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gnoulie « Attention Nugget! »
Published on 07/03/13 at 06:59It is a half-rack, no rack as is, but can adapt sth for DIYers (two threaded holes in the unit). Supplied with a soft editor. Connectors: two asymmetric line out jack, and two RCA line-in, midi in / out / thru, USB, two jack pedals. 50 sounds, including pianos samples (with friendly modeling), harpsichord, clavinet, and Rhodes Wurli (the latter two are entirely physical modeling), some additional samples (synth, strings, etc ...). Line three types of effects: reverb, modulation, comp & cie. 4 Multi timbral voice polyphony 72 voices (be careful, we tickle the limit when too many layers + heavy use of the damper pedal).
UTILIZATION
Simple to use, the manual is clear and sufficient. For soft editor (which works perfectly on XP), there is built-in help. The USB driver is provided, but it seems that it is not a success, so I immediately decided to use a usb / external midi interface, and it runs.
SOUNDS
When you think that embedded technology (that of Promega) dates from 2002, it strikes that GEM is the true precursor of the hybrid sample / modeling on a dedicated machine hard at the piano, before Roland, and it succeeded ! The RP-X date it from 2006, and its sonic performance are still current. The first sample of piano is really nice in shiny kind, others are also interesting (honky-tonk with his recall hammers, etc.). All are very realistic. The real "plus" for me are the Rhodes, and it complements my RD700NX, which is weak (indeed, there are placed too high harmonics in the sound development of the stamp on the high values of velocity, even dry).
The effects are suitable, not great quality but sufficient.
The expression is excellent (no velocity layers, timbral changes continuously, great!).
OVERALL OPINION
I've had two weeks. Longer, because loss of GEM (and it's a nice loss), there are still qq copies for sale on either German site. I feel stupid (and selfish!) To buy a second, so it is a pity it is endangered. The device certainly has a few weaknesses, but reported at its current price is peanuts and quickly forgotten!
The biggest flaw of the RP-X, is that the parameters of velocity response are stored in Global when they should be able to individually set for each Performance, in effect, an offset of 0 is ok for acoustic pianos, but in order to enjoy all the expressiveness of Rhodes, it must be set to 15. A touch so manually each time you move from one to the other.
MORE:
- Value / crazy prices
- The EP physical modeling
- Expressive (tonal shades)
- Line in
- Response to the velocity with two parameters (scale and offset)
LEAST:
- Sufficient polyphony, but limit multi-timbral use
- Parameters of the velocity response stored in Global
UTILIZATION
Simple to use, the manual is clear and sufficient. For soft editor (which works perfectly on XP), there is built-in help. The USB driver is provided, but it seems that it is not a success, so I immediately decided to use a usb / external midi interface, and it runs.
SOUNDS
When you think that embedded technology (that of Promega) dates from 2002, it strikes that GEM is the true precursor of the hybrid sample / modeling on a dedicated machine hard at the piano, before Roland, and it succeeded ! The RP-X date it from 2006, and its sonic performance are still current. The first sample of piano is really nice in shiny kind, others are also interesting (honky-tonk with his recall hammers, etc.). All are very realistic. The real "plus" for me are the Rhodes, and it complements my RD700NX, which is weak (indeed, there are placed too high harmonics in the sound development of the stamp on the high values of velocity, even dry).
The effects are suitable, not great quality but sufficient.
The expression is excellent (no velocity layers, timbral changes continuously, great!).
OVERALL OPINION
I've had two weeks. Longer, because loss of GEM (and it's a nice loss), there are still qq copies for sale on either German site. I feel stupid (and selfish!) To buy a second, so it is a pity it is endangered. The device certainly has a few weaknesses, but reported at its current price is peanuts and quickly forgotten!
The biggest flaw of the RP-X, is that the parameters of velocity response are stored in Global when they should be able to individually set for each Performance, in effect, an offset of 0 is ok for acoustic pianos, but in order to enjoy all the expressiveness of Rhodes, it must be set to 15. A touch so manually each time you move from one to the other.
MORE:
- Value / crazy prices
- The EP physical modeling
- Expressive (tonal shades)
- Line in
- Response to the velocity with two parameters (scale and offset)
LEAST:
- Sufficient polyphony, but limit multi-timbral use
- Parameters of the velocity response stored in Global