Fame

- For which specific applications or uses have you chosen this product and in which context do you currently use it? I essentially played the keyboard in a piano/organ band, so without the arranger. For that purpose O own a Korg X3 and Korg Kross. I bought this keyboard to learn to play alone with arrangements to replace the band. - Does it look sturdy and well-finished? How easy is it to use? How about its ergonomy? What of the quality & feel of the keyboard? What do you think of the onboard sequencer and the different arrangements available? Great ergonomics, it's quite easy to use with its 7" touchscreen. The touch and quality of the keys are similar to my 2 korgs. I haven't used the sequencer axcept to listen to MIDI files, so as I haven't gone deep in its functionalities I won't develop this aspect. Arrangements are OK, you can create your own styles using the included Grand Suite software on the accompanying CD. I could creat styles from those of the Yamaha Tyros (and even wrote a tutorial but it's in French...). The keyboard is well-manufactured and seems sturdy. What do you think of its sounds as a whole ? What of the factory presets ? First, don't compare it with a Tyros or any other high-end unit. It sounds quite good for the price, and in that regard it's way better than both my Korg (except for pads and synthetic sounds that I don't use anyway, so it's not a problem for me). For its price, this keyboard is really excellent and has no competitor with comparable functionalities in its price range. You can record straight to audio (no overdubbing necessary, as is the case with the Kross). - What do you think of its editing & effect capacities ? Very good, there are even 2 assignable knobs that allow to set different parameters in real time (volume, modulation, effect...) - What are the pros and cons of this product ? Pros : Its touchscreen, very numerous features (possibility to parameter R1, R2, R3 & L sound layers, audio or sequencer recording, audio in for a mic, player or external instrument, USB drive reader -up to 32GB- and possibility to read mp3 & wav, huge user soundbank with 500 styles, 500 songs, 500 additional sounds, direct reading of styles from USB drive, part display, and many other features). Cons : a very small user community, so you have to creat your own styles and can't get many from other people. The medeli europe website hasn't evolved for months while there are lots of things to download from its Chinese counterpart (FAME G2000 = Medeli A1000). Hopefully this will answer your questions about this keyboard. Musically yours!

(Originally written by SlapKid/translated from Audiofanzine FR) I owned this stack since 2004 and I sold it recently. Total weight: 79 lb. (head + speaker cabinet)! So it's light. Similar to the Hartke Piggyback 408 because it comes from the same Chinese factory (named Megatone... afterwards each brand adds its own sticker). Output power: 60 watts with this 4 ohm speaker. 40 watts with an 8 ohm speaker cabinet. Don't use a speaker with lower impedance than 4 ohms! Serial FX loop, reverb (always a bit audible even when the control is turned fully down), Electroharmonix 12AX7 preamp tube (also for the clean sound). Gain, volume, bass and treble controls in the clean channel. Same settings plus medium control in the lead channel. Low signal to noise ratio. UTILIZATION Extremely easy to use. The beautiful finish is surprising considering the price. BUT: I had to tune the speaker cabinet because it vibrated above a given SPL: I used a lot of wood glue to seal the joints. ALSO: I had to change the channel selector and the tube since they were both faulty and the amp didn't work well... SOUNDS This amp is nice because it combines two sound personalities: warm and present in clean mode, which is perfect for jazz musicians among others (the 8" speakers sound accurate). In distortion mode it produces a JCM800-like sound! With the gain setting at minimum you get a power blues sound. Set at 11 o'clock, you get a powerful sound for rhythm parts while at 3 o'clock the amp produces a versatile solo sound. The amp doesn't generate too much noise but I don't play a Fender guitar. The mid control is very useful and it doesn't alter the sound. The original reverb sounds awful so I installed a short Accutronics (235 mm) in the amp and now it's much better. Notice that this applies to another speaker cabinet because the original one didn't match the amp. It sounded too "disco" and it didn't produce enough mids. On the contrary, it sounds very good with a 100-watt Marshall head so I wouldn't say it's a bad speaker cabinet. I got the best results with a closed 212 cabinet (Celestion G12T and G12P speakers). OVERALL OPINION This stack is worth its price when you tune it. It has the right size and looks when you use it at home but the day will come when you will have to buy a better amp. For this last application I connected a multi-effects processor in the FX loop to play at a reasonable volume. The problems I had with my stack were surprising because it's not usual for an EH tube or a switch to get broken after only two months. As a summary, it's a good stack (with three years warranty).

