Korg SV-1: from GAS to pass?

[tylert]

Yeah the manual says the outputs except balanced or unbalanced cables. That cable sound interesting. So you're plugging them into a stereo channel on you mixing board right?

[Jaspla]

I am contemplating 'going back to the well' - having previously owned an SV1 73. The newer BLACK body SV's seem to have an improved RH3 response, particularly on acoustic piano. As with some others, I am frequently drawn to an SV1 when spotted at a retailer to see if the RH3 has had some improvement.

 

...and I have specifically seen comments on this thread about the 88 key version having a better (quicker, smoother) keybed than the 73 key version. Have some other forum members come to the same conclusion

- newer Black body version seemed to have some improvement in response

- 88 key RH3 version possibly a little better than the 73 ?

(e.g. different mfr. plant, or design?

 

 

[Polychrest]

I was the first at my local music store to order one of the new Black SV-1 88's when they first came out. I wanted a weighted-keys board with decent pianos to complement my Electro 2 SW 73 when I was doing piano-heavy material. I'd played around with a red 73--really liked the action, the accoustic pianos, the EP's, the overall sound of the thing except the organs--but had balked at the price tag. The new, lower price for the Chinese-made versions pushed me over the edge. I ordered one of the first black SV-1's shipped to Canada.

 

It had problems right out of the box. A key was jammed, one of the effects didn't work, and there was a scratch on the thing. I returned it immediately. A replacement arrived with TWO jammed keys. It never got out of the store. According to my Long and McQuade's salesman, the Montreal repair facility that Korg used to service their products was swamped with faulty black SV-1's from that first shipment. Apparently the keybeds suffered from motion sickness: being turned upside down during transport made them jam and stick.

 

To the best of my knowledge, the older red SV-1's were free of such nasty proclivities, but I'd lost faith in the reliability of the product and asked for a refund.

 

Korg really dropped the ball on quality control when they cut costs on the SV-1.

[Dave Ferris]

As I've posted before, I had two of the original SV1 88s over a period of a year. Really no horror stories to report like on the Korg forum or elsewhere ( I owned one for 6 weeks and the other for about 11 days...so no extended use) , but it simply wasn't the right tool for me compared to the CP5 & Nord Piano.

 

I wanted it so much to work for me that even after buying and selling/returning two, when the new black ones came out with rumor of improved QC and action , I was seriously considering a 3-peat..

 

I remember playing one of the first black 88s at the GC on Sunset. I don't know if it was more of a--"I really want to like this" state of mind- but it did feel improved. It seemed to play more even and the APs seemed more responsive. I went back about 10 days later when I was in the area and they had sold that particular 88 and had another one out on the floor.

 

On this one you could see the blatant unevenness of the keys has you walked up to it. I played it and noticed at least two sticking keys right off the bat. I didn't say anything simply because I'd highly doubt if anyone there cared. There was no magic in this one and I pretty much blew off the idea of getting another. Reading the ongoing problems on the Korg forum pretty much sealed the deal and brought me back to my senses.

 

Basically I think there are a percentage of people that bought 'em, use 'em, are happy and have never had a second's problem. Questionable QC aside, again the CP5 & NP were simply better for me. Just to add, like Polychrest mentioned, my faith regarding the reliability aspect of Korg keyboards is certainly not what it used to be....

 

I question if there is going to be an "SV2". I'd like to see one but personally I think the Krome 88 is their answer to the SV2. Hope I'm wrong.

[Ken Beaumont]

I've had mine for about 4 months. I haven't had any issues with it, but from what I've read I'm a bit worried. The action was a bit sluggish at first but after playing it a couple months its fine.

 

I really like the EP's and the effects and personally I like the piano better than the ones on my Kurzweil SP4-7 which this replaced. I also replaced it because I wanted weighted action.

So far so good.

