Jim Atwood in Japan

Neo-Soul Suitcase VST Plugin

Today I purchased the newly released Neo-Soul Suitcase Rhodes VST Plugin for Kontakt 4.2.3. Honestly I’m a much bigger fan of hardware than software, but two things made me get this. First, I’m a big fan of Jamal Hartwell over at Gospelmusicians.com who produces outstanding tutorial DVDs, samples, and now VST plugins. Second, I’m a big fan of the Fender Rhodes Neo-Soul sound which Jamal has captured very well with this new Neo-Soul Suitcase VST Plugin. It simply sounds fantastic despite having to go the software route to get that sound.

My setup at home for the Neo-Soul Suitcase VST is nothing fancy but it gets me the sound and feel with no detectable latency. I use a Dell XPS laptop with 4GB memory, ASIO4ALL installed, and a reasonably good audio card built it. I run a line out to my Yamaha Mixer and a USB cable connects to my Roland PCR-800 which is a superb midi controller. I use it primarily for my Roland MKS-50 with it’s excellent control maps. My Dell XPS uses Windows 7 OS 32bit and the Kotant 4 standalone version is 4.2.3 which is the minimum required for the Neo-Soul Suitcase Fender Rhodes VST Plugin. It all works surprisingly well and I’m able to be just about as expressive as I need to be with the keyboard controller and Rhodes sound. Latency was my biggest worry and it turns out with the Neo-Soul Suitcase everything works excellent.

I browsed through and tested all the sounds and they all played very well. My favorite so far is the Jamal Funk sound which comes closest to the sound that I prefer when I play. No doubt everyone else will choose different sounds that they like and Jamal has done a great job with providing some noticeable variety in all the patches. It’s extremely important to note and to understand that the Neo-Soul Suitcase Fender Rhodes VST has a main focus on getting close to the Neo-Soul RnB sound. Of course these patches are applicable to all sorts of styles out there so it shouldn’t be looked upon only as a Neo-Soul Rhodes sound, but it’s important to know that the Neo-Soul sound is the primary focus. Scarbee, Lounge Lizard, Mr. Ray, etc. all present very good Rhodes emulations for various styles. Scarbee for example is a big favorite among many, but I never really got into it. It just didn’t bark enough for me. I did like Mr. Ray, but I had latency issues which oddly enough are gone with the Neo-Soul Suitcase VST.

As you all know there are a lot of players out there in the Fender Rhodes VST market, but I’m quite happy with the sound of the Neo-Soul Suitcase VST thus far. In fact, I think it’s ( to me ), one of the best sounding Rhodes sounds I’ve played. For everyday practice, I enjoy playing various Rhodes samples loaded into my Roland Fantom XR, Motif ES, or most recently using the stock EP sounds of the Korg M50. As I reported earlier, those EP Rhodes sounds in the Korg M50 are excellent for practice. However, when it comes to recording or playing close to the real thing, I feel the Neo-Soul Suitcase VST is going to be fantastic. I don’t think I’m ready to put this setup on a stage yet as my luck is not the best, but for recording and studio work, I think the sounds are funk solid.

I recently purchased the Fundamentals of Neo-Soul DVD from Gospelmusicians and as a result I was able to get the Neo-Soul Suitcase Fender Rhodes VST for the $49.99 introductory price. I think Jamal has a DVD/VST combo for sale and that is what I would recommend getting. The Neo-Soul DVD is a best seller and I highly recommend it for all levels of keyboard players. I think if you are a big fan of Kontakt, Neo-Soul, Rhodes, and products such as Scarbee or Mr. Ray, you’ll like Neo-Soul Suitcase VST very much.

