FUNNY
Hope you find enough 'sun' to work with that time of year.

Scott

I played the SD1 over several long audition sessions, and on separate occasions. Though I appreciated the nice 76 key feel, it's compact dimensions, it's live drum style sync feature, and some nice impressive sounding instrument voices, it overall left me unimpressed, namely because I felt the the bass & rhythm section bass heavy & muddy (unfocused?) sounding, and it lacking in enough swinging jazz styles, with many sounding overly busy to my ears. Navigation with all the identical buttons in straight rows drove me wild too. Even after attempted tweaking . I find the Yamaha OS navigation & Korg PA1XPro sounds & styles more open & transparent (life-like & natural). The BIG thing that turned me away from Ketron (at that time) was Ketron horrible breakdown & repair record. As a PRO musician, I can't afford having the keyboard in the shop all the time. When I auditioned the SD1 & XD9 at my local Ketron dealer, I not only witnessed an SD1 being brought in for repair for the 2nd time in a month, but the XD9 I was auditioning kept locking up when simply selecting another bank/style. I'm waiting for SD2 before giving Ketron another look. In the meantime, the ONLY Ketron dealer I know of within 300 miles of me advised me they no longer carry Ketron because of all the keyboard repair problems they had. Donny, if you switch to Ketron, be prepared for a STEEP and LONG learning curve too. The beauty with the Yamaha Tyros is you can just sit down and start MAKING 'Terrific sounding' MUSIC from the get go, and with Tyros2, people can STOP COMPLAINING that the keys feel cheesy and toy-like any more. Only 61 keys, so what?! It's an auto-accomp arranger for god's sake, and remember, it was you that always made it a POINT that the keyboard's easily transportable size & weight is an all important priority to you because you "gig everyday". That said, it seems to me that your only truly lightweight options now are the: Midjay, SD1, or Tyros2. G70 weighs nearly 50 lbs, and the PA1Xpro is a close 2nd.

Ok, if I haven't said enough already, remember that highly respected SZ musician members, Roel & Dreamer, BOTH owned the SD1, and then after an extended honeymoon period enjoying it, like you with your PSR3000, chose to 'DUMP' (using your words their SD1's, in exchange for the Tyros, and are now upgrading to Tyros2 . . .

as the world turns.

Scott

Gary, is this what you found?
http://www.vartechsystems.com/products/crystalvue/default.asp

Qoute

"That said, it seems to me that your only truly lightweight options now are the: Midjay, SD1, or Tyros2. G70 weighs nearly 50 lbs, and the PA1Xpro is a close 2nd."

I think the Genesys XP module is very viable option, it sounds terrific and is a big improvement over the original Genesys which is no slouch

Jerry

I like a lot the SD1( I had 2, and the X1HD), great sounds, great styles, unique features.....cames fully loaded (except for the Video interface), but with a Hard disk, vocalist, etc...
Cons....Problems with the Screen....Polyphony alocation when playing in real time (reason I went to another brand)....Other wise, I will look into it when the new model comes next year...

------------------
mdorantes

Scott,

That is some tirade concerning the Ketron products. I'm not going to rehash the reliability question. Lots of folks use Ketrons and have no problems.

I had a x1 before meeting you and using your Tyros at the SynthJam. I decided it was time for a change and sold the x1 and got my own Tyros. The Tyros isn't really any better it is just different. There are many many things the Ketron did much better than the Tyros. There are many many things the Tyros does better.

What I miss most are the saxes and trumpets that I had on my X1. I also miss having 24 presets available at any one time. I get a lousy 8 on the Tyros. Freezing parts of a style was also a very valuable tool. You could get the good walking bass and drums from variation 3 or 4 while getting the simple backing from variation 1.

I'm detecting that Donny is getting ready for a change. Don M already changed. I'm starting to get the urge again. I'm thinking possibly Midjay with a Tyros for the controller.

Anybody want to swap a Tyros for a Sd-1? I might be interested.

Tom

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Scottyee:
[B]I and it lacking in enough swinging jazz styles,
Scott, I do agree with the statement above, as much as I'm so used to SD1, Tyros to me has great Jazz, swing, and Jazz Ballad, as for sound, I love Rhode sounds from Tyros. But, as it has been mentioned, it's more like which one each of us feel more comfortable with......there's couple of things on SD1 that I need to have. I don't dislike Tyros, actually I want to like it more because of third party support and reliability, and i can really see me using Tyros for Cocktail lounge, or Country type, and in all fairness, I 've never given enough time with it. Each of us play whatever fits us the most, and that's a good thing.

tye

Tom, trust me. I wasn't trying to be negative about Ketron products. I went in with an open mind, even spending several days returning to the store to play and audition both SD1 & XD9. I can't speak for anyone else. I'm only able to report the experience I had playing it and nothing more. Whether this was merely isolated bad luck I don't know, but don't you think it strangely coincidental, when I now recently call my local Ketron music dealer a year or so later, to inquire about the Midjay, to have him tell me that they have since discontinued carrying Ketron products altogether, because of all the repair problems?



X1 Rock Sax Demo

SD1 SuperSax Demo

SD1 SoulSax

Tom, I agree that Tyros1 is weak in the 'solo' sax dept, but think Yamaha well made up for that deficiency with Tyros2:

Tyros2 SuperArt Sax

Tyros2 Modern Big Band

Tyros2 Big Band

Scott

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 10-19-2005).]

Scott,

I know two used car dealers. One doesn't like to stock and sell GM products because he claims they are unreliable. He likes to sell Chrysler products. Another dealer I know likes to sell GM products and claims Chrysler products are high maintainence. Just because that was the reason stated to you doesn't make it true. Maybe they didn't sell well and he decided to allocate his cash or floor plan to other products. Now that he doesn't sell them anymore he is not going to tell you they are great only to see you go somewhere else and buy there. If he can demean a product that he doesn't sell that will make what he does sell only look better.

I would ask George Kaye. He sells them all and I believe he is an honest man.

I also wouldn't get too excited about a mp3 demo listened to on your computer. The real proof is in the live performance with your own ears.

If I remember correctly the first versions of Tyros had some operating bugs. Also wasn't your USB port defective on yours and didn't Yamaha try to deny that the problem existed? Now the Roland G-70 needed an OS upgrade almost immediately after it was released. Neither of these examples prove all Yamahas or all Rolands are unreliable.

You are looking through the eyes of love at your Tyros my friend.

Tom

Tom great spot on assessment ......
I dont listen to anyone when I make my final choice although I do take into consideration everyones opinons right or wrong....No one plays & performs excactly like me, no one hears excactly what I hear, no one navagates a kb on stage excactly like me, I have to be happy, I have to enjoy playing it & I have to pay for it, I have to make a living with it.
The "MY Kb is Better then YOUR Kb" doesnt effect me in the end......been in this game Too long
Tom I've always sensed that you werent that happy with the Tyros after you sold your X1 & in my opinion go for the SD-1 or what ever makes you musicaly happy my friend....
Life is too short to Dilly Dalley

Good Luck To You