Mixdown Magazine - November #247 Keys Special

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Hot at your fingertips this month is our annual Keys Special! Yes, it’s that time of the year to explore the latest in keyboards, including both studio and stage pianos, as well as the impressively evolving world of synthesisers. If you thought this was all, you are deeply mistaken. We have also covered a range of MIDI controllers, which have recently become more prevalent in live shows, and serves as a great tool for studio use.

Whether you are contemplating upgrading your current set-up, or a beginner looking to get started on the keys for the first time, our team of experienced pianists have compiled an impressive guide that is sure to take the weight off your next purchase. So put those hands to good use and flip through this month’s special, then head down to your local retailer and try them out for yourself!

DISTRIBUTION DETAILS ELECTRIC FACTORY - (03) 9474 1000 www.elfa.com.au PRO AUDIO GROUP (AUSTRALIA) - (02) 9521 4844 www.proaudiogroup.com.au YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA - (03) 9693 5111 au.yamaha.com

M-AUDIO KEYSTATION49 MIDI CONTROLLER KEYBOARD PRODUCT TYPE: USB KEYBOARD CONTROLLER DISTRIBUTOR: PRO AUDIO GROUP (AUSTRALIA)

SPECS:

RECOMMENDED FOR: This keyboard is perfect for the home recording beginner who wants to add a simple MIDI controller to their basic setup. Being lightweight, it can also serve as a useful live performance tool when you need to keep you gear to a minimum.

SOUND AND TONE: With the included Sonivox Eighty Eight Ensemble software package, you get a really good replica of a Steinway 9 foot piano right at your fingertips Running off the simple presets in this software without even delving deep into it, you can hear how good this piano emulation sounds.

PLAYABILITY: It’s a bit of a shame this is only a 49 key instrument as you get an 88 key software instrument to go with it, but that aside, it is easy enough to navigate. Jumping up or down an octave or two is simple with the buttons located above the pitch and modulation wheels.

PG. 38 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

CONSTRUCTION: A lightweight, simple build with very little that can go wrong in it. All the buttons respond well, the pitch wheel is a little slow to return, but aside from that, it is pretty darn good considering the price.

OVERALL: At the end of the day, you are getting a $150 dollar software instrument for the price, which means you are essentially getting an amazing keyboard controller for free when you register your software. So, what’s to complain about? For me, this is just a nobrainer; if you simply need some keys in your setup for playing or recording, this will be the perfect, affordable purchase.

NO. OF KEYS: 49 full size, velocity sensitive keys.

SIZE: 195mm (W) x 810mm (H) x 75mm (D) WEIGHT: 2.1kg MIDI CAPABILITY: USB only. iOS compatibility using the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit (sold separately) CONTROLS: Pitch bend, modulation and octave controls.

Basic transport controls included to control your favourite DAW POWER: USB powered BUNDLED SOFTWARE OR ACCESSORIES: Includes Ableton Live Lite, SONiVOX Eighty-Eight Ensemble, a virtual piano instrument that captures a 9-foot CD327 Steinway piano, AIR Music Tech Xpand!2, a multitimbral all-in-one workstation.

M-AUDIO OXYGEN49 MIDI CONTROLLER KEYBOARD

RRP: $279.99

PRODUCT TYPE: USB KEYBOARD CONTROLLER DISTRIBUTOR: PRO AUDIO GROUP (AUSTRALIA)

PLAYABILITY: The layout of all the controllers here is a pretty standard affair.

Let’s face it, there’s a formula for how most electronic musicians like to work with their controller keyboards, and M-Audio have delivered it to a tee.

RECOMMENDED FOR: As both a live performance keyboard and as a studio production tool, the Oxygen 49 offers a wide range of features to ensure you get whatever task you have at hand completed.

SOUND AND TONE: Bundled with Sonivox TWIST synthesizer software and Ableton Live Lite, you get a great range of sounds from the Oxygen without even needing anything on your computer beforehand.

The Sonivox VST is a really wild sounding soft-synth that’s quite unlike anything else.

CONSTRUCTION: Although housed in a plastic chassis, there seems nothing wrong with the way this keyboard has been put together. The drum pads are tough and responsive, the faders don’t stick at all and the keyboard itself feels nice enough with a slight springy action.

