Your help about 88-key synth...

[Warrel]

Hi to everyone... I'd like to make some questions about a new synth. I can spend around 2000 Euros and I would prefer something with 88 keys.
I'd like to have nice sounds (especially piano and strings) and to have the possibility to load and create some new sounds too. A built in sequencer would be another advantage. I know that in this price category I don't have many choises in synths with 88 keys that's why I don't exlude a 76 key synth if it is quite better... Until now I am between
Korg Triton LE 88, Yamaha S90, Kurzweil PC..X and Roland XV-88...
And 2 more questions, what are the differnces between PC 1X and 2X? The XV-88 can be found new or it's production has stopped?
Your opinion will matter to me because most of you know many useful things and have more experience than me. Thank you a priori!!!

[Axe2Grind]

I think in your situation, I'd go for either a Roland Fantom S88 or Yamaha Motif8, both of these boards have been superceeded by newer models (Motif 8ES and Fantom X88) So I reckon you could pick one of these up for around what you want to pay as the shop's would want to get rid of these models to make way for the newer models, but you'd probably need to wait a bit long before prices crash.All the other models you mentioned do not have sequencers although I think the S90 comes with some bundled sequencing software for PC/MAC.
I'm not too clued up on Kurzweil, but I'd say production has stopped on the XV88, Motif8 and S88 as all have been superceeded.

[Deceit]

Well...
-I have never had much feeling with Yamaha...I mean, ok, nice action and wtf, but I don't like the Motif engine...(but if it was a present I wouldn't refuse at all)...btw I heard a lot of positive comments on S90 so it's up to you (and you alone...(yet another quote)...).
-Kurzweil PC*X are as far as I know performance controllers with built-in pre-sampled sounds and I think it's not possible even to edit them. So they work like good weighted master keyboards but if I was in for a master, I'd surely go for an Oberheim MC2000.
-Korg Triton Le 88 fixes the piano sample from the past TLEs, but for acoustic sounds, it's just hard working with a Triton. I mean, I took out a dark classical piano but it was a huge work with two EQ FX I have set up with the help of Goddess Luck. So it was kind of a coincidence (I can't believe, as my childhood dreams slowly come trueee...)!
For leads/synths it's perfect, I just came up with my own lead :) (sounds a lot like the portamento one on the beginning of Stream of Consciousness)...
-Roland XV 88 has been discontinued.
-For a diminuitive price, there's Alesis QS 8.x, an overall good board, in Roland style...but the strings don't make me happy, I own Alesis QS6.1 (same engine and samples) and never got out any good string.

In the end, Korg really rocks for strings, but what fits best your requests is Roland XV-88, it has a good piano and strings and brasses by Roland are really good since JV80 with orchestral (don't remember the right name) expansion.
Deceit.

[PsawniK]

Definitely check out the Motif ES8.

[Warrel]

Thanks for your helpful answers guys! Today I am going to visit some music stores to try some models and make the final decision. From all the reviews I read I must say that I am between the fantom S88 and the Yamaha S90. The Triton Le 88 is my last choice although it has the big advantage that it weights only 20 kgr! The Fantom which I really like is 29.5 kgrs and this is the only reason that puzzles me because I know it won't be very easy to transport...

[Deceit]

Fantom S88 costs much more than Le 88. And, in fact, Le has a trademark HI core, so I'd go for it...maybe because I *am* actually an Le owner and I'm totally satisfied. Or you just get, like, an used Karma and some used/new keyboard controller...I've seen f*****g low prices for Karmas...like 900$ as lower end...you find some master between 500 and 800$ and you have a great equipment for 1700$. The Karma engine beats badly Yamaha and Roland. In fact I think Roland got stuck back many years ago in workstations, compared to other engines...see the "pros"...who's using Roland as main board? I can see clearly a guy called Rick Wakeman playing on a Triton ProX...and a guy called Jordan Rudess with double Triton Racks...you can complain about Korg key action, which is definitely out of date, but the engine is second (if not equal) only to VAST (potentially).
About 1gb sample you say...well, ok, it's just some more memory...but with one gb you Roland-users won't even be able to compare to half of Contemporary/Orchestral expansions on Kurzweil.
It's the quality, not the number, that counts...and Triton Extreme is still far better than Fantom :). And damn, that joystick SUCKS!
:D
Deceit.

[Spacehog]

The comment about Rick Wakeman is a little invalid, as his boards do include a Roland XV-88 and a Roland RD-700 in his current stage rig... last time I saw him, his Triton was the Pro, not the ProX... the only 88 note Korg he plays is the O1W ProX

Martin

[PsawniK]

About the Triton LE:
It has fewer insert effects than its more expensive counterparts (I believe the LE has 2 compared to 5 on the Triton Pro/Studio/etc.). This means that it will not sound as good. IMO, the LE has weaker oscillators (and only 2 of them) compared to the S90. I looked at the same synths you are when I was getting an 88-key 'board, and I chose the S90. However, if having onboard sampling is important to you, I would check out the Fantom and LE.

[Deceit]

No way, a Korg or Kurzweil instrument will always be better than a Roland or a Yamaha one...I've never heard any nice lead from Roland or Yamaha, and no one will change my opinion.
Go 4 Triton Le.
Deceit.

[Axe2Grind]

Deceit,

You've obviously never heard the Guitar Hero patch from the Yamaha VL1 which is totally amazing, With the velocity switching, you can get string mutes, harmonics, its duophonic so you can get power 5th going and also goes into legato mode. I literally wet myself when I played it, shame its cost £3999 at the time back in 1991...

[Spacehog]

Yamaha S90, followed by the Roland RD170, are the best 88 key actions I have played. I've never played a Korg that I liked the feel of, except the Karma is just about passable. Sound is less important, you work with what you've got and you process it to death if it's not quite what you want :D

Martin

[Deceit]

If you think it this way, why not buying a good weighted master keyboard and various racks? By the way, sounds ARE important, even if you have to process them a thousand times: the better the root, the less the processing you need to do.
Deceit.