Got the SRX-12 to Replace the GX's Rhodes sounds

[KPro81]

Ok folks I have had my GX for over 2 years now and I tried and tried and tried to create a Rhodes sound that "I" like, when playing live........and I just couldn't. I love the the feel of my GX and expanded it with the SN Piano board and as far as the acoustic piano department is concerned.....I'm pleased! However, I have been unable to tweak the GX's SN electric pianos to the sound that I want. I find the unpleasing SN electric pianos to be even more unpleasing live and just don't inspire me. However, I bit the bullet and bought the older SRX-12 classic Ep board and when combined with the GX's, Guitar Amp simulator and VR-tremelo, I finally have a Rhodes sound from my GX that sounds incredible and plays great! I was very close to selling my GX and getting a Korg SV-1, but I love the action and the SN acoustic pianos on my GX too much. So I spent the couple of hundred to spare the life of my GX and it did!!! In an ideal world I would bring my beloved Rhodes to every gig and have a baby grand as well.......but that ain't happening!

Anybody else consider the alternative that I did?

[LameBrane]

Could you share some of your settings/patches? At the moment i've got a SRX-07 (Ultimate Keys) with one slot free to fill up.

I'm still deciding though whether to buy a SRX-12 (the one you're describing) or the SRX-03 (Studio) or the new Roland GX upgrade board.

Any advice?

[KPro81]

~Could you share some of your settings/patches? At the moment i've got a SRX-07 (Ultimate Keys) with one slot free to fill up.

Well, I'm able to use the Pure EP 2 and run it through the guitar amp simulation of the GX for the MX1. Then I use the VR Tremelo for MX2 so I can switch between having the classic suitcase auto-pan effect on the fly. Believe it or not the guitar amp simulator in the GX is just as tweak-able as the SN electric piano amp simulation. You can adjust the preamp (plus all tone shaping settings as on a real amp) and adjust the type of speaker you want to use. I use that to get the right "vintage" color to go with the very well sampled Pure EP 2 samples of the SRX-12. Then I have the MX2 setting on VR Tremelo and it allows me to activate and deactivate the very authentic auto-pan effect. After all this I just save it as a set-up and there it is!!!


~I'm still deciding though whether to buy a SRX-12 (the one you're describing) or the SRX-03 (Studio) or the new Roland GX upgrade board.

The SRX-12 is strictly classic EP's and the overall sample content is superior to the SuperNatural EPs that are built in to the GX. The GX upgrade board or the RD700GX1 Supernatural Piano upgrade is strictly acoustic pianos and is very authentic! I highly recommend it for shear acoustic piano bliss on your GX.

Hope this helps......BTW the SRX-12 EPs are of a different timbre than that of the SRX-03 Studio or the SRX-07 Ultimate Keys. It's a more recent attempt by Roland to create authentic classic EP's for their keyboards, unlike the previously mentioned boards that are older. Some say the SRX-12 EPs are too bright, but that's why I use the guitar amp simulator from the GX to darken and vintage them up to my tastes. But the character and the playability of the SRX-12 EPs are surprisingly BETTER than the SuperNatural EP's that are built in to the GX. Trust me I've had the GX for over 2 years and kept adjusting and readjusting the SN Eps because every time I played live the sound was just uninspiring and synthetic sounding.....I tried....believe me....but just couldn't make it happen!!! Now I'm happy!!!

[kenchan]

if anyone's interested i have the SRX12 on sale in the market place. :p
http://forums.rolandclan.com/index.php?action=show_thre...

and yes, my alternative to the SRX12 is now my CP1. blows away SRX12, ARX02, NordStageEX (including latest nord samples), SV1... well, for me.

although i too like the SV1's tines sounds.

[delirium]

but CP1 doesn't have tube....

[orangefunk]

Hang about KPro81, weren't you the guy who said he was happy with the SN Rhodes and offered lots of settings here on the forum? ;0)

Well glad you share the common consensus that no amount of tweaking really helps those sounds really...

Anyway, I also have had the SRX-12 for 2 years now and well... its also problematic to me... tone is okay (though short).. however the velocity switching isn't..

I've been playing the SV-1 for about 6 weeks now and it has been wonderful... great rhodes and great pianos... the GX stays at home and the SV-1 is for gigging...

Heres a video of my band jamming with me on the SV-1 rhodes (direct to video cam mic). For record I don't dig the CP-1 rhodes though like the Nord Stage rhodes a lot... so its all still very much a personal experience I find...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqJYYTCMtUI

[orangefunk]

and this shows the acoustic piano sound...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzprkp0Lqzw

The sound this time is direct to the mixer...

