Introducing UB-Xa

[JoJoB3]

2 hours ago, bennyray said:

Gentlemen you get what you pay for Mic Drop!

 

The OB -X8 is superior hands down if you ain't first you are last.

Ew boy. Are things in keyboard land so shitty we have to keep going to the same dry well?
This stuff goes hand in hand with the "who's the greatest [instrument here] ..." stuff.

I LOVE my vintage selection here, each of them chosen for their role...but I hate to break it to ya, few people really give a rip today the superiority thing (anyone worth a damn that is).  I understand outlier cases but mainly it's just 'collector fodder' at best now. What matters are what the brain and fingers do with any of these things.  That's it...and that's all that should matter btw.  Revisit the Knower thread for a good example. Those young humans are absolutely ripping (live and in studio) on free to $50 maudio controllers via 'anything making sound', whether cheap/free VSTs to Spectrasonics latest.  It's always about the use, not the toy.

Personally I've found myself in approx zero situations begging for an OB and so I'm not in the race with this one but from what I'm hearing from OB owners and folks using it it turns out the B word (fortunately? unfortunately?) has another one in the line to consider here. But for me midi and layering with the ESQ1 and SQ80 fill the role just fine.  Not all in the B synth dept. interests me but I do dig their Poly-D (and the Model D), DM12 and 2600 (and ODY actually). Great sounds, size, functionality. I was NOT expecting to like them. I only buy used now but they could've charged more and I'd likely still own them.

Anyway it's been stated very well by so many others here but they're right, B company really isn't stealing customers away.  Again I'm sorry but in a way they're fostering the future (in hardware synth realm).  I mean, there are folks with serious need for an OB. Discerning, adult users/buyers with a clear musical need for an OB and they make their decisions after weighing everything thoroughly.  Banter like this isn't on their radar,  they're going to get into their OB/Moog/etc. (so really who are we speaking to anymore?). Here's what's what - the synth division at Behringer is bringing some of the classic clones to a new generation and I'm sorry but in the long run this is nothing but a good thing (for all!  Dear vintage collectors/future sellers: you WANT a new gen interested in hardware).

Also and admittedly,  personally I'd rather see less people going 'VST synth' and tapping the connection of human to hardware  - the immediacy of it all (synthesis and performance).  It's a thing (well, can be) and it leads to better music made, better musicianship.

Also, you don't see this ridiculous back and forth/invented drama in the class A mic preamp realm for example. There it's 100% about how well and accurate the clone and you can never have enough. Go ahead and test those waters. Tell BAE or SCA owners how awful they are for not hunting a vintage 1073 and see how it goes for example.  They're gonna read the riot act to ya before giving the boot (these folks are serious about their input!).
Same goes with the Hammond clones in a sense. Most aren't looking for Hammond's 'new take and twist' on the classic sound, they want that classic sound (and feel) - to a T.

Come on, let's get outta the sandbox.
 

[David Emm]

1 hour ago, JoJoB3 said:

 >> Ew boy. Are things in keyboard land so shitty we have to keep going to the same dry well?
This stuff goes hand in hand with the "who's the greatest [instrument here] ..." stuff.

 

After years at this, I do tend to wonder what personal issues underly someone foaming at the mouth over a synth. Last time I looked, its already so esoteric that the argument comes off like a junior high fist fight. The greatest instrument is the one that gives ME a synth-boner. The rest of you are on your own!  

 

1 hour ago, JoJoB3 said:

 >> Also and admittedly,  personally I'd rather see less people going 'VST synth' and tapping the connection of human to hardware  - the immediacy of it all (synthesis and performance).  It's a thing (well, can be) and it leads to better music made, better musicianship.

 

 I understand. I started out struggling to acquire gear, sometimes settling for less than I thought I wanted and then discovering that sweating over it often yielded the gold all the same. I had a moderate ring of synths that grew into a bigger one until I got tired of wrestling with the cords, power issues & MIDI tumult. That gradually shrank down to just Logic and two hardware synths, one having been a nice Xmas gift. I didn't lose my connection to hardware. My hands got creaky and led me to "just" a couple of controllers, but what I learned in getting here didn't disappear. It simply broadened into a Wakemanesque software stack. That's the only way I was going to land a Mellotron, a B-3 and a CS-80. I miss playing two-fisted piano, but its been a worthwhile trek from A to Here & Now. 

