It does indeed sound nice.
Should have one connected to the back of my Mediastation sometime next week.

I'll post a video when I get it.

Regards
James

Super James,
I cant wait to see that for sure..
If that works out well ...I will look into the MS61 model...the "open concept" is very interesting to me.

Thanx

Donny, if you do get it, call me the following week. We may be able to strike a deal depending on how much you're willing to discount it .

chas

Chas at this point it's only a notion...
I dont even know if its on the market yet?

Do SD2 styles sound just as good on an Audya as thye do on the SD2, or do they require a lot of tweaking?

It will sound exactly like all previous Ketrons SD keyboards. As for the Audya, many of the sounds will be the same, but not all.

It's a module of the SD series keyboards with additional content.



There is very likely no tweaking for all SD series styles, and little tweaking for Audya styles.

Regards
James

There's a demo of the SD2 that I did on the Ketron USA webpage:
http://www.ketronusa.com/sounds.asp?mod=SD2

"Peg"


--Mac

Well done, sounds really great.

Regards
James

nice job Mac!

Was that you playing a lead line over a commercial MIDI file, or did you sequence the whole thing?

"User Submission - by Mac McDonald
Cover song of Steely Dan's "Peg" created with BIAB & SD2"

Nice, Mac. Steely Dan is not the easiest stuff to program.


Good work!


Russ

Curious... I've got an SMF that sounds pretty much identical (except for the lead line) even including the kind of messed up snare fill at the end of the intro...

http://www.mididatabase.com/20091028/pop/steelydan/Peg.mid


[This message has been edited by dralion (edited 04-30-2010).]

So what if its a SMF it sound really good.

That's why...

BIAB can't make anything like this. It is obvious when someone uses an SMF rather than a style generator. It's just appropriate to acknowledge the source, that's all. Didn't say it didn't sound good, ever...

Just posted two demos of the SD2 being driven by the Mediastation.
http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum44/HTML/000027.html

thanks james. Thats actually quite good. i have no complaints about those demos. Well done.

I simply feel that just about any closed arranger can be made to sound at LEAST as good, perhaps better, with an SMF. Yamaha's orchestral voices, I must admit, blow most of this away, and my G70 with the Orchestral SRX board can put this to shame.

Thing is, I'm still confused why anyone with an MS wants an SD2 module... Haven't they been telling us how superior all the VSTi's and GIGA sounds are? Why marry a cheap GM module to an über-keyboard..? Surely it is supposed to sound BETTER than this?

What's next? A Triton module, so you can do Korg styles? A FantomX module so you can do Roland? A MoXS module for Yamaha?

Wasn't the whole POINT about the MS that you didn't NEED these sorts of things?

Hi Diki
1. The SD2 is NOT a cheap GM module.
2. It has one bank of GM sounds (For compatibility with Midi files) the rest are the full Ketron sounds, which are the same as the midrange SD5 keyboard.
3. You can download and load the Ketron Audio Drum loops into it
4. It can be carried around in your pocket
5. The only way to currently get Ketron sounds is to buy a Ketron; there is no Ketron VSTi available.

Bill

But Bill... Why would anyone with an MS need Ketron sounds? Haven't they been saying all along that EVERY sound in a closed arranger can be bettered by a VSTi?

I mean, it's not like those sounds are unique, in any way. Strings, brass, drums, piano... check. VSTi's exist to do them. Synths, organs, woodwinds... check. VSTi's got them, too.

Having been telling us for years that an open arranger OUGHT to sound superior in every way to any closed one, don't you see the absurdity of MIDI'ing a module of a closed arranger to it? So that it can play Ketron styles and sound JUST like a Ketron? Wasn't it supposed to sound BETTER? It's kind of like MIDI'ing a Casio module to a T3... so you can sound like a Casio

Heck, I can MIDI an SD2 to my poor pathetic G70 in that case... If I WANTED to sound like a Ketron, that is! Don't need an MS to do that!

Hi Diki
Why do musicians stick with older synths/samplers when the new ones are better, the reason is because they like the sounds produced by them, and wish to keep them. (Same as a Ketron sound)
It’s purely personal choice, and everyone is different.
Regards

Bill

I don't lug around a Super Canvas for the few sounds from my G1000 that aren't in the G70! When I move on, I move ON...

Let's face it, if you are THAT big a fan of the Ketron sound, you are going to want a REAL Ketron Audya, not the stripped down module of an SD5. Might as well get a V-Machine, and MIDI it to an Audya if you want a few GIGA size RH sounds...

It would be a bloody site faster to get a decent sound together that way, from all I've read and heard!

I personally think all this sound boloney, holds no weight and just egotistical fantasy of many players mostly in their living rooms. What does it all mean?...the bulk of the effort should be put toward better playing first. Older, newer units....it doesn't matter...all useless hype and jibberish rehashed over and over again. All I want is a arranger I love to play and thats it.

You don't, but I wanted one because Live Arranger and it's optimized to run with the SD2 and it goes FAR beyond a typical GM bank.

I happen to think it's a great little module and I have many uses for it that have nothing at all to do with the Mediastation.

It will likely spend more time in the hands of my wife and her Netbook.

James.

PS... for a lazy person like yourself though Diki it's ideal. There's no tweaking on any styles. They run like a dream through Live Arranger and the Mediastation when the SD2 is connected.

[This message has been edited by Irishacts (edited 05-01-2010).]

No it is an overpriced cheap GM module. Cost almost 400 Euro and only has 32 note polyphony. For a little bit more money I can buy a better one the roland Sonic Cell.

You can always buy something better for a little bit more money though

Yes, only 32 notes, but man it handled those two midi files I threw at it with no effort at all and they where by no means basic files. Quite the opposite.

Me.... I'm rightly impressed.

Cheers
James.

[This message has been edited by Irishacts (edited 05-01-2010).]

How does this sound for a cheep GM module ?



You're way off track (again) with your remarks, atleast try and backup your opinion with some reasoning.

This little thing thats used by the pro's (FRanz Lambert for example) has probably the best value for its money in the whole soundmodule market and has hundreds of uses for a little over €300

I really don't care for the Ketron sound. I have said that before. Yamaha, Korg and Roland sound better to me. Sorry

No need to apologise, its what's known as personal benchmarking. Our ears get used to a certain sound and that becomes our measure for everything else regardless of the lack of realism. I have a friend who is a classical Pianist and has a Steinway Grand Piano at home. If I want to know if a Piano is good or not I ask his oppinion. I spend so much time around Yamaha Clavinovas and the like that they have become my benchmark. I am always glad to hear him play to remind me how a Piano really sounds.

I am also noticing something pretty startling, some of the young musicians I know are beginning to favour higher frequency sound and have their amps set up that way prefering way too much top and lower the mid and bass but then add the bass via a boost to give the thump, but without clarity. I am certain its because they listen to most of their music on mp3 players and and phones through the built in speakers or with little earphones.

Yes I said that a few days ago. If you really want to sound like the real thing buy and play the real thing. Even the best sample doesn't come close to the real thing IMHO.

[This message has been edited by FransN (edited 05-01-2010).]

I agree 100%, although its not always possible to have a drummer and percussionist, a couple of guitarists and a bass player all together at once...and thats the holy grail for an arranger keyboardist, it is for me anyway - to have something that sounds and feels as close as possible is the next best thing.

Yes and thats why I choose a Korg arranger. With very realistic arranger parts and as solo sounds I use most of the time synth sounds no real instrument sounds.