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CHarrell

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    Have you gone from hardware stage keyboard to an iPad and controller setup for bread and butter piano/keyboard sounds? How did it go?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    51 minutes ago, Al Quinn said:

    have heard it said that laptop based rigs sound better than hardware but I haven’t heard that for myself in a live setting. 

     

    Depends on what you're listening to--lord knows how many wild software synths are out there that no company would dare release to die in hardware format--but I would imagine many of these VSTs and apps aren't always designed for live use situations,  where companies like Yamaha oftentimes tailor their sounds on particular products to fit their intended context. 

    • Like 1

    Have you gone from hardware stage keyboard to an iPad and controller setup for bread and butter piano/keyboard sounds? How did it go?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    5 hours ago, Al Quinn said:

    I’ve yet to hear an iPad or Laptop rig that sounded better to me than hardware in a live setting. I’ve used Ravenscroft, Ivory, Pianoteq, and Keyscape APs on a MacBook Pro on gigs but like the sound and playability of the YC73 APs better. I’ve played B-3X on an iPad but like the sound of the SK Pro better. I could go on. Can anyone share gig video of iPad or Laptop rigs with bread and butter sounds that they like better than great hardware keyboards?

     

    There's definitely something to be said for sounds optimized for live use.

    Have you gone from hardware stage keyboard to an iPad and controller setup for bread and butter piano/keyboard sounds? How did it go?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    37 minutes ago, Ibarch said:

    In some cases as if this is the only alternative. Having the best and largest range of available instruments doesn't appear to be a significant concern. 

     

    At least for me the number one thing I prefer with tablets such an iPad over laptops is portability and simplicity. I don't use my tablet for any other purpose but music, so I turn it on and in seconds it boots up and I'm ready to pull up my apps...maybe this would be different if I had a dedicated music laptop (I use Windows by the way), but my laptop takes much more time to boot up and get situated with VSTs, etc.

     

    With my laptop also being my main music station--where I do my serious work--and it just being plain larger and bulkier than an iPad, I get nervous about something happening to it and leaving me screwed.  Furthermore, when you're talking about a computer that can run all of those sophisticated libraries that can be 10s of GB, that means you'll probably need some strong horsepower to do so, AKA a nice (and more expensive) computer...I don't feel very secure lugging and slinging that around all over the place. 

     

    Also, many laptop applications are not optimized for touch operation (I even e-mailed one of the Cantabile heads and he told me that touch is not reliable on laptops), meaning you'd probably have to use a mouse or your computer's trackpad...AKA even more stuff or the unpleasant experience of using a laptop trackpad. 

     

    One final element to all that is, when we're talking about playing live, there are some really good-sound iOS apps out there...would the performance really be enhanced if you had a great 2GB iOS Rhodes vs a potentially really great 4GB Rhodes on a laptop?

    Have you gone from hardware stage keyboard to an iPad and controller setup for bread and butter piano/keyboard sounds? How did it go?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I'm actually in the process of making this exact transition! What I've been finding is iPads work pretty well and have a consistent operation that makes connecting dongles such as audio interfaces relatively quick and straightforward. 

     

    Another boon is that there are a good number of relatively cheap apps that give you strong functionality for what you're looking for, and what's great is that they oftentimes offer free versions or demos that you can try out to determine if they work for you. I wish more interfaces in some of these were better optimized for touch, but at a rehearsal last weekend I was able to change parameters and instruments rather easily. I'm a very tactile person so I'm still nervous about missing out on knobs etc (I'm not a fan of mapping but I think I'll have to suck it up), but overall, it's been a good transition...plus it's lighter on the body and wallet! 

     

    (Also, some of these apps provide similar if not superior quality to many hardware offerings).

    New Studiologic Numa X Piano

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    22 minutes ago, CyberGene said:

    I mentioned to Gianni about the overly loud pedal noises and he explained that this is mostly an issue with the switch type of pedal that comes with the non-GT models. The half-pedal produces gradual values from which the speed of pressing the pedal can be devised and so the loud noises are only for very fast kicks of the pedal. And the switch generates the max value. He said they may change the behavior. BTW, the Roland DP10 works as a half-pedal, although it requires setting it as a different type depending on whether you’re playing an acoustic piano sound or electric which defeats the purpose (also reported to Studiologic and they may fix that behavior) and indeed with a half-pedal the noises are much more natural. 