 >> Come on, let's get outta the sandbox.

 No! I enjoy the debate and I have a scoop for discarding the occasional cat turdette.

 

 

[ksoper]

On 12/13/2023 at 5:12 PM, jazzpiano88 said:

They spend a fair amount of time discussing Ghostbuster's ripoff of Huey Lewis's "I want a New Drug" and the ensuing lawsuit and settlement.   Ackroyd kind of defects the whole thing as "Yes, we ripped it off, but everyone got Paid and was happy in the end".   

 

 

 

Not to derail the thread, but I've always felt that Robin Scott (M) should've sued Huey Lewis for ripping off "Pop Muzik."  They're as close as Ghostbusters is to I Want A New Drug.  Unfortunately it was widely known that IWAND was the temp song and Reitman et. al. told Parker to "copy" it.  

[Sleeves]

On 11/20/2023 at 3:30 PM, GovernorSilver said:

There's been some talk of Behringer implementing polyphonic aftertouch in other keyboard products going forward.  

 

For those who have been looking for more new keyboards with poly AT, this has been a decent year:   Korg, Yamaha, and now Behringer joining ASM

And Native Instruments Kontrol. I never thought I’d see anyone put polyAT in a MIDI controller. 

[GovernorSilver]

15 hours ago, Sleeves said:

And Native Instruments Kontrol. I never thought I’d see anyone put polyAT in a MIDI controller. 

 

I'm more invested in Ableton Live than the Ni ecosystem (Maschine, Komplete, etc.), so I tend to overlook NI's controllers, but this is a fair observation.  

 

I only recently came across videos showing how to set up a Kontrol-S Mk3 for polyAT control over certain Ableton softsynths - they seem to target people who've invested in both Ableton and NI ecosystems.

[uhoh7]

Just an update, with more foaming

 

How many 16 voice analog polys have you owned? With stereo ouput tweakable per voice?

 

3 weeks in, I have got 8 or 10 presets tweaked to where they can entertain an ADD player for long periods. The "meh" keyboard is now one of my favorites, really the first super light action I've enjoyed. That was a matter of tweaking velocity and poly AT to various destinations in the matrix.

 

At this moment, for me, it's the most impressive electronic instrument I've played, in terms of a single preset retaining interest in my practice sessions. How's that for foaming? OK I'm in love with the thing, shoot me. I find it unique in my experience, very tactile, and super responsive to key and knob. Filters are unbelievable. 

 

Just another synth. My lying ears tell me different. But it did take me me weeks to develop this level of irrational affection. I wonder if back in the day, players tended to choose their instruments based on the personality of the money behind them, or the sound and performance of the instrument. Really smart money hides personality....sometimes behind very cultivated fictions, like Nike. The Behringer stigma is an object lesson why angels fear to "wing it" sharing their opinions in public. My last corporate boss often said "that's above my pay grade", as way to avoid comment on all manner of issues. 

 

Or who knows, maybe the stigma gets attention and saves advertising money?

 

That's a question I can't answer and don't enjoy contemplating. This keyboard, on the other hand, I consider a gift from the gods. Maybe in a year it'll be in the closet. But today it inspires attention. That's what I hoped to be paying for. 

 

Damn, I forgot to turn it on first thing.....it likes that. I leave it hot, self tuning through the day. 

[lsj]

On 2/20/2024 at 1:57 PM, JoJoB3 said:

Ew boy. Are things in keyboard land so shitty we have to keep going to the same dry well?
This stuff goes hand in hand with the "who's the greatest [instrument here] ..." stuff.

I LOVE my vintage selection here, each of them chosen for their role...but I hate to break it to ya, few people really give a rip today the superiority thing (anyone worth a damn that is).  I understand outlier cases but mainly it's just 'collector fodder' at best now. What matters are what the brain and fingers do with any of these things.  That's it...and that's all that should matter btw.  Revisit the Knower thread for a good example. Those young humans are absolutely ripping (live and in studio) on free to $50 maudio controllers via 'anything making sound', whether cheap/free VSTs to Spectrasonics latest.  It's always about the use, not the toy.

