Reviews article index

This section includes reviews of various keyboard instruments, software, musical gadgets, and web sites and services.

Review: Oleg Prodeus: The 13

Appropriately enough for Friday 13th, we’re pleased to promote Oleg Prodeus’s album “The 13″.

Although the album sits in the alternative pop/rock genre, it goes far deeper than that. It oozes class and depth, and so it should as it took the multi-instrumentalist Oleg three intensive years to complete.

Listen to each of the thirteen tracks and you’ll be sure to hear a rich diversity of synthetic textures, arpeggiations and distortions, yet all fitting perfectly within the overall mix.

Every track is highly listenable, at times featuring unexpected arrangements and melodies. Personal favourites include the opening track “Savior”, “Can You Feel the Rain”, “Do You Know the Way”, and “Last Hero In This Universe”.

“The 13″ is diverse in richness, yet fits together perfectly. There are elements of good pop, of eighties and nineties influences, electronic and acoustic, and great vocal presence. This is definitely an album worth exploring. James Moore from Independent Music Productions” said that “The 13″ was “highly recommended for fans of Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Ours, Muse, and Sneaker Pimps.”

Check out every track on Oleg Prodeus’s web site and buy on iTunes, Bandcamp or Amazon.

Previously to “The 13″, singer/songwriter, producer, multimedia artist and filmmaker/director Oleg composed two other solo albums — “To The Sky” and “Collective Farm”, as well as composing and producing five songs for the film soundtrack of Pepe Danquart’s motion picture “C(r)ook“.

Check out Oleg’s YouTube channel for more music videos.

Review: Francis Bowie EP

Multitalented Dane Francis Bowie provides the perfect soundtrack for the approaching summer months with “Sunny Day”, a track from his EP launched in October last year.

Producing in the electronic/intelligent pop music style, his EP features a range of soaring synthesiser lines together with orchestral backing. The style is light and fresh without falling into the Pop Idol trap.

“IPM is an attempt to put some quality, dignity and honour back into popular music,” Bowie says.

His EP features four tracks. “Endlessly” is delightfully upbeat with plenty of synth evidence.

“Wasting My Time” has an almost sci-fi electronic feel with lots of deep synth action, orchestral strings and piano. Fantastic.

Finally, after “Sunny Day”, comes “Silly And Crazy”, featuring synth zings and altered electric pianos.

Those of you with creativity that extends beyond the music keyboard may also be interested to know that Francis is also a painter, sculptor, designer, writer and gallery owner.

Check out the official YouTube channel, web site and Facebook page. Buy the EP for $3 or more or check out Francis Bowie’s SoundCloud page.

Best hand strengthening equipment for pianists

We’ve already looked at improving piano playing strength and dexterity using the keyboard alone, but what if you want to take things a step further, plus perform finger strengthening, hand strengthening, and wrist strengthening exercises when away from a piano?

There are a number of gadgets and gizmos available but by far the most compact and useful I’ve come across is the Gripmaster series of hand strengtheners.

Although they’re primarily marketed for sports exercise, they make wonderful finger, hand and wrist exercisers too.

The GripMaster range of gadgets work to improve strength, endurance and coordination of the muscles within the hand, as well as most muscles and tendons in the forearm. Perfect for pianists and keyboard players.

There are six different recommended hand exercises: Gross Grasp, Hook Position, Key Pinch, Trigger Pinch, Tip-to-Tip Pinch, and Wrist Flexion. This combination of exercises helps to build strength of thumb and fingers, wrists and forearms.

There are currently six different versions of the GripMaster available, offering various tensions. They range from the XX-Light, through X-Light, Light, Medium, Heavy and X-Heavy. Those used to lighter synth/organ keys may get on well with the X-Light or Light versions, while the Medium or Heavy versions are ideal for pianists working on acoustic and digital pianos with heavier weighted keys. The X-Heavy may be overkill for any pianist.

Model	Pounds Per Finger
XX-Light	1.5
X-Light	3
Light	5
Medium	7
Heavy	9
X-Heavy	11

The GripMaster range is safe and great value for money, typically retailing for around the $15 mark, but often available for less.

Reviews of the GripMaster range are generally positive. It’s definitely important to treat this form of exercise as seriously as any other, starting slowly with lighter, less repetitious exercises and building up as your strength increases.

It’s also worth continuing to exercise fingers, hands and wrists in the natural environment of playing the piano or keyboard. Yes, this means continuing with scales and other exercises.

