely noticed this. It's something I struggled with with the CP88 when I had it...the CK and YC thankfully have the output gain setting.
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3 hours ago, Dave Ferris said:
Yeah I've never played that console model. I can never keep track of the branding in that line but I did play one a few years back, must've been close to the top of the line because it was 7K. That seemed pretty good.
Ok so the action is now called the "Grandtouch-S". Again along with action, I found the tone highly lacking compared to mine, especially through quality headphones like my Senn HD650s. Noticeably a thinner and less rich tone. In that video that Elmer posted, you can't discern the tonal difference that well with a smartphone camera mic of the internal speakers. They both sound pretty clangy in that respect.
Also again, looking on Reverb, there are still quite a few 515s still out there, new in a box, except I just don't have room to store it.
Regarding "the NWX action being too heavy and lacking some expressiveness", with these reviews we are at the mercy of players who might not have had proper pianistic training, or have a solid grounded piano technique to begin with. In that case, of course the action will feel heavy. I found it pretty expressive for a $1500 DP, not like my AG of course (at close to ten times the cost, ridiculously insane btw) but it wasn't getting in my way, like say a Nord does.
Thanks for sharing, Dave! Yeah I don't want to comment too much on the sound because I don't know how different the console version is in that realm, either with speakers or the dinky headphones the store rep gave me.
Where I can understand complaints about the NWX's lack of expressiveness is for softer dynamics: every NW action I've played has a hard time consistently going under around 30. However, as the Dude opinionates, some of that might be the way the velocity layers in the sampling interact with the action. Overall I love the NW though, and when I reflect on my time with multiple keyboards, that keybed, whether in the 515, CP4 and 88, is one of the most inspiring I've found. I just want to create when I play them!
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On 8/22/2024 at 10:59 AM, Dave Ferris said:
Fwiw, I posted on this recently.
No 525 in my area that I know of, but I played its console equivalent a few weeks ago to test out the Grandtouch-S and see what the score was...I gotta say, I felt similarly to you, Dave. At the risk of sounding dramatic, it was probably the most disappointing key action I've played on because my expectations were high as an ever intensifying Yamaha piano fanboy.
I compared it to a C7x a couple feet away for perspective: in terms of raw touch weight, I can see where the marketing hype comes in, because they completely nailed that aspect. But what the GTS action lacked, and this is what killed it for me, was a sense of firmness. Not saying the keys are shoddily made, but it felt like I was pressing on crumpled paper the entire time. While I sympathize and somewhat agree with complaints about the NWX action being too heavy and lacking some expressiveness, it has a substantial, firm feeling that subjectively gives me a much more confident and ultimately enjoyable playing experience.
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When I was just getting into electronic instruments 10 years ago, I had the most massive longing for a Fairlight, spurred on by performances like this:
I tried downloading as many freeware soundfonts I could, but none of them captured what I heard listening to these albums! I guess I hadn't learnt about processing yet...either that, or the soundfonts were trash.
Looking up the prices when it released, no wonder the DX7 was the go-to synth for "realistic" sounds at the time! I'm tempted to check out these apps people have posted in the thread though.
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48 minutes ago, Prtzl8lgc said:
HI Folks,
New to this forum. Took up piano during the pandemic, went from Yamaha P150, to the Roland FP90X (P150's key weighting was a bit splashy). Anyway, I have several songs under my belt, and want to record, so I can add a soft pad to one of them. Without going down too many rabbit holes here, just want to get opinions/knowledge on USB vs. DAW hookup. i.e. Do I get the same audio quality, if I Scenario 1. : record (in audio format) on the FP90X, to the USB drive, then take it to the computer where i load into a DAW, and use whatever to increase gain, add a midi synth pad, etc. OR Scenario 2. : Hook up cables to the audio out jacks, route through Scarlett 4i4, connected to a laptop with Ableton on it, capture the audio, then do the same as in scenario 1. Which is better? i.e. is the quality of the audio any better with the cables/interface/DAW for capture, or the USB drive? Any opinions or experience with this would be appreciated. Thanks! And, if you're wondering, in scenario 1 case, I would play back the song, and then record another track to USB, of the synth pad that FP90X supplies - ending up with two tracks on USB, that I'd line up in the DAW. But still wondering if I should go to the trouble of the cables/audio interface... Hope that's clear.