[Josh Paxton]

...and I have specifically seen comments on this thread about the 88 key version having a better (quicker, smoother) keybed than the 73 key version. Have some other forum members come to the same conclusion

- newer Black body version seemed to have some improvement in response

- 88 key RH3 version possibly a little better than the 73 ?

 

I haven't experienced (or heard about) any difference between the 73-key and 88-key action. But I can think of one possible reason why someone might think that. When the new black model first came out, there was nothing new about the keybed; it still had the old, problematic version of the RH3 keybed, rather than the "new improved" version they were using in the Kronos by that point. But then sometime in the past year, that changed, and they started putting the new RH3 in the SV1. (My guess, though I have nothing to back it up, is that after the Kronos fiasco, they used the SV1 to get rid of all the old keybeds they still had lying around, and then once those were gone, they started putting the new ones in the SV.)

 

Anyway, if someone happened to play an 88-key model with the new keybed, next to a 73-key model with the old keybed, then there would be a noticeable difference. Maybe someone had that experience, and a rumor started from there?

 

By now I would think any units that you'd find in a music store would have the new keybed, but there's an easy way to check: just look at the sticker on the high C key. The old version just said "RH3," while the new version says "RH3 Japan." Also, the new version doesn't have those annoying, easily visible gaps between the E/F and B/C keys like the old one did.

 

I have an original, 3-year-old 88-key version (which I retired because I got sick of replacing keys on it), and a new 73-key version that I got about four months ago. The new one hasn't given me any problems so far, though I haven't been gigging it nearly as hard as I did the old one. So at this point I'm cautiously optimistic about it (though frankly, it may go on the "to sell" list once the new Casio comes out).

[Jaspla]

Thanks all for your thoughts relating to the newer Black SV's; changes in keybeds, etc.

 

My beef has been primarily with the Acoustic sounds (it does say PIANO in the product title).

Primarily note cutouts when played gently, and on some pianos, the keybed being more sluggish than others.

- we know the Rhodes/Wurly are hard to beat.

 

Sounds like if you play one you like at a retailer - take that one home (ignore the scratches).

- play it before you take it

 

For those that may not have spotted this, KORG Germany, has a link to a newer .sv1 patch set dated April 2012. Appearances are that only the 'Favorites' are different, however some minor tweak of (in particular) the Acoustic samples may have contributed to 'improved' sounds on the more recent SV's.

 

http://www.korg.de/produkte/pianos/sv1-produktinfo/erweitert/sv1-betriebssystem/produkt-download-einzelansicht-news/datum/2012/04/05/korg-sv1-factory-soundset-neu.html

 

In some 'retailer' setups, note cutouts referenced above might actually be associatd with them connecting a non-KORG pedal (known to be an issue), or in some cases leaving the product on the floor with no pedal. Some forum links have noted the presence of a KORG pedal is instrumental in getting the product to play as designed; and don't forget to 'calibrate' the pedal range.

 

 

 

[Dana.]

- we know the Rhodes/Wurly are hard to beat.

We do? I can think of many better samples.

[voxpops]

I just picked up an SV-1. I've held off for the last 3 years knowing that it's an oddball board that doesn't have the greatest samples - particularly the APs and organs (and no, the Soundpack 2 doesn't really change that IMO). But... it does have character and warmth.

 

I just sold a Krome 88 - a really nice lightweight board that has pretty good APs and quite acceptable EPs; but it felt like I was playing a computer. I don't like that, particularly on stage. I'm hoping that, despite its shortcomings, the SV-1 will at least be FUN to play.

 

BTW, the one I got has the newer Japanese RH3 keybed - no strange gaps, and it feels fine. The whole thing actually feels much better screwed together than the one I tried in a store about 2 years ago.

[Dave Ferris]

Wow interesting development VP. I'd thought you were fairly happy with the Krome. I see your point for sure though. So you got the Black 88 ? Yeah, like I said that first one I played in the GC was really nice. Maybe you need to choose between 3 or 4 of 'em before you buy.

 

Let me know how it works out. Good luck with it.