Note that I’m not an affiliate of Gospelmusicians.com so I can be a little more up front about my thoughts and I must say, Neo-Soul Suitcase VST is a great product. It’s only been a day since I’ve played it, but I simply cannot find any problems with it yet other than we’re dealing with software instead of hardware. I suppose if there is one product that’s going to get my feet wet with VSTs, then it’s probably going to be Neo-Soul Suitcase VST. Jamal is feeling good about sales right now, so I’d grab it while you can. Tell me what you think in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out the following websites for more info:
http://store.gospelmusicians.com/
http://neosoulsuitcase.com/

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UPDATE: I changed my setup a bit. I now run my Windows Laptop into the audio input of my Roland Fantom X7 which allows me to record the Rhodes sound into the audio tracks or layer it with another sound. Running through the audio system of the Fantom X7, the Neo-Soul Suitcase sounds really phat and very good. Another thing I do with the Neo-Soul Suitcase settings is to lower the output volume down to about -15.5 along with flipping the switch from clean to original. I tend to play hard on the keys and this virtually eliminates any and all slight static or distortion one might get with a similar setup. Sound cards are all different and mine works fantastic with the volume lowered. I also prefer the original to the clean version for two reasons. One is that I like the dirtier sound of the Rhodes with all it’s imperfections. In addition, I find the sound to my ears to sound less processed but more clear. It might just be me thinking that though. Overall, the Neo-Soul Suitcase is incredible sounding. I love it now that I can play and record it through my Roland X7 which is my main board at the moment. Having almost zero latency really makes it fantastic as well. Without a doubt, the Neo-Soul Suitcase is the best sounding VST EP I’ve heard and played in quite a while.

Musicians Breakthrough 12 DVD Set

Just bought my hard copy of the highly anticipated 2011 release of HearandPlay’s Gospel Musician’s Breakthrough Set. This 14 DVD set consists of seven professional Musicians spending 2-3 hours (16 hours in TOTAL) covering what is called the “5 Dimensions of the Gospel Church Service”: Praise, Worship, Shouting Music, Traditional Music, and Transitional “Talk” Music. Musician’s Breakthrough features 7 world-class, professional “West Coast” musicians in a pretty unique format. The seven musicians are Javad Day, David Jackson, Marcus Hodge, Stanton Lewis, Kevin Nickelson, Jeremy Jeffers, and Jason Freeman. These guys are awesome and I’m looking forward to learning some great tips, techniques, and all kinds of great stuff.

Jermaine Griggs and Jonathan Powell ( a.k.a The professor of Phatness ) were on Ustream today announcing the big release. Only 1,000 copies were being made for sale to the public and GMTC members. Fortunately I got an early bird link and was able to pick up a copy right away. You also get continued access to the great GMTC online music center where you can download iPod version of the videos as well with Loyalty Points. Plus I signed up on the first day here today so I was able to get the “live” Breakthrough Musician MIDI files of all the musicians to be used in Hearandplay’s Song Robot software.

Ustream Hearandplay

There may be a few copies left, so I recommend checking out the following page for more details on how you can access the GMTC training center and/or pick up a set of Gospel Musician’s Breakthrough. http://www.hearandplay.com/mbnow These keyboard players are smooth, funky, phat, and know how to add that special “flavor” to your sound on the keys.

Note that I am not an affiliate for Hearandplay and I have been a member of GMTC for almost 9 months now. GMTC ( Gospel Musician’s Training Center ) is definitely the BEST online keyboard instruction video center that I’ve encountered for learning Gospel, Funky, RnB, Neo-Soul, and even Jazzy type of music. If you are looking for that Gospel or Modern RnB Soul sound, GMTC is definitely the place to be. I highly recommend it.

You can also check my previous GMTC Review article here:
http://jimatwood.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/gmtc-gospel-musician-training-center-review/

MKSensation MKS-20 Kontakt/EXS/Reason

The new MKSensation Sample Library for the Roland MKS-20 Piano Module compatible with Kontakt/EXS/Reason applications has now been released. Having purchased the Yamaha ES/XS/XF version of this sample set, I can honestly say it’s a nice set of samples. If you are after that Roland MKS-20 sound you can’t go wrong with adding this sample library to your collection. Below I have attached a video that highlights the samples and makes comparisons with the original Roland MKS-20. This Sample Library requires KONTAKT 3 OR 4, REASONS 4 OR 5, OR LOGIC EXS SAMPLER. All EP and Piano sounds have 6-Velocity layers. The Chorus was also sampled on the EP’s and the Vibraphone.

From the GospelMusicians website: For years, the Roland MKS-20 piano module has been the staple of gospel music for years. Artist such as Mike Bereal, and Jason White have used this module. There is a distinct sound to this module and gospel musicians around world still use this module today. Before it has been a secret, but now we are letting the cat out of the bag, while taking it a step further!

