Topic: New TOTL Arranger from Ketron

[EileenL]

Looks to me like the sax part has been pre recorded so that you can play along with it. You can do this on most keyboards. Also the saxes on Genos are every bit as good if not better.

[genosmusic]

Looks to me like the sax part has been pre recorded so that you can play along with it. You can do this on most keyboards. Also the saxes on Genos are every bit as good if not better.

well they cant be better, because genos does not have
LIVE-SAX-recordings.

[EileenL]

Of course they do. Most samples used in keyboards are sampled live from the actual instruments to give them their authenticity.

[genosmusic]

Of course they do. Most samples used in keyboards are sampled live from the actual instruments to give them their authenticity.

Nah... A machine could never compete with a Real-Live Saxaphone player
perhaps you havn't heard any live ?

[Duffy]

Nah... A machine could never compete with a Real-Live Saxaphone player
perhaps you havn't heard any live ?

Very true. You can praise any keyboard as much as you like but, it's fantasy to think a keyboard can match a real sax player.
You can go on YouTube and listen to sax players and think, "whatever possessed Yamaha to sample that one"
I had a good friend who played Sax & Clarinet. He wouldn't claim to be the best in the world BUT, no keyboard could match his sound.

[usaraiya]

So, do you know whether the SAX part is recorded or is it jamming live following the chords?
If it is live, that is an incredible feature!

 
Uday

[genosmusic]

Very true. You can praise any keyboard as much as you like but, it's fantasy to think a keyboard can match a real sax player.
You can go on YouTube and listen to sax players and think, "whatever possessed Yamaha to sample that one"
I had a good friend who played Sax & Clarinet. He wouldn't claim to be the best in the world BUT, no keyboard could match his sound.

midi-SAMPLES are not the same as live-recordings from Players,
tyros5 had live audio recorded styles,
but they never thought to include Live-Sax-Recordings
this makes ketrons Feature totally unique

i wish i could demo one but its not possible at present.

[pjd]

So, do you know whether the SAX part is recorded or is it jamming live following the chords?
If it is live, that is an incredible feature!

 
Uday

Hello Uday --

I suspect that the saxophone licks are pre-recorded, i.e., not jamming. One could create a similar effect on Genos (or SX) using audio multi-pads. Each audio file would be a sax lick from whatever source: the recording of a friend playing sax, a lick from a sample library, etc.

The difference -- Ketron has incorporated such pre-recorded licks into their styles. The current chord guides selection of the audio file to be played and real-time transposition (if necessary). Yamaha multi-pads do not follow chord changes.

I noticed that the Ketron Event front panel mixer has Drum, Bass, Chord and Real Channel sliders to mix audio style elements. The Real Channel most likely controls the licks. There appears to be a trademarked feature, "Real Solos," which may be related.

Yamaha actually has a pile of patents on audio style generation:

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-patents-summary-2017/

I wonder if they got shy about rolling out this technology in a product after hearing such shrieks and howls about their original (and current) implementation of audio styles.

Hope this helps -- pj

[genosmusic]

Luv the audio-styles from the tyros5, soooooooooo real, cause they Are.

you can also record both the styles, and the audio-drums together
using the audio-recorder, armed to Record-play/pause,then,
Hit Start-Stop, next to Sync-start

[usaraiya]

Hi PJ,

Thanks for the explanation! The Ketron playing audio files according to the chords, with tranpositions if needed, "real solos" sounds good and the "AI" technology perfected by Ketron is impressive.
Waiting for the final release of all the specs to determine what other goodies are there in the Pandora's Box!

 
Uday

[Lee Batchelor]

The more I listen to the Ketron Event the more I like it. Here is a new live demonstration of the KETRON EVENT - Sexy Ambient Sax played live. Short, but sweet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5pD_dmm1t0
Best,
Mike

Impressive! Like I said earlier, Yamaha has lots of work to do, unless they already have something in the wings that will blow the Event out of the water. It wouldn't surprise me in the least.

[genosmusic]

Impressive! Like I said earlier, Yamaha has lots of work to do, unless
they already have something in the wings that will blow the Event out of the water.
It wouldn't surprise me in the least.

It would surprise me
What more can be done that hasnt been done already.
In a way , Arrangers have reached the end of the road.

