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How long til you're satisfied?


MAJUSCULE

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There are a couple of little things on my list -- a pair of congas, a good cheap graphic equalizer.

 

But regarding keyboards, I don't expect to get another serious GAS attack until I reach the end of my PC3's capabilities -- which may seriously last me the rest of my life. I may have to replace this one, as it's somewhat fragile, but that ain't the same thing as GAS, right?

 

Now that I've put that in print, someone's gonna build a good acoustic modelling synth that does winds, bowed, struck, and plucked strings. Oh, and it will of course be programmable by humans (thus excluding the inscrutable reed models of the Alesis Fusion). Then I may have to recant.

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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I believe I could easily be satisfied with a thing that has yet to be invented.

 

I want a futureproof box (most likely this will be some sort of open source thing, perhaps even a DIY kit) that can always be updated. Then I would only need three of four very good MIDI controllers and be all set.

 

There's a few things out already that kind of does this but not nearly the "all in one" answer I'm looking for. Someday this item will come and when it does I think I'll be done buying new synths. As for upgrades and replacing broken MIDI controllers that will probably never end.

 

Carl

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I'm satisfied with my home setup. I mainly practice on my Yamaha C3 acoustic grand. It's not a Steinway, but I'm satisfied nonetheless. I have two jazz organ trio gigs this week so I'll practice on my A100 / Leslie 145 for the next few days. I'm satisfied with this rig as well. The home gear is wonderful. So, the challenge is replicating it on gigs...

 

For gigs, I'm satisfied with the Mojo / SSV3 / BD1200 rig for organ gigs and OK with the CP4 / TT08A(s) for piano gigs. I guess DP is the only area where I can't say I'm satisfied, but it is very good.

 

If I had synth gigs I wouldn't we be satisfied with my current gear, but I've had very few synth gigs in recent times so I'm good on that front (for now). If a synth gig came up I'd probably use my Macbook Pro with a soft synth and be comfortable (and who knows, maybe even satisfied).

 

All and all these are great times when it comes to keyboard gear and amplification!

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I'd like rack modules to make a comeback (especially a Kurzweil version of an EMU Proteus - "just the sounds, ma'am"), along with lightweight 76 key synth action controllers.

The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers

 

People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin

 

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In terms of keys, I'm quite satisfied. If I had more room, I could take on an OB-6, a Voyager, etc., but I'm not really jonesing for any keyboards.

 

Montage? No thanks.

Kronos? Been there, done that.

Jupiter 80? Nope.

 

Once I got my DP, that was the biggie. That rounded out the collection.

 

There are other audio wants that I have (new NFMs, a control surface, a kickass preamp, etc.), but in terms of hardware instruments, it's not really there... If I jones for anything, it's an SY77 or some other semi-vintage instrument.

Sundown

 

Working on: The Jupiter Bluff; Driven Away

Main axes: Kawai MP11 and Kurz PC361

DAW Platform: Cubase

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I was doing just fine until the OB-6 came out.

 

 

This could be the one. Almost afraid to play it.

9 Moog things, 3 Roland things, 2 Hammond things and a computer with stuff on it

 

 

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I was doing just fine until the OB-6 came out.

 

 

This could be the one. Almost afraid to play it.

 

I played it at NAMM and then had one of those tracking bracelets put on my ankle to keep me from getting too close to it again until I'm richer.

Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material.
www.joshweinstein.com

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I recently played the OB6 and loved it. But I don't need it. In fact I have about 4-5 keyboards plus some other stuff (pedals, rack gear) that I'm selling soon.

 

I'm at the point where I want to really simplify. Sure I can afford the OB6 and anything else I want at this stage of my life. But I'd get it, have fun for a while and then look for the next thing. Seems pointless; I'd rather appreciate what I have and keep it simple.

"The devil take the poets who dare to sing the pleasures of an artist's life." - Gottschalk

 

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Aethellis

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I'm at the point where I want to really simplify. Sure I can afford the OB6 and anything else I want at this stage of my life. But I'd get it, have fun for a while and then look for the next thing. Seems pointless; I'd rather appreciate what I have and keep it simple.

 

That's where I am right now. I was excited when the OB6 came out and sure... it would be fun to play around with. I almost bought one, but I really need to focus on what I have and write some new songs.

 

Maybe get a Kronos next year... um, nah. :cool:

When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray.
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I'd like rack modules to make a comeback (especially a Kurzweil version of an EMU Proteus - "just the sounds, ma'am"), along with lightweight 76 key synth action controllers.

 

I think they are already making a comeback: ipads, phones and the like. Not saying they are there yet, or will be (I don't use mine live just yet). If you think of them as "synth brains" combined with a touch screen, then you just need an elegant way to play it from a controller--this is what isn't there yet IMO, though granted it's been a bit since I tried it. Just stuff like not being able to charge the thing as well as using the port for usb sound at the same time.... Obviously the latency has to be low and sound quality have to be there.

