I started with a Korg X3, then a Korg-I3 back in 1993. In 1995, I decided to upgrade to a full size Grand Piano because it looked nice in the house. So I got the Baldwin GPS2500 which is basically the same sounds and styles as the General Music WK4.
The sound quality is pretty much the same as the i3..Some sounds are worse - some are better. I got it because of the improved features and number of styles and hard drive option. Still, I'm amazed at how little the quality of these instruments have improved since 1991-2004. Grant it, there are some big differences and they do sound better, but I haven't really sensed any quantum leaps until maybe real recently. Every 6 months or so, I scan the internet for MP3 demos to hear what the latest sounds like. I've listened to the new Technics, the Rolands G70 and VA7, the Korg PAX1PRO...

Don't get me wrong, all these instruments are significantly better than mine, but part of me is left feeling a little dissapointed or unawed about the difference in quality. I want a jazz trumpet section to sound like a Maynard Ferguson's 1970's trumpet section. I want the saxes to sound exactly like a sax section..With the enormous increases in computer RAM size, I would expect much more from these instruments. The Roland G70 saxes and trumpets to me still sounds about like the Rolands from 10-11 years ago. Also, I would think the technology to make realistic sounding styles would be light years ahead of what I have now. No doubt, it's significantly better, but still not what I would expect considering the huge leaps we've seen in computer technology. The memory capacities and storage technology for keyboard instruments seems to lag behind computers for some reason. Why is that?

There is one instrument that TO ME comes close to representing that quantum leap I haven't really heard in the last 12 years: It's the Yamaha Tyros 2. Yesterday, I visitied the Yamaha site and listened to ever single one of their demos. The Big Band Trumpet section came about as close to flooring me as I've ever been since I was first introduced to Keyboard Synthesizers in 1992. Is it just me? How do the rest of you feel about this one compared to the other new entries that are out there? Are there some other instruments I haven't listened to that I should try?

So far, the Tyros is the first thing that actually has gotten me inspired to waste alot of money on a new toy once again.

Hello..............I just got my Tyros2 last week. As a former trumpet player I have never heard a keyboard produce a satisfactory trumpet sound...........until last week! i love all the trumpets on Tyros2. The cornet is great too.
I waited a long time to get my Tyros2, but it was worth it. It has surpassed my expectations and squelched any reservations I had for spending this much money on a keyboard. Between the keyboard forums and Yamaha websites the amount of info on this board is staggering. I too, felt a level of excitement about this board I have never felt about any other! -charley

That explains it! I, too, am a former trupet player. Thanks for the feedback.

Hi RBDell
Don’t take the demo mp3 files to be a good representation of the keyboards, as to save space they tend to be made at 128Kbits or less, (Anything less then 192Kbits produces total pants) and consequently all the sounds tend to sound similar between instruments, a classic case is the pre-launch demos of the Tyros 2 which to be honest would put anyone off having one, even in the smallest room of the house, (They really were that bad) but listen to it live and WOW your ears tell you this is one hell of a keyboard, (Still not the best sounding to my ears, and certainly no where near good enough to make me even think of changing my Abacus though) and it is easily understandable why people flock to purchase them.
The second thing you also have to take in to account is that if your listening to them on the typical Hi Fi Stereos that are sold in the Electrical Chains, (Or even worse these sort of systems that were available 10 years ago) then you haven’t got a cat in hells chance of hearing the capabilities of the latest Arranger Keyboards.
So before making judgements, make sure you have really heard them to there best.
Point to note: A lot of keyboards these days use recordings of a live drummer playing a real drum kit, in there styles, and you cant get any more real then that.
Also take in to account that the sound you here when you are playing on stage, is totally different to the sound that the audience hears.
However whatever you play, the most important thing is to enjoy yourselves.

Bill

(Still not the best sounding to my ears, and certainly no where near good enough to make me even think of changing my Abacus though)
Bill [/B][/QUOTE]

Can you put together some Abacus recordings for us to listen to, this has got to be the only Keyboard I have never heard, and I expect I'm not alone, your verdict of it must put it close to the top in sound and features.

Many thanks
Noel Jay

Thanks for the feedback, abacus. However, I've heard enough live of the Roland's, Yamahas, Korg's, etc., to believe that what my ears pick-up from the internet MP3 demos are pretty true.

"The Roland G70 saxes and trumpets to me still sounds about like the Rolands from 10-11 years ago."

Maybe they had it right then and now...

Take a listen:
http://www.ke-musik.dk/Upload/HtmlArticles/Article1284/index.htm

Scroll down to "demoer mp3".
The sounds are really good,but the so called "16 track sequencer" is without.I don't know if they tried to improve the sequencer for the current "s" series(Example-EXR7s) but the sounds are definitely there....

Thats not true. If you compare the G-70 sax/trumpets sound with the Va-76 sounds, there has been added some NEW very good sounding saxes and trumpets sounds in the G-70.

Regards Niels

Of course, I think the Korg Pa1X-Pro is an awesome keyboard.... but I have to admit that I do use a Yammie DGX-500 for the piano and as my controller.....

MAybe one day I can own the next dream set up...... Korg Oasys....but at $8500, it ain't gonna happen soon....

Jeff

glad im not the only one who thinks the tyros2 sound quality is lightyears ahead of roland g70

I think it's important to consider the dynamics involved when playing certain real instruments vs trying to capture and recreate it using a sample based solution.

Although things like the use of layered multisamples, the amount of sample memory actually used, and the rate of sampling used in an actual finished recording will have an effect on how realistic a sample based instrument sounds, there are other dynamics that are harder and in some cases, at least with the technology available right now, not entirely possible to simulate or control using a normal midi controller and samples.

Yamaha and Tassman are examples of two companies that have tried to address the other dynamics I speak of using modeled technology. The VL technology from Yamaha for example, uses different simulations of cylinder shapes, wind strength, reed size, mouthpiece type, etc to emulate Horn / reed instruments. This technology is over 10 yrs old now, but I still think it provides the most realistic or accurate sounding horns, saxes, etc, if not the most pleasing in actual tonal quality. Problem is, you can only incorporate some of the technolgy into your playing technique with a standard KB controller. A breathe controller along with playing notes on the keys ( I have one ) seems to get me a little closer, but I think the best way I've heard it done is with a wind controller, which actually simulates a horn or reed instrument. Trouble with that is you need to have at least some skill or ability to play the actual instrument to take full advantage of it, because the activation of the controller notes is set up in a similar fashion.

Tassman is a software version that tries to do the same thing as VL. Their earlier efforts included more parameters than VL, but the results seemed less than spectacular. I think today they may be better as they have tried to combine the use of samples and the use of modeling.

Musiclabs Real Guitar seems to be the standard right now for combining modeling with high quality samples. Nothing I've heard to date gets as close to a real acoustic guitar, yet some will say it still falls a tad short. Still, they are going in the right direction and I think more spophisticated modeling and sampling combinations will continue to get us ever closer. B4 is another good example of excellent modeling technolgy resulting in a good end result, but also remember an advantage is that it's tring to emulate a kb based instrument in the first place.

The bottom line I think being that slowly but surely these technolgies will more and more find there way into our hardware boards. I think software, is inherently the easier medium to use in trying to experiment with and advance these technologies though, simply because it's open ended nature allows for more radical and faster adjustments and additions to the operating systems.

AJ

[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 01-10-2006).]