have you stopped upgrading your gear?

[MonksDream]

I am off the upgrading train because most of the gigs that I do are piano-based jazz and the RD300GX is more than adequate if there isn't an acoustic piano available. I don't really have the money to spend, and if I need more sounds I have a world of possibilities with my laptop and software. I am focusing on being a better player. After all, most of the music I love was created on gear that was vastly inferior to what we take for granted today; the difference is the player.

[johnchop]

I play mostly for me, so music is primarily an expensive hobby, but even that has limits.

 

I don't like being surrounded by keyboards (sacrilege!), and I have only so much square footage for this stuff as it is, so I keep it pragmatic:

 

Nice-sounding digital piano with a great action that I can turn on and play? Check.

 

Solid "gig" keyboard with tons of serviceable sounds? Check.

 

Lightweight synth-action controller for "going mobile"? Check.

 

Software instruments for geeking out/rehearsing/recording? Obscene number of checks.

 

Now, the only upgrade that I really chase after is a deeper understanding of jazz harmony.

 

-John

 

[Fusker]

I know, right? Single sounds in conjunction with my Nord were all I took the time to dive into....yet I was looking around. PLenty of juice in there.

[vanderSchoot]

I am somewhat connected to the piano industrie and am able to examine and ''play'' the latests and the greatests so to speak.

 

Last friday I had a change to play the Roland V-grand.

Not exactly my cup of tea.

The internal speakers didn't give me the illusion of playing something remotely acoustic.

 

When a went to the frankfurther Messe (two years ago), Kawai had a DP1 digital grand in a closed chamber.

 

It sounded freaking awesome.

The project eventually flopped, but it came obvious to me that the prestine sound quality had to do with the extensive amount of speakers surrounding the DP1.

 

In the light of that I am searching in a new direction.

A new brand of P.A.'s called TW audio (Germany)sets a new standard.

 

I talked to a friend who just purchased the smallest set available (passive set for over 5000 euro's).

He bought a Dynacord powered mixer for 1800 euro's to go with it and assured me how much better it sounded than his previous EV's.

 

Even his trusty Tyros 2 reached new levels.

 

Through my work I visit many theaters and I am always shocked how good even the most outdated stuff sounds through high quality amplification.

 

 

[allan_evett]

It's certainly slowing down, propelled by the factor Adan refers to, i.e. living with the compromises. However, now I've found I can live with the pianos, there's a big part of me looking at selling the NP88 and Kurzweil and replacing both with an NS2. Hmm. Maybe I'm not done just yet...

 

It's certainly slowing down, propelled by the factor Adan refers to, i.e. living with the compromises. However, now I've found I can live with the pianos, there's a big part of me looking at selling the NP88 and Kurzweil and replacing both with an

NS2. Hmm. Maybe I'm not done just yet...

 

I think most of us - whether replacing/adding hardware, improving accessories, software, etc. - are in a similar place to almost every guitarist with whom I've worked:

we're rig tweakers.

Like Aidan, I thought I was done with the big stuff - at least for a few years, or more -

but have found that only applying to my second tier: Motif XF7, favorite Yamaha tones in one place (gotta love that Flash option), MIDI'd to iPad, or laptop for modeled organ. That setup has served me well for a while now. Previously I'd tried the XS Rack driven

by an XK-1 (later PC3); but the reverse seems to work better, for me anyway.

But bottom tier I've been tweaking with the 88 choice for the past couple of months. I sold my FP4, and had just put my PC3 up for sale, when an opportunity for a great

deal on a Kronos 88 knocked. So with the PC3, FP4, and a few accessory items sold I took the plunge. For the act I recently joined - still some country, but tons of variety

as well - the Kronos has been a time saver. The flexibility between the two 'boards is

great - whether I'm doing piano, bottom / clone wheel, top, or need to cover a bunch of

synth tones between both in the same song or medley.

 

Weird, once the hype period passed I came back around to the Kronos for a second look. Very practical 'board, IMO. Granted, it's not the end all / be all ( not sold, yet,

on the pianos being the best for solo, small ensemble; probably will still use my Roland

RD for a cocktail gig next month.), but it sure covers a lot of bases well, and then

some. The ep's are insanely good, and the VA engines are massive.... When I

consider all that's in the instrument, not having to drag another module out with my

RD, and the fact that there's a lot of duplication in my rig - software-wise - condensing

further by selling my Receptor seems like a wise choice.

