Workstations (I need a good one to learn piano on)

[DIGITAL SCREAMS]

Guys, Ive come to realise that the next ?2000 I have lying around wont be going on a synth but needs to go on a workstation and music lessons. Ive been programming synths for 5 years and now I need to address the next hurdle......music theory (does that include composition? I hope so!) and performance. So what I need is a good professional workstation with a great onboard piano sound and realistic hammer action. I was tempted by the Roland Fantom X8 but have since gone off it......too many sucky reviews just dont instill confidence. So, now Im looking at the Motif ES8 and Triton Extreme88. Which of these two contenders would you guys most like to own. I figure since im not a pro pianist either of these boards would be good enough for me in terms of authentic sounds and feel. What do you reckon?

For some reason im drawn towards the Triton Extreme.....I dont know why....perhaps because its more widely used and I do like owning things that can be seen on TV from time to time (im shallow!). Are there any of you here who own a Triton Exteme?

Just as a side note I went to the Yamaha website to take a look at the Motif ES demo video....and I got to say its the MOST INTENSE SALES VIDEO ive ever seen :lol: . You guys should definitely check it out.....this man is intense....and heavy on those buttons....

INTENSE MOTIF ES VIDEO (http://www.yamaha-europe.com/yamaha_europe/download/movies/01_product_demos/Motif_ES/Motif_ES_english_v1_0_300k_wmv.wmv)

Any help or opinions plz - remember.....im after a good alround workstation....with realistic action and decent piano sound to practice on

Cheers

DS

[techno_7]

Go triton! :D The stock piano is a bit poor but overall i think its the best workstation of the two.

[Doc Jones]

hey ds, I am not sure if this will help or not. Both of those keyboards are really good, but I went about learning piano a little bit differently. I bought an 88 key weighted hammer action controller - a Studio Logics SL-880 and then went out and bought a Yamaha C7 sample set for my Kontakt sampler. The sound of the C7 is stunning and I get about 80 to 100 voices on my P4 3.0ghz machine (more than enough for most if not all piano pieces). The great thing is, that the C7 and the sl880 together cost about $700.00. Just a thought.

[Onkel Dunkel]

You should reconsider the Fantom X. It has great piano sounds (and a lot of other great sounds too of course). I have a Fantom X7 and i love it (of course i can?t say if the feel is good since only the X8 has hammer action keys)...

[DIGITAL SCREAMS]

Thx for your input. Its soul destroying......I looked up a Japanese site and Triton Extreme 88's cost the equivilent of ?975 out there. Here in UK they retail for ?1, 995. Hmmm......why does it cost a staggering ?1000 more in this rip-off country. Thx Tony Blair u bastard

DS

[Juho L]

Triton Extreme is ok, but some of the ROM samples are weak and a bit 90'shy (weird artifical sound). This actually means that to get all joy out of Triton Extreme you'll have to use the sampler board.

Motif ES8 is great, but has crappy orcestral sounds and acoustic pianos are bit weak. Also the touch of that keyboard seems a bit spongy, so it's not a hammer-action at all.

Fantom X8 would be the best option for piano's because it has the same hammer-action keyboard and piano samples as Roland SX-series stage pianos. It also has some interesting sampling features, which makes it very good for loop-munging. I'm not sure what kind of problems there have been with X-series. I have two friends with X-series synths and they haven't had any trouble (except one, who first had a faulty unit, which he traded instantly to a new one in the store).

[3o3]

I'd say Fantom X(x) aswell acctually.

Or if you are low on cash; Fantom Xa/Yamaha MOx (http://yamahasynth.com/products/mo/index.html - the new Motif ES "budget" workstation)

[SoundzplastikSurgeon]

How about Alesis Fusion ?

[Juho L]

How about Alesis Fusion ?

Ok package. Great VA-engine. Ok samplings with few pearls. A bit restricted UI. I'm not sure of the touch of the full size keyboard though. Could be the same as in QS8, which is average piano touch.

[Juho L]

Or if you are low on cash; Fantom Xa/Yamaha MOx (http://yamahasynth.com/products/mo/index.html - the new Motif ES "budget" workstation)

Yamaha MO8 could be a great investment, but alas the Yamaha piano sound is a bit weak - too bright and "steely".

But I would say that getting a stage piano wouldn't be a bad option either. Roland RD 300-SX is _awesome_ for its price. If you want more, with some extra you can get the RD 700-SX, which is more like a total stage workhorse easily competing with workstation solutions due its two SRX expansion slots.

