Thanks very much to our friends at japan24net on eBay! They did a superb job of packing and Pocket Miku arrived at our house in record time. どうもありがとうございました
Now, the obligatory pictures! Please click on the images for higher resolution. Front:
The back:
With the rear cover off:
And finally, the money shot:
That looks like a 12.000 MHz crystal. Sorry, I didn’t have time to work through the data sheet and compute the CPU clock frequency. (96MHz maximum)
Copyright © 2017 Paul J. Drongowski
Pocket Miku, also known as “NSX-39,” has three major integrated circuit components:
Here is the Pocket Miku NSX-39 circuit schematic.
The Generalplus GP3101A is a system on a chip (SOC) advanced multimedia processor. The GPEL3101A is an ARM7TDMI processor with integrated RAM and many peripheral interfaces including:
Here is the Generalplus GP31P1003A product brief. The NSX-39 schematic does not specify the clock crystal frequency, but the GP31P1003A can operate up to 96MHz.
The Yamaha NSX-1 eVocaloid processor communicates with the GPEL3101A via SPI. MIDI messages, commands, and initialization data are communicated serially. The GPEL3101A control software converts MIDI over USB to MIDI messages sent to the NSX-1 via the SPI connection.
The GPEL3101A senses the keyboard and stylus inputs through its 6-channel, 12-bit ADC.
The NSX-1 generates a digital audio stream which is sent to the GPEL3101A digital audio auxiliary input. The GPEL3101A converts the digital audio to analog audio using its DAC. (This is a neat solution — no discrete DAC component!) The GPEL3101A sends analog audio to the external PHONE OUT and amplified audio is driven into the NSX-39’s speaker.
The Macronix MX25L1635E is a 16Mbit CMOS serial flash memory. It communicates with the GPEL3101A via SPI (4xI/O mode). The memory can retain 2MBytes of data. The MX25L1635E holds the NSX-39 control program and (probably) the initial eVocaloid database. The eVocaloid database must be loaded into an internal RAM memory within the NSX-1 eVocaloid processor.
We can infer that the eVocaloid database cannot be larger than 2MBytes. The NSX-1 typically sets aside 2MBytes for the database within its large capacity internal RAM memory. Because this memory volatile RAM, it must be initialized with the eVocaloid database at start-up. It would be a sweet hack to replace the eVocaloid database with an English language database or Real Acoustic Sound (RAS) waveforms.
The NSX-39 software keeps the lyric slots and the command slots in the Macronix flash memory. This arrangement retains lyrics and commands across power-down.
Copyright (c) 2017 Paul J. Drongowski
Time for a brief Summer NAMM 2017 preview.
Summer NAMM is rarily as exciting as Winter NAMM, so I don’t expect much in the way of new product announcements.
Roland just recently had their “Future Redefined” [whatever] event, so I doubt if Roland will announce anything new. Korg are promoting their Grandstage stage piano. Be sure to check out the Grandstage introductory video on Youtube in which Rosemary Minkler and her jazz trio absolutely burn up the stage. (If you don’t like jazz, well, OK.)
From the few industry previews on-line, Yamaha will feature keyboard products that were previously announced at Musikmesse, along with the MX88. Yamaha will introduce the PSR-EW300 ($250 USD) to the North American market. The EW300 is a 76-key version of the PSR-E363 entry-level arranger keyboard. Both the EW300 and E363 feature 48 voice polyphony, up from 32 voices. The EW300 and E363 pages claim “improved sampling,” which is good because Yamaha’s entry-level was really getting tired. (I have yet to hear the “improved sampling,” BTW.) Perhaps a new spin of the SWL01 processor family as well?
I’m rather surprised that it hasn’t been mentioned on the forums, but Yamaha cut prices across the entire Reface line on July 1. A big price cut before Summer NAMM is kind of suspicious. We live in the age of imagined conspiracy…
Advertised prices for the Reface series seemed to have settled. The DX and CS models are $300 USD. Price for YC and CP models have settled around $370 USD. The Guitar Center web site has flagged all models as “CLEARANCE,” so this may be the last we see of Reface, two years after introduction at Summer NAMM 2015. The disparity between DX/CS and YC/CP pricing may reflect the depth of existing inventory or perhaps popularity. Yamaha, as usual, knows for sure.