 

GAS appears to be terminal, but at least there are some practical sides to it; sometimes

[Mexico Charlie]

The CP-300 is killer. I wouldn't upgrade it either.

 

This. +1

[RABid]

Every year on my birthday I would buy or upgrade a keyboard as my birthday present to myself. Yesterday was my birthday. For some reason I had no desire to replace a keyboard. In fact, I would like to get rid of a few.

 

However, thanks to Jeff the Weasel, gas was not totally absent. I ordered a Yamaha YTR 4335 G to upgrade the mail order trumpet my parents bought for me back in 1976. I also got the Yamaha Silent Brass System for trumpet. Looking forward to that. Not sure what I will do if the bid I placed on the Xeno holds. What I really want next is a sax.

[Steve Force]

Sax is good, especially for your birthday..

[ITGITC]

 

Sax is good, especially for your birthday..

 

And particularly for us Scorpios. (Happy Birthday Robert - you ol' fool!)

 

I'll be 31 in a few more dayz... again.

 

Yeah.

 

 

[AnotherScott]

The CP-300 is killer. I wouldn't upgrade it either.

 

This. +1

Best upgrade for a CP-300 would be a roadie.

[ADino]

My $$ is going into other places, most notably my studio, which is a bottomless pit of $.

 

Yea, arent they?

[Throbert]

I like my ES3. if only it had after touch. I would dump my tr76 just to get a better keybed. UF70 or j80 comes to mine. other than that VB3 and updates/upgades. sold my mackies and thinking of KCsomethings. No money just dreams

[Dglavko]

I'm actually going backwards in time. Sold the surplus modern gear for a Wurli, and Clav D6, and find more inspiration in them than the more recent releases with 2000 distracting sounds. An ancient C3/A100 is next...

 

Even portability has kind of reached a plateau. Sure the SK1 is lighter but my other main boards clone pretty much as well, don't weigh much more, and do much more...

 

One or two modern digital keyboards cover the live stuff, and the heavy-temperamental stuff stays in the home studio.

[stillme4you]

"Why does it seem that keyboard manufacturers are simply offering souped up versions of their older models? What does that imply? Have we reached a digital plateau when it comes to hardware instruments?"

 

I imagine it is the same concept as buying a new car, really. Or the old saying, "Why fix something if it isn't broken?" Let me use myself as an example. I have a Roland XP-80. I love the sounds on it, I'm used to the operations on it so I know how to use it pretty well, I love all the expansion boards, but the display is fading and the floppy-drive is unreliable...if I could have I would have used it forever...but stuff is going on it because it is older technology...but the sounds are still great! So I just bought a Roland Fantom. The thing I'm ecstatic about is that the Fantom has all the sounds from the XP series keyboards, along with all their expansions, PLUS so many added options that make a music workstation easier and more versatile as well as user-friendly. Plus the display is awesome! I can't see it fading away in ten years like the XP did on me. I would be sad to give up all the sounds I've been used to all these years. This is making me so happy. So I guess it's the same principle with other gear as well. Yes?

[wruess]

Hmm, still using the ole PC88MX for most live gigs while PC3X resides in home studio. Still looking for the "holy grail": weighted 88 key - great piano - great action - less than 40 lbs. It doesn't yet exist. I keep coming back to the old Kurz - still sounds excellent either live or recorded in band mix.

 

Currently, GAS is being vented towards a new laptop and PreSonus Audiobox 1818VSL.

[Mogut]

Will be interesting 25 years from now to see what boards are still around from this era (2000's)

[allan_evett]

"Why does it seem that keyboard manufacturers are simply offering souped up versions of their older models? What does that imply? Have we reached a digital plateau when it comes to hardware instruments?"

 

I imagine it is the same concept as buying a new car, really. Or the old saying, "Why fix something if it isn't broken?" Let me use myself as an example. I have a Roland XP-80. I love the sounds on it, I'm used to the operations on it so I know how to use it pretty well, I love all the expansion boards, but the display is fading and the floppy-drive is unreliable...if I could have I would have used it forever...but stuff is going on it because it is older technology...but the sounds are still great! So I just bought a Roland Fantom. The thing I'm ecstatic about is that the Fantom has all the sounds from the XP series keyboards, along with all their expansions, PLUS so many added options that make a music workstation easier and more versatile as well as user-friendly. Plus the display is awesome! I can't see it fading away in ten years like the XP did on me. I would be sad to give up all the sounds I've been used to all these years. This is making me so happy. So I guess it's the same principle with other gear as well. Yes?

