New Studiologic Numa X Piano

[Chummy]

How would you guys compoare the Numa X 73 Keyboard action (TP110) to Kawai RH3 (that's on the ES920 or MP7SE)?

Which one is better?

[kenheeter]

https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/satechi-r1-adjustable-tablet-stand-space-grey/15286964?cmp=seo-15286964&cmp=knc-s-71700000055264076&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq8eyupLK_gIVfSazAB3ajga5EAQYAyABEgJv9fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

This stand stays wherever I tilt it and with velcro on the bottom it just sits on whatever keyboard rig I'm using. Works for me!  It was hard to find one that would let me orient the iPad in portrait,

[kenheeter]

I love the TP110 action, I don't have a Kawai to compare but I have a Korg SV-1 88 in my shop   and I much prefer the TP110 to that.

[Dockeys]

I’d be the opposite to Ken, I’d much prefer the RH3 action.  I never gelled with the TP110 action in the Numa X. I would be open to trying it again though since they updated the firmware. 

[drawback]

Just to split hairs: Kawai has RHIII, Korg has RH3. 

[Dockeys]

11 minutes ago, drawback said:

Just to split hairs: Kawai has RHIII, Korg has RH3. 

Indeed, I meant the Kawai RHIII which I’d prefer but even the Korg RH3 I’d prefer over the TP series in the Numa. 

[drawback]

I was reacting more to Chummy’s post than yours, but good to sort it out. 

[Dockeys]

Yeah I get confused myself sometimes and have to look at the sticker on my Kawai key to see which one it is🙄

[RDM]

 

[CyberGene]

As an ex-owner of a CP88 that got replaced by a Numa X Piano 73 (same sounds and feature as the GT, just a lower tier keyboard action) I can say with a certainty that the CP88 beats the Numa in regards to sounds. Not by much but still, the acoustic pianos are more engaging to play and more natural, the electric pianos are perfect, whereas on the Numa you have to tweak them... That being said, the Numa won me with some of its features such as better external MIDI zone control (good luck turning on/off external zones on the CP unless you start diving into the menus), seamless zone switching on/off where the sound doesn't get cut immediately as on the Yamaha, being able to apply effects to the audio input, compact size and lowest weight in class. So, yeah, the CP88 has some edge but then it's also 1.5x the price and has some things that are worse than the Numa.

 

Taking in mind the size of the companies and the difference in experience creating music instruments (because Studiologic were only making controllers until relatively recently), I would say kudos to Studiologic 👏🏻

[b3plyr]

2 hours ago, CyberGene said:

As an ex-owner of a CP88 that got replaced by a Numa X Piano 73 (same sounds and feature as the GT, just a lower tier keyboard action) I can say with a certainty that the CP88 beats the Numa in regards to sounds. Not by much but still, the acoustic pianos are more engaging to play and more natural, the electric pianos are perfect, whereas on the Numa you have to tweak them... That being said, the Numa won me with some of its features such as better external MIDI zone control (good luck turning on/off external zones on the CP unless you start diving into the menus), seamless zone switching on/off where the sound doesn't get cut immediately as on the Yamaha, being able to apply effects to the audio input, compact size and lowest weight in class. So, yeah, the CP88 has some edge but then it's also 1.5x the price and has some things that are worse than the Numa.

 

Taking in mind the size of the companies and the difference in experience creating music instruments (because Studiologic were only making controllers until relatively recently), I would say kudos to Studiologic 👏🏻

Good comments. Also look at the cost difference, weight (at least on the standard 88), and the upgrades that have already occurred. Although I have a Nord Grand and 2 Numa Xs, I'm afraid I am becoming a fanboy. Yes, kudos to Studiologic.

