I thought I saw this "flip lid" design used by Yamaha in the past... Anyone remember this model? I remember playing it in a local store years ago...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=917621363

Squeak

Interesting piece of gear anyone ever own or play one?
Terry

I sold these many years ago. This keyboard was using FM technology for it's sounds. I believe it was also using FM for it's drum sounds (not samples). It was light and portable (very narrow when the lid was folded down). It was considered very high tech in design for it's day but comparing to today's keyboards.........well you know the answer to this!
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

I played a KN7000 at Dan O's store the other day. Not a bad KB, but the one thing I didn't like was when you flip up the Control panel the keys are recessed into the body of the unit, and both low "C" and high "C" are blocked in so you can't open your hand (pinky) while playing for example an inverted "A/M" chord (C-E-A), theres no room to stretch. Same thing on the right side while playing runs/leads and arpeggios.Your "BLOCKED IN" Bad design in this regard IMO.





[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 11-01-2002).]

I had never noticed that but now looking at the photo I can see this is a big bad point! The keyboard is far too recessed, especially uncomfortable if you try and do a fast run down the keys!!!!

Simon


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Simon G.K. Williams
simon@svpworld.com
Creative Music & Multimedia
http://www.svpworld.com
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I had a PSR6300. At the time it was the top of the line. It had really good FM brass sounds and electric pianos. The strings were o.k. I midied it to an external drum machine, and used a DX7 for lead sounds.
I later added a piano module (FBO1?) The time frame is fuzzy now. Anyway it was I think the second or third PSR I used after getting away from full-sized organs.
DonM

I too just had the chance to audition the Technics KN7000 for the first time yesterday.

I too noticed the key bed being recessed creating a castrophobic feeling when playing though I don't feel it will actually affect your playing once you get use to it.

I was initially suspicious that the all in one integrated lid and tilt control panel display would move or jiggle when pushing the control buttons, but this is NOT the case whatsoever. This tilt panel display is rock solid at ANY position and I was able to push all the buttons freely and with considerable force and without a trace of even panel panel display vibration. The sounds on the KN7000 are first rate and the new on board built in speakers sound second to none.Without a doubt, the KN7000 has the BEST sounding built in on board speakers I've ever heard on any keyboard. The orchestral sounds are the best I've heard (life like), especially like the brass and woodwinds. The piano sounds even more impressive on the KN7000 than on the KN6000. The KN7000 organ sounds, a trademark of Technics from their organ days, really shine and worth the price of admission alone. What really impressed me about the KN7000 most of all is it's design and superior 'build quality'. Nothing cheap or plastic feeling about this machine at all. The synth keys and control panel buttons appear to be solidly contructed and I felt it a joy to play, especially compared to the toy like feel of the PSR2000 which I've become accustomed. I did'nt have time to explore the SD card features, but marel at how small and convenient it is to insert the card as well as admire the blue glow which emunated from that area. Very cool looking. The styles all have the classic high quality Technics sound and as usual the jazz & swing, big band, and latin sounds are standouts. Ok, so what are my beefs? Though the drums ride cymbal, snare, and hi hat sounds are very impressive (light airy, and filled with realistic sparkle), the kick, toms lack adequate punch. Even if I turned up the drum track all the way UP, it seemed I couldn't get enough drum volume. This is especially evident in the drum fills. They seemed to wimpy and often rely on instrumental fills rather than drum parts. I prefer having more punchy drum part fills and playing instrumental fills live on the keyboard myself. The other disappointment is that it's not possible to go from a non neighboring variation without having to press two buttons consequtively. I guess I've just gotten spoiled with the Yamaha auto fill feature. The real killer for me though which is holding me back from buying the KN7000 is its now infamous cheesy sounding and severely limited (in features) built in vocal harmonizer. I know I could just drag my Digitech Vocalist workstation along to gigs, but there is NO place to place the unit on the KN7000 as I was able to do on the KN5000. In addition, I need to save different vocalizer settings along with each songs's registrations. With a 3rd party vocalizer, this isn't really possible. If only Technics would have included a decent vocalizer like Ketron or Yamaha has, the KN7000 would have been at the TOP of my buy list. If you don't sing and/or don't require vocal harmony, and punchy dynamic drum fills are not high on your music style agenda, then the KN7000 may be the RIGHT keyboard for you.

I don't use it anymore but I still have my Yamaha PS6100. The fold up feature was nice. I bought it new and used it trouble free until I got my X1.

The Yamaha PSR 6300 was my very first keyboard. It was great for it's time. I eventually added a Kawaii K1M to my setup to add newer sounds. I liked the flip up keyboard then and I like it now on my new Technic's KN7000.