[mikf]

I agree that the technology is on the plateau phase but what Ketron has done with those live riffs embedded in the style sand triggered by the chords is definitely new, so there is always something more. And there are things implemented on some models but not on others , like the visual piano room on the CVPs/. And then there are some things that are just not yet right on the current models - like smooth voice transitioning, final mixing on recording, that should be addressed.
Mike

[genosmusic]

I agree that the technology is on the plateau phase but
what Ketron has done with those live riffs
embedded in the style sand triggered by the chords is definitely new, so there is always something more. And there are things implemented on some models but not on others , like the visual piano room on the CVPs/. And then there are some things that are just not yet right on the current models - like smooth voice transitioning, final mixing on recording, that should be addressed.
Mike

Im only guessing here, but i would presume,
that if ketron can Auto, live-sax-audio-licks, to styles, then
they can obviously do it for Other voices too like,
Flugelhorn, Country Guitars, Pianos, Jazz Flutes ?

But is it the concept thats definitely new , or is it the Technique thats New ?
Audio styles are not something new

Regarding the pa5X, there is zero cutoff
you can play the piano and transiton into orchestral strings, in a very smooth natural way,
same goes  for styles, god knows how they do this.
and any other brand that would bring this out later on , would have left it a bit late.
--------------------------

Reasons for my pre ordering the 5x, are primarily because its offers 2 features
that no other arranger in the world has

1: sampling
2: sidechaining

those 2 features alone will transform any production recording into a pro sounding track.
example :

"id love to have that rhodes electric keyboard sound that my friend has,
and his new grand piano sound too, and his sax that he plays live"

you can with a sampler, so skys the limit.

the sidechaining brings a modern pumping sound to r&b music
that cant be replicated in any other way, and was only available on high end
synths like the Yamaha Motif.

so yes , technology is on the plateau phase.

[Lee Batchelor]

I agree that the technology is on the plateau phase but what Ketron has done with those live riffs embedded in the style sand triggered by the chords is definitely new...

Incorrect. Band In a Box has been doing this with their MIDI and now Audio styles for almost 30 years. Ketron has simply integrated that idea into their latest arrangers.

What more can be done that hasnt been done already.
In a way , Arrangers have reached the end of the road.

Again, untrue. There is still a ton of room to improve voices and styles. The next big addition (hopefully) will be FAR better editing capabilities for styles, rather than, the primitive "teaser" editor that the Genos uses now. In a perfect world, they'd have it so we could edit on our computers, audition the newly edited style, and then save it to the Genos User drive. There are a boatload of people here who are equally qualified to create their own custom styles. All they need is a less clunky way to do it.

[mikf]

Lee - I don’t hear this feature like as a customized style with nice audio loops. On a style the riffs repeat at the programmed intervals.  It appears to me that what is happening here is different because the sax riffs on the Ketron are much more random than that. Seems like some sort sort of smart algorithm that calls up very different phrases like a real sax player would as the chord sequence is played.  It almost seemed like there were no repeats. Not something I have heard from an arranger before.
I am not familiar with Band in a Box.
Mike

[pjd]

Until someone can play the actual instrument and report back to us, it's difficult to say what Ketron is actually doing with those sax riffs, i.e., selecting it, transposing/modifying it if necessary and so forth. And maybe figuring out how they do it.

In the meantime, I just assume, like all demos, that the example is cherry picked. Hip-hop artists bash jazzy riffs onto progressions all the time, albeit using musical ears to guide them. It would be interesting to know how many phrases one can cycle through before a repeat. The EVENT has a rather large storage drive, so it should be possible to store a big phrase library.

I will say that the end result sounds very nice.

Best to all -- pj

[Lee Batchelor]

Hi Mike,

Band in a Box is a standalone software package that runs on a PC or Mac. It triggers a MIDI keyboard or uses its own internal audio sounds. Users enter the chords into the program in a standard chart form, and then press the Start button. A full background track is generated. The backgrounds were simple in the earlier days but have become very sophisticated over the years, much like what the Event does now. It has a "round robin feature," which means it varies the generated background tracks at random like the sax voice you heard on the Event demo. I used it on my first Christmas album in 1996. It was stellar back then and is even more evolved today.

