Roland A500 or Alesis VI49?

[AnotherScott]

Buy once but buy wisely even if it means upping the budget by quite a lot.

Going OT here, but I don't see it that way. The available gear changes, your needs can change... I always think I'm done and then they come out with something else cool. ;-) Though to be fair, some of my favorite boards were things I didn't get--or appreciate the full benefit of--until they had been out for years, so it's not only a matter of being tempted by the shiny new thing. OTOH, I do have way, way, way too many keyboards. ;-)

 

But also, no matter how many manuals you read and videos you watch, I think often it is the experience with your earlier boards that you need in order to figure out what would be better in the end. Maybe you would have been better off never buying your Kross or PA700 (IIRC) and just saved up to buy the Pa4X that I believe you'd have bought by now if you weren't waiting for the possibility of an imminent replacement. But if you hadn't bought those boards and really learned their strengths and weaknesses, would you even know that the Pa4X (or its possible replacement) is really the board you want?

[Biggles]

Yes Scott wise words. The way I look at it is that the two keyboards cost me less than £200 a year before I sold them and learned a lot. Still not convinced enough to go for a 4X so may end up supplementing the DP with a cheap Arranger.

 

RABid"s post is what I was seeking others to post to give miden the Pros and Cons of a vast array of keyboards to help him make the right choice for him.

[miden]

Gotta say folks, this is doing my head in haha! Read a few unflattering reports on the Roland (500 and 800) so started looking around a bit more...SOooooo many to choose from...so is there any rock-solid recommendations for a 49 key with aftertouch and at least two pedal input jacks? Price (Oz $'s) up to about $650

[AnotherScott]

Since you're talking about a controller (no internal sounds) pedal jacks should not be a limitation, since they are easily added . I'd consider a Samson Graphite 49 and the Audiofront MIDI Expression pedal adapter of your choice: https://www.audiofront.net/MIDIExpression.php

 

The priciest one (MIDI Expression I/O) has the 5-pin DIN connections you'd need if you're controlling external hardware (no computer or iOS device in the rig). If you only need USB connectivity (e.g. for VSTs or iOS apps), the lower priced ones will do.

[miden]

Thanks Scott - I already have the 4 jack MIDI Expression and the single jack one too...they are a BIT awkward in that they do need power (usually a USB source is fine, although standard Roland adapter will work with the four jack unit)....JUST came across, quite by accident, the Nektar Panorama T4 - Sound On Sound gave it a glowing review and other use reviews I found are also quite positive, And at a price pretty close to the Roland.

[miden]

Just posting a final message to this thread, I ended up going with the Nektar Panorama T4 - a bit more $'s wise but I think it might be a better bet long term.

 

Thanks again for all the tips and opinions shared - much appreciated!

[Reezekeys]

I ended up going with the Nektar Panorama T4 - a bit more $'s wise but I think it might be a better bet long term.

 

Nice feature set, I hope it works well for you. "A bit more $"? On Amazon, it's $100 (US) less than the A500. Seems like a bargain to me.

[miden]

haha, yeah down here the A500 was 452, Panorama was 499 - from local dealers which are where I prefer to place the $'s when I can

[miden]

Here's a tip for anyone interested in the Panorama series...if you want all the editing options that Nektar show in abundance in all the online docs - make sure you buy the P series - because zones, saving user presets, renaming, setting midi channels for the ports etc etc ,all CANNOT be done on the T series!

[jerrythek]

I know you've made a choice already, but I just want to add this...

 

At this point M-Audio, Alesis and Akai are all owned, designed and made by the same company Inmusic.

 

So older history/perceptions has to change. No doubt it's all done in the same factory, overseen by the same QC teams etc. I would imagine they have different Product Managers etc. but they are "barely" separate brands with their own manufacturing differences.

 

Carry on!

 

 

Jerry

 

 

Any reason the new M-Audio Oxygen Pro line is not in your list to consider?

 

If it's using the same action as the Code and CTRL I'd say it's a good bet.

 

May AUS availability or relative cost is the issue?