[voxpops]

Wow interesting development VP. I'd thought you were fairly happy with the Krome. I see your point for sure though. So you got the Black 88 ? Yeah, like I said that first one I played in the GC was really nice. Maybe you need to choose between 3 or 4 of 'em before you buy.

 

Let me know how it works out. Good luck with it.

Dave, don't get me wrong, the Krome 88 is a great board - even the NH action is perfectly acceptable. The APs really benefit from the unlooped decay, and the EPs offer a lot of variety, Beyond that, there are a lot of very high quality sounds, and the interface is easy to navigate.

 

The things I found less appealing were:

1. The bulk/size. I actually had problems setting up in a small club. (The weight was pretty good for such a big board, though.)

2. A certain "lifeless" quality to some of the EP sounds. (It does record quite well, however.)

3. The assignable controls with no absolute position, and no definitive assignment (I have a poor memory).

 

I could have kept it quite happily, but I'm trying to be a little more disciplined about what I actually need, versus what I would like to have.

 

Regarding the SV, I actually went for the black 73 - with some trepidation, as I knew I would have to adapt some of the pieces I play, as well as my style, to the shorter board. But I didn't want to deal with the weight of the 88.

 

I immediately noticed most of the sound issues that people have commented on over the years, but feel that it still has something rather special, despite the flaws. I shall be using it almost exclusively for live work, and I expect it to be a blast in that context.

 

Now I just need to get something really good for studio and recording...

 

Thanks for your good wishes!

[Ken Beaumont]

Yes, its fun to play live with. I don't know what it is but when I'm playing EP especially, its got soul. Doesn't sound like a sterile sample. The piano is perfectly acceptable to me for playing live and it plays well with others. It sounds great in the mix.

 

I don't use the organ, so I'm looking to add the new VR-09 to cover that and other sounds.

 

I really like the sounds on my MOX8 but its just too big for about half the places I play.

[The Real MC]

A month ago I had joined a southern rock band and was tempted to get an 88-key SV-1. Not any more.

[Ekewaka]

Frankly speaking I do think that the successor to SV-1 is the Korg Krome 88 now.... Good or bad.

[tucktronix]

I sold my SV1-88 about a year and half ago and got the MOX8 because I needed the split/layer functionality for work with a few bands. It's still a great performance board and I have thought about revisiting it, but that Casio PX-5S lately has been consuming most of my attention

[voxpops]

Just got back from my first gig with the SV-1. I have to say it was a lot of fun. The EPs are not only lively and engaging but they have a clarity and definition that I've not really come across in other digital boards. Some have said they're over-hyped, but for live work they cut through beautifully, and I found myself trying all sorts of new licks, principally because I could hear what I was doing so clearly.

 

The APs are OK. If I was having to play a straight AP gig instead of a 50-50 split with EPs, I wouldn't choose to use the SV-1, as the short decay is obvious, even though the tone of the pianos is very nice. But they did the job - and the action was no problem at all.

 

I didn't use the organs as I had the Numa with me.

 

So, over the last few years I've gigged with various Rolands, Nords, Kawais, Korgs, Studiologics and Casios, and while some gave me a better action, or a more rounded AP, none were as much fun to play live. I think that Korg hit upon something special with the SV-1, and no way is the Krome an SV-2 replacement, despite its many fine features.

[Dave Ferris]

Thanks for the report....I think.

 

I need another keyboard like I need.....

 

Seriously, I think you described how I felt the times I used the SV1. I haven't done an R&B/funk type gig in quite awhile so there probably wouldn't be an immediate need for what the SV1 does best....then again when the phone rings, you never know who's calling for what..and these days if there's dough I don't say no.

 

From what I recall on the SV1, I think I prefer the Wurli on my Nord more..but again it's been awhile.

 

But yeah glad you dug it vp.

 

[voxpops]

I feel for you, Dave. I've frequently repurchased a model that I'd sold, because although it was imperfect, there was something about it that had clicked with me.

