best and worst keyboards ever

[Erik Norlander]

This is a fun topic! My "BEST" are:

 

MINIMOOG MODEL D. Okay, is there a more classic synthesizer? I don't think so. This one just absolutely rocks. Leads, basses, sweeps, drones ... it's all starts here.

 

MOOG ROGUE. I bought mine for $20 circa 1986, thinking "why not?". Since then I have used it on countless sessions and albums, and it always seems to find its way into an arrangement doing things that a Minimoog or even modular Moog don't do quite as well. Yes, really!

 

MOOG TAURUS I PEDALS. Okay, not exactly a keyboard, but the pedals look like a keyboard. This one is also a classic, and it takes so little to make it sound amazing. I always double track mine in stereo, flat on the left, sharp on the right. Gigantic.

 

ROLAND JX8P. What? Yes, that's right. The JX8P does synth brass and breathing, soupy pads better than most any other synth in my book. I ditched by first JX8P to buy a Matrix-12. I programmed all the similar sounds on the Matrix-12, then after using it for about 6 months, sold the Matrix-12 and bought another JX8P. Analog purists might criticize the DCO core of the unit, but it sounds big, punchy and alive. The MKS-70 rack gets a lot of use, too, although it's not quite the same exact sound for some reason.

 

ARP STRING ENSEMBLE / SOLINA. Again, detuned and double tracked in stereo brings this keyboard out in its maximum glory. I even had a 2RU box made with 2 of the chorus / phasor boards to use on other instruments. "Shine on you crazy diamond ... !"

 

ALESIS ANDROMEDA. Although I did have something to do with its creation, this synth seldom lets me down (although one of mine does go out of tune a lot ...). It's overly complicated, but man does it sound great. I don't think I could do a live gig without this one.

 

ALESIS QS7.1 (or 8.1 or 6.1). I chose the 7.1 because its been the controller in my studio for the last year after I put my QuadraSynth Plus Piano on hiatus due to a pitch wheel problem. Again, I had something to do with these keyboards, so pardon any bias. But 10 years later, these QS keyboards keep doing the job as the first call "everything" workhorse keyboard. Some sounds haven't stood the test of time as well as others, but I still love the pianos, acoustic and electric, and a lot of synth sounds -- even sans resonant filter -- fit into a track like no other and get the job done FAST. I know, I know ... you will scoff. But this is another one that I would probably not go on stage without, in module form at minimum.

 

OBERHEIM SEM keyboards. This discussion is about "keyboards", right, so I can't really talk about modules. The Oberheim SEM is an incredible synthesizer, up there with the Minimoog but different than the Minimoog. So any "keyboard" using the SEMS qualifies as a favorite ... the Four Voice (FVS), Two Voice or even Eight Voice. The Oberheim OBX gets an honorable mention, too -- an excellent sounding machine ... and with programs!

 

PPG WAVE 2, 2.2, 2.3 and DAVE SMITH POLY EVOLVER. Digital wavetable with analog filters, and you can sweep through the wavetables. Okay, how COOL is that, exactly? Answer: a lot.

 

MELLOTRON and CHAMBERLIN keyboards. Classics forever.

 

WURLITZER 200A. Don't expect it be an acoustic piano or even a Rhodes, but for compy, punchy parts, this does it like nothing else.

 

RHODES MARK II Dyno-My-Piano. I chose that one in particular because its the Rhodes I've used the most. But probably any of the Rhodes from Mark I to Mark ... ? would get equal kudos. This sound has so much WEIGHT, and I'm not talking about the physical pounds weight. Clean, overdriven, distorted, chorused, phased ... always awesome.

 

RHODES MK80. The Roland - built digital Rhodes. In my book, the best thing next to the real thing. And it has a flat top, too, where you can put your QS7.1

 

HAMMOND ... MODEL D. Okay, I said "Model D" and not "B3" or "C3" because the Model D is what I have. Although mine has been hotrodded quite a bit with add-on percussion, spring reverb, EQ, overdrive, etc., so it's not exactly fair to say "Model D" and just walk away. So feel free to substiture HAMMOND B3 here. And is anyone really going to argue about this one?

 

KORG CX-3 (new one). I thought I should mention something newer than 10 years old and not just seem like a cranky old dude. I see the term "clonewheel" floating around. Okay, this is my favorite clonewheel. When I can't take my real Hammond, I take my CX-3. Unbelievable modeling from the Korg guys. And the waterfall keyboard is ultra - playable. Man did they get it right. Well done!

