Chas, I think the VP550 might be a useful tool as a second keyboard. Besides the vocal processing, does it have other sounds. Or can you midi it up to a Sonic Cell or Sound Canvas?

I use a Tyros 1 and a Ketron Midjay which weighs only 7 lbs. The Midjay takes the place of a laptop for me. It has all the MP3, Wav, and midi files. It also has great styles, and it will record the job as well. I don't use it on the really small jobs.

Ciao,

Joe

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

Cass, it has a great Scat voice called Jazz Scat, and a couple of choir/chorus voices and s couple of Strings. It's probably a worse midi controller than the C1, though, so it's probably only good if you plan to use it as a stand-alone unit. It's compact, at 49 keys, but heavy as h---, like most Roland products. It's like someone put a G70 in a trash compactor; smaller but still weighs the same .

It does work very well when it is the unit being controlled. I've used one of the PA1xPro parts to control it but you need to keep your concentration. BUTTTTT, if you've got some cash burning a hole in your pocket and want to seperate yourself from the herd, this is the way to go, plus, the fun factor is off the charts.

If you really want one, rather than pay top dollar, I'll try to sell mine to Donny, who will in turn sell it to Zuki who will then part with it for a song (or use it as a down payment for a used GEM).



chas

Chas - don't kick me while I'm down. Amusing, but not funny.

Sorry Zuki, no malice intended. I know how traumatic it can be having all those keyboards forced on you at gunpoint. Uh, can I just apoligize in advance for this post?

Hey, lighten up Bro, it's just money. And at 50 gigs a month, that shouldn't be a problem, right?

Hey Zuki, I'm feeling especially bored tonight 'cause there's nothing on TV tonight but the Oscars and I haven't seen any of the movies. Forgive me.

chas

Chas,

No apology necessary. I'm just ticked off at myself and blaming everyone else. It'll all work out, but that was the LAST TIME I will buy a keyboard, sight unseen. No way - learned my lesson the expensive way.

From now on, I buy only with a 30 day return policy, even if retail. I'd rather relinquish the "goat' role to others.

zuki

Zuki, believe me, I understand. I have at least 2-3 cases of buyer's remorse per month. It's endemic among musicians and gadget freaks. Luckily, it only lasts until the next purchase .

chas

Cgiles, I watched a basketball game and part of a golf tournament. Kept falling asleep, but still better than watching the Oscars.
Zuki, for quite some time I used arrangers as the "top" keyboard and a DX7, later other synths on bottom. In addition I was midied out to drum machine, piano module and tone module.
I used a midi foot controller to change patches on a pitch shifter for vocal harmony. Thousands of dollars invested. Now it's all included in the arranger. PSR900 has all that for maybe 1/5th the price, and 1/10th the weight.
If you like the sound of the Yamaha drums and bass, and can live with the vocal harmonizer, it's very simple--it's all in the S900!
BTW, I have one for sale. Sorry, couldn't resist.
DonM

I use a Tammie DGX-500 as a controller and a Pa1x-Pro as the slave. I get an 88-key Pa1x that way. I also like the grand piano on the Yammie FAR better than the pa1x -

I'm working on a PC that will be for music only, and I'll run in on stage using my new Yammie YPG-625 as a contoller and so I'll have 3 kb's on stage as well as a PC. I'm deciding whether to go with all software synths for the PC or running a Korg M3 module.

Anyway, I've always run multiple kbd's anyway, and for my job, I never know what I'll need to play. The sounds/ styles could need to be changed on the fly, even make up new stuff on the spot.

jeff

Don, I played with a 3000 and for the last year, since introduced, have used the 900 only. So, I know about it. The drums could be better, as the harmonizer, but I can live with them and appreciate everything else offered. I want the T2 next and will keep the 900 in the studio.

This whole mess started when I unloaded one of my 900s for Donny's 800. It got worse from there and now I'm going full circle.

If you want (2) SD-5s, maybe we could work something out?

zuki