     

    That's one thing I've really liked about Studiologic too, just seeing how actively they support their instruments...they're still updating the Compact series that came out 5 years ago! That was something that really drew me to their corner.

    • Like 1

    New Studiologic Numa X Piano

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    9 hours ago, CyberGene said:

    As to piano sounds and amplification. It's funny that on headphones (Sennheiser HD650-s) I found the CP88 having a slight edge with its piano sounds that are more polished, refined and well mapped in terms of touch to sound, however where we rehearse there's an expensive stereo PA with mixer and the Numa surprisingly sounds better than the CP88. I

     

    I can't remember if I tested my original Numa out with my Spacestation, but you're describing my experience with the CP and YC. The electric pianos sound amazing amplified, but the pianos can have a very dull sound. Strangely, adjusting the velocity settings actually made them sound better? Also, in headphones I think the Pianoteq Rhodes Mk2 sound iffy and way too tine-y (using the demo currently so can't change many parameters), but amplified it sounds beautiful.

    • Like 1

    New Studiologic Numa X Piano

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    5 hours ago, stoken6 said:

    I suspect that the TP100 wasn't designed from the outset as a Rhodes-like action. It was more like "make something light to compete with Yamaha and Casio!" "Here, this feels horrible, will that do?" "It's fine, ship it"

     

    This is from a country that gave us Mussolini then Claudia Cardinale, we should expect they know how to right previous wrongs.

    • Haha 1

    New Studiologic Numa X Piano

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    16 minutes ago, kanefsky said:

     

    Interesting.  So your opinion is that the TP100 and TP110 are intended for different purposes, rather than the TP110 simply being a new-and-improved version that would be preferable in all cases (if it were actually available on anything but the Numa X Piano)?

     

     

    Small clarification, it is also on Kurzweil's SP7 Grand (the higher tier of SP7 interestingly), but other than that I think we're all waiting for the deluge of TP110 equipped products like SL Studio sequel. 

    New Studiologic Numa X Piano

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I unknowingly auditioned for a band last week and was playing an old QS8 that a guitar player got from his dad...the keys were light but loose and some of the keys either didn't respond or had a wild velocity value...not a pleasant experience 😅. Now my fingers just remember that bed and I'm worried that the Numa would feel like that too. @CyberGene can you give me some reassurance the TP110 feels tight and firm, I'm desperate 😭

    New Studiologic Numa X Piano

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    On 7/28/2023 at 11:55 PM, CyberGene said:

    I'm not at my Numa and won't have chance to test it in the next days but according to the MIDI specifications it can also transmit MIDI messages when those knobs are pressed (for instance to enable/disable the zones), so it should again be a context dependent MIDI CC. But that's for the knobs when pushed as buttons. Also, that's when the  Numa is configured as Common MIDI channel. There are too many variables, so unless I test it directly, don't take my word for granted.

     

    In one word: yes.

     

    But there are some considerations. Some people may remember that I initially ordered a Numa X Piano 88 that I found lukewarm regarding piano sounds, keyboard response, etc. Which I then replaced with a Yamaha CP88 that I was very happy about. But then I sold it and got a Numa X Piano 73 😀

     

    With the above paradox in mind, let me explain. I consider myself mostly a classical pianist and a piano aficionado. I have a Yamaha AvantGrand N1X hybrid digital piano with real grand piano action and I'm known on some forums for being really picky about tiny small nuances in everything and how I dislike all digital piano actions except for those in the hybrid pianos since they are real piano actions. I also have made my own DIY MIDI controller from an old grand piano action by designing my own electronics and control software using optical sensors, it's called Cybrid.

     

    It's apparent that I'm overly critical about digital pianos and especially about their actions, so you can rarely hear me praising any digital piano 😀 I guess that's what's happened with my first Numa. Besides, it was at firmware 1.0 which is known to have touch response that was a bit off and they improved the touch response in the next firmwares. But I had already sold it.