 

A note on the SV-1's APs. I was surprised to find that I could make a bass-line melody sing out clearly against right hand chords - something that can be difficult to achieve on some boards.

 

Yeah, the Wurli needs a little tweaking for me. But I think that between the onboard controls and the editor (which I'm trying to avoid getting into), there are sufficient parameters to dial in a passable facsimile.

 

In the end, I think I prefer imperfect but with true character to glossy and smooth but lifeless.

[AnotherScott]

I feel for you, Dave. I've frequently repurchased a model that I'd sold, because although it was imperfect, there was something about it that had clicked with me.

Yeah, I've done that too, feeling maybe I was too hasty in selling something. Sometimes I was right, and sometimes I was wrong. Ones that come to mind are that I sold and then re-bought Korg M3M and Casio PX310. I ended up selling the Korg again, but held onto the PX310. That may finally be replaced with a PX-5S, though.

 

So, over the last few years I've gigged with various Rolands, Nords, Kawais, Korgs, Studiologics and Casios, and while some gave me a better action, or a more rounded AP, none were as much fun to play live.

I've beeb honing in on the same thing lately. No matter what specs out best when you chart out what you like or dislike about certain gear, ultimately, for some indefinable reason, some boards are just more fun to play. Whether it's the feel of the keybed, the ergonomic and tactile aspects of the interface, that elusive finger-to-ear connection, whatever... This also gets back to what you said about the Krome feeling like you're playing a computer... there are some boards that just feel like you're really playing an instrument and you won't find that on a spec sheet.

 

Which brings me right back to Casio... there was something about the PX310 that felt more "real" to me than the PX330, for example, more like I was playing a real mechanical instrument. Keybed? A subtle latency? Velocity mapping? Tonal character? I don't know... but the feeling was absent for me on the 330.

[voxpops]

Which brings me right back to Casio... there was something about the PX310 that felt more "real" to me than the PX330, for example, more like I was playing a real mechanical instrument. Keybed? A subtle latency? Velocity mapping? Tonal character? I don't know... but the feeling was absent for me on the 330.

It wasn't always so subtle for me. If you really push the polyphony limit, you've almost time to go and make a cup of tea, and still be back before the notes sound!!! Still a great board, though. I bought one when they first came out, just when I was getting back into playing after a twenty-year hiatus. I wish I still had it.

[MonksDream]

Just got back from my first gig with the SV-1. I have to say it was a lot of fun. The EPs are not only lively and engaging but they have a clarity and definition that I've not really come across in other digital boards.

 

[...stuff deleted...]

 

To, over the last few years I've gigged with various Rolands, Nords, Kawais, Korgs, Studiologics and Casios, and while some gave me a better action, or a more rounded AP, none were as much fun to play live.

I was at a store today and tried out the black 88. It was afternoon and quiet and I could take my time with it. I totally get the attraction of the SV. What a fun board! I didn't notice any uneven or gapped keys on the one I tried and the action was very playable.

 

The AP sound is no worse than many Yammie P-whatevers we all end up playing at times and the rest of the sounds are way better. I LOVE the control panel. Between that and the action it gives one the feeling of playing a SuperRhodes, if that makes any sense. It wouldn't be my only DP but as an instrument on its own terms I'd love to have one.

[voxpops]

I didn't notice any uneven or gapped keys on the one I tried and the action was very playable.

I'm wondering whether, after three-plus years, Korg has finally got a grip on QC. Also, the fact that they took the trouble to sort out the keybed and make some other small tweaks, could mean that they believe the SV-1 has not yet run its course. It is still the only real challenger to Nord in the vintage stakes (Kronos and Krome notwithstanding). When they dropped the price and changed the livery I was convinced Korg was sounding the death-knell for the SV-1, but now I'm not so sure.

