rd-700sx or promega 3?

[drossfile]

so i've auditioned some pianos, and the rd-700sx is the best i've found for both sound and feel. the fantom x8 has way too many features that i don't need to justify the extra $1000. all i'm looking for is real piano feel and sound, and some decent strings for accents.

the problem is, the promega 3 looks marvelous on paper and the demo samples are excellent, the only question is the action, and no one even sells, much less stocks the damn thing.

is there any consensus as to which is better? if the gem is the victor, where can i demo and/or buy one???

and i'm not interested in the controller/module combo, no matter how practical some may find it. i want to put all my eggs in one basket, common sense be damned! weight is not an issue, as this will be strictly for the studio and will never leave my basement. reliability is, of course, another factor.

thanks!

[drossfile]

hmm, no replies. does this indicate that no one has ever laid hands on the promega 3 either, or is it just too pedestrian to acknowledge? either way, i just bumped this bitch.

[SonicAlbert]

I've never seen or heard a promega3. Best when buying a piano synth to go with what you can try out and hear. Touch and response is so important, I wouldn't really want to take a chance on that.

The RD 700SX is a good board, I've used it. The promega3 looks considerably bulkier, something that would give me pause right there.

[drossfile]

Originally Posted by SonicAlbert

I've never seen or heard a promega3. Best when buying a piano synth to go with what you can try out and hear. Touch and response is so important, I wouldn't really want to take a chance on that.

The RD 700SX is a good board, I've used it. The promega3 looks considerably bulkier, something that would give me pause right there.

yes, that's exactly why i'm holding off on the purchase. if i can get my hands on one of these things (literally), i'd like to play it before i make my decision. if i can't play one, there's no way i'll buy it sight unseen. the roland will win by default.

the bulk really doesn't bother me, so the question is which one is actually better? the DRAKE technology is pretty impressive (on paper and in samples anyway), and one of the criticisms i heard about the roland board is that the looped samples are a bit obvious. could just be someone being too picky, but the drake should eliminate that problem either way.

i found a place online that is supposedly a dealer (about a 3 hour drive though), so i'll call and see if they stock it.

thanks for the response!

[SonicAlbert]

When I lived in Illinois I frequently would drive an hour and a half or so to my favorite dealer, to try out gear. It was always worth the trouble.

I like the Roland and would probably go for that, but you are right to try it out before buying. It's a personal thing. If the dealer has it, you should also try out the Yamaha S90ES. One reason I like the Roland though is that it has two expansion slots for their SRX boards, a very useful feature if you will ever need other sounds beside piano.

As far as the DRAKE technology, I don't know anything about it. But I do know that it's a bad idea to make a purchase decision based solely on advertising or reviews.

Good luck!

[drossfile]

well, i contacted general music for information on a dealer where i could buy the promega 3, and they wrote back and said the 3 is no longer available, only the 2. so, this is all a wash anyway, and it looks like the roland board is a winner! i will try out the s90es first, though--i tried several yammies but not that one. thanks for the input, sonic albert!