 

 

. . . My WORST? Nope. Too many to list, and I'd rather keep it positive. One comment I will make is that a lot of people bash the old Ensoniq ESQ1. I have an ESQm module, and there's one pad sound in there -- a 2 octave detuned saw sort of thing with a piano-like decay -- that I cannot get out anything else. And BELIEVE when I say I've tried! So the ESQm / ESQ1 will always have a defender in me if only for that one pad sound. Yep. And you have to admit, digital wavetable with analog filters is a really cool idea.

 

Best regards,

 

Erik

[delirium]

Nice listing,

I'd concur the fame to yamaha P80 which I had and killed finally after 4 years, but I'm not sure if Fantom X is that so of shame though...

very nice workstation, nice piano sound, but maybe a little over priced.

[Prague]

My BEST list from experience:

 

Kurzweil PC-2x. Excellent sounds and Master Controller capabilities. Keyboardists are very fortunate to have enough keybeds to complain about, but next to no one has complaind about my PC-2 (88 weighted). It doubles as a sound module, also. The synth, orchestra, pianos, and Classic Keys sounds are as good as anything else out there and unique in their own right.

 

Ensoniq VFX-SD Polyphonic aftertouch!!! Lots of other CC controller capabilities, too. Transwaves, and a built-in 12 track sequencer. The entire keyboard operation is very intuitive. And it still works to this day.

 

Alesis Ion 4 zone, 8 voice, 3 Osc/filter, lots of knobs. I paid $650. An absolute bargain for how much this thing can do. No aftertouch is it's only "flaw", but it does respond to Poly-aftertouch with a suitable controller. Nice touch.

 

ARP String Machine It still works and sounds all ARP. No soft synth will work 30 years from now.

 

Roland A-70 Best controller out there. 8 zones. I would prefer the A-50 or the Kurz Midiboard (both with Poly-aftertouch), but the A-70/90 have Bank Select. A must-have for a Master Controller. The internal sounds are forgettable on the A-series, though. Don't bother with them.

[marino]

Originally posted by dp2:

My favorite synth/samp/workstation to play is a K2600 (maybe my opinion will change once I get used to playing my Oasys more).

Ha! Caught!!

[captainmri]

I just wish Korg would re-release the 808.

[Tonysounds]

The MK80!!!!! I forgot about that one! I had two: one for home, one for road. The piano was very decent on it as well. That was Joe Zawinul's controller for a long long time. And a few years back when Herbie and the Headhunters toured, that was Herbie's controller as well.

 

But Damn, was it big n heavy! Bought 'em on closeout: $500 each!

T

[marino]

Originally posted by tonysounds:

The MK80!!!!!

That was Joe Zawinul's controller for a long long time.

Huh?! I followed papa Z for nearly all his career, but I never noticed the MK80. Maybe you mean the Chroma? Or the T8? The 'real' Rhodes? The CP80?

[captainmri]

Sorry...707!

[Erik Norlander]

Originally posted by tonysounds:

The MK80!!!!! I forgot about that one! I had two: one for home, one for road. The piano was very decent on it as well. That was Joe Zawinul's controller for a long long time. And a few years back when Herbie and the Headhunters toured, that was Herbie's controller as well.

 

But Damn, was it big n heavy! Bought 'em on closeout: $500 each!

T

Hey tonysounds,

Yes, the MK80 is big and heavy for sure! I wish I would have known about that $500 price. I had two of them as well, and I paid a lot more than that! Since then I've sold one of them, but the original one still gets a lot of use. I think the action is one of the best, if not the best, of any weighted keyboard. I find the acoustic piano is similar sounding to the Roland RD-300S, but perhaps it's a later revision as it does sound a bit better than that.

 

The analog chorus and phasor effect on the MK80 is really great. I believe it's the circuitry from one of the later Roland Junos, maybe Alpha Juno or something like that. IIRC, the phasor is one voice of a Juno filter set to all pass mode, and the chorus is that famous Roland analog chorus that always sounds so great.

 

And other players that used it, I know Gary Brooker from Procol Harum played one for a while, too. Cool about Herbie Hancock and Joe Zawinul -- I didn't know that. Pretty good company!

