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Overall Opinion 
I purchased this product about six months ago. I was in the market for a drum set and living in an appartment, this seemed like the perfect choice. I looked at the electronic roland drum sets, but they just seemed way too expensive(although the feedback/response of the roland drum sets felt of higher quality and more realistic). This product was the best value that I was able to find for an electronic drum set. I found it relatively easy to assemble and also easy to position the drum heads to suite the needs of the user. The sound bank has many different drum kit sounds and you can plug any of the drum heads into any of the inputs on the control module which allows you to easily switch two pad sounds without re-mountin them. The pedals seem to be good quality although at first it wants to double tap the bass drum when you tap it once with your foot, although with practice this can be overcome. Overall I am satisfied by my purchase. You get what you see when you buy this product. I would reccomend this product to anyone as specially a new student learning how to play the drums.
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Characteristics Full 88 key weighted keyboard.
Typical no-frills stereo analog outputs, midi-in, out, through, 2 ports for damper and volume pedal.
Nice, diverse bank of effects which are easily edited or disabled when necessary. 4 rotary controls which perform a variety of functions-octave shift, reverb density, 3 band EQ control, and 2 assignable switches which will do just about anything you need them to do.
Acoustic piano sounds are my first priority and the ones on the PC1X don't disappoint. I wouldn't rate them as the best out there, but they do a fine job of cutting through a less-than-perfect stage mix and crowd noise. Like all stereo acoustic piano samples, they won't satisfy unless they are played in stereo. But, I can always find one that matches the room I am playing in well. Rhodes and Wurly sounds are decent--not the best but decent. Strings are a mixed bag. My personal favorite is the "Intense Strings" patch which is rich and full, with plenty of attack, yet offering excellent dynamics. You can set up your favorite programs from the 6 available preset banks and 2 user banks so that you can access them on-the-fly from their assigned buttons. The PC1X is also very easy to do splits on, as well as layering up to 4 sounds. One of the songs I perform with one of my artist gigs requires 10 program changes within the same song and the Kurzweil gets it done effortlessly.
Typical no-frills stereo analog outputs, midi-in, out, through, 2 ports for damper and volume pedal.
Nice, diverse bank of effects which are easily edited or disabled when necessary. 4 rotary controls which perform a variety of functions-octave shift, reverb density, 3 band EQ control, and 2 assignable switches which will do just about anything you need them to do.
Acoustic piano sounds are my first priority and the ones on the PC1X don't disappoint. I wouldn't rate them as the best out there, but they do a fine job of cutting through a less-than-perfect stage mix and crowd noise. Like all stereo acoustic piano samples, they won't satisfy unless they are played in stereo. But, I can always find one that matches the room I am playing in well. Rhodes and Wurly sounds are decent--not the best but decent. Strings are a mixed bag. My personal favorite is the "Intense Strings" patch which is rich and full, with plenty of attack, yet offering excellent dynamics. You can set up your favorite programs from the 6 available preset banks and 2 user banks so that you can access them on-the-fly from their assigned buttons. The PC1X is also very easy to do splits on, as well as layering up to 4 sounds. One of the songs I perform with one of my artist gigs requires 10 program changes within the same song and the Kurzweil gets it done effortlessly.
Utilisation 
The action sold the PC1X to me. It is lighter than a Yamaha, Korg or Roland, and even significantly lighter than it's more developed sister, the PC2x. I could have bought either,but opted for the PC1X because I flat-out loved the performance of the keyboard. I'm 52 and have been playing all my life. I can play just about as fast as anyone, but the Kurzweil's keyboard keeps up with me no matter what I throw at it, yet it is extremely dynamic. To me, it is the single most inspiring aspect of the instrument. If I am doing session work and the producer or engineer wants a piano sound that the PC1X is not capable of, I still use its keyboard to play their sample of choice. I can outrun any Yamaha or Roland, so I hope Kurzweil never lets go of this action. However, if you are a classically trained Steinway fan, you might not appreciate the lighter action as much as I do.
The manual is big and complete, although not always easy for this technophobe to understand.
The manual is big and complete, although not always easy for this technophobe to understand.
Sounds 
I think the horns and organs leave a lot to be desired. The strings are deceptive. Many of the string settings don't sound that good by themselves, but most of them sound surprisingly fine in a mix. I've often been amazed by how well some of them lay in a recording mix when I listen to the playback. This makes me believe that there are--or at least were--some brilliant sound designers under the employ of Kurzweil.
