CHarrell

Believe it or not, a great source of any kind of sheet music is the website Scribd. It costs a subscription fee, but you can find some of the most obscure stuff on there...I've found rare Hermeto Pascoal scores, some Chucho Valdes, and even a Japanese transcription book of some Herbie Hancock solos.

I remember feeling some "looseness" in the keys, is that accurate?

I don't get Roland's product lines, they all overlap in features and price in weird ways, and I have a hard time seeing what would entice me to buy one over the other. For example, their dedicated MIDI controller, the A88mk2, sells just a little bit under the RD88. With the 88, you get pitch and mod, some readily assignable knobs, a whole bunch of sounds, built in speakers, and like 6 lbs less than the A88 with the same key action. Who in the world would buy the A88mk2 instead, just for a few unique control surfaces?

https://youtu.be/SGI1RJoYe3g?si=UO_cFe-d8YueHyBO

That's fair. I used the Triton (non-"synth") for "stunt" sounds: sample libraries of course have become so sophisticated and feature all kinds of programming techniques that, in exchange for stronger realism, typically forbid certain kinds of performance. With the crummier and more simplistic samples of the Triton, I was able to do thing like pitch bends on tubular bells: something technically possible on the real thing, but most advanced libraries can't (yet) reasonably accommodate. In software, it's much easier of course to take a piecemeal approach like this with sounds...can't imagine I'd want to boot up a hardware Triton for the sole purpose of getting stupid with the ROMpler sets.

That's weird, isn't Forte the flagship?

My first pro board 10 years ago! I'd been tempted over the years with a Rack, but as nostalgic as I am for that blue/white screen interface and grey color scheme, I think I'll stick with the (excellent) VST version. I still find use for some of those sounds, I even used one prominently in a film score I did last year.

I'm not familiar with the Forte, but I've played some keyboards that have a discrete "Output Volume" setting that jumps in intervals of 6dB, does the Kurz have this?

The PHA50 feels very different to me depending on the instrument it's in...either that or it's that wear down talked about earlier. The 50 feels much better on the Fantom 8 than the RD2000, for example.

The FP90X uses the next tier, the PHA50, which is considered the same tier as the ES920.

My personal feelings about the usefulness of that upgrade path aside--aka I would consider it very marginal--there is of course the flipside of what the used prices for these will eventually be.

Sound it out. 😈

I feel the same about Roland's actions, that's why I was shocked to find an RD300SX from like 2005 and thought it felt better to play than anything recent I've tried from Roland on their portables. (though funnily enough, that keyboard's action--as much as I can find discussion on it--was trashed at the time...what kinda standards did people have back then and why are they so much lower now!?!?!) However, I don't think it's fair to compare Roland such as the RD88 to top-of-the-line stage pianos such as the Yamaha CP88.

Some of the programmers out there go absolutely nutty with the Logue SDK...and what's crazy, a lot of them put these things out there for free! I'm a huge nerd for S&H, for example, which of course none of the Logues have by default. But sure enough, someone created a free effect that essentially gives you great S&H. Oh, and a VA engine that is actually mapped to the physical controls of the board, multiple filters such as 24dB, aaaaand, you can blend it with the actual analog sound source of the Logue and control both simultaneously!

They really should just call this thing the Roland-H8.

The Korg Prologue is one of the most fun, one-stop shop instruments I ever played. It's more on the simple side (which can be sometimes addressed through open-source oscillators and effects), but timbrally it's such a verstaile beast, good onboard FX, bitimbrality on the 16 voice model...you can do just about anything with it.

There's the one I saw at my local GC, it's one of if not the most expensive CP4 listing they have, listed in "Great" condition. But as I explained in an earlier post, this "Great" CP4 has worn-down contacts up the wazoo, resulting in a lot of different keys with consistently random velocity spikes. I channeled my Karen powers and even called them to report the issue, and that it was inaccurate for them to list it as great when the issue makes it damn near unusable, regardless of how pretty it looks. They said they would change it and reduce the price accordingly...about a month later and they still have it at that ridiculous price, in "Great" condition. So my faith in their ability to accurately describe the product they're selling is pretty low. The irony is that the busted-up one I got for half that price, after a repair job, would function better than the one they're selling, and still hundreds of dollars cheaper.

Wow, is it too bold for me to hope this would teach me the hidden sound of the obscure gem "Green Onions" by Booker T.?

Forgot to post updates! Had my first gig with the CP4 this past weekend! It fit perfectly into my CP88 soft case, which was a big relief. Even with the flaws I mentioned, the CP4 acquitted itself pretty well! I had issues balancing a layer between a 75RD and CFIII patch, as the piano was waaaay hotter. The EPs sound a little weak to me unless they're tweaked in just the right way--and even then I was having issues with it dying in the upper register--but as a piano layer it gives excellent body to the sound. I had to pre-coordinate all of this more than I was used to, but when the music was going, I was just having fun and everyone loved the performance. Still debating whether to bring this in for repair or sell it as-is to recoup and get a cheaper and lighter board--I want to re-evaluate an RD300SX I saw at a local store for an amazingly good deal that would cost a fraction of what I paid for the CP4. But I'm definitely seeing the appeal of the CP4 that has won over so many musicians on here.

Honestly even if I had the Kontakt library, I'd double dip just to get away from Kontakt. 😂

I saw that, do we know if this is just a re-packaged offering from their Kontakt libraries, or is this a unique one?

Every once in a while I stumble on their website and break down weeping in uncontrolled envy.

This is a small snippet of the lecture, but I always return to this. The emerging view of genius has been shifting from not being struck by the divine rays of heaven in glorious epiphany of revelation, but the ability to constantly refine and hone potential.

2nd half of this album! https://youtu.be/0lHLPalLx_s?si=v4Uobnc4BHK9FaSE

Oh for sure, I get so impatient with waiting for new gear, I try to satisfy myself by reading and watching everything I can about it--manuals, tips, etc. But on a purely economical level, I'm at a place where saving $200 or whatever in the long run is less appealing than having a lower month-to-month balance to pay. That said, I went into a local music store yesterday because I was thinking of finding a board/controller to gig with while my CP4 will be out of commission for almost a month...and shortly before the store closed, after playing all the high-end stuff, I saw there was an inconspicuously placed Roland I had never heard of before, called the the RD300SX. Just out of curiosity, I laid my fingers down on the keys....and absolutely loved it!! It was fast, crisp, the piano sounded surprisingly good...and then I found out it was under 35 lbs! And the price was so low! I talked to the employees and they said they'd be able to arrange free delivery, hold it for me, all of these accommodations I could never ask for in a big store like GC or online. I looked up the model online...I could see it for cheaper than what they were offering, but with all those benefits they offered me? I feel so happy being able to buy local.