To all my oriental keyboard playing friends, I need your help.
I became a Generalmusic dealer after the WS1 days (about 1994). GEM made a middle eastern keyboard called the WS1oriental with a floppy disk drive. From what I've been able to find out these sold for about $2000.00. General music found 5 in their warehouse and I have bought them. I would like to know any opinions from any of you who might have owned one of these.
I have a very complete line of oriental keyboards in my store and if I get the oportunity to buy any oriental keyboards I jump on it.
I know absolutely nothing about this keyboard and would like some input from you!
Also, my first WK8se is on the way to me next week and I will give a report as soon as I get it in.
Thanks in Advance,
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, Ca.

GEM made the WS1 when Roland made their E-40's.so when a person comes asking for the E-40 you should show him the GEM WS1 because that's what every dealer used to do when those two keyboard were in his store .they have the same way of sounds.may be Roland is more advance but the gem will do too,but in recalling the sounds GEM faster.also their is a 5 track composer in the WS1 and their is some midi Arabic songs on disks that GEM made it for the WS1(they are modern songs)and you should get them too .the gem was sold more because it combined a composer and an arranger and Arabic sounds too and that it was fast to use more than the E-40s .when people had to get the E40's,they always had to get some thing that will play back a midi file and that was the MC-50MK2 that they had to buy with the E-40.for the gem I know that it's not that good but it actually do one thing that all what people want and that is it play back midi files and you can edit it as far as I can remember.

that's my opinion,any question I will be glade to answer.

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vic:)

Vic,
thank you! Your information helps. I am the only dealer in the US also selling the Roland E-40 oriental. Roland asked me last year if I would like to represent roland in the US with the middleeastern market. I of course said YES!
I am aware that the E40 was made many years ago, but probably Roland had many still remaining in their inventory so they offered them to one dealer......Me! I wish they had a sequencer to record songs and user styles, but they don't, so perhaps this MS1oriental will be good for me. I will be buying them for a very reasonable price.
Thanks Again,
George Kaye

Hello George
The GEM WS1 was a hit when it came out, there are 2 versions: one with a floppy and one without, you can NOT add a floppy drive to the one that doesn’t have it, musicians favor the floppy version, styles and sounds are editable, I owned and sold many of them, people until these days still look for them every now and then, the WS1 has on board quarter notes, it also has a nice demo, the Roland E40 OR styles sound better but not the sounds, The WK2/3 oriental sound better than both WS1 and E40, in my opinion the WS1 is worth about $500 to $600.
Thanks
Eddy

Hi George,I have a VS1 with harddisk.But a few keys are broken and LCD display is not so clear,I have to change them.I can do it myself,but I need keys and LCD display.Do you have keys and LCD? AYHAN. ny, NY

George,

Looking forward to your report about WK8SE

Here are some specs:
61 keys with velocity
32 note polyphony
128 sounds + 20 oriental sounds + 1 standard
drum kit + 1 oriental drum kit
Display: 16 x 2 LCD(backlit)
EFX: 16 reverbs + 16 modulations

Styles:32 styles + 32 oriental styles,3tracks
(drums,bass,acc)

Seqencer:32 user songs(5 tracks),32 song styles (3 tracks-Lower,Upper,Chords),'Chain Compose'. 32 programmable styles

MIDI:5 channels,common channel,5 tracks local
On/Off,filter In/Out,external clock,dump.

More Questions:
It is NOT GENERAL MIDI (as far as I know).
Does this thing play back SMFs?(because it
does not say so in the literature)
If it does, can it play both Type 0 and
Type 1 files?
Can it read files directly from disc, or have 'load while playing' capability like the newer WK2 models?

George, Are you selling the WS1 or WS1D(with
floppy drive)?
Please email the price you are asking, since I may have someone interested.
Thanks

It is the WS1D oriental with floppy drive. I will have them in a few days. I will email the price to you when I am sure of the final price that comes on my invoice from Generalmusic.
George Kaye