Good news for you, the FP90X has a USB Audio interface, meaning you don't need to hook it up through the Scarlett or do the whole thing with the USB drive. Just plug your FP90X into your computer through a single USB cable and you're good to go.
https://support.roland.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004180532-FP-90-Connecting-to-a-Computer
You would just need to tell your computer--usually through your DAW's settings--to recognize the FP90X as your interface, and you'll be able to transmit and receive audio from and through your FP, respectively. While you could just straight record audio from there, what I personally like to do is set up both an audio AND a MIDI track and have them record simultaneously. This way, you get the audio of your performance, but if you wanted to tweak things, copy out parts for doubling, keep the performance but change/edit the onboard sound, you now have the MIDI performance that you can adjust to the infinitesimal degree.
If need be, such as the case of tweaking the onboard sound but wanting to keep the original performance, you can then have that recorded MIDI send to your FP MIDI In (same USB connection as the audio!), set the DAW to record, and then basically have the FP, with the adjusted settings and sound, play itself and record that audio at the same time!
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4 minutes ago, Keepitsimple said:
Yes, why? LOL
I just posted the same thing over there! I'm too excited lol .
Hahaha, I saw you drop something about this a few months ago, it created a little curiosity flag in the back of my mind after reading it.
So are they treating this as a kind of .5 upgrade? I'm trying to understand what the major changes from OG88 are. My number one issue with that one was the interface, I'm wondering if they've taken any steps to improve it here.
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7 minutes ago, Keepitsimple said:
And...it's out!
Had it pre-ordered since May but i couldn't share my joy with anyone due to confidentiality until Roland make the release public.
I actually got it by chance. When i returned my FP-30X, i asked the distributer that i wanted an RD-88 instead, which he didn't have in store. So when he called Roland, they told him that the RD-88 will be discontinued and replaced with the RD-88 EX. So they offered to give him the EX instead, with the promise to keep things quite until official launch.
For the record, i haven't received it yet! Any day now!
Are you on VI Control by chance?
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Wow these instruments really have that magic fairy dust. 😍
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42 minutes ago, Anderton said:
A corollary: there is no best DAW. There's only the DAW that's best for how you need to use a DAW. All those videos about "I used to use DAW X and I switched to DAW Y so now I'm [so happy or so disappointed, depending on the video]" are ridiculous. The only thing that's more ridiculous is people saying the person is wrong for being happy or disappointed, because clearly, DAW Z is better and only idiots would use either DAW X or DAW Y.
Feel free to substitute the work "keyboard" for "DAW."
I agree with the broad sentiment you're sharing, but people expressing these opinions can actually be very valuable for those looking for a DAW (or keyboard) based on our own needs. For example, I brute forced my way through a couple of DAWs when I first started out, not quite knowing what I was looking for at the time but ultimately coming to a wall. After watching some videos of this type, I realized that another DAW's feature set and capabilities were much better equipped to do what I was looking to do, and I have happily made that shift 6 years ago. So I think it's always important to see the perspective of the person sharing, and if their use case aligns with yours.
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Native Instruments - Komplete 15
in The Keyboard Corner
Posted
I won't be upgrading for a while either, but briefly scrubbing the video for the "What's New", I'll admit I'm impressed by 8's additions. For a long time it felt like Kontakt's versions were just backend upgrades that didn't make it any easier or enjoyable to use as a musician, but the updates here actually seem like noticeable workflow improvements. What stood out most to me--not chord or phrase generators, I tune out the second I see those--was the way you can apparently combine instruments. To do that kind of setup, or an approximation of it, in past Kontakt versions was always an obnoxious pain, so kudos to the team if they addressed that the way I think they did.