Ultimate Grand

[honeyshape]

I don't mean to upset you S owners but... hang on, yes I do.

I love the X's Ultimate Grand patch!!!! It is in a totally different league that the S's So True.

Combined with the sympathic resonance FX, it makes you go yeah yeah yeah oh yeah!!

I have not heard a better piano on a midi instrument - Id go as far as saying that it is better than pianos I’ve played on software samplers.

Hit the piano button, crank up the resonance to 127 and play some moody Chopin. - Oh yeah!




www.tankengine.net

[mucsusn]

I actually don't care for "So True". I'm partial to the Concert Piano patch, I think it's F02.............

I haven't heard the Ultimate Grand through phones, but so far, in live demos it has not wowed me. I want it to, because I'm still complementing adding an XR to my kit.

[buzzbro]

I tried the ultimate grand on the weekend. It sounds pretty good - just behind the MotifES IMO. It would be a good compliment to the SRX board (which I have).

I have a FAS, and a FAS88. I finally tried the Fantom-X88 on the weekend, and although I thought it was a nicer board, IMO the incremental upgrade is not worth the loss of trade-up. It's mostly the same board.

I think it would make sense to offer the Ultimate Grand on an SRX card. I would order it today. I hope so. As well, I think they owe that to us.

bb

[mucsusn]

What would really be slick would be if they could squeeze the new waves and some of the old ones from SRX-02. Sort of an SRX-11 Ultimate Piano expansion. That would be sweet.

[rpieket]

I rather like the SRX-07 piano presets. But then again I'm not a piano patch power user, and easily pleased.

I just realized that I'm knee deep in acoustic piano waves: in the Fantom-S internal ROM, in the SRX-06, and in the SRX-07. Haven't counted them, but there must be at least a dozen complete multisample sets. Almost makes me glad I don't have an FX!

-Ron.

[mucsusn]

Yeah, we do forget how much material there is under that skin. The 07 card is the shit for gigging. I play with one bass player who is sort of a jazz snob, and he seems to actually enjoy the pop stuff when I start pulling up some of the 07 EP's and clavs.

[Tony Clifton]

LOL!A lot of us S88 pioneers put the SRX-02 in our Fantoms.So it is not so painful.The 07 is another route.After previewing the X88 I bought an open box Motif ES6 instead of the XR for right now anyway.
If I didn't already have the S88 the X88 would be my choice.
Hopefully I'll add the XR and all it's goodies in the future.
With the Motif rack,the S88,and the ES6 I'm surviving.
Having the rack as an option is great for us "OLD" Artemio pioneers if we decide to upgrade.
Very impressive website I might add!
Glad you enjoy the Ultimate Grand.

Peace,
Tony

[rnmw]

I've had my X8 for a couple of months now, but in some bizaare kind of way, the Ultimate Grand patch has totally stunted my progress with the FantomX! I reckon more often than not, once I switch the keyboard on, and play a few notes using the default Ultimate Grand patch, that the patch sounds SO amazingly good, that I frequently end up just playing the FX as a piano :-/ I seem to just mess about using the piano for an hour or two, and I leave the keyboard totally fulfilled

Despite all the FX can do, I am really really happy with it simply because of this gorgeous piano sound.... maybe someday I'll find out what else the FX can do

Disclaimer: It's all subjective of course!, and I'm certainly not trying to make the FS users envious :-/

-Rob

[Phil B]

No FS owner could possibly be envious ... that is, as long as he owned this:

http://www.postpiano.com/products/prod_ ... dorfer+290

[rnmw]

Yeah, that's true! I have only heard it whilst playing on a keyboard with less than brilliant action (RD-300 I think...) but still very nice...

[honeyshape]

Or if room and money was no problem you could try this plug in.

http://www.steinwaynashville.com/gallery/steinway/D.htm


Hey, I've just hit 100 posts!


www.tankengine.net

[Pianoman-X8]

rnmw, I too have yet to REALLY learn how to use my FX8 because of the Ultimate Grand and other patches. Even after two months and I must say the piano patches impress me so much that I'll never use Gigapiano again! When playing the Ultimate Grand I lose all track off time... I have to FORCE myself to learn this great instrument and READ the manual

[rnmw]

I'm glad I'm not alone! Sounds like you're as pleased as I am with your purchase. I'm a content man these days. I only have two pieces of equipment; a Lowden acoustic guitar, and now an X8, both amazing musical instruments...

Regards

-Rob