Hello,

I would really appreciate if someone could help me on this one.
I am about to buy a digital/stage piano but I have difficulties deciding between RD-150 and P80.
Both of them have decent piano sounds but the feature that could decide the winner would be a MIDI control.
I know that both of them have just basic MIDI capabilities but I don't need a lot.
I would like to connect RD-150 or P80 to an arranger keyboard (like korg PA80) and control the chords through it.

Did anybody try MIDI capabilities of RD-150 and/or PA80?

Thanks a lot
Dennis

Denis,
I'm pretty familiar with the midi capabilities of the PA 80 what do you want to know? If I can't help bluezplayer is the most knowledgable on the PA's midi capabilities that I know.

------------------
jam on,
Terry http://imjazzed.homestead.com/Index.html



[This message has been edited by trtjazz (edited 01-30-2003).]

Dennis ,
I would not recommend the RD150 at all . The front keyrail of the RD150 is easily bent and makes the keys stick .

If you play the PA80 in split mode ( with arrangements ) , you'll end up turning the volumne of the P80 off .

How exactly do you plan to use the controller ? Dan

Hello,

I am planning to connect a RD-150 or P80 to my X1 on stage so I can play nice piano while the arranger is providing the backup.
I play some jazz tunes which require piano range and piano action which I can not achieve on 61 synth keyboard.
Therefore, when I play piano I will not have time to change chords on the X1 because I need to keep both hands on RD or P80, and that's why I would like to use left part of the piano as a controler and still keep the piano sounds from the RD150 or P80.

I wish there is X1 with at least 76 keys with hammer action and piano quality of P80, but it looks like I will be dreaming for a long time.


D.

PS
Any other suggestions for the problem ?

Dennis,
One thing I will tell you about the PA 80 and midi, that I hated.....you cannot make your own midi setup and save it, it reverts back to default. So if you want to assign certain channels to control your midi, you will have to do it every time. I complained about that to Korg Italy 2 years ago and they have never had the time nor saw fit to change it and make at least one user midi setup.

------------------
jam on,
Terry
http://imjazzed.homestead.com/Index.html

Hmmm.. There is an easy workaround in the PA80 for the default midi problem though... Just save your preferred midi setup by assigning the midi in / out / filter /etc that you prefer and then store it via the global "write disk in use" function. If I'm correct you can save up to eight setups this way by changing each of the 8 available setups. The downside is that you have to do a save for each individual setup that you want ( up to 8 times ), but it is doable.

I did a little experimenting trying to control the PA80 via the Motif and the PSR2000 before it, and I had some success, but I don't normally control the board that way, and my setups reflect connections to exteral sequencers and sync between the motif, PA80 and my internal ( computer ) sequencers and samplers.


AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 01-31-2003).]

AJ,
As I said, you're more the authority on it...but double check what you're saying would you....as I recall, as soon as you change to one of the other midi setups and come back, it's back to the factory default. Again I could be wrong.....unless something has changed, that's the way I recall it.

I vaguely remember....reboot it would be there, but changing to another setup it was gone....or perhaps even reboot it went back to the factory default.

------------------
jam on,
Terry http://imjazzed.homestead.com/Index.html

[This message has been edited by trtjazz (edited 01-31-2003).]

I double checked.. You're right but I was also half right.. perhaps I shouldn't post so early in the AM when I'm that groggy..lol.. I have a couple of different midi setups made up but I usually only use one. The rest I can load from disk, not by using the internal buttons. The setup I almost always use ( which is for using and exchanging data back and forth from computer sequencer(s) / controllers ) was saved by writing to global with the write to disk function as I described above, and it always comes up that way when I boot the KB on. You CAN save one user setup this way and it will come up each and every time you boot up, but you can not assign user setups to the 8 presets.

Where I was mistaken is that you can't overwrite the factory presets such as master keyboard, accordian etc ) When I press one of the preset internal buttons, ( whether it be the default, master, or other, the factory preset for that function comes up.


I know there was a way to save other setups (like effects / and setups for the VHG1 ) internally, but my mistake about the midi setup.

I've rarely changed my setup for midi since I saved it, but additional global setups can be saved and easily reloaded via disk. ( for example if I wanted a setup specifically aimed at having the Motif as my controlloer..etc )

Sorry for the mixup and thanks Terry for catching that..

AJ

Thank you guys !

DanO,

Could you give us similar inputs regarding MIDI capabilities on Ketron X1 ?

Thanks
Dennis

PS
Regarding RD-150 ...
I am surprised about the key rail. I read many reviews from RD users and never heard about this problem.
Could you give us more details about the problem and how you have found about it.
I have heard that RD-150 has 3 year warranty.
Still, is it enought ?

Denis ..... have you thought of the Korg SP500? It's an 88 key, weighted, arranger/piano and it's pretty good ..... if you don't need a lot of fast change buttons. The arranger section is almost identical to the is35/50 and not too far off of the PA80/60. It's worth a listen - sounds good, feels good, and you can do everything with one keyboard if your needs are simple. If not ..... almost any controller will work well with the PA80 as a slave ... just set the transmit chanel of the controller to trigger the arrangements. It's a snap.