Roland c-190 or Viscount Cantorum VI

[Frayjuan]

I want to purchase a portable electronic organ and I have considered the Roland c-190 and the Viscount Cantorum VI.

The Roland has 76 keys (is it an advantage?) and the sound samples come from the Rodgers wave library.

The keyboard of the Viscount simulates the tracker touch of a real organ ( do all organs have a similar touch?) and it has historic temperaments.

It would be important for me to see your opinions before deciding for one of these.

[Contratrombone64]

Welcome to the most entertaining place in cyberspace, where fun lives and a community thrives.

Frayjuan - the world's your oyster when it comes to digital organs, my only adivce, stick within your budget AND see if that includes a full pedal board and at least two manuals. Ain't no brand loyalty here, but I like Makin (English) digital organs because I like the organ they were sampled form (Liverpool Cathedral, England).

[Frayjuan]

Thank you for your advice. I´d love having a two manual and full pedalboard instrument, but actually what I need is a portable one.

[Contratrombone64]

then you're not talking about "digital organ" you're talking about synthesizer, and there's a big difference...I own a Yamaha digital keyboard, wasn't particuarly expensive, but I love it and it's almsot full size keyboard is better (and sometimes not) than standard 5 octave synthesizer.

[Frayjuan]

Well; I have a charming old Roland synthesizer, but what I want is an easily transportable instrument with organ sounds, and the possibility to combine those sounds, just like a single-manual organ. With no furniture and no pedal board. Ahlborn H6, or Ahlborn Parvus II are other possibilities, but I can´t find retailers. I know that a cheap organ can´t offer a good sound, but I´d like two know wich of Roland C-190 and Viscount Cantorum VI has better sound.

[greatcyber]

I noticed on the Pianoteq site that a new organ keyboard is being rolled out (it might be by now) that folds onto itself and latches like a suitcase. It has two parts that are hinged that unfold and voila, a full keyboard. Of course, the site is for paino sounds (which are wonderful, by the way) and also something that is a blend of piano/organ. They also have wonderul harpsichord sounds. I had a harpsichord when I lived in Atlanta. A friend of mine made it and when I used to play it when I would visit, he offerred it to me one day. When I moved, I sold it to a church. It was quite quaint.

I loved to play Mozart on it. For the organ I played mostly Bach. Piano is a mixed bag. The more I sit at my keyboard and try to remember music, it is surprising how much I have forgotten. But, eventually some things do come back to memory and my fingers just "do their thing" and surprise the heck out of me.

the website is: http://www.pianoteq.com

If you explore the site, you will find the foldable keyboard. Looks pretty cool.

[Contratrombone64]

greatcyber - I emailled pianoteq ... and I must say I'm not impressed. Didn't even bother to respond when I asked about purchasing and shipping to my part of the world ... sheesh, no sense of customer enterprise, that's for sure.

[dmfuller]

I own both of these. . .

I really like them both--the advantage of the Cantorum is the harp and celesta sounds, the Roland dosen't have this.

The extra keys on the Roland make dual-manual playing on one keyboard easier.

The Roland also lets you solo a MIDI voice on the swell--even with the manuals coupled.

The Cantorum dosen't couple manuals. . .the only way to play the swell on it is to split the keyboard at the lowest note on it or play it through an external keyboard. . .or MIDI source.

The cantorum's strings and chimes suck--but the other voices are very nice.

The Roland has great MIDI sounds--all from their samples. . .negative--you can't layer piano w/strings. . .

They both have out of this world harpischords & flues. The Roland has more versitilities. . .

The Cantorum has a better keyboard--much nicer.

Ask for questions. . .

e~mail me at dmichaelfuller at verizon dot net.

Thanks!!!

[tegshee]

then you're not talking about "digital organ" you're talking about synthesizer, and there's a big difference...I own a Yamaha digital keyboard, wasn't particuarly expensive, but I love it and it's almsot full size keyboard is better (and sometimes not) than standard 5 octave synthesizer.