The Genos is similar but far less sophisticated (boring actually, in comparison). Genos 2 will likely take this concept to a whole new level. After hearing the Event, I'm counting on it.

[genosmusic]

Lee - I don’t hear this feature like as a customized style with nice audio loops. On a style the riffs repeat at the programmed intervals.  It appears to me that what is happening here is different because the sax riffs on the Ketron are much more random than that.

 Seems like some sort sort of smart algorithm that calls up very different phrases like a real sax player would as the chord sequence is played.  It almost seemed like there were no repeats. Not something I have heard from an arranger before.
I am not familiar with Band in a Box.
Mike

Yes i think your right.

[Jeff Hollande]

The Ketron Event's manual is not available yet.  Early 2023 and delivery in June 2023 ?

Very recently Yamaha launched a VH Genos' update ( V 2.13  ).
Perhaps no Genos2 upgrade soon ?

Best regards, JH

[Lee Batchelor]

Jeff, it looks like some small bug fixes. I think Genos 2 is still on the way. If they added a bunch of new features, I'd be concerned.

[Jeff Hollande]

Hey Lee :

Do you think we might expect a small upgrade like a Genos+ instead of a "real " upgrade ?

Would that be the right decision now competition is offering attractive arranger keyboards for 2023 ?

I hope Yamaha will launch a Genos2 that will beat all competitors. 

Best wishes, JH

[Lee Batchelor]

Not sure Jeff. I would think a "midline refresh" would still require a boatload of financial resources from Yamaha and not generate a whole lot of revenue. On the other hand, it can be argued that many of the Tyros successors were mere improvements of the original jump from the PSR design to Tyros itself. Perhaps Yamaha will do the same with Genos?

Trying to figure out what Yamaha will do next is like trying to figure out what that lunatic in Russia is up to. My gut tells me Yamaha will release a major upgrade to the Genos because of the two new players on the block.

[Jeff Hollande]

When that should happen, Lee ... maybe Yamaha will give it also a new brand name, who knows ?

JH

[EileenL]

Well I am sure all this talking about what may or may not happen because of two competitors is utterly useless. What will be will be. We will buy or we won't bye.
  Much sooner read about what people are doing now with their currant keyboards.
Much more interesting.

[Jeff Hollande]

Speculation has always been funny. 
Best regards, JH

[Lee Batchelor]

You're spot on, Eileen. The main purpose of this forum and the reason for buying a Genos is to "make music." On the other hand, engaging in wide speculation as to what Yamaha has up its sleeve is further testament to Yamaha's ability to get people to ditch all the endless texting and back to playing music.

As each new Yamaha keyboard has emerged, I have become a better player. It's only in part because I practiced and acquired new skills. A lot of it was due to the improvements to the sounds and functions added by Yamaha over the years. It's like a cabinet maker who produces some pretty nice furniture by using simple hand tools. As time passes, give that same person a bunch of power planers, saws, sanders, shapers, routers, and other tools, and watch what he or she can build.

Advanced musical skills and superior music tools are not mutually exclusive. When you have great tools, you can become greater than you ever thought possible. I'm playing a lot of neat brass and organ parts now for my new band that I'm not really good enough to otherwise do. Between the Genos' great sounds and a lot of free YouTube help, I'm adding a dynamic to my current band they never thought possible. Wait until they hear Genos 2 😬!

[Jeff Hollande]

KETRON'S DEALERSHIP AND SERVICE AFTER SALES ?

I spoke to a few ( previous ) Audya5 owners and most of them confirmed as follows :
" Ketron dealers and service centres are not easy to find ".
 
I wonder what customers may expect when their Event will be on the market ?

JH

[genosmusic]

Well I am sure all this talking about what may or may not happen is utterly useless. What will be will be. We will buy or we won't bye.
  Much sooner read about what people are doing now with their currant keyboards.
Much more interesting.

very insulting to negate someones view,
just because it doesnt match your way of thinking ?

People have VALID points they want to make, and trying to Shut them up
is quite disrespectfull.

im a member of several other forums including, rowland,korg,casio
they do not Disrespect others by telling them their comments are
utterly useless?

you have your own forum, ?  why not do it there ?

