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Your thoughts on the Yamaha DGX 620

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  • 18-07-2007 8:36pm
    #1
    democrates
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,046 ✭✭✭


    The last time I looked at this stuff I'd a drumbox on the back of a spectrum and a casio cz. But now I'm dying to get back into it, I'm looking at ubuntu studio (low latency kernel, stacks of free apps) and doing all the stuff I could only dream about back then.

    It looks like the DGX620 might fit the bill for the keyboard but I'm afraid I might be overlooking something crucial :

    88 hammer action velocity keys with split
    500 voices incl. grand piano, and basic fx
    Song composition, preset rhythms, notation display, accompaniment (can refine any interesting results on the pc)
    Learning tutor built in (good for the future kids)
    Usb for usb drive/ipc nterface

    Downsides:
    Low onboard storage, max 5 songs (though the pc or a usb hd mitigates that)
    No way to add voices (so the pc is needed for homebrew messing)
    Bass and Drum accompaniment both on or both off for recording
    Sustain foot switch but no soft (or sostenuto but I've never once used that)

    Anyone own or tried one out or heard opinions on these keys?


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    #2
    cornbb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    This depends on what you want to do with the keyboard.

    For a pianist/keyboard player it would probably fit the bill perfectly (although I'm not too qualified to be a judge of that!). As a MIDI master keyboard for a computer-based home studio it looks unsuitable - overkill, really. Its features seem to be geared more towards recreational musicians than recording/production enthusiasts. Can't even figure out if it has MIDI ports and am not sure of the purpose of the USB connection.

    If you are mostly looking to play keyboard, and maybe record audio directly from its own synth, it looks fine. If you are planning on using it as part of a home studio for recording MIDI sequences and/or controlling hardware/software synths, I'd look elsewhere. Although features like the hammer action keys are very nice.

    As an aside, thats the first I'd heard of Ubuntu Studio - looks really cool! Might take the plunge and install it one of these days, although my last experience with Linux didn't go so well. Let us know how it works out for you!


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    #3
    democrates
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,046 ✭✭✭democrates


    cornbb wrote:
    Can't even figure out if it has MIDI ports and am not sure of the purpose of the USB connection.
    The MIDI is implemented over one USB port, a usb/midi driver is supplied, but since I'm not planning on using mac/windows some rooting confirms that Yamaha are standards compliant so the bog standard Linux usb-midi driver should work ok.

    The other usb port is for a usb key or even 1TB hard drive (lol, but I laughed when I saw floppy drives on brand new keys in 2007), this allows you to store a lot more songs and settings for later recall, and given the time required to set a lot of options that's indespensable.
    cornbb wrote:
    If you are mostly looking to play keyboard, and maybe record audio directly from its own synth, it looks fine. If you are planning on using it as part of a home studio for recording MIDI sequences and/or controlling hardware/software synths, I'd look elsewhere. Although features like the hammer action keys are very nice.
    Call me a skinflint I want it to do both :D. On the one hand it's for entertainment, no pc required just the usb key with the song/settings collection.

    On the other hand the idea is to use it for intital composition, export draft songs to the pc, and then use it when required as a controller for the rest of the pc based work (introducing soundfonts, vocals, fx etc). That's the theory anyway...
    cornbb wrote:
    As an aside, thats the first I'd heard of Ubuntu Studio - looks really cool! Might take the plunge and install it one of these days, although my last experience with Linux didn't go so well. Let us know how it works out for you!
    Will do, it'll be a while but I'll post updates that may be of interest to others. And yes, it was precisely because people were getting a right pain sorting a linux audio setup that the Ubuntu Studio project arose, of course it does graphics and video as well (handy for poster/cd artwork and face melting video fx for the koncept album).

    Tragically the volume only goes up to ten, but seriously, it's easy for me starting out to select only gear that has Linux support, but anyone considering Ubuntu Studio or any Linux platform for use with an existing audio interface should check out the state of alsa driver support here first.

    Hardly any hardware manufacturers support Linux themselves so it's down to the community to produce drivers, this can be unfeasable where the mnfr refuses to release specs for non-standard dvices, on the upside you'll see from the list they're making fantastic progress particularly where MIDI standards have been followed.

    I've still a learning curve with jack (software based audio patchbay) and the current crop of free sequencers, recorders, softsynths, fx plugins etc. but it'll be worth the reward.

    PS I see thomann.de mentioned and it sure looks good value, am I right to assume that as it's intra-eu there'll be no duty?


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    #4
    cornbb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    democrates wrote:
    The MIDI is implemented over one USB port, a usb/midi driver is supplied, but since I'm not planning on using mac/windows some rooting confirms that Yamaha are standards compliant so the bog standard Linux usb-midi driver should work ok.
    Sounds fine then. Looks like you've been doing your homework!
    Call me a skinflint I want it to do both :D. On the one hand it's for entertainment, no pc required just the usb key with the song/settings collection.

    On the other hand the idea is to use it for intital composition, export draft songs to the pc, and then use it when required as a controller for the rest of the pc based work (introducing soundfonts, vocals, fx etc). That's the theory anyway...
    I would say its probably a decent choice then, well, judging by the specs anyway. My main concern was that you were going to be mostly or exclusively working with software synths/sequencers, or that MIDI support was lacking on this thing, in which case it would have been a poor choice.
    Will do, it'll be a while but I'll post updates that may be of interest to others. And yes, it was precisely because people were getting a right pain sorting a linux audio setup that the Ubuntu Studio project arose, of course it does graphics and video as well (handy for poster/cd artwork and face melting video fx for the koncept album).
    The list of bundled apps is quite spectacular! Ubuntu has been known as a very accessible distro but I once tried installing Fedora as I heard it was better optimised for audio work. That didn't go so well :( I had no audio support, limited everything-else support and I couldn't boot into my Windows partition! But now I see Ubuntu Studio has low-latency kernel mods amongst other things.
    Tragically the volume only goes up to ten, but seriously, it's easy for me starting out to select only gear that has Linux support, but anyone considering Ubuntu Studio or any Linux platform for use with an existing audio interface should check out the state of alsa driver support here first.

    Hardly any hardware manufacturers support Linux themselves so it's down to the community to produce drivers, this can be unfeasable where the mnfr refuses to release specs for non-standard dvices, on the upside you'll see from the list they're making fantastic progress particularly where MIDI standards have been followed.
    The lack of support for my interface was my biggest concern, I want to make use of as many of its features as possible. But I guess Linux's performance might make it worthwhile.
    I've still a learning curve with jack (software based audio patchbay) and the current crop of free sequencers, recorders, softsynths, fx plugins etc. but it'll be worth the reward.
    I imagine its a bit of a baptism of fire alright, using Linux is often very frustrating but you learn tons in the process.
    PS I see thomann.de mentioned and it sure looks good value, am I right to assume that as it's intra-eu there'll be no duty?
    Yep, if you click the Irish flag on the first page then they'll list prices with Irish VAT and shipping prices included. Have always found them to be reliable and good value.


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    #5
    democrates
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,046 ✭✭✭democrates


    cornbb wrote:
    Yep, if you click the Irish flag on the first page then they'll list prices with Irish VAT and shipping prices included. Have always found them to be reliable and good value.
    Sweet! And thanks for the insights. Can't wait for this now, neighbours'll think I'm mad running around recording pole taps hail rain and squeaky cyclists.


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