From k2mojo@groovedaddies.com Mon Oct 07 11:39:22 2002
Subject:"Where are the wheels"? and other gripes

Just curious to see if anybody else finds this as irritating as I do. On
both the Electro and the CX-3 there are no pitch bend/modulation wheels (or
ribbons), nor any way to easily add them that I can see, so if I want to use
the Electro or CX-3 to also control synth sounds from an external module,
you still can't pitch bend. I understand the primary function of the
Electro & CX-3 is to emulate the electro-mechanical keyboards of our youth,
but if they're going to bother adding MIDI capabilities, why not just make
it flexible enough to use the standard features any external sound module
would have - it would certainly make it more valuable as a controller.

I tell you, an 88-note, organ-weighted or semi-weighted keyboard controller
with both pitch bend/modulation wheels AND drawbars would rule. Throw in a
bank of easy-to-reach User Preset Buttons, 4 or 5 assignable real-time
control knobs, a decent display screen that you can read in very low light
at any angle, Aftertouch, Velocity sensitive, a couple MIDI outs, balanced
line outputs, drink holder (on the LH side, of course) and keep the total
weight down to 25 lbs. and I'll be first in line to buy one. With so many
sound modules available and laptop softsynths coming into their own, why
can't somebody make a keyboard controller that truly does it all? Am I
going to have to build one myself? In my spare time? And what color would
I make it?

FWIW, I recently picked up a Roland RS-9, which is the lightest action on an
88-note keyboard I could find anywhere. Roland says it's semi-weighted, but
I say it's non-weighted, yet with piano type keys. Took a little getting
used to, but as I play it more I'm finding that for me it's a good
compromise of all the various actions and key types available. There are
some good performance features on it too, like four assignable real-time
knobs and a dedicated "Piano" button that always takes you back to default
Piano 001, which is kind of handy when you're panicking (although it would
be even more handy if you could program it for ANY piano patch you want).
Best of all, it's only 24 lbs. and while it may not be red, it's still
rather sharp looking. I'm less that overwhelmed with the onboard sounds,
but I mainly bought it to use as a controller for a Kurzweil PC2R. I'd be
curious to try it with an Electro Rack or N.I. B4 (or a CX-3 Rack, just as
soon as they come out).

OK, enough griping from me - time to go practice.

Ed Fliege
k2mojo@groovedaddies.com
www.groovedaddies.com

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