[EileenL]

Sorry you feel this way Genos music,
  I come on this and any other forum to read about what people are achieving with their currant keyboards and what little gems they may have found. Things that I can try or pass on any tips for. This is what the PSR forum was all about.
  Now all people seem to do is knock the Yamaha keyboards they have and wonder what Korg and Ketron will have that is better. Whilst it is good to hear about what is out there in the way of new boards who wants to keep reading about What if's and May Be's and when. I am sure I am not the only one who feels this.
  As to my forum it is true to Yamaha and I do not get these sorts of posts. We all are there to help one another with these great keyboards and to share the music we play.

[mikf]

Genosmusic - Lee tried to excuse you on the other thread but I repeat here what I said, you are are a nineteen year old being a smart ***. This is an 85 year old long time, well respected member you are addressing here.
We are very tolerant and respectful here, and I think maybe you don’t belong on this forum. I’m thinking about it.
Mike

[genosmusic]

Genosmusic - Lee tried to excuse you on the other thread but I repeat here what I said, you are are a nineteen year old being a smart ***. This is an 85 year old long time, well respected member you are addressing here.
We are very tolerant and respectful here, and I think maybe you don’t belong on this forum. I’m thinking about it.
Mike

I excused you for not apologizing to me
for interpretating one of my comments incorrectly.

Lee Batchelor, had the intelligence to understand , and spoke up in my defence,
but your pride didnt allow you to do that.
--------------------

Now your allowing someones AGE to over ride insulting comments like :
UTTERLY USELESS
-----------------------------

Your right,  i dont belong here,

As a Moderator , your judgements are Flawed.

.

[mikf]

I think your follow up posts show that I “interpretated” your comments correctly.

[EileenL]

My comment was made in general use and not aimed at anyone as an insult.
  Trying to guess what or will not be on anything is utterly useless. We must waite and see for ourselves what is on New Flagships and then Decide if it is what we want.
  Why waste time daydreaming. Much better things in life to do.

[usaraiya]

My comment was made in general use and not aimed at anyone as an insult.
  Trying to guess what or will not be on anything is utterly useless. We must wait and see what is on New Flagships and decide if it is what we want.
  Why waste time daydreaming? Much better things in life to do.

Like making music on what we have currently and enjoying it!
 
Uday

[vitalog2010]

Genos New Firmware Update V2.13 released.

https://usa.yamaha.com/support/updates/firm_genos.html

As we can see, they did not release major updates.

- Fixed a problem in which, with firmware version 2.00 or later, the pitch detection accuracy of Vocal Harmony decreases when the input volume from the MIC INPUT jack is low, and the original harmony sound could not subsequently be obtained.
- Fixed other problems.

Perhaps this is a reason to think that the yamaha corporation will release a new genos 2 soon? 

[Lee Batchelor]

I really wish they'd specify what "other problems" are 😖!!

At the moment, I have Yamaha Canada totally stumped as to why my Knob and Slider window displays are corrupted. Perhaps they figured it out and fixed it but how would I know? Yamaha Canada is communicating with me but at a painfully slow speed.

[mikf]

My comment was made in general use and not aimed at anyone as an insult.

Eileen, Of course you did not insult anyone ,   - to say Bob is utterly useless would be an insult, to say speculating or daydreaming is utterly useless is just a harmless opinion. Everyone - or maybe I should say every reasonable person - knows this. We can’t legislate for unreasonable people, but what we can do is not invite them to our house - or forum!
Best wishes
Mike

[pjd]

I really wish they'd specify what "other problems" are 😖!!

Back in software engineering days, we had quarterly bug review sessions. [Dear Lord how I hated those. Glad to be retired.] Anyway, the bugs were ordered by priority and by level of effort, and assigned to an engineer.

If Yamaha is preparing a major new release, then they have probably fixed the lowest hanging, easy fruit. This allows a quick bug-fix release without taxing the main development effort. "Fixed other problems" is a euphemism for "Yeah, we fixed some small, minor stuff. Leave us alone." 

At some point, Yamaha will see a business requirement to move on from the current product.

Oh, well -- pj
 

[Lee Batchelor]

Thanks for that, PJ. And there folks, is the benefits of having forum members from all walks of life on board. The level of expertise never ceases to amaze me. I believe PJ also plays a Genos 🤣.

