PianoManChuck he’s a good man. Sorted me out trading in and buying. If only Kawai could’ve offered some reliability I wouldn’t be stuck with a Nord, but Tony was cool sorting out issues.
@@bluespig1 If you check what are new at SV2, you will see. The version with speakers is neat for instance and piano sounds are much better as well as polyphony amount. SV2 is very close to Grandstage now. Cheers
I loved the SV1 as it cut through the mix when playing with a live band. The Sv2 gives me even more options so will definitely upgrade soon. Thanks for such a thorough review !! I use mine to cover everything except the organ sounds when playing live. I prefer a dual keyboard with waterfall keys for the organ parts.
I doubt you would buy this unless you love 60s & 70's music, which this keyboard excels at reproducing. It isn't a synth nor does it pretend to be one, which is great. Finally. There is no ''all in one'' keyboard and it seems Korg realised that when this was designed. It feels like it was designed by Doors & Steely Dan fans, not men in white coats. Love it and placed an order for the SV2-S 88. $3100 in Australia as of 24/02/20. Can't wait for them to arrive.
A really honest review. Should be a great instrument if you like the Korg interpretation of an acoustic piano, and their slightly trebly sound signature on all their sounds... Not bad. So there seem to be only 3 viable options - Nord Stage or Nord Piano, Roland RD2000, or the Korg SV2. Not happy about the choice of sounds on the Yamaha CP88 - which is pretty much only good for acoustic and electric piano, not much else sadly.
I really liked the simple and yet so useful review of the product .. actually I am thinking of buying a portable digital piano for myself and I am considering Yamaha p-125 so I have a few things to ask .. 1. Would it be better to wait for some time expecting Yamaha to launch the successor of this model (2018)in the near future looking at their trend in timeline ( every 3 years ) and also because ‘summer NAMM 2020’ is just around the corner ? 2. Although I am not much experienced in this but from all what I could research I understood that ‘Action of the keys’ and ‘sound quality’ are the two most important things .. so I would be so thankful if you share your experience a little more elaborately .. is the ‘GHS action’ and those ‘7 watt amplifiers’ and 4 speakers sufficient enough to give that ‘FEEL’ ? .. are there some other options in the same price range which I should consider ? .. Is it better than Roland fp 30 ?
Great presentation as always, Tony! I've got some questions. 1. Does it have seamless sound switching and favourites switching like the Grandstage? 2. FWIK the EQ knobs can act as layers level controls and pressing and holding can mute a part. Is the volume control smooth? It was not so smooth in Grandstage. I think that the updated sound set with all those German, Italian, Japanese grand is adapted from Grandstage but into single sound engine.
Not sure how the smoothness compares to Grandstage yet but will check and let you know. The new pianos sound so good through the SV2"s upgraded effects and valve processing.
@@bonnersmusic Thank you very much and waiting for your reply. I have read that Grandstage has something like volume steps while rotating section volume knobs.
I love all of your reviews. I have to say though this is the third video I have seen of this keyboard where they mention other Korg keyboards and not once did they mention the Grandstage as if it doesn't exist. It still offers the same and much more than the SV2 but this looks like a great keyboard.
@@robertmichalscheck3072 Sure. The GrandStage offers a total of five hundred sounds. Now that doesn't mean that they're all great and usable but if you're playing in a band like I am it gives you the ability to have so much more to choose from and they can be edited as well. From looking at both I still think that the Grandstage user interface is more staged friendly. Don't get me wrong the SPV2 is a big Improvement over the SV1 in sound quality and probably has a cooler look but the GS also looks good and the front light is really cool looking. I'm not sure if I saw that the SV2 offers both stereo and mono piano sounds or as many different pianos but the Grandestage definitely does and it's very helpful when performing. So many different piano sounds to choose from and different versions both already present and also editable.There are probably about 40 different organ sounds which can also be edited with gain, adjusting the rotary for each to your liking and more... I prefer to have the mod wheel rather than a button to push for Leslie effect. I wasn't crazy about the few organ sounds I heard on the SV2 and I don't think they're nearly as many to choose from. I'm going to play one but I am 100% certain that I would not trade the Grandstage for anything right now that I see on the market .