The Roland MKS-20 piano module contained the most distinct piano and EP sounds. Now you can load these sounds and samples into your computer DAW workstation for your gospel productions. Now you don’t have to purchase this module: You can put the module right into your computer and layer, and combine as you please.

The sounds were programmed from a real MK-20 right in our own studios through top Apogee converters and our #1 Goal was to make sure it sounded exactly like the real Roland MKS-20 module. Best of all we sampled all of the sounds, so you get the harpsichord, clav, and the xylophone!

BONUS: THE EP’S WERE SAMPLED WITH THE ORIGINAL MKS CHORUS FOR THAT ADDED PHATNESS. We also added a very nice DX7-EP and Piano sound.

Fundamentals of Neo-Soul Keyboard

Fundamentals of Neo-Soul Keyboard and Hip-Hop Production

Today Fundamentals of Neo-Soul Keyboard and Hip-Hop Production was released in download format. I purchased my copy and am currently downloading the material. This is a release that I’ve been very much looking forward to and there is no doubt in my mind it will be fantastic. Not only is Jamal Hartwell a great instructor and producer of such Neo-Soul Keyboard instructional material, but he is very inspirational. One of the things that drives my interest in music is being connected or around other musicians who love their craft.

Anyone interested in Neo-Soul, RnB, Funk, Gospel, or just plain interested in playing a groove on the keyboard should get this DVD package. Two demo videos have already been released on Youtube. I have posted one below and just viewing that alone is evidence enough that this is the bomb folks!! Get it now while it’s on sale too until April 15th. Thanks very much Jamal for producing this great new Neo-Soul Keyboard DVD.

Features include: Live Instruction, Beat Making, MIDI files, Sheet Music, Easy Theory, Chord Charts, Free Drum Sounds, Live Band, and Overhead Keyboard

Also note that a FREE Neo-Soul MIDI Lesson is also available here.

Fundamentals of Neo-Soul: http://store.gospelmusicians.com/Fundamentals_of_Neo-Soul_Keyboard_Download/ :: Learn Hip-Hop Production and Neo-Soul chords. Urban Piano

The Fundamentals of Neo-Soul Keyboard DVD is now available. It will be on sale for $39.99 until April 15th. Learn how to play the fundamentals of Neo-Soul keyboard:

1. 1.5 Hours of Neo-Soul Lessons from the Studio
2. Easy Neo-Soul Theory Lessons for Beginners
3. Neo-Soul/Hip-Hop Beat Making
4. Sheet Music with Chord Charts
5. MIDI Files

Fundamentals of Neo Soul DVD

Jamal Hartwell at Gospelmusicians.com has done it again with the soon to be released DVD titled “Fundamentals of Neo-Soul Keyboard“. Below is a video Sneak Peak released today on Youtube highlighting some exciting movements in the Neo-Soul fundamentals DVD.

Previously Jamal has released a few Neo-Soul related titles which can be found in the Gospelmusicians store. I actually have them all and find them to be very informative and highly recommended. In fact some people might ask why is another Neo-Soul DVD needed since existing titles from Gospelmusicians already exist? My answer to that is basically once you dive into the realm of Neo-Soul you can just never get enough of it. Probably a better question to ask is why is only Jamal from Gospelmusicians focusing on Neo Soul when it’s obviously a highly sought after area of music for Gospel, RnB, Funk, and perhaps even Jazz keyboardists.

If you don’t know what Neo-Soul is, just check out the video below. Then check out some of Jamal’s other videos as he often sprinkles Neo-Soul in just about all of his keyboard playing. Then have a listen to other artists like Musiq, Jill Scott, and Erykha Badu. In fact, one of my favorite artists from the 80′s, Sade has elements of Neo-Soul in her music. ( in my humble opinion ). Neo-Soul simply has a smooth, phat, and elegant flavor to it. As a keyboardist, it’s gives me almost instant gratification whenever I play stuff with a Neo-soul feel. Simply put, Neo-Soul is just “cool” and the “wow” factor is just off the hook!

We need more Neo-Soul and Jamal Hartwell from Gospelmusicians has met that demand!! I can’t wait until this is released. Thank you Jamal! Plus if you haven’t already check out Jamal’s Neo-Soul Rhodes Samples and Patches for Yamaha Motif ES/XS/XF, then you need to do that too. I have them and they are phenomenal! Along with the Neo-Soul technique and feel you need the sounds! It’s a combination of them all that helps you to achieve that great Neo-Soul sound!