 

FWIW I liked the feel of the Alesis VI that I played, but found that drum pad placement too awkward for my tastes.

 

Nah not cost, its M-Audio they have a bad rep!!

[miden]

I know you've made a choice already, but I just want to add this...

 

At this point M-Audio, Alesis and Akai are all owned, designed and made by the same company Inmusic.

 

So older history/perceptions has to change. No doubt it's all done in the same factory, overseen by the same QC teams etc. I would imagine they have different Product Managers etc. but they are "barely" separate brands with their own manufacturing differences.

 

Carry on!

 

 

Jerry

 

Wow, I did not know that, thanks Jerry

[jerrythek]

Happy to contribute!

[Reezekeys]

Here's a tip for anyone interested in the Panorama series...if you want all the editing options that Nektar show in abundance in all the online docs - make sure you buy the P series - because zones, saving user presets, renaming, setting midi channels for the ports etc etc ,all CANNOT be done on the T series!

 

This sounded crazy to me so I downloaded the manual (it should be obvious by my post count the past few weeks that I have lots of time on my hands these days!).

 

There is indeed no zoning the keyboard. The channel the notes send on is the "global" channel and that's it â all the notes use that channel. There aren't too many other global settings and some of them are duplicated with buttons on the keyboard, like transposing. The settings are stored in what I assume is NVRAM (they survive power cycles) but there aren't any presets allowing for recall of different global configs. It's just one set of settings - which makes sense if you think about what the word "global" means. There are also what Nektar calls the "performance controllers": PB, MW, aftertouch, pedal inputs and a few more things. These can be programmed to send various midi data but they're also global. My A800 has a little bit of an edge here in that I can store different settings for these controllers in each of my 19 preset locations.

 

All the other controllers however can be programmed to send on any of the 16 midi channels and there are ten presets for those. The pads have a separate set of eight memory locations to store presets. These 8 pad presets plus the 10 controller presets can be sent and received via midi sysex for backing up. So I would have to disagree with you when you say "saving user presets" cannot be done.

 

Also, I don't know what you plan to use this keyboard with, but if it's any kind of laptop rig, I'm certain you can zone to your heart's content there. My Roland has two zones that I can set to "dual" or "split" but I've never used that feature once in the almost nine years of owning my two A800s. If you need that functionality though, I can see where this would be a major drag.

 

Looking through the manual, I see quite a few cool controller programming possibilities missing from my A800. I'm not sure I would ever use them, but they do allow for a lot of tweaking. To have that in a keyboard with aftertouch and an expression pedal input, for $100 less than my A800 (I'm comparing the T6 here) makes this definitely worth a serious look for anybody, imo. How does the keybed feel? That would be the determining factor for me.

[miden]

Yeah I agree with what you wrote. I'm using it with an iPad but because I cannot save a zone with a preset, I cannot run it the way I wanted, but I have figured a work-around. Keybed is quite good. I don't really understand why Nektar, as they have channel choice with all the control hardware, could not also include it for the keys.

 

As to the keybed itslef, very little sideways movement usually seen on "synth" 'beds, and with a slight resistance to the keys and decent amount of travel. Aftertouch is good and requires no great pressure to invoke and control.It's a tiny bit "clacky" but not intrusively so.

 

I've written to Nektar and suggested they change the online information to clearly state that the instructions apply ONLY to the P series in certain sections. A lot is generic, but the way most of it is written makes it seem that all the control options apply to the whole Panorama series, and indeed was why I decided on the T, thinking the differences were mostly in the motorised faders and controller hardware and different body.

[drawback]

I've been looking for the right controller for B-3X iOS for quite awhile. My brother reminded me that he still had my old Axiom49 that I gave him years ago, that I'd forgotten all about. He sent it back to me last month. One fader knob is missing but otherwise it's in like-new shape and I don't think the action has suffered with age (keys are still white lol). What I like is it's bus powered, the pads are nondescript, the nine drawbars are reachable with my left hand, keys aren't diving-board, and settings can be saved in the number pads.