Members Midi26 Posted January 27, 2015 Members Share Posted January 27, 2015 Hello all. I am looking to add rack modules to my live setup. Not interested in software synth. Besides the roland integra what else would you use for performance playing. I currently have a yamaha s90xs keyboard. I am looking for flavor, a good example would be like if a korg wavestation sr is still viable today? I am looking for good pads btw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members trevcda Posted January 27, 2015 Members Share Posted January 27, 2015 Two of my favorites are a Roland U-220 for a string orchestra patch and a piano patch that still cuts through a mix easily and and a Roland Fantom XR for many reasons, but a vocal soundtrack pad is what lead me to it to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zzzxtreme Posted January 27, 2015 Members Share Posted January 27, 2015 Good pads ? Hmmmm Really depends. The Korg 01R/W has excellent pads, albeit different from Wavestation SR. I have the wavestation ex, the pads move me to tears, unfortunately the interface is bloody stupid. There's no program mode. They force you to be in combi mode. In order to edit Program 1, you have to go into Combi Mode, edit that, then select a channel, then select a program, then edit from there. But, yeah, everyone should at least own one wavestation. There's simply nothing like it. At the same time, I totally recommend the 01RW. Beautiful warm pads ! Would make great addition to your Yamaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted January 27, 2015 Members Share Posted January 27, 2015 String pad? Kawai K-1 patch S-1-A-3. Nothing touches it IMO. I've used that patch since 1989 and I will always have a K1 in my set-up as long as I'm breathing. It's not good for much else. But for 8 bit grainy, memorable string pads, it's the one. Two string pad samples from a K-1 Here's one Here's another. If you want a Fantom X Sound set in a box, a Roland Sonic Cell is an interesting gadget. It's an audio interface, MIDI interface, MIDI and MP3 player, plus it has the Fantom X series sound set on it. I have one and oddly enough, I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Karma1 Posted January 27, 2015 Members Share Posted January 27, 2015 I do ambient music and pads are a big part of my sound. I'm also much more into hardware synths than software. Here is a list of modules I'm currently using:Korg M3m, Wavestation SR, and Trinity RackRoland JD-990 w/Vintage synth expansionKurzweil K2000RKawai K5000R and K4r All of these are great for pads and each has its own unique sound. The Korg M3 probably at the top of my list, although is the newest and most expensive. Its also not a rack mount module, but a larger table top model. It has the Karma function which is amazing. All the others are older and may not be as easy to find a used one. The most recent one I picked up was the Trinity (the model before the Triton). I'm pretty impressed with the pads, ambient sounds, and overall sound quality. I've also owned a Triton Rack, which has lots of great sounds too and might be easier to find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Temple of Light Posted January 31, 2015 Members Share Posted January 31, 2015 I recently picked up Korg NS5R, and midi'd it to a JX305 & is getting me high as fock. It's a studio rig now, to be going live in the spring/summer.They have about 5 dozen patches that are gold, but alot of redundany and GM crap. I use P2500's,and a Micro Q in the studio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zzzxtreme Posted February 1, 2015 Members Share Posted February 1, 2015 NS5R/NX5R - one famous patch used in the song Spaceman. The output is not as warm/fat as 01R/W, but size/portability is great. and you can get it real cheaps. both N and 01 has big LCD for easy UI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Outkaster Posted February 5, 2015 Members Share Posted February 5, 2015 Korg M1R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpaceNorman Posted February 5, 2015 Members Share Posted February 5, 2015 I'm using a Motif ES Rack unit in my gig rig. Typically, I control it via my CP300. More often than not - I use it as the "other" voice in layered "Piano & _______" patches where the "_______" can be brought in and out over the piano voice with an expression pedal. I've been using it this way for so long, I find myself forgetting which voices are being generated by what sound engine when I'm playing my CP300. