V3 Sound Modules

I am getting one of the new sound modules by V3 Sound. I already have their arranger called the Desktop and so I am familiar with their quality sounds.

They have sound modules specifically made for Korg, Yamaha, and others.

http://www.v3sound.com/en/e-ov-keyboardists.html

If you already have a decent laptop then rather than go with these you would be better off getting a universal VST such as Kontakt 5 or Halion Sonic as you get a much better quality of sound along with greater flexibility, the only down side is that you have to set up the VST yourself to get it to work with your keyboard, but at least you will be getting a great experience in the process.

Bill

I find the V3 of great interest.
Bill may well be correct regarding Kontakt 5 & halion Sonic but that downside of setting up VST's puts off many such as myself.
Most of us are older guys and, at my age (78) it's a bit late to start learning all about VST's etc.

I want to plug something in, install the software and have it running and fully controlled from the Genos without any further hassle.
As Yamaha own Halion, I can't imagine why they don't sell it with the setup all ready to roll as V3 does.
Tony

Hardware soundmodules don’t eat processing power of your desktop/laptop
When using certain VST’s like omnisphere and UHE Diva with some pro layerd DSP, a laptops power is quickly drained... its allways good to have some hardware module(s) to cover that..


Strong point of the V3 modules is that they can be i tegrated with the hardware keyboard and feel like onboard sounds (definately on the Genos) which makes them very very convenient..


Also the sound quallity is of the highest quallity

Because yamaha makes more money selling expansion packs for Genos then selling hallion..

Bill, you do have a point. I have lots of VSTs besides Kontakt. In fact, with vArranger combined with HQ soundfonts and VSTs for solo voices I have been trying to go all software. The are definitively lots of pros and some cons. Then I ended up getting a Ketron SD40. Always excuses and self-justification for my GAS!

The V3 module I am getting has some unique sounds that you can't easily find in software. Or if you do find, they can be very expensive. I thought that the small module with MIDI in and USB host would make a good module. V3 Sound does have high quality sounds. In fact, one or more of their sound cards made their way into VST versions! I have both the hardware and software version.

Btw, does Holion Sonic still require a USB dongle? That's a deal breaker for me. The only exception for me is vArranger.

Chris

You are absolutely right about V3 Sound featuring sounds of the highest quality. They get licenses from other companies both hardware and software to burn sounds into their soundboards.

V3 sound module? Never heard of this before! I don't think this topic ever came up on Korg's forum. Very interesting!

Check some of the sounds by V3 Sound on Youtube and you will get an idea. These new boards will only sound better than the previous models.

Thanks for the link. If these are just standalone sound modules, why are they categorized under keyboard models and such? Why does it matter if you midi them to a Korg or Yamaha?

Because the yamaha model comes with a configuration file for yem, which adds all the sounds to your yamaha genos or psr and further treats them as local sounds..

I.e. These sounds are fully integrated with the Genos..

I see! That explains it all. Thanks

If you look at their website, they also offer versions of the modules for "General midi users" without adjustment to a specific brand.

Looks like the kommex and the yammex are identiccal units, except for the color amd the accompanying file for integration with the keyboard... i still think the whole idea is brilliant... 4GB of extra sounds for €600... all of the highest quallity...

Don't forget the Ketron SD1000 as well http://www.ajamsonic.com/sd1000.html which is even cheaper.

Bill

With software piracy being such a huge problem, I'm surprised they haven't made more portable hardware solutions like these for arranger keyboards.

I've owned the SD1000 twice, but while it is a really good-sounding little module, my expectations about the V3 modules go far beyond it. I really hope they represent a bridge between typical hardware sounds and VSt-quality sounds, which the SD 1000 doesn't. It has a lot of the typical nice Ketron sounds, but mostly without different velocity levels and subtle variations. In the description of the V3 orchestral module, they talk about orchestral sections with different playing styles etc., so I hope it's a different level.

I'm looking forwarding to receiving my unit very soon. I agree with Bachus that V3 Sound of the highest quality. They do turn VST into hardware and vise versa. I do own some Ketron devices including the SD40. The particular module I am getting features "sample modeling" for more realistic performance.

I‘d be interested in your review!

I have both SD1000 and V3.

The SD1000 sounds to me more versatile to play GM-files out of the box. Whereas the V3 has far better sounds to play solo.
Just my opinion.

Also, the SD1000 (like all Ketron-products be it SD2, SD4,SD1000) produce much more background-noise, as a result of using cheap DA-convertors in these little boxes.
The V3-module produce nearly no noise…

For me, the V3 is the better choice in Sound-Quality, and Sound-Kwantity!

Best Regards,
Carlo

Looks like V3 does not have a dealer in the US. Ketron's website was a bit strange too. I tried contacting them through their own website and after filling up the form and everything, I came to another 'V1 Captcha' page as they wanted to verify I'm a human. That's where it got stuck and didn't let me submit my inquiry. I tried another browser and pretty much the same thing! The help menu says, they need to upgrade to V2 Captcha or something because V1 has been discontinued! So how do people get in touch with Ketron USA then?

These feedback/reviews that you guys are sharing are very helpful. I might get the V3.

I've been looking into the Dexibell Vivo SX7 Sound Module as well. I'm just a sucker for Pianos and EPs. I already have Keyscape, NI Ultimate and various keyboards, but can never have enough Pianos!

Ketron US here

Bill

No wonder you as a piano/EP person have Keyscape. I'd say it's worth the price for all the "keys" you get, but as for me I'm not sure if I want to sacrifice over 70 GB of space on my laptop SSD mainly for pianos and EPs. If one is into pianos and EPs, the SX7 module looks like the right module, or rather the GSi Gemini.

A gentleman in our area was a V3 sound distributor/dealer for a brief period of time, but he closed his business due to a health issue. You can buy directly from V3 Sound.

Speaking of pianos/EPs, by the way, V3 Sound has a piano module. I checked it out just now; tons of pianos, EPs, pads, strings, tone-wheel organ sounds, and others.

http://www.v3sound.com/en/e-ov-pianists.html

Demos and reviews
https://www.thomannmusic.com/v3_sound_v3_grand_piano.htm

Chris

As much as I like Ketron sounds(currently I own SD4 and SD40), I agree to your comments. The SD4 still has a bug for the USB connection, SD1000 can't be powered by a PC due to a cheap part in the unit...

Hi Bill,
Yes, that's the website I was talking about.

Yes, I was able to get in touch with Klaus for the V3, so all is good.

Keyscape is awesome. It has tons of awesome sounding keys. You do need some serious horse power to run the full patches. It used to be a plug in only, but now you can run it in standalone mode as well .

[quote=Torch SD1000 can't be powered by a PC due to a cheap part in the unit... [/quote]

Hello Torch,

That's strange, my SD1000 is powered by USB without any problems...

Is your PC capable to provide enough power on the usb-ports ?
I believe the SD1000 needs 1 Amp.


Best Regards,
Carlo

Hi Chris,

I can only speak for my Ketron SD1000 unit, which I use with vArranger. I power it using a USB 3.0 port of a 2-in-1 laptop. Please note that the SD1000 in the following photo is connected through USB only, without using AC/DC adapter.

I found that my SD1000 can only be powered by the USB 3.0 port on the laptop directly and gets recognized by Windows as an audio device. The SD1000 is not recognized by Windows 10 when connected through a USB 3.0 hub.

Thanks,
Paul

Carlo and Paul,

Just in case you didn't see this on the vArranger forum and for others with the SD1000 USB connection issue, someone posted a PDF file on how to fix the issue.

Chris