Jon May Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 Hi All The Electro2 is currently my sole board which I play through a single powered cab. I have an opportunity to buy a Kurzweil ME1 module, which I would jump at IF the acoustic piano(s) was significantly better than any of the Electro's acPianos in mono. The rest of the module's sound pallet would also be very useful. I have a Roland A37 board currently lying idle which I would use to control the module. I have heard some demos of the ME1's acPiano on youTube, and it sounds great but I wondered if anyone here has had direct experience with these 2 boards? Thanks "I'm well acquainted with the touch of a velvet hand..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawback Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 This setup worked well for me for a time. I preferred the Kurzweil ME1 piano samples to those on the Electro, plus the 250+ extra sounds on the module range from very good to outstanding. I purchased a GEM RPx module for pianos, but still use the ME1 for other sounds when necessary. The Electro is a lousy controller, very limited MIDI controls (like, you can't turn off program change transmission ! ), and of course it's a non-weighted keyboard. The Kurz is a dumb module - you can't store any setups. So this combination alone for live work isn't going to cut it. Your use of the Roland as a controller is recommended. The ME1's pianos are great, the GEM RPx's are even better - but for the low price and extra sounds I'd say it's a good buy. ____________________________________ Rod Here for the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon May Posted December 30, 2007 Author Share Posted December 30, 2007 Cool - thanks Drawback. I'd love an RPx but practically and financially the ME1 is more suitable at the present time. Did you play the ME1 acPianos in mono? (just wondering if there are any "sounds-great-in-stereo-but-dull-in-mono" issues) "I'm well acquainted with the touch of a velvet hand..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 I play the ME-1 in mono all the time. In fact there are a few that are labeled as mono. With all I've read here about how disliked the Electro pianos are, I would guess the ME-1's are much better (or at least easier to make sound good in mono) but I have not compared them myself. "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 I can only confirm what others have said. The pianos on the ME-1, though not perfect, are a couple of steps above those on the Electro - even the upgraded ones. I own the ME-1, and have played the Electro several times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon May Posted December 30, 2007 Author Share Posted December 30, 2007 I'm convinced :-)and there'll be many other sounds onboard that will be very useful in a covers band format. To all those playing New Years Eve (that's TONIGHT for me in Australia) 'break a leg', have fun and get home safely. "I'm well acquainted with the touch of a velvet hand..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 IMO, too many people have drunk the punch about Kurzweil's piano sounds. I prefer the Electro's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 IMO, too many people have drunk the punch about Kurzweil's piano sounds. I prefer the Electro's. Indeed. The Kurzweil's, particularly their pianos, have always sounded like I was playing a recording of a piano, not like an instrument. I use the Electro's mono Steinway night in and night out. It's a killer sound when triggered from a piano weighted 88. A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWeldon Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I own both the ME-1 and the Electro2.The ME-1 is certainly not one of the best piano sounds around but in my opinion it is far superior to the acoustic piano on the Electro.At least Kurzweil was generous enough to supply reverb with their $400 unit while Clavia at $1300 was not.I am just dealing with empirical observation.I don't think I will ever go to the trouble of adding a reverb effect to my setup or triggering my Electro from another weighted board, although I admit both these things would probably alter my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I don't haul an extra reverb for my Electro - I listen to the reverb of the room I'm playing in... A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.J. Lewis Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Interesting thread. Being a Kurzweil AND nord rep, I have to say - I prefer the pianos in the ME-1 over the Electro any day of the week...especially in MONO. kanker - I actually agree with you that Kurzweil pianos sound like a 'recording' of a piano - I just happen to prefer that (it's the OCD in me ) If I put the Electro in the studio and play it on my Gennie's in stereo, it's passable (to my ears, anyway), but certainly not in a MONO live environment. That said, the Electro is a totally kick-ass board that I use all the time...and how on Earth DID I miss this thread?!? ivorycj Main stuff: Yamaha CP88 | Korg Kronos 2 73 | Kurzweil Forte 7 | 1898 Steinway I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon May Posted January 4, 2008 Author Share Posted January 4, 2008 The ME1 is mine c/o eBay, but yet to arrive. I'll report back when I've given it a thrashing. "I'm well acquainted with the touch of a velvet hand..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 If I put the Electro in the studio and play it on my Gennie's in stereo, it's passable (to my ears, anyway), but certainly not in a MONO live environment.You'll have to catch one of my gigs man - I'll convert you. A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon May Posted January 5, 2008 Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 Are you running OS 2.? on your Electro Kanker? "I'm well acquainted with the touch of a velvet hand..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 2.2 on one and 2.3 on the other, can't remember which has which... A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 What's the diff in the two OS versions, and does that mean you have the rack and the 61? "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 I honestly don't know what the difference is, I was just too lazy to update both (and how long have they had OS 3 out now?) but I have a Rack and a 73. Love me some Electro... A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon May Posted January 6, 2008 Author Share Posted January 6, 2008 You have two Electros ! (Edit: ah, just noticed... rack and board). Do you use 'em both in gigs? Just interested in your setup. 2.3 was a shortlived (weeks) OS that 'improved' (YMMV) the Leslie sim and added new (stereo) acoustic pianos, Yamaha and Steinway, which carried over without change to v3.0. Ver 3.0 came out soon after with the sim tweaked again and with ALL the pianos in a new file format (they didn't sound any different but the format was necessary for the new OS). Some users like the mellower sim of 2.2 and found that the new 2.3 acPianos could be used with 2.2 also. But the original mono acGrand can be used with 2.2 and 2.3. "I'm well acquainted with the touch of a velvet hand..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 You have two Electros ! (Edit: ah, just noticed... rack and board). Do you use 'em both in gigs? Just interested in your setup.Yeah, I use the Rack with an 88 for pianos/EPs and the 73 for organ and clav, although I'm looking at either a C1 or an XK-3c to beef up the organ a bit. I really want 2 manuals on the organ side of things. Single manual organ is starting to feel very restrictive to me. A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.