The Rhodes samples are kind of funny. It really seems that the PC1X's action sucks as badly as an old Fender Rhodes suitcase piano when using any of the Rhodes patches. I find that the Rhodes and Wurlitzer samples have about a 3 octave limit in the center of the keyboard. If you go beyond that zone in either direction, the sound is both unconvincing and unplayable.
The Rhodes samples are kind of funny. It really seems that the PC1X's action sucks as badly as an old Fender Rhodes suitcase piano when using any of the Rhodes patches. I find that the Rhodes and Wurlitzer samples have about a 3 octave limit in the center of the keyboard. If you go beyond that zone in either direction, the sound is both unconvincing and unplayable.
Overall Opinion 
I still manage to glean a lot of inspiration from this board after over 3 years of owning it.
There are several things you should be aware of, however.
1. There is a tiny screen contrast knob on the back of the board, which is very necessary, especially if you are going to be using it outdoors. If you try taking this keyboard to a gig in a soft case or with no case, I promise you that you will eventually break that knob off of the circuit board that it is soldered to. It will get pushed back in to the body and the screen will be rendered unreadable. After the 2nd time this happened to me, I glued a large rubber grommet around the knob to prevent this from happening. I'm not the most mechanically inclined guy to come down the pike, but this girl was a bear to get inside of to solder that control knob back on to the circuit board. It took 3 of us wrestling with it to get the job done. This was a terrible engineering oversight.
2. Another completely idiotic afterthought is the fact that you have to scroll down through 16 pages of the global menu to find the transposer. Fortunately, I can make all the setups I need prior to a performance so that I can just keep the screen set on page 16 of the global settings. For someone who plays with the same band all the time, this might not be a problem, but I have as many as a half dozen different gigs, many times having some of the same songs in different keys. A transpose button is a Godsend in those instances. What were they thinking??
3. You have to periodically go around the keyboard and tighten all the screws. It seems that they come loose rather easily.
4. While I haven't broken any yet, the 4 multi-task rotary knobs I mentioned earlier are very spindly and I know quite a few guys who have broken them off, so that is another thing which requires a little TLC.
Well, nothing's perfect. But, overall it is a great board. Mine is over 3 years old and I will likely buy a new one soon and keep this old girl around for a spare. I ride 'em hard and have put 'em away wet more than once and this one has yet to let me down. Kurzweil has had some hurdles in its transitions between companies, and hopefully they have been able to maintain the integrity. Those questions aside, it's a fine tool.
There are several things you should be aware of, however.
1. There is a tiny screen contrast knob on the back of the board, which is very necessary, especially if you are going to be using it outdoors. If you try taking this keyboard to a gig in a soft case or with no case, I promise you that you will eventually break that knob off of the circuit board that it is soldered to. It will get pushed back in to the body and the screen will be rendered unreadable. After the 2nd time this happened to me, I glued a large rubber grommet around the knob to prevent this from happening. I'm not the most mechanically inclined guy to come down the pike, but this girl was a bear to get inside of to solder that control knob back on to the circuit board. It took 3 of us wrestling with it to get the job done. This was a terrible engineering oversight.
2. Another completely idiotic afterthought is the fact that you have to scroll down through 16 pages of the global menu to find the transposer. Fortunately, I can make all the setups I need prior to a performance so that I can just keep the screen set on page 16 of the global settings. For someone who plays with the same band all the time, this might not be a problem, but I have as many as a half dozen different gigs, many times having some of the same songs in different keys. A transpose button is a Godsend in those instances. What were they thinking??
3. You have to periodically go around the keyboard and tighten all the screws. It seems that they come loose rather easily.
4. While I haven't broken any yet, the 4 multi-task rotary knobs I mentioned earlier are very spindly and I know quite a few guys who have broken them off, so that is another thing which requires a little TLC.
Well, nothing's perfect. But, overall it is a great board. Mine is over 3 years old and I will likely buy a new one soon and keep this old girl around for a spare. I ride 'em hard and have put 'em away wet more than once and this one has yet to let me down. Kurzweil has had some hurdles in its transitions between companies, and hopefully they have been able to maintain the integrity. Those questions aside, it's a fine tool.
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Characteristics Made in China I expect. 24 frets. P/J pickups with 2 volume and 2 tone controls. Not sure as to type of bridge, but it's really strong. Maple neck with what Rogue says is a Rosewood Fret board. While it looks like ebonite, looking from the side it's wood. I think it might have an ebonite or some other surface on it. In any case it's tough and really nice.
Utilisation Very nice feel and easy access to high notes. The strap balance is just right and it's a bit lighter than others it's size. The sound is deep and resonant. Like an upright. Flat wound strings help a lot.