 

Best regards,

Erik

[ProfD]

Originally posted by Prague:

Ensoniq VFX-SD Polyphonic aftertouch!!! Lots of other CC controller capabilities, too. Transwaves, and a built-in 12 track sequencer. The entire keyboard operation is very intuitive. And it still works to this day.

Prague, glad to hear someone got decent mileage out of one.

 

I bought the VFX-SD brand new as soon as it hit the market. It was a nice keyboard, cool sounds, decent sequencer, etc.

 

However, once I left it on for any period of time, it would overheat and the bugs would show up. In less than a year, I traded it for a Korg M1.

 

That experience weaned me from Ensoniq boards totally. Kept me from joining the ranks of cats who swore by the ASR10.

[Legatoboy]

Put favorite analog/digital(control) down as an OB-Expander. You can spend hours with that instrument, lets see:

 

(Ramp Generator one into LFO2) into LFO3 and I think I'll use that all to open up the Filter, No I'll apply it to the A portion of the Amp Env. ....No..... I'll send that all to Ramp 2 and then modulates OSC 1. etc etc.....

 

talk about "Option Anxiety".

 

that was a cool axe. . .

lb

[Mr. Nightime]

Originally posted by ProfD:

Originally posted by Prague:

Ensoniq VFX-SD Polyphonic aftertouch!!! Lots of other CC controller capabilities, too. Transwaves, and a built-in 12 track sequencer. The entire keyboard operation is very intuitive. And it still works to this day.

Prague, glad to hear someone got decent mileage out of one.

 

I bought the VFX-SD brand new as soon as it hit the market. It was a nice keyboard, cool sounds, decent sequencer, etc.

 

However, once I left it on for any period of time, it would overheat and the bugs would show up. In less than a year, I traded it for a Korg M1.

 

That experience weaned me from Ensoniq boards totally. Kept me from joining the ranks of cats who swore by the ASR10.

A buddy of mine in Alaska had a VFX-SD. I thought it was a really cool board at the time. He had a little duo, himself and his wife. He played guitar, and his wife sang. He would put together the basics of the songs he wanted in the VFX-SD's sequencer, and he'd bring it to me to finish the recording and make them stage ready. Worked out well for me, as it was rather lucrative.

 

At one point, though, he was programming the sequencer to handle lighting changes as well, when it crashed, and never came back, right before an important gig. He had to scramble and find another in time for the gig.

 

I've never trusted an Ensoniq since.

[orangefunk]

Originally posted by marino:

Originally posted by tonysounds:

The MK80!!!!!

That was Joe Zawinul's controller for a long long time.

Huh?! I followed papa Z for nearly all his career, but I never noticed the MK80. Maybe you mean the Chroma? Or the T8? The 'real' Rhodes? The CP80?

I think you are right... I saw Joe Z playing a T8 two years ago in Manchester UK.

[Legatoboy]

I just opened for Leon Russell & Band out here on Long Island NY at Stephen Talkhouse.....

 

You want to talk about rigs, I can't even begin to describe it!

 

He used and Alesis 88 (forgot the model) as a controller, tons of pedals and switches and rack gear.... computer for lyrics, routing who knows what else, mixers ....I was amazed.

 

It's all built into and Anvil road case and monitors hang off the end of the rased platform

it is truly SICK!

 

It is truly the sickest rig I have every "saw"...

 

I luv Leon!

lb

[jon from oz]

I had a Roland MT 100 module . I tried hard but could not find a use for it.

My 3 favorites have been my RD 500 a cheap little Jv30 and a Hammond XB2. I used these boards for nearly every gig for more than ten years.

I am not sure if I hate or love my new Fantom X8 yet. Still working on that piano sound!!

[Mr. Nightime]

I still use an XB2, and absolutely love it. It might not be the most authentic Hammond sound out there, but for my needs, it's absolutely perfect. I love how it will sing, and then growl all with the move of a mod wheel.

 

Sure, I can dream of an XK-3, but as long as my XB2 still screams, she's going to be a cornerstone of my kit.

[MightyTonewheel]

My favourite keyboard? My Korg O1/WFD. Not the 01/WFD, my O1/WFD...

 

I was 19, living on my own, and had never owned a keyboard. I borrowed to play in bands, and plunked away on piano whenever I could. My parents had more or less shunned their role as musical benefactors, thanks to a controversial false start with a very expensive french horn a few years earlier.