So, let’s imagine a conspiracy! Wouldn’t it be grand to see Reface v2 at Summer NAMM 2017 replete with full-size keys?
Speaking of “Minimum Advertised Price” or “MAP.” Electro-Harmonix are dropping the retailer Amazon due to grievances over MAP policy. If you’re not familiar with “MAP” or “the street price,” you should get hip as a consumer. MAP is a way for a manufacturer to prop up product pricing without (barely) running afoul of price fixing laws. MAP is why every on-line retailer seems to have the same price. (You should always call to get the best price.)
Amazon, according to Electro-Harmonix, allow “alias” companies — stores — to advertise below MAP. Thanks to commingling of sales by Amazon, Electro-Harmonix cannot track below-MAP sales back to dealers and enforce dealer agreements. This whole area (MAP) is a cesspool and frankly, none of the parties get much sympathy from me.
Here are some of the Yamaha NSX-1 resources that I’ve found on-line. It took a lot of browsing to find English language resources! I apologizing for writing a rather terse blog post — just the facts, documents and links!
Please check out my own posts on this site:
I hope these resources help your exploration of the NSX-1, eVocaloid and Pocket Miku!
Sound source methods EVocaloid, Real Acoustic Sound, Wavetable
method (General MIDI)
Maximum polyphony 64
Multi-timbral Sound source 16 parts, A / D input part × 2
Waveform memory Equivalent to 4 Mbytes
Number of voices EVocaloid (eVY 1 (Japanese)) / Real Acoustic
Sound × 30 types, General MIDI × 128 kinds
Number of drum kit 1 Drum Kit (General MIDI)
Effects Reverb × 29, Chorus × 24, Insertion × 181,
Master EQ (5 Bands)
Host Interface SPI / 8 bit parallel / 16 bit parallel
Audio interface Input × 2, output × 2
Power supply 1.65 V - 3.6 V [Core] 1.02 V - 1.20 V
Power consumption [Standby] 10 µA [Operating] 12 mA to 22 mA
Package 80-pin LQFP (0.5 mm pitch, 12 mm × 12 mm),
76-ball FBGA (0.5 mm pitch, 4.9 mm × 4.9 mm)
Serial Comm Interface Bit length 8
Start bit 1
Stop bit 1
Parity bit none
Transfer rate 31250 bps or 38400 bps
Program change CH.1 eVocaloid only (eVY1)
Not receive program change messages
Monophonic pronunciation
CH.2 - CH.16 General MIDI voices
System exclusive message GM ON, XG parameter, Lyrics data etc.
Not received other than Yamaha ID
Some Yamaha ID still does not received
(such as music instrument specific)
Other MIDI messages Channel message
NRPN, RPN
Lyrics data Transfer by System Exclusive or NRPN messages
Continuous operating time 8 hours (eVocaloid specification)
If exceeded, requires power off, reset,
and NSX-1 reboot, etc.
As mentioned in my earlier post, the Yamaha NSX-1 integrated circuit implements three sound sources: a General MIDI engine based on the XG voice architecture, eVocaloid and Real Acoustic Sound (RAS). RAS is based on Articulation Element Modeling (AEM) and I now believe that eVocaloid is also a form of AEM. eVocaloid uses AEM to join or “blend” phonemes. The more well-known “conventional” Vocaloid uses computationally intensive mathematics for blending which is why conventional Vocaloid remains a computer-only application.
Vocaloid uses a method called Frequency-domain Singing Articulation Splicing and Shaping. It performs frequency domain smoothing. (That’s the short story.)
AEM underlies Tyros Super Articulation 2 (S.Art2) voices. Players really dig S.Art2 voices because they are so intuitively expressive and authentic. Synthesizer folk hoped that Montage would implement S.Art2 voices — a hope not yet realized.
