Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Korg SV-1 worth a buy these days?

I know that this keyboard has been dismissed because of the horror stories with the keybed issues, but it has been awhile and I wonder if Korg sorted these issues out. Can any users here shed some light on their experience with the SV-1. I went to GC yesterday and played one of the SV-1 73 black "revised" version and was impressed with the organic sound of the Rhodes and even the acoustic pianos. Yes the acoustic pianos do fade away in the decay a little too fast, but I remember that Korg made an updated voice pack 2 to address some of the problems of the acoustic pianos that people had. The SV-1 that I played even felt decent with no keybed cut note issues.

I remember hearing rumors of an SV-2 not only coming but actually a prototype made, however Korg didn't want to take the risk and released the Krome instead. With rebates and random sales, the price of an SV-1 73 can be quite attractive. Is it still worth a buy these days or should one stand clear. Anyone who owns one or even played one recently please chime in with any comments.

Thanks

I see the 73 at MF for $1,190 (after 15%) and the 88 for $1,360 (after a 15% coupon) which is coincidentally the same price as the Krome 88.

I saw Bill Payne of Little Feat recently in concert here and he was using an SV-1. It sounded great, but to be honest, no better than my Korg SP280 or Korg Krome. (Note he was only using acoustic pianos, although in youtube demos he plays EP sounds) I personally prefer the EP's on the Krome and assume one could edit the decay times.

Did you try the Krome 88? I know most people would prefer the RH3 to the NH, but in my opinion the NH on the SP280 is on the same level as Yamaha's GHS.

Now, the Rhodes on the SP280 I have is decent but not in the same league as the Rhodes on the SV series. However, there is one particular patch on my Krome that I use the most.

Korg has always been my favorite- but I would wait if possible until Winter NAMM to see if we get SV2.

Personally- and just my opinion- I would spend the equal money on the Krome with NH3 over the SV1 with RH3.

I bought my SV-1 a few months ago, and it arrived sporting the "RH3 Keybed from Japan" sticker. Unfortunately, it does still have the note cutoff issue, and it makes gentle solo playing somewhat irritating. However, I don't usually notice it out on a band gig, and I love the visceral quality of the sound, and the immediacy of control. I didn't send it back for adjustment, as it seems that Korg's answer is to limit the velocity range in addition to any mechanical tinkering that they may or may not do; and I'd rather live with the problem than curtail the available dynamics.

Comparing it to the Krome is interesting. I had the Krome 88 for a while, and was quite happy with the NH action as it seemed well matched to the Krome's pianos. I also found a MkV Rhodes patch that I loved playing on the Krome, and have since managed to pry a very similar sound out of the SV-1's Soundpack 2. I think the Krome's acoustic pianos are better overall than the SV-1's (mainly due to the 88-note sampling and lack of looping), but despite the SV-1's shortcomings in terms of piano decay, the APs still have a rich and appealing tone. I also managed to find a few organ and string patches that are pretty much identical to some found in the Krome.

Physically, I found the Krome a bit too large for some stages, although it was lighter than the SV-173. The SV is awkward to grab hold of, due to the rounded edges, and seems to weigh more than the quoted 38lbs, but it takes up little room on stage and fits beautifully in a Nord Stage 76 gig bag! I miss the Krome a little, as it is a real powerhouse of a keyboard with some great sounds, but the SV is definitely better live: it fires up quicker, it has better Mk1 and Wurli sounds, and it allows you to compete head-on with any guitarist! I also prefer the dedicated control knobs, as the Krome's are assignable, and it's difficult to remember which does what for each patch. The 8 favorite buttons on the SV are way too few, but it's a breeze to dial in the sound you're after.

If you get one, it's well worth spending the time going through all the soundpacks, as there are a few standouts, and the recently updated factory favorites file includes a piano/bass split that is absent from the main patch lists (but can be stored with them).

So, as many have said, the SV-1 is a flawed instrument. But it's also unique, and a blast to play, particularly in an ensemble. I have a lot of affection for it, and will probably hang onto mine for a long time. I've toyed with the idea of getting another Krome, but it would be to replace my Casio PX-5S rather than the SV, as there is quite a bit of crossover between the PX and the Krome, despite their many differences. However, I really don't need all the workstation attributes, and the PX is much easier to manhandle, even if the APs and Rhodes aren't quite as good (although the AP resonance is better). The only thing that might tempt me to part with the SV-1 at the moment is an SV-2 with none of the bugs, and even better sounds, but I'm not convinced it's on the cards any time soon.

I have the 61 key Krome- and agree it seems the 88 key one is a little too bulky for stage use. (The SP280 is a little big as well- I estimate it at 38 pounds as I did not use their custom stand).

In your opinion how did you rate the RH3 on the SV1 vs the NH on the Krome? I find the NH on my Krome fits my needs but found it odd that some of the keys have a gel or glue like substance in between when looking down in between the keys.

It is one of the quieter actions I have played (although there are 3 or 4 keys that seem louder (not musically but the volume of the key). However, these 3-4 are still not as loud as my PX130 keys (just an observation).

There is a sound on the Krome- A45- it might be the MK5 you mentioned. I haven't really used the sequencer yet as I plan on connecting it to my UR22 for use with Mixcraft.

A little off topic here. I'm not completely sold on the NH action. Played an SP-280 recently and although the piano is nice there are quite a lot of keys that make a clicking sound. The sound wasn't loud, but none the less is there. I've played two SP-280's that did this. Would be concerned how the keybed would hold up long term.

Thanks so much guys for all of your comments, believe it or not I went and got one for $1290 after tax. It was like, $1190 after the 15% discount but I live in NY and have do deal wih sales tax : ( Anyway I turned it on and to test out the note cut off problem. I played a little bit from Chopin's Étude Op. 10 no.3 in E major because it really requires many varying degrees of soft playing in the opening section. So far so good! We'll see how it holds up over time!

Btw the black version of this keyboard is absolutely gorgeous!

So after 3 days of regular playing on my SV-1 certain keys started clicking and one key wouldn't even depress. On top of that the editor wouldn't work with my Mac and I used the latest drivers. I tried two different computers and neither of them recognized the SV-1. Sooooo back to Guitar Center it went and that's that! Just wanted to share the update.....boy what happened to Korg? They used to build keyboards like tanks and the sound (to me) wasn't all that great. Now they have stepped their game up in the sound department but their keyboards physically are inferior and wear out under normal playing conditions.

Btw I did check out the SV-1 corner over at korgforums.com, and I guess I had wishful thinking, but there were all types of horror stories about keys re-triggering and dead notes out the box. I didn't quite have that problem but I had enough to warrant a swift return! A shame because I really dug this board : (

Sorry to hear about your SV1 problems. I've owned one now for over 3 years and while I have some clicky notes I am over worrying about them and I just enjoy the playing experience of it's unique sound, and believe it or not how it works with the RH3 action. I also have a RD700NX with the perfect action and amazing piano sound but there's something about the SV1 that keeps drawing me back ot it. I sold a Korg M50 to get the SV1 and while the M50 had 1000's of great sounds,drum patterns and awesome combi backings going for it I have no regrets in getting the SV1. I will probably keep it for long years to come.