My Dexibell VIVO S3 experience

[jimkost2002]

I ran a Dexibell Vivo S3 though its paces at home as I was curious and couldnt get a good read when I auditioned the S7 at Sam Ash on 34th.

 

Loved the build and the light weight (23 lbs) and ease of handling. Those endcaps make it easy to pickup and put down quickly.

I was also VERY impressed with the onboard features and ease of editing, BUT.....I just couldnt connect with the onboard AP sounds (strangely narrow, almost over-compressed) no matter how much I edited it or the keyboard touch.

Also, their much touted longer sample length was lost on me, especially in comparison with Yamaha CPs or Nord....especially the new Royal Grand 3D XL.

 

The action was confusing..... smooth, fast key travel and rebound, and one more thing.....

 

There was also a weird bottom on the keybed that I remember from the Roland A-90. That bottom spells fatigue for me.

 

Surprisingly, the Rhodes and Wurli were EXCELLENT, especially after editing the bell of the Rhodes.

 

Dexibell is really going to be a MAJOR player in the DP world, they will only get better!

I urge other keyboard players and pianists to TRY and BUY these instruments as to give them parity with the DP big boys Yamaha, Roland, Nord, Kurzweil and Kawai!

Kudos to them and I for one will pay close attention to them in the coming years!

[jefsco]

 

did you try any of the platinum ap sounds?

 

 

[jimkost2002]

i did, jeff.... i just wasnt feeling them..... but that doesnt mean others wont like them or that Dexibell wont improve or expand on them.

 

Again, despite my own misgivings i see a real potential in this manfacturer!

[hardware]

Its exactly my conclusion as well.

I bought the SX7 Module and cant accept that short decay of AP Sounds.

Im happy with the T2L Audio engine though.

The Electric Pianos are great, lots of meat and addition high harmonics were all I needed.

This module is now packed with Baritone, Tenor and Alto Sections, Brass Sections, Strings, EPianos, D6 Clavinet w/ killer wah-wah, and the Tonewheel organ serves well as a lower manual w/ Percussion and no fast rotary.

An Integra 7 has been added too.

HX-3, SE-02 and Code 8 OD have the rest covered.

 

SF2s can fill in my needs for whistle (Moves Like Jagger) Wind, storms, traditional Foley style samples.

 

Im running Integra and SX into an RCF Mixer into channel one L/R on QSC 8.2s w/ a Behringer 1200 Sub, the Synths and Organ get a Strymon Timeline Deco feedback loop on the AUX of a Key Largo into channel 2 L/R of the QSC 8.2s.

 

Great sounding rig with no more Expensive DSP Rack / PC.

 

Platinum Pianos are better but the Integra 7 has some that are better.

The Pianos Dexibell uses have a great sound, they just decay too quick, but for most styles this would work fine, just not good for solo piano gigs, ballads, serenading woodland nymphs, etc.

Skynard and Country, no problem.

[jimkost2002]

Its exactly my conclusion as well.

I bought the SX7 Module and cant accept that short decay of AP Sounds.

Im happy with the T2L Audio engine though.

The Electric Pianos are great, lots of meat and addition high harmonics were all I needed.

This module is now packed with Baritone, Tenor and Alto Sections, Brass Sections, Strings, EPianos, D6 Clavinet w/ killer wah-wah, and the Tonewheel organ serves well as a lower manual w/ Percussion and no fast rotary.

An Integra 7 has been added too.

HX-3, SE-02 and Code 8 OD have the rest covered.

 

SF2s can fill in my needs for whistle (Moves Like Jagger) Wind, storms, traditional Foley style samples.

 

Im running Integra and SX into an RCF Mixer into channel one L/R on QSC 8.2s w/ a Behringer 1200 Sub, the Synths and Organ get a Strymon Timeline Deco feedback loop on the AUX of a Key Largo into channel 2 L/R of the QSC 8.2s.

 

Great sounding rig with no more Expensive DSP Rack / PC.

 

Platinum Pianos are better but the Integra 7 has some that are better.

The Pianos Dexibell uses have a great sound, they just decay too quick, but for most styles this would work fine, just not good for solo piano gigs, ballads, serenading woodland nymphs, etc.

Skynard and Country, no problem.

 

 

Yeah, hardware, that T2L engine is badass and will only get better with time!

They are actually at a stronger place than Nord was at the time of the ORIGINAL Electro, and they seem to exhibit a great attention to detail and design....

[HAMEGZ]

This module is now packed with Baritone, Tenor and Alto Sections, Brass Sections, Strings, EPianos, D6 Clavinet w/ killer wah-wah, and the Tonewheel organ serves well as a lower manual w/ Percussion and no fast rotary.

.

 

So that statement piqued my interest in the module, and I visited their website for more information. I could not find any saxophones in their library, however, either on the tones list in the manual or what appeared to be a downloadable library for the instrument/

[Adan]

Count me among those who like the Vivo AP sounds. I understand the "narrow and compressed" characterization, and yet I felt in my time playing it that it would sit well in a mix in part because of that. But I never used it with a group so that's just speculation.

 

I think the Rhodes and wurli are good, very useable and reasonably tweakable through T2L, but not quite up there with the best.

 

The S3 action is abbreviated and bottoms out firmly. I want to say it feels the same to me as the Electro HP and the Crumar Seven, but I've never played them side by side to really test that theory. It's not the best action by a long shot, but I think the question to ask is whether you can make the adjustment to it so that you can reap the portability benefits of a 22.7 lb keyboard.

[jimkost2002]

Count me among those who like the Vivo AP sounds. I understand the "narrow and compressed" characterization, and yet I felt in my time playing it that it would sit well in a mix in part because of that. But I never used it with a group so that's just speculation.

 

I think the Rhodes and wurli are good, very useable and reasonably tweakable through T2L, but not quite up there with the best.

 

The S3 action is abbreviated and bottoms out firmly. I want to say it feels the same to me as the Electro HP and the Crumar Seven, but I've never played them side by side to really test that theory. It's not the best action by a long shot, but I think the question to ask is whether you can make the adjustment to it so that you can reap the portability benefits of a 22.7 lb keyboard.

 

Adan, I have played all of them, but not side by side. Of the three, the Electro HP has the best response, followed by the Dexibell, then the Seven as dead last.

 

Ive NEVER experienced the bottoming out on ANY Electro HP Ive played or owned.

The Dexibell had MUCH LESS of it than the Seven.

I truly suspect it has something to do with the different casings......

Id happily play an HP anytime.

[hardware]

This module is now packed with Baritone, Tenor and Alto Sections, Brass Sections, Strings, EPianos, D6 Clavinet w/ killer wah-wah, and the Tonewheel organ serves well as a lower manual w/ Percussion and no fast rotary.

.

 

So that statement piqued my interest in the module, and I visited their website for more information. I could not find any saxophones in their library, however, either on the tones list in the manual or what appeared to be a downloadable library for the instrument/

 

Theres thousands of Quality SF2 samples on the web.

I grab a dozen of something, audition them all and dump what I dont need.

I wanted a barking bull frog baritone for years, couldnt get what I wanted.

Mine pops and is perfect for TOP.

5MBs of RAM is nothing when you have 1.5 for sounds.

 

Platinum Pianos are big so Im just grabbing the EXP samples @ Dexibell then scouring over thousands of SF2s.