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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2001
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Apprentice
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I'm thinking about solving my RealTracks sound quality frustration by getting either a Ketron SD-2 or a Roland SD-50 so that I can have better midi sounds for my BIAB program which is used at church for praise & worship. I play guitar and sing; I use BIAB primarily for acoustic piano, electric bass (finger style), and strings.
How do these 2 units compare? Which do you like better? Why? If I'm using GM sounds, is it just plug and play?
Is there any other unit I should consider? And finally, where should I get it? I see that PG Music doesn't seem to sell the Ketron any more; is that because the Roland is better?
Thanks for your input!
Jim
Jim
Psalm 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.
BIAB 2018 build 519; Dell Inspiron N4110, Windows 10 64 bit, Intel Core i3-2350m running at 2.29 GHz, Memory: 6 GB DDR3, SDRAM 1MHz
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi Jim,
The SD-50 has 1,125 sounds which is an amazing number. I don't know too much about it but its specifications sound excellent.
Have you had a look on Youtube to see if there are any clips of it in action?
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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You could try the Rolandclan forums and also consider picking up a used Sonic Cell. It's been discontinued but the soundset including the GM bank is very good, I have one. I think the sounds are pretty much the same with the SD 50 but the Sonic Cell has a lot more features that you may or may not care about. There's a lot of youtube vids on the SC.
I don't have the Ketron but I've heard lots of demos because Mac posted a bunch of them here a year or so ago using Biab demo songs and it sounds really good too. I think you would be happy with the sound of either, it may depend on other features that you might like.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I bought an sd50 ketron from pg music. This is a great unit, with great sounds. I suspect you wont regret it.
Does the 30 day guarantee apply to hardware?
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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The Ketron SD2 is very good for acoustic sounds. I don't know the SD50. I've got the Roland XV-2020: the Ketron is definatally better for acoustic sounds, the Roland is better for electronic or "danse" sounds.
If ou are using GM sounds, these units are really plug and play and don't require a strong computer.
Free tools for Biab: Biab Scales and BIArpeggio to practice scales/arpeggio Biab Explorer: the other song picker
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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For the record, I LOVE the Ketron SD2 with BiaB.
Small size, goes to church or the gig easily.
Great sounds inside.
Easy to use with BiaB and many other programs.
Just turn it on and its ready to go, no messy button pushes, menus, etc.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I don't have a Ketron or an SD-50 (SC-8850 is my "GM" desktop module, sometimes COUPLED with a Nanosynth - but I almost never turn-on either unless in a hurry to do scratch work or as final GM file checker) and while I have a lot of Roland "stuff" you might want to read http://queststudios.com/smf/index.php?topic=3111.0Read the WHOLE thing [but you can skip ahead to the "bottom line" for the GM usage - if that's your end use) in either case good luck
Win10Pro,i9,64GB,2TBSSD+20TBHDDs,1080TI,BIAB'24,Scarlett18i8,Montage7,Fusion 8HD,QS8,Integra7,XV5080,QSR,SC-8850,SPLAT,FL21&others,Komp.14,IK suite&others, just a guitar player-AXE FX III &FM9T, FishmanTP, MIDIGuitar2, GK2/3'sw/GI20
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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No experience with the Roland but very happy with the Ketron. You can listen to some of my songs created with Real tracks and the Ketron SD2 (click on the link below), they blend pretty well IMHO.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
For the record, I LOVE the Ketron SD2 with BiaB.
Small size, goes to church or the gig easily.
Great sounds inside.
Easy to use with BiaB and many other programs.
Just turn it on and its ready to go, no messy button pushes, menus, etc.
--Mac
Mac's demo's plus what he said above is why I got one. The only button to deal with is the off/on period.
Stan
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Oh Lord...Kedron SD2..
The wife's not gonna like this ....
Living in The Music City
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I'm a little late to this Ketron vs. SD-50 party. I can't speak for the Ketron, I own the SD-50 and I like it alot. Now that I've solved my flash drive problem I love it! I guess it comes down to what do you want to accomplish musically. You know how someone says, "I want to buy a computer." What's the first question the computer guy asks you?
