Hi! This is my first time posting to your site. I've been reading a lot of the postings here before deciding to buy a new keyboard. I just bought an X1HD with vocal harmonizer. It will be shipped on Monday. I've never even touched an X1, but I've heard so many wonderful things about it on this site and other sites, that I had to buy one. My name is Larry Levin, from Lisle, IL, USA. I specialize in providing interactive entertainment for the elderly and disabled (I also write pop songs as a hobby), and I've been playing a Yamaha PSR 740. This is an amazing keyboard for under $1000, but it has no expansion capabilities, and this bores me. Since I often play at as many as four facilities in one day, the PSR 9000 is way too heavy for my skinny frame, so I just sold the PSR 740 and bought the X1.
One question that I have is, I hear so many wonderful things about the styles on the X1. Has anybody purchased any of the factory style discs made by Solton for the X1? At $27.95 for an 8 style disc (that's what my dealer quoted me), that seems very expensive, but if these styles are really superior to everybody else's, maybe they're worth it.
I also would like to ask what is more popular with people the 6-switch pedal or the 13-switch pedal. Thank you for your precious time.

I don't know what limitations you were referring to on your 740. As far as styles go, factory made styles are ususally excellent, sometimes better than the internal styles that come with a synth. They are professionally produced and made by professional musicians hired by synth manufacturers.

There are also many thousands of styles available by trading with other users on the net. Many of these are just as good as the "commercial" styles. There are also lots of niche styles (i.e., ethnic) that manufacurers don't bother with for a mass audience. These are my favorites!

If your synth has a floppy or disk drive, as far as styles are concerned, there are really no limitations.

Bob

Larry,

If you are buying the X1 HD, you will not need any more styles. You will already have 198 factory styles at your disposal, and not to mention 400 odd styles on the HD in addition. Some of the 400 styles are from their commercial disks that Solton sell, and the rest are from previous solton keyboards such as MS100, MS60 etc...

Put it this way, you will not need to buy any other styles. And as its already been suggested, we kind people will provide you with any more styles should you need them!!!

Good luck,
DannyUK

I'm very happy to have all of the styles that came on the X1 hard drive. I'm equally pleased with all of the good folks who have converted styles and made them available through the Solton Club.

Still....nothing sounds as good as the internal styles on the X-1. If Solton or anyone else made some more great styles exclusively for the X-1 (with grooves) I would probably buy them. Anyone know of anything on the horizon...

Hello guys,

Long time no see !
I fully agree the comments about the internal X1 styles : They are the BEST !
I play the X1 for about 6 months now, have the HDD but NEVER use any of the styles on the harddisk. Recently I got some factory styles from Germany, but the are not half as good as the original X1 styles.

kind regards,

Roel