Sound module for Rhodes/Wurlitzer...?

[timbob67]

Hey guys,

 

I'm taking over the keys position in my band (based in the UK) from the previous keys player. I'm moving from sax to keys, and have some shoes to fill! The previous guy gigged with an M102/145 Leslie combination and a Wurlitzer A200 piano.

 

I don't own a van, and load out/in of my house isn't suitable for (nor is my wallet up to maintaining) gigging week in and week out with a vintage Hammond, so I've bought an XK3c and will use an active full range PA cab with a 15" driver and the internal sim for now.

 

My problem is that a lot of the bands songs are dependant on the authentic vintage sound - the XK3c will more than do the job for the Hammond side of things, but I'm after something to cover the EP side of things.

 

Finances are stretched, so my ideal purchase of a Nord E3 will have to wait for now - I'm really after a sound module to use in the interim for somewhere in the region of £250-£300.

 

No other sounds are needed - just a good vintage EP. Rhodes or Wurly will do the job fine.

 

Any advice would be much appreciated

[JimboK]

I'm no expert but I might suggest a Yamaha classic or maybe ES rack for budget/quality balance for your budget. Decent Piano too.

[Meisenhower]

I agree with the Motif or Motif ES rack suggestions. Nord Electro 2 Rack will also do nicely!

[frogmonkey]

Wow it's hard to replace the real thing with a module! I was thinking Motif ES, too. Looks like they're going for around $600 on ebay. That's about what the Fantoms and Tritons are going for, too. Honestly I don't know which one has the best Wurlitzer sound.

 

But for only $650 more you could get:

THIS

 

[AnotherScott]

It's been a while since I've played it, but I thought the Roland JV-1010 had some nice usable EPs. They're usually readily available on ebay. Cheap, small, reliable... and the XK3c has some decent MIDI control capability built in, so you get some added flexibility from that. The model after that was the XV-2020, that one can also take SRX expansion cards, which can give you upgraded EP sounds, if and when budget permits. (There are also cards for the older series, but if you're thinking along those lines, you'd probably be happier with the SRX cards.)

 

Unless their values are different in £-territory, I don't think the aforementioned Electro or Motif rack units will be in your price range, though they are certainly good choices.

[Sam Mullins]

I still own a JV1010 (although my brother has it right now) and I remember it having a decent rhodes sound for the time (10 years ago?) But I also had the "keyboards of the 60/70s" JV card so I'm not sure if that was where the good EP's were or not. But I will tell you that the output level on those boxes is very low.

 

I think a better option would be the XV-2020 with the SRX-12 EP expansion card, which is supposed to be very good. Looks like these have historically gone for around $200 each on ebay. So that would give you a high quality option for around $400 or less (if you can find it.)

[cleomenesII]

The Roland SRX Electric Piano card is great for Rhodes, although most people think the Wurli is less than ideal. Put the card in an XV2020 and you have a cheap Rhodes (I actually quite like the Wurli too, but I can see why some people don't).

 

Phil

[Theo Verelst]

lot of second hand stuff out there for that price I guess, maybe even a beat up motif (original), that's actually pretty good on epiano if you know how to use it. You could even get a tiny notebook for that and run some (open source) software, if money is such an objective.

[kanker.]

If you can find a Nord Electro Rack, that would kick booty

[Stu McHopton]

If there are any deals on Kurzweil PC2R's out there, especially with the classic keys ROM, grab one. The Wurlys and Rhodes are excellent. And the pianets are great bonus.

[Jazz+]

The Roland SRX Electric Piano card is great for Rhodes, although most people think the Wurli is less than ideal. Put the card in an XV2020 and you have a cheap Rhodes (I actually quite like the Wurli too, but I can see why some people don't).

 

Phil

 

Agreed, I recommend the SRX-12: Classic EPs SRX Expansion Board - Roland's Finest EP & Clav Collection.

I would not recommend the earlier Roland crad called "Keyboards of the 60/70s" (JV card)

[HammondDave]

Or you could go the route I took. Trigger a GEM RPX from your XK3c. I play EP's and acoustic pianos on the bottom manual, and organ on the top. Sounds great and inexpensive too.

[e-keys]

the gem rpx is Still sold at mf. But I'm sure they only have a few left.

 

http://keyboards-midi.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gem-RPX-Sound-Module?sku=702865

 

I don't care for the fact is it is half rack.

[e-keys]

also the roland srx 07 is a good all rounder. I have that and the srx 03 in a 5050. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done

[Brad Kaenel]

Even cheaper, perhaps, in the UK:

 

Ketron Klavipro

 

Pretty new. Haven't played one live, but the demos sound really good. More on YouTube...

[eric]

Nord Electro Rack all the way

[e-keys]

That is out of the op's price range

[kanker.]

That is out of the op's price range

A Nord Electro 2 73 didn't sell for £400 recently. An NE2r, if one can be found, would probably fit right into the OP's range

[Jim Alfredson]

Motif ES rack. MIDI it to the XK3c. Done.

[Discotheque]

Another vote for a motif rack, I use the original and quite like it for Rhodes. Even after trying nords and the korv sv-1 in stores (not a/bing them with the motif) I didn't find myself longing to upgrade. As the original is 10 years old I'm sure there's improvements, but to my ear it still sounds really good.

