In a $2000 war - Triton VS XV-5080 VS ?- who wins?

[CSUN_sax]

We are in the market for a new Sound Module, and were currently looking at the Korg Triton Rack and the Roland XV-5080. Were basically looking for a unit that has great sounds for anything from ambient and electronica to full scale orchestra (mainly film scores). We are also new to the whole sampler approach to composition, and would like to use these machines as a door into this new realm (not really for recording samples, but mainly for utilizing Sample CD playback).

 

So we are just wondering, what mod are you guys happy with? Which one has the best quality and collection of sounds? (both onboard and through expansion). Does the sample playback options on both machines work fine with your systems? (We have heard that the Roland sample playback options are very frustrating) Should I even bother buying a new sound module, or should I just get a sampler and some CDs?

 

Any input / key terms to research would be greatly appreciated in this important juncture. Thank you all in advance for your time.

 

P.S. Sorry if this is the wrong forum for this type of question. Please feel free to move it to the appropriate place (as long as you tell me where that is )

[joegerardi]

I can't speak to the Roland or the Korg, but another module you should look at is the K2500 or the K2600 by Kurzweil.

[Bobro]

This is exactly the right forum- and oddly enough, another vote for Kurzweil. Kurzweil...well it's classy .

 

This thread will get hit at any moment by the software sampling dudes, look at that option as well!

 

Say is that CSUN sculpture that looks like lettering oodled from an alien's butt, that you can read from different angles as "CSUN", still up, or did it only happen in my imagination 20 years ago?

 

-Bobro

[ISPdeRuiter]

Hi,

 

I second the K2500/K2600 option, especially

because it'll give you access to aspects of

the sample playback that no other synth/sampler

offers.

For a good demonstration download Daniel Fishers

Sweetstrings & Sweetstrings Atk patches from

Sweetwaters site. Put it on a Dos floppy, go to

a shop/friend with a K2500/K2600 and check it.

If it has a KDFX unit change the studio of the

patch to Studio 110 and disable the Digitech

effects. Listen to output pair A instead of Mix.

This is programming with the stock " string ensem-

ble" keymap. I haven't even discussed the ROM-boards or RAM-samples you can load into this

"SoniK universe".

Rant over, ISP switch off mode: 1

[adz]

I would put in a vote for the Korg Triton over the XV-5080 for the strings and pads in it. Although i have never used the Kurzweil modules that were mentioned

[RABid]

Well, the Kurz is nice but it is also much more expensive than the others. I have an XV-5080 and like it. There is a deal out now that when you buy it you get the string and horn CD sets from Roland free. Unfortunately I bought mine about a year before the deal and purchased the CD's seperately. The key here may be the desire to read sample CD's. Neither the Korg or Triton beat the Emu line of samplers for this purpose. If I had it to do over I would probably buy the Triton rack and the Roland XV-5050 to have both sound sources. This leaves out the sample side of the equation. If I were to buy hardware for reading samples it would be an E4Ultra or something in that line. Anyway, I know people who love their Triton racks, and I love my XV-5080. Either way, once you read a sample you will have to do some programming to clean up the translations and add affects.

 

Robert

[MusicWorkz]

I posted this in your other thread...

[Postman]

Originally posted by Rabid:

Neither the Korg or Triton beat the Emu line of samplers for this purpose.

Because of loading speed? Compatibility?

[RABid]

Originally posted by Postman:

Originally posted by Rabid:

Neither the Korg or Triton beat the Emu line of samplers for this purpose.

Because of loading speed? Compatibility?

Compatibility. The E-mu will work better as a sampler because that is its primary job. It may translate the Akai format samples better, plus there is a large E-mu library available that most other brands of hardware will not translate. Akai may be the easiest to use, especially with the software that lets you hook a new Akai sampler to your computer through USB, but E-mu is supposedly coming out with a software sampler that works like their hardware sampler. While looking at options check out the Akai Z series.

 

Robert

[r33k]

Howcum the C6XR isn't being mentioned as a candidate? Seems like it's right in line with the other modules being mentioned.

 

Michael Erwin

Synthtank Studio

[RickWakeman]

The 5080.

R

[RickWakeman]

The 5080.

R

[RickWakeman]

The 5080.

R

[RickWakeman]

The 5080.

R

[Rod S]

Originally posted by Michael Erwin:

Howcum the C6XR isn't being mentioned as a candidate? Seems like it's right in line with the other modules being mentioned.

It's not a sample playback machine - there's a basic 'phrase sampler' on board, but it won't load samples the traditional way.

[BP3]

The sample playback on the 5080 takes way too much time. The 5080 is a great synth, but not a great sample player. I've not yet heard the 5080's string card, but I've heard very good comments about it.