[DeltaJockey]

11 hours ago, CyberGene said:

As an ex-owner of a CP88 that got replaced by a Numa X Piano 73 (same sounds and feature as the GT, just a lower tier keyboard action) I can say with a certainty that the CP88 beats the Numa in regards to sounds. Not by much but still, the acoustic pianos are more engaging to play and more natural, the electric pianos are perfect, whereas on the Numa you have to tweak them... That being said, the Numa won me with some of its features such as better external MIDI zone control (good luck turning on/off external zones on the CP unless you start diving into the menus), seamless zone switching on/off where the sound doesn't get cut immediately as on the Yamaha, being able to apply effects to the audio input, compact size and lowest weight in class. So, yeah, the CP88 has some edge but then it's also 1.5x the price and has some things that are worse than the Numa.

 

Taking in mind the size of the companies and the difference in experience creating music instruments (because Studiologic were only making controllers until relatively recently), I would say kudos to Studiologic 👏🏻

I agree with you about the onboard pianos, to me they sound a bit bright and thin, partly the piano model and samples in my opinion. However, I'm a bit of a fan of the Steinway B, and I downloaded Studiologic's offering, and I must say it is really good to my ears. Though it has limitations in the samples, and articulation, I'm enjoying playing it as much as many of my vst pianos.

[CyberGene]

2 hours ago, DeltaJockey said:

However, I'm a bit of a fan of the Steinway B, and I downloaded Studiologic's offering, and I must say it is really good to my ears. Though it has limitations in the samples, and articulation, I'm enjoying playing it as much as many of my vst pianos.

Yes, I agree. The additional (downloadable) pianos are my favorite and IMO better than the original onboard ones. Both the Steinway B and the Yamaha (forgot the actual name, maybe a 183 cm Japanese or something, not at the piano right now). 

[CyberGene]

I can confirm that the Numa X Piano supports half-pedaling with the Roland DP-10 pedal 🥳 That’s my favorite sustain due to the anti-slip mat you step on. It has a switch for choosing between binary (on/off) mode and half-pedal mode. And in the Numa system settings you have to select the “Continuous B” mode.

 

P.S. I corrected my advise above from Continuous A to B. While both seem to work for acoustic pianos, the A mode doesn’t work well with the modeled electric pianos and would not immediately cut off the sound on pedal up. 

[The_Star_Guy]

On 4/27/2023 at 7:56 AM, Chummy said:

How would you guys compare the Numa X 73 Keyboard action (TP110) to Kawai RHIII (that's on the ES920 or MP7SE)?

Which one is better?

 

Hi!   I own both currently, and the Kawai wins.  It it both smoother and slightly lighter.   However, I feel that the TP-110 is in the ballpark & is probably the best weighted 73 note action currently available as I also have a YC-73 (currently) and the Numa X 73 playability is better than the slightly heavier Yamaha BH action.   And aftertouch that is also well-implemented firmly tips the scales towards the NumaX 73.

[CyberGene]

The Numa X also has a USB audio interface, audio mixer, top notch MIDI functionality and external zone control, 4 internal zones, uploadable sounds, two joysticks and three pedal input with support for various sustain and expression pedal brands/models, intuitive interface, etc… It’s just in a different league than the ES920. Maybe the MP7SE is the proper competition but it’s heavy and huge. If you need a compact and lightweight 73-key piano, it’s the cheapest option and is IMO the best bang for the buck. 

[Chummy]

1 hour ago, The_Star_Guy said:

 

Hi!   I own both currently, and the Kawai wins.  It it both smoother and slightly lighter.   However, I feel that the TP-110 is in the ballpark & is probably the best weighted 73 note action currently available as I also have a YC-73 (currently) and the Numa X 73 playability is better than the slightly heavier Yamaha BH action.   And aftertouch that is also well-implemented firmly tips the scales towards the NumaX 73.

Very interesting

 

I have the ES920 but I'm toying with the idea of getting a 73 board since I have been only gigging solo or duo so far

but I've got an upcoming band gig, and if more are to come the 920 is too heavy and I don't need a heavy 88 with a full band, too much hassle

 

I've been considering the YC73 for a long time and the choice us tough since I cannot test a NumaX 73 hands on, ONLY order sight unseen (while I CAN try a CP73 for example that's not a problem) but still I'll never have a side by side comparison. I'm shocked to hear that you find the Numa action better than the Yamaha

Never in a million years I'd think it to be the case. The CP/YC73 action is basically the Montage 8 action without aftertouch, as quoted by Blake Angelos from Yamaha.