Conceptually, S.Art2 has two major subsystems: a controller and a synthesis engine. The controller (which is really software running on an embedded microcomputer) senses the playing gesture made by the musician and translates those gestures into synthesis actions. Gestures include striking a key, releasing a key, pressing an articulation button, moving the pitch bend or modulation wheel. Vibrato is the most commonly applied modulation type. The controller takes all of this input and figures out the musician’s intent. The controller then translates that intent into commands which it sends to the synthesis engine.
AEM breaks synthesis into five phases: head, body, joint, tail and shot. The head phase is what we usually call “attack.” The body phase forms the main part of a tone. The tail phase is what we usually call “release.” The joint phase connects two bodies, replacing the head phase leading into the second body. A shot is short waveform like a detached staccato note or a percussive hit. A flowing legato string passage sounds much different than pizzicato, so it makes sense to treat shots separately.
Heads, bodies and tails are stored in a database of waveform fragments (i.e., samples). Based on gestures — or MIDI data in the case of the NSX-1 — the controller selects fragments from the database. It then modifies and joins the fragments according to the intent to produce the final digital audio waveform. For example, the synthesis engine computes joint fragments to blend two legato notes. The synthesis engine may also apply vibrato across the entire waveform (including the computed joint) if requested.
Whew! Now let’s apply these concepts to the human voice. eVocaloid is driven by a stream of phonemes. The phonemes are represented as an ASCII string of phonetic symbols. The eVocaloid controller recognizes each phoneme and breaks it down into head, body and tail fragments. It figures out when to play these fragments and when bodies must be joined. The eVocaloid controller issues internal commands to the synthesis engine to make the vocal intent happen. As in the case of musical passages, vibrato and pitch bend may be requested and are applied. The NSX-1 MIDI implementation has three Non-Registered Parameter Number (NRPN) messages to control vibrato characteristics:
I suspect that a phoneme like “ka” must be two fragments: an attack fragment “k” and a body fragment “a”. If “ka” is followed immediately by another phoneme, then the controller requests a joint. Otherwise, “ka” is regarded as the end of a detached word (or phrase) and the appropriate tail fragment is synthesized.
Whether it’s music or voice, timing is critical. MIDI note on and note off events cue the controller as to when to begin synthesis and when to end synthesis. The relationship between two notes is also critical as two overlapping notes indicate legato intent and articulation. The Yamaha AEM patents devote a lot of space to timing and to mitigation of latency effects. The NSX-1 MIDI implementation has two NRPN messages to control timing:
The Phoneme Unit Connect Type has three settings: fixed 50 msec mode, minimum mode and velocity mode in which the velocity value changes the phoneme’s duration.
As I mentioned earlier, eVocaloid operates on a stream of phonetic symbols. Software sends phonetic symbols to the NSX-1 using either of two methods:
A complete string of phonetic symbols can be sent in a single SysEx message. Up to 128 phonetic symbols may be sent in the message. The size of the internal buffer for symbols is not stated, but I suspect that it’s 128 symbols. The phoneme delimiter is ASCII space and the syllable delimiter is ASCII comma. A NULL character must appear at the end of the list.
The NRPN method uses three NRPN message types:
In order to send a string of phonetic symbols, software sends a start NRPN message, one or more phonetic symbol NRPN messages and, finally, an end of phonetic symbols NRPN message.
Phonetic symbols are stored in a (128 byte?) buffer. The buffer lets software send a phrase before it is played (sung) by the NSX-1. Each MIDI note ON message advances a pointer through the buffer selecting the next phoneme to be sung. The SEEK NRPN message lets software jump around inside the buffer. If software wants to start at the beginning of the buffer, it sends a “SEEK 0” NRPN message. This capability is really handy, potentially letting a musician start at the beginning of a phrase again if they have lost their place in the lyrics.
When I translated the Yamaha NSX-1 brochure, I encountered the statement: “eVocaloid and Real Acoustic Sound cannot be used at the same time. You need to choose which one to pre-install at the ordering stage.”. This recommendation is not surprising. Both RAS and eVocaloid must have its own unique database; RAS has instrument samples and eVocaloid has human vocal samples. I don’t think, therefore, that Pocket Miku has any RAS (AEM) musical instrument samples. (Bummer.)
