I picked up a Roland A-33 to use with G70

http://roland-arranger.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=38&?topic=1239.msg7521;topicseen#new

Why make it so hard to respond? Why didn't you just paste it over here so that casual readers would know what any responders were responding to.

I want to get excited about your 'new' discovery except that I've had one gathering dust in my various storerooms for the last 7 or more years. Let me know when you're ready to move up to an A-70, I have one of those too. You forgot to mention that it's battery powered. With your new BA330 battery powered amp, all you need is a battery powered wireless transmitter (mic, line, and midi) and you'll be ready for your own spot in a NY city subway station. Won't make much money but hey, you'll be state-of-the-art.

Your best buddy,

chas

I was out, visiting Guitar Center and seen a A-33 at a great price...so I bought it home..

I owned an A-30 when they came out in 1993..I used it with a SC-55 back then..

The A-33 works amazingly well with the G70..folks may not be aware, but the A-33 as well as the A30 and A37..are GS designed controllers....and naturally the G70 is a GS instrument..They work extremely well together..I may add I prefer the GS sound engine over any other to date.(Scats alone make it better than the Fantom engine)..

As an example I set up.. the drawbar organ on the A-33...the drawbars are active from the G70, but not played on the G70 keybed...I maintain the piano, bass and scats on the G70 (My favorite sounds)..Using lower 1 as my controller channel (11)...this way it will not change when I play styles on the G70..I can also change the sounds on lower 1 from the G70..allowing a quick program change to the A-33.

All the preset tones work from a single button push on the A-33..and you can save any combination as a user tone/patch (32 locations)..

I also use the A-33 in my studio now..with a USB interface (MidiSport 2x2)..to my PC..
I was using the EMU Xboard 61..a great controller with good key feel..but the 76 keys are better for me than the 61 key EMU....and the A-33 has a nice keybed too..


Any thoughts from other users?

How is that "best buddy"..

Tough to listen to someone who has a G70 call that A33 action 'good'...

I've played one (and the A30). Horrible, IMO. Neither fish nor fowl. Only one slider, globally set. One sustain (how do you deal with splits?), no assignable controls (for, let's say, toggling the Leslie F/S or adjusting Part C1 parameters), pretty much bare bones. The Emu has FAR better MIDI and all the sliders and switches you need...

Bottom line is, personally, I think you gave up too much just for the extra 15 notes...

Diki, as usual ..you miss the point...again..

The point being, I liked using the A-33 with the G70...why?...because the A-33 is GS oriented...just like the G70...

Fast and slow Leslie can be triggered from the G70..just like the program changes on lower 1(Channel 11)..that I mentioned..

The sustain , as well as expression and bender/mod can be selected on or off for each part of the split..(you must have forgot that when you "tried" the A33..or was that the A30?..

As for key feel being "good"...Hard to believe anyone that played an A-33 next to a G70..and didn't think the A33 feel was good..especially if they think the G70 feel to be great.....is definitely losing it..

The EMU Xboard 61..does have many more features and controls (probably the best controller for the price)....but what it does not have is the recognition of the GS parameters...my given point..in using the A33 with the G70..

Oh..yes the 15 extra keys were worth the change..

I now have the "poor man's" Atelier organ..

Hi Fran & all. I find the lightweight, yet well built Roland A33 controller a nice companion for my Yamaha Tyros2, or simply hooked up to a portable sound module, whenever I need 76 keys for solo keyboard work. I find its' albeit light action satisfyingly responsive and a nice compromise to insure the unit's lightweight yet retain solid build quality. My A33's been reliably dependable for well over ten years now.

Fran, I'm sure you probably already know about this, but just in case you haven't, d/l the free A33 Editor/Librarian: here

Scott

Hey Scott..thanks for the reminder..

I also have the M-Audio Sono 88..it has some extra features like audio interface, and mic input...but when used as a midi controller with the G70..it is no where as easy to use as the A-33..

I also tried to use the A-33 with the Prelude...not a set up for me...The A-33 can use only the 16 channels and not the extra 3 keyboard parts (realtime)...so it suffers by using the same channel that a sequence would use.(For the most part ..channel 16 stays out of the way of the song playback when selecting a sound you want to play from the A-33)..

Playing a style or MP3 ..with the A-33 playing a sound other than the style channels ..works fine..

There is not the same relation ship between the A-33 and the Prelude....as between the A-33 and the G70.

Prelude is not a GS instrument..

Fran, there's nothing magical about something being GS. Your Emu is capable of sending the exact same codes that the A33 does. Perhaps it needs more setup OOTB than the A33, but once done, its' capabilities FAR outshine the somewhat simplistic Roland.

And no, I didn't miss the point of the sustain. I'm talking about independent sustain for UPR and LWR. Not simply switching it off. Thing is, much of the G70's OS is controllable with MIDI codes,Breaks, Variations, MFX controls, voice editing on the fly (be nice to have a fader for filter cutoff, wouldn't it?), HB section controls (how about a nice Chor/Vib on/off where you can get to it easily?) and a plethora of other stuff that is WAY past simple GS.

But sure, if all you need is basic patch PC#'s and a preset reverb and chorus depth, you are good to go. But if this thing IS better for you than the Emu, I don't think you scratched the surface of what the Emu COULD have done for you.

Diki, as I mentioned the hold /sustain pedal can be turned on/off for each section..lower or upper..

It is the simplicity that warrants the A33 as a good controller for a GS instrument..

I have used the EMU extensively..4 zones etc..it is a great controller, but for use with the G70...I prefer the A33..

I do like and miss the USB powered feature..and USB midi...but with the USB /midi interface ..the A33 is okay..

Maybe simple IS good...

The point I was trying to make about sustain is, I prefer independent sustains for UPR and LWR, to better choose which I am sustaining at any one time. In other words... TWO sustain pedals. Sometimes you need to hold the upper sound, sometimes the lower. One pedal makes it an all or nothing situation.

Did you ever even TRY to program the Emu to get to the 'hidden' G70 parameters?

"Did you ever even TRY to program the Emu to get to the 'hidden' G70 parameters?"

No, I have never tried to use the EMU other than a soft synth controller, or module controller...BTW: the EMU only uses a single sustain pedal too..Same with the Sono 88..

Can you retask the foot controller to be sustain? (Make it send CC64)

There are quite a few things I would LOVE to program to a controller keyboard were I to use one, things that can't be done without either the touch screen, or using up your ASSIGN SW or FC-7 options (which are already tasked). I sure wish Roland would have upgraded the OS to use the useless V-Link button, like they did for the E-series...