Note that I am not an affiliate of Gospelmusicans. I am simply a huge Neo-Soul keyboard fan!!

Please feel free to comment if you know of any other Neo-Soul artists, resources, or even if you are just a Neo Soul enthusiast like I am. Thanks! – Jim

Photo above can be found at Jamal Hartwell’s Facebook Wall Photos Page. Click for more information.

Precision Sound Electric Piano Samples

Today I just got a newsletter from Precision Sound about their Winter Sale which consists of 50 percent off on all Sample Sets until 31 December 2010. I’ve been waiting for this sale to come up so I could finally pick up some Samples sets to program into my Yamaha Motif ES and Roland Fantom XR Sound Module. I was primarily interested in the EP Electric Piano series samples which consists of the MKS-20, Fender Rhodes MKII 73, and Wurlitzer A200 Electric Piano. I recently purchased the GospelMusicians MKSensation and Neo-Soul Rhodes and I’m excited about adding to that collection with these new sample sets.

I’m a HUGE fan of the electric piano sound in jazz, gospel, Rnb, Funk, you name it. I don’t have a read Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, nor an MKS-20, so I feel (hope) these Sample sets will get me close if not there. At the moment I am programming these into my Motif and Fantom because those are my primary multisample based hardware keys at the moment. Once I have them in there, I’ll update my article here with some thoughts about how I think they sound and maybe make some comparisons to other sample sets like I mentioned above. These Sample Sets can be expensive I know which is why I waited for the Precision Sounds Samples to go on Sale.

The exact Precision Sound Sample Sets I purchased are as follows for those interested:

Dusty Electric MkII V2 – Fender Rhodes Mk II 73 Stage Piano
Funky Electric P200 V2 – Wurlitzer A200 Electric Piano
P20 – Vintage Digital – Roland MKS-20 8 Presets

If anyone has a questions or thoughts, please feel free to comment below. Thanks! – Jim

MKSensation MKS-20 for Motif EX/XS/XF

Today I picked up the recent Gospelmusicians Sample release called MKSENSATION MKS-20. I have never owned a Roland MKS-20 and probably won’t anytime soon as they are both hard to come by and are a bit expensive to buy and have shipped to Japan. After reading a couple of reviews from prominent musicians who recently bought the MKSensation MKS-20 samples, I elected to give them a try myself. I also recently bought the Neo-Soul Rhodes Samples from Gospelmusicians and they are really good. I was able to convert and import them into my Fantom XR as well. With some additional tweaking I think they sound great. I figured I would do the same with MKSensation so that I could play them both on my Yamaha Motif ES and Fantom XR Sound Module. ( Note: These samples DO NOT WORK with the Roland Fantom XR straight out of the box. They are for Motif Keyboards ONLY. You have to convert them and understand how to create multisamples in the Fantom manually yourself. I actually spent a few days on the Neo-Soul Rhodes Samples and was able to get all voices pretty close on the Fantom XR. MKSensation will likely be easier. )

In an earlier article, I wrote that these Samples were likely to be good, but were expensive. Although they are similar priced with other sample sets found on Motifator, I still think they “all” are expensive..laugh. With that said, I KNOW I will be using these samples on my Motif ES and Fantom XR extensively so I’m sure I’ll recoup quickly. I also believe in supporting Jamal Hartwell and Dave Polich for their fantastic work on the samples and Motif programming. I should also mention that unlike some samples sets on Motifator, you get all three MKSensation Samples Sets for the Motif EX,XS, and XF. Thus at anytime if you upgrade your Motif or get another keyboard you can use these samples for all three. Other packages make you buy the samples all over again unless you know how to properly convert them. Even then you still have to know how to program your Motif as these Samples contain not only the raw samples, but also use Rom based Motif sounds when layered. Not to mention that some use effects and other parameters from the Motif. When I was programming the Fantom, I noticed this was true for all the special effect patches in the Neo-Soul Sample Set and had to adjust accordingly.

