Topic by pegginton

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Topic: Alternative to kawai VPC1- Acuna 88

Hi all, new forum member here.  I am running out of patience waiting for my Thomann order of a Kawai VPC-1.  The deadlines they promise keep coming and going and the latest email suggests "possibly" October. I have been on order for about 2.1/2 months so far.

So I am looking around for an alternative to the VPC-1.

have any of you guys had experience with the Studiologic Acuna 88 keyboard? it looks a good solid controller and is fitted with a mod wheel, the lack of which on the VPC-1 was always a niggling problem for me (for use with orchestral libraries Spitfire Albion).  There is no way i will be able to demo the board in the UK, so any hands on experience from members would be really useful to me.

I would be grateful for any other keyboard suggestions for a kawai VPC-1 alternative.

best regards

Last edited by pegginton (24-07-2013 09:39)

Reply by feline1

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Re: Alternative to kawai VPC1- Acuna 88

I tried several keyboards out at this year's Musikmesse in Frankfurt.

The one that stood out a mile for me as having a beautiful action was the Kawai VPC-1.

The Acuna 88 felt like a cheap piece of plastic crap in comparison! I really thought it felt nasty.

Since then I have had a VPC-1 on order from Thomann.....!  I try to be patient but Kawai do appear to totally suck ass as far as delivering their damn product!

Reply by Cute James

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Re: Alternative to kawai VPC1- Acuna 88

pegginton, feline1, I'm not going to comment on the Acuna 88 as I've yet to try one for myself.

However, regarding availability, as I may have mentioned previously (either here on another forum), VPC1 production has been considerably ramped up in recent months.  The current monthly production is more than triple what it was earlier in the year, and is scheduled to increase once again in the next month or two.

I appreciate that that may not mean a great deal if you placed your order over two months ago, however as they say, the best things come to those who wait.

Cheers,
James
x

Last edited by Cute James (25-07-2013 07:47)
My mind says Kawai, but my heart says Nord.

Reply by pegginton

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Re: Alternative to kawai VPC1- Acuna 88

Thanks for the info feline1. I will knock the Acuna off my list.
I ordered the VPC back in April, sounds like you ordered before me and are ahead of me in the order queue.
You might be interested in some information from Thomann about expected delivery that I received this week..

"Thank you for your email. The latest information we have from Kawai Europe is 7th August but unfortunately unless other customers cancel their orders you do not fall into this first batch but the one arriving at the end of October."

Hopefully you will get one from the 7th August batch.

Reply by feline1

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Re: Alternative to kawai VPC1- Acuna 88

yeah I must be ahead of you in the queue!

But try out an Acuna88 if you can, I mean maybe you'll like it!

Reply by DonSmith

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Re: Alternative to kawai VPC1- Acuna 88

Kawai VPC1 £1128.85 vs Studiologic Acuna 88 £386.00
Price wise this seems like a mismatch. I'd expect the Kawai to sound £742 better.

Reply by sigasa

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Re: Alternative to kawai VPC1- Acuna 88

Hold out for the VPC1. I can assure you, it is well worth it!

I've had both the Acuna 88 and now own the VPC1. No comparison!

Kindest Regards

Chris

Last edited by sigasa (27-07-2013 11:26)

Reply by pegginton

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Re: Alternative to kawai VPC1- Acuna 88

Thanks all for your advice, much appreciated. I have knocked the acuna off my list since I can't find one to try and comments from people who have used one seem uniformaly not good.

I tried a roland A88 over the weekend and didn't particularly like the action and it felt cheap. 

I am not sure what to do,  I guess I will keep emailing various retailers about a VPC-1 and see what turns up.
I have been let down by Thomann so many times with delivery dates I am not at all confident in getting one this year but I will leave my order active in case nothing else turns up.

Thanks again everyone.

Reply by Temperament

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Re: Alternative to kawai VPC1- Acuna 88

pegginton wrote:

Thanks all for your advice, much appreciated. I have knocked the acuna off my list since I can't find one to try and comments from people who have used one seem uniformaly not good.

Some more aspects: ACUNA has 73 version, if portability is an issue, VPC1 is simply not in the same league.
The ACUNA is on the very light side.

The ACUNAs have aftertouch as well, but no key-off velocities, if I correctly recall this.

I also found the action of the too mushy. An I know that the fulcrum is one of the shortest of all of the hammer actions. No offset of pivot point of black keys either (when compared to the KAWAI actions RM3-II on the VPC or GF - other currently avalable actions haven't this either, but the YAMAHAS GH(x) and ROLAND PHA-III have a long fulcrum distance to compensate for this at least to some extent. OTOH, compensation with hammer weight differences is applied in practically every hammer action DP actions).

Last edited by Temperament (28-07-2013 10:31)