 

I would say so. The Yamaha S90ES was a rig mainstay for several years; I eventually picked up a Motif XS Rack, which was run from my 2nd tier keyboard - as mentioned earlier in this thread. When the balanced action on my S90ES began to affect my hands - especially RH - in the summer of 2010, I sold the S90ES and Motif XS Rack and condensed everything into a Motif XF7. Prior to the S90ES, I'd had an original Motif 7 - purchased back in 2001. So that core soundset, and it's evolution, are all in one place now.

It's similar to what you've experienced with the XP-80 and Fantom, stillme4you. That vast collection of evolved sounds/technology is very impressive; like the Yamaha gear, it offers a wide variety of great sounds that can cover just about anything. Still have an XV-5080: it's in about the same shape as your XP-80 (the dial increments/decrements in random numbers, plus a few other oddities); love the sound of it though. A friend back in Chicago/Northwest Indiana uses a Fantom X8 (and Fantom G6, IIRC) ; the recordings he's produced with those 'boards sound great.

 

[Bill H.]

Will be interesting 25 years from now to see what boards are still around from this era (2000's)

 

Voyager and little else.

[Mogut]

Will be interesting 25 years from now to see what boards are still around from this era (2000's)

 

Voyager and little else.

Maybe the new rhodes. I suppose that will be rare in the future

[ChrisE]

I'm only interested in upgrading with older synths. I've tried out some of the latest ones (JP80, Kronos, Motif XF) and yes they sound damn good, albeit with their heavy FX and improved sound engine specs. ,but so do many of the early '90s boards . I also tried the Yamaha CP-1 for over an hour, a few weeks ago, and can't see the inherent value in it (IMO the Motif's Yammy C-7 sample sounds close when tweaked), unless it's making you good $$$. Just my ears and my 2cts .

[Leh173]

This year I bought a Fantom G6 to use live and at home, to replace and complement my computer based setup. The Fantom can handle everything I needed to do on the laptop but with a lot less hassle. I also bought a D-70 for nostalgic sentimental reasons at the start of the year, so I'm sort of done. Probably going to sell of some off the ones that never get used now. Keyboards are so good now and so much software on hand that unless you really need to I don't think we need to upgrade all the time. Most instruments have been very deep for years. I still get good things out of the old ones!

[ADino]

Hmm, still using the ole PC88MX for most live gigs while PC3X resides in home studio. Still looking for the "holy grail": weighted 88 key - great piano - great action - less than 40 lbs. It doesn't yet exist. I keep coming back to the old Kurz - still sounds excellent either live or recorded in band mix.

 

Currently, GAS is being vented towards a new laptop and PreSonus Audiobox 1818VSL.

 

Ive been trying both the Mox8 and the SP4-8...a lot, for a few weeks. I had the Yam CP5...I didnt take the Mox8 seriously until played thru different speakers..I must say, eq'd properly, the piano is close to the CP5, has loads of sounds, and it weighs 32 friggen lbs..plus something I noticed, its actually fun to play, playable Id say. I found myself just playing it for fun, which I cant say about a lot of boards..so I ordered one. Not nokin the sp4-8 at all though..Its a great stage piano at 39 lbs, and if they had put

new piano samples in it, I may have gone for it. But why go thru the trouble of releasing a Stage piano w/the same sounds in it?

[Doug Houser]

Back in the days (1996-2000) after very few upgrades (Yamaha SY87, Korg 01W/fd) I settled my gig to a Roland XP30, a windows laptop (Roland A100 audio/midi interface) running CUBASE for backing tracks, song intros, sequences and some VSTs + a hardware ALESIS D4 drum module. I used to play contemporary rock of the time (U2, Linkin' Park, Santana, Ramstein, Sublime, etc.). For a small town in México I was quite advanced at the time, being the only live KB player in town to bring a laptop and some soft synths to the stage, although I must admit I would bounce most of them into audio tracks for live playing, because the technology was not as reliable. Thus my rig never failed.

 

I stopped playing for a while (job, wife, etc.), and then after 8 years of doing nothing music wise I joined a cover band recently.

