Jim Roseberry

Didn't like the feel of the Kontrol S-88 mk2. 

Compared to higher-end workstation keybeds, it feels cheap.

Polyphonic aftertouch and 30-lb weight make me want to try the mk3... but I don't have high hopes.

 

My favorite 88-key keybed (out of everything that currently exists) is the Nord Stage 4.

At ~40 pounds, the weight isn't terrible... but once in a case, it's about as heavy as I want to go (carting to gigs).

The Stage 4 has triple-sensor keybed... and channel-aftertouch (not polyphonic).

The keys have enough weight to play acoustic piano expressively... but sprite enough to play fast Moog type synth lines.

 

I can't imagine carting something like the Fantom-8 or Montage-8.

In a case, those are 80+ pounds.

That harkens back to the early 80s and hauling 100 pound Rhodes electric pianos.  🤪

Onboard UHD-770 is going to be fine for DAW purposes.

Where it'll fall short:

• Video Editing -  where you need a RTX video card for hardware-assisted processing/rendering
• Running multiple 4k monitors

Knew a beautiful young lady who had a bad drinking issue.

Most folks didn't know... because she hid it well.

She became very ill... to where her boyfriend finally took her to the hospital.

There was nothing doctors could do... her liver was gone.

Passed away at ~35 years old.

Several years later... still shake my head in disbelief... and wonder what her life might have been.

 

Dream Weaver was one of the very first songs where I remember thinking, "I love this song!"

RIP!!  

 

19 minutes ago, Starship Krupa said:

Also, turn Speed Step back on, along with all the other Intel features EXCEPT C-states.

You don't always want Speed Step and Speed Shift enabled (totally depends on the motherboard/CPU and the audio interface).

Will cause audio glitches with some configurations.

I used an Apollo 8 and Satellite for a few months (connected via Thunderbolt-3).

It was rock-solid.

Round-trip latency is about the same as the best USB-2 audio interfaces (not UA's forte').

Also, I didn't care for the onboard DI's. 

To my ears, they impart an exaggerated "tubby" type tone to DI guitar.

IMO, not flattering to the guitar (especially when using amp-sim plugins).

That's why I moved to an Antelope Orion Studio Synergy Core.

 

23 hours ago, Tony Carpenter said:

I do not argue they are different. And in fact I did own one solitary example of old school analogue, a Jupiter 6. Had to tune that baby before playing each time LOL. I think my point was, it really is about tactile responses. Which I get, just modern stuff along with a laptop and gazillion vsts have made them obsolete, just like virtual model amps. And yes, once you record, no one can tell the difference except in rare cases.

It's down to how picky you want to be, perhaps can afford to be, and how much inconvenience you can tolerate.   🤪

 

Though I went thru a recent period where I bought all the popular analog synth re-issues, I ultimately sold all of them but the new Model-D.

My focus of late has been more on playing live (vs writing/recording).  Had to rein-in the expense (and physical space) consumed by large analog synths.

 

IMO, There's a lot of room for improvement in all instruments (hardware and software).

Being in a cover-band, you've got to mimic many different sounds.  Programming all of those, you start bumping into the finer points (limitations, quirks, etc).

After hearing countless hours of my rambling about limitations, my wife was like... "Why don't you just design your own keyboard?"

Touché wife.

 

I've heard she's making 13 million per show.

The issue you may run into...

Sometimes high DPC Latency can be resolved via a driver update/roll-back... or disabling the device (if its driver is monopolizing the CPU).

Other times, solving DPC Latency issues requires tweaking BIOS parameters.

Many off-the-shelf motherboards don't expose the necessary parameters.

In this scenario, there's unfortunately no solution (short of swapping hardware).

On 8/21/2023 at 3:21 PM, Tony Carpenter said:

I think the funny part of this amazing display of separate pieces of hardware is that any decent workstation can do this all internally (almost).  I personally want to see what Yamaha do with the new Montage replacement. I love and won't be replacing my Montage 7, and a friend of mine is suffering with his Kronos 2s ( yes 2 of them). But it sure is cool to watch someone twiddling all those knobs and levers and worrying cables about. 

 

I'd liken the situation to Joe Bonamassa and tube guitar amps. 

Top-tier modeling/profiling guitar processors sound good and are far more convenient/cost-effective, but purists are always going to choose high-end tube amps. 

It's the same with Lisa Bella Donna and her analog synths.

 

Been a workstation keyboard user for decades.

Have owned most recent makes including Montage 7/8, Kronos 88, K2700, Fantom 7/8

If you're talking about authentic analog sounds... none of those workstations are going to satisfy a purist (Lisa Bella Donna).

 

Montage:

Analog type sounds are OK... but the filter and mono voice priority/articulation are not quite right.

ie:  On Foreigner's "Feels Like The First Time", there's the analog synth melody in the Bridge.

Montage can get in the ballpark... but something like the Nord Stage 3/4 VA Synth section gets a whole lot closer.

