Tim Smith

I should have known this when I ordered my last controller. It has synth keys. I thought I could work with it ok. I can if I make a few adjustments in the piano roll due to me hitting the keys too hard. I should have gone with weighted.

On Pianos- Disclaimer-These are all my own personal opinions and may not be supported by Scientific American or anyone else on the Cakewalk forum. I am reluctant to say this, well ok, not really. I think Korg has the worst pianos of any synth maker. Their dreamy piano patches and pads are nice for many mixes, but their pianos stand alone just suck IMHO. Especially compared to the other current offerings out there. I would NEVER be buying Korg for their piano sounds. IK pianos blow their britches right off, the Yamaha is to die for. I have all the pianos in Komplete, Addictive Keys. They seem to be hidden in programs everywhere since so many libraries have at least one or two pianos in them. I have several Spitfire pianos. I have the lowly bottom munchers in Korg M-1. Several other orchestral libraries that include a piano blah blah blah. This doesn't include the pianos in my hardware synths. The new felt piano in Cubase 12 Halion is a nice felt. Not anything extraordinary over the free felt Spitfire offers. Felt pianos seem to be a competitive market. Everyone went the other way after they heard the painful intensity of the Korgs. " We need something softer, my brain is still rattling". Big difference between a rompler and a sampled piano. My favorite piano so far was quite a surprise. This piano sounds very realistic and fits perfectly in many mixes. Also shines stand alone. The bad news is I'm not sure how healthy the company is and I think it's still VST2. As long as it works on my system I'll keep using it. The piano? The SONiVOX Eighty Eight. The thing about vst pianos in general is there are so many ways they can be manipulated to change their personality, so an initial impression of a sampled piano may not be the best impression. Always pays to play with the settings to get what you're after. I did play with the setting in the M-1 piano though. It's either cheesy, cheesier or cheesiest.

Yes I intended first world problems. Oh yeah scientific American. The be all end all source of all accurate information.

I hate to admit I've done it numerous times, but mostly on a keyboard, although the Mackie mixer I once carried to play had very easy PFL buttons to accidentally push. On Sunday I sometimes play modern worship music and this Sunday was one of those Sundays. The pre service music no one really hears so I guess maybe it's similar only hopefully those persons are not drunk. That was a good thing because they handed me a hand written bunch of jumbled mess I was supposed to decipher. It was written in two different keys with one key in parentheses, only they had become confused and put the other key in parentheses occasionally. I was shooting glances at the mandolin player next to me and he was shaking his head. He's a mostly ear player so I think he groked it by ear. For me it was G#minor 7th, B, F#minor and E. I was supposed to play synth pads to it. I never heard the song before and in a few minutes 300 people would be there not including the live stream. I managed to squeak through that one providing the low end I hit a few stinkers but no one seemed to notice. I think they blended just in an odd way. The rest of the set wasn't too bad but I was playing melody with the right hand on the fly and base chords on the left hand. No notes written down. No one else there was carrying melody but the vocalists, so not much holding it down. In that situation though people aren't really noticing musicians up front unless one of us does something really bad. They are looking at screens.On the stream we pick up the crowd singing so while we are not completely drowned out, we don't stick out. A few months ago I was playing next to a girl playing the violin. She went to exit the stage, tripped on a mic cord and fell. I was offering to help her up, but she jumped up as if nothing ever happened. I seen a few grins. Must have looked funny. Yesterday I was wearing a button up shirt with no under shirt on. I happened to look down and the button right where my huge hairy belly button is was unbuttoned. I am so glad I caught that before I went up front.

I can only offer my opinion here. The only people I see building micro PC are those who want a very basic computer to control something in industry( a step up from Rasberry pi) or live keyboard players using soft synth rigs. While a person can make a very fast and capable micro, it isn't as easy to do. I never seen any advantage for one in the studio, especially given what can be obtained for larger form factors is often much more capable. Add in often better heat removal and it's a no brainer for me to go larger unless something smaller was a requirement for some reason.

Sometimes it's better all around to simply start over with a fresh OS load. There are great deals on Windows Pro or if your computer came with an OS disk maybe use it if funds are low. I have paid under 30.00 for new OS. I evaluate who I bought all my software and plug ins from and start out fresh so you can use all of that again. I suspect if the computer was bought used online, there could be suspect things on the drive. I'm not sure I would trust it. It doesn't seem you have had the computer for very long so maybe starting fresh is the answer. Going with a pro version of Windows has advantages over using a home version. I was a fan of Acronis for a long time although I never had to use them thankfully. When they went to a more subscription cloud based approach I started looking elsewhere. I might be looking at Macrium as a replacement since it gets such good reviews here. I see nothing wrong with an inexpensive platter drive as a backup drive. The way I figure it, if you unplug it in between backups it isn't running so it isn't wearing. For anyone who is concerned, at sale prices buy two and have backups on both of them. If one fails you have the other. One unplugged should be fine for a very long time unless it was a dud to start with. The C drive is the drive that has the most frequent changes on it for me. This means the other drives on my computer that contain mostly sound libraries don't need to be backed up as often unless you just bought a new library.

