Typical response from Fran, but you wont get rid of me from SZ that easy now I'm back lol.
I don't have to spend that long on any keyboard Fran to realise what I like and what I don't like. I don't go swapping keyboards left right and centre either. The PA800 I didn't like but the E80 if I didn't have the T2 I probably would have kept it.
As for the Wersi, that came faulty so it HAD to go back. The only reason for the new Kawai digital piano is so I can give lessons on it. I was intending to use the Wersi for this before it died on me

As with any keyboard you can edit them to your hearts content and put your own stamp into it, but in order to do this you have to like the sounds and styles that are in the machine in the first place. You have to have a good set of starting material.
Unfortunately for me, I wasn't impressed with the E80's dry internal sounds. Fair enough it is easy to add reverb and sustain etc but most of the sounds just didn't meet my expectations. I loved the styles which are very live, but the sounds to my ears were no way near the quality of the T2's (or even my old SD1 for that matter which I part exchanged for the E80).
It is each to their own. You love your Roland, you praise it every 5 minutes on here and I can't fault you for that. I love my Yamaha, but until the T2 I hadn't liked any previous Yamaha since the old V50. I was always a Roland person until the VA7 came out - aint life simple.

I also disagree with some of your opinions Fran but that's life. It would be a sad old world if eveyone agreed with each other, then again for Synthzone it would be good as there would be no bickering or mini wars on here anymore

Hi Diki I have heard the E80 styles on the G70 and they definitely sound good
I am certainly not knocking the E80 as you can see in my review above. It IS a good machine and for those who like what they hear from it they will get hours of satisfaction from it.

Craig and Diki, My response was to the last quote from Craig, prior to my post..nothing to do with is review..


"You can keep your Rolands, Korgs, Ketrons etc, I've found what satisfies me at long last "

Well, Fran you can hardly blame Craig for stating the EXACT same thing you say about your G1000!

Craig, do you find that MOST arrangers are a bit to 'dry' for you, or is it just the E80? I had exactly the opposite experience when I first got my G70, way too much reverb... What's with that European (not English!) fetish for sounding like you are in a huge ballroom..??!!

One thing I am very careful about is to not voice the arranger for what would seem to be the correct amount of reverb when you listen to it at home. Once you gig out, you have to factor in the sound of the room you play in, also. If it sounds perfect at home, or in the studio (small, dry rooms, and you sitting VERY close), it's generally going to sound TOO ambient once you play in a decent sized room.

Just my opinion, though, but next time you are in a medium to large-ish room, put on an SMF and walk to the back of the room. Unless you are VERY loud, it will sound a lot more spacious back there.

Hi Diki.

The G70 going quite a while back, I also found had far too much reverb, but it was the first version of the operating system when I had one and that problem is well in the past now with the G70's.

It's only been the PA800 and E80 that I found the sounds were really dry.
I do see where you are coming from with different sized rooms and I've always used an automated mixing desk when I go out. I have many different settings stored in here so I can just call up different ones depending on the size of the venue I am in -very handy.
I do like to set up an arranger in the home for which I either link to my PC's sound card and come out into Logitech 5500's or I also have a pair of Mackie SRM450's set up in my home studio which I use.

Maybe Fran is right and my ears have just got accustomed to the T2's CD quality squeaky clean sound in my old age lol

[This message has been edited by Craig_UK (edited 05-17-2007).]

Hi Craig_Uk , and others , I think all the latest keyboards are fantastic (atleast when you compare them to the weasy thin sounds of 70s farfisa organs!) . It's amazing how far sampling technology has come (would never have thought it possible 20 years ago). The "sales cycle" of new keyboards seems to be in sync with all the main manufacturers , i think the maker to bring out the next generation flapship model will undoubtedly reap the benefits of eager consumers who are anticipating the next big thing. My wish list - is a keyboard with 76 keys like my current roland , with SA voices (though the ROland guitars etc are good SA are perhaps a little better), and ditch the vocal thingy altogether - or atleast provide it as an optional extra for those who use it for gigging - i'm sure 95% of us home players never even plug the mike in ! - i have an extremely disagreeable singing voice , so have never used it - apart from 5 minutes trying out the novelty dog and robot setting . Sampling and AKAI imports and a good interactive web site interface (with pref tons of free online styles - like yamaha were supposed to being doing - but they are not free as far as i can see). Perhaps more instruments especially organs including complete theatre organs presets would be useful in the next keyboards - it's time they included a complete set of theatre organ presets to compete with the miditzer / haupwerk software organs . Also a dual manual version like the Yamaha D-Deck would be great (shame the D Deck has never made it to the UK shores).

Hi Tony.
The D deck is supposed to be being released here in the UK according to the grapevine, but no one's mentioned anything about this yet.
Total Transformation Technology have just released a CD (or USB stick) with Theatre sounds on for the T2 from the likes of the famous Blackpool Wurlitzer etc so things are getting there slow but sure.

Hi Craig
The general indications were that the D Deck would be shown at Blackpool; however this was not the case, so it looks as if the D Deck will not be available in Europe, (The surprise that was mentioned in the Keyboard Cavalcade magazine, turned out to be the S900)
Total Transformation Technologies withdrew their Blackpool Tower samples after the Pakefield Festival last year due to legal reasons (Wersi own the sole rites to all the Blackpool Tower Wurlitzer samples)
Total Transformation were at Blackpool with other samples, (Including those for the Tyros 2) however although there were more of them, they lagged behind the Wersi Theatre Option Pack in quality.
I will be posting a full report on the Organ side of the Blackpool festival on Organfax and/or Jazz Hooves, when I have the time.
Enjoy whatever you play

Bill


[This message has been edited by abacus (edited 05-19-2007).]

Hi Bill.

Karl Peacock has posted a few demos of the Theatre T2 Organ sounds since he has already got these. I'm not impressed to be honest by the sampled sounds, although it is hard to judge by online MP3's.
As you'll agree, they don't seem to be a patch on the Wersi theatre organ sounds but it's a nice addition since Yamaha do not release any new samples for the T2 themselves.

Craig,



On the Pa800, you can set the reverb as a global offset. This way, you can adapt it to any room.

Best regards,
Paolo

Yes, the D-Deck is in England. I have one. See www.mickreevesmodels.co.uk
Mick 01 354 653063