I had an SV1 while performing in a blues band a few years ago - I regret selling it now. I see lots of improvements here. If I get an SV2 it will be the 73 key model. Does the SV2 have an easy answer for switching octaves that the SV1 was missing? Also I noticed you added a modulation effect at the end of your lead synth demo... was that after touch or is there a hidden feature for that? Would love if they had a pitch wheel hidden in there as well ( I know. I know... "The Rhodes didn't have a pitch wheel")
Ok, improvements across all sections. I've got an SV1 and loved the Rhodes and the Wurlitzer sounds in particular. Does the SV2 still have great Wurly sounds?
The RH 3 key bed is the thing that sold the SV 1 to me,, yes the look & all the rest , but it was that lovely feel of the Keys that does it for me , got it on Kronos now.
Sir, what mechanic do you like better, Kawai ES8 or this one? I know, this question isn't 100% correct, but what would be your personal preference? Or may be you have in mind some other piano, I mean, among those portable ones with plastic keys... Thank you!
@@jamespadgett2537 I would say it's quite close. I own the Korg D1 and I really like it, SV1/2 have the same keyboard but I believe that during those 10 years the RH3 technology had some small revisions. Take a look at PianoManChuck's review of D1, he has more experience than me in this department
14:32 to be honest ,i really don't like this at al, first i thought it was a factory error and i'd to retour my new sv2 for research and repair (so i'm glad te see this detail is not only on my korg) but it's a small blemish. because after all... the Korg sv2s is an amazing product
I agree with you, really hate that sound. But I think you can mute that FX sound in the pc editor? I don't have my SV2 yet but I really hope it can be muted.
Mate I’m in Australia and very keen to learn piano and really like the Nord stage pianos, I’d really like to buy something that I can learn as well as have some fun at the same time by playing along to Van Halen and the cure, my question is what do I go for?, I have a music store trying to sell a Nord sv1 to me however I don’t want to have upgrade down the track and I am considering just going for the Nord stage 3 even tho I don’t know how to use most of its functions, any advice would be much appreciated
Buy a SV-1 or wait until the SV-2S comes in next month. Turramurra Music in Sydney is good price & website. Either SV is the better option. Nord are over rated and not that reliable in my experience. Both are expensive, but this is much more suited than the Nord. I am also Aust, live in Sydney. I looked into Nord before I bought a digital piano 2 years back and found them confusing and incomplete.
Nice demo! I just wish folks would demo with NO effects: even a terrible Rhodes samples can be doctored with FX. It's funny, I HATED the SV1's pianos, but edited them until they were comparable to the Yamaha P-250.I'd always wished they had incorporated a pre-panel EQ parametric or 10 band EQ.
What about the control knob next the amp models.... On the Sv1 was not possible to have a smooth , subtle changes. Depends on witch amp you choose but the FX was already to much from zero to 1 and what about sounds ? Same from Kronos ? The Sv1 was not so good in the acoustic pianos . Rhodes was the best ....
Yamaha CP88 no doubt. MUCH MUCH better action (wooden keys, the best there is, at least for the weight), much better ac. pianos, much better Rhodes, easy splits & layers on the fly, DISPLAY (!), USB-/Audio-Interface, Pitch- and Mod-Wheel (!), great looks, built like a tank. Oh, and, upgradeable sound library,! 👍🏻
@@GestattenWinnetou SV2 also has USB/Audio interface, no? USB jack on panel and software editor. My question is should we wait for MIDI 2.0 and the boards what follow, or buy today? I'm curious how 2.0 will change the game but I suppose the target market for this board doesn't do much MIDI anyway.