I will update this article with additional info once I complete my download and put them into my Motif ES for playing. I’ll also write some comments about how well they program into the Fantom XR once I complete that later in the week. I use both the Motif and Fantom extensively so that is why I am shoving them into the Fantom. It’s not easy, but it’s doable and it sounds great to my ears.

Here’s the Voice List for MKSensation.

001 (A01) MKS Piano 1
002 (A02) MKS Piano 2
003 (A03) MKS Piano 3
004 (A04) MKS Clav
005 (A05) MKS Vibes
006 (A06) MKS Harpsi
007 (A07) MKS-20 EP1
008 (A08) MKs-20 EP2
010 (A10) MKS Remix – Piano and EP Tines with chorus
011 (A11) Piano1&Str – MKS Piano 1 with Strings.
012 (A12) MKSEP&Strg – MKS EP 2 and Strings
013 (A13) Stack Vibe – Super layered MKS and Yamaha Tines
014 (A14) MKS Tine 1 – MKS EP 2 with high chorus and warmth
015 (A15) MKS Tine 2 – Piano 2 and Strings
016 (A16) Hard MKS20 – Piano 3 with a hard dance piano sound

Stay tuned!

Jim

Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners

This is a part 1 of my review of the new “Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners” DVD from Gospelmusicians.

Today I bought Jamal Hartwell‘s new DVD called “Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners“. I normally wait for sales and stuff or reviews from other musicians, but in this case I figured I couldn’t go wrong with this DVD. The reason is that I’m a big fan of Jamal’s instructional DVDs and I’ve honestly never purchased a bad one. They are all good and so I’m confident “Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners” is a good one too. I should also note that the DVD has 7 hours worth of information which is the most I’ve seen from him. It also comes with PDF and Midi files. Plus there is a download version which allows someone like me living in Japan to not have to pay for shipping. Currently there is one zip file that I’m downloading at the moment and like all of the other downloads I’ve purchased, I don’t expect any issues. How big is the file? I’m not sure yet as I’m downloading it via my Firefox browser and there’s no file size info.

A couple of things probably important to know is that I’m first not an affiliate of Gospelmusicians, HearandPlay, or any other online instructional company for that matter. There is no particular reason for this other than that it kind of frees me up to write my own thoughts and experiences without influence. Second, I am an absolute “complete” beginner with regards to the Hammond or any other organ. In fact I’ve never even sat down at one, so I’m probably about as beginner as you’re going to get with respect to the organ. Finally, like I mentioned above, I paid full price for the “Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners” not simply because I wanted it now, but I also know that Jamal’s instructional DVDs are effective and excellent sources of info. The price is excellent and I didn’t feel I needed a discount. I’m a big fan of compensating people for their hard work. To me, “Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners” is a great value even at regular price for sure.

Currently I am a member of HearandPlay’s GMTC Gospel Musician’s Training Center. In there, you can find many many videos teaching various songs on the organ. So while I already have access to lots of organ songs to learn, I wanted more info about the organ itself and different techniques with regards to playing the organ. I thought “Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners” fit the bill nicely for several reasons.

1. Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners walks you through the organ mechanics from the different types of Organs, presets, internal components, maintenance, and other functions that an organ provides. The organ is so new to me that I believe it would be a good way to get educated about the organ without having one. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if all levels of organ players would benefit in some way by viewing this DVD. Jamal tends to throw in quite a few surprises for the experienced players as well, which is another reason why I like his DVDs. There is room to grow for all ability levels.

2. The organ is obviously different than the keyboard. What those differences are, I don’t really know or understand very well. Thus there is an important section called “Organ Essentials” that gives you an overview of the organ, drawbars, personal drawbar, effects, and foot pedal techniques. Plus you get information about transitioning from keyboard to organ which is very important to me. There are also some additional techniques about grace notes, using your left-hand, and volume pedal techniques that I think can be useful for not just playing the organ but for the keyboard as well.

3. The Virtual MIDI Organ Lessons section is where Jamal sits down and shows you not only some of the techniques that are important for the organ, but techniques that I believe that can also be applied to the keyboard. This isn’t stated, but I’m sure I’ll be able to use some of them in my keyboard playing. In fact, many of the techniques I can see have already been covered in earlier DVDs, but what’s important to know is that Jamal ALWAYS seems to teach a different angle to the same subject. I personally learn best by listening to different ways to explain the same thing. Maybe I’m unique, but all this theory and technique can be really confusing sometimes. It’s great to be able to explain something differently or better perhaps.