Speaking of databases, conventional Vocaloid databases are quite large: hundreds of megabytes. eVocaloid is intended for embedded applications and eVocaloid databases are much smaller. I’ll find out how big once I take apart Pocket Miku. Sorry, Miku. 🙂
I hope this article has given you more insight into Yamaha Real Acoustic Sound and eVocaloid.
Copyright © 2017 Paul J. Drongowski
More fun with large scale integration (LSI).
I went mad with desire when I heard about the Switch Science eVocaloid eVY1 shield for Arduino. The bad news is Switch Science is out of stock and is not making the board any longer.
I started to deep dive the Yamaha NSX-1 eVocaloid IC at the heart of the eVY1 shield and eventually found some specs. The NSX-1 responds to sixteen MIDI channels. Channel 1 is dedicated to eVocaloid — a monophonic singing voice. Channels 2 through 16 are assigned to the polyphonic, multi-timbral MIDI synthesizer. The MIDI synthesizer conforms to the XG voice and effects architecture. Unfortunately, the wave memory is about 2MBytes, putting it at the same level as an old school QY-70. (Got one of those already.)
I uploaded Yamaha’s NSX-1 brochure. Take a peek. Please note the waveform diagram on page 2 (i.e., head, body, joint, tail) eVocaloid and Articulated Element Modeling (AEM) are definitely siblings. “Conventional” Vocaloid uses computational heavy mathematics to blend phonemes. eVocaloid and conventional Vocaloid are more like cousins.
Assessing the MIDI implementation, software needs to pump abbreviations for eVY1 phonemes into the NSX-1 to make it sing. A string of abbreviated phonemes is sent via SysEx message. Looks like the developers got burned by the long SysEx message problem in Windows XP as they recommend using Windows Vista or later.
The vocal database (consisting of samples and more) is stored in a surface mount IC beneath the board. It isn’t possible to replace the vocal database with instrument samples in order to take advantage of the NSX-1’s Real Acoustic Sound (RAS) synthesis. eVocaloid mode and RAS mode are exclusive and cannot be used at the same time. Doesn’t look like we can get Super Articulation 2 voices on the cheap. (Bummer.)
Given these limitations, my ardour cooled rather quickly! However, leave it to Katsunori UJIIE to lift my spirits. Check out UJIIE’s demonstration of the Gakken NSX-39, Pocket Miku.
Meanwhile, my quest for a light-weight, self-contained, battery-powered rehearsal keyboard goes on. Recently, while I waited for the GC associate to process my returned Roland GO:KEYS, I plinked away on a Yamaha NP-12. The NP-12 is certainly cheap enough ($170 USD) and light enough (just shy of 10 pounds). Although it has only ten voices, I could MIDI the NP-12 to the MidiPlus miniEngine USB sound module for non-piano voices. A quick experiment with the miniEngine and the PSR-S950 proved feasibility.
I became curious about the level of tech inside the Yamaha Piaggero products and scrounged the Web for service manuals. I couldn’t find anything on the NP-12, but did find service manuals for the NP-30 (32 voice polyphony, 2007) and the current NP-32 (64 voice polyphony, 2016).
As I suspected, the upgrade in polyphony signaled an upgrade in the internal processor. The NP-30 is based on the SWL01T (YMW767-VTZ) workhorse that is part of many entry-level, battery-powered Yamaha products. The NP-32 is based on the SWX03. I haven’t seen the SWX03 before and I think the SWX03 is a new version of the SWX02 (which appears in the PSR-650 and MOX, for example). The SWL01T fetches sample data from the CPU’s system memory while the SWX02 fetches samples through a dedicated memory channel. Thus, the SWX02 processors have higher memory bandwidth and can support higher polyphony.
Physical wave memory is 8MBytes (64Mbits): 4M x 16-bit words. Uncompressed sample size is approximately 16MBytes. It is a testament to Yamaha’s sound design prowess that they can synthsize a decent sounding acoustic piano with such little memory. Sure, the NP-12 is the absolute bottom of the line, but it does sound decent given its modest street price.
A day with excessive heat and humidity can strand you indoors as effectively as a New England snow storm. Time for a virtual quest into parts unknown.
