I own Korg is35, Technics kn2600, GEM sk76. I have also
tried out Korg i30, Yamaha dgx305, Roland va76, and have tinkered in stores with PA80, Yammies, Roland GW70.
Each of the 3 i own has its virtues, but all have drawbacks. None of them is doing enough for me. I would love to have a 76key, but choices are limited, so i'll settle for 61 if necessary if it is the right one.

I don't care what it costs, and I don't care about speakers, sequencing, song files and full arrangements.
I use only bass/drums/perc of styles except for occasionally the brass tracks in a big band arrangement for dancers..and I just use the kbds for live performance...solo or duo. i never use trax backing, just the styles in the kbd to follow me. i don't want to
tweak sounds, create my own, or program styles or anything else. I just want to pick sounds and styles and store for fast access live. I want great piano, rhodes, jazz organ, vibes, strings, brass, human voices. I want styles that really swing with variety and great bass lines in the jazz, swing, latin, brazilian, blues, funk genres. i don't want to have to go into the screen to do anything --like Yamaha makes you do to transpose--I use transposer a lot live.I want as much contol as possible w/sliders, buttons, etc but care not about drawbars for organ.
i have never tried Roland G70, ketron SD1 or X9, Korg pa1xpro or yamaha 9000pro because they don't have them for demo here. Suggestions?

you have to try big 3(4 actually).

tyros2

pa1x pro

g70

sd1 plus

Hi There
If you can afford to spend a bit more, have a look at the Wersi Ikarus http://www.wersimusic.com/organsx.htm and http://www.wersi.net/html/ikarus.html as it has Real time controls a plenty, (Including Transpose) it can also play Giga Samples so you can really get a Jazz Piano, + you can also use VST instruments, which means that no mater what instrument you want, you will find a VST instrument Emulation. (NI’s B4 being the best Hammond B3 Emulation there is, although the one included in the Wersi comes close)
Hope this helps.

Bill

The Wersi, is that basically a PC built into a keyboard controller? Does it use a particular operating system, or does it run on XP? Can it load yamaha styles? or does it use a special style format?

Doc-Z

Hello Doc-Z.
Basically Yes.
It runs on XP, which has been modified by Wersi to give optimum performance with OAS and Music Software. (So you can forget about playing Half Life or Tomb Raider)
Apart from the boot up screen, XP disappears, and so the Ikarus looks and operates like any other keyboard.
Like most manufactures Wersi have there own style format, however one of the options is a fully integrated version of Style works 2000, which runs direct from the OAS system, (No need to use Windows) so all conversions are done onboard the instrument.
The instruments can also import a style from Midi, so if a Yamaha style can be saved in Midi format, it can be loaded in to the instrument. (A Midi editor is integrated into OAS so that you can match up the style layout)
Hope this helps.

Bill

Thanks for replies. but:
Jamman: Tyros, like all yammies makes you go into
screen for functions like transpose. slows me down.
only pa1xpro is available to me for very limited trial.
Nobody stocks the g70 and ketrons..so that is why i asked
for opinions for my particular needs as a player.
abacus: thanks for Wersi-i was unaware--but I listened to
online samples--piano was impressive as hell but styles
were stiff and corny..and as i said, i don't care about what the box is capable of taking in, its potential--- my needs are modest-- but I want what i need in the box already--not ready to become a techie yet.

I play sax to sequences from the i30 because of the ability to copy and paste measures, choruses etc in the BSQ mode.

Do you just use the word sax in your username or do you really play the sax. If you do play a sax, as a solo performer do you not use any accompaniment? Just curious!

For my money, Roland has always been my choice because you can do so much on the fly and it really sounds like a band. They a lot of buttons on the board so you don't have to go into menus for things like transpose, ect. I play the G 1000. I've tried the G 70 and I like it. I've just recently acquired a Ketron Midjay which I love. It's a light box that works as an arranger as well as a place to store midi, mp3, and wav files. The drums and bass are the best I've heard on one of these boards. So far the only drawback to it is the compression. The sounds are a little too compressed for my taste. But it's still one hell of a box. Good luck with your search.

Ciao,

Joe

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

kvs ... you mention that you have a kn2600 ... have you tried a kn7000 ? ... I have a kn6000, and think it is a really nice board ... however, I can't say that I am thrilled with all of the stock jazz styles, but you can get others and just load them into the kn and they will be available at the touch of a button, just like any other style ... and you can switch from 'bossa' to 'jazz' or 'swing' in the same tune by just pressing a button ...
I think the drawback for technics is that the kn7000 is the 'end of the line'' as far as we know ...
the kn7000 also provides for the 'splitting' of the drum and bass tracks to a sub if needed ...
t.

Joe, could you elaborate a little on what you mean by being too compressed, not sure what you're talking about. I'm considering a Midjay, so I'm interested in your comments on compression.