Seven days report. Keyboard Festival Caister On Sea. Norfolk. UK.
Nothing really new to get excited about in this report. Yamaha stated they have 15 new models this year, but apart from additional features added to the PSR1100 .PSR2100 and Clavinova all the other models related to low priced starter boards.

KORG. Displaying the BX-3 Organ, very compact cased spinet requiring amplification & speakers. PA80 & PA 60 were attracting the keyboard enthusiast and sounding as good as ever. I asked about the new Pa-X. The Korg demonstrator having already seen and played it said it had color touch screen. Sliders from previous i3 & i30 have returned giving live playing individual volume adjustment to voices and Accompaniment parts and a BIG plus. When switching to Organ Flutes these sliders revert for use as Drawbars. ( Magic)
2 versions. 61 notes with speakers or 76 notes without speakers. Plus it contains a CD-Writer.Sounds like being a keyboard worth further investigations. Approx £2.499 UK Pounds

WERSI. Had their large road show articulated truck with folding down side stage. The new product here was the GP1000 Giga Piano, but so new even the distributor did not have any specification details.

YAMAHA. As stated above 15 new models ???? The PSR 2100 was demonstrated, there are a few additional styles plus extra features over the 2000 to improve things at no increase in price. (£1150 UK available June) If you have a PSR2000 already I do not consider its worth changing yet.
Glynn Madden previously an Organ player, in concert played a keyboard combination. Tyros Top and PSR9000 Lower. Following on with this theme one of the Yamaha demonstrators had built a small cabinet containing a low priced PSR292 (£199 UK) with Tyros laying very closely over the top so just the 292 keys were showing. No sounds were played from this board, it was midi linked to trigger the ACC & lower voice of the Tyros. Good idea for anyone wanting a dual manual for a very low price outlay.

ROLAND. Were concentrating on demonstrating the Diskcover 5. They were tight lipped when I asked about the new arranger board possibly out later this year. ????

Two highlights of the week for me were one. PETER BAARTMANS. (Holland Yamaha) This young man provided excellent evening concert and product daytime clinic demonstrations. A very funny and talented musician. The second being the lunch time and evening Hammond Jam Sessions. B3 with live drummer.
The week overall even without many new products was a very enjoyable 7 days. With new products pending from both Roland & Korg the forthcoming few months are going to be interesting. Before anyone asks I have no pictures.

Graham UK.


[This message has been edited by Graham UK (edited 05-02-2003).]

Graham, I've echoed the PA-X part of your message to IRISHACTS forum.

I hope this is not a problem.

Graham,

Thanx for the great review of the festival. I wish I was there to see it. Sounded like a good time for all.

Thanks for the report Graham. It sounds like the festival was lower key than previous years? Or maybe you're just tired from a week of partying? Damn, we have nothing like that here in the States... I'd love to take a week off and do nothing but enjoy checking out keyboards and related stuff. Maybe worth a UK trip.

The PA-X at $2499 UK pounds is aprox $4000. US and $5700 Cdn. Is my math correct?
What about the accoustic piano on the PA-X? It better be good at $5700 CDN.
Starkeeper

Regarding my report and the Pa-X. I forgot to mention it includes a CD Writer. Its cheaper than the Tyros plus the Tyros price rises 1st May by £100 UK.
I did not mention all the products on show, but the list was CASIO.FARFISA.HAMMOND.KELTON.KORG.LOWREY.ORLA.ROLAND.TECHNICS.THOMAS.WERSI.YAMAHA.

Bill Irwin had a contingent of 34 from USA They spent the week at the Festival then this following week they will be in Paris. Its bill's 4th party visit.

Graham UK

Graham,

can you give us more info on the Bill Irvin trip to the festival, prices, itinerary etc?
sounds like a nice trip.

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-02-2003).]

Bill Irwin web site, click link below.
Bill does answer his e-mails, so give him a call.
http://theatreorgans.com/uk/irwin/

Graham UK

The price of the Tyros is aprox $3000 U.S. If the price of the Korg is $4000.00 U.S, that's alot more. Am I converting the price correctly?
I'm using this web site to do the conversion: http://www.alcanseek.com/currency.html
Starkeeper

Tyros price in UK with Speaker Pack is now with the recent increase £2700 UK Pounds.
The Korg Pa-X I was told would be Approx £2499. If the Tyros is $3000 Dols its much cheaper for you than it is here in the UK.

Graham UK

Here in the USA a Tyros sells for between $2,495-$2,995 (1.575-1.890 UK Pounds) depending on where you purchase it. That is without the speaker package, etc., in most instances. As compared to the UK and Europe in general you would be paying roughly $1,500 (950 UK pounds) more in the UK than you would for a Tyros in the USA. PS: I am deducting the price of the speaker package available in the UK for 2.700 UK Pounds in figuring the USA purchase price.

So if a Pa-X sells for 2.499 UK Pounds= ($3,961 US dollars) and the Tyros goes for 2.700 UK Pounds=($4,280 US dollars); that would be of course 201 UK Pounds less for a Pa-X versus the Tyros if purchased in the UK, and Europe in general. That being the case, to compare the price in the US market for a Pa-X what you would do is take the UK price of the Tyros and subtract $1,500 US dollars + also subtract the 201 UK Pound difference for the Pa-X ($318 US dollars) and you come up with a US dollar price for the Pa-X of $2,181. So you round it off to look nice and I suspect the price for the 61 Key "with speakers built-in" will cost about $2,199. Time will tell if I'm right. Note: Korg's price in the US versus the UK market could very well be much different than Yamaha's comparitive one is. So the price for the Pa-X in the USA could be substantially more than the $2,195 I listed. Any whooo, I still can't wait to demo it!

Graham, is that also the price for the 76 Key version?, ie., 2.499 UK Pounds? I would think the 76 Key version will cost more.
Also, did you hear any information regarding Sampling capabilities, how much Polyphony?, Arpeggiator, Digital I/O's?, Smart Media capabilities?, how many Watts on Speakers?, ie., RMS 50 X 2?, 75 X 2?, etc.? "I am thinking BIG"

Even though I am only interested in the 61 Key version "only because the 76 Key version doesn't have built-in speakers." But the feature list on the 61 Key version will probably be the same I would imagine as the 76 Key version, minus the extra 15 Keys and speakers of course. So if you can tell us any other info you have about the Pa-X, it would be greatly appreciated. Gotta Runnnn!

Best regards,
Mike

Do you know if the new PAX will have the same casing of the current PA series, or will they go back to the steel casing of the Korg i30?
How about the keys themselves?
Currently the keys on the pa series feel Casioish, and I prefer the feel of the I30 more like that of the Triton. The i30 casing is also just like that of the Triton studio.

Please, can you find out about this?

thanks,

Peace,

Relating to the Pa_X. What I have stated is all that was given to me, no more,no less. The price I was told was the same for 61 notes with speakers or 76 notes without speakers.
The price of the Tyros in the UK was quoted at full retail. That's the only correct way of comparing products because we can all obtain different varying discounts.
I have always found Korg to offer competitive products and remember to Pa_X includes a CD-Writer. I think Yamaha are just being greedy increasing the price of the Tyros. I play my friends Tyros every week, its a nice board but I consider it overpriced at £2,700 RRP. After playing the Tyros I still prefer my 9000Pro.
Value for money for me would be PSR 2100 £1150 and layer it with a PSR 292 £199 for lower manual.

Graham UK

[This message has been edited by Graham UK (edited 05-03-2003).]