 

My parents took me to dinner on my 20th birthday. Just before dropping me off at my apartment, dad ushered me to the back of the car and popped the trunk, which contained a brand new Korg O1/WFD.

 

I still have the ol' Korg. The floppy drive stopped working years ago, and the LCD is so faded I can barely read it. Still, it was the best keyboard ever.

[Tonysounds]

Yes, Joe Zawinul was using the MK80. Now, I must confess: I didn't SEE him with it. But I remember reading a pretty large article/interview with him in Musician Magazine, and he talked about his home/road rig. And he said the heart of his rig was his controller: the Rhodes MK80.

 

I have owned 3 Suitcase Rhodes and a Stage, as well as the pair of MK80s, so I do know the difference. Never saw Joe with a CP80.

 

However, I DID see Herbie using the MK80 on his Future tour. It was VERY cool.

 

Still wish I had that board....and my old Mini, and my Arp Solus...and my Pro-Soloist...but

 

I had a love/hate relationship with my JD800s (Had 3 of them at different times), but don't miss them as I have always kept my JD990.

 

 

T

[jon from oz]

Mr Nightime , I was very sad the day my XB bit the dust . Something called a muse chip ? Hammond over hear said it would cost more than a new XK to fix. So she has been sitting in her case/coffin for over a year.

[lowerhodes]

Originally posted by tonysounds:

"And I know I'm in the minority, but the DX7 was so intrinsically awful, it made me switch to bass for a few years. HATED that sound, and it was everywhere."

 

I agree completely and it, or something apparently intended to mimic it, still seems to be everywhere.

[The Captain]

Winners:

 

Prophet VS - Wonderfully unique. Soundtrack city. Finicky - broke if you looked at it wrong.

 

Prophet 3000 - Billed as the "worlds easiest to use sampler". True, until someone figured out how to build soft samplers on computers.

 

Juno 106 (and rack mount version w/programmer).

I once heard this synth described as "feminine", and I'd have to agree. Mine was mint including the rare plastic case.

 

CX-3 (v1) - Bought on closeout, played forever (over a decade). Sold and bought the v2 version. Not as authentic, but it had it's own thing....

 

"Just Didn't Work out"

DX-7

D-50

Voce B3 Module

Anything by EMU - piano, proteus

PC-88 - the piano sound you learn to despise

The Big Kuzweil - Great sounds, but reaction to slow for me...

[soundscape]

Originally posted by erik norlander:

ROLAND JX8P. What? Yes, that's right. The JX8P does synth brass and breathing, soupy pads better than most any other synth in my book. I ditched by first JX8P to buy a Matrix-12. I programmed all the similar sounds on the Matrix-12, then after using it for about 6 months, sold the Matrix-12 and bought another JX8P. Analog purists might criticize the DCO core of the unit, but it sounds big, punchy and alive. The MKS-70 rack gets a lot of use, too, although it's not quite the same exact sound for some reason.

I have the MKS-70 rack; the synth brass is awesome. How do you find the sound differs from the JX-8P?

[Erik Norlander]

Originally posted by soundscape:

Originally posted by erik norlander:

ROLAND JX8P. What? Yes, that's right. The JX8P does synth brass and breathing, soupy pads better than most any other synth in my book. I ditched by first JX8P to buy a Matrix-12. I programmed all the similar sounds on the Matrix-12, then after using it for about 6 months, sold the Matrix-12 and bought another JX8P. Analog purists might criticize the DCO core of the unit, but it sounds big, punchy and alive. The MKS-70 rack gets a lot of use, too, although it's not quite the same exact sound for some reason.

I have the MKS-70 rack; the synth brass is awesome. How do you find the sound differs from the JX-8P?

Hi soundscape,

 

Although the PG-800 will work as a programmer for both the JX8P and MKS-70, I do find their tonality quite a bit different. Overall, I find the JX8P more "punchy" and strong in the upper midrange (brass area), whereas the MKS-70 is a bit more soft and warm with a gentler mid and fatter low end. The MKS-70 seems to have a silkier top end as well.

 

I notice the divergence the most when setting a VCA level, and I suspect that is where the difference in circuit topology lies. The JX8P's VCA overdrives in a very cool way -- you can fuzz it up a little bit, even on those famous slow lumbering JX pads (think "Twin Peaks" or "X-Files") without hearing any biting distortion.

