My New Gear and Me - April 24, 2009
If you're not a music geek, this entry will bore you. If you are one, it will bore you, too.
My Yamaha p-120 Electronic Piano (why don't they call it "Digital Piano" anymore?) has been slowly falling apart over the past year, so I figured it's time to get a replacement. Rather than getting another digital piano (or electronic piano, or stage piano, or whatever...) I decided to get a MIDI controller keyboard and run it through a sound module instead. After a lot of shopping, I decided on the StudioLogic SL-990 keyboard controller, which I ordered from Musician's Friend, and the GEM RP-X Sound Module, off of eBay, from somebody in Singapore.
A few days after ordering the keyboard, I found on my front porch after picking my daughter up from kindergarten. Upon examining it, my daughter said, "Look, Daddy! It's open already!" Sure enough, one side of the big cardboard box was torn open. Hm.
I carried it inside, and opened the box. First thing I noticed was that one of the low keys was stuck in the "down" position. Lifting it out of the box, I heard this nasty rattling sound, as if it were full of broken bits of plastic. Not good.
After setting it on my couch and looking at it, I then noticed that the entire low end of the housing was completely crushed! Crap!
Right away, I called Musician's Friend, and they were totally cool about it, as you'd expect. They said I should send it back (they'd pay shipping) and they'd send a new one. Oh, wait, sorry. They're out of stock, and Studiologic doesn't make those anymore. Crap!
Fortunately I found another one for sale somewhere else. A little more expensive, but oh, well. For kicks, I tried plugging in and trying out the damaged keyboard, and I'll be danged if the durn thing don't work perfectly! The action on this keyboard is fantastic! Every bit as good as any digital/stage/eletro piano I've ever played, maybe better. I considered keeping it, but I didn't want to be on a gig when the circuit board just plops out.
So... a few days later, the new keyboard arrives, and it's in great shape. Looks great, plays great, feels great. Now I just have to wait for my Sound Module, and I have my new rig.
A week goes by, then another, and another. Hm.
I email my seller (who, as I said, is in Singapore) and ask, "Hey, should it be taking so long?" And he replies, "It should take 6-10 weeks."
B'wha??? 10 weeks? Is it being shipped via camel? Is Singapore on the moon? But I checked the tracking and shipping and, sure enough, it should take up to 10 weeks. Crap!
So 3 more weeks go by. By this time I'm really bummed, because I've had to play several gigs on my Yamaha which by now had about 7 or 8 keys which stick. And I have a lot more within the estimated remaining time until delivery.
BUT...! One glorious day about 2 weeks ago, the doorbell rings and my mailman hands me a box from Singapore! Yay!
My Yamaha p-120 Electronic Piano (why don't they call it "Digital Piano" anymore?) has been slowly falling apart over the past year, so I figured it's time to get a replacement. Rather than getting another digital piano (or electronic piano, or stage piano, or whatever...) I decided to get a MIDI controller keyboard and run it through a sound module instead. After a lot of shopping, I decided on the StudioLogic SL-990 keyboard controller, which I ordered from Musician's Friend, and the GEM RP-X Sound Module, off of eBay, from somebody in Singapore.
A few days after ordering the keyboard, I found on my front porch after picking my daughter up from kindergarten. Upon examining it, my daughter said, "Look, Daddy! It's open already!" Sure enough, one side of the big cardboard box was torn open. Hm.
I carried it inside, and opened the box. First thing I noticed was that one of the low keys was stuck in the "down" position. Lifting it out of the box, I heard this nasty rattling sound, as if it were full of broken bits of plastic. Not good.
After setting it on my couch and looking at it, I then noticed that the entire low end of the housing was completely crushed! Crap!
Right away, I called Musician's Friend, and they were totally cool about it, as you'd expect. They said I should send it back (they'd pay shipping) and they'd send a new one. Oh, wait, sorry. They're out of stock, and Studiologic doesn't make those anymore. Crap!
Fortunately I found another one for sale somewhere else. A little more expensive, but oh, well. For kicks, I tried plugging in and trying out the damaged keyboard, and I'll be danged if the durn thing don't work perfectly! The action on this keyboard is fantastic! Every bit as good as any digital/stage/eletro piano I've ever played, maybe better. I considered keeping it, but I didn't want to be on a gig when the circuit board just plops out.
So... a few days later, the new keyboard arrives, and it's in great shape. Looks great, plays great, feels great. Now I just have to wait for my Sound Module, and I have my new rig.
A week goes by, then another, and another. Hm.
I email my seller (who, as I said, is in Singapore) and ask, "Hey, should it be taking so long?" And he replies, "It should take 6-10 weeks."
B'wha??? 10 weeks? Is it being shipped via camel? Is Singapore on the moon? But I checked the tracking and shipping and, sure enough, it should take up to 10 weeks. Crap!
So 3 more weeks go by. By this time I'm really bummed, because I've had to play several gigs on my Yamaha which by now had about 7 or 8 keys which stick. And I have a lot more within the estimated remaining time until delivery.
BUT...! One glorious day about 2 weeks ago, the doorbell rings and my mailman hands me a box from Singapore! Yay!