To be fair, the E-MU Longboard & Shortboard keyboards have a rather exciting set of features for the player, to include a very nice pricepoint in a keyboard that can function as both controller and standalone keyboard with sounds. GM bank, plus a nice feature that includes many of the famous E-MU Vintage Keys voices, such as Wurly, Clav, several Rhodes piano versions, B3, etc. all in one easy to call separate 64 voice performance bank.

VIDEO DEMO from fanzine

http://en.audiofanzine.com/electric-piano/e-mu/longboard-61/medias/a.play,m.43942.html

Logically laid out, easy to use controls that look to not get in the way at a gig. These are controls that a keyboardist might actually USE and it is nice to see that there are no hard to read screen readouts, layers of menus, etc. to get in the way of fast selection on the fly.

mp3 demos from E-MU

http://www.emu.com/products/product.asp?...12&nav=demo

Low price (for a pro level board with sounds) - semi-weighted keys are nonwaterfall type, a factor that some pianists may not like but one that I find not so horrendous as to preclude use onstage, this keyboard also has its own gigbag that can be carried over the shoulders backpack style, it is rather light in weight, can be powered by USB, external wallwart or internal D cell batteries, has two headphone jacks plus a Kensington lock slot aimed at classroom use, the USB can also function as a MIDI port to computer for a second keyboard or synth that does not have USB, splitting and/or layering of patches is a simple and easy two-button dedicated solution for rapid setups, built in sounds are E-MU, nothing more need be said about that.

If I can get the chance to audition one in person, it would likely end up in my keyboard arsenal, I need something to replace my rather long-in-the tooth Kurzweil SP-88 board in my rack.

With the built in full GM bank, it ought to work and play very well with BiaB, too.

That's a lotta bang for the buck.


--Mac

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