 

The super-advantage this would have over modules is that it's right there, maybe velcroed to your keyboard or in a slot dedicated to it.

 

As far as controllers, a good fold-able controller would be awesome! Or one that is really two smaller ones, pick and choose the size by combining them. (For all i know these exist, I'm still using hardware live and I have controllers for home that don't have to move...)

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I like the keyboards I have currently.

 

But I'm really gassing for Sweetwater's new "Talent 6-Pak" - I'm gonna get two so I can play like Bruce Hronsby and Lyle Mays.

 

After that, I'm going to be looking for "Inspiration in a Can" (no, not Budweiser!). I hear Native Instruments got something in development.

J.S. Bach Well Tempered Klavier

The collected works of Scott Joplin

Ray Charles Genius plus Soul

Charlie Parker Omnibook

Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life

Weather Report Mr. Gone

 

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I'm satisfied with my KB rig but there is an empty space on my KB stand and in my Gator rack that should be filled. :laugh::cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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The Power of 'Good Enough'

How settling can make people happier and more satisfied than gunning for "the best"

 

Over a decade ago, psychologist Barry Schwartz published what might be the ultimate psychological life-hacking tome, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less. In it, Schwartz argues that the modern world's smorgasbord of optionsBrawny or Bounty? Coke Zero or Diet? Major in sociology or anthropology?makes us less happy, not more. "Choice overload," as he calls it, makes us question our decisions, set our expectations too high, and blame ourselves for our mistakes.

 

The book spawned the usual TED talks and counterintuitive Internet takes. More recently, Schwartz has been interviewed in a variety of publications and platforms about how his advice holds up 10 years later. The rise of social media, he argues, has only heightened the agony of decision-making through phenomena like FOMO (fear of missing out).

 

One of my favorite Schwartzisms is this: If you ever aren't sure if you attended the very best party or bought the very best computer, just settle for "good enough." People who do this are called "satisficers," and they're consistently happier, he's found, than are "maximizers," people who feel that they must choose the very best possible option. Maximizers earn more, Schwartz has found, but they're also less satisfied with their jobs. In fact, they're more likely to be clinically depressed in general.

 

The reason this happens, as Schwartz explained in a paper with his Swarthmore colleague Andrew Ward, is that as life circumstances improve, expectations rise. People begin comparing their experiences to peers who are doing better, or to past experiences they've personally had that were better:

 

As people have contact with items of high quality, they begin to suffer from the curse of discernment. The lower quality items that used to be perfectly acceptable are no longer good enough. The hedonic zero point keeps rising, and expectations and aspirations rise with it. As a result, the rising quality of experience is met with rising expectations, and people are just running in place. As long as expectations keep pace with realizations, people may live better, but they wont feel better about how they live.

 

Schwartz' solution, as he recently explained to the psychology blogger Eric Barker, is just to settle for something that's acceptableeven if you know there's likely something better out there:

 

Whenever you need a new laptop, call up one of your maximizer friends and say, What laptop did you buy? And you buy that laptop. Is it going to be the perfect laptop for you? Probably not. Is it going to be a good enough laptop for you? Absolutely. It takes you five minutes to make a decision instead of five weeks and its a good enough decision.

 

In a Q&A session on Reddit last year, Schwartz said people can generalize this concept by arbitrarily limiting the number of choices they'll considerfive colleges, not 25and "decide that all you need is a good enough X, not the best X," he said. "'Good enough' is almost always good enough." It's helpful information to keep in mind right after, say, the debut of a dizzying array of shiny, new iterations of a popular consumer tech product.

 

It can be hard, in our culture, to force yourself to settle for "good enough." But when it comes to happiness and satisfaction, "good enough" isn't just goodit's perfect.

 

OLGA KHAZAN MAR 10, 2015 - The Atlantic

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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I'm satisfied within my ability to move gear and the space I get to perform, I would love to use a real upright piano and B3 live, but that's just not realistic, so for where I am I'm satisfied and doubt I'll buy another piece of gear for many years.

 

Well maybe a portable Leslie, if someone can create a real dual rotor that doesn't weigh 100 lbs.

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I'm officially looking at basses*, despite never having played before and being 48. (I have played a bit of guitar).

 

So, answer is: never, apparently.

 

*Our bass player is also a really good horn player, and he has some Yamaha electronic thingy that *really* works well (more the expression I expect than the sound itself). So while I could play bass on a keyboard (booo!) he suggested I try playing an actual bass! What could possibly go wrong :) My debut will await a last set at some almost-deserted bar...

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