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#115980 - 02/23/04 07:05 PM XD3 is gone....next?
The Accordionist Offline
Member

Registered: 01/25/03
Posts: 221
Well, I sold my Petosa Millennium Digital Reedless accordion along with my Ketron XD3 and they are both on their way to Kansas as I type this. I am sure going to miss both of them as I learned a lot of music and improv skills from them.

I recently purchased a really nice acoustic jazz accordion and it records really well with my Yamaha AW16G. I have been listening to Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain for about the past 4 months and have written something similar using the jazz accordion as the lead.

I need something now that I can use for all of the fill-ins: Oboe, Sax, horns, jazz drum kits, etc. I am really going back and forth on the Tyros and the Motif ES (and if I really want to get confused I've even thought about the Giga-PC route!).

Hearing those PA1XPro demos from Notlos really through me for a loop! They were outstanding. I do really like arranger functionality and ease of use.

Ketron is out because, frankly, I look at them as about two years behind the competition. The XD3 was a really great module but it had so many limitations (if the polyphony cut out on me one more time with the alto-sax on harmony I was going to THROW IT!) that I decided to go with one of the big two - Yamaha or Korg. My AW16G was a pain in the butt to figure out but I have it down now and it works flawlessy and does what I want. So the Motif doesn't scare me TOO much.

Any suggestions? Are the Tyros sounds good enough to use without the accompaniment for my project? Are the Motif voices richer and better?

This new Korg just scares me a little. Too new, too expensive, and too many flaws from what I've read here. The Tyros is stable and most users rave about it. The keyboard doesn't bother me a bit - I play an accordion with the worst "action" you could ever imagine!

As usual, any thoughts are much appreciated.

Thank you.

Tommy

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#115981 - 02/23/04 07:48 PM Re: XD3 is gone....next?
keybplayer Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 10/27/03
Posts: 2417
Loc: CA
Tommy,

I too just heard the new demos posted by Notlos and I would have to say if you need the best Brass, Jazz Drum Kits, Horns, (not sure about the Oboe on the Pa1X PRO) I think the Pa1X PRO may be the best Arranger for the job IMO. But you may have to deal with the seeming array of problems cropping up on Korgs. The sounds are there but not the 'whole enchilada' if you know what I mean. Hopefully though, all of the quirks will be ironed out eventually through OS updates. But there have also been reports of buttons, etc., not functioning properly. Plus you'll pay more (up to $1,000 more) for the Pa1X PRO. It's a chance and an offer you seriously may want to consider though.

My next suggestion would be to get a Tyros. The Brass and Horns, although not quite as good overall as the Pa1X PRO's possibly, they are still quite good. BUT, the ONLY useable Trumpets you will find on the Tyros are the Sweet! Trumpet and Sweet! Mute Trumpet IMO. The Sweet! Flugel Horn is not bad either. All the other Trumpets take a nose dive IMO. Yamaha's Sample Recording Engineer must have kept dozing off when he was recording them. Either that or he was talking to his girlfriend on his cell phone.

The Trombone's are real good on the Tyros IMO, especially the Sweet! Trombone. Not sure how they rate on the Pa1X PRO.

There ARE quite a few good Brass ensembles on the Tyros like the Live! HyperBrass.

Saxes are a toss up IYAM. They both have great Saxes IMO.

The Tyros' Jazz Drum Kits are extra good IMO. But then again, so are the Pa1X PRO's. You may find the Korg's even more to your liking.

But the Tyros has a truly wonderful Sweet! Oboe. The other Panel Oboe on the Tyros is wonderful too. Even the XG Oboe is decent especially if used in a Track among other Tracks of instruments in a Sequence or Midi.

And of course the Tyros has 128 note Polyphony vs. the Pa1X PRO's miserly 62 note Polyphony. If you got frustrated with the XD-3 you may even get more frustrated with the Korg. The reports coming back on the Pa1X PRO indicate note drop off is and can be a common occurrence especially when using the damper pedal excessively. There are ways to alleviate that of course. Don't use the damper pedal excessively or don't use complex Styles and play the Keys at the same time OR you could possibly Sample some of the sounds to free up Polyphony for other instrument sounds during the course of a Mix.

Final Analysis:

We Report, You Decide. News fair and balanced....

Best regards,
Mike

[This message has been edited by keybplayer (edited 02-23-2004).]
_________________________
Yamaha Genos, Mackie HR824 MKII Studio Monitors, Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro Mixer (made in USA), Cakewalk Sonar Platinum, Shure SM58 vocal mic.

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#115982 - 02/24/04 06:57 AM Re: XD3 is gone....next?
Tomcat Offline
Member

Registered: 11/17/03
Posts: 178
Loc: Ft Collins Colorado, USA
VERY interesting! Sounds are definately subjective because on my Tyros, I usually prefer the 006 Solo Trumpet to the Sweet Trumpet which has too much warble in the vibrato for anything other than Latin styles, where it is great. The Solo Trumpet is more what I remember from trumpet players like Harry James.

All I can tell you is to listen for yourself and decide what you like.

Tom

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Bigger is not always better
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Bigger is not always better

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#115983 - 02/24/04 01:27 PM Re: XD3 is gone....next?
The Accordionist Offline
Member

Registered: 01/25/03
Posts: 221
Thanks for the information, Mike. You really went the extra mile with your reply and gave me a lot to think about.

The extra $1000 for the PA1X just isn't worth it to me. If I can indeed get a Tyros for around $2400 that might be all I need.

The Motif ES7 would run about that much too. More sample ROM and more sounds. I have a Technics SX Digital Piano with the best 88-key balanced keyboard I have ever played, so I could control the Piano sounds off the Motif with it and not worry about the 76-key synth action.

Looks like the Tyros or the Motif. Eeee-gad...what a decision....

Thanks again.

Tommy

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