This is partly why I got rid of my Montage 7/8 keyboards (having used them for several years).

 

K2700:

UI is horrible.  

Programming VAST is a "vast" time-consumer.  Even a simple mono lead sound is super tedious to program.

The digital VAST filters don't sound anything like a Moog/Oberheim/Prophet Filter (compared side-by-side).

Portamento on the K2700 isn't smooth like what you'd find on an analog synth (One, Model-D, OB-X8, Prophet-10).

It's hard to put into words, but the algorithm is somehow skewed... and just sounds odd/wrong.

Nothing like "Ridin' The Storm Out" intro/outro where the pitch-glide is smooth/consistent.

I can't believe that got past beta-testing.

 

Kronos:

The modeled analog synth engines (~12 years old) still sound pretty-good...

But if you compare directly to a OB-8X, Prophet-10, Matriarch, Model-D... you'll likely be disappointed.

Kronos' greatest feature is its ability to stream samples directly from disk.

If you've ever tried loading your own samples into Kronos, it's fairly tedious.

With John Melas' Waveform Editor, it's much easier to get user-samples into Montage.

Kronos keyboard action (88 weighted) is one of my favorite.

 

Fantom:

The new Roland Fantom series has a great UI... and IMO some of the best sounding digital filters.

That said, if you use 3 or 4 partials (loosely the equivalent to an oscillator), you can quickly run out of polyphony and hear obvious voice-stealing.

This is when layering sounds... for songs like Here I Go Again (where you've got layers of acoustic piano, electric piano, synth pad, and a vocal type pad).

Montage and Kronos can pull more real-world polyphony.  Setting up a similar dense 4-part layer on either... you can't hear any voice-stealing.

Live, I often have a mic in one hand... and have to play with the other.  I need usable Aftertouch to add vibrato/etc.

Aftertouch on Fantom series takes massive pressure to initiate. It's more of an on/off switch (not a lot of subtle expression).

Getting user-samples into Fantom is slow/tedious.

Sold my Fantom 7/8 due to these reasons.

 

Certainly workstations have a lot of useful features that go way beyond the scope of re-issued analog synths.

Having owned the One, OB-X8, Prophet-10, Matriarch, etc... it would be nice to see modern appointments to bring these instruments more up-to-date.

Higher polyphony, onboard effects, more controllers, more extensive/flexible modulation, larger display, presets, etc.

 

Over several years, I found myself getting more frustrated with Montage acoustic pianos, electric pianos, organs, and analog type synth sounds.

Never had an issue with the UI, programming, or convenience. 

In fact, out of all workstations, Montage (until something else comes out) would still be my first choice.

On a lark, I tried a Nord Stage 3 (after seeing Toto), and the Stage 3 was strong in all the areas where I felt Montage was lacking.

Never ever thought I'd love using a "Stage Piano".

I'm making it sound like Montage is terrible.  It's definitely not.  I just grew more frustrated with its limitations... over a period of several years.

My needs as a player were expanding...

At 56, I appreciate that the 88-key Nord keyboards weigh ~40 pounds.

I know for sure that I'm not taking out a 60 pound keyboard... no matter what the brand/features/etc.   

 

I'm curious to see what Yamaha releases as Montage's successor.

IMO, It needs a dedicated VA Synth engine.

I'd like to see dedicated Piano, Organ, and Synth engines... each with separate polyphony.

Borrow some of what Nord is doing... but take it further.

 

 

 

8 hours ago, Colin Nicholls said:

Presonus Quantum 2626 checking in.

Only problem I've had so far is remembering to turn on its power before running Cakewalk.

Presonus Quantum was their first (IMO) great audio interface.

Rock-solid... and super low round-trip-latency

Later Quantum interfaces maintain that same level of performance.

5 hours ago, TheSteven said:

Hi Jim,

What sample rate do you have to use to get that latency?

Hi Steven,

Orion Studio Synergy Core's round-trip latency at 96k using a 32-sample ASIO buffer size is 1ms.

Takes a monster of a machine, but you can run some things (ToneX) with ASIO buffer size of 24-samples or even 16-samples.

Both of those settings yield sub 1ms round-trip-latency.

 

I prefer an audio interface that doesn't (itself) put a hard cap on lowest possible round-trip-latency.

Only (effective) limiting factor is the speed of the machine.

Been using an Antelope Orion Studio Synergy Core for a couple years.

Love it.

• Great fidelity
• Ultra low round-trip latency (sub 1ms)
• Good sounding onboard Preamps/DIs
• Onboard DSP for processing/routing/monitoring
• Proper re-amp outputs
• Rock solid performance

 

1 hour ago, Sal Sorice said:

Jim, I'll head over to your site later today and sign up for some consulting time - it will be well worth it!

Just responded via Email.

We'll get it squared away.

It's the configuration... not the video card.

I've got a Gigabyte RTX-3060 running in the machine sitting next to me (the one I'm typing on).

No DPC Latency issues.