The MKS-70 VCA doesn't overdrive the same way, it's much cleaner to my ears.

 

We all know that the MKS-70 is basically the rack version of the JX-10 "Super JX" which was supposed to be 2 JX8Ps -- 12 voices instead of 6. But I don't think they just put two 2 JX8P PCBs in there and called it a day. My guess is that optimization and economizing was done, and perhaps it shows most in the VCA. There would have to be an additional VCA section in the JX-10 / MKS-70 as you have the ability to split and layer the 2 6-voice sections. So in that sense, it's really 2 JX8Ps plus a VCA of some kind to mix and combine them. That may ultimately be where the sonic difference lies.

 

If anyone else has thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them. All of these synths, JX8P, JX-10, MKS-70 are awesome, wonderfully musical instruments. I do prefer the JX8P over the other 2, but the other two are still great.

 

Best regards,

Erik

[paully]

Originally posted by Legatoboy:

I just opened for Leon Russell & Band... He used and Alesis 88 (forgot the model) as a controller, tons of pedals and switches and rack gear...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Saw LR opening for Edgar Winter a few years back. He worked as a single, but his back line looked like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. As for best / worst, for me it's the same instrument. The Hammond B3!!

 

Best because: the sound, baby, the sound

 

Worst because: Ask my aching back

 

Paul

[Ed Coury]

Originally posted by Dave Horne:

 

I wasn't thrilled with the old Fender Rhodes (gasp!) - inconsistent action and it always needed repairs. That was a tank.

Ah, the Rhodes: It was the best of boards - it was the worst of boards.

[DafDuc]

GOOD TIMES:

 

Fender Rhodes Stage 88, 73 - both were frustrating, but both were magical when everything clicked. The Rhodes is the reason I got serious about playing. Still love my 73 (replaced the 88 in '79), but am fully cognizant of its flaws.

 

Krakauer upright - man, I wish I still had this. Very warm, round tone. Action was a bit sluggish, but I grew up on it, so I was used to it. Gave it away on one of our moves. It was actually my great-grandparents': circa 1890 or so. I have to stop taling about it, I'm bumming myself out.

 

Boston Grand, K Kawai Grand - love these! The Boston especially, beautiful sound. The Kawai and I have come to terms - it's my main board on my current church gig. A bit bright, but I keep the cover closed and play harder. Keep the humidifier filled, she keeps her tune. For a while. Wouldn't trade her for anything now, not even the Boston. The Boston was like the hot girlfriend that got away - The Kawai is like the wife. LOL.

 

Casavant pipe organs - I've played two regularly, they're both completely different, one neobaroque, one French romantic - but they are great! Sweet, sweet sounds. Need to spend more time with the one I still have access to (the French romantic). It's too good an instrument to just be sitting there.

 

Hammond L100, A100, M3, D152 - Love all of these, but what a difference a Leslie makes! Only the L and A had Leslies - the A had 3 (!!!). And only the D is in my possession anymore. But one of these days, the D will have a Leslie. Maybe soon.

 

Clavinet D6 - loved the short throw, the rythmic sound. Big fun to play guitar parts on it, too. Only keyboard I ever had feed back, LOL. well, until I test drove the VP-550 the other day and had the mic too hot. The D6 was a fragile little thing, though.

 

Arp Solina SE-4 - magical string tones. Magical. Busted now, but I can't quit her...

 

Arp Axxe, Odyssey - Odyssey is a dream board, but I only picked it up a couple of years ago - on this board in fact. Love the sounds. The Axxe was what I used back in the day, that was great IF you had a phaser and an echo. I did. Mrs. Daf made me sell it for $65, 15+ years ago. I've never let her forget that.

 

Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 - ultra cool, but I paid way too much. If I had waited a year, I could have gotten a used one for $700 instead of the $3300 I paid new in '82. Hindsight. Still have it, though, in great condition. Still my go-to synth.

 

Yamaha KX-88 - the ultimate controller by which all others will forever be judged. Sadly in disrepair now, and repairs would cost more than buying a decent used one.

 

Yamaha TX-7 - I had a pair. Still do, somewhere. I loved these. Even had a cool EP sound that didn't sound at all like a DX EP. So many innovations - FM, breath control, midi. Well, it was my first midi setup anyhow (with the KX).

