It's heartbreaking on the G1 because in other respects it's a decent thing. But I did sit down at an old Kurzweil CUP2 a few times and quickly noticed exactly what you were talking about, especially in the pp-p transition: immediate, jarring, and just takes you out of the moment. Approach these Korgs with caution.ĮSS, have you played the SV1? I don't recall it having limited dynamics/velocity matters as you describe (so it may have a different engine than the G1).
For me that is the basic purpose of a piano and the Korg fails.Ĭards on the table: for me any Korg that has the same sound engine and/or velocity map of the G1 is borderline unplayable. Listening does not reveal this characteristic, only playing will do that and then it becomes very clear to the player that the piano does not have a linear response to what you, the player, is doing. You can play it and try to inject some dynamics but it is completely static until you play a tad harder and trigger the top layer sample and then all the pianos transition instantly into the high velocity sample layer in a very jarring way. There is no tonal or even perceptible volume change at this layer. And the mezzo forte layer (for want of a better term) is the issue. No blending or interpolation that I can make out. To explain: I think there are about four velocity layers in the piano sounds.
However, I think ALL the Korg's pianos have a serious dynamics problem. The 'German Grand' is the best, most versatile, sound on the Korg, in my opinion. If you are expecting a fat, ballsy, musical Yamaha sound then you are going to be seriously disappointed. Frankly I think that Korg's idea of a Japanese Grand is just plain awful thin and unpleasant. The 'Japanese Grand' is, for me anyway, just not a sound that I would ever use. The 'Austrian Grand' sounds very nice indeed but plays a little too boldly at low velocities you just can't play it quietly enough in my opinion. It's not in Kawai's league, or even Roland PHA-50, but it is very nice nonetheless. I really like the RH3 action it's the best feature of the G1. I don't know how Korg are describing the D1's pianos. I think C1 has German and Japanese but omits the Austrian. There are three variations each of three distinctly different pianos (German, Austrian, Japanese). Most of the basic piano tones on the G1 are nice. Whilst to me it makes sense that the D1 is related to G1 I would sincerely hope that is not the case for those interested in the D1. The G1 is their flagship home piano, with supposedly new (and more) piano sounds. I would say that about any digital piano of course.įirstly, I would seriously doubt the sound engine has any connection with the Kronos or Grandstage.Ī better guess is that it is related to the G1 (which I have) and/or C1 (which I've never played but which I imagine to be a somewhat cut-down version of the G1). I would advise anyone considering the D1 to play it first, or at least get it from somewhere that has a good returns policy. Again, I need to play it before I comment on it any further. I guess I'm thinking that Korg might have have acknowledged that classic board when designing the D1 and made it even better perhaps. I've mentioned in previous post that I loved the CP33 because of its simplicity, sound, workhorse design, and just fun to play. The reason I think I like the D1 is somewhat personal taste as it slightly reminds me of the discontinued Yamaha CP33. However, I should know better before posting opinions without demoing an actual D1. I haven't seen or touched a D1, but I have touched RH3 action many times and like it. BUT let me be clear that my opinion is purely based on specs, price, and Youtube demos. Also, the demo sounds seemed very good - all at a good price. I was just pointing out that it was a decent price for Korg's high-end action and ease of use if gigging it. Could be the same piano default as Kronos and Grandstage?. I'm not sure what Korg is using for the piano engine on the D1. Perhaps I'm misinterpreting your post, however I don't believe the D1 uses the same sounds as the Grandstage or Kronos. IMO I think this is a very good deal considering its sounds, gig simplicity, and mostly Korg's RH3 action same in the Grandstage and Kronos. It will probably average out at $599 in a couple months. First D1 price I've seen so far in US: $629.99.