live set-up without the Rhodes

[dwilson]

I'm interested to hear about what folks are using when they play live and don't (or can't) bring the real thing along. I'm doing more gigging these days, and I'm a little loathe to expose my baby to the rigors of the road; plus, it's an 88 and my place is at the top of two very steep flights of stairs.  :shock:

So what kind of setup are y'all using? Gory details are appreciated!

[Mark II]

Lounge Lizard 2 on a Fujitsu-Siemens notebook with Korg 01W/pro as masterkeyboard.

Mark II

[Uptownruler]

I'm a snob.  It's Rhodes or nothing.

[dwilson]

I hear you Uptownruler - that would be my first choice. Maybe someday when I: a) live on the ground floor; and b) can afford to buy a second Rhodes (preferably a 73) that would be the gigging Rhodes. My 88 is in really nice shape right now, and I'd like to keep it that way.

[Uptownruler]

Yeah, Rhodes and stairs don't mix.

[dwilson]

Lounge Lizard 2 on a Fujitsu-Siemens notebook with Korg 01W/pro as masterkeyboard.

Interesting - I've never been all that crazy about Lounge Lizard, but I know lots of people dig it. I'm starting to wonder if maybe it does a better job emulating the Mark II sound (I have a Mark I).

Also, do you use any effects with it (other than the ones that are included)? And do you run it through an amp, or direct into whatever sound system is available?

[HammondToby]

My setup without vintagegear at the moment: Kurzweil K2661, Clavia Nord Electro 2, Clavia Nord Lead 3... Thinkin about replacing the Electro with a Nord Stage.

Rhodessound comming from the Kurz and the Nord, depending on the necessity of a decent hammondsound.

Best regards
Hammondtoby

[andi85]

I've got my Roland RD-150, which does neither really sound like the real thing, but blends well in the mix, nor is really light, but still 20kg less than the Rhodes

[Mark II]

Lounge Lizard 2 on a Fujitsu-Siemens notebook with Korg 01W/pro as masterkeyboard.

Interesting - I've never been all that crazy about Lounge Lizard, but I know lots of people dig it. I'm starting to wonder if maybe it does a better job emulating the Mark II sound (I have a Mark I).

Also, do you use any effects with it (other than the ones that are included)? And do you run it through an amp, or direct into whatever sound system is available?

I have a Mark II. So I tweaked the presets to my personal taste, added a little bit tremolo (LL2) and that's it. I am trying to cut things down. Laptop = virtual keyboardrig. just a Roland 12 channel mixer (cause I use piano sounds off my o1Wpro) and that's it. No amps, no external soundcard (although latency is an issue in my setup  :x ). But I will try my new Fender Champ 12 with the LL2 when Mr. Postman likes to deliver it finally. But actual I bought it for the Rhodes.

Scarbee effect rack is a nice VST-effect plugin as far as classical keyboard sounds are concerned.

Best
Mark II

[dwilson]

Yeah, I'd like to cut things down in my setup as well, so I'm doing a lot of experimenting (hence this topic!).

BTW, if you'd like to cut down latency without an external soundcard, the Echo Indigo cards work quite well. They're PCMCIA cards, so in theory they're still external, but they tuck into the laptop quite nicely and there's no messing about with USB or Firewire cables. They sound great and if you use the ASIO drivers you can get the latency way down.

[dwilson]

I've got my Roland RD-150, which does neither really sound like the real thing, but blends well in the mix, nor is really light, but still 20kg less than the Rhodes

Yup - I've got an RD-700 which I use as a controller for my laptop. Lighter than a Rhodes, but that's not saying much.  :wink:

I'm looking forward to trying it out with the SRX-12 card, if Roland ever gets around to releasing it!

[james]

I agree about the Nord Stage Piano...that thing sounds wicked!!!  The release samples are what make the Rhodes & Clav patches so much more realistic.  I've already sold my Electro in hopes of getting the cash together for the big guy someday, waiting on the 76-key version to be released.  In the meantime I've pre-ordered the Roland SRX-12 Classic EP's expansion for my XV-5050, which is supposed to be damn good (the XV-5050's built-in EP sounds are total crap, so this expansion card seems absolutely necessary).  I'll be reviewing the SRX-12 on the Super Site when it arrives...I hope it's worth the money....

