New GEM PRP series portable digital pianos

[Dreamer]

Originally posted by orangefunk:

if you want to know what my singing is like.. then think of a cat being castrated underwater thru a vocoder and then pitch corrected via a VST plug in...

[K K]

Originally posted by gangsu:

I'd like, I'D LOVE, to see GEM or somebody come up with a new category of practical keyboard sounds. Percussive or plucked only. Include pianos, harps, orchestral percussion, nylon guitar, bass, handclaps, fingersnaps, stomps ....

Think about something that begins with the letter K. It has all those sounds in it.

[orangefunk]

Kraftwerk?

[BOPBEEPER]

Thats cool Dave. I knew you were a Company man but with integrity.

[guestuserguestuser.com]

Originally posted by orangefunk:

Kraftwerk?

Sound Kanvas?

[resigned]

Personally I'm very interested in the PRP-800, maybe even enough to buy one from the initial shipments. I called General Music US two days ago and left my name & number to see if they could locate a US dealer for me... so far no reply.

 

So I emailed a GEM dealer I've dealt with before about the PRP-800, and his reply was interesting:

 

"As of right now, until I can see this product at NAMM in January I don't know if I will be selling it. I have so few customers buying Generalmusic Pianos this year that it might not be financially smart for me to stock them. It will have to be really great and inexpensive to make a dent in the digital piano market right now. There are so many Casio, Korg, Yamaha and Roland models, which are brands most musicians trust. The smaller companies are just getting harder and harder to sell to musicians worried about reliability and support."

 

Sounds logical but that's too bad really... I've reached a saturation point with Y/K/R keyboards and digital pianos in particular and I'm ready to try something new. But unless there is similar broad interest then this may be hard to do. I would really like to see the new GEM's take off and give the Far East companies a kick in their complacency.

[K K]

Originally posted by orangefunk:

Kraftwerk?

You're Klose.

 

Floyd Tatum, you look much better on your new avatar. I like it.

[BOPBEEPER]

My guess is ...Kontact

 

...ok what about Ketron. Dont they have bells claps and plucks?

[guestuserguestuser.com]

Originally posted by Cydonia:

Floyd Tatum, you look much better on your new avatar. I like it.

Thanks, Cydonia! It's this guy:

 

Kung-Fu Master

 

(see my Flame Warrior thread)

[orangefunk]

Hey Richard,

 

Really love your music! I'll get around to purchasing a CD from you some time. I really dig that modern jazz sound, very ECM ish. In fact your music reminds me a lot of 70s european jazz in general... guess its the wolverhampton genes right?

 

Peace

O

[DanL]

That is a great demo and a fantastic sounding instrument!

[gangsu]

Bell claps and plucks are very important! Don't you worry Cydonia, I know what you're tlaking about. That keyboard* scares me, though. There, I've said it. It's got hidden agendas. I need an instrument that clearly indicates my next move. OVER HERE! PICK ME! Maybe if I practiced more, I'd free up a few brain cells.

 

*talking about the K-instrument. Not the G with the F-action.

[K K]

Originally posted by gangsu:

That keyboard* scares me, though. There, I've said it. It's got hidden agendas. I need an instrument that clearly indicates my next move. OVER HERE! PICK ME! Maybe if I practiced more, I'd free up a few brain cells.

Naaaaah. It's not scary, you just need to read the 1684 pages manual and you're free to experiment. There's also a lovely solo cello sound to accompany pizzicato trumpets.

[guestuserguestuser.com]

Originally posted by orangefunk:

Hey Richard,

 

Really love your music! I'll get around to purchasing a CD from you some time. I really dig that modern jazz sound, very ECM ish. In fact your music reminds me a lot of 70s european jazz in general... guess its the wolverhampton genes right?

 

Peace

O

Thanks a lot, orangefunk! Go, Wanderers!

[gangsu]

Originally posted by Cydonia:

Naaaaah. It's not scary, you just need to read the 1684 pages manual and you're free to experiment. There's also a lovely solo cello sound to accompany pizzicato trumpets.

Hahaha, what a lovely thought.

 

Thanks for the offer to help me out. Right or wrong, there's little doubt in my mind that Kurzweil orchestral sounds are the best in hardware. However, stand back and listen in the context of 60 other instruments and the difference becomes marginal. My Roland module is hanging in there. It's just too bad that I wasn't more savvy 3 years ago when the orchestra was looking to purchase their own digital. I'd have recommended Kurzweil for sure. As it is, they'd been in the habit of borrowing a full-blown digital piano from a local store, and when the option came up to buy, I said sure. Now that I have my own gear, they're very happy they don't have to pay anybody to move the sucker.

 

Frankly, it seems to me the only way to go from here (being quite spoiled, as I am) is head first into software. NeKo, Receptor, that other computer/controller beast with the optional flaming paint job...? well, I don't think I'd buy that one, but that's the idea.

 

Sorry for veering off-topic (where's that MICRO button?)

[K K]

[still going a little off-topic, but just for a minute, okay? ]...

 

Sue, if as you say you prefer stuff that clearly indicates your next move, the software road may not be the best choice for you. Unless you're also good in computer configuration and solving bugs. Because too often great software works fine on one machine, but also crashes for no reason on another. That's the wonderful world of computer science.

 

[Now back on topic]...