 

I've used RTX video cards many times for both myself and many clients.

1 hour ago, Sal Sorice said:

Jim, is there a specific card you would recommend? I am not a gamer - this is a PC dedicated to Cakewalk. Need support for 3 monitors.

I tend to prefer Asus and Gigabyte.

8 minutes ago, HIBI said:

As far as I know, the MSI RTX 3060 VENTUS 2X 12G OC has a function called "ZERO FROZR" that automatically stops the fans completely at relatively low temperatures.

Some of the MSI cards do... but many do not stop the fans.

The MSI cards with semi-passive cooling tend to be slightly more expensive.

 

I've had many Zildjian cymbals over the past 40 years.

I understand paying a bit more for highest quality cymbals... and that they do sound fantastic.

I had a 20" K dry ride that sounded/recorded beautiful.  I believe I paid ~$300 for it (new).

Also had a 22" Paiste Signature series Dry Ride that was amazing.  It was maybe ~$500.

20 years ago, I bought a DW Edge Snare drum that was ~$1000.  Probably the best snare drum I've seen/heard.

I thought that was a crazy amount for a snare.   🤪

After the computer itself, the audio interface is the next most critical choice for a rock-solid DAW.

USB mics are not what you want for recording music.

• Dedicated audio interface with proper ASIO driver
• Your choice of dedicated microphone/s, preamps, etc

If you go with an audio interface that's proven to be rock-solid, you'll never give it a second thought.

Then, you can focus on things like the song, parts, performance.  😉

24 minutes ago, Sal Sorice said:

Any opinion on 60Hz versus 120Hz?

Generally speaking, faster is "better"... but I've never had an issue with 60Hz refresh.

 

I'm not a fan of many MSI video cards... as the fans aren't semi-passive.

Yes, you can control the speed... but that's not the same as dead-silent (not running).

If the fans/cooling don't support shutting fully off, you won't be able to do that with Afterburner.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/A40020--zildjian-limited-edition-400th-anniversary-vault-ride-cymbal-20-inch

 

I must really be getting old... but $2000 for a single cymbal?

I have no doubt it's amazing... but wow!

13 hours ago, Starship Krupa said:

One of the things that has put me off from the company is the apparent "in your face" snotty locker room bro attitude.

Naming the company "Cockos?" Calling their plug-in language "Jesusonic?" That indicates (to me) limp high school rebellion. People are supposed to outgrow that crap.

I have a hunch that you won't find many women working there.

Yeah, I was thinking the same.

I wouldn't avoid using Reaper due to the above... but it does make one do a double-take and a head-shake.

 

You find the same thing with Friedman Amps.

Pink Taco, Dirty Shirly, Brown Eye, Hairy Brown Eye, Small Box

I think Dave's amps are great (have owned several)... but the naming is a bit sophomoric.

26 minutes ago, Sal Sorice said:

What is the difference between the various "flavors" of the RTX cards? I'm looking at the RTX 3060 12GB GDRR6 card. Does it matter if it's branded MSI, EVGA, etc.? Is there a better option (RTX 3050, etc.)? I'm note well versed in the nuances of video cards. Not a gamer at all - this setup is strictly for Cakewalk.

I'd want to make sure the card has semi-passive cooling.

IOW, The fans won't run while you're working with DAW software (meaning it's completely silent).

Download drivers directly from Nvidia.

Brand itself isn't much of a concern.

 

Regarding using a TV as a monitor:

Make sure the TV doesn't suffer from excessive lag.

This will result in sluggish mouse movement/etc.

Whatever the display, make sure it can do 4k with at least a 60Hz refresh.  

Slower refresh (30Hz) can cause eye-strain headaches.  If you haven't suffered migraines, this is almost guaranteed to cause one.  🤪

I tend to favor dedicated video monitors... as these issues are moot.  You can even get "Smart Monitors" that have built-in TV Streaming.

I see Reaper as more of an engineer's tool than a music production tool.  

I tend to use Reaper for simpler projects (audio editing, learning songs, recording a VO for the wife, etc).

I gave up trying different Theme's years ago.  That rabbit-hole can burn hours of time... and doesn't seem to change much (anything?) function wise. 

 

Reaper is incredibly CPU efficient... and is particularly good for audio editing. 

The Item Editor is similar to Samplitude's Object Editor (lots of realtime control).

 

I'd actually like to see the "road plan" or stated development goals for v7.

 

 

1 minute ago, HIBI said:

I am planning to add an RTX 3060 12GB to my next new DAW PC, does that mean I should avoid it?
Or it doesn't matter if I don't care about ultra-low latency?

I'm saying you want to avoid AMD's latest video cards... especially if you're pushing the limits of ultra low latency audio performance.

I use Nvidia RTX cards in many builds... including two of my own.  They work just fine.

ie: A 13900k based machine (with RTX video card) can run IK's ToneX (similar to Kemper but in a plugin) at sub 1ms total round-trip latency.