R
Rev E
New member
Elizabeth, I think this is the BIG ONE! -Fred Sanford
Daddy P,
This one's going to be long. But there's not way to tell the "whole" story without all of the details, so read at your leisure. -E
If you already have a K2500 "keyboard" and you want to add different sounds that are different from what you currently have, you can go two ways WITHout having to buy a new "keyboard". The important word is "keyboard", because it's cheaper to buy sample CDs or modules than it is to buy the "keyboard" version of an instrument. That is, a sample CD may cost you $100, a good module may cost you $400 (Roland JV1010) to $1600 (Triton/XV5080). The "keyboard" version of the Triton costs $2100+, depending on the options that you get with it. So, the salesman is right. You don't necessarily NEED another "KEYboard", you may just need new samples for the K2500 OR a new module. So this one is your call, because it depends on how much money you have and are willing to spend.
SAMPLE PLAYBACK Option: Advantages and Disadvantages
The main Advantage to getting sample CDs is that if you find the right one(s) that you need, it would cost you much LEss than getting a new high quality module or keyboard. Plus, sample CDs usually have higher quality individual sounds than you can usually find in a keyboard or module. The main DISadvantage is that samples take time to load into your machine. (a few minutes, usually) Sometimes after all of that load time, you realize that the sound was Not what you were looking for (aarrrg!!). So the waiting game could be frustrating and take away from valuable music time. Don't forget, however, that Kurzweil has a PRAM option that can save your samples internally after you turn your machine off, so you may not have to reload something that you want to use (mo' $$$). Secondly, in order to go the sample playback route on the K2500, you're going to need to expand you RAM to a minimum of 16MB to be able to load the average sample bank (of multiple sounds). Plus, you'll need to buy a SCSI CD-ROM for your K2500 in order to load the sounds (most samples come on CDs). So you have some upfront costs (SCSI CD-ROM and more RAM, assuming that you did not expand your RAM from the standard 4 MB sample RAM included).
SOUND MODULE Option: Advantages and Disadvantages
The Main Advantage to going the sound module route is that you have instant access to the sounds right from the go. Thus, you save the loading time that you would have spent in going the sample playback route. If you find the "right" module(s), you can get "quality" sounds that can compete with the average "sample CD" sound. The main disadvantage to the module route is the lack of expandability. With many modules you can't expand them and add new sounds. Also, some modules don't give you the best in high quality sounds, compared to sample CDs (and in the mind of a serious musician, it's all about the "sound", as in high quality).
Some Words about the KORG TRITON/XV5080
The Triton is MORE than your average sound module. Korg put out the Triton to bridge all of the gaps associated with the "sound module/sample playback" dilemma. The Triton has some of the best high quality sounds (superior as a sound module) AND the Triton can also play SAMPLES (Akai format samples, I think). So with a SCSI CD-ROM you could play samples through your Triton if you wanted to go that route. Also the Triton has some other expansion boards that add entirely new soundsets to the machine without going the sample playback route. Korg isn't the only company that has such a product. The Roland XV5080 is very much like the Triton. The XV5080 has Roland's best sounds built in (superior sound module) AND it plays SAMPLES. Plus you can expand it with Roland's XV expansion boards or SR-JV80 expansion cards.
If you're interested in a lower cost option to the Triton or the XV5080, check out the Emu Mo' Phatt. I have the Mo' Phatt and the lower price does NOT mean lower quality. It's full of Great drums, phatt basses and other "real" hip hop and R&B-type sounds. Plus, it can be expanded with Emu's line of expansion cards. It runs about $700. If interested, check out http://www.bpmmusic.com They've got the best price that I've seen. And NO, I don't work for them.
So you do have options, now you just gotta pick one.
Rev E
Daddy P,
This one's going to be long. But there's not way to tell the "whole" story without all of the details, so read at your leisure. -E
If you already have a K2500 "keyboard" and you want to add different sounds that are different from what you currently have, you can go two ways WITHout having to buy a new "keyboard". The important word is "keyboard", because it's cheaper to buy sample CDs or modules than it is to buy the "keyboard" version of an instrument. That is, a sample CD may cost you $100, a good module may cost you $400 (Roland JV1010) to $1600 (Triton/XV5080). The "keyboard" version of the Triton costs $2100+, depending on the options that you get with it. So, the salesman is right. You don't necessarily NEED another "KEYboard", you may just need new samples for the K2500 OR a new module. So this one is your call, because it depends on how much money you have and are willing to spend.
SAMPLE PLAYBACK Option: Advantages and Disadvantages
The main Advantage to getting sample CDs is that if you find the right one(s) that you need, it would cost you much LEss than getting a new high quality module or keyboard. Plus, sample CDs usually have higher quality individual sounds than you can usually find in a keyboard or module. The main DISadvantage is that samples take time to load into your machine. (a few minutes, usually) Sometimes after all of that load time, you realize that the sound was Not what you were looking for (aarrrg!!). So the waiting game could be frustrating and take away from valuable music time. Don't forget, however, that Kurzweil has a PRAM option that can save your samples internally after you turn your machine off, so you may not have to reload something that you want to use (mo' $$$). Secondly, in order to go the sample playback route on the K2500, you're going to need to expand you RAM to a minimum of 16MB to be able to load the average sample bank (of multiple sounds). Plus, you'll need to buy a SCSI CD-ROM for your K2500 in order to load the sounds (most samples come on CDs). So you have some upfront costs (SCSI CD-ROM and more RAM, assuming that you did not expand your RAM from the standard 4 MB sample RAM included).
SOUND MODULE Option: Advantages and Disadvantages
The Main Advantage to going the sound module route is that you have instant access to the sounds right from the go. Thus, you save the loading time that you would have spent in going the sample playback route. If you find the "right" module(s), you can get "quality" sounds that can compete with the average "sample CD" sound. The main disadvantage to the module route is the lack of expandability. With many modules you can't expand them and add new sounds. Also, some modules don't give you the best in high quality sounds, compared to sample CDs (and in the mind of a serious musician, it's all about the "sound", as in high quality).
Some Words about the KORG TRITON/XV5080
The Triton is MORE than your average sound module. Korg put out the Triton to bridge all of the gaps associated with the "sound module/sample playback" dilemma. The Triton has some of the best high quality sounds (superior as a sound module) AND the Triton can also play SAMPLES (Akai format samples, I think). So with a SCSI CD-ROM you could play samples through your Triton if you wanted to go that route. Also the Triton has some other expansion boards that add entirely new soundsets to the machine without going the sample playback route. Korg isn't the only company that has such a product. The Roland XV5080 is very much like the Triton. The XV5080 has Roland's best sounds built in (superior sound module) AND it plays SAMPLES. Plus you can expand it with Roland's XV expansion boards or SR-JV80 expansion cards.
If you're interested in a lower cost option to the Triton or the XV5080, check out the Emu Mo' Phatt. I have the Mo' Phatt and the lower price does NOT mean lower quality. It's full of Great drums, phatt basses and other "real" hip hop and R&B-type sounds. Plus, it can be expanded with Emu's line of expansion cards. It runs about $700. If interested, check out http://www.bpmmusic.com They've got the best price that I've seen. And NO, I don't work for them.
So you do have options, now you just gotta pick one.
Rev E
