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Decided on RD700... I think...


Bartolomeo

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I love a Bosie but they are just not anywhere percussive enough for American music. Ellington or Monk playing a Bosendorfer would be all wrong... I'm surprised Cecil Taylor can do his thing on one.

 

That bass though, good god... :eek: !

A WOP BOP A LU BOP, A LOP BAM BOOM!

 

"There is nothing I regret so much as my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?" -Henry David Thoreau

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I have had a RD700 for review the past two weeks and have been quite unimpressed with it (artificial tone, slow key return ...) It debuted over three years ago and it's sales have been weak. It is known that a new model will replace it soon.

Harry was the technical editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 850 of Harry's solo piano arrangements of standards and jazz tutorials at https://www.patreon.com/HarryLikas 
 

 

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Originally posted by Jazz+:

I have had a RD700 for review the past two weeks and have been quite unimpressed with it (artificial tone, slow key return ...) It debuted over three years ago and it's sales have been weak. It is known that a new model will replace it soon.

Can I ask for whom you were reviewing the piano?

 

(My impression of the piano was much more favorable than yours, but then I'm not asked to review anything.)

No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message.

 

In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments.

 

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I would guess that any replacement model would most likely have the same action since they just released a whole new line of Fantoms with the same action. (I don't find that action poor but that's another point.) But who can say?

 

The sound, however, I assume would have to be upgraded. The current sound is, I believe, from the XV 3080 and is pretty good, though somewhat lacking in sustain. It'll be interesting to see what happens. Personally, though I like the sometimes maligned SRX-02 card, I'd like Roland to put the new Steinway piano from the Fantom X models onto an SRX card for me to use in my RD-700! (Not sure of the sample size or whether it would fit on an SRX card.)

 

Chaso

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I am not sure where Jazz resides, but the Rd 700 has been a good seller in California. The Yamaha P series is a very strong seller and has slightly better pricing.

 

I am a happy Rd 700 owner and I am 1 of many. I hear it like Chasso, since I own the SRX 02 .

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

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It's always amusing to hear one voice that argues, right?

 

I looked at (didn't play) the RD700, and it struck me as more of a "band in the box" type instrument, with it's rhythm patches, expansion cards and so on. I think it's versatility is a great thing if you're a soloist and into programming. But as a straight up replacement for the real thing, I wouldn't go for it. Particularly if i had to spend more money on one of those cards to get the piano sound I wanted in the first place.

 

So, I'm wondering why you aren't at least considering the promega? Granted, their american website looks a bit like a cheap flyer somebody tossed in your mailbox. I mean, come on. There are links to a forum that doesn't exist, half the accessories aren't shown, supposed pdf files that haven't been uploaded in the 6 months that I've been checking it out...it's a bit of a joke.

 

But if you're considering holding off until the 770 is out, then I'd encourage you to give it some (more) thought. :)

"........! Try to make It..REAL! compared to what? ! ! ! " - BOPBEEPER
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Hey Sue, the band in the box you referred to in the RD700 is interesting. The instruments on the market are targeted to a specific market niche. The RD700 is really a typical live performance digital piano. They put a lot of other sounds on digital pianos for a live player that needs more than "just a piano". Most people in bands or larger groups need more than that because of the songs they cover. The RD700, as well as the Yamaha P120 and P250 are not really workstation class keyboards as the Motif, Triton, and various Roland boards in different price ranges.

 

What it all comes down to is.....what is it that you are going to do with it? What's the most important thing you need it to do? If its PIANO, most of the current offerings out there are not going to ring your bell. When I heard the samples of the Promega, I thought "Sounds like a Steinway, it has classical piano (and jazz) written all over it". So that's the area where the Promega clubs the competition. The GEM site had a limited amount of other sounds on the Progmega, but anything it does beyond a great piano is all gravy. You also mentioned the 3 pedal board the Promega has in one of your emails. It's indespensible for a classical or jazz pianist (they didn't put them on acoustic pianos because they had extra parts laying around) but rock players "never" play soft, so there's not much need for it. But a classical pianist like yourself, or a jazz musician, has to have a 3 pedal board.

 

You wouldn't like my ES8 for what you play. It is NOT a no compromise piano, its a synthesizer with great piano samples (IMO), as well as a lot of other instruments, with a sampler and large on board sequencer, EG, workstation. If I needed a no compromise piano, that wouldn't be it. It doesn't half pedal, it doesn't sustain notes as long as the P250, and it doesn't have sympathetic string resonance. But I don't NEED those features in a workstation synthesizer. I use my board as an all in one (band in a box) sequencer/sampler/keyboard. That's what it was made for, and it does it very well.

