New Dexibell stage pianos S8, S8M and S4 - some info

[AnotherScott]

IIRC, Roland was on the verge of bankruptcy, and they shut down the Italian division to save money.

[Radagast]

23 minutes ago, AnotherScott said:

IIRC, Roland was on the verge of bankruptcy, and they shut down the Italian division to save money.

Is that why Roland sold Rodgers Organs to a European company?

[The Piano Man]

You know, I have discovered one feature which is quite unique. In the latest Dexibells, you can route separate sounds to the XLR and jack outputs. I cannot think of any other board that lets you do this, with the possible exception of Roland RD2000 (which goes one further and has XLR outs, Jack main outs and sub outs)

 

Yamaha CP73 and Korg SV have the XLR and jack outputs but I don’t think you can route different sounds/zones.

 

And, of course, there are lots of boards where you can route to different sets of jack outputs. (Albeit it is a less common feature these days on all but the pricier boards)

 

Also, as another user pointed out, the Dexibells have better zoning. That is, they allow two sounds to the left of a split whereas the CP/SV only allow one.

 

One would think it would be a fairly easy software update for Yamaha and Korg to add these two key features for their XLR boards.

[ElmerJFudd]

56 minutes ago, The Piano Man said:

You know, I have discovered one feature which is quite unique. In the latest Dexibells, you can route separate sounds to the XLR and jack outputs. I cannot think of any other board that lets you do this, with the possible exception of Roland RD2000 (which goes one further and has XLR outs, Jack main outs and sub outs)

 

Yamaha CP73 and Korg SV have the XLR and jack outputs but I don’t think you can route different sounds/zones.

 

And, of course, there are lots of boards where you can route to different sets of jack outputs. (Albeit it is a less common feature these days on all but the pricier boards)

 

Also, as another user pointed out, the Dexibells have better zoning. That is, they allow two sounds to the left of a split whereas the CP/SV only allow one.

 

One would think it would be a fairly easy software update for Yamaha and Korg to add these two key features for their XLR boards.

It’s a useful feature if you need to go to different amplification or use outboard FX for specific patches.  Or if you prefer to mix your sounds on a little hardware mixer.  Or force FOH to give you more inputs and mix your sounds differently.  😂

[AnotherScott]

5 hours ago, The Piano Man said:

You know, I have discovered one feature which is quite unique. In the latest Dexibells, you can route separate sounds to the XLR and jack outputs. I cannot think of any other board that lets you do this, with the possible exception of Roland RD2000 (which goes one further and has XLR outs, Jack main outs and sub outs)

 

Yamaha CP73 and Korg SV have the XLR and jack outputs but I don’t think you can route different sounds/zones.

 

And, of course, there are lots of boards where you can route to different sets of jack outputs. (Albeit it is a less common feature these days on all but the pricier boards)

 

Also, as another user pointed out, the Dexibells have better zoning. That is, they allow two sounds to the left of a split whereas the CP/SV only allow one.

 

One would think it would be a fairly easy software update for Yamaha and Korg to add these two key features for their XLR boards.

 

Fairly easy software update? Nah. Likely impossible to add the first and impractical to add the second.

 

Typically the audio for the XLR and 1/4" jacks are physically coming from the same place. It's impossible to send something to one and not the other, they'd have to be connected to different internal audio circuitry. You'd also need 4 channels of DAC instead of 2, so, presumably, a different DAC. And that's not even addressing any internal processing logic and interface issues that might be required to send different sounds to different places.

 

Internal processing and interface, though, are the issues for the second. The CP has 3 sound sections, each with dedicated controls. Even if it had sufficient processing to do a 4th sound (with its own effects, etc.), how do you do a clean 4-sound interface with a 3-panel design? (I assume that's what you're talking about, since the CP already lets you put two sounds to the left of a split point, by restricting the right side of the split to a single sound or an extension of one of the lower sounds, so you're still not exceeding three sounds total.) Similarly, when you create a 3-part sound on the SV2, the three EQ knobs double as volume controls for the three parts. So if you added a fourth part, where's your logical place to control it?

 

Part of keeping a board simple is limiting its capabilities... but part of it is also creating a control surface that lines up with what its capabilities are. If you add capabilities that are not consistent with the interface of the rest of the board, it's not a simple board anymore.

[The Piano Man]

49 minutes ago, AnotherScott said:

 

Fairly easy software update? Nah. Likely impossible to add the first and impractical to add the second.

 

Typically the audio for the XLR and 1/4" jacks are physically coming from the same place. It's impossible to send something to one and not the other, they'd have to be connected to different internal audio circuitry. You'd also need 4 channels of DAC instead of 2, so, presumably, a different DAC. And that's not even addressing any internal processing logic and interface issues that might be required to send different sounds to different places.

 

Internal processing and interface, though, are the issues for the second. The CP has 3 sound sections, each with dedicated controls. Even if it had sufficient processing to do a 4th sound (with its own effects, etc.), how do you do a clean 4-sound interface with a 3-panel design? (I assume that's what you're talking about, since the CP already lets you put two sounds to the left of a split point, by restricting the right side of the split to a single sound or an extension of one of the lower sounds, so you're still not exceeding three sounds total.) Similarly, when you create a 3-part sound on the SV2, the three EQ knobs double as volume controls for the three parts. So if you added a fourth part, where's your logical place to control it?

 

Part of keeping a board simple is limiting its capabilities... but part of it is also creating a control surface that lines up with what its capabilities are. If you add capabilities that are not consistent with the interface of the rest of the board, it's not a simple board anymore.

Thanks for this. That makes perfect sense. 
 