Given your strict requirements for a keyboard I think it's going to be difficult to find one that checks all the boxes for you. If you are willing to compromise then maybe there are more choices. Like @InstrEd I bought the Casio PX-5S. It has a nice weighted key bed and great piano sounds. I am certain the organ part of it would not make you happy. The small screen and unintuitive menus mean it isn't the kind of a keyboard you would want to spend time with in the studio messing with programming, but that isn't the main draw for this board. In much the same way Behringer didn't do itself any favors when people see the name, I seen Casio similar. They have upped their game though in that segment of the market and the PX5 has some nice very usable sounds in it. I paid like 895.00 for it on sale and the vendor threw in a free pair of Samson monitors. If it falls off the stand and breaks, if someone spills a drink on it, if it gets stolen. I'm not out a lot of money compared to a Motif or higher end Korg. And surprisingly it is a fairly well made board. Casio made a few trade offs that didn't really hurt it if you're a stage player using bread and butter sounds, and at about 25 lbs I can throw it under one arm and walk out with it. Before that I was using the 88 key m-audio controllers with a laptop. Adding a laptop to the PX-5 opens up a whole other world of sound. That keyboard has a space on top that you could velcro one. A small laptop would do it. I am cheap though and I never seen the need to go upper end on a keyboard, so I have controllers and a Roland. As you probably know, playing to a crowd of half drunk bar patrons in a noisy environment, the only one who is going to hear the nuances of those sounds is you. You just need something that cuts in the PA and sounds sorta like a Hammond. The PX-5 is passable IMHO. Your bar is higher though, so maybe you demand more playing live. For me, recording in the studio is a different thing. I am more demanding there. Not as demanding playing live in noisy spaces with unconcerned people all around.

It was slightly frustrating but I tell myself these are third world problems. Thanks for your help. I downloaded software pass installer pass prior. Makes me wonder how something that could be so simple ends up being so convoluted?? Reminds me of the problem space astronauts had with a writing device in space. The US wanted to spend 1 million researching a special device. The Russians used a pencil.

To maybe clear up a few misconceptions. Yes there are some strumming patterns mapped to keys. This is in addition to several parts of the library that are not mapped in this way and play same as any other library. As @PavlovsCat mentions there might be limitations. I haven't dug extremely deep into it yet. The looped strumming patterns are in several tempos that can be synced to your DAW. The library has several different players using similar but different techniques. Since I sometimes play a real guitar in DADGAD I really like some of these selections for the types of music I plan to make. The sounds come with what I would describe as a light touch that can be intensified using their built in controls. Sounds can go from soft to bright. Default is light. Almost a nylon string sound, but I think it's a steel string Martin. I might be wrong. I am doing some hard drive house cleaning and I just bought a 5tb drive. Otherwise I would have thought twice about the almost 10gb size. As it stands I have plenty of room for it. There are many libraries that might sub for what this one does. For me it fits a narrow pocket that works for me. YMMV.

I still have the coupon codes. When I attempt to use them it says I am already registered and can't use the codes again. I take the migration code, go to Korg ID, use that code on their purchase page as the instructional video indicated. Says I already used the code. They are correct. I used it before when I migrated in 2018. Probably something I could clear up with an email, but like the BFD snafu I don't have the time for it right now. Maybe later. Until then I have plenty of synths. My existing Korg products are indeed updated, in my computer. These are apparently Japanese products same as the original hardware. I'm guessing they might have subbed someone out to handle English operations hence the British accented instructional video. I'm guessing things somehow were misplaced or lost between websites which for me, isn't a very good way to start off with new Korg products.

It's $6.00 ? Might qualify as one of the world's cheapest EQ's.

Yeah his bird is so free it left the coup.

Sounds like similar situations I have been in where I stop and ask myself- Why am I doing this? I must have had good vibes about it, although I have done things when I had iffy vibes. 100% of the time the iffy vibes should have been an alert to me, but I kept talking myself out of it. I have had someone who has been trying to get me to join a band recently. He goes on and on about it. One of those guys who just overloads his space, seems like he's trying to win a battle of the conversations when really people just walk away because he might as well be talking to a wall. Like I always do, I sat and evaluated the situation. If it had been 10 miles away and they were playing local gigs the scales would probably have tilted slightly in favor of me doing it, but the practices were 30 miles away and the gigs much further. I still have a day job so no banana. Doesn't stop this guy from contacting me periodically and attempting to talk me into it. I say no every time. Once I did ask him if maybe they would consider moving the practices closer. " No we just can't do that". OK. I can't join either.

Yeah I get that, but I don't have the old bundle so if they want my business I need an incentive. I'm not paying 199.00 for Triton Ain't happening to day or tomorrow. Even though I've migrated my products to the new updated formats My KORG ID doesn't see those products. I would think that even if they aren't offering a deal to singles buyers at this time, they should still be aware I migrated back in 2018 and have my products listed in KORG ID. Their loss.

