I have two more weeks before I have to decide to keep my PSR740 or send it back. I hear that the Solton X1 is a better keyboard. What is the price difference? Italian instruments have been less than dependable in the past. Are they as reliable as Yamaha.

As any opinion is quite subjective to personal preference, this is quite obviously only my opinion, which is an opinion of an amateur player.

The 740 for the money is a very acceptable unit. I did not like the vocalizer, the lack of after touch nor the poor touch response of the keys. The rhythms are VERY stock Yamaha rhythms. The sweet solo sounds are quite nice, but definitely not up to Soltons.

The rhythms of the Solton are superior, if for no other reason (tho their are more reasons) than they express emotion as do their solo instruments.

I found the Solton easier to change instrumentation on rhythms as well as other accompaniment settings. I also like the way, on a Solton X1, you can hold a solo instrument, change it and it keeps the original until you release and come into the next note, where then the change is made. No chopped note.

The 740 feels more limiting than the X1 overall. And soon it sounds more limiting.

As to whether it is worth the price difference, that is up to what you want and what your pocketbood will dictate. To me, it would be worth every dollar difference.

Suggest you contact George Kaye for the price difference. He may not be the cheapest but IMHO he is the best to deal with.

Also if you sing, suggest you get the X1 with vocalizer installed, hard drive which George loads with other styles and flash card for Supersolo sounds.

Ooops = forgot. Have had my X1 for about 3 to 4 months and it has not crashed, dived not even glitched once. Extremely reliable. My playing should be so glitchless ))

Bye

The price difference between a Yamaha PSR-740 and a Solton X1-HD is just less than $2,000. I also agree that George Kaye is the right person to consult with on purchase decision.

It depends on what your needs are. I have an X1, and like it a lot. I play a PSR740 one night a week, and I like it too. It sounds great, but not as great as the X1. It is easier to operate, has better DSP and E.Q., is easier to program, and MUCH easier to carry around.
It does not have Hard Drive, aftertouch, sampler, or the vast User Style Memory that the X1 has.
I could very well make a living with the PSR740, but to me the X1 was worth the difference in price. But then again, is it worth THREE TIMES as much? I doubt it. But it's deductible!
Don

Dave,
Would you agree to "semi-pro"? I think the 740 is pretty powerful for the money. Also, I think there aren't too many on this forum who are full-timers.
Hey, we don't want everybody to sound as good as we do now, do we?
Don

DonM,
I would basically agree with what Uncle Dave said. I currently play a PSR-730 and currently waiting to get the new PSR-9000 when it is available in US. I also had the opportunity to play the Solton X1 for a week. There is no way you can compare a keyboard in the PSR-730/740 class to a professional level keyboard such as the X1, Yamaha 8000/9000, or other manufactures top line arranger keyboards. Don, I think that you could call the 740 "semi-pro". I guess it all depends on how you use it and what are your expectations. If I were going to make a living either full-time or part-time, I would definitely move up to the "pro" class keyboards. Since I mostly play for my own benefit, I am now ready after 4 years of playing the high-end home keyboards to move up to the pro level where I will be able to have a lot more flexibility in terms of being able to customize sounds and styles, as well as take advantage of some of the standard features of built-in sampling, sequencing, harmonizers, etc. that are not as well implmented on the home models.

When trying to make up your mind about what product to buy, especially the pro-level equipment, I feel the most important quality is dealer and vendor support. George Kaye is a good example of how to provide customer support the "right way" and should serve as an exmample to other dealers on what they need to do for their customers, if they want to have a long-term relationship & and repeat business from them. As you probably aready know, many dealers and music store/Internet sales people are just interested in making the quick sale.

So what ever keyboard you finally decide upon, be sure to check out the credentials of the dealer. This forum is a good place to get more info on what experiences that other users have had with the dealers from whom they bought their equipment.

Remember, what you buy must please YOU!

Do things really change?....

Comparisons will never change, but this comparison I don't think is a fair or realistic one since there couldn't be two boards that are as far apart as these two especially being different brands as well.

I've never owned a 740 before but I did have a PSR8000 which I think had some resemblances, but I did own an X1 and the experience wasn't a great one in terms of reliability, the first two units were completely replaced (first having display failure, the second not recognising the hard drive at all even after replacing it), and the 3rd one started showing problems after a while such as locking up, or unresponsive or laggy when pressing the buttons, in the end I traded it in for a used Korg PA80, one of the best choices I made as the PA-80 was (and still is) an outstanding keyboard.

Blimey Donny, this thread is ancient !! I was young when this was posted lol

20 years. Cars still don't fly, but some of them now work on batteries. And I fear that communism is coming back. Yamaha is still... Yamaha, and Ketron... still is Ketron...