CP 300 Question

[SailTheKeys]

First post on this forum!!!

 

I've had a new CP300 for a couple of weeks and I'm now happy with the Grand Piano 1 voice (after much trial and error and a few resets). In the meantime, I'm playing the other voices, which brings me to my question...

 

A piece I'm practicing starts with a short «Slow Strings» intro (one voice only, no split, no dual). I do a final chord, hold the chord with the sustain pedal, let the sound fade and press the «Piano 1» button to start the Piano sound and...I hear this horrible break in the sound. It sort of breaks the mood...

 

I only use the CP300 speakers, without any other devices or keyboards attached. All settings so far are the factory settings, except for those that specifically affect the sound (EQ, frequency, reverb, gain). It's the same with headphones.

 

I also have a P90 with which I do the exact same thing and I do not hear that break in the transition from strings to piano (it fades out nicely)

 

Is there an adjustment (voice or EQ settings) that fixes that break in the sound. The manual does not mention that problem in the troubleshooting section.

 

Thanks!

 

[Moog_Man]

The way I cope with the break is by layering a piano sound and a string sound. Then I use the zone faders to completely reduce the sound of one, in your case this would be the piano for the intro. Then when you want to change to piano, hold down the sustain pedal and move the piano zone fader up and move the string fader down. No snap in sound will occur.

[MikeNZ]

Most high end stage pianos or synths will hold over a sound and perhaps the effect when you change sounds, but it is not always seamless. To be seamless you need lots of polyphony, a good synth engine, and multiple independent effects processors.

 

Is it the string sound cutting out, or does the string sound change character?

 

If it changes character it is probably due to the new sound having a different effects setting to the old, so you keep the same notes, but the effects changes, or the effects may cut out suddenly on the strings when the effect setting changes.

 

You may able to reassign the effects on the CP300 to avoid this, either by using the same effects settings on both sounds, or independent effects processors (don't know the model well enough).

 

You could try playing them as a layer with the piano volume at zero, then bring the piano up whilst you fade out the strings, or play it as a split. When you do a layer or split the CP300 will either use the same effect for both sounds (possibly with different FX levels) or separate effects, and either way you shouldn't get the abrupt change.

 

If the CP300 has independent volume controls for the various zones you can use those, or you may be able to assign a volume or crossfade to a pedal.

 

Stage pianos are great, but they do not have the sophistication and power of a synth. I love my PC1X as it really is a synth disguised as a stage piano, which lets me do things I wouldn't otherwise be able to do without a second board or very expensive hammer action synth.

 

Michael

[bloodyMary]

+1 on MoogMan's advice - use the zone sliders.

 

Is there a balance knob/slider on the CP300? If so, you can use it to balance between two sounds smoothly. That's what I do with my digital piano.

[SailTheKeys]

Moog Man, MikeNZ and BloodyMary, thank you!

I've tried the sliders appproach and it works. I must now get the timing right .

 

MikeNZ: the sound cuts for a fraction of second and comes back with the same character.

 

BloodyMary: no, the CP300 doesn't have a balance slider.

 

What I still don't get is that the P90 doesn't generate that break in the sound (it has less polyphony than the CP300).

 

Thanks again, guys!