I have already completed the migration back in 2018. The problem is I only have MDX, M-1 and Wavestation. Originally I never went with the whole collection so apparently I can't get a coupon to update to the whole collection. Their whole process is very clunky going between multiple pages to get a coupon to update. I am listed on the Korg ID site. I'll try to get back there and see if there is a deal for me. I SHOULD get something as a long time customer who has several of their products. I had the original M-1 in hardware. The software version is spot on. I imagine the Triton is too. The Triton is really the only one I had my eyes on. As others have mentioned. Most of us are loaded to the gills with synths. If they made the process more straight forward I still might pull the trigger, but if I get all muddled in another multi page circle jerkle. Forget it. Sorry I guess I just don't have the time or the patience for this.

Where can I get a Peter Pan hat like that? Not. I know I know. I was supposed to be getting the point of the video but I couldn't get around the hat and the way those chicks looked around the eyes in black and white.

The read this- "Best heard through decent speakers or headphones", and go for the powerful sound goodness in their laptop. Oh yeah......feel the power.

HERE Guitar sounds very nice.

They have me in the database on the new Korg site as having registered in 2018. That was when I carried over to the new web site from the old web site. My products and offers do not show up. They say I haven't purchased any products. That's odd. I seem to have them all on my hard drive and registered.

Why does the M-1e qualify for Collection 3 at 149.00 while the M-1 doesn't? Or did I miss something?

Hey Lee, We pretty much have the same computer! I post on FB some but am getting away from it because 99% of those who listen to my material are listening on a cell phone. What's the point of mixing if everyone is using a smart phone speaker? It's a little disappointing to hear something you literally spent many hours making on a smart phone, unless they use decent buds. I'm an older guy too, and I'll admit turning my age bothers me a little bit. Many people look at a number though and figure that because of that number it's time to give up. If we focus on what we can do, what we are capable of instead of a number, we will have greater success. Here is something to think about I pulled from the web- An extensive study in the U.S. found that the most productive age in human life is between 60-70 years of age. The second most productive stage of the human being is from 70-80 years of age. The third most productive stage is from 50-60 years of age. There might be a few exceptions to this most notably in the political arena. Did I just say that?

Good deal on this one as a storage drive. Thanks cclarry.

Very true. Sometimes it's possible to be good and not do things the way the teacher tells you to do them. While I don't consider myself to be a wonderful keyboardist I can pretty much play anything I have wanted to play if I worked at it. This was with only a handful of piano lessons, a bunch of how to reading, watching how others did it and a little music theory. Most of it was simply playing the thing which made me better at it. I'm somewhere in between a session musician and a taught pianist. I say that because a session musician just walks in and plays something. He or she has it all up there in their grey matter. They have good enough chops and know enough theory to play things on the spot. With a little effort I can pull that off decently. I have played at churches where chord charts are often a thing. You might walk in expecting to play it in D and due to vocal limitations they moved it to F. Now F is related to Bb. I guess in jazz they are all related. If my grey matter can make a fast calculation and I write the new chords down I can generally do it, but unlike a session musician I can't do it instantly on the fly all the time, especially with flatted keys. Yeah you can cheat if you have a midi keyboard that transposes and a guitarist can capo. My biggest issue, and the reason I wish I had taken more piano lessons with cranky old piano teachers is I never learned to read bass clef fast. This has really hurt me in trying to sing written tenor parts because tenor is often written in bass clef. A person should learn an instrument the right way if possible and if you self train you won't learn the right way period. Usually trying to take a short cut will come back to bite you. Jimi played his guitar strung backwards. We had a player here who tuned his electric to C and was an ace player. He practiced a lot. So yeah there are exceptions, but that's mostly all they are. The reason we train professionally is because others who are wiser and learned the best ways to play preserved that information for us to hopefully learn from and save years of headaches. In my case I couldn't afford piano lessons way back then so I did the best I could with what I had, however there was a price to pay for learning it the wrong way. I can play but I could have played better. I'm learning to play the violin now 8 years into it. I looked for experienced people to teach me who would teach me the right way. There are plenty of good violinists who 'cheat' too, but they miss out on so much because they are limiting themselves. This time around I want to learn an instrument the way it was intended to be learned. I will probably die learning this instrument, but I'm beginning to get to a level now that I like to play and I can tolerate it. This instrument has a very sequential learning process. IOW You DON'T EVER skip steps because you need the earlier foundations. This is probably true with most instruments. This once frustrated me because I would show my teacher I could do something at a higher level thinking she would be impressed. Nope. Sure I was playing it, but if I had learned to play it that way it would have held me back. My .000002

I hope accordian players here know it's all in fun. We jest about drummers and bass players too. I actually like some accordian music. I haven't been for therapy about that yet. There are different types of accordians ( if you didn't already know). Being a keys player, I have fancied giving one a try.