 

My 2 cents, :)

 

Mike T.

Yamaha Motif ES8, Alesis Ion, Prophet 5 Rev 3.2, 1979 Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 73 Piano, Arp Odyssey Md III, Roland R-70 Drum Machine, Digitech Vocalist Live Pro. Roland Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-1.

 

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Hey Mike,

 

Your posts are so darn good these days, they're hard to ignore. :D

 

I am not "putting down" band in the box. I listen to some of my friends singing and playing their one-man-band keyboards, and I'm blown away. I don't have that kind of skill.

 

Let me make one thing very clear. I am not your typical promega owner! :D You'd have to talk to some of the other guys on the forum ..

"........! Try to make It..REAL! compared to what? ! ! ! " - BOPBEEPER
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I thought the rhythms was more of a practice feature than a band in a box. Roland does that with a lot of instruments. The new VDrum units have other sounds built in, along with a sequencer. But they sell it totally as a practice feature, not as a module to over keyboard sounds.

 

Robert

This post edited for speling.

My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page

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Sue, I know it wasn't a put down. Another term for workstation could easily be "band in a box". That's what it is.

 

I bet you DO have the ability to do a band in box, one man/woman show if you wanted to do it. It may not fit into what you do, or even want to do. I think its a lot harder to play live at a high level than it is to sit in a studio and play parts until you get them right. :D

 

Cheers,

 

Mike T. :)

Yamaha Motif ES8, Alesis Ion, Prophet 5 Rev 3.2, 1979 Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 73 Piano, Arp Odyssey Md III, Roland R-70 Drum Machine, Digitech Vocalist Live Pro. Roland Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-1.

 

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Originally posted by MikeT156:

I think its a lot harder to play live at a high level than it is to sit in a studio and play parts until you get them right.

what about playing live at a mediocre level? that can't be any harder than sitting in a studio.

 

As long as I'm not giving anybody the impression that this piano is like *perfect* for an old lady. I'd never forgive myself.

 

Back to Cristofori. Now you give me the impression that you are very old and very wise. I'll be watching your decision with much interest. :cool:

"........! Try to make It..REAL! compared to what? ! ! ! " - BOPBEEPER
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Well Sue, I played live at what I consider a mediocre level for YEARS. :D I was probably my piano teachers best bet for least likely to succeed. :D As I mentioned to you previously, I learned everything I learned the hard way, no bull. I managed to make up for what I lack in talent with hard work and determination. A lot of other local players I grew up with fell by the way side over the years and when they saw me doing a solo act and doing it pretty well, I know they were all surprised. I'm not an accomplished musician, but I've managed to do a lot more with what I have than a lot of people ever expected. :confused:

 

Mike T.

Yamaha Motif ES8, Alesis Ion, Prophet 5 Rev 3.2, 1979 Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 73 Piano, Arp Odyssey Md III, Roland R-70 Drum Machine, Digitech Vocalist Live Pro. Roland Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-1.

 

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It's what you do with it, for sure! All kinds chops heavy guys out there I don't care to hear, and some real simple one finger stuff out there that is just divine.

A WOP BOP A LU BOP, A LOP BAM BOOM!

 

"There is nothing I regret so much as my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?" -Henry David Thoreau

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Let me clarify about the RD700. It isn't a band-in-a-box at all. The drum patterns sound good but aren't programable. You can't even play sequences. There are GM sounds, but I'm not really sure why.

 

It's really just a piano with some extra sounds. A nice one, but just a piano, a lot like the P-250, P120, etc.

 

Would that also describe the GEM, or does it do more?

David
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I did mention it in one of my posts that the RD700, P120 and P250 were not workstation class boards when I posted a reply to GangSue. I also mentioned that the RD700 is a "typical digital stage piano", so we're with you on capabilities.

 

To my knowledge, the Promega doesn't have a sequencer or a sampler. Its a "Steinway in a box" portable stage piano. :D

 

Mike T.

Yamaha Motif ES8, Alesis Ion, Prophet 5 Rev 3.2, 1979 Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 73 Piano, Arp Odyssey Md III, Roland R-70 Drum Machine, Digitech Vocalist Live Pro. Roland Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-1.

 

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