[KPro81]

~Hang about KPro81, weren't you the guy who said he was happy with the SN Rhodes and offered lots of settings here on the forum? ;0)

Yeh, orangefunk, ya got me!!! I will take the error like a man though, lol!!! Yeh, I hear ya about the velocity switching of SRX-12, but because the tone is more accurate than what I kept tweaking with SN Ep's, I've been happy on gigs. However, you're right it's definitely not the best. To be perfectly honest with you, Nord has the best, hands down!!! However, there are problems with their acoustic pianos having a strange release effect that sounds muffled or wah wah like, weird. There's always a compromise!

Your SV-1 does sound good and believe it or not I have been reconsidering my initial opinions on it. I've gone back to Sam Ash and really dug in to it, and indeed it is good. However, I still prefer the Nord Eps. Problem is the GX's action is so wonderful, that I would hate to let that go.
I don't know what I should do.

[orangefunk]

haha, good on ya mate

SV-1 is a nice keyboard for gigging with esp in the 73 key version. I actually find having another digital piano sound really nice in the sense that I don't get bored of the RD's sounds so much now... and when I get bored of the Korg I have the RD sound to remind me how good that sound is again... nice to have some variety.

I agree the Nord stuff has something special, but the Korg has its own rawness I find... I haven't used the editor yet... I'm hoping there are some parameters in there for dealing with the tone more...

For the RD700GX It would be interesting if Nord made an Stage EX rack or maybe an Electro 3 rack... but of course there is always the laptop for Scarbee and other rhodes sounds I think...

[kenchan]

the SV1 sounds okay as much as my G8's EP's sound good in a mix. if there was no CP1 i would settle for the SV1 for sure.

when you hear the CP1, StageEx, and SV1 back to back alone the CP1 has the most character and true. closest to the real thing, imho when you consider everything from tone to dynamics. SV1 puts too much emphasis on parts of the tines piano typical folks want to hear....after a while it sounds redundant, fake, boring. it's a great ready to run keyboard though for quick live performances. CP1, you need to have some knowledge in programing a synth to know how to make it sound very nice. if one does not know how to minimize/remove velocity switching on the SRX12, then you may not know how to edit patches effectively.

the nord has given me quite a bit of margin from my G8's stock tines as far as accuracy but it needs one more velocity layer for the hardest hit notes. for the tonal quality the G8 is missing, it gives back by giving more dynamics. with the nord, it's like you get excited thinking you will get one more dynamic layer when you hit the keys hard only to be dissappointed it only gets louder. lol the new bright tines downloads sound okay but not enough dynamics...and their piano's all sound the same with that rediculous key-off resonance.

orangefunk - in your vid, even a casio piano would sound good behind that girl singing! she sounds goood. looks like you are having fun. you are giving too much credit to the SV1 cause it's your band that sounds good in harmony.

[KPro81]

Oh yeah I meant to add that the SN Ep's in the GX will allow you to create a spot on DynoRhodes sound. I still use that when I need to go into Al Jarreau land. I needed the SRX-12 (Pure EP2 with the Guitar Amp Simulator and VR Tremelo) to give me a decent warm vintage suitcase sound. Everything else with the SN Ep's can be tweaked to yield authentic results.

I just wanted to put that in there, so that I'm not totally bashing the SN Ep's or sounding like a hypocrite.

[kenchan]

Yah I understand that and is the same reason why I still have the ARX02 in my G8. It has that tonal character not achievable from the clean stock waveforms.

[orangefunk]

> SV1 puts too much emphasis on parts of the tines piano typical folks want to hear....after a while it sounds redundant, fake, boring


I thought this when I first heard it a year ago.. but a friend informed me that all those fake little noises could be toned down... and I went into the shop and edited them out and then checked it out over the speakers...

I have to say.. over PA speakers and headphones the SV-1 has to be among the best keyboards I've ever used and I've now been playing 25 years and have 14 keyboards here ranging from the RD700GX to 1972 Minimoogs and Arps, Rhodes MkII, Oberheim Matrix 12 et al... the SV-1 ranks high among that lot for me...

[kenchan]

orangefunk- hummm... ok, i'll have to try editing that out next time im at the music shop... first impression is good, then it gets kinda tacky after awhile if you know wat i mean. i think removing 1/2 of the emphasis might be perfect.

25yrs and 14 keyboards. not bad! still have a ways to go though. jk i dont know how many keyboards ive had. a lot. but sold most of them and only have 5 or 6.

[orangefunk]

oh, I've had tons of keyboards... maybe 50 in all that time, JX10, JX8P, Juno 60, Motifs, EX-5, VL-7, etc... it goes on an on...

I meant I have 14 now... and yes I think I am crazy!

The editing of noises on the SV-1 is done by hitting the FUNCTION button and rotating the bass knob to taste... I usually just leave a little in there.

check Page 32
http://www.korg.com/uploads/Support/SV1-100-UserGuide-E...

Btw.. Korg is in the process of creating some new presets over the next 2 weeks... there are apparently some hidden samples inside of the SV-1 ROM...