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#115054 - 07/16/01 07:25 PM Wersi Abacus Review
rbmusic Offline
Member

Registered: 09/23/00
Posts: 47
Loc: Baltimore, MD.,USA
Here is a link to the Keyboard Player Magazine review for the new Wersi Abacus keyboard.
www.wersi.uk.com/review.pdf

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#115055 - 07/16/01 08:21 PM Re: Wersi Abacus Review
sk880user Offline
Member

Registered: 01/26/01
Posts: 1255
Loc: United States
This sounds like what we called several years ago: electronic organ. So I would not compare/contrast it to other portable keyboards/synths/workstations... I would compare it to something like:

Yamaha:
http://www.yamaha.com/cgi-win/webcgi.exe/DsplyModel/?gELT00002AR100
http://www.yamaha.com/cgi-win/webcgi.exe/DsplyModel/?gELT00002EL15


and other companies

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#115056 - 07/17/01 03:08 AM Re: Wersi Abacus Review
Bevan Offline
Member

Registered: 01/26/01
Posts: 65
It is great to read this kind of reviews of
musicalinstruments.This forum is super.

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#115057 - 07/17/01 03:36 AM Re: Wersi Abacus Review
9000 Robby Offline
Member

Registered: 07/10/01
Posts: 112
Loc: Germany
_________________________
Greatings 9000 Robby

www.Robby.4xt.de
www.Robby.de.lv
www.Forumstreff.4xt.de

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#115058 - 07/17/01 07:19 AM Re: Wersi Abacus Review
Notenzauberer Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 07/15/01
Posts: 6
Loc: germany
Hi Members!

On the music fair in Frankfurt I could convince myself of the quality of the Wersi Abacus Keybaords.

The sound reminds on long passed years, I thinks of saxophone, accordion. Also the much praised gran-piano did not convince me. In the demonstrations the operating system Windows 98 hung itself partly, the consequence up was, restart. Duration something 2 minutes.

Question: How would the people feel, if they are dancing and suddenly the music stopped. I think of the situation, if people even dance. Rumors go by, which different musicians maintain, the music come from a XG sound card of YAMAHA. I made in former times many years on WERSI instruments music. Seems to me, as if they would have lost the link to the technical advancement.

Greetings
Notenzauberer

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#115059 - 07/17/01 10:45 PM Re: Wersi Abacus Review
TomTomSF Offline
Member

Registered: 03/24/99
Posts: 736
Loc: Half Moon Bay, CA, USA
Hi Notenzauberer
It's interesting to hear from a former Wersi player that you think they have lost the technological edge. I know another friend from Germany (George Oenig), from the Korg User group. He has a Wersi Spectra (I think). Anyway, he also has a Korg iS40m which he seems to prefer these days. I think the Wersi's used to be incredible but, like you say, never quite kept up with the best advances. And VERY expensive.
PS: Does your name mean something about musical notes in German?
Tom
_________________________
Tyros 4

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#115060 - 07/18/01 09:24 AM Re: Wersi Abacus Review
9000 Robby Offline
Member

Registered: 07/10/01
Posts: 112
Loc: Germany
Quote:
Originally posted by TomTomSF:
Hi Notenzauberer
It's interesting to hear from a former Wersi player that you think they have lost the technological edge. I know another friend from Germany (George Oenig), from the Korg User group. He has a Wersi Spectra (I think). Anyway, he also has a Korg iS40m which he seems to prefer these days. I think the Wersi's used to be incredible but, like you say, never quite kept up with the best advances. And VERY expensive.
PS: Does your name mean something about musical notes in German?
Tom


Hallo TomTomSF

Look here
www.notenzauber.de


Greatings 9000 Robby
_________________________
Greatings 9000 Robby

www.Robby.4xt.de
www.Robby.de.lv
www.Forumstreff.4xt.de

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#115061 - 04/07/08 08:24 AM Re: Wersi Abacus Review
John DiLeo Offline
Member

Registered: 04/06/08
Posts: 245
Hi,
Does anyone here use the Wersi Abacus professionally. I was wondering how it translates navagationaly from a home user to a live on stage keyboard. Although I am not a pro this KB looks very interesting to me, & seems to be something you can build on for years to come with its OS.
Any comments

