Roland Clan Forums

i've had the G8 here a couple days ... i just can't get over the piano sounds ... i was hoping for a much better piano ...

my 88 keyboard needs to do a good piano first and foremost .. the keys feel great ..!! but after several hours of playing around with mostly the pianos , i'm gonna take it back tomorrow .... hopefully my S90ES , that i traded , is still there ... very sad to say , i liked that piano sound better ..

the G8 piano samples had a few out of tune notes , and several notes in various patches that just sound bad ...

the seq/recorder features look great ... and that is a big reason i wanted the G8 ... but i can't get over the piano ...

now i can start the never ending search for the Holy Grail of pianos again ..!! yeh , i know ... it's in the Oasys ..! just don't wanna give up that much $$$ ...

later; ........ : (
Dave C.

Hmmm.. the Piano is one of the main reasons for me to get the G. What kind of speaks do you use. Is the piano sound really that bad?!?!?!?!?!!?!!??!!?

usually monitor thru headphone amp and Sony MDR-7509 , with a tactile sub hooked to my Soundseat ... and i have some newer in-ear monitors also .. ( can't recall the model )

i have a set of Event 20/20 , Adcom amp ... seperate sub & amp .... but usually use the headphones since i work/play later at night when others are sleeping ...

and i take my headphones to the store to audition keyboards .. because they are familiar to me , so i can get a good comparison ...

i wish i keep just the keybed and the seq/recorder ..!!!
maybe i'll check out the RD700GX ..!??

i'm 50 , and have played/studied piano since i was 6 .... so i have a pretty good idea of what I want to hear ... but everyone has there own idea/opinion of the best piano sound ..!!

for a few reasons ... it's just not doing it for me ... ??

I suppose it's a matter of taste. However I considered trading in my Yamaha P200 to get a G8 (instead of possibly a G7) but after having played the G8 no way that's gonna happen. I personally prefer both the sound and the keys of the Yamaha over the G8.

The store happened to have a Yamaha CP300, which I think is somewhat similar to the P200 in terms of piano sound, right next to the G8 so I was able to a/b it directly with that. It took me 5 seconds playing on the CP300 to become totally convinced that I just totally prefer the Yamaha piano sound and (piano) keyboard feel (at least from the P200/CP300).

If there is anything I would trade my P200 for it would be the CP300 but I have no need for its additional functions and the piano sound isn't that much better (if it actually is) that I feel I'm lacking anything in the P200. It pretty much ended my search for the holy grail of pianos.

I may still get the G7 but not for its piano sounds.

If it's pianosound you guys are after then wait and see what SM Pro Audio are up to. They are releasing a product that is similar to Muse Research Receptor VST-player. The smallest model was 399 Euro suggested retail price and if it works alright then install Synthogys Ivory, problem solved!! I've played Ivory live with the Receptor and it works like a charm.

After hearing the negative feedbacks, I might reconsider my decision of purchasing a Fantom G. My local GC store will get the G8 on Wes and I am going to test it by my own ears.

Hope I won't get disappointed because I have been waiting for this baby for 4 months!

the G8 piano samples had a few out of tune notes , and several notes in various patches that just sound bad ...

I noticed the same. I have changed the waveform coursing the trouble with another one, tweaked a little bit and have achieved a very good result.

Niels

You are right// Get a Yammy ES Rack & a G7.. It seems that todays musicians are not like the ones in the 80's and 90s.. You guys and gals are on this ONE Keyboard things.

We (80,90,) got what ever keyboard /module that sounded the best at what it does or what you liked ..

So, it seems that alot of folks like the yammys grand..Some like the Ggrands and EPS..Get both...

It really must be a matter of taste, since my conclusions are totally opposite to some here. I clearly prefer some of the Fantom G Pianos over Yamahas. For my ears Yamahas always have that slightly artificial sounding bright sparkle, which often becomes obtrusive in a band or a mix for my ears, and I know some keyboarders who feel the same. But others seem to like exactly that.

Of course it is bad that Roland has let some faulty samples slip into some patches. But since there are *plenty* of first class piano waveforms on board, this is not the slightest problem for anyone able to tweak a patch to his/her liking from the vast quality material present in the board.

In the G, besides the Stereo 'G-Grand' Live Set, I find escpecially the row of NY Grands *extremely* useable. They offer you a whole palette of brighter and more mellow sounds (8 in all plus the Super NY Grand), from which I *always* find a suitable one for live play or different kinds of music in mixes. This alone is a whole palette of very well sounding pianos suited for all occasions, and I simply *love* to have them on user patches in a row and now only need seconds to find a fitting piano sound for a given situatiion, where I former searched much longer and still was EQing all the time after making my choice.

