Which one sounds better? Korg Microstation or Casio XW-P1?

[big jilm]

Big Jilm contacted me privately to further inquire about the suitability of the XW-P1 as a standalone gigging instrument.

For the sake of others who might have similar questions I'll state what I stated there.

Truth be told, the XW-P1 does some great virtual analog sounds and the hex layers are excellent. However, on the bread and butter side the PCM voices are pretty weak and require extensive tweaking to make them usable on stage.

As an alternative nowadays I am recommending the Roland Juno DS61 or the DS88 for a standalone gigging instrument.

It has about 1300 Roland Supernatural Patches and it's the most current model of the ones mentioned so far in this thread.

It's a little pricier than the XW-P1 but the 61 key version sells for around $699 USD and is well worth saving up an extra $100 or so to purchase. Even the DS88 is a bargain at $999 USD with 88 weighted, hammer action keys.

The Roland patches are beautiful and nicely tweaked and ready for stage performances, and the controls are relatively simple to work with.

My advice is that if you are gigging on a budget and can only afford a single keyboard then the Juno DS is the one to get. On today's market it definitely offers the most bang for the buck.

Gary

Hey, Happyrat -

Quick question on the DS61 - can I trigger a sound from a usb thumb drive? We play Pink Floyd's 'Time' and 'Money' and I currently run the sounds (clocks and bells, cash registers) from my iPhone plugged into my Korg MicroKorg. I am hoping to just trigger them somehow from whatever keyboard I get. Is it possible to play media quickly and easily from a thumb drive (or memory card or something) with the Juno DS?

 

[scullen]

Yes you can. You can trigger a wave file on the thumb drive from any of the 8 pads on the right.

 

[happyrat1]

BTW, before you pull the trigger on any synth I'd advise downloading the manual and reading up on which features interest you.

Gary

 

[big jilm]

I went and tried out the Juno DS61 today. Man - I really liked the way the keyboard felt! Easier to play on, too - I thought I liked the mini-keys on my MicroKorg, but I can see that I would like full sized better. I loved the action on it as well. There were so many sounds that I wasn't able to get through them all in the time that I had, but the ones I played with sounded really nice. Pianos were surprisingly good, to my (admittedly untrained) ear.
Seriously cool machine! I am a couple of gig-checks away from picking one up - the gig tonight will help on that front! Thanks to everyone for all the advice!

 

[big jilm]

Ordered the Juno DS61 - should be here Monday! Thanks for all the good info, folks!

 

[happyrat1]

Congrats.

Keep it in a gig bag or under a dust cover and it will last you at least a decade if not two.

If you're looking for a supplier this guy makes custom, durable, spill proof dustcovers.

https://lecover.com/

I buy all my dustcovers from him.

You will never regret this purchase as long as you own the keyboard.

Gary