[CSUN_sax]

I did some quick research on the Kurzweil K2500 rack, and found that the unit only has, as they describe it, true 48-note polyphony. Seeing as how any new piece of gear with sampling capabilities will more than likely be the new hub of my studio, do you feel 48-note polyphony is enough? Is it easy on these older model synths/samplers to transfer the raw sample (pref as an .aiff) for editing on a modern computer (i.e. only USB and fire wire ports)?

 

I visited my local guitar center the other day, and unfortunately they did not cary a single Kurzweil synth! I did get to rehear the Triton and Roland sounds, and based on what comes with the actual synth, the Triton sounds better to me. Of course this wasnt a true sit-down and play session, for the sales manager said it was too hard to hookup the controller keyboards to play the racks, so I could only judge on the sample rifts versions of the sounds. Based on this experience, I found that the Triton had more sounds that made me go wow. The XV-5080 seems to be carrying allot of the same old Roland sounds from the JV-1080 & 2080; not too many new ones (I guess new sounds cost $300 bucks a card).

 

When I look at the total price of these new synths w/ the necessary expansion cards, I wonder if it might be better to go with a software sampler/computer combo (Kontakt and a G4) and buy top-quality sample CDs instead of expansions. Im torn!! On the one hand, for our electronica and ambient style, a synth might be the best way to go, but do you then loose all you realism when your scoring full orchestra?

 

How do you all solve this dilemma?

 

P.S.

Originally posted by Bobro :

Say is that CSUN sculpture that looks like lettering oodled from an alien's butt, that you can read from different angles as "CSUN", still up, or did it only happen in my imagination 20 years ago?

Either the multi-angle noodle sign is a form of mass delusion, or it truly does exist. I recently saw construction in that area and thought they were going to take it out....it appears they are instead making a shrine for it!

[RABid]

...On the one hand, for our electronica and ambient style, a synth might be the best way to go, but do you then loose all you realism when your scoring full orchestra?...

For scoring orchestra nothing beats GigaStudio with a good CD collection. It will blow away any hardware synth or sampler trying to do the same thing.

 

For electronica use the same PC and get a few soft synths or Reason II.

 

Robert

[Rick K.]

I visited my local guitar center the other day, and unfortunately they did not cary a single Kurzweil synth!

Uh oh, here we go again!

[Byrdman]

Originally posted by TinderArts:

The sample playback on the 5080 takes way too much time. The 5080 is a great synth, but not a great sample player. I've not yet heard the 5080's string card, but I've heard very good comments about it.

Do you mean that it takes too much time to set up, or are you saying that the latency is excessive?

[BP3]

Originally posted by Byrdman:

Originally posted by TinderArts:

The sample playback on the 5080 takes way too much time. The 5080 is a great synth, but not a great sample player. I've not yet heard the 5080's string card, but I've heard very good comments about it.

Do you mean that it takes too much time to set up, or are you saying that the latency is excessive?

The load time and extra editing takes a while. Latency is not a problem.

[Zeke Smith.]

The 5080 and Triton are very different. The K2600 is different yet again.

 

I find the 5080 and Triton to be a very complementary pair, if nothing else. Each is strong where the other is weaker.

 

It really comes down to what kind of music you're doing, and in what venue.

[K.C.]

I was once in the dilemma of what to get ?

 

XV5080?

Triton Rack?

Kurzweil? ( actually never think of it because of its HIGH PRICE!!!!)

Akai S5000/6000 sampler?

 

finally I got an Emu e6400 ultra with only $600 used. I am happy with it cause it can do whatever music I want to do with some good sample CDs. I have done dance music, orchestral pieces, electronica, jazz with this beast!!

[CSUN_sax]

Originally posted by Rabid:

[qb]For scoring orchestra nothing beats GigaStudio with a good CD collection. It will blow away any hardware synth or sampler trying to do the same thing.

 

For electronica use the same PC and get a few soft synths or Reason II.

 

Robert

Well, I'm a Mac Man, so I'm not able to use GigaStudio (yet), but I hear that the best software sampler is currently Native Instruments Kontakt Software Sampler. They say they can play the Giga library as well, and looks to be a better match for the Mac then Steinberg's Halion. Anyone using this set-up?

[progfusion74]

Originally posted by CSUN_sax:

Originally posted by Rabid:

[qb]For scoring orchestra nothing beats GigaStudio with a good CD collection. It will blow away any hardware synth or sampler trying to do the same thing.

 

For electronica use the same PC and get a few soft synths or Reason II.

 

Robert

Well, I'm a Mac Man, so I'm not able to use GigaStudio (yet), but I hear that the best software sampler is currently Native Instruments Kontakt Software Sampler. They say they can play the Giga library as well, and looks to be a better match for the Mac then Steinberg's Halion. Anyone using this set-up?

However, Kontakt does have one shortcoming. It does not diskstream. So for large libraries, Halion and Giga are still the way to go.