Hi Jim, the Kawai es920 and the sx900 worked well together. I was literally only using the es920 as a controller ie like having an sx900 with 88 keys. Wasn’t using any of the es920:voices. Quite a simple setup.

PA5x as controller for sx900 is proving to be a bit more challenging. Haha . I want to be able to use some of those great pax5 sounds for melody. Just have to get the old brain functioning again and work out the required midi settings. Life wasn’t meant to be easy. Haha

I think the only second board I’d consider at the moment would be a Roli Seabord type MPE controller. There are some things you can do with those that simply can’t be done on a conventional keyboard. Trouble is, I’m a ‘try before you buy’ kind of guy, and finding one round here is next to impossible.

Plus, at $1400 for a 49 note it’s not exactly an impulse buy! I know Marco Parisi is a very special player, and expecting results just like him is a bit optimistic, but the realism he coaxes from the Roli is a generational leap over conventional keyboards. At least the upside to a Roli as lead keyboard is that it’s ultra low profile, so it might be doable to have it stacked without completely obscuring me. But as a lead keyboard it might be better on my right anyway…

Anyone here spent any significant time on a Roli?

https://youtu.be/2fQbtp2BgY4

https://youtu.be/krlQIHD1YmE

https://youtu.be/mLc-Dk6LbEA

Heady stuff! 🎹🤯

Marco Parisi - Cory Henry here:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3rUmEbYTx8


Talk about geniuses in the keyboard world. It is not what they play that amazes me, but HOW THE COMMUNICATE what they play, that leads to these results. Some folks are just "born to play" and it is hard/rare to find such matching talent.

Wow!!!

I agree. But it’s amazing that this new type of keyboard allows them to be so much expressive than they could before.

The tyranny of fixed intonation from the standard keyboard has always made it a challenge to imitate instruments that have always had a more flexible approach to intonation. Of course the great players are going to coax more out of it than the rest of us, but almost any of us should be able to get at least a BIT more expression with these things. MPE is definitely a giant leap forward compared to where MIDI has been since the 80’s!

Results from the Roli seem very mixed if you listen to YouTube demos. Some players definitely ‘get it’, and some players should never touch one again! I just would like the opportunity to find out which group I’m in without blowing $1400! 😂🎹

AJ and Diki, if I were in the audience, after about 10 seconds of that production I would be headed out the door. To me, it was not entertaining at all, but what the Hell, I'm an old fart and damned glad to have made it this far. Tonight, I'm working on "I Believe In Miracles" by Hot Chocolate. Another couple days and I think I will have it down and be able to record it. Yeah, I know, it's not an old peoples song, but what the Hell, in my mind I'm still 17 years old and looking for hot gals of the same age. When I record "I Believe In Miracles" it will be recorded directly on my aging S-950, no edits other than to convert it to an MP3 for posting.

All the best,

Gary

Atta boy Gary !

We old farts never quit.

Every group needs a Gary; he brings reality into a group.

Aging, old keyboard, not much fussing, and he keeps it simple.
In short; he is enjoying what he has, and what he can do. NICE.

John C.

Thank you guys. I was afraid to say anything about how bad that was to my old ears. I would have been ahead of Gary on getting out the door.
MEL

Gary, I look forward to hearing some of your renditions. Sounds like you have some energy again (super good news). Bring them on!

Jim

l am so glad you guys have posted. l listened to it just after it was posted and thought !"£$@^*@"$% l think you get the drift. l thought l should keep quiet thinking this is the new in thing. So glad it's not just me

Russ