Just me all alone with a Ketron SD1..........
..........and a usermanual left at the store!

So at last, a Ketron SD1 is standing along with my excellent KN
Oh no, I've not bought it yet, just have it for tryout this weekend
to see if it is a keyboard that I'll go for.
Long time since I was playing so heavy as today, and as long as I
used the buildt in styles and presets, it is just G R E A T!
The accordeons is better than I remember it from the demo/stand
that I was visiting some time ago, but still not as good as the KN's.
The patterns/styles is playing as a real band, and I'm looking
around me for the other bandmembers, but don't see any other...
The 76 keys are good to play on, and the key-springing feels OK to
my kind of taste and type of playing.
So far everything is just nice, but how long was Adam in Paradice?

About 3-4 hrs. if you ask me, because when I start to really explore
it, I tought I would be able to handle the most elementary things such
as load from diskette and HD, do a simple record and save, even if I
did not manage to grab the manual before I left the shop.
NOPE, it seems that I have to spend several years at the college of
advanced technology to find out how to operate this machine.
Guess who was going to try out converted styles from KN's and other
keyboards to see how it work, and still know nothing about it...

During playing and changing patterns without stop the rhythm, I had
two times totally "freeze", and had to turn the power off and on.
(The OS version is 1.0a)

I've given it up for today, turned it off - and turned on the KN5000.
The buttons on my KN do exactly as they suppose to do according to
the letters/marks who tells what happens when I push them.
Strange that that's not what happens when I try to navigate by the
buttons at SD1.

Did I hear anyone mention the word userfriendly, well I guess it don't
fit to Ketron SD1.
Well, at least not when I try to do anything more than just play it
"as it is".
Maybe I was too full of expectation, and got myself a kind of disappointment
that I did not expected when try to do some "simple" steps without the
"cookbook" at the front of me.

I'm going to give it another try the next two or three days, but as long
as I don't have the usermanual, I guess it's wasted time....

GJ

BTW,
next week I'll try out the KN6500 to see if there is just as hard to
figure out how it work too, but I have a feeling that I'm going to manage,
even without a usermanual.

Hi Gunnar,
I do agree : We need a good manual !
As long as I use the SD1, I had NO freezes at all.
The user interface is much better than the X1's, but still not always intuitive.
For example : I want in power-on setup the Keystart and aftertouch ON and on top of that a RAM-block of my choice loaded.
(I don't know how to arrange this)

The KN's interface is easier to operate and even a non-technical user will find his way.

Well, perhaps Ketron one day presents a real document..... I hope so because musically the SD1 is the best ever, at least for me. (Technics is a way behind in styles / sounds...... IN MY OPINION !)

Roel

Gunnar,

I had similar feelings when I purchased my X-1. (My previous keyboard was a KN5000.) I purchased the keyboard from a dealer in another state....George Kaye. After a day of banging my head against the wall I called George and he was quickly able to answer all of my questions. Roel's comments apply for the X-1 as well as the SD-1. It's not that it's difficult to learn your way around it. There are just a few "peculiarities" that you need to know to make it easy to operate. Hopefully your dealer or one of the SD-1 users on this forum can answer your questions. I'd hate to see you give up on this board without knowing what it can do. I have absolutely no regrets from switching from Technics to Ketron. Styles/sounds are awesome!

Bob

Gunnar,

Funny you mentioned the Dreaded "FREEZE" while changing patterns. This was my major concern when I had the X1, and one of the major reasons I sold it. This would happen on stage while performing and I would have to reboot (most embarrassing )it would take 4 minutes or so due to the Super Sounds loading. I thought they fixed that but I see its still happening on the new SD-1 also. This is unacceptable for a pro to go thru in a live situation. This has never happened (knock on wood) with my i3, K5, or psr9k.

These comments are ALL making me THINK ! !

Throughout my love/hate relationship with the X1, 5 nights a week, 4 hours a night, for some seven months or so, it never froze up. Problems, a few, but no freezes.
DonM

Roel,Bob and Dnj, Thank's for your replies

As said here, the manuals have to be very good as long as the user interface
is so "bad" as it is on the SD1. But I asume it is a matter of learning
how too do this and that.
That's remains me about Alec Pagida's excellent new "add on manual" for the
KN's. Someone should have done something similiar for the Ketron's too.

If I don't remember it wrong, the Norwegian importer is going to make a
special manual for this country, so it maybe something more coming to add to
the original one.