Thus it’s fantastic that Jamal most likely will not only be explaining similar concepts but perhaps better with the use of the organ. Some of the great techniques found in previous DVDs include the I Chord, Classic Walk, Phat Tritone Circle, Ab Runs, and Preacher Chords/Runs. Some of the newer techniques that I am looking forward to watching are about Circle of 5ths (Organ Style), Chromatic Movements, Devotional Song Patterns, Neo-Soul on Organ, Perfect 4ths, and the Chinese Run.

4. Finally the next thing I’m looking forward to checking out are the drawbar settings. Like I mentioned already, I don’t have an organ to play other than the sounds on my keyboard. I may look into an organ software application online, but this doesn’t mean I won’t get something out of the drawbar settings section. From past DVDs, Jamal tends to show a lot of tricks and playing techniques while illustrating a point. My thinking is that there will be lots of great playing to showcase each of the drawbar settings such as Talk Music, Full Gospel, Church Choir, Getting a Fat Sound, Xtreme Settings, and my favorite…Neo-Soul Settings.

A good example of what I’m talking about with respect to the Drawbar settings and learning some cool riffs on the organ can be seen in this Gospelmusicians Channel Video. ( Be sure to watch the full video as Jamal sprinkles bits of licks and grooves throughout the video ). Also note that “hopefully” this will be in the midi files, but if not you can at least see the highlighted keys.

I am very excited to have purchased the “Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners” DVD from Gospelmusicians. Although I am a big fan of the GMTC Gospel Musicians Training Center, I am also a huge fan of Jamal Hartwell’s DVD catalog and a few other musicians such as Kevin “KC” Conley whose DVD “Unlocking the Keys” is magnificent. Jamal’s “Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners” will no doubt be a winning DVD. It’s got a great price point and it’s packed with 7 hours of valuable “must have” information and instruction about the organ in a Gospel music context which by the way can also be applied to any sort of music played today in my opinion.

After I get a chance to sit down and work with the material in the “Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners” DVD, I’ll write a follow-up or part 2 with my thoughts on whether the DVD met my initial expectations. I’m pretty confident at this point that this DVD will be one of my favorites and I don’t even have an organ…LOL. I just like the music, the sound of the organ, and the value techniques or tricks that Jamal shows in his videos. I also have to say that his personality and instructional style ALWAYS influences me to get up and start playing. It’s great.

Thanks Jamal for the fantastic new release from Gospelmusicians “”Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners”.

For more information about the new DVD, please check out the new Organ Xtravaganza website. Again note that I’m not an affiliate with Gospelmusicans, but rather I like to write about things I am very passionate about and that just happens to be music. The excitement you read about in this article comes from that passion and really isn’t motivated by anything else. “Organ Xtravaganza for Beginners” is an exciting new DVD that’s motivated me plenty to practice more on both the keyboard and perhaps an organ someday. For now, the organ sound on my keyboard will do fine I’m sure. Enjoy!

Jim

Roland MKS-20

Recently I have been on the lookout for a great set of Roland MKS-20 Samples for my keyboards. There are not many MKS-20 sample sets available, but I did manage to encounter three options that seemed excellent. One of these days I may elect to buy a used Roland MKS-20, but since I am in Japan and the fact that it may be difficult to get one shipped here, I’ve elected to try the sample route instead.

The following three Roland MKS-20 Sample Sets are currently available. Two have been around for a while and another was just recently released this month. The three choices I’ve found are (in no particular order):

1. P20 (Roland MKS-20) from Precisionsound – $49.00

2. MKSensation Roland MKS-20 from GospelMusicians – $99.99

3. MK Digital Keys from Nucleus SoundLab – $49.00

Which is better? I have no idea as I don’t currently own them, but most likely I’ll pick up the Precisionsound Set first for several reasons. First is that the price is half that of MKSensation which is an obvious important element. Second, the Roland MKS-20 PS20 set has WAV files already for you which can virtually be used in any sampler which is very versatile. In addition, you get more velocity layers and samples with the PS20 set. You can also checkout DDW4E’s Youtube channel to hear the PS20 sounds which he imported into Reason.

