RIP Numa Compact 2x

[Biggles]

Thanks for the suggestions.

It is either a Korg Pa5X or a Roland FP e50 + a Fender Strat.

A keyboard with arranger features is top of my list.

Yamaha products don’t come up on my wish list.

Nord are always on my wish list as a second keyboard.

A second Roland keyboard would probably be a Roland Fantom 07

 

[Rayblewit]

What kind of music are you playing these days Col?
Piano style or ACMP style?

 

[Biggles]

Not having had an arranger for a few years I’m playing piano style but only simple bass lines with my left hand as my arthritis is getting a bit worst.

That is one of the reasons I may opt for getting a guitar again, left hand fingers move far more when playing a guitar than when playing a keyboard and that may help in offsetting the disease. Just why it is worst on my left hand goodness knows?

But I really miss the arranger which is why the Roland is of interest, best hammer action keybed under £1000 and the e50 has some arranger features, only 200 Styles but a couple of intros and variations plus it has an inbuilt chord sequencer as well. £700 and it looks to be 1/2 the physical size of the monster Yamaha DGX which I am pretty sure I could not live with.

£700 for the Roland and £700 for a Fender Strat player series would do me nicely, but there again the Pa5X sounds amazing and the OS is so similar to the Pa700 that I had that the transition would be very easy. Despite Korg’s crappy activity at present the 5X has all the features that I would be interested in already.

I need to watch more tutorials over the weekend and have a run out to PMT in Manchester next week to have a play on their vast selection of kit before I decide.

 

[Rayblewit]

Not having had an arranger for a few years I’m playing piano style

That is what I thought.

Yes indeed the arranger playing ACMP styles will certainly take some pressure off those damaged knuckles.

Good luck in testing all the options.

 

[anotherscott]

If the Pa5X-76 weighed 10 lbs less, I'd replace my PA1000 with it.

FP-E50 is, in many ways, a pretty limited board, but then, it's a different price point. Although not from the arranger aspect that might most interest you, this thread has some interesting notes about some of its limitations... https://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/3391177/roland-fpe50-vs-rd88-vs-yamaha-ck-88.html

 

[Rayblewit]

Excellent review Scott by mamboguy.
I am taking in all this information too.
As well as Biggles, I will need to upgrade soon.
My Yamaha psr s650 is getting old and it has developed a couple of minor problems.
Thanks Scott

 

[Biggles]

Thanks Scott.

The review is pretty well what I have concluded through watching plenty of videos.

They do go on to write that it is a great home entertainment piano which is all I want it for.

I did find the PH4 the best action if slightly heavy with slow rebound when I was seeking a DP and only went with the Yamaha as that was a single button to change tones where the Roland FP 30 required a key combination. And changing tones does look a bit labourious on the e50 especially for the non piano sounds.

The prices of the Pa5X have been all over the place in recent months, the 88 started at a ridiculous £4000 when it was first released and is now £3134, the 61 was £3400, and 76 £3600. The 61 is now £2850 at a store 15 minutes away but I buy zilch from them, just use them to try out kit but not been in the store for four years.

Strangely most stores have the 76 @ £3150 but my nearest has it on offer at £2992 which is what I have been waiting for and as I was not intended to buy before it drops below £3k hence the failure of the Numa could be very fortuitous if not unhealthy for my bank balance.

It is still above the price point of where a Pa4X 76 sat which was £2600, but times have changed.

 

[Biggles]

Well what an afternoon!

Drove into a nearby town to visit a Music Store only to find that they have moved. I had not noticed on their website that they had shut up their TownCentre store and moved out to one of the Business Parks.

Keyed in the Postcode (our version of a Zipcode) and off I went to the Business Park 9 miles away, followed the instructions and ended up in the middle of a park for heavy goods.

Up and down all the roads and zilch, must have looked odd me going up and down the same section of road many times

Looked again on their website and found a location map with images that looked nothing like the roads that I have been on.

Off I go and just happened to see a sign and found it 1 mile away from where it was supposed to be, twas very inconsiderate of them moving whilst I am in transit.

So I had a good look at the kit but they did not have what I was seeking in the colour I want.

So off to another nearby Town to a different Music Store.

This one was 12 miles away so set the Sat Nav for a nice run through the country roads to get there, as I approach the map turns red, massive traffic jams, so I turn the opposite way and let the system recalculate an alternative route.

In 300 yards turn left down Anystreet Road, which I duly did and after a 100 yards the road terminated in someones drive on a new housing estate, so I try another route, same thing. A massive estate has been built and the only way to get to the destination was via the snarled up traffic jammed road.

So I give up and exit left out of the housing estate and head home but have to drive through a different town where it is very busy as it is home time for many workers, I had no choice but to suck it up to get onto the Motorway for the 15 mile drive home.

I hate Sat Navs, mine was updated to the latest version last September, VW Group systems suck.