It had a RAM card to use with it for saving songs and custom rhythm's, very expensive but much better than using the 'tape out'. I had a special tape player for electronic's but it was still iffy on getting stuff back. It was very tempermental on the setting of the tape drive. I had markings etc, but one day things would come back, another they wouldn't. You never knew for sure which day it would work.

Marilyn

Marilyn,
I take it you have long since gotten rid of it?
Terry

[This message has been edited by trtjazz (edited 11-01-2002).]

Hey Scott!!
Nice to read your mini-review of your experience with the KN7000! You have always had a love for Technics, so I thought you would like a lot about it. Funny, the fact that the drum fills are lower volume is a plus for me. I always turn the drum track down. Say, where exactly did you play the 7000? East Bay or San Francisco? If you saw it at a local dealer, let me know where. Maybe I'll go check it out, too!
Tom G.

Hi Tom, auditioned it on at one of the Bay Area Piano-Organ Store Chain dealers whose name starts with the letter 'C'. Email me privately and I'll give you the name (if you haven't already guessed) as well as the specific store. The sales guy gave me the typical sleazy sales line: List Price is $6,500 but that he would offer it to me at a once in a lifetime SPECIAL deal of $3,500. I then told the guy I knew that the dealer cost is (closer to $2,000), and then he just shot back with 'hey, I need to make some kind of a profit'. Sounded more like highway robbery to me.

Anyway, I'm really surprised Technics-Panasonic USA doesn't implement MAP pricing (manufacter advertised prices) on Technics arranger keyboard's. This would certainly help prevent dealer's from artificially inflating prices, and would give uninformed consumers at least some reasonable idea of what they SHOULD be paying, and a fairer starting point of which to negotiate a FAIR deal from. I mean HOW MUCH profit should be considered fair and reasonable for a dealer. What upset me more was the fact that the dealer knew less about the keyboard than I, and that it was ME who had to show HIM how to operate it. Geez!

I'm wondering what others of you think constitutes a FAIR dealer 'mark up' price for an arranger keyboard which costs them $2,100 (dealer cost). Do you guys think the above dealer's price was within reason? Am I perhaps missing something?

Feedback appreciated.

Scott

I assume you mean got rid of the PRS6300, not my new KN7000. Yes, that was years ago I had that. I traded it on a Roland E30.

Marilyn

Scott,
After having spent the bulk of my life in retail business with only a few minor diversions....her's what I would say to your Q' ....is that fair for them to make $1400. profit.

Of course the first premise of all sales is to buy low sell high.....that is the capitalist way and is one of the reasons that we are still so strong even though the economy has not been great in the last few years.

Second I'm not so sure one should look or know the cost of any item, because all of us will feel like we are getting ripped off. There would be no fair way to judge what a fair profit is for someone else. Any time I have learned the cost on an item I was buying, I couldn't help but feel screwed. So my point here is as a consumer, one should look at an item and say, this is what I think it is worth and what I am willing to pay for it...."your cost" so to speak. Of course we are always irritated if it drops in price after we buy it and think....well if they can sell it for that now why couldn't they then? That's just the reality of the market place. If you want when it's hot you pay more, when it's not you pay less.

The last thing to consider is this (and I am not saying the 1400. is fair or not, just pointing out other things to consider) the average retailer believe it or not is very luck overall after deducting all thes costs of doing business is lucky to be making between 1.5 - 3% profit across the board. So while you think they are making a 1400.00 off you reality is they are making between $225.00 - $450.00....if they are lucky and running their biz efficiently, Really .... I had about 35 years of retail and know it pretty well, was born into retail family business.

Just some things to consider.
Terry

[This message has been edited by trtjazz (edited 11-02-2002).]

[This message has been edited by trtjazz (edited 11-02-2002).]

Hi Scott
Well, I'm thinking the piano store name rhymes with the name of another arranger keyboard brand that neither you or I own, but Andrea does. Am I right? Cryptic, huh?

I'm glad to see Terry's thoughtful answer to your question about profit. Of course, I agree that $3500 seems like too much. But, at the sleazy Piano-Organ store closest to my house, they would expect you to pay $6500 full price. Oh, they might throw in a cheap bench and stand if you bargain with them. Only a year ago, or so, they had the KN5000 on sale for, yep, $5000! When I asked them about the KN6000, they didn't know about it. They seriously get people to pay list price. They will finance it for you! Even I knew more about how to play the KN5000 than the sales guy. (And, you know how I play).

Anyway, I think dealers should make profits. Not obscene ones, though. And, I think savvy buyers should get great deals & big discounts. All the talk of dealer service is great, but some of us (me) have NEVER used the dealer service at all. I have never called the dealer back on any keyboard I ever bought! And I've owned a lot of them. Oh well... I digress...

I might just buy me a KN7000 to go with my Tyros. But I'm not paying $3500 for one!

Tom G.

[This message has been edited by TomTomSF (edited 11-02-2002).]