Sounds I would think that this bass would be fine for any style of music. I play blues, folk, jazz, alternative and improv, among others when the mood hits. I use a practice behringer 15 amp at home and what ever I can plug into otherwise. It works just fine what ever. Clean it reminds me of an upright and dirty what ever you want. The P/J Pups are awsome and plenty loud and full.
My fav sound is alternative. I love whales. lol.
My fav sound is alternative. I love whales. lol.
Overall Opinion I've had it for about 6 months. I like the way it slides and the nice soft action. It's my first fretless but I've played many others. For what I paid, less than $100 it's a real deal. If it was stolen or broken I would buy another in a heart beat.
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Characteristics The TASCAM brand US-122 interface quite simply allows you to use two line level inputs and two line level outputs to record professional sounding audio into your personal computer be it a PC or MAC brand. It's simple to use, easy to install (literally about 20-30 minutes) and it is really affordable. We purchased it on sale for about $185.00 at a local music shop shortly after it was released on the market.
Getting Started Here are the facts: Most any computer has a crappy sound card. I don't care if you bought yours for 200.00 or more dollars. It is still crappy and produces good audio for your playback on the computer but not professional for professional audio recording. Now, I know, I know...you don't want to buy anything else. I get that. You've already spent too much money now to create you home studio. I did too. But, imagine a professional CD you produce that sounds great the first time, no pops, no clicks, no hisses and is CLEAN sound.
Utilisation Note: This also instantly accepts non-powered microphones and it powers them with built in trinkle power (phantom power) and it also accepts guitar levels instantly. It features headphone and separate volume control and also full MIDI for your audio recording/keyboard and sequencing. It's not cheap plastic but steel. Buy you. You'll be glad you did.
Overall Opinion Buy it! You'll be glad you did.
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Overall Opinion For the past 3 years, our troupe of entertainers have traveled the coast of Washington, Oregon and a bit into the top of California. We have brought with us this robust and rich sounding, easy to use mixer and amplifier combination. Yes, it's true that it does weigh-in at about 50 lbs or so but it is rugged, time tested and we believe it's worth the trouble of carrying it.
Don't be confused that there are many "Power Station" models manufactured by Soundcraft. This is simply called 'Spirit Power Station-By Soundcraft' while the other nearly like it is named the 'Power Station 600.' The unit above is 245 watts per left and 245 watts per right channel as we understand it. It powers multiple sets of monitors and features a wonderful Lexicon brand effects mixer when we want to dial in one of several neat effects. This is helpful when you have a small room, you have a big room you want to sound smaller/tighter and so on.
The original price was $1,600.00 but we picked it up second hand at a steal for $500 with our virtually new monitors/speakers and cables from a friend. The sides come off so you can mount it on a rolling cart, set it on a table, crate it or 'whatever.' Either way, it has rich, vibrant sound and an on board graphic equalizer which really works well for each speaker (Left/Right) and audiences always comment how clean and clear our microphones and sound system sound. Our group agrees we would make this purchase again if we had to.javascript:submitForm();
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Don't be confused that there are many "Power Station" models manufactured by Soundcraft. This is simply called 'Spirit Power Station-By Soundcraft' while the other nearly like it is named the 'Power Station 600.' The unit above is 245 watts per left and 245 watts per right channel as we understand it. It powers multiple sets of monitors and features a wonderful Lexicon brand effects mixer when we want to dial in one of several neat effects. This is helpful when you have a small room, you have a big room you want to sound smaller/tighter and so on.
The original price was $1,600.00 but we picked it up second hand at a steal for $500 with our virtually new monitors/speakers and cables from a friend. The sides come off so you can mount it on a rolling cart, set it on a table, crate it or 'whatever.' Either way, it has rich, vibrant sound and an on board graphic equalizer which really works well for each speaker (Left/Right) and audiences always comment how clean and clear our microphones and sound system sound. Our group agrees we would make this purchase again if we had to.javascript:submitForm();
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Characteristics User-review originally by bertrand16: here
- What technical features/characteristics motivated your choice?
Well I only heard good things about it: a scratch amp with unparalleled audio quality. I was already familiar with NI software, having used Traktor in the past, so I was used to the environment.
- For what use?
Mixing techno (MP3s are a lot less heavy than vinyl)
- What is your Setup (Mother Board/CPU/RAM/Disc,...)?
2048 ram ; intel core duo @1.46 Ghz ; dd : 160 go
- With what instruments or systems (console, preamp,DTD...) do you use it and what connection types are there ?
I use it with two vinyl power turntables, 1 cdj 500 , mix vestax pcv 275 , alesis effects air fx
- What technical features/characteristics motivated your choice?