     

    At that time I started playing in an amateur pop/rock band and had to forget about my classical/jazz piano skills which is why I had to lower my expectations and be more tolerant towards digital pianos. The CP88 was a better piano than the Numa X Piano 88 in almost every respect. I used it on a few rehearsals and it was exactly what I needed, however I have disc herniation and problems with my back and I quickly realized the CP88 was too heavy and caused me back aches. Also, it couldn't fit in the trunk of my car (had to lower the back seats). So, I decided to seek a 73-key keyboard that is as light as possible. Hence, the Numa X Piano 73. At that point I was already looking realistically at what I need. It wasn't for classical music at home. It was a stage instrument that I will use for pop/rock music 😉 That's why the Numa X Piano 73 is actually pretty good and I am very happy with it. Hope that helps and apologies for the long post.

     

    My new YC88 has some faulty keys so I'm gonna have to return it. 😭 Furthermore, living in the city, I'm getting around more and even though I have the muscles for it technically, I think it'd be just too much of a hassle to try and lug that pup around. And so, I might follow similar suit to you, and re-snag a Numa. I got rid of it because it seemed to be causing wrist pain, but dammit, it's so hard finding a good feeling keyboard around 30lbs and featured with controls (I've recently bitten the Pianoteq apple demoing my iPad and I think I'm finally gonna give this software thing a shot). 

     

    Maybe I'm a fool returning to my folly, but I also don't remember, how firm feeling is the tp110?

    • Like 1

    Yamaha YC88 and YC73

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Outkaster said:

    They key's aren't that heavy? I have three guys that saw mine and are all great players. They bought a YC88 because of the keybed for one thing. 

     

    I don't know if I'm describing it well, but at least on headphones (haven't tested it with my Spacestation yet), it feels the amount of force I have to apply to get decently louder velocities is way too much, especially if I try controlling external sounds. However, like I said, some quick adjustments to the touch sensitivity controls and it feels perfect.

     

    Let me make it clear, I'm loving this board!

    Yamaha YC88 and YC73

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    4 hours ago, ProfD said:

    Considering the conundrum, it doesn't read like you're totally sold on this KB but settling instead.

     

    The *right* KB should always be a joy to turn on and play forsaking any contenders.😁😎

     

    I mean to be honest, the number one thing is price: I look at all these great-sounding iOS apps etc. that cost fractions of what I'm paying for the YC...but when it comes to functionality, use, I really can't find anything to compare. My last post was to say that I have these niggles with the YC, but then I tweak a little here and a little there, and those things melt away. I have a hard time keeping myself away from the YC.

     

     

    ....but if there was a good all-in-one keyboard app that had good layering capabilities, that I could get for less $$....

    Yamaha YC88 and YC73

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I've owned this for about 2 weeks, now. Occasionally I find myself wondering, "Could I still find a cheaper alternative that does what I want?" I'll look around for certain software options, the closest in approach that I can find is GSI Genuine Sounds, but the fact you can't layer is a dealbreaker. And maybe the YC keys are too heavy...and maybe the pianos could sound better...but then I adjust the velocity depth and offset, and I adjust the damper resonance, or roll off some frequencies with the filter and get a mellower sound....

     

    I can do all of this so quickly, and I conclude that maybe there really isn't any substitute for me.

    New Studiologic Numa X Piano

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    1 hour ago, RandyFF said:

    my ideal would be a mash-up of the MP7SE and ES920: 4 voice stage piano with hands-on control and lighter weight and great speakers.

     

    Agreed! But I don't see how they could get lighter unless they ditch the speakers. Maybe there could be a theoretical RHIV that streamlines that quality with lighter mechanisms, but I wouldn't count on it.

    New Studiologic Numa X Piano

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    1 hour ago, RandyFF said:

    most people have had to the TP 110, I’m guessing I would get on with the action

     

    It's definitely a lot "flightier" than the ES920! From my experience with the ES920, its action is a lot firmer and feels more substantial than the X. X is still a good all-rounder key action though.

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