Fantastic presentation Tony!!
PianoManChuck he’s a good man. Sorted me out trading in and buying. If only Kawai could’ve offered some reliability I wouldn’t be stuck with a Nord, but Tony was cool sorting out issues.
Love the snippets of melodies that you played with the various sounds. Thanks Mr. Tony.
SV1 was not complete. But this one is really good, wipes away nearly all weak points from its procedessor. I may get one in due course.
What weak points?
@@bluespig1 If you check what are new at SV2, you will see. The version with speakers is neat for instance and piano sounds are much better as well as polyphony amount. SV2 is very close to Grandstage now. Cheers
I loved the SV1 as it cut through the mix when playing with a live band. The Sv2 gives me even more options so will definitely upgrade soon. Thanks for such a thorough review !! I use mine to cover everything except the organ sounds when playing live. I prefer a dual keyboard with waterfall keys for the organ parts.
LOL. You're like me: the organ sounds were dumped before Fed-Ex even dropped it off!
You sir, are great in playing and present new instruments. Again thumbs up!
Your reviews are always the best of all. Great job. Looking forward to your review of Yamaha’s YC61 also.
If I could plug my guitar into this thing and utilise the onboard amp sims and fx, I'd have everything I need for a gig!
With the addition of the synth sounds they've strayed away from the premise of the SV-1, but they're a welcome addition
Wil Sargisson but it's become a lot more useful.
Most Comprehensive demo on TH-cam, of this keyboard... A thorough review... good job. A highly desirable live piano instrument
Agree. The only one I've seen that mentions the L-R input jacks on the rear panel.
Can it do a Barking Dog sound like the Casio SK-1?
I doubt you would buy this unless you love 60s & 70's music, which this keyboard excels at reproducing. It isn't a synth nor does it pretend to be one, which is great. Finally. There is no ''all in one'' keyboard and it seems Korg realised that when this was designed. It feels like it was designed by Doors & Steely Dan fans, not men in white coats. Love it and placed an order for the SV2-S 88. $3100 in Australia as of 24/02/20. Can't wait for them to arrive.
The only player I know who owns an SV-1 is a Jazz cat who's also in a Steely Dan cover band :) Spot-on.
I can’t afford a real Fender Rhodes, or a Nord. But I’m now very tempted to just buy a SV2S 88, looks stunning.
Oh no I’ve just sold my Sv-1 and bought a Kronos. I love the Kronos but now I want an Sv-2 HELP!!!
Thanks Tony 🤓
snap. I've done the same myself. in fact I sold loads of gear to justify & pay for the Kronos . ahhhhh
david griffiths Oh my - you poor fellows.
Great demo as usual Tony! Congratulations. Best regards from.... Belgium !
I love this Stage Piano...!
A really honest review. Should be a great instrument if you like the Korg interpretation of an acoustic piano, and their slightly trebly sound signature on all their sounds... Not bad. So there seem to be only 3 viable options - Nord Stage or Nord Piano, Roland RD2000, or the Korg SV2. Not happy about the choice of sounds on the Yamaha CP88 - which is pretty much only good for acoustic and electric piano, not much else sadly.
Okay1 you have to be kidding. There's are literally hundreds of other options!
Kawai mp7se is also a contender, weighing the options
I really liked the simple and yet so useful review of the product .. actually I am thinking of buying a portable digital piano for myself and I am considering Yamaha p-125 so I have a few things to ask ..
1. Would it be better to wait for some time expecting Yamaha to launch the successor of this model (2018)in the near future looking at their trend in timeline ( every 3 years ) and also because ‘summer NAMM 2020’ is just around the corner ?
2. Although I am not much experienced in this but from all what I could research I understood that ‘Action of the keys’ and ‘sound quality’ are the two most important things .. so I would be so thankful if you share your experience a little more elaborately .. is the ‘GHS action’ and those ‘7 watt amplifiers’ and 4 speakers sufficient enough to give that ‘FEEL’ ? .. are there some other options in the same price range which I should consider ? .. Is it better than Roland fp 30 ?
