Thanks Dan! I'll be looking forward to hearing from you. I hope their answer to you is the one that we are all expecting.

Best,
Mike

dnj, thanks for link, but so many problems with it..
-I couldn't get it to play loud enough to really hear it well
even turned up full on my 2gig mac laptop.
-camera shot was from audience p.o.v. with no view of
keys and controls..at least that was true for first half of it-
I found it extremely boring so lost patience with it and
trashed it.
--is it just me? others here seem to have enjoyed it..
can't figure out why..plus the guy's vocal on "Georgia" was
way overly mannered and badly sung to me..


------------------
Miami Mo

Mo I thought the same myself but I did view the whole thing ....he is a great player...Italian I would assume?.....its poorly done and was a very early demo....I think they wanted to keep the buzz going early in its development but not give away all the goodies with a top shot etc etc .....hopefully there will be more when Its finished and ready....hang in there

I can hear the demo loud and clear and this thing sounds unbelievable!

when is it proposed to be released?

Well, this whole USB thing seems to me to be much ado about nothing.... There really is only one thing that actually NEEDS USB2 speeds (IMO), and that is sample loading.

Everything else, data transfer of registrations, styles, MIDIs etc, the file sizes are so small and USB 1.1 is so fast (theoretically) that it makes practically no difference between the two (if a file loads in 1 sec. using USB 1, would it be any more usable if it came in in .1 sec.? If backup of the entire registration memory takes 30 seconds, who would NEED it to be in 3 sec? How often do you back up? ).

No, the only place that USB2 would make a SIGNIFICANT difference would be sample loading. Files of 32MB or more are the norm for good quality samples, and USB 2's transfer speeds would be very welcome. BUT.... the data transfer from the HD (or whatever storage it's on) is only part of the picture. The speed and size of the data pipeline to the sample RAM is actually the main bottleneck. Even USB1 outperforms most modern samplers in theoretical throughput. Put another way, if most modern keyboards had data pipelines as fast as computers, they would load up close to 50X as fast as they do now with only a USB 1.1 interface.

The new MotifXS has a vastly better data pipeline, and loads up close to 10X faster than a MotifES. But the interface isn't the cause, just the bigger, faster pipeline.

So before we start worrying too much about USB 1 or 2, we need better information about how fast the sample RAM can load. Trust me, it probably STILL won't be much faster than USB 1.1 can deliver. So chill, your USB2 peripherals will still work with it even if it IS USB 1.1.....

As far as the great sound goes; I need a lot more convincing it isn't all hype. I still haven't got an answer, (or maybe I missed it?) if the audio styles stream from HD or are part of the sample Rom. If they don't stream from HD, then there cannot possibly be that many audio loops in the unit. Nothing beyond major and minor chords, and not much variety. How could they possibly fit major, minor, 7th, minor 7th, 9th, 6th, 13th, chords, plus live intros and endings, variations, etc, all using live loops without consuming vast amounts of data? I'm thinking we must be dealing with just a few styles that use live guitars, banjos, etc, and that in a limited major/minor capacity. The idea is excellent no doubt, and in a few more years will be stunning, but I think we're going to see a lot of limitations in this first version.

The video was a mixed bag in my opinion. I really liked the Rhodes, the Organs, the Harmonica, and for that matter the Banjo too. I didn't particularly care for the Grand Piano sound, and the acoustic steel guitar(s) lacked authenticity in the upper registers to my ears. Also the Vocalizer sounds more akin to a vocoder than it does to a harmonizer in my opinion. I thought the Drums were very good though.

I guess this thing is top secret since they didn't show any video of him actually playing the keyboard or pushing any buttons or a view of the LCD screen, etc. One reason they might have filmed it that way was the possibility of them changing some of the design or features before it is finally released at the end of the year. As a sidebar - when Korg showcased their the new M3 workstation keyboard they gave everybody an upfront and personal view of all the various aspects of the keyboard along with close up views of the LCD, button layout, etc. Even though it would be 6 months later i.e. July of this year before it will hit store shelves.

I think Ketron is being a little too standoffish in their presentation of the Audya. Case in point is their inability to inform the general public of what type of USB interface the Audya has or will have. Also not letting people get a glimpse of someone actually playing the Audya so people can see layout of the Board, the keys, the LCD screen, the buttons, etc. So what if you decide to change it later. People could care less just so long as it doesn't hinder any functionality or change the design in such a way as to be ridiculous or absurd looking.

Don't be so secretive or reluctant to let the public know about your new product. How you market your product goes a long way in how the general public will receive it. So come on, open up already.

Best,
Mike

but is this presentation an OFFICIAL one?

I didn't think it was official... looks like someone just sitting / standing in the audience with a camcorder...

exactly, so ketron is not necessarily trying to hide something, or to avoid showing the keys and front panel etc.
maybe is just an amateur video recording from someone in the audience.

nevertheless, ketron, and all the manufacturers for that matter, should have hi quality video presentation as soon as their instruments get to the first public event. since the instrument is ready to be shown at these public events, shouldn t be a problem to make a decent official video to post on the internet for everybody.