 

On a side note, this Korg trend towards rounded rear-ends (see SP-280) means that you can't use a regular gig-bag, and stand the thing on its back when you need to just set it down. As a result, I ended up buying a Nord Stage 76 wheeled case for the SV, but that thing seems to weigh almost as much as the piano! And to make matters worse, laying the Korg in a red, plush-lined bag that sports a big NORD logo, is making me feel like an adulterer; I'm now wanting to assuage my guilt by filling it with something more appropriate....

[Dave Ferris]

I remember having the 73 first before I took it back and got the 88. Yeah, even though it was lighter then the 88, it felt off kilter when you picked the thing up, like the weight wasn't distributed evenly.

 

If, I would ever go there again, I'm pretty certain I'd do the 88. It's funny, I started looking at CL for used one and there's a 73 for $1125. I don't think I'd buy used /privately simply because I'd want the dealer support/exchange/return option if I got a bad one right out of the box.

[voxpops]

Dave, if you hunt around you can find the SV for around that price new - I actually paid fractionally less.

[ProfD]

Pardon the thread resurrect. But, I had a blast playing a Korg SV-1 a few days ago. For me, the EPs alone are worth the price of admission.

 

I hope Korg has resolved those QC issues. If anything ever happens to my Motif (theft, fire, eBay, etc.), I'd cop an SV-1 88BK in a NY minute.

 

In the meantime, I need to pop a Tums before GAS turns into a fire sale.

[voxpops]

Pardon the thread resurrect. But, I had a blast playing a Korg SV-1 a few days ago. For me, the EPs alone are worth the price of admission.

I totally agree. If you play Rhodes/Wurli, there is nothing out there in current hardware that has quite as much soul, IMO.

 

I hope Korg has resolved those QC issues. If anything ever happens to my Motif (theft, fire, eBay, etc.), I'd cop an SV-1 88BK in a NY minute.

Not completely, unfortunately. Mine has the occasional note cut-off when playing pp. It's not a board I'd want to play as a solo AP substitute, but in a band setting it's a blast.

 

 

[Dana.]

Pardon the thread resurrect. But, I had a blast playing a Korg SV-1 a few days ago. For me, the EPs alone are worth the price of admission.

 

I hope Korg has resolved those QC issues. If anything ever happens to my Motif (theft, fire, eBay, etc.), I'd cop an SV-1 88BK in a NY minute.

 

In the meantime, I need to pop a Tums before GAS turns into a fire sale.

Did you like it more than the Motif's Rhodes?

[ProfD]

Did you like it more than the Motif's Rhodes?

Yep. The SV-1 has a better finger-to-ear connection. It feels like a performance instrument.

 

The saving grace for the Motif is that it has more features, better reliability and I already own it.

[hoggernick]

Hate to be a buzzkiller, but it just didn't work for me. I gigged with a sv1 for several months. I love the concept- an organic-feeling EP, retro sounds, tube grit, solid keybed, flashy colors, simple interface.

 

Ultimately, however, sadly, it didn't do it for me. It's not a Rhodes, or clav, or wurli. I tweaked sounds out the wazoo, back and forth from my eps to the sv1 trying to get the same feel and sound out of it. It just doesn't have the same feel, and really doesn't come close when played side by side against a Rhodes or wurli.

[resigned]

Wow, almost three years now of owning the original red SV-1 73. Still love it, NEVER had a problem with it, not a scratch on it. In fact, I don't play it out much since I got my Hammond SK2 except for Christmas parties (red piano, ho ho ho etc.). It's sitting in my studio and now and then I turn it on and strum a little. I'm thinking about selling it but I don't really want to - it's so cute! But somehow my SV-1 just doesn't make it onto the stage with me anymore. Still plays and sounds great though. It has it's stand and signature carry bag... if anyone wants to make me an offer on it let me know. Otherwise it'll just keep taking up a nice little space in my collection and do the Santa thing in December.

 

I always thought that Korg should make a nice leather jacket with the SV-1 logo on it, just to endear the retro/vintage thing to us SV-1 owners a little more.