Some have said that the GripMaster is not suitable for musicians because it focuses on pure strength rather than dexterity and speed, and has the potential to induce Repetitive Strain Injury. However, in moderation using the lighter tensions I believe it can be a beneficial tool*.

If you’re looking for a cheap, portable and effective hand exerciser for use when away from your instrument, the GripMaster range could be just what you’re looking for.

(* Disclaimer: This is a personal view and should not be taken as medical advice. Seek help from a medical professional before embarking on any exercise programme.)

Casio XW-P1 Professional Synthesizer

• Buy the Casio XW-P1 at zZounds
• Buy the Casio XW-P1 at Amazon.com

Casio XW-P1 Introduction

Twenty-five years after Casio launched the CZ Series synthesisers, the company is back with the introduction of the XW-P1 professional synth.

The Casio XW-P1 can be bought for under $500 yet it’s no pushover in the specification department.

Casio XW-P1 Overview

The five octave (61-key) light touch keyboard may not suited to pianists but is certainly adequate for a wide variety of musical styles, as well as in use as a MIDI controller keyboard.

64 notes of polyphony may seem a little stingy these days, and musicians wanting to put complex sounds on the XW-P1′s 16 channels may run out of notes. That said, the keyboard will serve very well for more moderate sound usage, such as producing lead instrument sounds, pads and beats. Gear junkies may well want to add one or more XW-P1′s to their existing keyboard setup, particularly if they’re after some of those classic CZ sounds.

The XW-P1 has a wealth of input controls including pitch and modulation wheels, nine editing sliders and four assignable knobs.

Some synths suffer from a lack of more realistic instrument samples. Sometimes that’s what you want, but if you’re looking for a keyboard that can double as a decent piano or organ, the XW-P1 offers it.

There’s a tri-element stereo piano plus a versatile and highly configurable drawbar organ. Casio uses PCM tones for these real-world instruments.

Casio XW-P1 Specifications

Take a look at the specification list below to get a decent idea of what the Casio XW-P1 can achieve:

• Number of Keys: 61
• Controllers:
  • Pitch Wheel
  • Modulation Wheel
• Assignable Controllers: Controllers; 4 Knobs
• Assignable Functions: MIDI Messages (CC, RPN, NRPN, Mono After touch, Poly After touch, Pitch, Tempo)
• Editing Controllers: 9 Sliders
• Display: LCD; 72×31 Dot Matrix + Patterns, with Backlight and Contrast
• Tone Generator: Overview; Sound Generator Type; HPSS(Hybrid Processing Sound Source)
• Polyphony: 64
• Number of Parts: 16
• Total Number of Tones (Preset/User) : 620/310
• PCM, Melody, PCM Drum, Drawbar Organ, Hex Layer, Solo Synthesizer
• GM Compatible: Level 1
• Mixer: Yes
• Tuning: A4=415.5Hz – 440.0Hz – 465.9Hz (0.1Hz-Step)
• PCM Tones: Preset/User Tones; 400/100
• Tri-Element Stereo Piano: Yes
• Tones with User Wave: N/A
• Drum Kits (Preset/User) : 20/10
• Hex Layer: Number of Tones (Preset/User); 50/50
• Drawbar Organ: Number of Tones (Preset/User); 50/50
• Solo Synthesizer: Preset/User Tones; 100/100
• Maximum Polyphony: 1
• Oscillator Blocks: 6 (Synth 1/2, PCM1/2, Ext Input, Noise)
• Portamento: Yes
• Legato: Yes
• PWM: Yes
• External Input: Yes
• Pitch Shifter: Yes
• Noise Generator: Yes
• Non-Resonant Filter: Yes (6)
• Resonant Filter: Yes (1)
• Amplifier: Yes
• Oscillator Mixer: Yes
• LFO: Yes (2)
• Envelope Generators: Pitch, Amp, Filter, LFO
• Assignable Virtual Controllers: 8
• Effects: System Reverb; Preset Types; 10
• System Chorus: Preset Types; 5
• Limitations: System Chorus, DSP and Solo Synthesizer are mutually exclusive
• Master Effect: EQ; Editable 4 Band EQ
• DSP: Number of DSP Sets (Preset/User); 100/100
• PCM Tone Effect Categories: Compressor, Distortion, Enhancer, Wah, Auto Pan, Tremolo, Rotary, Phaser, Chorus, Reflection, Tempo Sync Delay , Ring Modulator, LoFi, 2-Module Multi
• Solo Synth DSP: Tempo Sync Delay, Distortion, Ring Modulator, Chorus, Flanger, Pan
• Algorithm Types: 46(Normal Tone DSP) 6(Solo Synthesizer DSP)
• DSP Lines: 1
• Audio Player: Storage Type; SD Card
• Number of Songs: 999
• Audio File Format: 42kHz Stereo
• Limitation: Audio Playing, Musical Playing(SMF, Step Sequencer) are mutually exclusive.
• Step Sequencer: Number of Tracks; Mono x 8, Poly x 1, Control x 4
• Number of Patterns / Step Sequence: 8
• Number of Step Sequencers (Preset/User) : 100/100
• Number of Chains (user) : 100
• Maximum Number of Steps: 16
• Key Play: Yes
• Other: Note Gate, Note Swing per Track
• Phrase Sequencer: Number of Phrases; 100/100
• Number of Tracks: 1
• Play Mode: Loop, Hold, Key Play
• Capacity: 8KBytes/Pgrase, 128KBytes/100 User Phrases
• Recordable Events: Note On/Off, Controller Operations
• Arpeggiator: Other; Phrase measure and note quantize, overdub
• Number of Patterns (Preset/User) : 100/100
• Data Types: Variation, Step
• Editing Function: Variation ; Parameter Edit
• Step: 16-Step Edit, Parameter Edit
• Performance: Number of Memories (Preset/User); 100/100
• Parameter Categories: Tone, Effect, Mixer, Controller, Sequence, Phrase, Arpeggio, MIDI
• Recall Parameter Filter: Yes
• Number of Keyboard Zones: 4
• Multifunction Key: Yes
• Transpose: Range; +/- 12
• Octave Shift: Range; +/- 3
• Tempo: Range; 30-255BPM
• Tap Tempo: Button/LED; Yes
• MIDI Clock: Transmit/Receive; Yes
• Storage: SDHC Card; Capacity; 2GB-32GB
• Dimensions and Weight in Packaging: Shipping Weight: 20 lbs Shipping Dimensions: 20 x 15 x 6 in

