Finally !!!! Miden !!!!

A seasoned user,on this board,who has an open mind with the MediaStation.

This board is not for everyone and I really think, that it is not in competition with the "Big three". It will be very interesting to see what an accomplished Musician, will get out of this board..

I, with many others here, look forward to your thoughts and observations.

Way to go Miden....

Ron

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createsongstyles.com

"This board is not for everyone and I really think, that it is not in competition with the "Big three". It will be very interesting to see what an accomplished Musician, will get out of this board"

So suddenly common sense comes into the synthzone forum now people realise that the MS is NOT THE WORLDS BESR ARRANGER but could be a good workstation ? Isnt that what most of discussion has been about all along with the Mediastaion ... It was aimed at the WRONG MARKET.

But what i find puzzling is the idea that it should take an accomplished musician to make the best use of the MS. surely thats the same premise for any instrument ???? What can an accomplished musician get out of this board that they could not get out of any other keyboard ? Accomplished musicians have been making great music since the year dot !!! This is the fallacy of buying newer and fancier keyboards. It wont make the music by itself (apart from the Tyros 3 judging by the hype :-)).

The theme of my message was that, it was very refreshing to read someone ( miden ) who is very hopeful and enthusiastic about the MediaStation, instead of just reading negative comments about it...

I do not know how to describe the MS yet...... it can be or is supposed to be, all these things that are new and exciting but no one here ( on our side of the Pond ) has really worked with it. There has to a lot of users who are quite content with it but the problem is that , we get no indication from users as to what the strengths are or how are the Users using this board?

I just want someone to give it a fair shake and once and for all, tell it as it is or what it can be..


Ron

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createsongstyles.com

[This message has been edited by rphillipchuk (edited 10-03-2008).]

Chony, if you re-read Diki's post, I believe he was talking about WS boards (specifically Motif XS, M3 and the Fantom G) as opposed to arrangers.

The Media Station IS capable of much more than any other workstation, achievable in rather different and remarkable ways. I can see that and I haven't even touched it yet.

It may be a bit simplistic, but feasible nonetheless..... but come up with an idea for a software improvement, find a Linux developer (of which there are millions), throw in bit of testing and refinement, and hey presto! you have just upgraded your keyboard..

There are no corporate boards to approve this or that expenditure or this or that bit of a software upgrade or whether this year's budget does or does not allow for any additions.

No being forced to buy more hardware for an update/enhancement when simple software refinements will do the job.

There is no being forced to live with someone else's idea of what you should have on YOUR keyboard, it goes on and on.

I am looking outside the square on this, and I find I am liking the view.

If others cannot see the potential, as far as I am concerned, and with the greatest respect for their choices, it will be their loss, not mine.

The potential of this keyboard and its "concept" is unlimited and I predict will be exponential in growth.

I believe it's got less to do with musical ABILITY per se, and much more to do with musical CREATIVITY and finally having the chance to develop your own instrument for your own purpose.

Onward we go.

Dennis

PS: By the way Ron, thank-you for your kind words and encouragement. I must admit to being a deeper shade of red when I read them, but it was appreciated though. D

Dennis, I am on your side. I have been using a software based arranger system for many many years and plan to continue with it. For those interest in my system you can search this site to find out more.

My system is reliable and of high quality. In addition, there is no issue concerning latency ... and there never was one even years ago...with smaller and slower computers. My definition of latency is the time it takes from when you hit the key to when you hear the sound. This is a function of your equipment and the sound card drivers, e.g., ASIO. Usually, you can set it to the level that is required for excellent performance and load on the computer system. The computer system is generally far more powerful then anything you would find in a hardware based arranger system.

Now, with MS you will get a much better user interface. I have gotten used to mine but there is no doubt that MS is better.

Sometimes I just have to slow down, take a breath, and start thinking whether what I post has any connection to REALITY. I honestly think that some of you need to do the same...

THEORETICALLY, the sky is the limit with an MS

THEORETICALLY, you can perform music in a way no-one has ever heard before

THEORETICALLY, you could make an entire chart topping album on it

BUT.... I'm simply looking for the PRACTICE of all this.

As I said (thanks, hellboy, for actually READING my post ) M3's, MotifXS's etc., are being used on chart toppers as we speak. Apparently, the guys using them don't seem to have any kind of a problem with certain limitations on their keyboard. No-one is giving up on the piano just because it only has ONE sound! In all fairness, in the studio, most modern production facilities aren't really interested in having all their computer based production tools ported very expensively to a hardware unit. You make records in the studio, you make MUSIC onstage. I'm sorry, but I'll take my FantomX-based G70 piano sound onstage without the slightest feeling of needing some VSTi... it's THAT good (I've used Ivory and some older libraries, the G70 is easily as good, IMO).

Fact is, if I thought I REALLY needed all those VSTi's onstage, I'd already have an MS or a Receptor. But the fact is, what these modern arrangers and WS's can do is MORE than adequate for any live show. They ARE what the pros use (look at any major tour... odds are there's a Motif, Nord, Fantom, something like that in the hands of the guys we look up to, not some MS).

Even THOSE guys are primarily interested in PLAYING, not programming. Give me something that all the meat and potatoes are dead on, sufficient synth power to do most of what you need, and great rhythms and loops are included (so you don't HAVE to roll your own on even the most basic of demos) and turn me loose onstage... I'll be gigging while you are still locked in your basement, trying to put together enough stuff to go out and do a few tunes!

Look, I've had a K2500 with all the options for over ten years. It is STILL one of the most powerful, deep, extensively customizable keyboards in the world. But I don't GIG with it. It is overkill, and takes forever to program. Live, onstage, with an audience in front of me, I can do most of what the K2500 can do, with a FRACTION of the work, with my G70.

In the studio, I can do everything the MS does with software and hardware combinations.

I truly believe they are different mindsets, different paradigms, and need different equipment. I don't WANT to drag everything that I use in the studio on a stage with me, even if it all IS bundles up neatly in one keyboard. I want something that can get 'close enough' that takes seconds to program, not weeks. I ain't GOT weeks!

if your creativity is limited by your equipment, then its your creativity thats the problem.....not the equipment. But hey...i am not knocking your enthusiasm for the MS. sometimes it takes a new bit of gear to respark your creative ideas. Go for it Miden. All i ask is that once you have got your MS set up as you would like let us hear what it can really do because the demos in the past and still present on the MS website do not sound any better than what is currently available on any of the proprietory based keyboards .

Diki,
All I can say is like "..whatever man", its all good. You can do your thing, those of us choosing to go down another path do our thing..its all sweet..

Ultimately as long as we can all do "our thing" that has gotta be a good thing? Yes?

Frank, thanks for the support.. Nice to know you are still popping in from time to time!!

Cheers
Dennis

thanks spalding...