Members taragalinas Posted July 11, 2011 Members Share Posted July 11, 2011 Disclaimer: Mostly a bunch of whining - Start of rant - I've been looking for something new for a while now. The problem is I'm not really sure what I am looking for. I have a stage piano. A Korg SV-1 73. Love it! My pride and joy. Originally I wanted a digital piano, the furniture type. Yamaha Clavinova series looked nice. But I went with the more portable SV-1, because I started taking piano gigs again after a few years' hiatus. Best decision I ever made. After that I felt like getting a synth. I'm a good piano player, but I don't know squat about synthesis. Thought it'd be fun to learn! Started saving money for a nice synth. Looked at everything from the Roland Gaia to the Nord Lead 2 and all the way up to the Prophet 08PE. While trying out synths and learning basic synthesis, I started getting gigs as a keyboard player. I quickly had to get hold of something to play. I found a barely used Korg X50 for peanuts. A quite poor machine, but good enough for noisy clubs. But as fate would have it (present day) I started getting more high end gigs. The X50 simply wouldn't do and not a pure bred synth either. I needed a powerful rompler-esque thing. At this point I would like to tell you one of my key characteristics as a person: I hate carrying heavy machinery. Although nothing beats a fully weighted 88, I'll take a plastic 61 any day of the week if I have to carry it myself. As much as I love the SV-1, it is just too heavy when I also have to help carry a full blown band rig. So the SV-1 is formally "relegated" to pure piano gigs. I will not be bringing it otherwise. So, basically I'm looking for something new that alone can carry the live burden of a rock/pop keyboard player. I've been looking at the Nord Stage 2 comapct, the 61 Kronos and every compact workstation from here to eternity. Another characteristic: I don't like workstations! I'm a live player. I don't want all the fuzzy wuzzy recording stuff. That's what computers are for. So I've begun looking away from the workstations and focused more on stuff like the Nord Stage 2 compact and the Roland Jupiter 80. But they are expensive! If it's not a workstation shouldn't the price go down. I could probably afford them, but I'd be happy to pay less. That's when I started thinking about using two pieces live. More to carry, yes. But maybe if they're light? Maybe the Korg X50 could serve as an assistant up top? (A hefty price tag can work wonders with your logic and reasoning). The most important thing in my book is great piano and organ sounds. I'm ok with most other sounds sounding a tad below par. (That may change in the future). So now I'm thinking: two tier stand with a superb, lightweight piano/organ piece on the bottom and the X50 serving as a "everything else" piece up top. The Hammond SK-1 or the Nord Electro 3 61 perhaps? I've always wanted to own something that says "Hammond". But it seems to have a lot of bugs and weird issues. The NE3? Sample library, great. Crappy keyboard action and no layering or splits - bad. And I still want a synth! I want to enter world of sound design. AND it would be great to just have one set of keys live. What to do, what to do? Thanks for listening. - end of rant - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted July 11, 2011 Members Share Posted July 11, 2011 How do you feel about the Yamaha MOX8? It's kind of big but it's got 88 keys and it's pretty light considering that... 32.6 lbs vs. 38.5 on the SV1-73.I'm asking because you said you were mostly a piano player so I think you'd miss the weighted keys. And the MOX8 is probably the most portable thing with weighted keys right now...If not that, the Nord Stage 2 compact might be your ticket, if you can swing for that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ElectricPuppy Posted July 11, 2011 Members Share Posted July 11, 2011 I'm not sure that a Motif is the thing to learn synthesis on. Yamahas are notorious for having convoluted user-interfaces, but the MOX8 is probably good for the bread-and-butter sounds. For the "learn me some synth programming" part, I'd get a separate knobby synth, something small and lightish. Maybe a Roland GAiA? Or a DSI Mopho? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted July 11, 2011 Members Share Posted July 11, 2011 You sound to me like the exact person Kurzweil always had in mind for a customer. Excellent keyboard feel, VA synth, workhorse piano/B3/Rhodes, tons of sliders and knobs, etc. Works as a synth for programming, a gig rig for performing, a sit-down-n-play piano for songwriting/singing, a workstation for doing multi-timbre stuff with or without a DAW..... 61-key PC361 http://www.kurzweil.com/Product.php?id=196 check it out.. nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mildbill Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 Another vote for Kurzweil here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JeffLearman Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 SK1 plus NE3 is pretty redundant. Whatever else you get, I'd only get one or the other of these two. PC361 weighs about the same as SV-1, doesn't it? Otherwise, it's a much better companion to either of the above. Since with SK1 is multi-timbral (IIRC) here's another option: SK1 plus Privia PX-3; if you're not happy with the PX-3's piano use it to drive the SK1 (though SK1 might not be that much better). The Privia is probably better than you're guesssing, if you haven't tried it. And it's 88 fully-weighted keys in a very light package. However, with NE3 you'd be missing lead & poly synths (not sure what SK1 has in this area). A better topper for this would be Nord Stage EX or NS2, but that's going up a bit in price. Still, it would be a great two-board light rig, with a nice balance between simplicity and flexibility. So, I'd choose "none of the above". