first time keyboard buy

H

Havoc

New member
I need a keyboard that will be used mostly for midi to the pc. But I want to use it also as a piano, so that if the pc idea does not work, I can still use it just to play music by itself. It needs to be transportable and have a good, realistic keyboard (quite picky about that last one). Don't need fancy programming or loads of sounds, better a few good ones.

The one I found so far is the generalmidi pro1/pro2. This looks like the thing. Only snag is that nowhere around they have one to test. So I turn for second best: you out there. Has anyone such a keyboard and if yes, what do you think about it? Recomendable? Better sugestions welcome (please keep in the same price range).
 
Havoc said:
I need a keyboard that will be used mostly for midi to the pc. But I want to use it also as a piano, so that if the pc idea does not work, I can still use it just to play music by itself. It needs to be transportable and have a good, realistic keyboard (quite picky about that last one). Don't need fancy programming or loads of sounds, better a few good ones.

The one I found so far is the generalmidi pro1/pro2. This looks like the thing. Only snag is that nowhere around they have one to test. So I turn for second best: you out there. Has anyone such a keyboard and if yes, what do you think about it? Recomendable? Better sugestions welcome (please keep in the same price range).
Click to expand...

You mean the General Music Pro1/Pro2, I believe, and I can give and enthusiastic Hell yeah on these boards. Without a doubt the best Piano, Rhodes, and Wurly available short of the real thing. You wont be sorry. Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman both use a general instruments piano(IIRC Rick uses the pro mega). THERE IS NOT A BETTER PIANO OUT THERE PERIOD. I got lucky and there was a Mars here that had one demo of the real piano pro, and I got to compare it to a kurzwiel, a roland, and and a couple of others, and it kicked the shit out of them hands down...and I am picky about my piano sounds.

The virtual strings evan resonate in sympathetic vibration from other notes played..

You can hold down a low G, for instance, let it decay all the way out, and while still holding it down strike a G higher up on the board and release it, and the low G your holding will sound from the sympathetic vibration. If you hold down the sustain pedel and play on the upper end of the board, you can faintly hear the lower strings sound just like on a real piano.

The rhodes, wurly, and clav sounds are kick ass as well, and the strings are quite usable. I wish I had got the PRO2, I hear it has a better hammond sound, but the bucks just werent there at the time.
 
Sorry Bdgr, I have to disagree with you on the GM boards.

The Kurzweil is as close as you will get to a Steinway without actually lugging one around from gig to gig.

Steinway and Kurzweil have been cooperating for quite some time on the Kurz keyboards samples. You owe it to yourself to hear both and compare. I did. I've been playing Steinway pianos for the last 12 years and there is was no comparison for me.

The Kurzweil was the "clear" winner.

Now, if'n ya don't like Steinway pianos, yer jes sick I tell ya, sick!:D
 
Sennheiser said:
Sorry Bdgr, I have to disagree with you on the GM boards.

The Kurzweil is as close as you will get to a Steinway without actually lugging one around from gig to gig.

Steinway and Kurzweil have been cooperating for quite some time on the Kurz keyboards samples. You owe it to yourself to hear both and compare. I did. I've been playing Steinway pianos for the last 12 years and there is was no comparison for me.

The Kurzweil was the "clear" winner.

Now, if'n ya don't like Steinway pianos, yer jes sick I tell ya, sick!:D
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I love Stienways....I grew up with a Stienway in my living room as a child.

I compared them both back to back at the music store, through the same mixer and same speaks,
They had them run through the same setup, on the same stand, and I would play one, then the other. The GM just flat out sounded more real.

and I compare them every week at church,...Our church band has two keyboard players, and our other keyboard player plays a kurzwiel. I have played his before and he has played mine, again through the same PA, and mines better, even he thinks so.


I love kurzwiel, and it does sound good, but the General Music kicks its ass. If the Kurzwiel is a sample, that explains it. The general music is a modeled instrument, and thats how they get the sympathetic string vibrations. Either the kurzwiel doesnt do them, or it doesnt do them well. I can hear the differance on my GM.

IF YOU NOTICE. Keith Emerson chose the GM over the Kurz because he said it had a more realistic piano sound. Rick wakeman said pretty much the same thing in an interview. I think those guys have played a stienway or two in thier lives.

I have played every concievable paino over the years, my mom was a graduate school music theory proffessor, and I got to hang out at her work growing up. Over the past 20 years or so I have seen every evolution of the stage piano, from my old Helpinstill to the First Kurzwiels and roland RD300's to what we have now. The GM is the state of the art right now. I only wish I could afford the Pro Mega....That looks like a really cool axe....
http://www.generalmusic.com/eng/news/news_wakeman_promega.htm

http://gem.generalmusic.com/en/products/pro/promega3.html

This one is gonna put everything to shame.....
 
Well Bdgr, I can't argue those points you've made. You have as much experience with Steinway as I have.

I guess it's all in the perceived sound. May have a lot to do with the room it's in and how the instrument has been regulated too.
As well as instrument size.

You really couldn't go wrong with either one. I read good reviews of the GM and the Kurz and the Roland. I almost bought the Roland sound unheard. I'm glad I demo'd them all. The action on the Roland was way too stiff and mushy.

I found the GM a very nice player with good bass and mids, but a little harsh above C5. The Kurz was consistant all the way up and down the keyboard. I too played all three from the same console and amp at the store.

I guess it's an "ear" thing. ;)
 
It sounds like the GM is kind of a step ahead of the kurz. It takes a combination of the best piano sounds, and adds reality to the sound with "modeling synthesis".
I could care less about how a piano sounds to tell you the truth. I've got a k2500s and the piano sounds will give you goose bumps if you play it right. But I think as far as emulating a real piano that things pretty close to top of the line. How much is it? I have a feeling it's a helluva lot more than a kurz...
The redeemable feature of a kurz though is that it does at least get close to that sound and the feel of the keys is top notch, and making a piano sound is about .05% of what it does. The GM will probably win with the most discerning ear when it comes to a TRUE piano sound, but shouldn't it? That's all it does, right? A k2xx is the whole orchestra...
I would say if you want a 50 lb piano get it. If you think you might want to ever incorporate any of the vast array (forgive the pun) of instruments and abilities a workstation has to offer, look at the kurz. You wouldn't be giving up "that" much on the sound, and probably nothing on the feel, I think... But I know how you "piano" guys are.:rolleyes: :p
 
Thanks, could you guys just slap some type numbers on the kurz/roland, just for having an idea what to compare. I got already the k2500 from subtractor.

So it looks like a good start.
 
Well, directly i can go up to 1000-1500 euro, but there is no real hurry, so it may go up a bit. That korg looks nice, but i would like a full 88 key.

Came also up against the Kawai MP9000 (now MP9500), looks also impressive but heavy at 34kg. Also took a look at the Korg sp500. I really need a shop having some of those the test them.
 
subtractor said:
How much is it? I have a feeling it's a helluva lot more than a kurz...
Click to expand...

Actually, the General Music is a bit cheaper than the kurz, but it is kind of a one trick pony. It does have strings and choir and such, but they are pretty minimal. Piano, Rhodes, and Wurly are great, clav is usable. Organ is usable by some,(but I am way to picky)..The Kurz probably has a lot more usuable sounds. When I was looking, I was playing in a blues band, and I was only concerened with Piano, Rhodes, and Hammond. I got a seperate board for the organ, and so I only compared the Piano sounds on the GM and the Kurz and others.
 
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