OVERALL: All things considered, this is one hell of a controller for the price point. M-Audio has done well to produce this unit and keep it valued where it is. You could say the Sonivox inclusion more than covers the cost with what you get out of that even before you take into consideration the keyboard itself.

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 49 fullsize, velocity sensitive.

SIZE: 814mm (W) x 94mm (H) x 243mm (D) WEIGHT: 2.9kg MIDI CAPABILITY: USB only.

CONTROLS: 8 velocity-sensitive trigger pads, 8 assignable knobs, 9 assignable faders, transport controls for your DAW. Pitch bend, modulation, and octave controls. DirectLink automatically maps controls to popular DAWs: Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, and more.

POWER: USB powered only.

BUNDLED SOFTWARE OR ACCESSORIES: Includes Ableton Live Lite, SONiVOX Twist, a powerful spectral morphing synthesiser and AIR Music Tech Xpand!2, a multitimbral all-in-one workstation.

YAMAHA CP4 STAGE PIANO

RRP: $2999

PRODUCT TYPE: STAGE PIANO DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

PLAYABILITY: The wooden keys feel very much like a grand piano under your fingers. In fact, without going from one to another straight away, it is hard to tell that this is in fact a keyboard, and not a traditional piano. The response you get from the keys, and the way they are so precisely balanced up and down the 88 notes is faultless.

RECOMMENDED FOR: This is it when it comes to live performance in a stage piano. The CP4 is perfect for use on stage, or even in the studio when you simply want to rehearse, play live or record with great feel and high quality sounds.

SOUND AND TONE: The voices used in the CP4 are astounding. They are the best piano voices I have heard from Yamaha to date, especially the grand piano. They have so much expression and added detail in a way Yamaha have captured the multi-sample sounds.

CONSTRUCTION: For what seems to be a very heavy unit at first glance, as has been the case with so many stage pianos before this, the CP4 is incredibly light for what it offers. Further to that, I love the XLR outputs on the rear for running direct into a PA system without the need of additional DI boxes.

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 88-key natural wood graded hammer action.

SIZE: 1332mm (W) x 161mm (H) x 352mm (D) WEIGHT: 17.5kg NO. OF PROGRAMMABLE SOUNDS: 433 voices INBUILT EFFECTS: Yamaha Virtual Circuitry Modelling effects MIDI CAPABILITY: MIDI Input / Output RECORD FUNCTION: Audio recording to USB memory stick.

FOOT CONTROLLER INCLUDED: Yes BUNDLED SOFTWARE OR ACCESSORIES: N/A

OVERALL: If you want quality grand piano and electric piano sounds on stage, it is hard to look past this keyboard. I had my favourites in the past, but they were all too heavy, Yamaha has set a new standard in stage pianos with the CP4.

PG. 39 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

YAMAHA MOXF8 SYNTHESIZER WORKSTATION

RRP: $2299

PRODUCT TYPE: PRODUCTION SYNTHESIZER DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

PLAYABILITY: This keyboard is a dream to play. It has the Yamaha Graded Hammer Standard action in the weighted keys, which feel very much like a real piano keyboard. Working with the sequencer and voice selection is simple and easy too, allowing for complex sounds to be developed with ease.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Music producers and live performers who want a serious tool with a rock solid synth engine and a workstation interface will love this keyboard. It should be found in every production studio the world over, as working with this synthesizer is so great it will change your entire workflow.

SOUND AND TONE: The flagship MOTIF synth engine is behind the MOXF8, with PCM sampled sounds, Yamaha Mega-Voices as well as synthesizer modelling voices. There is very little this keyboard cannot do. The electric piano sounds are to die for.

CONSTRUCTION: This is a big, heavy synthesizer due to the weighted keys, but that is unavoidable given the nature of an 88 note keyboard. That said, the case is rock solid and houses the keyboard so it’s ready for use not only in the studio, but out on the road too.

OVERALL: Anyone who likes the sounds in an MX, MOX or MM synth is going to go ape for this beast. It takes everything that Yamaha has been working on in synthesizer development in recent years and packages it all into one monster of a keyboard. Put simply, I want one and so will you.