I stumbled onto this beautiful web page on the Japanese Yamaha web site. Lo and behold, a Vocaloid™ keyboard in the shape of a keytar. I strongly suggest visiting this page as the commercial photography is quite stunning in itself.
The Vocaloid keyboard is a prototype that was shown at the “Two Yamahas, One Passion” exhibition at Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, July 3-5, 2015. Some form of Vocaloid keyboard has been in the works for several years and this prototype is the latest example.
The overarching idea is to liberate Vocaloid from the personal computer and to create an untethered performance instrument. The Vocaloid engine is built into the keyboard. The keyboard also has a built-in speaker along with the usual goes-outtas. The industrial design — by Kazuki Kashiwase — tries to create the impression of a wind instrument such as a saxophone.
The performer must preload the lyrics into the instrument before performing. This lets the performer concentrate on the melody when performing, not linguistics. The keyboard adjusts the pitch and timing of the vocalization. The left-hand neck buttons navigate through the lyrics: back one note, advance phrase, go to the end, etc. The ribbon controller raises and lowers the pitch. Control knobs select vibrato, portameno, brightness, breath and gender. Other knobs set the volume and select lyrics. Up to five lyrics can be saved.
The prototype synthesizes the “VY1” Japanese female voice developed by Yamaha for Vocaloid version 2. Somewhat confusingly, “VY1” stands for “Vocaloid Yamaha 1.” The voice has the codename “Mizki.”
The Vocaloid engine is based on the Yamaha Vocaloid Board, not eVocaloid which is built into the NSX-1 integrated circuit (LSI). Yamaha sell the Vocaloid Board to OEMs, eventually intending to incorporate the board into entertainment, karaoke and musical instrument products of its own. The Vocaloid Board has MIDI IN/OUT, by the way, and reads the vocal database from an SD card.
Many of these details are taken from the article by Matsuo Koya (ITmedia). Please see the article for close-up photographs of the Vocaloid keyboard prototype.
The NSX-1 IC (YMW 820) mentioned above is a very interesting device itself. The NSX-1 is a single chip solution designed for embedded (“eVocaloid”) applications. It uses a smaller sized voice database, “eVY1”.
The NSX-1 has a General MIDI level 1 engine. Plus, the NSX-1 has a separate engine to reproduce high quality acoustic instrument sounds thanks to “Real Acoustic Sound” technology. This technology is based on Articulation Element Modeling (AEM) which forms the technical basis of Tyros 5 Super Articulation 2 (S.Art2) voices. Real Acoustic Sound and eVocaloid cannot be used simultaneously.
Holy smokes! I conjectured that AEM and Vocaloid are DSP
siblingscousins. This is further evidence in support of that conjecture.
NSX-1 can be controlled using a Javascript library conforming to the Web MIDI API. Wanna make your browser sing? Check out the Yamaha WebMusic page on github.
The company Switch Science sells an eVY1 SHIELD for Arduino. Kit-maker Gakken Educational has developed a stylus gadget based on eVocaloid and the NSX-1 — Pocket MIKU. And, of course, here is the Pocket Miku video.
Only 13 more days until Summer NAMM 2017.
Copyright © 2017 Paul J. Drongowski
As I mentioned in my initial review, my GO:KEYS had a defective key right out of the box. The key was in a particularly bad spot: A below middle C. While practicing music for Sunday, the key was nearly dead and I just couldn’t live with it. So, I returned the GO:KEYS to Guitar Center. The folks at Guitar Center offered to get a replacement from Roland, but I didn’t want to take another chance on the first production run. I chose a refund.
Happy to say, the salespeople at Guitar Center (Nashua, NH) were very helpful and understanding. This is the first time that I received a keyboard with an obviously non-working key. Guitar Center handled the situation quite well and efficiently. It pays to be courteous and kind to the staff of your local musical instrument store!
I think Roland have a good concept with the GO:KEYS. But, even the best of ideas are thwarted by bad components, poor manufacturing, or ineffective quality control. Overall, this is a shame. The GO:KEYS clearly is a little brother to the JUNO-DS workstation. The basic sound of the GO:KEYS is quite good, especially its electric pianos.