 

I had my old XP30, but didn't even consider to unpack it, I had an Access Virus TI and thought that it was time to go fully with Soft Synths for the bread and butter so I equipped my laptop with Mainstage (logic), NI Komplete and even bought Omnisphere (very impressive but useless for my live band).

 

So I started with this odd setup of using the Access Virus TI as a sound card and controller, plus taking advantage of some of its sounds.

 

As I loaded many instruments into my rig in Mainstage I quickly started to run out of RAM with my macbook, so I went on and expanded it to its max (4GB).

 

The sounds of the Software Instruments are amazing, and the quantity and flexibility at your fingertips is just overwhelming. Nevertheless during several rehearsals my computer just FROZE, and we couldn't start a song until it rebooted and then loaded again all the instruments. I am a computer engineer, I optimized my MAC for audio usage, but still I found the technology wanting (perhaps my demands are just too much).

 

So what to do? Another upgrade?

 

I actually "downgraded" my rig to the following:

-Motif XS8 with sampling dimms

-Access Virus TI (Only kept it 'cause the Motif's synth sounds are not up to par)

-iPad with several music apps (just to appear modern )

 

Now my rig is MUCH more reliable, and with the Motif's master mode I can command the Virus at will, I still have sampling with the Motif, and the sounds in the Virus TI are getting played much more!

 

Now, I don't see the need at all to "upgrade" my Motif to XF, or the TI to another VA, even if I do miss some of the Soft Synth sounds like organs, strings and pianos.

 

I have a great rig as it is, and will not upgrade it for a while, because it does exactly what I need.

 

I have a cover band for hobby, and we do gig for money, but nevertheless its about the instruments that can do the job, not about the instruments that have features that you didn't even know existed.

 

What I am trying to say, is that even if I am a geeky guy with always the latest toys (ipad, iphone, apple TV, linux boxes, home network for file/print & wireless media streaming, etc), I will not rush into buying the latest musical instrument.

 

When trying to decide look closely at what will you gain with upgrading, and then figure out if it is worth the money and time invested (to learn the new tool).

 

 

[Delaware Dave]

I play classic rock music. I use a Voce V5+ for organ and a Vent for the leslie. The PC3 gives me the acoustic piano, EP's, Clav's, horns and orchestral. All sounds sound realistic enough to me that I'm done upgrading.

[Bobadohshe]

Nevertheless during several rehearsals my computer just FROZE, and we couldn't start a song until it rebooted and then loaded again all the instruments.

 

And for THIS reason I still don't use mainstage live. Not yet anyway. I use my trusty Motif XS, with it's inferior sounds but total reliability.

[Jazz+]

I have stopped upgrading with the recent FP4F acquisition. I always prefer they have a real piano there for me at the gig. At home or when I teach we always use a real piano. As a last resort If the gig location doesn't have a piano then I must regretfully dig the digital out of the closet and lug it to the gig. I don't care anymore what it sounds like, I'll be wearing earplugs anyways. "Whatever it takes" (to get paid) is my new motto.

[Outkaster]

I play classic rock music. I use a Voce V5+ for organ and a Vent for the leslie. The PC3 gives me the acoustic piano, EP's, Clav's, horns and orchestral. All sounds sound realistic enough to me that I'm done upgrading.

 

I always thought the Voce stuff was so underrated. How does it sound with the vent?

[CEB]

I was bent on replacing the MP5 in 2012. But about a month ago ourband's former keyboard player played on one song and I got to hear my rig out front and it sounds good. So I might stay pat. My next rounds of upgrades are going to involve spending money to improve ease of setup and footprint. ( Converting to a leslie sim. Custom patch bay. Rack mounting my Yamaha mixer etc.... ).

 

I still might replace the MP5 around April especially if Yamaha comes out with a S90XF at the Winter NAMM and there are closeout sales on the S90XS. This may let me retire my rack synths. Heck if I am not using the rack synths I could go with a MOX8 because I won't needs the sliders anymore but the S90 I/O look cool.

[Outkaster]

I am the only on that i know that owns a S90XS. Check it out if you can. It is a great keyboard.

[David Loving]

I could not get a PC88, but have a PC1x - that's close. A PC88 got me hooked on Kurzweil. That's my main piano. The rest is software - I'm out of money. I never could buy chops - I just have to spend time now - it's fun!