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 88-key graded hammer standard SIZE: 1320mm (W) x 168mm (H) x 405mm (D) WEIGHT: 14.9kg SOUND: Digital recreations of pianos, EPs, strings, winds, orchestral textures, guitars, basses, drums, vintage and modern synth sounds. 1,152 presets + 72 drum kits POLYPHONY: 16 part multi timbral and 128-note polyphony FILTER: 18 digital filter models ARPEGGIATOR: 7,981 arpeggiator patterns and 4-part interactive arpeggio engine SEQUENCER: 16 track MIDI sequencer SAMPLING: N/A INBUILT EFFECTS: 97 Yamaha Virtual Circuitry Modelling effects MIDI CAPABILITY: Full MIDI CC spec, MIDI Input /Output/Thru jacks and MIDI over USB. PC INTEGRATION: Bi-directional USB Audio/MIDI DAW interfacing BUNDLED SOFTWARE/ACCESSORIES: USB cable, Steinberg Cubase AI

YAMAHA MX61 SYNTHESIZER

RRP: $949.99

PRODUCT TYPE: SYNTHESIZER DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

PLAYABILITY: The beauty of this instrument is that you can use it in your studio as a MIDI controller keyboard and make use of all the controls found on the device in you software. You can also record the audio from the MX61’s engine direct into Cubase for a lossless quality in the sound.

RECOMMENDED FOR: This keyboard is a real hybrid that tackles a range of uses very well. It acts as a controller keyboard for your DAW, but it also works as a stand-alone synth with a great range of sounds.

CONSTRUCTION: Built into a similar frame as the older Yamaha MOX series of keyboard synthesizers, but this time with a dark finish. You can be sure that even though it is a lightweight case, it will still kick on for many years of live and studio use.

SOUND AND TONE: With piano and synthesizer sounds taken from the MOTIF sound library, this simple keyboard has a great range of sounds to audition. It is easy to navigate through the sounds too, with 16 category buttons enabling you to break down the sound library and find what you need fast.

OVERALL: I love how this keyboard ticks the boxes in a number of categories.

This is the perfect choice for anyone who is unable to decide between getting a hardware synthesizer or a MIDI controller keyboard. It does both, and integrates their capabilities as well.

Best of all, this is all done with a MOTIF engine inside.

PG. 40 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 61 semi-weighted, velocity sensitive keys SIZE: 984mm (W) x 112mm (H) x 299mm (D) WEIGHT: 4.8kg SOUND: Yamaha MOTIF XS series digital sound engine realistic acoustic sounds like piano, electric piano, strings and drums to complex 8-element synth sounds. 1106 presets.

POLYPHONY: 16-part multi-timbral and 128-note polyphony FILTER: Digital filter models ARPEGGIATOR: Yes, seperate arpeggiator for each performance voice SEQUENCER: 16 track MIDI sequencer INBUILT EFFECTS: Reverb x 9 types (42 presets), chorus x 17 types (88 presets), insertion effect x 48 types (267 presets) x 4, master EQ (5 bands) MIDI CAPABILITY: Full MIDI CC spec, MIDI Input /Output jacks and MIDI over USB. PC INTEGRATION: Bi-directional USB Audio/MIDI DAW interfacing BUNDLED SOFTWARE/ACCESSORIES: Steinberg Cubase AI

YAMAHA P255 DIGITAL PIANO

RRP: $2199

PRODUCT TYPE: STAGE PAINO (WITH INBUILT SPEAKERS) DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

PLAYABILITY: With Yamaha’s GH graded keyboard, the lower keys are slightly heavier than the high keys to give the key-bed a more natural feel, just as would be the case when playing a real piano and having to drive hammers of different weights.

RECOMMENDED FOR: This digital piano from Yamaha is ideal for anyone who wants to play piano at home but doesn’t have the budget, nor the space for a real upright or grand piano. From beginners to advanced piano players, this is a worthy instrument.

SOUND AND TONE: With the use of four separate speakers housed atop and behind the cabinet, you get a full and natural sound from this digital piano. The internal sound bank is taken from some of Yamaha’s best piano sounds and compliments the speakers perfectly.

