Scott,

why don't you buy a SD-1 from Dan O at GC try it out for 30 days if you don't like it return it and get a 9kpro to try?

The SD1 is a marvelous keyboard. The sounds and styles are quite good. My customers love this keyboard, but they are also complaining about the difference in the way the features work compared to other Ketron products.
So far, disk management seems to be the biggest complaint from former X1 users who have upgraded to the SD1. I have not had any SD1's freeze or lock up to my knowledge. I'm sure my customers would call me if this was a problem.
Where I do see a need for a lot more explanation is in the area of disk management. The way you select and load styles from the master folders style folder is very confusing. I have been able to show and explain how to call up disk styles but I don't completely understand how and why certain things are happening and this is frustrating at times. I'm sure this will eventually proove to be a very convenient way to call up and play styles, but It's really not clear to me or others yet. I've gone to the pattern copy page where you copy parts or all parts from one style to another, but I have not understood how to choose a destination location other than number 1 in the style folder, and when doing this, I substitute what was originally in location one (example: dance 1) with the style I am selecting as the source (example: slow rock). At this point, dance 1 now sounds like slow rock and I have lost dance 1. I've gone into every folder on the SD1 and i can't find the original dance 1. I don't have this problem with the X1 because all patterns are loaded into pattern locations which are seperate from the patterns on the hard drive folders. On the SD1 the patterns are always in the hard drive folders and never in a seperate pattern memory area (I think) and so when I lost the dance 1 pattern, it was lost forever because it wasn't saved in two folders, only on the one. I don't know if anybody understands this, if I made any sense, but this is something that Ketron really needs to explain to the end user and to dealers in much more detail.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene

Team,
I will start working on an SD1 manual as of this coming week. I have had a chance to observe most of the issues many users have and will attempt to document these in my new SD1 - User's guide. I collected some ideas of enhancements over the X-series user guides (which appear to be doing well). These are currently being marketed via George Kaye.

Once I get the ball roling on this, hopefully, we'll get one out in about 2 weeks! Just sit tight.

Thanks,

AJ

maybe its me but why does the buyers of a new unit like the SD-1 have to make their own user manual? It seems odd that the company that makes these units should at least make a manual good enough to explain easily how to operate all the aspects of the unit. Or maybe supply a instructional Video. Am I not seeing something?

To all potential SD1 buyers (including myself):
do you want a friendly piece of advice?
Before you consider the purchase of this unit, wait at least 4 months. It's NEVER wise to buy a new keyboard as soon as it comes out. My VA7 had a few bugs which have been corrected only with the release of OS 2.0 (more than six months after its debut on the market).
Are you so anxious to be the first ones to experiment at your expenses the flaws of a new piece of gear? If you want to be a tester, at least try to get paid by the brand you are testing for.

[This message has been edited by Dreamer (edited 08-03-2001).]

Dreamer,
I think the four months have already expired for the SD1. Sandro (Ketron) wrote me the new OS upgrade is expected at the end of August. (including Scott's RLCR )
I did NOT discover real OS bugs in the SD1 and all units have OS version 1.0a.

Scott : After all effort that Ketron put into the RLCR on YOUR request .... not going to purchase an SD1 ?????

It is unique Ketron is willing to satisfy his customers (even online) and I like that very much !

Roel


[This message has been edited by Roel (edited 08-04-2001).]

Roel,
the main problem with the SD1 is the noisy DSP; the noise is evident in the "cyclic" effects, like chorus, flanger, rotary, etc.
When Ketron will have fixed this problem the SD1 will be a keyboard worth buying; until then, like I wrote some time ago, you have to consider the possibility of routing the SD1 outputs to an external DSP.
With sympathy and friendship,
Andrea

Well, it goes forward, little by little.

When speaking with my dealer today, I got more info about things. The
things George mention here is pretty much the same info as I got, but also
that this very SD1 as I have here have to be upgraded to get rid of the
"freeze" problem, and to add some more features who is not present at
this one before it's done.
Then my report about "freeze" is a kind of "out of date" for the users
who have the latest updates.
I've also got more info about that this kb use the HD in quite another
way that we have seen before. The patterns have to be loaded into HD
before you can play, and it's been readed stright from the HD, as it does
with all patterns and sounds. Also editing works like this, but yet I
have not managed to access that part to try out.
As I said before, no problem if you only load native patterns and sounds.
But maybe there is (or will be) any sofware to manage this in a easy way
at the PC?

When clicking around as h...., I've found the "easy chord" and could turn
it off. MUCH BETTER to play at once!
Again, the userinterface is too bad, Ketron have to put the heads together
and use the empty space at the top of the keyboard in a better way than
we see here!

Dreamer have a great point about that we are a kind of "betatesters" for
free, and that is the kind we see Microsoft and other softwareprodusers do
all the time.
We buy things full priced, and have to experience all kinds of "bugs".
I guess this is ourselves to thank, because we are so quick to go for the
new things, and the manufacturers have cut-throat competition to be in the
leading position all the time.
To see that they listen to the customers is a good feeling, and that is
what Technics have done all the time as long as I have known about it, and
it's no doubt about that's why the Technics products are as Tina Turner
sing: SIMPLY THE BEST!
Technics-users as most of us, we have to download updates to fix bugs or
add new functions too.
Much easier nowadays when we dont have to strip the machine to put in new
microchips, just "flash" it onboard.

