Korg SV-1 Stage Vintage Piano, Organ, Synth...

Courtesy of KORG, USA website. All Rights Reserved.

I'm so impressed by this model. I really think that, after researching stage pianos, controllers, etc. for several weeks now, this is the best of the best!


Since my wife got me the M-Audio Keystation 61es USB MIDI controller for xmas this last year, I've been steadily getting more and more into playing funk, jive, soul style piano. Songs like Supertramp's "Goodbye Stranger" Wurlitzer (Whirly) sound, to Ray Charles' "What I say" Rhodes Piano sound, to Stevie Wonder's album "Songs in the Key of Life" that uses that funky Clavichord sound along with the aforementioned instruments. Then I really have been digging on some organ sounds almost purchasing several original vintage organs only to come to my senses when I realized how big and heavy they are (let alone the unlikely-hood of them fitting in my music room downstairs!).

Then I spotted this model — the Korg SV-1 Stage Vintage in 73 keys. I don't really need 88, and most of the models I was finding were 88.

Of the many things I like about this model, the best, besides the incredible sounds, has to be the design. The fact that everything is on a control panel angled at your face and fingertips. NO menus to scroll through, NO complicated programming, just instant performance! They really made this hi tech instrument look and feel like an old vintage one, with all the ease of use they offered less the weight!

Check it out:

According to the Korg website, the SV-1 offers the following:

Sounds: 36; 6 Banks x 6 sounds

Bank 1; Electric Piano 1:
Tine Electric Piano (x4); VPM Piano (X2)
Bank 2; Electric Piano 2:
Reed Electric Piano (x2); Electro-Acoustic Grand; Korg SG-1D; 80's Synth Piano; MIDI Grand
Bank 3; Clav:
Clav (x4); Plucked Reed Piano-ette; Transistor Piano
Bank 4; Piano:
Bright Japanese Grand; Smooth European Grand; Mono Grand; Upright Piano; Piano + Strings; Piano + Pad
Bank 5; Organ:
Tonewheel (x3); USA Tube Console; Italian Combo; VOX Combo
Bank 6; Other:
Real Strings; Tape Strings; String Machine; Real Choir; Synth Brass; Sharp Brass
Favorites:
8 Assignable switches for fast program recall
Effects/Processing:
Five Individual Sections
Equalizer:
On/Off Switch; Bass, Mid, Treble Knobs
Pre-FX:
On/Off Switch; Speed Knob, Intensity Knob; Compressor, Boost U-Vibe, Vibrato, Tremolo, VoxWah (Auto/Pedal Switch)
Amp Model:
On/Off Switch; Drive Knob; Clean, California, Tweed, AC30, Mod'ed OverDrive, Organ Hi-Gain OverDrive
Modulation FX:
On/Off Switch; Speed Knob, Intensity Knob; Chorus 1, Chorus 2, Phaser 1, Phaser 2, Flanger, Rotary (Fast/Slow Switch)
Reverb/Delay:
On/Off Switch; Depth Knob; Room, Plate, Hall, Spring, Tape Echo, Stereo Delay (Tap-Tempo Button)

Plus they already have a SoundPak available adding more professional designed and vintage sounds, including a split keyboard with bass! On top of this, it has an interesting feature: a 12AX7 TUBE for that warm vintage tube sound!

It's going to be a long wait for me, but in the meantime my mission will be to master the keyboard, learn some great songs, understand more jazz theory and be more proficient at sight reading. I can do it! I can earn the right to own and play this exemplary instrument by September! I can't wait!