this past weekend I was performing live... I found again that there is no replacement for SK880... so I ended up bringing the sk880 with me all the way...(broke my back but what choice do I have?)


1) 10 wonderful sliders. It is important for me to control the volume of each track separately in REAL TIME. Without sliders, I do not know how you can do it VERY FAST and Very reliable, in REAL time, while you are controling the styles, the speed, and playing all the music...

2) Very large Screen. I do not have to memorise that 48 is strings, the screen shows me the name of the style or sound and I simply select it.

3) the performances: style perfomances, song performances, and general performances..

4) programability... VERY VERY important... Absolute control is esential. I have not met more programmable keyboard than sk880 and its sisters.

For next keyboard, I do not mind,

1) more sliders
2) larger screen
3) better handling and more ability to program and use performances.
4) even more programmability...VERY VERY VERY important

But also:

1) support for MTC
2) support of more tweaqing of styles.
3) Add one style track for precussions or possibly for fillings... because drums in fillings need to be louder than drums in variation.
4) built in Arabic scale converter like WK2oriental. (not a big deal, but it does make life easier)

...................................

....Totally new sounds and styles.....

Every keyboard will fall and rise on its sounds and styles...

Thanks.

Thanks for telling us about the SK880 series. I really do like their features too.

I do not own a General Music keyboard, but I have read about them. They seem to be the most well-balanced but still I've heard that Yamaha is very good when producing sounds. What do you think of General Music's sounds? Are they of good quality?

Thanks for that post. I like the idea of more sliders too. I think the GENESYS should include sliders similar to that of the Equinox and other General Music keyboards.

Sorry that this response took so long... I wish this General Music forum was more active. Well, see you around,
Ryan

GEM products sounds are good when they were first introduced in the WK series... WK4/WK6/WK8... But years have passed and those sounds are no longer the best of the sounds.

It is now the time for GEM to introduce a new keyboard with updated sounds and styles... better and more realistic piano sounds, sweet instruments such as sweet flute and sweet trumpet and wonderful nylon melodic guitar... tons of ballad styles are must. I believe that Yamaha is the winner NOW in the department of sounds and styles. But this is going to change...

GEM GENSYS is promising to be the new frontier... and it is coming at the right time...

I am really excited about the GENESYS too and I bet it will have some astonishing features onboard! I just cannot wait to see some official news, along with some pictures of the keyboard and audio samples as well! Hopefully, they improve with string, choir, brass, electric guitar, and other sounds as well!

SK880user, have a Merry Christmas and enjoy the Holidays! See you around on the forums,
Ryan

[This message has been edited by ComposerRyan (edited 12-22-2001).]

Yes, the features on the SK880 are cool, but... sorry, but for my ears it sounds crap.

Roland does better sounds. GEM urgently need to improve their rudimental samples and make them up-to-date.

-Piano sounds have too noticeable registers, and sounds too sharp in tenor range. Bass range is too loud.

-Acoustic instruments are decided to be realistic, but they sound more carricated (especially that terrible violin).

-Organs are annoying, expect the Rock Organ, maybe.

-Electric pianos are unusable, expect one Rhodes sound.

-Electric basses are sometimes too thin.

-Synth basses, 808/909-style drums and dance-oriented electric sounds are very good. Acoustic drums are particulary very ear-friendly, but not so "live".


Also, there are too much bugs when use the sample import and keymap assignment. OS draws clock on the screen and put me on standby few seconds even when I do some cardinal operation with samples. Generally - it takes too much time to do a simple job.

GEM will have good perspectives in future if they improve their sounds. If they do, one day they could beat some competitors like Roland, Solton and Yamaha in arranger market. But for now, Roland does better.

Just a personal opinion
Regards


[This message has been edited by Adnan (edited 12-25-2001).]