Bought it in Germany - Keulen at "the music store" for 555 euro. I like the ease of play with this guitar. It has the feel of a gibson les pauls, but plays easier. It looks great, though that was not the reason I bought it. It's heavy, so has a lot of sustain. No dislikes so far. I have the guitar now 3 months, used to play on a fender strat. No complaints so far, seems all very solid. I had to have a new guitar and I'm no collector. So the guitar had to be good and versatile. In the shop I tried another Fender Stratocaster and some other guitars, but none played as easy as this one. I think they are only sold in that store in Keulen, they are made in Poland. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This is a newer combo amp, part of Fame "TUBE" series. It's actually a solid-state amp, which I wasn't expecting. There are 100 watts of power. There are three inputs, two channels. There are the standard Fame controls. Volume and three way EQ plus presence for the normal channel, as well as a volume, gain, three way eq for the dirty. There's also reverb and master volume. UTILIZATION I was surprised that the sound was as good as it was, considering it's not a tube amp. The clean and dirty settings both produce some decent tones. It's easy enough to manipulate, there aren't any special effects on it really. The manual will explain the amp well, even though it's really not all that necessary. SOUNDS This sounds pretty good for a solid-state. The main draw that this has is a good clean sound, it was thick and full when I plugged in my Les Paul. It was still half-decent with a Strat. Getting a mildly overdriven sound out of the clean channel was impossible, though, considering that that's a tube-only phenomenon. I really don't know about the dirty channel, it really rocked when I used the Les Paul, but also sucked when I used the Strat. It also rocked in a very modern kind of way, actually more like a 90s or late 80s kind of way, which I wasn't wild about necessarily. This thing is probably the best solid-state amp I've tried, and if you are somebody who for whatever reason prefers that sound, this is probably going to be very welcome in your collection. OVERALL OPINION I eventually decided it wasn't worth replacing a tube amp with a solid state, so I exchanged this and got a valve Fame amp, sort of similar to the one I had before. I think that the price is good and for what it does, it's a pretty sick amp. I was pretty happy with the lead tones when I really needed to wail, and considering that's the name of the amp, I'd say they succeeded. However, it wasn't enough for me at the end of the day.

(Originally written by Sixseven/translated from Audiofanzine FR) 100-watt tube amp with high and low inputs, FX loop, relay, reverb, clean, boost, distortion gain 1, distortion gain 2, 4/8/16-ohm 1/4" speaker outputs and send and return connections. UTILIZATION Very easy to use. Great sound for rock and hard rock players. You won't need to play loud to have fun. SOUNDS Very versatile. I use it with an Epiphone Les Paul Ace Frehley, a Wildkat, an SG Korina, and a Jazz with Seymour Duncan 59 pickups. The sound ranges from low/mid to mid/high when the guitar is directly connected to the amp. If you insert a multi-effects processor (I have a Line 6 Pod XT Pro) you can also get a crystal-clear sound. I like the clarity of the clean channel and the typical rock sound of the lead channel. OVERALL OPINION I've been using it for nine months. The thing that first caught my eye was its price but when I tested it I immediately knew it was the amp I needed. I love its look and sound. It broke two months ago but it was still in warranty so I sent it in for repair, which took a long time. I got it back three weeks ago and it broke again after just three rehearsals. It's still covered by the warranty but I don't feel confident anymore. I fear that it might break during a live show. That's the reason why I'm thinking about buying another amp. Value for money... Considering the problems I've had, I'd say the quality matches the price perfectly... I don't think I'd buy it again. I'm still waiting to get it back (again), and when I do I'll take a decision.

(Originally written by Yannthekeys/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Solid-state amp, 300 watts RMS (I pushed it up to 270 watts, measured), 4 inputs (3 stereo and 1 mono) . Reverb with level control on each channel . FX loop . 9-band EQ . 2-band EQ on each channel . Headphone output . 8-ohm stereo speaker output UTILIZATION Ultra-easy settings It's very easy to find your sound No user's manual OVERALL OPINION I've been using it for one week. I previously had a Peavey KB300 and then two Behringer B300. Very sturdy construction (including wheels, top and side handles) The fan noise is very disturbing when I play at low levels. Ideal for rehearsals and concerts with its 300 watts RMS. I actually made some tests and you do get 300 real watts.