 

Also, as you have great sight-reading, do lots of gigs and are more used to live situations than in studio, hardware keyboards like the Promega give the musician a more directly connected experience compared to software. IMHO, it's quite difficult to keep musical inspiration focused with the lovely "let's-open-the-PC-then-the-software-then-make-sure-the-software-mixer-or-whatever-other-thing-hasn't-change-parameters-by-itself-then-turn-off-the-screen-saver-then-change-the-sou nds-using-the-mouse-then-adjust-the-volume-here-in-that-other-window-whoops-the-mouse-fell-on-the-floor-then-what-was-I-doing-already?-etc.".

 

Yep, I wrote Promega in my text so I'm back on topic now.

[yabbadabbadoo]

Originally posted by gpallanti:

Shipping inside Italy is 30 euro. But for cheaper shipping expenses I was referring to GEM shipping to his UK Distributor (which of course add also his own profit on the sale price) and then from the UK distributor to the local shops. These charges will be in the price UK customers will have to pay, unless as you might be thinking you buy directly from Italy. Ciao,

 

I can't see the point having a long discussion about this, but :-

 

Firstly, you probably should go and read the magazine interview on the synergy website - in that they suggest their business model is based around not having a warehouse and getting stuff shipped to them, but shipping straight to retailers. They also comment about how cheap shipping is within Europe.

 

Secondly, the price in that drop down box for the UK and France is less than 30 Euros i.e cheaper than they charge to ship within Italy, albeit not by much, it doesn't suggest there is a huge difference in shipping costs.

 

You say you weren't talking about that shipping, but shipping is shipping. Think about that.

 

What can that retailer do w.r.t shipping to my house in the UK that anyone shipping from Italy to somewhere else in the UK can't? If he can do it for 29 euros, so can anyone else.

 

If you want to ship more than one the price should drop. So, 29 euros must be the max that any argument about shipping costs can add to the Italian price. Although it's not even that since Gem have to ship to that retailer which isn't free. If you're lucky you might find 10 euros or so difference there, but not the few hundred that we're potentially talking about.

 

In a similar way that that retailer aims to make a profit I assume, and Gem aim to make a profit too you would think. All of these things are included in both prices.

[gangsu]

Cydonia, thanks for the note. You're right, a laptop would be a private nightmare. But a controller with Windows built in and maximized for music performance, wouldn't that be fun? Still, too many extraneous pre-loaded free plug-ins to confuse and frustrate.

 

Ok. Here's what I want then. An Accompanist's Keyboard by Generalmusic. Modelled pianos, modelled harps with A.B.C.D.E.F.G. one-touch tuning, heck just include any instrument that requires reading traditional piano score.. We've got the fingers already.

 

GEM. I love you. Take me home.

[fisheye]

Same advise here. Don't start with a laptop if you aren't a laptop-person. [typical symptoms are knowing what Linux is all about, what DLL stands for, claiming to know that USB is better than Firewire or vice versa, saying all the time that Bill Gates sucks, secretly dreaming about macs, if you haven't one]

 

Experience has learned me the following lesson; the best imitiation is very far from the real deal, while the next-best imitiation approximates the best one very well. So why bother with the best if it gives you a headache.

[gangsu]

Fisheye, you're just being too grown up about this whole thing. I hate when I can't argue.

[fisheye]

Well, poop.

[trying to come over not too grown up]

[gangsu]

ew grOsS. You looking for an argument?

 

You need reminding that an acoustic piano is fairly easy to acquire. A real pedal harp on the other hand, that's maybe 25k and a lifetime developing the skills to handle the repertoire. Makes a degree in computer science look like child's play.

 

So did you ever get your hands on one of those promegas? You do that, and then we'll talk.

[K K]

I wonder how Purple Haze would sound played by Sue on an acoustic harp.

[fisheye]

Originally posted by gangsu:

So did you ever get your hands on one of those promegas? You do that, and then we'll talk.

I've finally found a Dutch shop that has one! I plan to go there in a few weeks.

[gangsu]

Originally posted by Cydonia:

I wonder how Purple Haze would sound played by Sue on an acoustic harp.

AAghhh! Oh my head. Funny though, i just bought a jimmy hendrix DVD recently (that's who you're talking about?!) and kinda fell in love with the guy. What a voice. Kills me. nevermind his guitar.

[gangsu]

Originally posted by fisheye:

I've finally found a Dutch shop that has one! I plan to go there in a few weeks.

I wish I could be there. Fantastic!

 

Digital magic. Are you ready?

[BOPBEEPER]

Su,Some advice,

I think it would be difficult but not impossible to apply WAH to an acoustic harp.Your best bet could be to pick up one oof those K*******L K2500r modules with the optional Harp ROM fitted (and probably the poly expansion as well)

 

Or did you mean acoustic MOUTH harp?

 

 

This post has not been spell checked.

[gangsu]

MOUTH harp. Enough said.

[ziquo]

Today I played a Promega 2 and a RP700 (the home model) side by sife with the same headphones.

The Promega's main grand piano is wonderfully playable and if it was lighter I would get it right away, whatever the price.

I enjoyed playing more than any other digital piano in the store (P90, various casios, roland etc).

However, I got the impression that something was changed in the release sound of the RP700,it seems to have a longer release than the Promega, and I didn't like it.

So now my question for Dave is: was it only my impression?

I hope the new portable models really have the same sound as the Promega.

[lvercaut]

Originally posted by fisheye:

Originally posted by gangsu:

So did you ever get your hands on one of those promegas? You do that, and then we'll talk.

I've finally found a Dutch shop that has one! I plan to go there in a few weeks.

Is it located in Culemborg maybe ?