Personally I've found myself in approx zero situations begging for an OB and so I'm not in the race with this one but from what I'm hearing from OB owners and folks using it it turns out the B word (fortunately? unfortunately?) has another one in the line to consider here. But for me midi and layering with the ESQ1 and SQ80 fill the role just fine.  Not all in the B synth dept. interests me but I do dig their Poly-D (and the Model D), DM12 and 2600 (and ODY actually). Great sounds, size, functionality. I was NOT expecting to like them. I only buy used now but they could've charged more and I'd likely still own them.

Anyway it's been stated very well by so many others here but they're right, B company really isn't stealing customers away.  Again I'm sorry but in a way they're fostering the future (in hardware synth realm).  I mean, there are folks with serious need for an OB. Discerning, adult users/buyers with a clear musical need for an OB and they make their decisions after weighing everything thoroughly.  Banter like this isn't on their radar,  they're going to get into their OB/Moog/etc. (so really who are we speaking to anymore?). Here's what's what - the synth division at Behringer is bringing some of the classic clones to a new generation and I'm sorry but in the long run this is nothing but a good thing (for all!  Dear vintage collectors/future sellers: you WANT a new gen interested in hardware).

Also and admittedly,  personally I'd rather see less people going 'VST synth' and tapping the connection of human to hardware  - the immediacy of it all (synthesis and performance).  It's a thing (well, can be) and it leads to better music made, better musicianship.

Also, you don't see this ridiculous back and forth/invented drama in the class A mic preamp realm for example. There it's 100% about how well and accurate the clone and you can never have enough. Go ahead and test those waters. Tell BAE or SCA owners how awful they are for not hunting a vintage 1073 and see how it goes for example.  They're gonna read the riot act to ya before giving the boot (these folks are serious about their input!).
Same goes with the Hammond clones in a sense. Most aren't looking for Hammond's 'new take and twist' on the classic sound, they want that classic sound (and feel) - to a T.

Come on, let's get outta the sandbox.
 

great post and intellectual thinking.

[ProfD]

16 hours ago, uhoh7 said:

Just an update, with more foaming

 

At this moment, for me, it's the most impressive electronic instrument I've played...

 

OK I'm in love with the thing, shoot me. I find it unique in my experience....

 

This keyboard, on the other hand, I consider a gift from the gods. Maybe in a year it'll be in the closet. But today it inspires attention. That's what I hoped to be paying for. 

Awesome when the connection to an instrument inspires creativity.

 

Makes the purchase totally worth it regardless of how long the love affair lasts.

 

Continue having a blast with the UB-Xa mayne. 😎

[SteveCoscia]

This showed up on FB yesterday.  Makes much more sense for my setup.

 

[Melving]

On 2/20/2024 at 12:34 PM, bennyray said:

Gentlemen you get what you pay for Mic Drop!

 

The OB -X8 is superior hands down if you ain't first you are last.

Soo...  I got tired of waiting at Sweetwater and got a ?gray market UB-Xa at Alto.  Large number of annoyingly clicky keys (loud, hard bottoming) with admittedly enthusiastic playing, but who doesn't want to be able to play the keys?  Lots of clicky sounds - the "pop" issue I think it's called.  Poor volume levelling.  My ownership lasted 24 hours.  I hope others have had a better experience with the keybed?

 

Hope springs eternal.  Maybe I'll get a NI S61 MKIII with a pro 800

 

[J.F.N.]

On 2/20/2024 at 5:34 PM, bennyray said:

Gentlemen you get what you pay for Mic Drop!

 

The OB -X8 is superior hands down if you ain't first you are last.

 

Hmm let me think... Done - 8 voices for 5000€ vs 16 voices for 1200€, yup, I definitely get what I pay for, and I still have a huge chunk of cash left in my account!

 

 

[Baggypants]

On 2/20/2024 at 9:08 PM, David Emm said:

After years at this, I do tend to wonder what personal issues underly someone foaming at the mouth over a synth. Last time I looked, its already so esoteric that the argument comes off like a junior high fist fight.

Objectively, the Triceratops is the best of all the dinosaurs.