Well, here I go again. This is getting to be fun! First the Korg PA800 2 weeks ago and now the Ketron SD5.
I want to start off by going back to last year at the NAMM show when I thought this keyboard was going to be going up against the Yamaha PSR3000 and I heard the retail price was going to be around $2995.00 and I thought this was to high because of the $1795.00 price of the PSR3000. I only saw a prototype they were showing and until today I had no idea what the content of this new model would contain. At NAMM, Ketron only had 2 or 3 working styles in the machine and I thought the sounds sounded just like the SD1. Today, almost one year later, I have a different oppinion!
First, this thing is built like a tank. It is rather heavy for it's size and slim design. The weight is 37.4 lbs. Actually, that doesn't sound so bad but I guess I'm getting used to the lighter PSR's and the new korg PA800 which are all under 30 lbs.
Next, the buttons and layout look impressive. Nice square and rectangular shapes, but I wish they would have put lighted buttons for the style catagories so I knew which catagory a style I was currently playing came from. The Korg PA80 and PA1X has the same problem, but the PA800 has added the lights in the middle of the catagory buttons. The funny thing is that they have these lights in the middle of the voice catagory buttons and other buttons as well. This is not a big complaint just a wish list item.
I like that there is a speaker on and off switch on the back, but be careful because mine was shipped with the button in the "off" position and I thought the unit was broken!
Next to the speaker on and off is a dedicated Microphone out 1/4" jack and there are sustain pedal and volume pedal 1/4" jacks, and next to this is the connection for the Ketron 6 or 12 pedal unit. Stereo Outputs, Optional Video out slot and power switch round out the back panel.........OH! ONE MORE THING.........There is a "host" computer round interface jack which Ketron has been so kind as to include in the box an interface cable which will also provide a special additonal cable to plug into a USB port on your computer! Thank you for adding this. I had been concerned that this model didn't support USB interfacing and I see they did something about this!
The keys feel great and there is a button for aftertouch on and off. The keys feel like those on the SD1 with semi weighted keys. There is also a feature which allows you to use aftertouch to trigger on the style and it will allow the aftertouch to trigger fill ins as well.
Here's where this review gets subjective. If you loved the SD1 sounds, you surely will love the SD5. Unlike Yamaha, Roland and Korg, Ketron doesn't use all the velocity levels to add in the "extra" sounds you hear when you play the acoustic guitars and other sounds in the other brands in their most recent models. This is not to say the sounds aren't top notch, they just don't behave in the same manner. For example, if you play the user program called "nylon guitar", if you hit the octave up key and play high up on the keyboard you will hear squeeks and fret noise like on a real guitar. But, this is not like playing in the middle of say the Yamaha or Korg PA800 and playing harder and softer you are creating the realistic sounds of a guitar. Nobody can add the squeeks and buzzes with two hands playing the guitar. However, in the styles, Ketron is producing these sounds because I'm sure they used a computer and were able to multi track record all these nuances into their style arranger.
It's much like when Yamaha released the Tyros keyboard and gave us mega voices which were too hard to play but oh they really gave you great realistic styles.
But, the sounds are really good. Those that love Ketron Saxs, Strings, Accordions, Brass, etc. will surely love this board.
Styles are also each individuals taste and I happen to love Ketron Styles. There are many that I am familiar with from the SD1 and many new ones. They all sound very good to me.
Sequencer, again only a one track song record. This is not a board for someone who wants to do multitrack recording on the keyboard. You can do your recording in a computer software program. It does has a pattern record mode where you can make your own patterns from scratch or load new ones in.
It is a players keyboard! There is a rotary organ with virtual drawbars, a dedicated rotor on and off button and a dedicated slow and fast button.
The familiar jump button and the 4 variation buttons are all here. There is a new feature called "RIFF" over the 4th variation button.
It's very cool. If the style is marked with an "R" in the middle of the display and you play a chord using variation 1,2 or 3 and hit the button that is now flashing (4) the chord you play becomes the key you will be in and the keyboard starts playing different chord choices that match that key and all differnt style parts. When I used the Funky1 style, I hit a CMAJ chord and let it fly.......First I heard some very cool variations in the key of C and then brass started to come in, and the drummer started to "drive" and the bass parts started to play really funky and this continued until I returned to variation 1,2 or 3 and started playing my own chords. There are dozens of these styles and it is really fun for someone like me who's not a very good player and I love to just solo with my right hand. It's sort of like the Roland Chord Sequencer except that I don't get to control what the chord progression is.
I also really like the 16 little buttons just above the pitch bend/modulation lever which allow me to program them to be drum sounds turned on and off while the style is playing, special effect sounds, quarter tone tuning, or any function the 13 pedal unit is capable of doing. This is great for the performing musicians. And all the buttons have lights just above them to know what you've selected.
Well, do I think this keyboard is now worth about $2500.00..........YES. It is much more Professionally designed and built than say the PSR3000 or Korg PA50. I can honestly say I am very impressed compared to the way I saw one last year. Now, Ketron, give me an oriental version of this board for my middle eastern customers and we will be thrilled!
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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566
www.kayesmusicscene.com
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