So no, I see not a single workstation piano from other brands which I could regard as superior alternative to those on the G.
Just the opposite: some of the the G grands belong to the very best workstation grands on the market - from my view.

Dave, I'm sorry you didn't like the piano sounds on the G.
After loving the Piano sounds from my X7, wich then I traded for the X8 for the weighted keys, I must say that the Acoustic Piano sound must probably be the most important sound for me. Since I sold my X8 before even listening the G, I was affraid, although confident, that I would get "at least" the same quality on the G. I was rested when I heard the RD-700GX and now I must say that I'm more then impressed. I'm not going to say the raw waves are better then the X, but different. And since there are so many more on th G, I won't have difficulty to get the right sound for whatever I need.

Yeah, S90ES piano sound is much better, however that is a matter of taste. Ik keep my S90ES next to the G6. That's a fine combination.

But... the G8 has more to offer than a pianosound, I think.

It really must be a matter of taste, since my conclusions are totally opposite to some here. I clearly prefer some of the Fantom G Pianos over Yamahas. For my ears Yamahas always have that slightly artificial sounding bright sparkle, which often becomes obtrusive in a band or a mix for my ears, and I know some keyboarders who feel the same. But others seem to like exactly that.

That's interesting as to me it is the Fantom pianos that sound somewhat unnatural. They seem to have a kind of 'ploink' quality to them that I don't like. I find the sound of my P200 to be warmer and more dynamic and playing it I can almost feel the wood resonate (with the built-in speakers turned off as well). The only downside of the P200 (now 10 years old) is that the sound seems to get somewhat noisy if you start pounding its keys real hard. The 'artificial sounding bright sparkle' you refer to does not sound familiar.

Keep in mind that I'm talking exclusively about the dedicated Yamaha (stage) piano's and most specifically the P200 which I own, not their workstations which I have no experience with other than a few hours in the shops over the years.

When I purchased the P200 I spent a lot of time auditioning all different digital pianos available at that time. Had everything under my hands from Roland, Korg, Yamaha, Kurzweil, GEM and some others that I can't remember. The P200 was the first and only that got me really excited (oh and a few Yamaha digital grands, the big ones but I was looking for a stage piano). If I remember correctly I liked its smaller brother (P80 I think) somewhat less.

That was many years ago and when I got my X7 I actually hoped that I would like the piano as much as I do my P200 but that was not to be and still is not the case with the G. The X/G will serve their purpose just fine on stage and they are good enough that I can't be bothered hauling the P200 around but for solo playing I do still very much prefer the P200.

Each to his own I guess.

I´ve got my RD-700GX last week and spent the last nights to check all the sounds and functions...

The ivory keyboard and the in stock piano sounds are best I´ve ever heard )) I own also a FX7 with the SRX02 and SRX11, but the sound quality of the RD is much better, I´m very impressed ))

as i stated ... there are a lot of great sounds ( eps, synth, strings, etc ) in the G8 ... and the feature set is stagering ...

most Yamahas Do Not have the S700 sample set that is found only , on board , in the S90ES .... and yes they have taken a lot of tweeking to fit my style , playing , and what i want to hear .... but i could hear the basis of what i wanted immediately ....

i might look into the Motif XS , as you can get the S700 sounds for it free from Yamaha Loyalty program ....

but it will require extra ram and autoload ....

i'm not bashing the G8 at all .... it is a wonderful instrument ...
and i realize i'm asking a workstation to be my main , best piano .... i also have another workstation ... M3 ... and most of my synth needs are handled via my Virus Ti ...

and yes i realize my S90ES is not a workstation ... more of a stage piano with the Motif sound set included ..

so my 88 key master keyboard just needs a piano sound that sounds good out of the box ... and can improve with tweeking ...

so i'll probably get the Yam XS8 ... and wait for a Fantom G series rack .... because there's tons of great sounds , that compliment the other manufactures sounds ....

i don't think it's posibale to have 1 All in One hardware keyboard that'll make me happy .... guess that's why there's midi ... ha

but if you're looking for Electric piano sounds .... i'd have to choose the Roland ...

DaveC, best piano sounds are software based, there is no way around it, but hook up a board of your choice to a comp with a soft piano, once you try it you will never want to go back to a hardware piano emulators, same goes for all other emulated acoustic instruments IMHO.