The balance between functionality and simplicity is always very interesting.

 

I still own a Technics P30 and enjoy the fact there is not a single button on the top panel and only a few on the side. I did own a Kurzweil PC3x and enjoyed the huge flexibility. I suppose, as often is the case, the answer to the gear acquisition process is “buy two boards!”

 

👍

[Radagast]

On 7/21/2023 at 3:24 PM, ProfD said:

I give Dexibell props for staying in the game.  I have no idea of how they do it.  I don't know any musicians who own a Dexibell KB. 😎

Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire has two S8s. Looks like an S8M.

 

[mrk7421]

I had a S9 and I couldn't get rid of it fast enough! I got it at a blowout price because the S 10 was coming I guess. It had THE WORST Rhodes sounds I can imagine.....the acoustic samples couldn't touch my $500 Roland FP 10 and the the organs were the best thing about it but the percussion volume was still too loud.Took me one year to sell on Reverb but I finally made a profit. I was desperately trying to load a tolerable sample into it while I had it but tech support was non existent. Sorry.....how could they let Rhodes sounds like that go out? No match for Nord....not even close. Just had to speak out.....Nightmare!

 

 

 

[AnotherScott]

1 hour ago, mrk7421 said:

I had a S9 and I couldn't get rid of it fast enough! I got it at a blowout price because the S 10 was coming I guess. It had THE WORST Rhodes sounds I can imagine.....the acoustic samples couldn't touch my $500 Roland FP 10 and the the organs were the best thing about it but the percussion volume was still too loud.Took me one year to sell on Reverb but I finally made a profit. I was desperately trying to load a tolerable sample into it while I had it but tech support was non existent. Sorry.....how could they let Rhodes sounds like that go out? No match for Nord....not even close. Just had to speak out.....Nightmare!

 

Personally, while I hated the stock EPs on my Dexibel, I thought the ones freely downloadable from their web site were quite good, and in fact, better than Nord's. I also found some EP soundfonts I liked, which loaded in really easily.

[mrk7421]

You have to be computer savvy as Scott ls to get anything out of that board. It wasn't obvious to me or anybody I knew how to download into this. I saw no instructions .I think I even asked on this forum....but not obvious to a novice. Why did they put those crappy EPs in there? The acoustic pianos not much better. 

[Radagast]

3 hours ago, mrk7421 said:

You have to be computer savvy as Scott ls to get anything out of that board. It wasn't obvious to me or anybody I knew how to download into this. I saw no instructions .I think I even asked on this forum....but not obvious to a novice. Why did they put those crappy EPs in there? The acoustic pianos not much better. 

I downloaded sounds from Dexibell’s site into a thumb drive quite easily.  I didn’t need a lot of techie experience to learn.  Then by reading the manual it was quite easy to load them into my P7.

 

As far as the APs go, I think they’re quite good.  I suppose if one prefers pianos over processed in a studio, Dexibell isn’t your cup of tea.  I’ve heard much worse EPs in other boards.

[franky64]

10 hours ago, mrk7421 said:

You have to be computer savvy as Scott ls to get anything out of that board. It wasn't obvious to me or anybody I knew how to download into this. I saw no instructions .I think I even asked on this forum....but not obvious to a novice. Why did they put those crappy EPs in there? The acoustic pianos not much better. 

 

You could have "read the f*****g manual"  where it is explained  Or watched Dexibells excellent webinars on Youtube which, amongst all other things, explain step by step custom patch installation - afair there is an one hour plus  video only about the EPs (download, install, layering, customising). Or you could simply have emailed Dexibell (I was 'only interested' in J7 but got detailed, friendly explanations to all my questions and was asked for personal opinion for improving the units). 
You may not have liked the APs  - or just missed download/install the timbres you like, as there is Hamburg, Yamaha, Bechstein, Fazioli, 'old French'  + all their 'live/bright/etc' variants  - the old FP10 is a ... err...  'rather non-brilliant' sound - maybe the warm sounding 'French' could have been yours. Definitely the APs are the exact opposit of 'crapp' - they are technically highly resolved, super long decay, no looping, huge polyphony, wide  sounding resonances. The only thing one could complain that they sound 'overly perfect' - sligtly cold - which is a todays general trend (even Roland jumped on then train with their FP-X models)
Finally one has to understand that Dexies are italian made - Italians have a particular 'idea of sound' - it's their tradition of 'ancient' and popular music - and there's a good portion of it in the Dexibells (e.g. the tonewheel sound) - like it or not. 

[niacin]

I have an SX7 and like most here I've downloaded some good sounds from their website, it is very easy to do, and I have a set of my own samples loaded in after converting them to soundfonts (via Polyphone, which is also very easy to use).  The process is a doddle, and I'm not IT savvy either.

[AnotherScott]

23 hours ago, mrk7421 said:

You have to be computer savvy as Scott ls to get anything out of that board. It wasn't obvious to me or anybody I knew how to download into this. I saw no instructions .I think I even asked on this forum....but not obvious to a novice. Why did they put those crappy EPs in there? The acoustic pianos not much better. 

 

Maybe you didn't see all the responses to your earlier posts?

 

https://forums.musicplayer.com/topic/185264-my-dexibell-vivo-s9-experience-is-over/

 

https://forums.musicplayer.com/topic/185154-dexibell-vivo-s9downloading-new-sounds-etc/#comment-2939033

 

In terms of my own comments in those threads, if something was unclear, I would have answered a followup if you had asked. The Dexibells have their flaws, but I think they are among the easiest boards to add new sounds to; and if you do, I think the EPs are perfectly competitive.