But just now I'm going to see if I'll manage to try the things as I had in
mind when I got the SD1 for "testing"
GJ

Hi Roel: I am (of course) very happy that Sandro is implementing the RLCR (rootless chord recognition) I requested. But PLEASE understand that my request was not for some esoteric feature added for my benefit only. MANY pro keyboardists play these type of chords. I think Sandro (Ketron) realizes that adding RLCR will only help expand the potential SD1 market to include more jazz influenced keyboard players as well. Afterall, both Yamaha AND Technics have been supporting this exact same RLCR in their keyboards for quite some time now.

As I have reiterated here many times, I am still VERY interested in purchasing the SD1. I think its' styles (from hearing Notlos' demos and the style samples you sent me) are one of the most impressive and realistic sounding I've heard. I did have a brief moment to play it at the NAMM show way back in January but unfortunately not enough time (10 minutes?) to make such a major purchasing decision.

I know that purchasing the SD1 (at least for me) will involve some risk. First of all, I realize now that I probably will NEVER have the opportunity to audition one BEFORE purchase because there is not one in my local area (within 300 miles) to try out. Secondly, if warranty work is ever needed, I will have to ship it back to Bell Solton in New York (or possibily(?) if I'm lucky) an authorized Solton repair center in Southern California). Either way, this means being without the keyboard for at least a week (or two?!. This could prove disasterous, especially if I had a critical gig which required the use of that specific keyboard. I 'might' be willing to put up with these risks (am I a gambler?!) to gain the exciting SD1 sounds/styles, but the other issues highlighted on this thread are other legitimate concerns which need to be seriously considered (weighed) as well.

That being said, I'm still considering the SD1, but I must be assured that it will perform reliably (no freezing) and be relatively easy to master (which I assume means, at the minimum, having a decent operating manual). Dreamer may be right, that I should be patient and give Solton (Ketron) at least 4 months to work the bugs out first.

In the meantime, Gunnar, MANY thanks to you for taking the time to both test out the SD1 and share your findings here as well. I'm also looking forward to hearing your feedback & findings on the Technics KN6500 as well. Gunnar, 'home user' or 'pro', your opinions count. BTW, Technics has also been responsive to customers needs. In the early days of the KN5000, I had spotted a couple of OS errors and Technics was quick to fix them.

This forum is simply terrific (Thanks Nigel) and I thank the many wonderful people here for taking the time to express divergent opinions. The internet is truly a great place where we all have FREEDOM of expression!

- Scott

GJ,

I NEVER had "freeze" problem with my Ketron X4 or the SD1. In my first few weeks with these 2 keyboards, I constantly switch styles while the arranger is running and never had any problem. Freeze up is total unacceptable! But I never had any with X4 or SD1...

GJ, I believe you have a pre-production SD1; it's probably one of the demo unit that was shipped in January after the NAMM show. Upgrading the OS to the production 1.0a should fix the problem. The pre-production OS also displays 1.0a but it's not the same. If you decided to buy a SD1, don't buy this demo unit!

Anytime you change from one keyboard manufacturer to another, it will take some time to adjust to the new operating system. It's like going from a Mac to a Windows PC. There is no doubt that KN has one of the friendliest user interface and Ketron has some catching up to do. But once you learned how the SD1 operates, you will find that there are many convenient features that are not found in other keyboards.

I will try to answer some of your questions:
*Finger mode - there are 4 different modes under F5 (Arrange View), Page 2, F6 -Easy 1,2, & Finger 1,2. There is another setting under F3 (Utility), F5 (Pianist) which defaults to AUTO. It controls whether the chord change is controlled by the sustain pedal.
*Load style from diskette - It can not be done. Styles must be first copied to the hard disk. This is not really a problem, there is 6G of storage on the hard disk.
*Record a song. Press the Song Record button, type in a song name and press Start. Press End when done with recording.
*There is a $20 File Transfer software with a link cable that connects a PC with the SD1 to manage, upload, download files and folders.

George Kaye,
loading style is different from X1.
*The style should be in folder STYLES if the MASTER FOLDER button is activated. Press the BLOCK/LIST button (under RAM STYLE)and select the styles you want by pressing F10, then press F1 to load.
*If the MASTER FOLDER button is OFF, you can load styles from ANY folder by pressing the BLOCK/LIST & SINGLE buttons, then press F10 to load.
*When you load a style from the DISK menu, it overwrites the FLASH styles. But it gives you a warning that it's locked. To unlock, you press F3 (Utility) and F6 (Password), F6 (Unlock).
*Style "Dance 1" - you were in Pattern Edit when you did the copy. When you press Pattern Edit, you can select an existing style to edit or create a new one (F10). You chose to edit "Dance 1" which became your destination when you perform pattern copy.

Ketron_AJ: Regarding the SD1 manual that you are writing. Is this the SD1 final user manual or is it something that you're working on your own?

Dreamer: You are correct that every new keyboard has bugs in their initial release. But this is not the case with SD1, so far there has not been any confirmed bug in OS 1.0a.

Roel: I'm also very pleased with Ketron's engineering efforts in getting new features added to the OS so quickly. Sandro has been very professional and prompt.

Henry



[This message has been edited by Henry01 (edited 08-04-2001).]