[RoyB]

A Chinese poster has recently posted these spec details of the Event on SynthZone. Appears to be genuine, and those members on SynthZone who are close to Ketron development have not disputed it.

*********************************************************
Ketron EVENT :

Polyphony: 216 notes, multitimbral.

Keyboard: 76 half weighted keys. 4 Dynamic curves. Pitch and Modulation wheels. Aftertouch. Portamento.
Legato Mono_Poly. Transposer -/+ 24. Octave +/- 2. Expr. Pedal with 6 curves.
Controls: 15 sliders with RGB Led indicator. Brightness and color controls. 8 potentiometers for external EFX
control.

Display: 7” touch capacitive. Brightness control. 5 different skin colors.

Factory Sounds: 10 Voice groups: Piano, Strings, Organ, Brass, Sax, Pad, Synth, Guitar, Bass, Ethnic. 464 Preset
Voices. Voice 1, Voice 2, each Voice with up to 3 different sounds. Drawbars. Factory Advanced Voice Editing.
High quality multilayer Sounds with a vast selection of Real Solos ®. Factory overwrite and restore. Up to 1.280
User Voices available. Arabic scale and key shift programmable per Voice.

User Sounds: 2,5 GB free storage in non-volatile Flash memory (1,5 GB for additional Factory Sound Banks – 1
GB for User samples). Sample Editor: up to 8.192 samples (max 6 seconds per sample). Up to 4 layered stereo
instruments (Voice or Drum Set). Advanced editor with Split, Octave, Level, Range, Tune, Cut off, Velocity, Adsr.
Sample Loop utilities. User Drum kits.
Adsr/Filter: separate sound controls for Attack, Decay, Sustain, LFO, Cut Off and Resonance.

Drum Set: 62 Stereo Drums kits. 32 User Drum kits with Remap, Filter, Tune, FX controls. Drum Mixer: 9 sections
with separate controls for level, pan, reverb, pitch, velocity compression. 86 Midi Drum styles (Pattern)
available on Grv1_Loop section.

Drawbars: 9 digital drawbars. Slow-Fast Rotor. Overdrive, Click, Vibrato, Reverb, Percussion. Full
programmability. 24 Organ Presets. Twin Organ: possibility to mix PCM and Digital organ tones for a wide stereo
sound reproduction.

Arranger: Over 400 Styles. Real Styles, featuring a mix of Midi and audio parts (see below), Live Styles and Midi
Styles. 10 groups: Ballad, Pop, Dance, Rock, Swing, Latin, Country, Folk, Party, Unplugged. 3 Intro, 3 Ending, Fill
to End, ABCD, 4 Fills, 4 Break. Reintro, Count In, Pause, Key Start, Key Stop, Variation. User Styles with unlimited
store capabilities.
5 Midi Chords and Bass. Close, Parallel, Logic mode. 3 x Lower with Mono/Poly function. Chord Variation.
Varitone. Voice to ABCD. Auto Fill, Fill to Arrange, Fill to Aftertouch. Chord modes: Easy1, Easy2, Easy3, Fingered
1, Fingered 2. Orch. Variation Morphing. Rootless mode. Manual Bass, To Lowest, To Root. Bassist and Pianist
mode (Standard/Expert). Bass and Chord Lock.

Live Drums: 580 Live Drums with a complete Arranger structure (3 Intros, 3 Endings, ABCD, 4 Fills, 4 Breaks).
Reverb and 3 band Parametric Equalizer with 10 presets, programmable on each style. Drum Boost. Possibility
to load external User Live Drums. Drum Lock.

Grooves: 3 x independent Groove sections. Huge library of more than 780 Latin percussions, Electro and
Acoustic Drum loops, Single percussion hits. Groove to Variation. Separate volume and EFX controls.

Live Guitars: 216 sliced Guitar patterns including Long Chords. Separate volume and EFX controls.

Real Chord: More than 300 Real audio accompaniments covering a full chord range (up to 13 different chords).
A wide variety of electric, acoustic, and jazz guitars patterns and other orchestral sequences perfectly
synchronized to Midi. Dedicated Insert EFX with full editor, programmable for each style. Possibility to load
external User Real Chords.

