Hi Bluezplayer

You are right that adding more ROM does not translate into more expressive instruments, but it does add to the realism of percussive and plucked instruments. ROM is used in sample-playback synthesis, which is weak when it comes to real-time control to emulate wind instruments, for example. (I should add that Scott Yee, who is an order of magnitude better musician than I am, is pleased with the way his PSR-2000 has dynamics built into the samples themselves.)

Analog synthesis and analog-modeling synthesis are very expressive technologies. Physical modeling is good for emulating expressive acoustic instruments. These can be added to the Motif and to the 9000Pro as plug in cards.

However, even if you have the synthesis capabilities, you need a way to control them. On almost all arrangers, the emphasis is on buttons rather than on continuous controllers. For the most part, arrangers are limited to a pitch bend wheel, a mod wheel, aftertouch, and footpedals. Aftertouch is absent or poorly implemented on most (but not all) arrangers. Someone pointed out under another topic that no arranger has a ribbon controller. Compare the continuous controllers available on arrangers with those available for analog synths or the new Neuron.

I can't blame the manufacturers too much. I remember someone who bought a PSR8000 asking how to turn off the aftertouch. But as arranger keyboards become more mainstream (in America, they already are in Europe) there will be more demand for realism and expressiveness. Hopefully, the response from manufacturers will not be long in coming.

That's exactly what I think too Cliff.. None of the arranger manufacturers have mentioned ribbon control as a possibility. I do agree that the quality of the sample is key to a more realistic emulation and it makes sense that the better and fuller the sample, ( hence requiring more memory ) the more realistic the reproduced sound. Tyros, when released, may or may not have the best sounding samples on the arranger market. My question is will it also include better ways to express those sounds ( continuous controllers as you stated ) ? If not, yes, I'll certainly give it a look, but I'm just not expecting it to "blow me away ".

BTW Cliff, How are things in karmaland now that the new OS is out ?

Hi Bluezplayer

I guess you might be referring to the hemorraging of the KorgKarma Yahoo Group when OS 2.0 failed to show when projected. The group had been growing about 100 members a month, then dropped from 1526-1470 as the due data past. Since OS 2.0 arrived, membership growth has resumed, recently passing 1530.

I haven't had a chance to try out the new features personally. I have promised to spend more time with my keyboards so I will have more to contribute next time I get together with forum members. But somehow my life is presently consumed with Chinese Classical Dance (my kids do the dancing, I do the videoing and chauferring). Well, I am sure I am not the only one on this forum with a life full of left turns.