Contemplating between Integra 7 and a fully expanded XV 5080

open call to blu3planet

Did you finally get an I7? If so I (we) would truly like to know what you think of it and if our opinions/suggestions were helpful or not.

I see a lot of threads, in a lot of forums, on a lot of products (HW and SW) and always feel obligated to ask or hear back from folks after I suggest/advise/bloviate (for or against) this or that. Not for self gratification but to help others also get the benefit of good or bad advice.

In any case, I hope you are enjoying the Integra 7

I did end up buying it, and a few days ago I also opened a post purchase thread with a couple of questions.
I love it. it's really amazing. the SN tones are absolutely unbelievable. I have a Kronos as my main keyboard and the SN pianos put it to shame! not to mention guitars and everything else. seriously, the only word I can describe the playability with is unbelievable.
the XV 5080 tones are also an amazing added value and the entire package is the best bang for the buck I ever had.

blu3planet wrote:

I did end up buying it, and a few days ago I also opened a post purchase thread with a couple of questions.
I love it. it's really amazing. the SN tones are absolutely unbelievable. I have a Kronos as my main keyboard and the SN pianos put it to shame! not to mention guitars and everything else. seriously, the only word I can describe the playability with is unbelievable.
the XV 5080 tones are also an amazing added value and the entire package is the best bang for the buck I ever had.

I think this is the best tribute the Integra-7 can receive from musicians using it.

I meant to buy a Motif XF but for cost reasons, I ended up buying a MOXF6, also to diversify my sound palette...but except the ARPs, to some of the stock sounds (especially the Movement ones), to the versatility as Master Keyboard, the very good editors and software available (John Melas) and the ability to run KARMA, except that, all the Pianos, Basses, Ac. Guitars, El. Guitars, Lead Guitars, Strings, Pads, Drums, Mallet, excel on the integra!

Of course this is my opinion and I still enjoy the MOXF6, but never at the same level as the integra

Yes, the MOXF is a versatile controller especially if you use Cubase. I use Cubase and I thought about getting one. but the keys feel so cheap I just couldn't... but sound-wise it's great.

currently I have a Kronos (88 key) which has great action, but now I found out that I prefer many of the sounds on the Integra.

when I'll move to another place (now I have some serious space restrictions) I'll add a semi weighted action keyboard. while weighted action is good, especially RH3 on the Kronos you can't beat good synth action for all other sounds. I used to have a Motif XS before the Kronos. it might be a Montage, who knows... gotta try one first. but it seems amazing from the demos :)

blu3planet wrote:

Yes, the MOXF is a versatile controller especially if you use Cubase. I use Cubase and I thought about getting one. but the keys feel so cheap I just couldn't... but sound-wise it's great.

currently I have a Kronos (88 key) which has great action, but now I found out that I prefer many of the sounds on the Integra.

when I'll move to another place (now I have some serious space restrictions) I'll add a semi weighted action keyboard. while weighted action is good, especially RH3 on the Kronos you can't beat good synth action for all other sounds. I used to have a Motif XS before the Kronos. it might be a Montage, who knows... gotta try one first. but it seems amazing from the demos :)

Yes, I use a Roland A-800 Pro and an Impulse 61 as MOXFs keys, as I don't like the keys either...

I went to demo the Montage7 and apart from the very good stock sounds, Yamaha type interface and the "Super knob" power, it didn't "ring my bell"...
Maybe I was not on my days, but went to demo it and to buy it, but ended up in waiting for more demos and to have more time myself and try again.
BTW, the 7 keys are ok, but nothing compared to the Jupiter-80 ones, the more confortable synth action keyboard I played so far.

yes, I agree with you here. I must feel some sort of connection with a keyboard. I used to have that with the XS. I don't get it with the Kronos. but I enjoy the Kronos immensely especially due the easy way of expanding it. you can even convert Kontakt libraries to it, add an extra SSD etc.

the Montage has all of the voices of the XF, which in turn has all the voices of the XS and so on. Plus a ton of new sounds. the FM-X engine sounds absolutely incredible especially after the 1.1 update.

regarding the action of the keys, I need to try the JP80 action. is it anything like the G70? because in that case I know it and it's great.
but the Yamaha FSX action is also awesome - I had it on the XS and Yamaha uses it on all their flagship keyboards including the Tyros 5 etc... lovely action in my opinion.

I will get something pretty soon and I hope it will be the Montage if I really gel with it. but it might not be... who knows, maybe a JP80 is knocking on my door haha :)

https://youtu.be/_wOnAaTNDeo?t=2m18s
check out those FM EPS! amazing TX816 sounds. (at 2:18 - really unbelievable that you get this now)

Wow. You're my kinda guy, PMan! Thank you, mate.

To refresh your memory, this was my request:

I've been meaning to ask you this question for a while, and seeing as you brought it up I figured now might be a good time. Saves starting a thread just for this:

Are you or is anyone able to PM me (attachments) or post the 12 sysex "strings" required for loading all the boards in a thread? By this I mean not the text, but in sysex form so they can be dragged into DAWs / sequencers / tracks / Sysex Librarian directly.

I'll be dragging them into sequence-setup tracks, to be play-enabled as necessary during project setup (immediately after loading a sequence), and obviously before sending the multiset sysex dump.

This means that they must be in some form that I can drag to the DAW in the first place. I'm guessing .syx files should be just fine.

Thank you again, Brother Paulo!
Nicky

I have an Integra and it's great. I sold my Xv5080 to help but it and wish I had both as I do use many of the Pcm sounds from the xv. Some do sound better than the Integra sounds. I expecially like the strings from the xv. I have tweaked some of the strings on the Integra to make them sound better. I do still miss the xv though and would like the Integra to have encode the 5.1 out of the digital out which it dosent do.

Well, after banging on here about doing it, a few months turned into 20, and I've been to Hell and back a shedload of times in the interim, but that silly dream of two I-7s remained alive, so...

Just ordered that long-awaited 2nd unit. Woohoo!

You're the only mob who'll appreciate this, so I'm telling you as opposed to gallivanting down the street and yelling it at the top of my voice.

I'll finally be able to load the acoustic ROMs I want into the first unit, and the EDM stuff into the second, so no more freaking out about if or when Roland's going to allow me to load more than 4 boards. Woo-bloody-hoo!