What do you want to do with this computer? Well for me the SD-50 was a perfect fit. I play gigs with my laptop and BIAB. I used to use two or three old laptops for backup but since PGmusic went all real tracks (not that I'm complaining) I needed a new fast computer. So now my problem was I can't afford to have a second computer for a backup. Thats where the SD-50 came in. It plays mp3 and midi files, I use both for gigs. It also runs about 4 hours on rechargeable batteries. I converted all my BIAB songs to mp3 plus the midi tracks I use for pop music. Put it all on a flash drive (which the SD-50 uses) and I now have a backup for my laptop. I was having a problem with my flashdrive because I was formating it FAT32 instead of FAT. Now that problem is solve this thing rocks! On some gigs I just use the SD-50 and leave my computer in the bag.
Dell Studio 16 Laptop i7 with 256 gig SSD
BIAB, Reaper, Encore, Sibelius
Roland SD-50
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2003
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The SD2 NEEDS to be tethered to a computer. I bout the (much more expensive) SD4. I had the Roland for a week or so, but put it up on eBay. It is a more versatile box, but you can't beat the acoustic sounds on the Ketrons. They simply sample better musicians playing better instruments (what a concept?) RealTracks mitigates the thythm section, but for playing melody and solo with MIDI the Ketron rules.
Jan - 12 Core AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
32GB DDR4
Win 10 64-bit
Samsung m.2 SSD Boot drive,other SSD internal and USB drives.
MOTO 2
Ketron SD90
Aerophone AE-30, Yamaha WX-7
Yamaha RX-v381amp
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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To better clarify what PhillyJazz is trying to say, the Ketron SD2 is controlled by all MIDI commands.
You can hook it up to a computer and run softwares such as BiaB and many others that can send those commands, in order to select Patches and other things.
BUT -- one can also run the SD2 in realtime using a MIDI Controller Keyboard, MIDI Guitar Controller or MIDI Wind Instrument as well.
At turn on, the SD2 comes up in GM mode. The GM voices are very much superior to most other "GM" MIDI synths and can be used on live gigs, I've done it.
Accessing the Upper Banks sounds takes a bit more savvy and sometimes programming of your MIDI controller, but once you get the hang of sending hose three upper bank commands, you can access all the great patches from your Controller as well.
The SD4 is actually two SD2's in one box. One is dedicated as "GM" for input from say a computer, and the other has a separate MIDI input and is called the "Solo" MIDI input for use with an instrument. It also has buttons and a keypad on its slanted front that allows you to enter Patch numbers right there and select them. That is what PhillyJazz is talking about.
I run an SD4 in the studio, but I do indeed control it most of the time using my M-Audio Keystation Pro 88 to select those parameters right from the keyboard.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi, Mac
I was/am interested to buy a SD2, to use with my new Akai EWI4000S, that is a midi wind synth and controller too. Very interesting because has internal synth sounds, BUT they are awfull sounds to my taste. So, being a midi controller too, it would be possible to use with SD2, standalone, without a computer. Good; problem is: the EWI4000S is not able to send Bank Change command, only Patch Change. So, I supose I will be stuck at the GM Bank only, no upper Banks. What do you think?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Maybe the SD4 allows you to select all the patches from the panel.
My Roland JV1010 has that advantage and I kept it because of the knob you can twist to select any patch.
The SD2 I have, and you'd have to have something you could program. I did get a big footswitch and have not done much with it due to illness. Behringer, programmable. You'd probably be able to assign patches from the footswitch and select them on the fly. That, in the end, for a performer, would let you play trumpet, and hit the footswitch and be in flute mode.
Which sounds interesting as a concept.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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The concept I would/could like is:
EWI4000S to Midi Module (powered by a small 12V battery) to UHF WIRELESS transmitter to remote wireless receiver to preamp, etc.
I love computers, but hate them onstage.
So, the idea is carry ONLY (?!) the EWI+SD2+battery+Wireless transmitter with me. Ouch!
Last edited by Luiz Dias; 09/28/12 11:24 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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IF using a computer (bad concept):
EWI to small SSD Netbook (with Samplemodeling Mr. Sax software) to Wireless transmitter (all with me)...
Dont like the idea so much...
Last edited by Luiz Dias; 09/28/12 11:53 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Well, one could add a small MIDI Controller Keyboard in the MIDI chain between their WIDI instrument and the SD2. Just be sure that the little Keyboard Controller is capable of sending the Bank Change data before you purchase.
These little MIDI controllers, some with as little as one octave of piano keys, represent an inexpensive way to get realtime control over MIDI devices.
--Mac
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