 

Ensoniq KT-88 - Church rig, I was the backup keyboardist. Killer sounds for an ensemble setting. I understand it hasn't gotten much use since I left the parish 9 years ago, so it's still alive & kicking. Last I heard. Wonder if my sequence is still in it? Best one I ever did...

 

Yamaha TQ-5, DX-11 - I know. Nobody else liked the TQ. But I loved the onboard fx, the multimbral sequencer, the ez-edit functions, THE ONBOARD CLOCK! Nobody else had a clock on their module ever! W00t! I still have a B3 patch on this that I love. And some cool pads as well. The Dx-11 is a recent acquisition, with the same sound engine. I bought it as a controller, and now am having some trouble with it. It will rise again, though.

 

Alesis QS-8, QS-8.1, QSR - best feeling board ever. EVER! Sounds are hit or miss, but when they're good, they're very very good (yes, you can finish the rhyme). The 8.0 got me through 5 years as music director at my little country parish I started at. The 8.1 is still holding forth at the center of my live rig. QSR is backup - I lost the amp section on the 8.1 3 times. Should be fixed now, though.

 

Novation K-Station - Does everything! Big fun! Wish it were sturdier. Wish it had more notes. Wish it had patch names. Still a great board.

 

Yamaha VL-70m - OMG, what amazing sounds! I love this thing, wish I had more time for it.

 

Kurzweil ME-1 - gorgeous sounds, limited interface, completely uneditable, organ sounds don't respond to mod wheel. But gorgeous sounds trump all. Price point is amazing.

 

Roland VK-8 - great organ sounds, and I love the implementation for a second board and pedals. Other sounds suck, but who cares?

 

CME UF-5 - love this controller! Drawbar mode is a really cool idea. Wish it had memory. Wish I could edit drawbar mode (VK-8 won't respond). Still, great feel, tons of controls - even a BC input! Yay!

 

Alesis Fusion 6HD - hoping and praying this one works out. I like it well enough to buy it. Any day now. Another excellent price point.

 

Roland VP-550 - Church will be buying one shortly if I can't work out the Vari-OS / VC-2 combination (see below). Test drove the VP a couple of days ago - exactly what I need for banging out choir parts and distributing via CD.

 

MIXED FEELINGS:

 

Conn home organ - had a leslie of sorts, had some fun stuff, but real limited in the sounds it could get. The flutes were pretty good, the rest was awful. Had some stupid rhythm stuff on it too. Mom gave it to a church when she sold the house.

 

Miller console piano - well it's family, was my Grandma's. Doesn't sound great, but useful for banging out parts, and a nice piece of furniture in my living room. The Krakauer would overwhelm the LR, so I guess it's a good thing.

 

Roland P-55 - not bad piano sounds, but not great. Tried to sell it in my Katrina sale last year, then realized I didn't know where it was anymore. Better APs and EPs than my TX's, so useful when I got it, but just barely.

 

Korg Wavestation, Yamaha TG33 - jury's still out on these two, but it doesn't look good - bought them a year or two ago. Haven't found much I liked yet.

 

Roland Vari-OS - just bought this, now can't find a VC-2 card, which was the only thing I bought it for. Hope I find something to like.

 

Classic Organ Works midi pedalboard - works well enough, but I can only use this with an AGO bench, and the pedalboard is heavy as hell. I was trying to set up something portable for the church, and it seems I've failed. Still, cool to have this - it's mine, not the church's. Not sure where I'll put it if I ever leave, though. It's HUGE!

 

BAD TIMES:

 

Heathkit Vox Jaguar combo organ - ecch. All I could afford then, but ecch! What awful sounds!

 

Allen analog church organ, Lowrey Genie, Baldwin 500, Allen digital/pipe combo church organ - these were all awful. The digital / pipe idea is the worst! Pipes shift in pitch with the weather, digitals don't. Might have sounded better if it had an overhaul - I remember the other guy (YEARS ago) getting good sounds. But when I finally had a chance to use it, it had sat unmaintained for 5-6 years. The Allen analog was just bad - no good sounds, wobbly pitch, those awful little princess pedals, underpowered for the room (sanctuary only sat 200, but still underpowered!). And the Genie - our current practice room organ - may be the worst organ ever manufactured. With the Baldwin (at Mom's retirement village - I'd practice on it when I visited) a close second.

 

Yamaha P-50 - dedicated piano module on which EVERY SINGLE PIANO SOUND SUCKED. What I get for buying without trying. Icky-poo.