I have fond memories of that action having owned it for 2 years but that was A LONG time ago and memory is a tricky thing...

 

I'm also considering a "waterfall" organ board and likely will go this route due to less overlap with a ES920 and I love hammond sound and drawbars

waterfall action plays more natural for me with an organ. But the SK PRO is way to complicated of an interface and the non organ sounds are bad (I tested).

Which as far as I can tell leaves me with the VR-730 which I don't like honestly when it comes to sound (great form factor and super intuitive to use, though)

[b3plyr]

1 hour ago, The_Star_Guy said:

 

Hi!   I own both currently, and the Kawai wins.  It it both smoother and slightly lighter.   However, I feel that the TP-110 is in the ballpark & is probably the best weighted 73 note action currently available as I also have a YC-73 (currently) and the Numa X 73 playability is better than the slightly heavier Yamaha BH action.   And aftertouch that is also well-implemented firmly tips the scales towards the NumaX 73.

Good information, but certainly shows how we have differences of opinion. I have two Numa Xs, the 88 and the GT. I also have a Nord Grand with Kawai action. And I played the MP7. For me, the Numa X wins in usability and I really like the TP110. And the GT is in another class. Try it - even has true escapement. I do prefer both Numa X actions overthe Nord Grand and MP7. Many would disagree with me, but that is one of the values of this forum.

[DeltaJockey]

I'm enjoying my Numa Piano X GT more than my MP11SE at the moment. This bothers me a bit, considering the caliber of the MP. However, if I rate the GT for pure playing enjoyment, it is my favorite right now.

 

As I also have an acoustic grand, I'm not lately focusing on a digital action to best emulate the acoustic, rather what is the nicest playing all round action with least fatigue.

(I'm starting to experience symptoms in my hands and wrists, not related to technique).

Though the MP11SE feels closer to my Kawai acoustic, I find it a bit more sluggish, and tires me quicker, even for just piano. Oddly, my real acoustic doesn't fatigue like this.

 

[DeltaJockey]

For those of you that have a Numa X Piano, I had a weird thing happen last night, and wondered if it was a bug. I went into global settings and the menus were missing. It was just the scroll bar which I could still move over blank lines. In the end I had to reboot the machine. Anyone else had this happen? If it looks like a bug, I suppose I'll log it with Studiologic.

[kenheeter]

I notice you're running firmware 2.1.0.  There is an update available ( 2.1.1 ) and they mention fixing a bug where sometimes menu items aren't displayed. You might want to try the upgrade and hopefully that will solve this.

[DeltaJockey]

thanks for that 😀

I only updated a few weeks ago, and didn't check recently thinking that I still had the latest!

[konaboy]

been enjoying mine with a decent pair of seinheiser headphones but on the acoustic piano sounds I hear some slight distortion when laying into it and olaying octaves in the bass. i hear it on the very first default factory patch that loads on boot but even more obvious when changing acoustic piano model.

 

wondering if anybody else has noticed this, or if perhaps mine has an issue, or if there is a workaround? maybe even an issue with my phones, but never noticed distortion on any other boards,

[CyberGene]

16 minutes ago, konaboy said:

I hear some slight distortion

I was playing through all 100 factory performances the other day and noticed some distortions on some performances. I used my Sennheiser HD650s and I have never used them before with the Numa (I have many headphones at home). I will certainly retest with other (lower impedance headphones) to see whether I can hear distortions with other headphones too. 

[The_Star_Guy]

On 5/5/2023 at 4:16 PM, b3plyr said:

Good information, but certainly shows how we have differences of opinion. I have two Numa Xs, the 88 and the GT. I also have a Nord Grand with Kawai action. And I played the MP7. For me, the Numa X wins in usability and I really like the TP110. And the GT is in another class. Try it - even has true escapement. I do prefer both Numa X actions over the Nord Grand and MP7. Many would disagree with me, but that is one of the values of this forum.