Excellent review! Thx u! Nice playing nice groove!!!
Exceptional review
The Italian grand sounds soo good
I think it's better than the Clavinova in some aspects
Great presentation as always, Tony! I've got some questions.
1. Does it have seamless sound switching and favourites switching like the Grandstage?
2. FWIK the EQ knobs can act as layers level controls and pressing and holding can mute a part. Is the volume control smooth? It was not so smooth in Grandstage.
I think that the updated sound set with all those German, Italian, Japanese grand is adapted from Grandstage but into single sound engine.
Thanks Pawel. Yes it does have seamless sound switching. And yes the EQ knobs can act as layer volume controls
Not sure how the smoothness compares to Grandstage yet but will check and let you know. The new pianos sound so good through the SV2"s upgraded effects and valve processing.
@@bonnersmusic Thank you very much and waiting for your reply. I have read that Grandstage has something like volume steps while rotating section volume knobs.
Please, do you know if the acoustic piano sounds pass through the valve, or only the el pianos and organs ?
@@dekzan I think you can pass every sound through the valve if you like, if only effects are not bypassed for desired program.
I love all of your reviews. I have to say though this is the third video I have seen of this keyboard where they mention other Korg keyboards and not once did they mention the Grandstage as if it doesn't exist. It still offers the same and much more than the SV2 but this looks like a great keyboard.
@@robertmichalscheck3072 Sure. The GrandStage offers a total of five hundred sounds.
Now that doesn't mean that they're all great and usable but if you're playing in a band like I am it gives you the ability to have so much more to choose from and they can be edited as well.
From looking at both I still think that the Grandstage user interface is more staged friendly. Don't get me wrong the SPV2 is a big Improvement over the SV1 in sound quality and probably has a cooler look but the GS also looks good and the front light is really cool looking. I'm not sure if I saw that the SV2 offers both stereo and mono piano sounds or as many different pianos but the Grandestage definitely does and it's very helpful when performing. So many different piano sounds to choose from and different versions both already present and also editable.There are probably about 40 different organ sounds which can also be edited with gain, adjusting the rotary for each to your liking and more... I prefer to have the mod wheel rather than a button to push for Leslie effect.
I wasn't crazy about the few organ sounds I heard on the SV2 and I don't think they're nearly as many to choose from.
I'm going to play one but I am 100% certain that I would not trade the Grandstage for anything right now that I see on the market .
Can the SV2 be used with a looper pedal? If so, where would you plug it in?.......
Please, are there acoustic piano internal settings like temperament, ressonance, etc ?
I had an SV1 while performing in a blues band a few years ago - I regret selling it now. I see lots of improvements here. If I get an SV2 it will be the 73 key model. Does the SV2 have an easy answer for switching octaves that the SV1 was missing? Also I noticed you added a modulation effect at the end of your lead synth demo... was that after touch or is there a hidden feature for that? Would love if they had a pitch wheel hidden in there as well ( I know. I know... "The Rhodes didn't have a pitch wheel")
Unbelievable that you have to use a computer to edit the set-up, will that software still be supported even three years from now?
Of course it will...we all know that software is supported indefinitely ;o(>)
That sounds great. I have a SV1, But I can't get the strong base out. How do I set it? to just sounds like a piano?
Very nice playing
Ok, improvements across all sections. I've got an SV1 and loved the Rhodes and the Wurlitzer sounds in particular. Does the SV2 still have great Wurly sounds?
Same as SV-1 but more.
How is the pedal compared to the Roland HP704?
The RH 3 key bed is the thing that sold the SV 1 to me,, yes the look & all the rest , but it was that lovely feel of the Keys that does it for me , got it on Kronos now.
Is it possible for me to layer an acoustic piano sound and a pad sound?