Agggghhhhh

 

[Rayblewit]

When you got lost at a housing estate . .

So I give up and exit left out of the housing estate and head home

Why didn't you call the music store to ask them to guide you the right direction?
You must have been very close.

 

[Biggles]

When you got lost at a housing estate . .

Why didn't you call the music store to ask them to guide you the right direction?
You must have been very close.

The only way to the Store was via the roads where there were the massive traffic jams which were due to roadworks.

The alternative was to take the Motorway South at the junction that I took the Northbound access road instead and then it would have been 17:30 when I came out of the store right into what would be very heavy Motorway traffic who at home time all drive like demented morons.

 

[Rayblewit]

Bugger!

 

[Biggles]

Made it to the store today, had a good look at kit OMG what a range of synths including a Moog on display.

Visited another store and had a play on a Yamaha DGX, sorry those of you who have this DP but it is not for me. Keybed on the nearby Rolands felt much better but the Korg XE20 was like pushing a wet sponge, the return seemed very sluggish so out the window went any idea of that as a contender.

Finally off to my local Store which is only 10 minutes away, had a play with a few Roland Synths that they have on display and a chat with the Manager. This store could reveive me of all my Pension very easily, so much great kit so little time.

I‘ll go back next week after the credit card statement date and buy a Korg Pa5X that way I’ll have a couple of months before I actually have to pay for it.

 

[Rayblewit]

Wow!
That is a very expensive KB.
You will be on a baked bean budget after paying that off.
PA5X-88 or PA5X-61 ?
Paul AKA @CowboyNQ will be very interested in your choice.
Hope he tunes in. Looking forward to your review when you take the plunge.
R

 

[Biggles]

Neither Ray.

The Korg 88 keybed is spongy and has a sluggish rebound so that is not a way to go for me.

Not sure what keybed the 61 has but assuming it is the same as the 76 ie semi weighted with aftertouch it is pretty similar in feel for me to the Fatar keybed on the Numa.

Hence I’m going for the 76 key unit.

Just so it gives more real estate plus I’m pretty sure that I’ll be able to create multiple zones which I could do this with the 700 but 61 keys is a bit tight to be effective.

Interesting in that the store manager says they have done a good trade with the 61 and 88 key versions but less so with the 76.

 

[anotherscott]

Neither Ray.

The Korg 88 keybed is spongy and has a sluggish rebound so that is not a way to go for me.

Do the Pa5X-88 and the XE20 have the same action?

I like my XE20. It's not one of my favorite actions, but far from the worst. It also might be a case where it plays better than you'd expect from just feeling the keys (in case you tried the action without actually playing sounds with it). I felt that way about the Roland FP2 and FP4.

 

[happyrat1]

Does it have aftertouch?

The Numa does... nyah

 

[Biggles]

Scott

I do not know if the Pa5X 88 has the same keybed, the spec just says hammer action with aftertouch.

I was actually referring to the XE 20 which is a great keyboard, especially for the home player, with Accompaniment and the ability to change during the song ie just have drums backing, and to change to a different instrument on the fly. It is this that I tried today as an alternate to a Roland FP e50.

Its all moot as I am going with the 5X which probably has an evolution of the keybed that you have on your Pa1000, it does feel pretty good, all the Pa5X keybeds have aftertouch.

The store did not have a Pa1000 on display so when I spent a 1/2 hour with the Pa5X I could only compare it to the Yamaha Genos that they also had on display in the store.

 

[happyrat1]

The truth is, once you've paid anywhere north of a thousand for a keyboard, ANY keyboard you spend a month breaking it in and learning to love (or hate) your new toy.

I don't demand perfection from my keyboards. Simply competence.

Might I ask Col., since you are recently enamoured with soft synths and DAWs is the new Super Arranger really the direction you want to go in?

Or might you be better off dropping half as much coin on a top of the line controller instead?

And you could drop the rest on every single virtual instrument that Apple supports.

As well as arranger softwares, signal processors, notation wares, etc...

 

[Biggles]

Gary
Logic Pro and the 25 note MIDI controller are for a specific purpose.

I’m having an Operation in six weeks and will be laid up for at least six weeks thereafter with limited mobility.

Hence I can use the setup whilst laid out in bed and I also have Mainstage on the MacBook to learn, purely out of interest.

My music direction is Arranger focussed and this I learned when I sold off my prior Arranger expecting the 5X to be released shortly after but regretted it. I’d been given a heads up by a Korg guy (he no longer works for them) that new kit was forthcoming, the Covid struck and all went to pot.

Anyway I miss not having an Arranger and cannot be assed learning a new Operating system and there is very little choice in the market. The OS on the 5X is very similar to what I was used to so learning should not be a problem, I have five weeks to break its back and to use it to see if there is any infant mortality in the keyboard.

Meanwhile the Fender Stratocaster is on order so its a double whammy of incoming kit.

 

[happyrat1]