After writing my review, I spent a few hours producing a demo track. (Here is the MP3 file.) The GO:KEYS is MIDI class compliant and I had Ableton Live Intro communicating with it in seconds. I pulled in a few ambient loops from Equinox Sounds Total MIDI: Funk and assigned MIDI channels according to the GO:KEYS’ convention:
Ch# Part Allocation --- --------- ---------- 1 PIANO User/Panel 2 ORGAN User/Panel 3 STRINGS User/Panel 4 BRASS User/Panel 5 BASS User/Panel 6 SYNTH User/Panel 7 FX/GUITAR User/Panel 8 Bass Loop Mix 9 Part A Loop Mix 10 DRUM User/Panel 11 Part B Loop Mix 12 Part X Loop Mix 13 Part X Loop Mix 14 Part X Loop Mix 15 Part X Loop Mix 16 Drum Loop Mix
Each of the GO:KEYS panel categories (PIANO, ORGAN, etc.) has its own MIDI channel. Each of the Loop Mix parts has its own MIDI channel. When sequencing in Live, I assigned tracks to the “User/Panel” channels.
The GO:KEYS tones follow the Roland JUNO-DS patch map. This is further proof that the GO:KEYS is directly derived from the JUNO-DS. I recommend downloading the JUNO-DS Parameter Guide which contains the JUNO-DS patch list. Finding the bank select and program change for a GO:KEYS tone is simply a matter of scanning the JUNO-DS patch list for the equivalent voice. A few of the patches have been renamed. See my partial tone list for examples. (I won’t be finishing the list now that I’ve returned the GO:KEYS.)
For example, here is a partial list of drum kits and patch select values:
Hex Dec
----------- -----------
MSB LSB PC# MSB LSB PC#
56 40 03 86 64 3 HipHop Kit
56 40 04 86 64 4 R&B Kit
56 40 00 86 64 0 Pop Kit 1
56 40 08 86 64 8 Pop Kit 2
56 40 01 86 64 1 Rock Kit
56 40 05 86 64 5 Dance Kit 1
56 40 06 86 64 6 Dance Kit 2
56 40 07 86 64 7 Dance Kit 3
56 40 09 86 64 9 Dance Kit 4
56 40 02 86 64 2 Brush Jz Kit
78 00 00 120 0 0 GM2 Standard Kit
78 00 08 120 0 8 GM2 Room Kit
78 00 10 120 0 16 GM2 Power Kit
78 00 18 120 0 24 GM2 Electric Kit
...
Mind the index of the program change values (zero vs. one). Remember, in Live, all indices start at one, including bank select values.
Additional experiments with MIDI OX show that the touch strip sends both modulation (MIDI continuous controller 1) and pitch bend messages. Like the JUNO-DS, the GO:KEYS “includes a GM2 compatible sound set.” Neither the JUNO-DS or GO:KEYS implement all of the CCs, NRPN, etc. required by the General MIDI 2 standard. The GO:KEYS does respond to the same CC messages as the JUNO-DS. Nice.
Once I had things grooving in Live, I went through the tedious process of exporting each MIDI track to a Standard MIDI File (SMF), and then importing each SMF into SONAR to form a merged SMF. Come on, Ableton, people have been begging for proper full MIDI export for years. Please implement this feature! It’s ridiculous that it hasn’t been done already.
Once I had a complete SMF, I used the GO:KEYS restore function to transfer the SMF to the GO:KEYS. Just to be safe, I named the file to “SONG02.MID” to keep the GO:KEYS happy. The GO:KEYS successfully played the (loaded) SMF and I recorded the audio output of the GO:KEYS on a Roland Micro-BR. (A handy little recorder, that.)
In the end, I’m left with considerable respect for the JUNO-DS sound. I wish that the JUNO-DS had built-in speakers as well as battery power, given its more robust build. The Roland GO:KEYS has potential to be a successful, portable, little brother to the JUNO-DS once Roland resolves its quality issues.
Copyright © 2017 Paul J. Drongowski
I’m happy to write what may be the first end-user review of the Roland GO:KEYS.
The GO:KEYS is one of two new entry-level keyboards from Roland. The GO:KEYS has a street price (MAP) of $299 USD and is intended to inspire new keyboard players without a big out-of-pocket outlay.
