TEST OF DEEBACH MAX PLUS

[♔Chello]

TEST OF DEEBACH MAX PLUS

(Previously published on Chellos Song Styles)

   

THE PRODUCT CANNOT BE RECOMMENDED
   

Order:
If you live outside of Germany: 
You must have an agreement with your bank to make international transactions to order from Deebach.

When I ordered my MAX Plus, it was stated that there was only one copy available in their warehouse in Cologne. 

This was sent to Germany for clarification, but would not start for unknown reasons. 
They sent me their demo model instead, and later found out that failure to boot was due to an internal loose flat ribbon cable. 
And I who thought that it was common with quality controls ...
A bad sign?


Connectivity:
There is only the most needed connectivity, and all are of a cheap mini-jack type. A plus is USB stick connectivity
in the lower front, which is very fast and allows direct use of styles.


Compability:
Styles from Medeli A-1000 and Fame G-2000 can be used, but there is no compatibility with other models or brands.


Supplied software: 
Grand Suite
With this it is possible to create styles from MIDI. I have previously tested this without a keyboard, but have not been able to start a project because the program depends on communicating with MAX Plus.



Intuitive use/Layout:
This must be said to be straightforward, but it takes some time to get used to most of the features being operated via the screen. The buttons for intro, mains and ending are somewhat difficult to distinguish from one another and could well have been more clearly separated.


Mechanical quality:
Chassis, buttons and potentiometers as well as keybed are high quality and easy to use. The keybed is actually very good - the key is pressed down a bit without resistance, and from there the resistance gradually increases. I suppose this is achieved by raising the pressure pads because it feels like pressing a silicone pad. At the same time, there is very low mechanical noise from the keybed.


Degree of playing pleasure:
One thing is immediately evident - this keyboard gives great playing pleasure, primarily because of a huge dynamic range - the special technology used to increase velocity must take a lot of credit for this, but is something Medeli has the credit for - not Deebach. Most voices can be varied much more in strength than on any other keyboard I've tried.
The range of sounds is very good, the same are styles, but many of these are randomly organized into the folder Legacy without genre association. The screen is difficult to maneuver if the keyboard is tilted in a tripod because the angle thus is wrong and there is no adjustment option. The screen is otherwise well calibrated and easy to operate.



Sound quality:
The sound quality is very good and well balanced dynamic.

Even via built-in speakers and amplifier, the sound is surprisingly good, but is limited to a low max volume due to a too weak amplifier.
I found that the built-in audio system can be turned off by plugging a transition plug into the headphone jack.
The sound quality becomes evident when you then connect a set of KRK Rokit6, which is reasonably good for delivering at moderate levels.
This keyboard performs better sound through KRK than both Tyros4 and Pa3x.
Wave recording gives a superb result; the sound presented through my external audio system is perfectly clean and super-detailed - better than Tyros4 and Pa3x.


General first impression:
Overall, I am very pleased with the purchase in terms of voice quality and overall sound quality. It is incredibly easy to play, the voices are richly varied and realistic, and the sound quality superb.

However, there are too many negative factors that ruin the overall impression:
Most of my negative remarks can be attributed to the Medeli A-1000 chassis and its basic functions, which needs to be upgraded several notches to meet the requirements that are now standard for all major manufacturers.

As it is now, this keyboard cannot compete with others in the same price range.



Plus:
* Free software updates
* Supplied software
* Massive Internal Flash Memory - up to 500 user songs, 500 user styles, 500 user voices, 500 arpeggior patterns, 500 performance memory banks can be stored
* 6 MultiPads against normal 4, that in addition can be assigned to different functions
* USB stick connectivity in the front
* 2 knobs let you change various aspects of the sound in real time while you are playing
- There are 4 groups, 3 are fixed settings, and 1 assignable setting
* All patterns can contain 32 bars each - this also applies to fills and breaks
* Recording performance in both wave and Mp3 - via just a button
* Very easy to understand manual in English / German
* Very good sound via integrated speakers and amplifier (at moderate volume)
* Wave recording gives a superb result


Minus:
* Poor style compatibility
* Some voices have far too low / high levels compared to the rest
* Some OTS have too great differences in levels among themselves
* Modulation can only be used with a button - not wheel
* The Pitch Bend wheel is without grooves as well as have too much resistance
* Pitch Bend wheel has too short physical movement
* The front USB connection is almost impossible to operate because the input is not visible from the sitting position
* The back panel inscriptions are very difficult to read
* There is only stereo jack for out connection
* It is not possible to disconnect built-in speakers via the system
* Amplifier is too weak - distortion from amplifier occurs at moderate volume
* Useless headphone amplify
* It is not possible to adjust the viewing angle of the screen
* All Deebach`s own styles are randomly organized into the folder Legacy without genre association
* Editing styles in real time is impossible because the style must be stopped and new sound must be saved before it can be played
* No content description of updates is provided
* Update takes a very long time - about 1 hour for sounds



Final conclusion:
* In the Deebach forum I read that new styles must be put in a folder called PianoUser. 
This is misleading - it turns out that the folder PianoUser is automatically created on the USB stick when recording.
I did a test and found that folders can be created on the USB stick according to the same system as the internal styles, and be read and used in line with internal styles.

This is actually a very good way to work with files:
You can create a TEST folder, and insert styles there for testing, and then save the files that you want to keep. These are automatically saved to PianoUser / Styles, and can be easily moved from there to their respective genre folders.

Also new internal styles created for MAX Plus should have been included in the existing system, and not placed in a new folder called Legacy.

* Useless headphones amplify:
Although volume is adjusted to maximum, the level is far too low for critical listening. I have used beyerdynamic T70 which is among the best on the market, and have never had such problems with this set on any other keyboard.
The sound is clean and well defined, but lacks the necessary dynamics.

I contacted Medeli globally, and it turns out that the A-1000 is taken out of the range - the model is no longer produced. A new model will be launched soon - Medeli AKX10. 

I would never have bought MAX Plus if I knew this.
In practice, this means that MAX Plus is based on an outgoing model, but is still sold at full price.
It is common for outgoing models to be sold at a reduced price, while Deebach takes full price.


With this in mind, I would strongly advise against buying anything from Deebach.

   
THE PRODUCT CANNOT BE RECOMMENDED