With respect to MKSensation Roland MKS-20 Piano Module, it has two things going for it that make it very tempting. First it is sampled first hand by a fantastic Gospel Musician name Jamal Hartwell. I have almost all his DVDs and he’s simply outstanding. I’m a big fan needless to say. The MKSensation MKS-20 sample set comes from a seasoned pro who owns and uses the MKS-20 on a regular basis. One would expect the quality to be top notch with his background and I’m quite sure it is. The second asset is that it’s focused on the Yamaha Motif series of keyboards which is arguably the instrument of choice for Gospel Musicians with regards to getting that classic rhodes and/or piano sound.

The MK Digital Keys set is a new retro keyboard sample library by Nucleus SoundLab. Bring the 80s keyboard sound to your productions with this faithful sampling of Roland’s MKS-20 keyboard synthesizer. MK Digital Keys is available in three formats, Reason Refill, WusikEngine, and Kontakt/EXS/SFZ.

Again this article is not to decide the best Roland MKS-20 Sample set, but to simply state that there are a few excellent choices out there to choose from. There may be more and if anyone knows of additional MKS-20 sample sets, to please comment below. Probably the biggest deciding factor for many will be first the price and then the reviews once they start to come in. Like I mentioned above, I’ll probably pick up the Precision Sound MKS-20 set first because of the price, but also because I would like to use these MKS-20 samples in other keyboards in addition to the Motif. Of course sound is important and the demos of all three products shine well.

There is one very important similarity with MKSensation, PS20, and MK Digital Keys is that they have samples for all the presets in the Roland MKS-20. So if you are looking for all the sounds, they exist in all three packages. DEMOS are available at the links mentioned above for all products.

Discounts anyone? Precisionsound seems to offer seasonal 50% off discounts on all of it’s sample sets. It might be best to wait it out and grab a bundle when they are on sale. You can check for the latest discounts on their forums here. Gospelmusicians also offers discounts on their products periodically as well. I read on the website though that there will be no sales for the rest of the year, so one might have to wait until the New Year or later. You need to get on the Gospelmusician mailing list in order to get notified about sales. I have not heard of any sales for MK Digital Keys yet. At the price points above though, you can pick up both the P20 and MK Digital Key Sets for the price of MKSensation alone. That’s kind of a deal in itself I suppose.

I’m betting Precisionsound will have one before Christmas. Needless to say, all sample sets are probably worth their retail prices with all the time, effort, and thought that goes into producing such quality sample sets. With that said, it’s a crappy economy for most Americans and I’m sure discounts are on everyone’s minds these days. Thus there’s hope for those who are looking for a sale.

Some may ask about Software or Softsynth choices for the Roland MKS-20. Personally, I’m only focused at the moment on hardware or using samples with my current hardware setup. I don’t take or use a computer when I perform, but I’m sure there are Roland MKS-20 software choices out there somewhere.

If you have either the Precisionsound PS20, Nucleus SoundLab’s MK Digital Keys, or Gospelmusician’s MKSensation, please let me know your thoughts. Ultimately I may get them all and perhaps further down the line I’ll end up getting the real thing. The Roland MKS-20 is a fabulous sound module and I can’t believe I’ve gone without one for so long.

UPDATE: Jamal from Gospelmusicians has just posted an excellent video comparing the real Roland MSK-20 with the new MKSensation MKS-20 Sample Set for the Yamaha Motif ES/XS/XF Synthesizer.

Is going the Hardware route all that expensive?

What’s the average pricing for a Roland MKS-20 on Ebay as of the date of this post? The average price is $310 according the last five completed auctions. Considering there are 8 presets in the Roland MKS-20 module, you can do the math and it would cost about $38.75 per voice. I’m starting to think that it’s still pretty reasonable to get a Roland MKS-20 over samples. What do you think?

Of course you wouldn’t have to drag the Roland MKS-20 around, but you would get full access to the effects and the ability to tweak the presets. Are old Roland MKS-20 Sound Modules reliable? I’m not sure about that either, but they sure do sound great.

Roland MKS-20 Ebay Pricing

Here’s an interesting question….

If you owned a good Roland MKS-20 Sample Set, would you sell your Roland MKS-20 if you had one?