I have a question. I've never heard about this definition of a 1-keyboard organ as a synthesizer. A synthesizer is a whole another world, why should you call it synthesizer when the electronics, engine, sound it's just the same as a digital organ w/ cabinet but stripped down to plastic case with only one keyboard? I don't really understand this. A synthesizer is by default a keyboard with no samples, and organs (till viscount developed the physis and since manufacturers stopped making mid60s electric organs with oscillators) were only with samples!!! Don't want to quarrel about definitions, just that this definition doesn't make sense to any other keyboard player, stick to wikipedia definition for example...
bye

[Corno Dolce]

Aloha tegshee,

Ah yes, the gret debate about digital organ v. synthesizer. These days a digital organ in the classical sense of the word has real pipe organ sounds that are *sampled* from *live* instruments. Synthesizers don't generally have true pipe organ sound sampled - only a poor approximation.

Cheerio,

Corno Dolce

[ericbrad]

I have the same question as Frayjuan. I want to buy either the Roland C-190 or the Viscount Cantorum. Either the Cantorum II , III, OR VI, although the VI is a bit on the expensive side for me. I only want it for home use but do not have space or finances for a full size organ. I was actually looking for a second hand Roland C-180 but can not find any for sale. Which has the most realistic pipe organ sounds, the Roland or the Viscount? If they were equal in sound quality I would probably choose the Roland as it has more keys than the Viscount. And what is Tracker touch? I have never played an organ keyboard,only the piano.

[dmfuller]

To get the most flexibility from an instrument, go with the Roland! Organ sounds are equally as good on both, the Roland reeds sound more American, and the Cantorum's reeds sound more European.

Tracker touch--it has a springy click sort of feel--to simulate all of the mechanical action a tracker organ has--think of what the inside of a spinette piano looks like--all those pulleys and levers to make a hammer hit a string, tracker touch is a system very similar but on a much bigger scale.

The Roland's touch is very similar to many organs--most any with electric action.

Also, the Roland is far more portable and much lighter weight, as it's case is VERY NICE wood-grained and black plastic. The Cantorum is HEAVY, as much of its case is made of wood-veneered MDF (basically a board made from sawdust and glue!--the same stuff as the crappy furniture from Wal-Mart or Ikea!) (Side note--I'm an antique freak!! I've got stuff from when JS Bach was still alive!)

Nuber one reason for a Roland--Budget!! It is about half the price of the Cantorum VI! (at least in the USA!)

[ericbrad]

Thanks for all that info,looks like the Roland is the one to buy.

[Frayjuan]

Finally I have bought the Roland.

It has some beautiful organ sounds, but its reeds (trumpet, oboe,...) are a little bit artificial. I have connected a one octave pedalier and another keyboard via midi, but in one of the keyboards the manuals sound permanently acopled.

Some non-organ sounds are worth, specially the oboe and the flute.

More things:
It has different temperaments.
Actualizing the firmware is a really difficult task.
Splitting the keyboard you obtain a really odd distribution of the octaves. It is difficult to play.

[criptlyon]

Hello,

With other posts in other forums, I read this post months ago when I was wondering which portable electronic organ I had to buy in order to learn (small budget and small room, no experience in keyboards but strong one in music).

Here are the reasons which made me choose for the cantorum:
- tracker touch, simili ivory keys
- "sound power"
- european sound (it seems)
- new quality of sound (it seems, compared to other Cantorum II or III, Roland C180, Ahlborn SL61)

My goal is to learn organ keyboard, and not keyboards in general (piano, synthetizers...), that's why I wanted (if possible) to train my fingers on a "classical european mechanical transmission organ feeling" keyboard.

However, I did not have chance to hear the C190 personnaly.

Well, in a few weeks I'll be able to tell you more about the Cantorum VI, as I will receive mine