CONSTRUCTION: With Yamaha build quality and reliability, this keyboard is yet another example of a well-made instrument that has been designed to last well beyond the user’s needs.

OVERALL: Moving up from Yamaha’s lower priced digital pianos, the P-255 is an excellent piano for those looking for a better feeling keybed and higher quality sounds. This is an ideal home piano for a range of uses.

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 88-key graded hammer (GH) keyboard with synthetic Ivory keytops SIZE: 1333mm (W) x 148mm (H) x 351mm (D) WEIGHT: 17.3kg SOUND: Pure CF sound engine - 24 presets divided into grand piano, electric piano, organ, clavinet/vibraphone and others.

POLYPHONY: 256 voices INBUILT EFFECTS: EQ, sound boost, chorus, phaser, rotary speaker, tremelo, auto-pan, reverb (Room, Hall1, Hall2, Stage) INBUILT SPEAKERS: 2 x 15W amps power round speakers with built in tweeters RECORD FUNCTION: 10 song, 2 track recording (MIDI), Audio (16 Bit, 44.1Khz, Stereo) RHYTHM TRACKS: 10 preset rhythm tracks + metronome.

BUNDLED SOFTWARE OR ACCESSORIES: Includes music rest and sustain pedal, free P-255 Controller App (iOS) available to download (requires i-UX1 connector)

YAMAHA TYROS 5 ARRANGER WORKSTATION

RRP: $7495

PRODUCT TYPE: WORKSTATION AND PERFORMANCE KEYBOARD DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

PLAYABILITY: With so much going on with the Tyros 5, it’s actually surprisingly simple to navigate around the front panel. Selecting voices, changing styles, adding patterns and recording are all a logical process as the intuitive layout works with the player and not against them.

RECOMMENDED FOR: For professional music producers and performers, this is the ideal workstation to give you all the tools you want within one unit. Ideal for house of worship installations to provide complete musical solutions.

SOUND AND TONE: The Tyros 5 features the pinnacle of Yamaha’s sound libraries complete with their Mega-Voice sounds that make these Yamaha keyboards so desirable. The level of multi-sampling that is involved with these voices gives them so much depth and clarity.

CONSTRUCTION: As this is the flagship model workstation from Yamaha, it’s been built to a very high quality. I have used these keyboards on a number of occasions and never felt there to be any issue with the build quality in both the keyboard or the optional speakers.

OVERALL: Tyros is obviously not the keyboard for everyone. Being a workstation of such design, it is ready to suit specific users and will meet their needs with plenty to spare, Additional upgrades in sounds and styles can tailor the Ttyros to suit your specific musical needs. This is the real deal, professionals only need apply.

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 76 weighted keys, with initial touch + aftertouch SIZE: 1347mm (W) x 142mm (H) x 450mm (D) WEIGHT: 16kg POLYPHONY: 16-Part multi timbral and 128-note polyphony SOUND: Acoustic emulation and accompaniment emulation piano, electric paino, organ (+Organ World), ensemble voice. AWM stereo sampling. 1279 presets + 480 XG Voices + 37 Drum/SFX Kits INBUILT EFFECTS: 892 variations of reverbs, chorus’, compressors, EQs, noise gates, distortion,vocal harmony effects, vocoders and other vocal effects + virtual circuit modeling recreating vintage effects units MIDI CAPABILITY: MIDI A I/O, MIDI B I/O SAMPLING: Custom voice SEQUENCER: 16 track MIDI sequencer + multi-track audio playback RECORD FUNCTION: Recording time (max.) 80 minutes, recording format .wav (WAV format: 44.1 kHz sample rate, 16 bit resolution, stereo). 500GB hard disk PG. 41 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

NORD LEAD 4 PERFORMANCE SYNTHESIZER

RRP: CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER

PRODUCT TYPE: PERFORMANCE SYNTHESISER DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

PLAYABILITY: This keyboard has been cleverly designed to ensure quick and easy use on stage for maximum results. Program recalling is simple and allows for you to access the sounds you want, when you want them. Added performance features like the Hold and Morph functions allow you to create great soundscapes with this unit.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Live performances when a range of wild synth sounds are needed. If you want to make an impact on stage both visually and aurally, then you really can’t go past the red case that signifies a Nord is in the house.

