From thomaspetter@comhem.se Fri Sep 07 21:20:11 2012
Subject:Re: Anybody have any experience with a Korg sv1?

For your information. Clavia who makes the Nord keyboards is a Swedish company.

From: B Carr
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2012 4:27 AM
To: Clonewheel Group
Subject: RE: [CWSG] Anybody have any experience with a Korg sv1?



"Anybody have any experience with a Korg sv1?" > Steve

I own an SV-1 73 myself. I've been told it's color matches the color of my neck, but we'll save that for another day.

The SV-1's got some great vintage EPs, clavs, etc., and even somewhat useable strings and brass in a pinch. The SV-1's APs, to my ear, lack the depth of those available from Nord's sound library. But there's still some great sounds inside. The tube thingy on the front is a little gimmicky and easily overdone, but it can add warmth to certain patches if used judiciously.

Some say the real bugaboo on the board seems to be the RH3 action, a new and improved version of which is used on the Kronos. Spend any time over on the Korg Forum and you'd think that the RH3 on every SV-1 ever sold was about to explode into a million pieces, taking down western civilization with it. That just doesn't seem to be the case. My only trouble with the action came when it was originally shipped to me. A couple keys were locked/frozen/unplayable. The consensus on the forum was to carefully yet firmly bang the keys face first on a carpeted surface. I was scared $h!+less that I was gonna trash my brand new keyboard. But voila, it worked! The blocks clunked into place and I've never had a problem since.

Every now and then I'm tempted to sell the SV-1 and get a Nord Electro 3 73HP myself. But those things don't come cheap. The SV-1 presents an excellent value to me. It offers quality sounds with limited "customization" available for download using a computer.

My main criticism of the SV-1 is the way Korg corporate has seemingly turned it's collective back on what was a really cool concept. It's been a long time since Korg added any new soundsets and longer still since they updated the operating system. I've heard the SV-1 is a bear to use as a MIDI controller, so be warned. The word is, the SV-1 has been a sales disappointment for Korg, thus the red-haired stepchild support system.

My suggestion is to buy an SV-1 from Sweetwater or the equivalent and try it out. If it doesn't blow your kilt up, send it back, along with a boatload more cash, and get a Nord. Just cause you get a Nord, assuming you go that direction, doesn't mean the E3HP would be a redundant gear purchase if you keep your CX-3. There's plenty more than just the organ to love about the E3. Odds are the E3HP, without waterfall keys, would be played differently than your CX-3 anyway and would play a different role in your rig. The SV-1 also has some "organs" on it, so it's possible to say the same thing about the Korg. But that would really be a stretch. I've never heard of anyone buying an SV-1 for the organ sounds. Same goes for the E3.

To me, the Nord sound library is soooo compelling. It's the real reason to go Nord. Every time I nose around the Nord website and give those Mellotron patches a listen, I want to put my Gold Card to work to do my part to help reignite the stalled economy. Keep them Finns working, I always say. Or Norwegians...I forget. Wherever the things come from.

Good luck!
BC

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