 

Roland XP-10 - some okay sounds, some not. Awful interface, totally non-editable. X-Y thing was dumb. Hated that it forgot everything when you powered down - 16 channels multitimbral: that's a lot of work to set back up every time. And having to reboot to go from GM to normal? Who makes up this stuff? Oh yeah, hate the Roland paddle too. Wheels good, paddle bad.

 

Kurzweil SP-88 - I liked the touch on this, hated the sounds. So it would be logical to use it as a controller, but I just could not get next to the ribbons in place of the mod and pitch wheels. Gone now. Don't miss it.

 

Roland U-220, Proteus 1, Kawai K-10 - Yeep. Who knows, maybe these were okay back in the day, but OMG. Bought them used and cheap (except the K, which was a church board), but nothing at all to like about these.

 

Wilhelm tracker pipe organ - a custom install (as are all Wilhelms) at my college, it has weird little wooden keys, flat pedalboard instead of radial, 30 pedals instead of 32, and is impossibly shrill at close range. And the player is always a close range because the pipes are right there. I really wanted to like this organ, but it's just stupid for an American university with an organ program to have its only organ fail to meet ANY of the AGO specs.

 

Roland A-30 - nice feel, horrible implementation. And I hate paddles.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------

 

So, best? Love my Prophet, but not as a main board. Love my QS, but it's definitely got sound issues. Were money no object, I'd probably go with a Nord Stage. But money's an object. Still, I'll say Nord Stage for now.

 

Worst? Definitely Lowrey Genie. Worst pro board? Probably the RMI. Or maybe the K-10.

 

xxx00,

 

Daffy

[orangefunk]

Originally posted by erik norlander:

 

We all know that the MKS-70 is basically the rack version of the JX-10 "Super JX" which was supposed to be 2 JX8Ps -- 12 voices instead of 6. But I don't think they just put two 2 JX8P PCBs in there and called it a day. My guess is that optimization and economizing was done, and perhaps it shows most in the VCA. There would have to be an additional VCA section in the JX-10 / MKS-70 as you have the ability to split and layer the 2 6-voice sections. So in that sense, it's really 2 JX8Ps plus a VCA of some kind to mix and combine them. That may ultimately be where the sonic difference lies.

 

If anyone else has thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them. All of these synths, JX8P, JX-10, MKS-70 are awesome, wonderfully musical instruments. I do prefer the JX8P over the other 2, but the other two are still great.

 

Best regards,

Erik

You are right I think. I opened my JX10 (sold now) up a few years back and there wasn't two JX8P boards (I had one of those back in 80s too). Seem to recall they had something about the JX10 written on them.

[zephonic]

Hi, just checked back on this thread and I thought I should add that nordic rock is not necessarily bad, just very much not my cup of vodka. As for arctic rock...heigh ho, you mean Santa & Rudolph?

And the Nord Electro is fun to play, but at that price...come on.

[loveclose]

Bit late on this thread.....

 

At present, I worship my S90ES. Lots of friends and audience pass really enthusiastic comments about its sounds.

 

Rather disappointed with the Roland RD700SX which I was trying out at the same time I eventually bought the Yamaha. One of the two high-sampled piano sounds which was supposedly one of the key selling points of the board was IMHO unuseable, and sounded worse than the piano sound i had been using on the RD600.

 

Worst ever keyboard tried - has to be one of the Technics digi pianos that came out after the Clavinovas took off. Worst keyboard action ever, and poor sound. Have to say though that the Technics digi pianos improved a lot since, but they are still way behind.....

[mr_mez]

I can beat you all, quite a few years ago I was looking for a clonewheel and I should have bought a Hammond XB2. Instead I was conned into shelling out nearly the same amount for a, wait for it, Orla KX400 drawbar keyboard - woooo!

 

Literally useless, kept 'crashing' and sending a speaker and ear-splittiing scream through the PA. Keybed fell to bits, weighed a ton, pitch bend joystick would not re-centre always and a weird afternoise that rumbled for a few seconds after playing the last note. What a gem! NOT!

 

Did I forget to mention the superb leslie effect? it sounded just like the real thing. The drawbar ones were utterly superb as were the piano and other sounds - PS the last paragraph is utter horseshit.

 

Rant over, phew!

Thanks for listening

Dan