So, for a completely ignorant folk like me, do these EPs even have any audio output? You need to mic them to amplify them? Where are the speakers? Vintage indeed

Rafa.

Line outs. I'm going to order mine witht he stereo tremolo option but one thing I really like is that it has an effects loop for pedals. Coincidentally, I've been amassing some of the coolest pedals by Effectrode and Toneczar so it will be blast sticking them in the loop.

Approximately 3 month wait, but plan on finalizing an order tomorrow. Probably going with a 64 but unsure of color yet.

LOL! Yeah, I assume color is certainly hard to pick... do you have a picture of where you would usually keep it? That may prove an invaluable hint

Green or red sparkle tops look the best to me. Green's a little more unique. Red has a richness and warmth.

By the way... Curse the few of you who told me about Vintage Vibe. It is way more than I wanted to spend, but I knew I had to have one as soon as I got to the web page. Plus I grew up in NJ, so how could I not support some jersey boys.

Oh, having just seen your room - definitely the red!

The rest of us can enjoy it vicariously. Please post some recordings when you have it!

I will. I hate recording digital pianos, but this will be a treat.

That's what I as thinking. I was thinking sparkle charcoal or silver, but that may end up looking too Liberace.

I would have picked the Burgundi myself... its a bit less 'on your face' while in the same pallet that voxpops suggests, which is the one I agree fits the room and your only colored-item which is your guitar.

That said, you certainly seem to like a very 'sober' and minimalistic look, so maybe also the blacks and whites could be more 'apple look' approach

Rafa.

The room is a little different now, but generally the same. The guitar was given away but there are now 3 in there. The only colored one is a sunburst Strat.

Burgundy or root beer sparkle might be better for me in the long run. I'm not used to colors like red sparkle and it might wear on me in the long run.

Yes, I agree... for me, the simpler / stylish the better.

Which of the options are you buying, the 73, the 64 or the 44? I have played on 66 keyboards and they are nice!... not sure if 44 would be wide enough, but I'm more a classical pianist and ballads, so no idea if 44 is enough.

Rafa.

64. They told me its their best sounding unit. Just something to do with the pickup setup. 44 would be too small for me but 64 pretty much covers the bases.

So the best EP is a EP ...no surprises.

I don't know why I overlook the obvious sometimes. With piano, it's a no brainer for me to own an acoustic. Nothing compares. Even with guitars, I gave up trying to emulate them and took up the instrument. My experience with vintage EPs is more limited, but the Vintage Vibe is a exactly what I'm looking for.

I guess it comes down to two things: budget and versatility. Of course, having a Steinway D in the house is better than purchasing a sampled instrument, but one will offset you $200, the other $120.000 . Versatility is another thing... if you can afford a $3000 one-trick-horse, it would be the best horse for that trick, no doubt about it, but to be able to have an EP, plus a Tone Wheel Organ, plus a Pipe Organ, plus other things widens your options (for me, that is), so its hard to justify (specially as a hobbyist) the more 'specialized' equipment.

So, did you decide on a color?

Rafa.

.

Thanks Dave. I did notice on Youtube videos it didn't seem to have a pure Rhodes sound and it did sound a bit thin on a few of the solos I heard. Although they did mention to me that voicing could be drastically adjusted with a little work by the user.

My other option is to go with one of their rebuilt vintage. They have a vintage 71 that looks pretty sweet.

I do know that I want something for the house without practicality in mind. Something that just sounds and plays great.

Your experienced advise is always appreciated!

Are the Vintage Vibe instruments more reliable (in terms of sticking tines/keys) than an original Rhodes?

Cheers,
James
x

Hi, although VV defenitely seems the way to go (what a nice instrument !!), I somehow noticed that the Kawai Mp10 was never mentioned in the discussion. Since Nord, Mp6, Kurzweil and Korg got some attention, I though it would be strange the leave out the MP10 which has some very nice EP sets, nice controls, cabinet and effects and wooden keys.

Just to make the list complete - it's a digital, so could be an advantage over an acoustic design that needs more care and adjustments over its life span....

Cheers, J

James will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the MP6 and MP10 share the same (newer) Rhodes and Wurli samples.

Do check out the Waldorf Zarenbourg (if you can find one), as EssBrace suggested. Here's a pretty favourable review:

http://greatsynthesizers.com/en/test/waldorf-zarenbourg-the-allure-of-simplicity/

I believe the MP6's EPs are based on the MP10 samples, although they're not the same.

James
x

MP10: Tine EP 1, Tine EP2, Tine EP3, Reed EP 1, Reed EP 2, Reed EP 3, Modern EP, Clavi 1, Clavi 2

"The MP10 also feature a selection of brand new electric pianos. Classic tines, reeds, and clavs - each one lovingly sampled from original vintage instruments to ensure their distinctive characteristics (and occasional imperfections) are richly preserved. The MP10 offers an AMP simulator with a selection of six different amp types ranging from the crispclean Tweed Deluxe and tender Jazz Combo, to the crunchier growl of a British Blues or UK Class A with direct access to the drive, level and EQ of that amp. Simply select your favourite EP sound, crank up the amp drive, and dig-into vintage keyboard playing heaven. "

MP6: In my perception it only has the Tine EP piano sample (?) and a bunch of less interesting Modern EP sounds (DX- piano, SA-Roland Piano etc),

So the MP10 has a lot more to offer in that respect, also with the extra Amp simulations that add a lot of character to the sound. Pitty I never played one with sound - only a dry keybed test in a shop where the Mp10 was standing unplugged . Should have had more time to check it at that moment.

J

Couldn't have said it better myself!

OT: Maybe you could, or a bit more detail (this is probably due to me being pretty hopeless at modern music).
1) What are tines?
2) Are there reed instruments where the reed is being plucked rather than being blown?
3) 'Sampled from original vintage instruments' - The clavichord sounds I hear on digital pianos sound nothing like they were sampled from original vintage instruments but more like some weird noise from the Radiophonic workshop - or is that the vintage you have in mind? If this is the case where are the sampled real clavichords to go with the harpsichord sounds?

The tuning-fork like mechanisms that generate the tones inside a Fender Rhodes piano when struck.


Hohner Pianet had plucked reeds. Wurlitzer electric piano had (I believe) struck reeds.


When you see "clav" they usually mean clavinet, not clavichord.

The Waldorf was interesting to me, but listening to YouTube videos, it seems like Pianoteq in a fancy box. I'm not really convinced that the Zarenbourg will have enough substance to it. The MP10 is a fine instrument, but I'd probably just opt for another CP1 if I wanted to go that route. I'm pretty much decided on a VV, although I do have a few questions for them regarding voicing.

Thank you, that explains a lot, I've never heard of a clavinet. I'd just assumed that these were all really abysmal interpretations of a clavichord!