Newbie Question about Module / Controller / Midi

[clspruiell]

Hey guys I got my RD700GX for home use and love it (really need SN and cannot find but I'll deal with that later).. Anyway, I hear a lot about yall using these boards as a "module" "controller" or doing something with midi.

Can someone, in an elementary way, explain what that means? When you use this as a module, what does that mean? Why would you do that? What's it mean to use this as a controller? Why do you care for midi inputs?

Hope this isnt too annoying but thanks anyway!

[torhus]

Using it as a module basically means playing the sounds through MIDI instead of the keyboard. If you have a MIDI file on your PC you can play it back using the sounds of the RD. You would normally use an USB cable to connect the RD to the computer. You could also control it through another keyboard.

If you use the RD to play sounds that are on your computer or on another keyboard, you are using the RD as a controller. One typical example is when you use a software piano running on your PC instead of the built-in piano sound in the board.

[clspruiell]

Interesting.. Thanks for the response. Well I'm looking for an SN upgrade. Is there a good piano sound software package that I should just buy on my computer?

So usb out from keyboard to computer, then headphone jack from laptop to amp?

[torhus]

I using a software piano called Galaxy Vintage D, which I'm very happy with. There are others, of varying price and quality.

So usb out from keyboard to computer, then headphone jack from laptop to amp?

That's right.

[clspruiell]

Ok so cool.. So I know this is totally opinion based but would you say the Galaxy Vintage D piano sounds are better than stock RD700Gx?

[torhus]

I've never played a GX, but I own an NX. Vintage D sounds better than anything the NX can do. You can go to try-sound.com and book a session for trying Vintage D or another software piano by remote control, so to speak.

There's also Pianoteq, which has a demo version you can download. But I'm not a fan of that.