Real Bass: 256 Real audio Basses synchronized to Midi. Twin Bass: possibility to switch Midi or Audio on the
same style. Support to external User audio Basses. 3 band Parametric Equalizer with 10 Presets, programmable
on each style. Possibility to load external User Real Basses.
Style Modeling: navigate and choose Drums, Grooves, Bass and Chords from the massive Midi and Audio
Library. Multichord and Multibass templates.

Style Edit: advanced pattern recording and editing. Copy, Quantize, Velocity, Octave functions. Special quantize
available for oriental styles (7/8, 9/8, 13/8, etc.).

Registrations: 4 Banks with unlimited Registrations controlling the global set up of the keyboard.

Performance: provides fast access to Styles, Registrations with Style, Mp3, Wav or Midi files. 7 Sets with
unlimited file storage.

Play Mode: Master, Accord/Style, Accord/Classic, Organist.

Phrase: real time recording and play for Style chord sequences.

Custom Slider: 2 x Custom slider (alternative to Lower 2 And 3) assignable to Micro, Arranger sections, Drum
filter and other functions.

Footswitch: 4 programmable Set. Assignable to the most relevant machine functions and features.
Arabic Scale: 16 sets. 6 scale memories.

Dsp: Reverb, Chorus, Phaser, Flanger, Overdrive, Distortion, Tremolo, Autopan, Equalizer. 2 stereo EFX Insert
assigned to Voice and Voice 2, 1 Insert to Arranger chords, 1 Insert to Real Chord. External panel controls:
Overdrive, Brilliance, Chorus/Wah Depth and Rate, Delay Feedback and Level, Reverb Time, and Level. 64 Single
Presets and 64 Chain Effects. Deep editing.

Stem: 4 Scenes. 5 audio tracks per scene to be played simultaneously. Lead track, Transpose, Time Stretching,
Loop, Solo, Mute, Autoplay. Fixed pitch for Drum section. Support for external User Stems.

Player: 2 separate Player units feat. Transpose, Audio Time stretching, GM, Jukebox, Playlists, Drum Remix,
Markers, Lyrics, Cross Fade, Search, PFL, Midi Mix, Karaoke Backgrounds. Support for wav, midi, mp3, mp4, avi,
mov, flv, cdg, jpg, png, txt and pdf files.

HD Recording: 1 stereo audio track. Midi and Song Style recording.

Audio Miltitrack: 5+1 audio tracks with separate slider control.

Micro: 2 x Micro inputs. Micro 1 (XLR) with gain control. Effect with Reverb, Delay, Equalizer, Pitch shift. Micro
2 (jack) with volume and reverb control.

Voicetron: 3 voice vocalizer. Assignable to Arranger or Midi file with Presets, Equalizer, Mode functions.

Video: HDMI connection for displaying lyrics, pictures, and videos. Mirror mode. Up to Full HD Resolution.
Support for external touchscreen displays.

Bluetooth: Streaming audio input (ad2p profile).

Wi_Fi: Networked remote control via KETRON app.

Storage: 240 GB internal SSD disk (80 GB reserved for System). Optional external SD Card (up to 512 GB ).

Side Connections: 2 x USB device. USB Host. HDMI.

Rear Connections: Main Out Left / Right. Aux 1 & Aux 2 (Left/Right). Headphone. Sustain pedal. Volume pedal.
Footswitch. Midi In1, Midi In2, Out, Thru. Line In L/R. Micro 1, Micro 2.

Optional: Volume pedal normal or deluxe. Sustain pedal normal or piano type (available also with Footswitch
connector). Footswitch 6 or 13 switches. Midi Pedalboard 13 notes (K8 ). Soft bag. Hard case.

Dimensions: 114 x 36,5 x 12,5 cm (44,8 x 14,3 x 5 in)

Weight: 14,8 Kg (32,6 lbs.)

************************************************************************

There's some interesting stuff in there. The Stems feature (also found on the Ketron Lounge module) will be of particularly interest for those players who use audio backing tracks in live performances.

[Bill]

 Support for wav, midi, mp3, mp4, avi,
mov, flv, cdg, jpg, png, txt and pdf files.

