Kara-Moon Forum

A couple of items from the Namm show caught my eye,which are the M-Audio Axiom Pro Series controller & the JBL LSR2325P studio monitors.

Here's a link to the reports from the show:

http://www.sweetwater.com/publications/reports/?action=day&sid=41

After having done more research on the Kurzweil PC3 series,I got an eye-full of just how small the display screen is on the keyboard,from this video:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PC3X/

Upon seeing this video,I realized that I will never be happy working with all of the PC3's advanced functions through this tiny screen and then I had an epiphany....it would just be absurd for me to choose the PC3 over the Propellerhead software...so I made up my mind to take the plunge into the softsynth world.

I'm excited about the new M-Audio controller,but not so thrilled about the white color...however though-since it's only a prototype,the color may be subject to change.
The release of this new M-Audio controller will obviously bring down the price of the previous Axiom series,which is something to be especially excited about! :-

As for the monitors,JBL states that their new LSR line is an affordable one,so hopefully they indeed-will be,& as such,may just be a good prospect as a pair of secondary monitors for my hardware set up.

The Namm show is at the halfway point,so hopefully there will be additional gear yet to be show-cased.

-Thom

I always liked Kurzweil keyboard, ever since I discovered them listening to Pink Floyd when I was a little younger :)
I really think they have some of the best synth piano emulation out there, there piano sound sound like a piano !

Having said that, this keyboard I see as a live performance tool and not as a studio keyboard. It is setup to dial in setups & sounds very fast and not for tweaking sounds. Hence the small display. A PC editor would be nice with such a keyboard, build your sounds in the studio on the PC and have them ready in stand alone mode in a live performance, would be a cool idea.


k

Me too.

After all these years with PC based editors I almost forgot how to use keyboards internal editors  ::)

Kara,

The Kurzweil PC3 is without a doubt,a multi-tasking synth,in that it is a performance controller,a synthesizer & a workstation...that being said,the PC3 is probably the most disappointing product out there,because it does so much-for so little money and yet it's display screen is so small,that it works against all of the many functions...it's really heart-breaking. :'(
So yes-I agree,the PC3 is good as a stage piano & nothing else,really.It was a hard decision to make,because I love hardware so much,but it really does not have any place in a studio-certainly not mine.
I think I would go blind spending alot of time sequencing & sound tweaking on the PC3,because it's the most in-depth workstation keyboard out there....if Kurzweil had any common sense,they would have added a video output on the rear of the board,so that you could hook up a pc monitor....this feature would have been economically viable for the company,as well as making the PC3 a VERY desirable product-thus making it an EXTREMELY competitive hardware workstation!
Kurzweil has a very unique synth engine & unrivaled piano samples,but unfortunately,these are the only two features that set Kurzweil apart from the competition(in my opinion).
The PC3 series is the first Kurzweil product line to incorporate a commonly used media storage card(SD)-finally! ::)This just goes to show how behind the times Kurzweil is in some ways.
Kurzweil's 88-key PC3X has dropped a $1,000 in price in less than a year-which just goes to show how Kurzweil has "dropped the ball" in their design concepts.
Korg is Kurzweil's most fierce competitor & after having had the extreme pleasure of owning & getting to know the Korg M50,I now realize that I should have been looking to buy the Korg M3 all along.

-Thom