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members koolkat Posted February 12, 2015 Members Share Posted February 12, 2015 Plugiator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted February 15, 2015 Members Share Posted February 15, 2015 agree w/Radman and zzzxtreme, Korg N-series has some cool sounds. Under-rated. My M3m has great sounds and touch-screen problems. I can't recommend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nostalgia4Infinity Posted February 22, 2015 Members Share Posted February 22, 2015 I'd be curious to know how the Korgs mentioned above compare with my micro-x which I've called upon often and mixes in great live. I have a Yamaha TG-300 I've been trying to sell that if programmed can do some great pads - used it for a killer unison string patch once. Other than that my MR Rack sounds great in the studio but is almost too fat on stage. I miss my old Poly 800 for nice DAC analog warmth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted February 23, 2015 Members Share Posted February 23, 2015 I'd be curious to know how the Korgs mentioned above compare with my micro-x which I've called upon often and mixes in great live. I have a Yamaha TG-300 I've been trying to sell that if programmed can do some great pads - used it for a killer unison string patch once. Other than that my MR Rack sounds great in the studio but is almost too fat on stage. I miss my old Poly 800 for nice DAC analog warmth... I have a TG300 inside my Yamaha MU 100 module. Maybe it can do great pads. But I have those covered already with other modules. I never learned to program it. The MU series had a very difficult UI AFAIC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members progfan Posted February 23, 2015 Members Share Posted February 23, 2015 I'm using a Korg 01/W ProX and a Roland A70 as my boards, both MIDI'ed to a rack full of modules, and when I need to bring in a pad with a voume pedal, more often than not, my 01/W Rack is used, even though I've got several newer rack modules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JazzMastaJim Posted March 29, 2015 Members Share Posted March 29, 2015 I still use a couple of real oldies: A Roland MT-32 and D-550! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted April 4, 2015 Members Share Posted April 4, 2015 I have a TG300 inside my Yamaha MU 100 module. Maybe it can do great pads. But I have those covered already with other modules. I never learned to program it. The MU series had a very difficult UI AFAIC. I still have a Yamaha MU90R in my rack simply because it sounds great. It uses the Yamaha XG protocol which is is an extended version of General MIDI so it is great for playing standard MIDI files with high quality sounds. The XG Edit software makes programming the MU synths much easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members namnibor Posted April 5, 2015 Members Share Posted April 5, 2015 I use an Access Virus KB as a master controller for these in a rack, all connected to an older rack midi patch bay with sliders: Waldorf: Microwave XT, 2x Micro Q, Pulse+; Korg Wavestation SR; Novation Supernova; and a DSI Mono Evolver keyboard midi/polychained to a Poly Evolver Rack. Quasimidi Polymorph rack mounted. Spectralis 2 below the racked gear. A few other hardware keyboard synths in stands as well. Happen to really love the space-saving racks and functionality. Here, MIDI has to be your friend. Never used software synths in the PC, only use the PC for recording and all FX are rack units as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted April 17, 2015 Members Share Posted April 17, 2015 I still have a Yamaha MU90R in my rack simply because it sounds great. It uses the Yamaha XG protocol which is is an extended version of General MIDI so it is great for playing standard MIDI files with high quality sounds. The XG Edit software makes programming the MU synths much easier. Yeah, I have no problem doing anything w/XG. The poster asked about the TG300 pads. IMO, my K1 pads are more useful and sound better than either the XG or the TG300 pads. I just got rid of an MU90 because I ran out of mixer space for it. I kept my MU100. As far as string pads in XG go,I liked the 70's string pad best and the 60's string pad next. Neither are really in the same league as the pads my newer Korg M3M offers. And they certainly can't touch patch S-1-A-3 on my 1989 Kawai K1. That sound is unique in my experience. Where I found MU series hard to use, is when I tried to use it as an FX box for other instruments. Never could figure that out. But it is easy enough to keep it set to XG. I have 4 modules, Kawai K1r, Korg M3M, Roland Sonic Cell and the MU100. Of the 4, the MU has my least favorite UI. Even the Korg seems intuitive compared to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.