Video:  HDMI connection for displaying lyrics, pictures, and videos. Mirror mode. Up to Full HD Resolution.
Support for external touchscreen displays

Hi Roy

A compressive list.  Like the 2 highlighted above.

Bill

[Jeff Hollande]

Hi Guys :
Very impressive but frightening at the same time.
Best wishes, JH

[Joe H]

I excused you for not apologizing to me
for interpretating one of my comments incorrectly.

Lee Batchelor, had the intelligence to understand , and spoke up in my defence,
but your pride didnt allow you to do that.
--------------------

Now your allowing someones AGE to over ride insulting comments like :
UTTERLY USELESS
-----------------------------

Your right,  i dont belong here,

As a Moderator , your judgements are Flawed.

.

I think Mike is right... you don't belong here with your negative attitude and a lack of respect for others.

Joe H

[mikf]

Specs might be interesting but not really that helpful to the majority of arranger players.  What matters for most is -
how does it sound over the full range of voices and styles,
how easy is the overall operation,
how does it feel,
Does it do everything I need,
how does it look,
what does it cost,
how available is it,
what is the support like.
The first is probably great, but then it gets a bit more hum ho.
Ketron seemed a good little company, has the reputation of producing innovative and quite advanced products but with limited distribution, and often some flaws. But then they all have some flaws and shortcomings!
As I stated earlier in this thread I have actually seen and played the previous flagship Ketron, albeit briefly, and it was pretty impressive. Had some cutting edge features. My understanding is that it has a number of loyal users, especially in Europe, and mostly performing pros.
 I could envisage it being of some interest for example to someone like Lee, but doubt it will be a serious attraction to the vast majority of typical arranger players like those on on this forum, who will have little exposure to it, and who want the comfort of a market leading distribution and support network.
Mike

[RoyB]

20 or so years ago I had a (made in Italy) GEM WK4 Arranger, which was great. However, GEM had the same drawback as Ketron - limited international distribution network and limited international dealerships. Although the arranger itself was terrific and I loved it (it was also built like a tank, and had the weight of one), I found that owning a GEM arranger was quite a lonely experience - lack of dealers meant help and support could be tricky; there was a GEM user group but it had a small membership and you had to pay for anything.

Ketron today I believe is somewhat better and there is an active user forum. However, it is a small company so you just have to accept that international distribution and dealerships (and the consequent help and support network) are somewhat limited in comparison to the likes of Yamaha, Korg and Roland.

Ketron also produce a number of sound modules, and have tended to produce module versions of a number of their arrangers. There has been no word yet as to whether we can expect to see a module version of the Event.

[Jeff Hollande]

In Europe Ketron's arranger keyboards have never been such a real commercial success compared to Yamaha and/or Korg arrangers due to poor distribution, weak service and high prices.
Regards, JH

[ugawoga]

I think I'm quite sensitive to audio quality... But I challenge everyone above the age of 30, to recognize the difference between wav and hi quality mp3 just by listening. Saying that, the problem is not mp3 format itself. It's more about the quality of audio source before converting to mp3 and what compression settings are used.
Youtube is recommending to use high audio quality for uploading, but not every Youtube uploader knows how to do it properly.

Just my 2 cents,
Bogdan

My 1/2 cent
Mp3's are nowhere good as a wave file. Some of the nuances are compressed out of the song for320Kbps quality
Flac files are better than Mp3 they can be 800kbps plus.
Wav files are King. Better detail.

Better still Hi definition 24 bit music is fab!!   You can get loads with a VPN!!! Nudge , Nudge, wink Wink!!

[ugawoga]

Nah... A machine could never compete with a Real-Live Saxaphone player
perhaps you havn't heard any live ?

The Genos has great saxes and it is close as it gets to the real thing.
If you set the Genos sax up right it is really convincing especially if you can master the articulations.
The Tenor is really warm and the alto is pretty good.
I must admit though it can get a little sqeaky if you go too high and that is where a real sax excels over a Genos sample.
Genos saxes also have those nice breathy sound if that is what you want.
I can get those Baker Street saxes almost blob on with the right touches of reverb.

[BogdanH]

...
Flac files are better than Mp3 they can be 800kbps plus.
Wav files are King.
...

Flac is lossless compressed Wav -no difference between these two.

Bogdan