I agree in the meaning about the native styles in SD, this is rhythms who
fits very good to Nordic/European users.
Also SD1 plays very "live", and it's no problem to "reach the goal" when
gigging Saturday nights only by use of the internal styles.(At least for a while)
Technics have really good styles onboard too, but more the USA and Alps/Tyroler
way, with too much BigBand and "Ompa-Ompa & Jodel" for my taste.
But that's not any problem, if you remember the excellent composer you'll find
in the KN's, and who is so very easy to use.
Regarding the sounds, the warmth sounding tone is something both Ketron and
Technics have in common in my opinion, i.e. Yamaha sounds much "harder".
But that's my ears, others may hear it totally different.

And yes, my dealer is very competent and serviceminded, and I'll get all the
help and service I'll ever need, that's not any problem at all.
It's just that I was trying to find out something by myself, and it's the first
time that I've struggled so hard with finding out elementary things.

The "freeze" issue is something that amazed me a bit, because I thought this was
history nowadays, at least when only changing rhythms during play.
And I agree, it's not acceptable during a performance.

But now it is too much focus at the bad things, I'll try to find some more good
things during the weekend, if I only can figure out how to do things......

GJ

Gunnar,
I'm anxiously awaiting your honest evalution of the SD1 after you have a chance to spend a few days with it. As you all know, I am SERIOUSLY considering purchasing the SD1 myself. I am particularly interested in your evaluation because BOTH you and I are current Technics KN5000 keyboard fans & owners. It will be particularly interesting to hear your comments in DIRECT comparison with the KN5000 (as well as how the SD1 compares with the KN6500), which I remember you saying you plan to evaluate soon afterwards as well.

I can only say that I am envious of you guys in Europe who not only have convenient access to many of these top of the line arranger KBs (and even in the SAME store too - WOW), but to have the oppportunity to take one home on loan to evaluate as well really blows me away. Here in California (San Francisco Bay area), I can't find a single store that has a Solton SD1, Yamaha 9000pro, or VA7 to try out. Interesting considering the huge population (over 7 million) and large musician base here.

Looking forward to hearing your 'follow up' feedback on the SD1 as well as your evaluation of the KN6500 compared to the KN5000.
- Scott

Gunnar,
I think we Technics users are spoilt!
For ease of use / navigation the technics simply cannot be beaten. I think once we are used to this then anything else seems illogical and convoluted.

I know I had an awful time adjusting when I changed over to Roland and never quite got to grips with it. As for Korg.....I stopped downloading/ buying styles altogether as the method for inputting them into the machine totally and utterly baffled me!

Maybe it is time someone designed a universal 'front end' for keyboards and then we could buy as many 'engines' as we like...attach the front end and away you go!!!

ttfn
Tony

Scott,
as you know, I'm not a pro, only a amateur and my opinions is very
personal too.
Therefor I think my rewiev (and maybe point of wiev) will be a kind
of different regarding to many of the posts/discussions already going
on about this topic.
Probably more on an average home-users level I think, and my "report"
must be viewed in the light of that fact.

Just now I try not to compare too much to the KN, but find out how it
stand for my kind of use if I change keyboard, and not keep the KN.

I had to put it on again tonight to have some more fun, and I have no
problem to tell that there is some new functions that I found interesting.
I.e. if you have to use the transpose-button, the display shows the
actual sounding chord (that you hear) and not what keys you're
pressing down. First keyboard I've seen it that way. Good tool.

The 3 "intro/fills/ends" is well made, the "break" , "to end" and not
to forget the "key stop" functions is things that i like.
But I miss the "wheel" to do quick changes, all things have to be done
by pushing buttons, and they're too small.
Wondering about why, when you see all the empty space on the top.
The display is "flat", and you have to stick your head forward to read
it proper. Should have been option to rise the angle a little, and it's
not nessesary to keep it the "old fashion way" in size, when you see what
other manufacturers do these days.
Maybe they keep it at that small size just to avoid that the drummer runs
away?? He is really good, and he play steady!

GJ


Some questions to the experienced SD1 users around:

- How do I turn off the "one finger mode", because I feel that it's on.
I use left hands chords, and there's something who "disturb" me. If I
don't unpress all the keys at the very same time, it change the chord
played. I've been through a lot of options without find anything about
it.
- How do I load patterns stright from diskette into whereever it goes
to make it possible to play.
It seems to me that the only way is to place it on the HD?
- And when try load patterns from HD, it tells me that it is password-
protected etc. etc.
- How do I record my "masterpiece" and save it as a standard GM file
in a easy way?