The hook is the five zone, Loop Mix mode. The 61 keys are separated into 5 one octave zones: Drum, Bass, Part A, Part B and Part X. Each key in a zone triggers a two measure musical loop that repeats until the zone-specific STOP key is struck. The Drum and Bass zone lay down the basic groove while Part A and Part B add the harmonic bread and butter, like electric piano comping or a string pad. Part X adds variation with up to four phrase subgroups. Only one phrase can play in a zone at a time.
The preceding paragraph takes more time to read than it takes to set up a backing track. When you have the band grooving, you can switch to regular keyboard mode and solo to your heart’s content. Whenever you feel like it, you can switch back to Loop Mix mode and move the band to a different place.
There are twelve different Loop Mix Sets. Each set is a scale-compatible collection of Loop Mix phrases. The twelve style names suggest the musical genres and the target audience for GO:KEYS. No polkas. The Sets are modern sounding, however, I can’t speak to the authenticity of the EDM styles. The FUNK set sounds more like funky smooth jazz — no JB, no George Clinton, here.
However, don’t let that stop you. Please watch the GO:KEYS videos that Roland has posted on Youtube. (Search “Roland GO:KEYS”.) You’ll quickly decide if the GO:KEYS is for you or not. I certainly have had a lot of fun jamming away.
Many aspects of the GO:KEYS are well-thought out. It’s clear that the developers tried to play their own creation and added a number of convenience features like using the touch strip to step through the Function menu. The GO:KEYS can remember previous settings across power-off and it remembers the last patch selected in each of the eight categories (piano, organ, strings, brass, drum, bass, synth and FX/guitar).
Recording and playback are fairly rudimentary. Don’t expect a workstation at this price point! You can record an improvised backing and save it to a song file. Thanks to USB, the song file, etc. can be saved to a PC or Mac through the back-up function. The PC or Mac treat the GO:KEYS like a flash drive. You copy the back-up folder to the PC/Mac and you’re done. The directions in the user manual are simple and accurate, so I won’t go into those details here.
Windows 7 recognized the GO:KEYS when I plugged it in. Windows installed the Microsoft generic USB audio driver. Windows didn’t try to install the flash driver until I attempted the first back-up. The driver installation at first appeared to fail. When I unplugged and replugged the GO:KEYS, everything was fine and the GO:KEYS drive appeared in Windows Explorer.
My GO:KEYS arrived with version 1.04 of its software installed. There is a version 1.05 update on the Roland support site. Roland’s on-line directions are simple and accurate. The update to 1.05 went smooth.
The GO:KEYS sound set is a real bright spot. The standard “panel” voices are taken from the successful JUNO-DS series. In fact, I auditioned these voices by trying them out on a JUNO-DS88 before ordering the GO:KEYS. The GO:KEYS voices sound very similar, especially when you send the GO:KEYS through decent monitors. The built-in speakers are OK, but again, don’t expect super high quality in an inexpensive keyboard. The GO:KEYS is perfectly respectable through the Mackie MR5 mk3 monitors on my desktop.
Here are the sonic highlights:
I haven’t dug too deeply into the rest, but the voices triggered by the phrases sound good and are well-chosen. Clearly, the JUNO-DS is the original source.
At this price level, the GO:KEYS is a preset-only machine — no voice editing. The most you get is the ability to set the reverb level. Even the reverb type is fixed (a nice hall). There are decent multi-effects under the hood as heard in the electric piano and clavinet voices. Alas, everything is preset and fixed. Roland would still like to sell you a JUNO-DS.
The GO:KEYS includes a full General MIDI 2 (GM2) sound set. It sounds like an improved set over the much older RD-300GX for which I have produced many GM2 Standard MIDI Files (SMF). I have not tested GM2 compatibility. Roland are very careful about this and have not advertised full compatibility. This is not much of an issue for me as I have plenty of sequencing resources on hand already.