[jibbidyjoe]

I was using EVP88 in Logic Pro 7 on my Mac powerbook.  It sounds GREAT.  I have an m-audio Keystation 61es midi board, and I don't like it with the rhodes sound b/c it has semi-weighted keys and i don't get the same feel as a rhodes.
i bought a rhodes mark V after missing my old Mark II.  i will never sell my rhodes again!

[Mark II]

BTW, if you'd like to cut down latency without an external soundcard, the Echo Indigo cards work quite well. They're PCMCIA cards, so in theory they're still external, but they tuck into the laptop quite nicely and there's no messing about with USB or Firewire cables. They sound great and if you use the ASIO drivers you can get the latency way down.

I had the Indigo or the EMU PCMCIA card on the bill allready.But unfortunatly I was a little bit quick on buying a Laptop and didnt recognize that the cardslot in the FS is not a PCMCIA slot but an ExpressCardSlot for PCI-Express-Cards.   :roll:  How could I ? And as long as nobody (audiocardproducer) builds a fitting card I will be forced to stick with USB or Firewire based soundcards.
But I am still using the onboard soundcard, which is a little poor (latency). I have my eyes open for firewire interfaces which suit my budget and my needs.

Mark II

[dwilson]

But unfortunatly I was a little bit quick on buying a Laptop and didnt recognize that the cardslot in the FS is not a PCMCIA slot but an ExpressCardSlot for PCI-Express-Cards.   :roll:  How could I ?

Doh! That must have been an unpleasant discovery. I'm actually pretty amazed that the onboard soundcard is playable at all. The latency on those is usually pretty atrocious.

[MrDuke]

When the first version of the Lounge Lizard came out, I thought it sounded ridiculous. I couldn't believe all the praise it received. I guess it was mostly because it was so easy to modify to get new sounds. I recently tried LL version 3, and I have to say, it has gotten a lot better since. The sound is better, there are more patches, it seems the effects section has been revamped a bit etc.

So a pretty good option would be to get a good 88-key master controller and a hefty laptop, with perhaps, Ableton Live or something. And maybe NI Elektrik Piano, or the Scarbee. And then get a second synth controller on top of that, like the Axiom, to control those fun Moog plugins from Arturia, or the FM8 from NI   (That's my setup anyway )

From the workstations/synths/keyboards I've heard, I think the new MOTIF XS (maybe even the earlier ES) has the best Rhodes sounds I've heard so far, even better than the Electro/Stage.

[andi85]

As I had become sick of hauling that heavy Roland and it's flightcase to every stupid rehearsal I bought a used Kurzweil SP-76, whose EP-sounds I happen to use sometimes, mostly the "Classic EP".

It's a little brighter than the awfully dull and muddy "Stage Rhodes" from the RD-150 and also simulates some kind of pickup saturation (or however you want to call that), but it doesn't come near the Real Thing in any way. There are some wrong bell-overtones in the middle range and generally I think it lacks punch for soloing.

One thing I found out about the Roland is: Layering helps! Stage Rhodes, which is too dull, and SA Rhodes, which is bright, but lacks substance, together don't sound like a Mark I as well, but with lots of chorus it's ok

Sorry, long post, only little said - the hay fever makes me dumb and deranged.

[AustinRiley]

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[Rhodester]

I've got my Roland RD-150, which does neither really sound like the real thing, but blends well in the mix, nor is really light, but still 20kg less than the Rhodes

Yup - I've got an RD-700 which I use as a controller for my laptop. Lighter than a Rhodes, but that's not saying much.  :wink:

I'm looking forward to trying it out with the SRX-12 card, if Roland ever gets around to releasing it!

I used to use an RD700, im selling it now and getting a tempry pieace of crap till i get an actual rhodes...  i may keep the piece of crap though...  i might get a roland rs9.
I layer the "rhodes 1" sount and the "suitcase" sound...

not perfect, but your not going to get perfect till your playing the real thing