M50 Polyphony

Neofire72 · Post by **Neofire72** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 11:28 am

Hi there. I'm just in the process of buying a new keyboard, don't have huge amounts of spare cash for an M3 so my choice if the M50 88 or a Triton Extreme 88 from ebay.

From other posts i've read the M50 is brilliant, no doubt about that, I want to ask M50 users a simple question.......

Has anyone had any issues regarding polyphony on this keyboard? I mean with 16 channel combi's and stereo and 4 layer samples i would have though polyphony might be an issue. I'm just nervous about this playing lots of fast arpeggios etc.

I'm possibly talking shite and it will never be an issue but when you read reviews like sound on sound or music tech they tend to be a bit negative about this.

The Extreme 88 i know is a wonderfull machine, some people say the M50 sound better although i know opinion varied a great deal. M50 is a modern budget keyboard and the extreme is a flagship of recent past! What to do!!

I was supposed to be getting an M50 about a year ago but i was ler down by the seller and i've still not done anything about it! Terrible indecision!.

Any advice or help welcome.

Best regards,

Craig.

keego · Post by **keego** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 12:19 pm

If you are gonna spend out for M50 88 or TE 88 why not go for M3m and get an 88 key controller board (If you don't have one that is).

M50 88 - £1350
TE 88 - £1000 used approx
M3m - £1199

mocando · Post by **mocando** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 1:24 pm

I have never had any issue regarding polyphony with my M50, but I guess is because I have hardly used more than 8 patches in my combis, my arpeggios are simply and I use more mono multisamples than stereo.

If you plan to use all 16 tracks with stereo multisamples and very fast and complex arpeggios, then 80 voices of polyphony may not be enough for you. But still, I believe there has been amazing keyboards in the past years, used by great musicians, topping 40 voices or less of polyphony and still they created amazing music. You still think is not enough for you?

I mean no disrespect, is simply that it looks the polyphony issue is like megapixels on a digital camera. People are always thirsty for more.

CfNorENa · Post by **CfNorENa** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 4:30 pm

In Program and Combi modes, polyphony is rarely if ever a problem. In fact, I can't recall any cases of "note stealing" while playing in one of these two modes. Things get a bit more dicey in Sequencer mode, however, especially if you plan on layering lots of tracks on top of one another. Then you'll run out of notes very quickly indeed. But I suspect that, like most of us, you're doing the bulk of your sequencing and audio recording on a different unit. If so, polyphony shouldn't ever be a problem.

Neofire72 · Post by **Neofire72** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:49 pm

I appreciate the response guys, was just thinking about the whole polyphony problem and i concluded thats its not really a problem! I've played keys for over 30 years and never had any issues in the past, it's just those damn magazines that pick on every little aspect of a machine.

Once again thanks for taking the time to respond,

Take care all.

Craig.

kanthos · Post by **kanthos** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:22 am

It depends on how much you layer together. I don't think the four layer samples contribute, but like other similar Korg keyboards, it's one voice per oscillator per program, so your 80-note polyphony is halved if you use all two-oscillator sounds. Layer 4 things together that use two oscillators and you can only play 10 keys at once. Better be very clean with your sustain pedal (or just don't use one) or you'll still probably have issues with voice stealing. The Korg TR has 62 voice polyphony (obviously less than 80, but not by *that* much), and I have voice stealing issues fairly frequently that I compensate for by turning off some oscillators or not layering as much.

In short, it's not that much of a problem, though your playstyle will have an effect, but it's nothing that you can't work around.

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 6:09 pm

My choice would be rather simple and logical, instead of M50 i would go for any
TRITON upper class synth, M50 is still semiPro or Amateur keyboard compared
to any Triton class synth (Extreme, Studio, Classic).

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:17 pm

BasariStudios wrote:M50 is still semiPro or Amateur keyboard compared
to any Triton class synth (Extreme, Studio, Classic).

Except it sounds better than any of those, especially pianos.

CfNorENa · Post by **CfNorENa** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:12 pm

evildragon wrote:Except it sounds better than any of those, especially pianos.

Right on, dragon!

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:44 am

evildragon wrote:
BasariStudios wrote:M50 is still semiPro or Amateur keyboard compared
to any Triton class synth (Extreme, Studio, Classic).
Except it sounds better than any of those, especially pianos.

I agree on the Pianos and disagree on the M50's Brass, which aren't very good, IMHO.

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:53 am

evildragon wrote:
Except it sounds better than any of those, especially pianos.

Yup, correct and still...thats why they are better...cuz you can put your own
Pianos which will sound better then those on M50 or Triton itself...
thats if you know how and if you have them...

Neofire72 · Post by **Neofire72** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:11 pm

I've decided to buy a triton extreme 88, great machine, does everything i want it to do.

My feeling is better buying a flagship keyboard of recent past than a budget current one.

M50 is great and i agree the eds sound ship is brill but i'll stick with my conviction and go for the TEX.

thanks again,

Craig.

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:18 am

Neofire72 wrote:M50 is great and i agree the eds sound ship is brill but i'll stick with my conviction and go for the TEX.

Comparing the two is very sad, its like comparing a bycicle and a Mercedes,
now you got a PRO machine...trust me, you can go with it shoulder to shoulder
with M3 and many times ahead of it too...

Xenomorph · Post by **Xenomorph** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:51 am

BasariStudios wrote:
Neofire72 wrote:M50 is great and i agree the eds sound ship is brill but i'll stick with my conviction and go for the TEX.
Comparing the two is very sad, its like comparing a bycicle and a Mercedes,
now you got a PRO machine...trust me, you can go with it shoulder to shoulder
with M3 and many times ahead of it too...

The "comparing a bicycle and a Mercedes" is a tad harsh, with that said I have both, and the Extreme gets more playtime but parting with the M50 would make me cry. If funds ever allow, add an M50 to the mix!

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 8:24 pm

BasariStudios wrote:you can go with it shoulder to shoulder
with M3 and many times ahead of it too...

Not really.