I actually agree that the TP110 of my Numa X 73 piano is exceptional in overall playability & especially stage usability (and I am an aftertouch "junkie")....especially for "live" use....that's why I have it!  My ES-920 is my home & studio piano for piano parts, but my Numa handles stage duties and all weighted keyboards parts in general.  These are both on my "keeper" list!  I also have both an SK Pro 73 & a YC-73, both of which I am currently on the fence about & I am reasonably sure that I will be selling one of them relatively soon, mostly because the interface and the action of the Numa X handily beats them both!  The Numa X is a near perfect stage "bottom" board in my opinion.

[Chummy]

1 hour ago, The_Star_Guy said:

I actually agree that the TP110 of my Numa X 73 piano is exceptional in overall playability & especially stage usability (and I am an aftertouch "junkie")....especially for "live" use....that's why I have it!  My ES-920 is my home & studio piano for piano parts, but my Numa handles stage duties and all weighted keyboards parts in general.  These are both on my "keeper" list!  I also have both an SK Pro 73 & a YC-73, both of which I am currently on the fence about & I am reasonably sure that I will be selling one of them relatively soon, mostly because the interface and the action of the Numa X handily beats them both!  The Numa X is a near perfect stage "bottom" board in my opinion.

Wow really?? that's shocking to hear.. I always assumed the YC73 is x10 times better in sound, action and.. well it has drawbars and the Numa does not

 

The SKPRO has bad user interface though that's definitely

[The_Star_Guy]

3 hours ago, Chummy said:

Wow really?? that's shocking to hear.. I always assumed the YC73 is x10 times better in sound, action and.. well it has drawbars and the Numa does not

 

The SKPRO has bad user interface though that's definitely

Regarding the Hammond SK Pro, I actually quite like the "Physical" interface;  the problems start because of the way the software interface is implemented when it comes to navigation and selecting..    And a few other operational difficulties that also hamper it workflow-wise when working with the other voices.   With the Yamaha it is not actually bad at all, it is just that I happen to like the Numa X interface and keybed action a 'tad' better.  And selecting & jumping to specific voices is also faster on the Numa X than the Yamaha YC-73.   The Yammy sounds better "out of the box" & is sonically quite solid!  Also the YC's customizable drawbars are definitely a big plus, and if Yamaha ever adds the ability to load DX7 sysex to the YC series, that would make it a long term keeper for me.

[b3plyr]

8 hours ago, Chummy said:

Wow really?? that's shocking to hear.. I always assumed the YC73 is x10 times better in sound, action and.. well it has drawbars and the Numa does not

 

The SKPRO has bad user interface though that's definitely

There is no way the YC73 is 10x better than the Numa X. The only thing the YC73 is better for is the organ. I went through all of this and ended up with 2 Numa Xs. In all fairness, to each their own. We all have our own preferences. Just enjoy.

[HammondDave]

12 hours ago, Chummy said:

Wow really?? that's shocking to hear.. I always assumed the YC73 is x10 times better in sound, action and.. well it has drawbars and the Numa does not

 

The SKPRO has bad user interface though that's definitely

“Shocked”… really?  Why is that?  Remember, just because you have a huge corporation, it does not mean that you make a better instrument. The Italians have been killing the Japanese biggies and continue to make better mousetraps for less money. Just look at Crumar vs Suzuki…  or in this case, Studiologic vs Yamaha.  

[b3plyr]

22 minutes ago, HammondDave said:

“Shocked”… really?  Why is that?  Remember, just because you have a huge corporation, it does not mean that you make a better instrument. The Italians have been killing the Japanese biggies and continue to make better mousetraps for less money. Just look at Crumar vs Suzuki…  or in this case, Studiologic vs Yamaha.  

Dave - you have it right!