Roland AX-Synth

The Ax synth by Roland is a true plug and play keyboard synth that is ready to go right out of the box. It has some really good features to use for fun and for live performances. You can connect it to your PC via USB connection. It can run off of batteries for up to 6 hours and comes with a AC adapter for wall plugs to provide power. The keys on the Ax synth feel very good compared to the other models of Ax from Roland. These keys have a nice weight to them and they are responsive.

UTILIZATION

You will not need to open up the manual to learn the functions of the Ax synth. It is easy to use and understand and more importantly it is fun. The design of the Ax synth looks great, but the quality of its framing is not well made. It does not seem like it could with stand a drop because it is made out of plastic instead of metal chassis or aluminum casting. So with it being made of plastic it can feel like a toy when you are playing. That has nothing to do with the sounds though, the sound do not sound “toy-ish” at all.

SOUNDS

The sound are very good, there are not a lot of them compared to other full Roland keyboards but the ones that it comes with are all pretty good and useable. You can also tweak the sounds very easy with the knobs, and all of the tweaking will change the sound in real time right away. This makes for great live performances.

OVERALL OPINION

Ax synth comes with software, which I have never touched or even looked at. It is mainly for hooking your Ax to your PC but you do not need the software to do that. You can just plug it in and it will work fine because it is not driver software but more of an editor application.

4-octave keyboard. Jack Stro headphone jack, 2 Jacks (R, L / mono), MIDI, USB, enters to pedal. Controller tape to the pitch, modulation bar, B-Deam (cool!), Aftertouch knob. 256 sounds, full of polyphony. Look fabulous although it is a bit "plastic" for the wearer.

USE

Very simply, it is the wing, lights and his fate. The sounds are easily accessible, rpertoris in 8 catgories 32 sounds each. The "Numeric keypad" allows to access directly a given ISSUE 30 times without pressing the button (INC / +) for example. The edition of sounds is done with software that is supposed to be in the synth and transmitted via USB to the PC. I have not found but is freely tlchargeable lel Roland on site. The edition is rather simple, but the names and initials are diffrentes other synth (I have not much experience in this area, and this is my first Roland). You can download the software to give you an idea, masi I find it quite complete.

SONORITS

Ae! This is after me ngatif point of this synth. We find very beautiful sounds, often head to GRADE elsewhere but many are duplications with others or rather mediocre quality (eg 64 lead synth sounds but a lot is cast, it remains quite good on the job), at least when listening with headphones. Branch on an amp, it sounds good on the other hand, especially the lead guitar. The "super natural" sounds make good. Overall I think the sonority sound a bit "retro" genre years 80. This is not really what I want, masi we find such sounds strings, electric guitars, piano, organ and brass (but I almost never use the last two as it goes wrong with the music I do). I put 6 PCQ sounds too Marqus and may be lacking a bit of punch to certain, or on the contrary, lacks softness (you will say that I do not know what I want, but one or two small pads hovering not too aurairnt t). I find that for a Korg synth sounds R3 (twice cheaper) sounds better than the AX Synth (but no acoustic or semi-acoustic sounds). So I'm not saying that the AX synth is bad but it is not east to the same music as I do.

NOTICE GLOBAL

I've had two or three months. This is my first synth roland (if you do not count my keyboard arrange E-14 but I do not think it's in the same CATEGORY ... ^^) so I can not compare with any other.
The pros: The look, type controllers, ease of use. This is a very good synth scene.
Voil except for someone like me who only very occasionally concerts, it's more a toy, a toy and 1000 is a bit expensive.
The -: The sonorits that do not match the type of music I do, the price also.

Looking back, I will not repeat my choice, but as I bought ds its release, I did not test it before. I think I'll sell it or change against a Juno-Stage (if I find so), which seems to me more suited what I want.

What about ... This is the joy of playing on this keyboard scne the tape pitch bend, modulation pressure, volume and SETTING THE aftertouch on the handle, keyboard rpond really good, sounds really pretty I'm not a fan of Roland usual .... at worst if the sounds are not suitable ... this will be a merveilleurx controller ....
The only problem is that sellers have a hard time .... The series limit it feels to see next .....
in a word TOP, I do not regret my choice, it's fun to play over the pure state!

UTILIZATION

What about ... This is the joy of playing on this keyboard scne the tape pitch bend, modulation pressure, volume and SETTING THE aftertouch on the handle, keyboard rpond really good, sounds really pretty I'm not a fan of Roland usual .... at worst if the sounds are not suitable ... this will be a merveilleurx controller ....
The only problem is that sellers have a hard time .... The series limit it feels to see next .....
in a word TOP, I do not regret my choice, it's fun to play over the pure state!

SOUNDS

What about ... This is the joy of playing on this keyboard scne the tape pitch bend, modulation pressure, volume and SETTING THE aftertouch on the handle, keyboard rpond really good, sounds really pretty I'm not a fan of Roland usual .... at worst if the sounds are not suitable ... this will be a merveilleurx controller ....
The only problem is that sellers have a hard time .... The series limit it feels to see next .....
in a word TOP, I do not regret my choice, it's fun to play over the pure state!

OVERALL OPINION

What about ... This is the joy of playing on this keyboard scne the tape pitch bend, modulation pressure, volume and SETTING THE aftertouch on the handle, keyboard rpond really good, sounds really pretty I'm not a fan of Roland usual .... at worst if the sounds are not suitable ... this will be a merveilleurx controller ....
The only problem is that sellers have a hard time .... The series limit it feels to see next .....
in a word TOP, I do not regret my choice, it's fun to play over the pure state!

Synth scene.
Many sounds oriented solos: big guitars and synths lead ... (Some parameters in one note at a time but that is unlockable with the editing software downloaded from the roland website)
and sounds to accompany (pianos, organs, strings ...).
Total: 264 onboard sounds (editable).
Everything you need at the controller end and connectors: Noon to use as a master keyboard.

UTILIZATION

Easy to use: it was soon covered buttons.
Remember that this synth has the expression in a spirit of "show" to perform solo as a guitarist.
However, the editing software is far more aircraft cockpit, it is very full in sound editing, the possibilities are then to 100%.

Reported negative point: the change involves a break of his short but sharp. Therefore difficult to link two solos with different sounds.

SOUNDS

Sounds oriented solos are very powerful and terribly expressive effect with controllers, standing, one would really believe.
Overall good sound realistic, as the screen displays only numbers, we must look to the ear.

I stayed on my hunger level of certain categories of initial sounds such as pianos, Polysynth the strings, remember that the machine has a capacity of 264 sounds, if you want to control its potential, it must manage the import of sounds from the computer.
(I bought the module accompanying sound module roland bk-7m, I control with the ax and it will provide much better sound)

OVERALL OPINION

If you like the spirit of this synth, so it is essential. We know that freedom of expression, it is a dream.
But we must consider that this instrument is to take one to speak first as a soloist accompanied. As a group, it is impressive.
I use it for a year and I felt the need to be accompanied, therefore I use a master keyboard with me to arrange for support and create a train, I took as a loop pedal, and there it's nice.