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#115062 - 04/08/08 01:47 AM Re: Wersi Abacus Review
Ensnareyou Offline
Member

Registered: 03/31/02
Posts: 491
Loc: California
I use an Abacus Duo Pro as my primary writing tool and would have no problem using it live. I've seen many question the stability of computer based instruments like the Wersi but from my personal experience the Wersi is nearly bullet proof and built like a tank. The OAS software and GUI are very well thought out and quite easy to use. So easy in fact that if you can operate a basic Yamaha PSR style keyboard you'll run the majority of the Wersi's functions without even having to crack the owners manual open. The instrument also sounds incredible which is the way every fine instrument should sound.

As with any computer system what one needs to be certain of is the compatibility of third party software or hardware you install. If you aren't sure whether or not the software is compatible, don't install it or uninstall it if it creates problems. I've yet to have a problem with my Abacus and I suspect those that have had software issues were probably due to bugs in third party software or VST's rather than the actual Wersi OAS software.

The big advantages Open Software style instruments offer are future upgrades that keep the instrument on the cutting edge and the ability to utilize third party software such as GigaStudio, Real Guitars, and Kontakt. No other embedded arranger/workstation can compete with that type of versatility or sound quality. Only a Lionstracs Mediastation or Open Labs Neko/Miko is on par.

I've owned Yamaha's, Technics, Roland, and Korg's Top arrangers and workstations and few of these instruments could compare with the basic factory Wersi sounds. With Wersi OAS running VST's then no Yamaha, Roland, Ketron, or Korg arranger/workstation is even on par with the type of sounds one can produce from an instrument such as the Wersi.


[This message has been edited by Ensnareyou (edited 04-08-2008).]

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#115063 - 04/08/08 12:54 PM Re: Wersi Abacus Review
LIONSTRACS Offline
Member

Registered: 12/13/05
Posts: 664
Loc: Italy
Well...after ton of test with our new qranger I can agree is some parts but not to the all.
VST plugins can help a lot for new top level sounds and also Kontact and Gigastudio for the sampler setup.
The big problems of this 2 sampler are the loading time untill the all sounds are ready to playing. ( gigastudio ned much more time than kontact) Big files need to be chaced in ram before they are ready to play, we know that.
Some VST can be OK, if they then have the all data in ram, but still Realguitar need a lot time for loading the new guitar setup presets.

After this all engine are running, the big issue is the full integration on the arranger engine/interface.
Wersi is able to manage it by midi out, fr play the all notes, but for sure can NOT manage the all controlles that fe example Kontact or realguitar have.
Wersi was the first company that have developed OS windows interface for musical instruments and still they offer really nice interface. ( this also because they are manufacture of hardware)

Neko/Miko can compete only in the sounds quality but never with propietary OS/interface.
They just install and optimize standard PC windows software, just for recall some sounds in realtime.
If you just want play, mix 2 Mp3 and play over with the keyboard, the Neko/Miko is not allowed, because the Audio card will be busy from another application. ( single ASIO istance at time)

Return to the arranger issue.. it mean that in real live situation you have to fight every time when you will to load a new styles and setup.
This in the PLUS on the embedded keyboard that have all the sounds resident on ROM/Flash and this all sounds are ready to play ( of course we know, limited on RAM space and for the 80% reduced also the sample rate to 32khz and in MONO too)

IF then, after you have resolved this basic Midi issue, remain then the realtime audio loops in sync with the timecode and fast to switch when chords are pressed.
Wersi arranger still is under the MIDI domain, like the all others arranger and is not able to streaming wav in sync with the midi.

The best way to resolve this all problem is to use one good SEQ audio-midi with integrated the audio straming and sampler streaming: http://www.lionstracs.com/demo/qranger/Qrangersampler.jpg
Now we have integrated the LS sampler in the engine, where for each midi track we can load one different GIG file and save it in the session.
In about 1 sec, will loaded the all audio loops and giga files used for the loaded style.
with the Export session, the qranger will create a new folder and copy inside the all Audio-midi Giga data used for this style and ready to Move and play to other Mediastation keyboards.
This is the Step that Wersi have to take too. For the all others keybaords( untill they jump to the PC X86 system) this remain only a dream...

enjoy what you play

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