The GO:KEYS does not have conventional pitch bend or modulation wheels. The touch panel has two strips that apply pitch bend or filter/roll effects. The adjacent FUNC button selects the mode. The filter and roll are applied to everything, so you get a DJ-like effect that rolls the rhythm or squishes frequencies. Pitch bend mode also seems to include modulation. I hear the rotary speaker change speed on some organ voices. Unfortunately, attempts to change rotary speed also bend the pitch.
Hey, Roland! I regard this behavior as a bug. The documentation is really loose about what these touch strips do. In the next update, please make one strip pitch bend only and make the other strip modulation only. Punters everywhere will thank you!
The GO:KEYS is very light weight coming in under nine pounds. Power is supplied by either the included adapter (5.9V, 2A) or six AA batteries. The voltage rating is a little odd, 5.9V. I wonder if it’s OK to use a more common 6V adapter provided that the current rating is sufficient?
The GO:KEYS has two slots to accomodate a music rest, but doesn’t come with a music rest. The GO:PIANO bundle includes a music rest, not the GOKEYS. I want to use the GO:KEYS at rehearsals and will call Roland to see if I can buy a music rest. Of course, the Yamaha music rests that I have on hand do not fit the slots and cannot be easily adapted. (Arg. Put the Dremel tool away.)
As you might think, the keybed is not super stellar at $299 street. The keys are piano size and shape with a nice texturing (not plastic-y smooth). The keys don’t feel too bad although it’s more difficult to palm swipe piano-shaped keys with an edge.
Key response is OK, but not as good as a more expensive instrument. (Full disclosure, I played a $3,000 Yamaha Montage last night.) One key is a little dead and its response is quirky. I’ve encountered the same problem with a single key on the otherwise superb Arturia Keystep, too. It’s hard to make a keyboard at this price point that provides high quality and reliability. Even though the GO:KEYS’ case feels sturdy, I wouldn’t gig this machine too hard. You get what you pay for.
Overall, I’m pleased with the GO:KEYS. It’s a good starter keyboard and it looks (and sounds) to be a decent portable rehearsal instrument. The GO:KEYS is an attractive alternative to Yamaha and Casio products in the same price bracket. Definitely worth a look and a listen.
Update: After writing this review, I sequenced a GO:KEYS demo track in Ableton Live. The defective key became worse and I returned the GO:KEYS. Please read about my experience and listen to the demo track.
Copyright © 2017 Paul J. Drongowski
I’m ramping up my Ableton Live skills. Being somewhat old fashioned, I like to have a good print manual or guide by my side. Recently, I had a chance to compare two books, both worthy of recommendation:
Each book is quite comprehensive and a little bit behind the latest version 9 features. (The hazards of print.) I don’t think you can go wrong with either book, but here are a few comments that might guide your choice.
Both volumes go through the Session and Arrangement views, tracks, scenes, clips, automation and warping in great detail. These topics are bread and butter. Here, I favor the book by Keith Robinson. Keith better describes how Live fits into the composition or production process. This context provides a bit of “Why” not just “How.” One on-line reviewer didn’t like this approach, but I appreciate it. For example, I didn’t how or why I would want to translate my tracks from the linear Arrangement view back to the Session view. Now I get the to-and-fro of Live as a tool.
Both books give you the complete rundown (circa 2014) on Live’s instruments, chaining and audio effects. For these topics, I give the book by Jon Margulies the edge. Jon does a better job describing the individual controls. His treatment of MIDI effects, in particular, is more thorough.
Both books cover MIDI control. Neither book has anything to say about using a Novation Launchpad. Push (version 1) barely wins much more than a mention. Both volumes need to be updated for the Ableton Push 2.
Jon Margulies’ book has a short chapter on using Live for live performance. Much of this chapter is devoted to track preparation and warping, material which is better covered by Keith Robinson’s book. Just having a chapter on performance isn’t reason enough to shy away from Keith Robinson’s book even if you intend to use Live mainly for performance, however.
Keith’s book uses color screenshots throughout. It’s easier to understand certain kinds of figures when they are presented in color. Please consider scans of an Arrangement view taken from each book.
The difference is striking and doesn’t need further comment!
In the end, I decided to buy Ableton Live 9: Create, Produce, Perform by Keith Robinson. I definitely prefered the use of color illustrations and his exposition placing Live within the writing process.