Casio XW-P1 Reviews

There are very few official reviews of the Casio XW-P1 at present, but we’ll be adding links to them as we find them.

Several forums are reporting a general consensus that the XW-P1 is a great synth (particularly at such a low price point) but that its build quality isn’t great.

Here’s Franz Schiller’s review of the XW-P1.

Casio XW-P1 Videos

Casio’s official 5 minute introduction to the XW-P1:

Sonic State interviews Mike Martin from Casio at NAMM 2012. This 13 minute video includes a decent demo of key features:

Daniel Fisher gives a 4-minute demo of the XW-P1:

Buy the Casio XW-P1

The Casio XW-P1 has an RRP of $699.99, but it can generally be picked up for under $500.

• Buy the Casio XW-P1 at zZounds
• Buy the Casio XW-P1 at Amazon.com

Review: Tripper for iPhone

A couple of days ago Xyster.net released Tripper for the iPhone.

Tripper is a fairly simple 16-step looping sequencer spanning ten distinct notes. All highlighted notes are played, together with colourful animation.

At present there’s just one sound, which could be likened to some kind of toy/electric piano. There’s not a lot of fancy stuff – you can’t swipe your finger to create runs of notes, alter sounds, change velocities, or do the sorts of things a Yamaha Tenori-On would offer you, but then you wouldn’t expect that from a 59p (99c) app.

One interesting feature is the ability to create “Game of Life” cell formations onto the board and have the melodic patterns evolve over time.

Used as a virtual instrument along with a sequencer and some of the iPhone’s other synth apps, this could be used to general an interesting, evolving base for mmore ambient/experimental compositions and performances.

A pause/edit button would be a useful addition to make it possible to build up a pattern without the instrument playing. It makes setting up accurate formations, particularly for use in “Game of Life” mode, very difficult.

It’s possible to save compositions for later playback, but although the app states that it’s possible to email these to other users, I’ve not found out how.

Another cool feature for power users on my wish list would be the ability to transmit notes via OSC, for hooking up to an external sequencer/sound generator, or the ability to save a composition’s MIDI file for later editing.

More sounds, of course, and maybe some other gestures, would be great, but this is the first version and it is a very inexpensive app. Good job from Xyster for fun and maybe a bit of inspiration too.

Tripper App Store link

Sponsored Review: Lindeblad Piano Restoration

This is a review of the web site and services of the Lindeblad Piano Restoration company. It should be noted that I have not used their services personally, so my opinion is based upon the professionalism and attention to detail as portrayed on the web site.

The Lindeblad Piano Restoration company has been restoring quality acoustic pianos since 1920, and prides itself on using only the finest materials in order to restore an instrument to its former glory.

