I've had my MZ2000 for some time now and enjo
it very, very much. The very best feature
of the MZ2K was the price tag. I live in Canada and had to order from U.S. I bought my MZ for a bit over a thousand even with exchange rate and border crossing fees, it still is a very, very good purchase. I also own a Technics KN1400 which is a basic stripped down version of the KN5000 and paid over 2 thousand for it after taxes. Strange thing though that my KN does not nearly have the compliment of features that the MZ has.
The sounds on the MZ are superb, crisp and clear and are digital samples of real existing instruments. For example, all the guitar and organ sounds are very realistic full and vibrant. Compared with my KN1400 the acoustic guitar sounds are bassy and have to be tweaked. I don't have drawbars on KN1400 but only have presets. The organ sounds on my KN are ok, but when it comes to the leslie digital effect on my kn1400 it is weak and pitiful even when tweaked. The MZ digital Leslie simulation is awesome on the other hand. You can actually hear the swoosh of the spinning effect. Even better you can also distinctly hear both top and bottom rotating speakers on windup and spindown just like a real leslie dual rotar speaker. The strings on KN and Yamaha as well, have a distinct slow vibrato effect sounding like someone is purposely sliding the bow irritably up and down in slow motion when you play solo one key at a time. Strings on the MZ are smooth and diffinitve and don't sound whinny. Most of the rythm and accomaniment patterns are quite nice but this is opinionable to each individual according to their taste in music. Accompaniment patterns can be customized by each to their own creativeness and listening taste. However the drum sounds on MZ are really good. I have noticed on my KN1400 the drum sounds can either be to heavy or to soft. The bass drum for example can cause a calamity boomming sound with the bass guitar again more tweaking and setting has to be done to avoid this. On some keyboards I have tried and listened to carefully, I can tell you that somehow or another when it comes to drums and percussion I can just about create the same effect pounding on a few cardboard boxes and pot lids to say the least. The MZ has 8 part accompiment, my KN only has 5 and if you have to add more you have to use the sequencer to do it. The interactive feature on the MZ is great and has a much more array of digital effect and reverb choices to use. Remember, I paid over 2 thousand dollars just for a KN1400 model which is now 3 models down from the big flagship of the KN6000. Too bad that my KN model did not come complete with all the bugs like the KN6000 did, come to think of it, I can't even convert any styles on it. The best feature of all about the KN1400 is the very dusty dirty inside screen that I just can't seem get clean. This is my first time post to this forum, so bare with me as when I'm typing this and try to correct things the whole message goes kaaflooy. Thanks for taking time to read.

Hi Brienn and all others!

I have tried the MZ2000 out and thinking of buying it. I think it's very good when it comes to organ sounds. Probably the best in any arranger. The rest of the sounds are quite good but for example some sounds in the PSR 740, in the same price range, are a little bit better. However my favorite sounds are organs so it suits me very well. It also has a lot of more features than the PSR or any other keyboard in the same price range.
To me the MZ has one major drawback and that is the only reason I have not already bought it. You can't assign Right 1 to Left 2 to RX midi channels. You can only assign RX-midi channels to 16 "external" parts. So I would like to use my "very" old keyboard to play the left parts and the whole MZ keyboard to play the Right parts that doesn't seem to be possible. That's why I considering to buy a used PSR 8000 or more likely a used KN5000 instead. But still the most likely is that I will buy a MZ2000, has just not yet made up my mind for sure.
If you, or anyone else, would know that there is a way to assign Right 1 to Left 2 to RX midi channels after all, please let me know.

I haven't seen the MZ yet, but it sounds like you need to use the keyboard in FULL mode - NOT split. Then the midi in would access whatever channel you tell it to. Does your "old" keyboard have the ability to send info on any ONE channel? If so, it should work as you would like.
Again - this is all speculation. I am very big on only giving advice where I am certain of the facts. These are educated guesses, based on past experience with other keyboards. I hope someone will jump in and set the record straight with a "possitive" solution for you.