Hi all,

I'm gonna purchase a keyboard cost under $1000 CAD. which one is better (performance/on stage)? any idea?

Thanks,

Alphonse

Don't know the RS-5. Is that a new board?

I like my X5D, but the keyboard feel is raunchy. To be expected in a cheapy synth, but it's my only real complaint about it.

Under 10lbs. total weight! A definite winner of the in-n-out gig award.

Good organs, strings, woodwinds, some good
analogish pads, and nice newage presets.
Collection of a few greatest hits type sounds from the M1 and 01/W are also in the factory ROM.

#76 - Rock Show combination preset is a kick, complete with crowd noise on the C1 and Db1 keys.

Programming from the front panel is a pain, but do-able, and there's a pc editor available.
Just like the M1, 01/W, you/ve got your 8 slots in combi-mode to fill up with whatever splits, layers, stacks you want to try. 64 voice polyphony is a big plus over the older X5.

Factory presets are mainly for demoing the instruments capabilities, although there are quite a few usable sounds OOB.

The onboard "Around the World" factory demo song, by Stephen Kay, is hysterical.

Lots of sites with sounds for the X5D.

KorgyPark is probably the best. http://cc.joensuu.fi/~jsimonen/korgypark.html

- tommyde ~

I like my X5DR. Isn't the X5D around $600?

I still see the X5D in the stores for $600. The X5DR is in the blowout channel for around $325 - $350.

Discovered the new Roland RS-5, as the store was closing, so only had a minute to run through a few presets.
It has some new twists for a $700 board, in the form of a handful of knobs on the panel, for live sound twisting. The few presets I chanced on sounded big, but will give it a full headphone test later. Nice brushed aluminum panel - the new boards are looking better than ever.
Seems like it may be a replacement for the low-end XP board.
Anyway, it's something new to play with til the KARMA shows up.

tommyde

That new Roland is running for something like $650US. I would say go with that unit over the Korg X5 series boards. The keys cant feel any worse than the X5 which are very poor and there is no aftertouch either on the X5. The Roland pitch bender is a X,Y stick vs the oddly placed 2 wheels on the X5. The other nice thing about the Roland is it supports JV expansion boards and the piano tone will almost always be better on a Roland. You could always get yourself a used X5DR for $300US later on down the road to add the better organ and lead tones.

My X5 has been a work horse for me never hand any problems with it but the same is true to my Roland JV. The X5 is really light but that is also a down side when you play hard or do a glissando and your whole keyboard flies off the stand.

Thanks for all responses,

Finally, I bought the Roland RS-5. The sounds are great and the coolest thing the realtime knobs.

Alphonse