The company is wise enough to point out that not all pianos are worthy of restoration, and only the likes of Steinway, Mason & Hamlin, Knabe, Chickering, Baldwin, or Sohmer are likely to be able to withstand restoration.

There’s an excellent video on the site which walks you through the meticulous process of restoring a Mason & Hamlin grand piano. It really does show what’s involved in the labour of love that is restoration.

It takes about three or four months to restore a piano, including transportation times, and a replacement piano can be supplied by the company while another is being restored. Alternatively, new customers can approach Lindeblad to find them a restored piano.

If you’re in the market for a restored piano and are looking for a company that cares about the instrument, Lindeblad may be worth considering.

Sponsored Review: Virtual Sheet – Sheet Music Downloads Membership web site

This is a review of an online sheet music web site which also serves up MIDI and MP3 audio tracks of the available music.

Finding affordable and high-quality transcripts of classical music for a variety of instruments can be difficult, and buying individual pieces can get expensive.

The Virtual Sheet site aims to offer a wide variety of music for a low subscription. For $37.75 per year (around three dollars a month), the site offers virtually unlimited access to over 6,000 single sheets and collections. Non-subscribers can also download music on a pay-per-use basis.

Although I didn’t sign up for the complete service, the site helpfully allows some single page previews of the music to be viewed. Taking a look at some of Chopin’s work, for example, the print quality is of a high standard. Of course, it will depend on how good your printer and paper is as to how good the finished output is, but for home use, even a cheap inkjet printer should yield good results.

The range of music is fairly impressive, with plenty of music from well-known classical composers (Albinoni, Bach, Beeethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Elgar, Grieg, Handel, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Verdi, to name but a few) and for a variety of instruments.

Of course, I was most concerned with the availability of music for piano. A search shows that there are currently 237 piano solo items, 736 piano solo with other instrument items (many of these can still be played alone), and eight “piano for four hands” pieces. There are even 28 pieces for organ solo.

If you’re after high-quality, legally available printable manuscripts for classical music, with the inclusion of audio files so you can hear how it sounds, this may be a good site to try out.

Virtual Sheet

Sponsored Post: Review of EZ-Tracks: Gospel

This is a review of EZ-Tracks Gospel, though this is just a subsection of the EZ-Tracks online music service as a whole.

EZ-Tracks promises to allow users to “download and listen to music carefree� and is 100% legal because it is supported by advertising. Herein lies the problem, though it depends on how you like to use the Internet.

Signing up for the service highlights the issue. I was forced to click through around four product advertisements before I could finish registering for the service and listening or downloading to music. Often, whole page adverts interrupt the download or preview process. While this is understandable, given that this is the only way for the service to generate revenue to cover royalties, it becomes rather annoying after a time.

The music itself is of variable, but generally acceptable, quality. MP3 files seem to be encoded at 128kbps, which is far from the highest quality available online, but not bad for a “free� service. There appears to be no DRM (copy protection) on the files, either, which is a blessing.

A few gospel tracks I downloaded suffered from poor vocal reproduction, particularly on sibilants, but this could have been a fault of the original recording rather than the encoding.

Sometimes, the 30-second sample of each song failed to load first time, at least on Safari on a Mac.

Users seem to get about 100 free song downloads upon signing up. To get more, users need to sign up for various deals offered by advertisers. This has the disadvantage that one could end up on a number of emailing lists.

EZ-Tracks seems to do what it was designed to do, but whether you’ll be able to bear the ads is up to you. Personally, I find it very difficult to use web sites and services with lots of advertising, and I’d prefer to see the option of paying a monthly fee to avoid the ads and get a download quota. Then again, there are plenty of other online music services which do this.

EZ-Tracks claims 30,000 music tracks, including a number of current popular hits, though to get at them all you’ll probably need to view a lot of ads.

EZ-Tracks.com

Sonic State video reviews Novation Nocturn Control

I haven’t heard much about Novation recently, but here’s a video from Sonic State’s Rob Jones, who does a 6+ minute practical review of the Nocturn Control, a nifty little device making it easy to control plug-in parameters and other effects.

[Read more]

Piano Wizard versus Piano Hero

We’ve already covered the Piano Wizard software, and now Pianologist has written a comparison of Piano Wizard and Piano Hero.
What’s interesting is that it introduces Piano Wizard PREMIER, a more expensive package that allows unlimited download and learning of music in MIDI file format.

If you have any experience of either piece of software, you can leave your comments there.

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