Well I only heard good things about it: a scratch amp with unparalleled audio quality. I was already familiar with NI software, having used Traktor in the past, so I was used to the environment.
- For what use?
Mixing techno (MP3s are a lot less heavy than vinyl)
- What is your Setup (Mother Board/CPU/RAM/Disc,...)?
2048 ram ; intel core duo @1.46 Ghz ; dd : 160 go
- With what instruments or systems (console, preamp,DTD...) do you use it and what connection types are there ?
I use it with two vinyl power turntables, 1 cdj 500 , mix vestax pcv 275 , alesis effects air fx
Getting Started 
- Did it install without any problems?
Yes there was a problem because I use Vista, after updating the drivers, Vista recognized the scratch amp without any problems.
- Were there any compatibility issues?
as stated above, a problem during installation of the drivers and connecting the scratch amp(wasn't recognized); another annoying issue with Vista is that when i close FS2 and want to re-open it, it gets stuck and Visa shuts it down, it's called "APPCRASH". I solved the problem by right-clicking on the FS2 icon in properties/compatibility/ checking "execute program in XP2 mode". Then right-click - execute as administrator.
Yes there was a problem because I use Vista, after updating the drivers, Vista recognized the scratch amp without any problems.
- Were there any compatibility issues?
as stated above, a problem during installation of the drivers and connecting the scratch amp(wasn't recognized); another annoying issue with Vista is that when i close FS2 and want to re-open it, it gets stuck and Visa shuts it down, it's called "APPCRASH". I solved the problem by right-clicking on the FS2 icon in properties/compatibility/ checking "execute program in XP2 mode". Then right-click - execute as administrator.
Utilisation 
- Are the drivers stable?
Yes, but i haven't been using it long enough to say for sure.
- Are they often updated?
No, i have the impression that they aren't being followed up at all, despite the fact that Major Audio(distributor) gave me perfect technical assistance!
Yes, but i haven't been using it long enough to say for sure.
- Are they often updated?
No, i have the impression that they aren't being followed up at all, despite the fact that Major Audio(distributor) gave me perfect technical assistance!
Overall Opinion - For how long have you been using it?
1 Week
What thing do you like most/least about it?
the latency between the vinyl and the software, the sound is very good (using mp3s at 320 of course)
- Did you try many other models before getting this one?
no, i was hesitating between FS2 and serato
- What is your opinion about the value for the price? good
-Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice?...
Yes without a doubt.
1 Week
What thing do you like most/least about it?
the latency between the vinyl and the software, the sound is very good (using mp3s at 320 of course)
- Did you try many other models before getting this one?
no, i was hesitating between FS2 and serato
- What is your opinion about the value for the price? good
-Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice?...
Yes without a doubt.
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Getting Started Yes,there are no problem with the installation
Suitability/Performance Asus pv5vdcx,intel dual core,vgen,seagate,soundmax
Overall Opinion As long i can
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Characteristics -my cort action-a was made in Indonesia, i dont know is it good or bad place for guitars to be manufactured.
-24 frets, Power Sound P & Jazz pickups, bolt on construction.
-bridge EB7(4)
-it has 2volume, 2-band active EQ
-neck Maple, Modern "C" Shape
-24 frets, Power Sound P & Jazz pickups, bolt on construction.
-bridge EB7(4)
-it has 2volume, 2-band active EQ
-neck Maple, Modern "C" Shape
Utilisation Neck is nice to feel, easy to slide through all length. it's also easy to access last frets. it has great design, it is not very heavy and has beautiful shape, also extremely comfortable to play. i think that its not hard to get a nice sound from it.
Sounds -it suits any style of music, metal, rock, jazz, anything.
i use Crate gt65 guitar amp. its suposed to be an electric guitar amp, but it has no dificulties coping with low, bassy sounds if i dont play too loud.
when playing i really like clean bass sounds, no distortion... amp is used only to control volume. cort 2vol, 2-band active EQ contols is all i need to modify sounds...
i use Crate gt65 guitar amp. its suposed to be an electric guitar amp, but it has no dificulties coping with low, bassy sounds if i dont play too loud.
when playing i really like clean bass sounds, no distortion... amp is used only to control volume. cort 2vol, 2-band active EQ contols is all i need to modify sounds...
Overall Opinion I own my cort action-a bass for about a month by now, first i had "jolana" one old bass made in Checoslovakia and i can say that Cort bass is much beter than jolana.
what i like about cort is that you get a nice, high quality instrument for a reasonable price. really worth the money you pay.
what i like about cort is that you get a nice, high quality instrument for a reasonable price. really worth the money you pay.
