Yes, it's yet another newbie question!

Johan R · Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Hello!

I've been playing around with the G2 demo for some time now and I really enjoy it. So it feels like the time has come to go modular all the way.

But all I can afford right now is the G2 Engine which seems to have some pretty serious limitations. So should I keep saving for another
another nine months or so and pay more than twice the money for a G2X. Or get the Engine and start playing around tomorrow?

Any wise advice?

mosc · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 11:15 am Post subject:

Since you are interested in the G2X, you must be a keyboard player. Some percentage of your playing is probably epianos, organs, lead synths and the like. If that is the case, my suggestion is to get the X. You can do your learning using the demo until your money supply builds up.

The G2X is a great keyboard. It's all I take on a gig (most of the time). The knob/button interface is excellent and make performing a very positive experience. The keyboard splits make building layers very easy. Don't discount the value of that goose neck mic - great for vocoder sounds, or just making announcements! The pitch stick is sweet too, as are the illuminated mod wheels.

If, on the other hand, you aren't a keyboard player, disregard this advice... Laughing

[This is really not a FAQ so moving to NM Discussion]

Johan R · Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Thanks for your advice, Mosc!

I'm not really a keyboard player, but I even so I find it hard to make music (or even sounds) without a keyboard. I have a Edirol keyboard that I use with Reason but I don't think it will work as well with a G2 Engine.

A G2 might be a compromise but the G2X isn't all that much more expensive.

dasz · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 12:46 pm Post subject:

If you are into x0x sequencer/groove programming, and tweaking, then the G2 is an amazing board (albeit you can only control 8 knobs at once, but you do have access to 120 knobs - through a row/column paging system ,and the knobs are labeled with dedicated LCD's)

There are other advantage like saving patches, changing variations, and the pitch stick that mosc mentioned. You can always just use the 3 oct keyboard for transposing.

The compactness of the G2 keyboard makes it quite portable (see my avatar -- I am playing a G2 in the back of a boom-car)

Hope this helps.
/Dasz

Antimon · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 1:41 pm Post subject:

I have an engine, which I enjoy very much. I use it with a good second hand 88 weighted-key piano controller, a BCR2000 and a MicroKontrol, which I think works well. I like the fact that it is small and fits on my desk (or behind it, all I need to reach is the power button), although I would like the knobs with LCDs - it can be a bit tricky to set up the BCR2000 loop sometimes with MIDI sync flowing correctly.

The main reason for me not buying a G2 keyboard is that I don't feel like enough of a pro to spend more than 10000 kronor on a single piece of gear - it reaches another level of seriousness and I get nervous. Like they say in that Bis song: "If you buy a guitar for more than 40 pounds - you're mad!"

Another big reason for buying the thing (which I didn't realize until after I had bought it) is being able to listen to the posts in the noodle section here at electro-music.com. It's music listening on a different level.

Don't know if that shed any light on the subject - just wanted to say that there are satisfied Engine owners out there.

/Stefan

blue hell · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 2:20 pm Post subject:

Kassen · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 4:17 pm Post subject:

dasz · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 11:38 pm Post subject:

I do (and many others) wish Clavia made a rack version of the G2 keyboard (just the panel, no keys) ... that would be a nice "in-between" version... but such is the reality of gear makers (especially small ones), you can't build everything you want to build ....

Me, I am not complaining about my G2 keys --- I worked real hard to get them. They are worth every ounce of sweat, a joy to use (even though I do not play the keys very much) and both get a lot of use around here. yes, I have thought about taking the keys out and turning one into a custom rack -- but I feel cutting the swedish steel would be sacrilege.
/Dasz

Johan R · Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Antimon · Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 8:08 am Post subject:

Assigning external MIDI controller knobs to parameters in the G2 is easy: you twiddle a knob, and right-click on the item of interest in the G2 editor. In the pop-up menu that appears there will be a shortcut with something like "Assign MIDI CC 78" (assuming you twiddled an knob that sends CC 7 Cool

, which you can select. Thereafter the knob controls that parameter on the G2. You can also open a larger menu to select specific MIDI controllers.

/Stefan

Johan R · Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Tranceparent · Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 5:21 am Post subject:

Well, I don't! Laughing

AngusHastie · Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 12:42 am Post subject:

If you want to gig with it, but you're not a "keyboard player" (i.e. you don't want to play it like a piano), or if you have another keyboard that functions as a stage piano, go for the G2 (no X).
My life is significantly simpler having a portable keyboard like the G2 to drag along to gigs.
Access to just 8 knobs at any particular time (until you just page down or across to the next group of Cool

a problem? I've yet to see any synth player in the world with the manual or mental dexterity to tweak more than 8 parameters simultaneously (although I'd love to hear from anyone who did find this a limitation).
Angus

AngusHastie · Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 12:43 am Post subject:

That's meant to say "group of 8" - not sure where the guy with the Raybans came from...

blue hell · Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 6:15 am Post subject:

mosc · Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 8:36 am Post subject:

Jason · Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 4:01 pm Post subject:

I have an engine.
I love it yes.
However it is sometimes hard for me to control but if you have a good controller this can be easily remedied I suppose using templates and what not. So I guess yes if you can afford the keys as well as having that space taken up then I recommend it if not the engine is still an awesome beast to be reckoned with so think your needs through and see what appeals to you the most. You could buy an Engine and a controller for less than a full g2 key etc... Embarassed

ahhh yes and all those pretty leds on the full system and so much more. I have never even used a real G2 keyboard I bet its fun...

dasz · Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 1:25 pm Post subject:

very fun ideed.
/Dasz