SOUND AND TONE: The engine within the Lead 4 is nothing short of exemplary. It has that classic Nord sound, with the ability to twist and tweak every aspect on the fly to build your own unique tone.

CONSTRUCTION: Like any red keyboard out there, these Nords are designed to be taken out on the road and return time after time. Beautifully adorned and built to take the rigours of liver performance, these keyboards are all they claim to be.

OVERALL: Aside from the pitch bend and modulation controls (I’ve never been a fan of Nord’s interpretation of these), there is nothing else I can fault on this keyboard. It looks smart, sounds great, and works a treat. This is the next generation in the development of the Nord Lead and it lives up to everything its predecessors would expect of it.

NORD LEAD A1 ANALOG MODELLING SYNTHESIZER

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 49 velocity sensitive keys SIZE: 864mm (W) x 94mm (H) x 272mm (D) WEIGHT: 5.3 kg SOUND: Subtractive synthesizer with 2 oscillators per voice. All the classic waveforms are present, Saw, Square, Sine, Triangle, Pulse and PWM + 128 wavetables on OSC 1. 396 presets.

POLYPHONY: 20 note polyphony FILTER: 12, 24 and 48 dB low-pass filters + high-pass and bandpass filters. Transistor and diode ladder filter simulations of classic analog filters ARPEGGIATOR: classic arpeggiator with up/down, random and poly chord over a 4-octave range. 4 arpeggios can be run at the same time INBUILT EFFECTS: 5 effects in chain (bit crush, overdrive, talk effects, compressor, comb filter) plus delay or reverb MIDI CAPABILITY: Fully spec’d MIDI CC and SYS EX + MIDIclock. MIDI I/O jacks + USB BUNDLED SOFTWARE OR ACCESSORIES: Nord Sound Manager Software

RRP: CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER

PRODUCT TYPE: ANALOGUE MODELLING SYNTHESISER DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

PLAYABILITY: The soft action of the key-bed makes for a fast playing keyboard that lends itself well to the style of instrument this is. With all the controls on the left side of the case, you can comfortably tweak with your left hand, whilst still playing with your right.

RECOMMENDED FOR: The studio producer who is looking for that Nord sound. It brings the control and precision of a digital synth in line with the tone and freedom of an analog device to deliver a powerful production tool.

SOUND AND TONE: Aside from all the obvious stuff going on under the hood, including the amazing pre-set sounds included, what really deserves a mention is the filter section. A band pass, high pass and four different low pass filters with Drive, Resonance and Frequency control that all scream and give this synth real character.

PG. 42 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

CONSTRUCTION: Built to the exacting standards you would expect of a Nord, this model does away with the wooden end caps in place of a slightly less bold metal plate. This makes it a slightly smaller footprint, perfect for squeezing into an already overcrowded studio where sound, not image, is the most important element.

OVERALL: Nord don’t make a huge range of instruments, but what they do make is great quality, and the Lead A1 is no exception, a brilliant studio synth that will still hold its own on any stage.

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 49 velocity sensitive keys SIZE: 802mm (W) x 260mm (D) x 92mm (H) WEIGHT: 4.85kg SOUND: Oscillator models of multiple waveforms (traditional analog, extended analog, pulse waveforms, real-time algorithmical waveforms with additive, FM and formant synthesis). 400 presets POLYPHONY: 26 note polyphony, 4 part multi-timbral FILTER: 12 and 24 dB low-pass filters + high-pass and band-pass filters. Transistor and diode ladder filter simulations of classic analog filters.

ARPEGGIATOR: classic arpeggiator with up/down and random.

INBUILT EFFECTS: 6 effects in chain (flanger, phaser, ring modulation, chorus, ensemble and drive) plus delay and reverb for each timbre MIDI CAPABILITY: Fully spec’d MIDI CC and SYS EX + MIDIclock. MIDI I/O jacks + USB BUNDLED SOFTWARE OR ACCESSORIES: Nord Sound Manager Software