What’s the name of the first song? I think I recognize it...sounds a bit like Steely Dan
Audio in: Does your audio pass trough the tube?
Can you layer voices on this?
Speakers and in black?
Why only 128 note polyphony??? For 2 grand?
Sir, what mechanic do you like better, Kawai ES8 or this one? I know, this question isn't 100% correct, but what would be your personal preference? Or may be you have in mind some other piano, I mean, among those portable ones with plastic keys... Thank you!
i had an SV1 88 and i sold it off because of the same reason, i hated the piano sounds! and it had no speakers
all piano sound is good? more than SV-1
Do the keys have escapement or do they feel cheaper
Same RH3 action as the SV1 and Kronos
Steve Keys I don’t know if that has escapement
X W is it very close to a real grand piano? I don’t have any music stores near me with Korg as a dealer.
X W which one do you think is better; sv2 or Yamaha p515
@@jamespadgett2537 I would say it's quite close. I own the Korg D1 and I really like it, SV1/2 have the same keyboard but I believe that during those 10 years the RH3 technology had some small revisions. Take a look at PianoManChuck's review of D1, he has more experience than me in this department
14:32 to be honest ,i really don't like this at al, first i thought it was a factory error and i'd to retour my new sv2 for research and repair (so i'm glad te see this detail is not only on my korg) but it's a small blemish. because after all... the Korg sv2s is an amazing product
I agree with you, really hate that sound. But I think you can mute that FX sound in the pc editor? I don't have my SV2 yet but I really hope it can be muted.
@@jussi55 You can mute it directly from the front panel !
Mate I’m in Australia and very keen to learn piano and really like the Nord stage pianos, I’d really like to buy something that I can learn as well as have some fun at the same time by playing along to Van Halen and the cure, my question is what do I go for?, I have a music store trying to sell a Nord sv1 to me however I don’t want to have upgrade down the track and I am considering just going for the Nord stage 3 even tho I don’t know how to use most of its functions, any advice would be much appreciated
Buy a SV-1 or wait until the SV-2S comes in next month. Turramurra Music in Sydney is good price & website. Either SV is the better option. Nord are over rated and not that reliable in my experience. Both are expensive, but this is much more suited than the Nord. I am also Aust, live in Sydney. I looked into Nord before I bought a digital piano 2 years back and found them confusing and incomplete.
Nice demo! I just wish folks would demo with NO effects: even a terrible Rhodes samples can be doctored with FX. It's funny, I HATED the SV1's pianos, but edited them until they were comparable to the Yamaha P-250.I'd always wished they had incorporated a pre-panel EQ parametric or 10 band EQ.
😊
great sound but try carrying that around and doing four gigs a week.
What about the control knob next the amp models.... On the Sv1 was not possible to have a smooth , subtle changes. Depends on witch amp you choose but the FX was already to much from zero to 1 and what about sounds ? Same from Kronos ? The Sv1 was not so good in the acoustic pianos . Rhodes was the best ....
Your opinion.
128 note polyphony seems low
21:50
Sv2 vs Yamaha CP88?!
Yamaha CP88 no doubt. MUCH MUCH better action (wooden keys, the best there is, at least for the weight), much better ac. pianos, much better Rhodes, easy splits & layers on the fly, DISPLAY (!), USB-/Audio-Interface, Pitch- and Mod-Wheel (!), great looks, built like a tank. Oh, and, upgradeable sound library,! 👍🏻
CoolGroove thanks. Kinda what I was thinking.
@@GestattenWinnetou roland ph4 is also wooden keys with ivory feel.
@@GestattenWinnetou SV2 also has USB/Audio interface, no? USB jack on panel and software editor. My question is should we wait for MIDI 2.0 and the boards what follow, or buy today? I'm curious how 2.0 will change the game but I suppose the target market for this board doesn't do much MIDI anyway.
The bottom is cheesy PARTICLE BOARD.