A quick run down on my dream ROMpler;

73 keys-Not 61(too short)not 76(uneven) not 88(If I want to go surfing,I'll go to CA) 73 keys-that's six octaves from C to C -a very *neat* arrangement and enough room to stretch out without "stretching out".

World Class Orchestral soundset with everything from A-Z as far as sounds are concerned.World Class everything else too,for that matter.And enough variety to cover any situation on planet earth.For example:Every type of mute trumpet,snare drums from piccolo to parade,timpani with soft to hard mallets,felt and wood types.
I want an electric guitar that shreds as well as brass that doesn't sound like car horns.In short,something a micron away from perfection.

All of the right holes in all of the right places. Stereo Outs,aux outs,Headphones,expression pedal,sustain pedal(dedicated)Midi IN/OUT/THRU, breath controller,USB,50 watt 3 way speakers,Dual Compact Flash bays,(On the front of keyboard,NOT the back!)one for loading new sounds,the other for sequencing,(no damn factory batteries!!!)16 track sequencer,(Pattern Based like the Alesis MMT-8) 16 part multi-timbral,128 poly,6"x4" Backlit LCD display-royal blue with powder blue background(like Casios WK-1350)Auto-save function,5 position Global Reverb,Tempo mapping,100,000 note sequencer, 5 position Global Compression and stuff I've forgotten or haven't thought of yet!!

Notice that I did not include the following:

40g Harddrive-Too much of a pain-I never heard of flash cards crashing plus there's no hard disc recording on this unit anyway.

Any type of synthesis-This is a ROMpler-an instrument for people who want to work on their music and NOT on tweaking crap to death.

Insert and mastering FX-Too much menu digging and/or buttons/knobs/sliders on the face of the keyboard.You might find this hard to believe,but reverb and compression are the two most indispensible FX there are.Other FX like delay and chorus can be achieved by velocity tapping and detuning on the keyboard.Other FX like flange and phase,in addition to reverb and chorus would be incorporated into the generous soundbank presets.The soundbank, therefore, would take the largest amount of time to figure out so virtually all of the bases would be covered,in one form or another.
Distortion and overdrive would be covered in the Elec.Guitar samples,Chorus could go over some of the piano samples.Also there would be stereo presets of piano,rhodes,acoustic guitars as well.The Heavy thinking would be done ,so all you need do is concentrate on your MUSIC!

And all of the above has budgetary concerns as well-I would hope that this particular model would only cost a thousand+ so it could find it's way into the hands of LOTS of cash strapped,working musicians.

This has been a pet project of mine for quite some time and I'm not through yet....




[This message has been edited by casiobot (edited 09-17-2005).]

I do agree that featurewise these two may come close to what I want - I would even settle for no speakers if the kb had most of the other features I need.

Not having a dealer locally is certainly a problem for me (or for those manufacturers who could have earned my business). Of all the major keyboard makers, I can only find Yamaha and Korg in the local shops. I understand that some 40 miles away there is a store which has a Genesys, though I have never had a chance to make my way out there. We used to have a store which carried Ketron, but it went out of business. One store had a G70, but going there is like visiting a car dealership - the salespeope swoop down on you and try to twist your arm into paying the exorbitant price for it ($5000) - in a word, a high stress experience. My situation is not unique, even though I live in the 5th largest metro area in the US.

I think that many of the less popular and underrepresented distributors, such as Liontracs and Wersi (and perhaps Ketron), would do well to start selling directly to the public (or perhaps through a dealer), and offer a resonable return policy (e.g. 30-45 days) - retailers do that, why not the distributors? I would not buy an expensive instrument without being sure that it will suit my needs, and I have found that a some instruments are implemented differently than others (e.g. for some reason, chord recognition on Korg does not resond to my fingerings as well as that on the Roland). The only way to try it is to do it at home, where I can put my time into testing it, not in the store where my time is limited, and people are peering over my shoulder.

Regards,
Alex

Hello BlkNotes
Your quite correct I play the Abacus running OAS 6 software. (And looking forward to the release of OAS 7 software, £150 for a virtually new instrument)
I have compared most of the keyboards you mentioned, as in the UK we have Organ and Keyboard festivals, were most manufactures are represented, as these are mostly week long events, it means you have plenty time to try all the different keyboards and Organs, with no pressure to buy, but if you do decide to buy most manufactures give special deals to those attending the festivals.
The styles in OAS 6 can contain up to 2 drum kit tracks and 5 to 7 (Depending on model) sound tracks, the styles consist of 4 variations, 2 fill ins, 2 intro/endings, with real time sliders for volume control of the various tracks, (Midi files can also be assigned to real Time sliders) Akai samples and VST instruments (With the use of the inbuilt Cubasis software) can also be used in the styles. (OAS 7 will include an integrated VST Host and Giga sampler, so I think? the styles will be able to use these Giga sounds as well)
One of the best features are the Hybrid styles called Real Drums, which integrates a Wav file recording of a Real Drummer playing a Real Drum Kit into the style sequence.
The styles themselves are I think done in house, rather then by a dedicated style producing company, and so some of them don’t sound as sophisticated as other keyboards.
The Best styles I have heard on any keyboard (To my ears) are the styles on the Roland G70, Tyros styles I find over complicated and very song specific, and so to me are not very impressive, the other instruments you mention are, in there own ways similar to Wersi styles.
Hope this helps.

Bill

Casiobot. 76 keys is perfect..It allows the low E as with a bass[for we left hand bass players].
Keyboards starting with a low C, usually waste the lowest 4 keys..

I think I am as close to my ultimate setup as it can get.
Still missing a 5.1 surround package from Tannoy but the rest is in place. Just getting some unwanted noise and hum. Working on that though. Oh yeah, almost forgot about the vocal booth. That's going to be built in just a few monhths.
But here's my setup. Or most of it anyway:

Keys:
Motif ES8, Roland AX7.
Korg O1/W, Yamaha DX7, Technics SXWSA-1. Use them mostly as controllers but on occasion tweak up a sound or two that I just throw in the mix. For the fun of it.

Rack:
Yamaha FS1R, Kawai K5000R, Waldorf Micro Q, Novation NOVA, Roland JD990, Yamaha TX816 (love that one).

COmputers:
Mac G5 dual 2.7Ghz processor.
Mac G4 933 Mhz.
Mac 7100/80 (still running Pro TOols on it so that's why I keep it around ).

DAW:
Logic Audio Pro 7
Logic Audio 3.0 (for the old Mac)

Interfaces/cards:
MOTU 828 Firewire.
Digi 001 (soon to be traded in for Digi 002 to use with TIger OS)

Old Digidesign PT Project and TDM cards with 888 interface. (for old Mac).

Speakers:
Tannoy System 600. Only four of them for now. Just to fake 5.1.

Guitars:
WAY TOO MANY

Mics:
Don't ask. I think I see a few around me now. But my favorite ones are still at the old studio (forgot to mention that I just moved).

Plug-ins FX:
Nope. Not going to write that much. Most NI stuff. Gmeadia M-Tron, Gmeadia Oddity, Arturia Moog Modular V, General Vibe Vector Sector, Waldorf PPG 2.3, Waldorf Attack, USB Ultra Focus. THere's more but I'm not into typing that much.

So yeah. Almost there. Just getting frustrated with some noise issues. Working on solving it though.

-ED-

Yea...B-3, leslie, SD-1 on top. On the right hand, a suitcase Rhodes, with a good digital piano on top. 16 chanel powered board with effects, 2 15's with horns, two 12" floor monitors.

Naturally, I'd have to have a house job, with all the weight and pieces.

Russ