Roland V-Stage

[Jeffmac]

I guess the NS4 fader layout makes it slightly less of a direct "appropriation" of the Stage ethos on this...

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... tage-piano

I haven't downloaded the manual yet but it looks like one layer of each and that synth section is barely above the preset level. Having said that, I loved the piano sounds on my RD2000 but at nearly 50 pounds they continue to make obscenely heavy products. Too heavy for me.

[Nordine]

This looks like an enhanced Nord Electro! the keyboard seems to be an incredible instrument....but..... I prefer Nord for the sound quality and keyb.

[spradders]

Oh there's a VStage 76 too... semi-weighted waterfall... I was a Roland devotee for 2 decades... sure it won't tempt me away from the NS4 compact but I'm very excited to try it!

[Nordine]

[FZiegler]

According to the video, this thing is much more than an Electro - totally competes with a Stage 4. Even makes setlists available. Soundwise just a different approach: hardware knobs for some values (more for EP than AP), in-depth sound designers for AP and EP down in the menu.

It has 4 engines, but that's not the number of layers. Depending on how you should count them, there are 3 organ (upper, lower, ped), 1 AP, 1 EP and 2 synth layers. Free split points (viewable on the display), audio interface - class compliant stereo sound or dedicated driver for transport of each engine's sound on its own.

[cphollis]

I've gone through all the available videos.

Things I liked:
- much better i/o
- deep dives on the sound engines parameters
- very advanced FX section (multiband compressors!)
- big color screen (wonder how it does in direct sunlight?)
- enhanced EP section - something Nord is weak on
- great price for what you get

Things I didn't like:
- inadequate synth section
- didn't warm up to the organ section
- the V-Piano has its a distinct inorganic sound which doesn't suit me

I came away thinking "wow, what a great board for the money" and at the same time "not for me" as I didn't really embrace many of the sounds I heard. Then again, its substantial tweakability means there's probably better there than I heard.

[Nordine]

Well I think that this will teach Clavia how to make the future Nord Stage 5 some years later, (I might go crazy with the synth engine) especially if they could emulate a Z1 inside. —JK.

[maxpiano]

Things I didn't like:
- inadequate synth section

About that Roland says that V-Stage registered owners will get 4 additional Zen-core synth models for free:

ZEN-Core Synthesizer engine with over 400 onboard sounds and support for SDZ Sound Packs and Model Expansions on Roland Cloud (JUPITER-8, JUNO-106, JX-8P, and SH-101 Model Expansion titles are free downloads for registered V-STAGE owners)

https://www.roland.com/global/promos/v-stage_series/

[Tasten-Bert]

That‘s at least interesting. I must admit that even I‘m not watching out for any new keyboard I feel the desire to test this Roland. I had several fantoms, a VR-760, U20 and D20, most of them with additional SRX cards, and I do remember the good saxes, a lovely blues harp, string pizzicati and celli, a good enough piano for live acts and perhaps more. Ah, yes, the Djou djou scat voice which I miss since then. And all the sample sounds were touch sensitive. Puh, it will get tough for me to resist.

But, as said, I‘m not searching …

Cheers from Germany

[M_a_c]

But, as said, I‘m not searching …

Be honest - it´s the endless Hunt...