From goff747@aol.com Mon Jan 03 16:21:21 2005
Subject:Re: OT? speaking of "feel"


In a message dated 1/4/05 3:27:10 AM, jake92028@yahoo.com writes:

<< Thanks for the info, long post was fine. What are you using for an

organ controller on top? How do you like the silver model compared to

the black? The black keyboard's pictures look nice with the red

stripe behind the keys, but I can't tell from online pictures about

the silver - spectactular >grin< or what? Walter j

>>

Well, my controller is unexpectedly a Kawai Spectra running a Roland VK8M
because I had the Kawai for some years as a synth. I am looking for an
alternative waterfall keyboard. The only thing available is the Doepfer but not having
tried the keys themselves is a deal breaker. If Hammond-Suz follows through
with the add-on to the XK3 and makes that a universal controller I might get that
but then again I was not enthusiastic about the XK3's keybed feel. I figured
if I can't pin down the organ controller, I could at least get the piano
down. The silver was all I saw in Japan and perhaps I might've chosen a black one
had I seen it. If anything it will look like a Motif in silver. On a well lit
stage the silver can be a plus changing color with the lighting.

My priority was to get the best feeling keybed and even if I had to
transplant the bed to some other case and reconfigure better line outs or MIDI I was
willing to reverse engineer as long as I had the great feeling 88-key piano
board. Both the silver and black have the red felt as do all the Yamaha pianos. I
like the fact that there are only two buttons and a volume slider to the far
left of the P60 so the organ controller is not sitting on any buttons. The
P60's params are triggered off the keys themselves. Perhaps this is the way Yamaha
was able to bring the cost down. Why add more things to press when the there
are 88 keys to use? By pressing one of the two buttons and then certain keys
for things like transposition, tuning, reverb type and depth for the voices and
certain MIDI: transmit/receive, local on/off, program, note and control
change on/off. Sysex params are available. The P60 can be connected to a CPU via
MIDI. The ergonomics are great for what I want. I don't like having stands that
I have to stand at and reach.

The way I have my setup, the organ controller and the P60 are like a B3 in
their spacing of the boards and I sit at it using an adjustable Yamaha table
stand and a Roc-n-soc stool. One flows into the other. The Roland VK8M sits on
top of the Kawai Spectra off a Ludwig cymbal stand and a special wood pallet
attached to a Pearl cymbal holder. I don't really expect to make the P60 a jack
of all trades as far a controller. I use it mainly for piano, Roades and
Wurlitzer, although it has built-in organ which is not Hammond like at all, strings,
vibes, harpsichord and can get two voices going at once by using the voice
button and touching one key after the other to choose your main instrument. One
of the electric piano sounds has an unusual metallic tines sound when struck
hard which I've not heard before on any other module or keyboard. I don't know
if the other Yamahas have it.

At present I use an Alesis Nano Piano, a Kurzweil Micropiano, a Motif rack.
As I mentioned I'm planning on getting a velocity converter to augment the
sound modules. The sustain pedal circuit features a half pedal effect if you use
an FC3 pedal and not the on off switch type that comes with the P60.

Apologies for the long post.