[stillplaying]

If money's really tight (and you gig for income like a lot of us on here) the JV1010 - EBay approx £100 used. It will do rightly alongside that beautiful beast of an organ you've got.

 

Good luck.

 

[yannis D]

As others suggested, a Nord Electro rack is just fine. But if the budget is really limited, i would go Roland XV2020+SRX 12 exp. card route. When i don't carry my Electro, i do the job with the Roland+SRX and it's good. You need a decent controller though to make it sing...

[Tobias Åslund]

+1 for the GEM RP-X - it has really great wurlitzers, and the Rhodes are quite nice too. They sound quite authentic, but lack some of the bite and attitude that Electro 3 has. The wurlitzers are comparable to those in the E3 any day, IMHO. In fact a guy who used to play real wurlitzers back in his younger years was so impressed by the wurlis in the RP-X so he wanted to buy mine right away... but I wouldn't sell!

The RPX also gives you clavinets, FM pianos, really good grand pianos, some uprights, strings, pads and a few other bread & butter sounds. It's also 4 part multitimbral so you can program splits and layers internally. The only downside is you can't program it without a computer editor, which sadly is Windows only (no mac version).

[AnotherScott]

the gem rpx is Still sold at mf. But I'm sure they only have a few left.

 

http://keyboards-midi.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gem-RPX-Sound-Module?sku=702865

 

I don't care for the fact is it is half rack.

I think half racks are brilliant, and wish they weren't seemingly falling out of fashion.

With the correct mounting bracket, they are just as rack-mountable as full-width rack units, so there is no downside there, you are welcome to use it as what is effectively a full width unit if that's what you want. Though if you find a couple you like, you can even mount them side by side to fit two units into a single rack space. They are usually lighter than full width pieces too.

 

But in addition to all of that, if you just have the one half-size unit, it is often small enough to just velcro to your main board. Nothing else you have to find a space for on stage, nothing "extra" to transport (if the keyboard still fits in your case with the piece attached), less cabling to run. A full-size rack unit usually can't be so easily placed... it's always an awkward thing to find a place for, and it's usually something you have to buy an extra case or bag for and something extra to carry around.

 

What's the downside, why don't you like them?

 

That said, I don't happen to like the Rhodes sound of the RP-X. It doesn't have the right bark when you lay into it. But if you're just into the more delicate Rhodes sounds, it's fine.

[HammondDave]

I agree... I sit my RPX on the top left side of my XK3c. It travels in my soft keyboard bag with all cables attached. It is truly plug and play and sounds great. In my present band I use the Wurlie and the AP sounds. Don;t use the Rhodes, but it does sound good to me.

[orangefunk]

I'm not so keen on the SRX-12 or the RPX rhodes (though the bottom end on that is bloody good I admit!)

 

There is definitely a market for a rhodes module!!!

[HammondDave]

You know, there is a difference in the quality of these sounds when judging in a live band situation. I have a Motif XS with the S90 piano samples and they sound fantastic in my studio, but are weak in a live performance situation. However, the RPX pianos really cut through and sound great. Its certainly not the speakers as I have EV360's. But there is a sonic difference when playing with a full compliment of instruments. In any case, the RPX is the best $300 (used) I ever spent.

[timbob67]

Wow, thanks for the input guys, lots of food for thought!

 

A Nord E2 rack would be my ideal solution. Unfortunately nowhere sells them new in the UK. I've only seen one on ebay in the last 3 months, and it went for nearly £600.

 

Budget is the sticking point unfortunately - the XK3c has emptied my wallet and some more...!

 

The GEM RPX looks like a good idea, but I can't seem to find any in the UK.

 

The Roland JV1010 looks like a good shout, there's one well within my price range on ebay at the moment. Does that have a good useable EP built in, or will I have to find an expansion card too? Does the JV take the SRX expansion cards, or do I need the XV2020 for those?

 

So many questions!!

[Tobias Åslund]

The JV1010 does not accept SRX cards! However, it can be expanded with SR-JV80 cards, and then you have the Keyboards of the 60's & 70's which have a few nice rhodes, hammonds and so on. I have one in my Roland XP30 and it's quite ok, but nowhere near the Electro 3 for instance. The built-in EP's are not good at all.

I wonder - couldn't the Roland SonicCell be a good options - what do you say guys?

[AnotherScott]

The Roland JV1010 looks like a good shout, there's one well within my price range on ebay at the moment. Does that have a good useable EP built in, or will I have to find an expansion card too? Does the JV take the SRX expansion cards, or do I need the XV2020 for those?

As I said above, you need the XV2020 to take SRX cards, which are better than the older JV cards for the JV1010. Though I haven't heard it in a while, I actually thought the stock JV1010 had usable EPs, but I see Mr T disagrees... and of course, people often do have different opinions about these things. The Sonic Cell he mentions would be pricier than the XV2020, though. I guess I'd say that, at least, the JV-1010 is probably about the least expensive possibility that might be good enough for your purposes; if you get the XV-2020, you add the possibility of upgrading the EP sound with an SRX card if you end up not finding its stock EPs sufficient.