[hatembr]

get a piano DS, nothing can sound like a real piano.
i am taking piano lessons too since 1 year, and used to do my trainings on GEM workstation and a Kurzweil K2600, but nah, it's not the same thing, that realistic hammer action and response cannot be emulated. So i decided to take a 2nd hand piano, not a Steinway tho, just a simple little descent piano i can train myself on.

[Juho L]

Acoustic piano is great, but it has one con: It really sounds clearly to a flat below. No problems if you live on a first floor, but if you have annoying neighbours below getting a piano can be a mistake.

[Doc Jones]

Acoustic piano is great, but it has one con: It really sounds clearly to a flat below. No problems if you live on a first floor, but if you have annoying neighbours below getting a piano can be a mistake.
good point. plus factor in the misery of trying to get an upright piano up a flight (or two) of stairs to your apartment!! Last week I got a couch stuck in a flight of stairs. We worked every angle for over an hour but to no avail. That is until one of my friends show up with a power saw. The couch finally made it in the apartment . . . minus four legs.

[Hollowcell]

The couch finally made it in the apartment . . . minus four legs.

Hey! That's just like many of the couches you can buy here in Japan. I've even seen recliner leather chairs that literaly are at ground height. :D

Now back to the Piano thread.....

I say buy a real one DS. If you have the space that is.

[Juho L]

Last week I got a couch stuck in a flight of stairs. We worked every angle for over an hour but to no avail. That is until one of my friends show up with a power saw. The couch finally made it in the apartment . . . minus four legs.

Sounds like a dilemma appearing in Douglas Adams' "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency". ?hih. Classic.

I really wouldn't recomment acoustic piano, unless DS is living in an own house, which I doubt.

Edit: It's always good to think the cons of the different solutions. Pros of the real piano are the sound and the touch, the rest is more or less a big con - Huge (hard to move around), can't play late due noise, requires mainetance from time to time (tuning), recording it is a nuisance...

That Roland RD-series stage would be a good option because it really has great touch, not a spongy, but hammer action keys. Also it's light as feather (easy to carry around to a other studio or even a band rehersals if DS ever ends up in one, you never know), recording is a breeze, also more great sounds in addition of the brilliant piano.

[Tomer=Trance]

If you dont intend to start giging right away,
you should consider a wigthed midi controler keyboard like fater or kurzvil and a piano module Vst plugin like steinberg's grand or NI's acustic piano.
i belive you might even get a better sound this way and will cost much cheaper.

[DIGITAL SCREAMS]

What is it about the FantomX8 that you guys think is appealing? Ive heard the action and piano patch ('Ulitmate grand') have the best feel and realism....but then I hear people complaining elsewhere.....awe what bugger.

Head fuck time

An acoustic pianop is out of the question for me......so I have to get a workstation (i want other sounds apart from piano too!). Still mulling this one over :(

DS

[Juho L]

What is it about the FantomX8 that you guys think is appealing? Ive heard the action and piano patch ('Ulitmate grand') have the best feel and realism....but then I hear people complaining elsewhere.....awe what bugger.

I've tried out the RD-300 SX. Great sound and touch. The best weighted keyboard I've played on.

Head fuck time

Sounds appealing, but no thanks at this moment.

An acoustic pianop is out of the question for me......so I have to get a workstation (i want other sounds apart from piano too!). Still mulling this one over :(

Yup. But hey, go and try out the workstations by yourself! There's no such workstation/keyboard that would have only positive reviews. One likes the daughter, other likes the mother, you see.

[Onkel Dunkel]

Acoustic piano is great, but it has one con: It really sounds clearly to a flat below. No problems if you live on a first floor, but if you have annoying neighbours below getting a piano can be a mistake.

I have NO problems playing piano. I hate the girl that lives in the flat below me. She comes home with 10-15 people shouting and being noisy and playing hip-hop all night long (her stereo is by the way right under our bedroom) on normal weekdays where people has to get up an go to work. This happens about once a week. Once i meashured about 70-75 Db in MY bedroom and 3 weeks ago they where partying until 13:30 in the afternoon and started fighting in the street about 12:00. One having blood all over his face. We have tried to tell them to turn it down about every time but that only help for half an hour. Them they turn it back up. Now we made a complain and they have turned it down a bit. Hope it lasts. So you can see why i can?t fell sorry for her when i?m playing on my piano...