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MuzikB Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 The Kronos was designed with you in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AnotherScott Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 Bottom keyboard: Casio PX3 or Yamaha MOX8Top keyboard: Nord Stage 2 Compact or Korg Kronos 61 Casio + Nord for lightest weight.Yamaha + Korg for greater flexibility, wider range of sounds, and better quality actions at a still pretty low weight. (Easy to ignore the workstation aspects.) Any one of these keyboards can get you through a gig if necessary if you want to do something with just one board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zzzxtreme Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 PC361 is a good deal at less than $1400 now. 16 part setups, 128 polyphony, aftertouch, what more could u ask for ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DJ RAZZ Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 My vote is for either the PC3X or Motif MOX8 if you want 88 weighted. One problem with both these boards is weighted action is not good for synth or organ. You mentioned play in some rock/pop bands. Do you need brass, string, sax, harmonica, fiddle, synth sounds of various types, things like that? Do you need splits? Do you need B3? The NORD STAGE COMPACT 2 may fall short as an only board. Can you load samples on the new Nord Stage 2, that would be helpful? The Kronos with work and setup can do everything you need. You just need to decide on the action 61 or 73. If it were me in your shoes, I would gig with your SV-1 and stick a Kronos or Kurzweil PC361 on top. Massive rig. If you want an organ then try and see if the Nord Stage Compact does samples and you would be done as well, Both small and large rig covered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AnotherScott Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 Yes, the Nord Stage 2 loads samples. If the SV1 is too heavy for him to gig with, the PC3X will be even worse... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zzzxtreme Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 73/76/88keys too big for most. I prefer a 61 key + 49 key setup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crazyfoo Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 If the SV1 is too heavy for him to gig with, the PC3X will be even worse... Yes, the PC3x doesn't look heavy but I think they filled it full of gold bricks, thing weighs a ton! Solid as a rock too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AnotherScott Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 73/76/88keys too big for most. I prefer a 61 key + 49 key setup OTOH, the 88-key PX3 is quite a bit lighter than the 61-key PC361 you suggested. Which is not to suggest that the boards are otherwise comparable... but for a piano player, a weighted keyboard is a significant advantage. A PX3 and a PC361 could be another nice combo, a bit lower priced than the others I suggested. I think the Kronos and Nord Stage 2 are simpler overall and better for organ (as well as being lighter), but the PC361 is still a great board, especially for the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zzzxtreme Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 yup, significantly cheaper, and pc3 does indeed sounds good ! VAST and VA-1 to satisfy his learning hunger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Meatball Fulton Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 +1 for MOX6 or MOX8 Disclaimer: long-time Motif user Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DJ RAZZ Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 OK let's revamp. Nord Stage 2 Compact, PC3 semi-weighted, OR MXO8. That is about it for middle size/middle-weight all rounders with good piano and organ sounds plus drawbar options. All these synths should have enough to get through any pop/rock set. Just keep in mind each synth excels and suffers in different areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AnotherScott Posted July 12, 2011 Members Share Posted July 12, 2011 OK let's revamp. Nord Stage 2 Compact, PC3 semi-weighted, OR MXO8. That is about it for middle size/middle-weight all rounders with good piano and organ sounds plus drawbar options. If you're talking about being able to do it all on one keyboard... I agree about the Nord Stage 2. Kronos (61 key) is a good one to look at. PC3 is probably too heavy, it's about the same as the SV1 that he already says is too heavy. PC361 could work though. MOX8 doesn't do drawbar organs unless you have it hooked up to a computer. It also doesn't really have VA synth like the Nord Stage 2, Kronos, or Kurz PC. (That's also why I didn't mention Roland VR-700, though also, it's still bulky/heavy, though not as bad as the PC3.) The problem with a Nord Stage 2, Kronos-61, or PC361 as the only board is that pianos don't play well from any of those actions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Franz Schiller Posted July 13, 2011 Members Share Posted July 13, 2011 +1 for Kurzweil PC3 or PC3 61. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members delaware dave Posted July 13, 2011 Members Share Posted July 13, 2011 I just finished extensive research for a new "live" keyboard; based on sound quality, features, playability and price. the winner? Kurzweil PC3 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.