Hi,

I wanna buy one of the keyboards in the list:

Korg i30
Solton X1
GEM WK8
Technics KN6000
Roland EM-2000
Yamaha psr-9000

Is there someone who can give me a survey? (Pro and Contra's)? I play ballads/romantic music most of the time and my favourite sounds are fanflute/flute/sax/piano/trumpet.
Important for me are the sounds and the styles. I'm not really interested in sampling, sequencers,...but of course, that may change. And what about the GEM WK6/8? I'm looking forward to read the reactions.

Thanks, Yves

Yves,
Welcome to the forum. All these keyboards have been compared and discussed many times.
If you will go back through the postings on Chris' previous Arranger Keyboard Forum, you will find pages of such discussions.
There is a link to it on Synthzone BBS page. You can no longer post there, so after you read all this, if you have more questions, someone here will be happy to help.
I think you will eventually come down to choosing between the X1 and the PSR9000, but that's for you to decide.
Don

Welcome to the forum. You will get many perspectives on the keyboards. All are top notch, but each will have it's reasons for being personal preferences.

IMHO none have the sax, flute sounds of the X1, tho I loved the pan flute in the PSR-9000 demo. The Grand piano in the supersolo set for the X1 will match any of the others you mentioned and probably beat most.

Ballad rhythms abound in the X1, in many cases taking "harder", rhythms, modifying instrumentation, tempo, etc and making good ballad backup. Unfortunately all arrangers seem to be a little weak in the "romantic" styles area (at least PSR-8000, X1, KN-6000, which my wife and I have). However, with tweaking of arrangements the X1 can take on romantic songs.

If you sing, then I suggest you eliminate the KN-6000 as it's vocalizer, to be honest, sucks. If, as I have heard, the PSR-9000 vocalizer excedds the PSR-8000 (Ihave an 8000), then it would be a fine vocalizer as the 8000 is quite decent. However, I have heard where the X1 vocalizer is terrific, but until I receive mine, I can't say for sure. Try and hear or play with all or as many as possible before making your decision.

I, in all honesty, would second what Don said.

Hi;

The problem with other peoples opinions - is that they usually display a loyalty to whatever it is that they are currently using - or what they are selling.

This does not mean that someone using a particular keyboard - or selling a particular keyboard - may not be telling you what they honestly believe - but ownership breeds a certain amount of emotional attachment for a particular instrument - as does having a dealers franchise.

The X1 is a fine keyboard as is the Yamaha and the Technics.

However they all have different operating systems - different learning curves - and different problems.

Keyboard weight - the ability to have a good system for your settings - midi playing - sequencing - editing - storage - arrangments - sounds - etc. these are parameters that mean different things - to different people.

The problems of one brand may or may not be important to you.

If they are - wou may have an expensive toy sitting at home - that is useless outside.

The words in Latin are " Caveat Emptor " meaning - buyer beware.

Go to all the dealers - check them all out for your particular needs - perhaps you can borrow a demonstrator for different units over a week end.

No one should substitute other's opinions for their own judgment.

Glowing testimonials - are meaningless - unless you buy - knowing for yourself the deficiencies - they are real - they do exist- and they are not always " up front."

Not all factory defects - are solvable simply by sticking in new "software."

Jerry

Hi there Yves,

you have asked an opinion of the best keyboards around, so its hard but I am sure that you will get an opinion from almost everybody who attends this forum regularly, just use the comments to your advantage, what I would do is print off everybodys opinion and group the comments that are similar or agree with each other with then you may get the idea of which one is worth going for, but the final say should be what your ears tell you.

I own or used to own 3 of the 6 mentioned and have played on the rest. i dont want to dwell on this subject too much as a lot has been said in the previous forum (worth checking out), but its a tough choice. For what you want to use it for, I think the X1 or the PSR9000 will suit you the best. I think that these 2 pull away from the rest when it comes to a complete keyboard. However, you only want to buy one of them! Out of these 2, the sounds are very very close indeed however both have better sounds than others in some ways, eg, I prefer the piano on the X1 but I prefer the synth sounds on the 9000 for example, as well as the strings and choir sounds (which is what I like best). Guitar is absolutely awesome on both, hard to chose. I think the design of these 2 are brilliant, both have excellent amplification and features that never end, best of all is that they are not complicated to use. But when it comes to styles, the X1 I think edges it because they are so wonderful. PSR9000's styles are also great but the X1 does edge it, I think you have to hear it to understand. There are more than enough ballads on the X1 as well, and if you get the Hard Drive version, you will have a further 400 or so more styles to chose from.

As for the others, you will find that the I30 has gone down in price considerably (i still own it) its a decent keyboard but has no aplification, the sounds are very average but some of the styles are excellent, especially in the Dance & Ballad areas.

GEM WK8 is yet another one I own, but I didnt really get on with it to be honest, but I really had fun using the sequencer and playing songs using karaoke, good laugh. As for styles, they are certainly nowhere near the class of the other 5 im afraid to say.

KN6000 and Roland, I have only played on these briefly so i cannot really judge as accurate as other observers or owners, but I had fun with the EM2000, very beefy keyboard indeed with good styles as well. KN6000 has some very nice styles indeed, sounds are good too but the styles are better than the sounds making it slightly unbalanced. But the display on this keyboard beats even some laptops! Thats how good it is.

Again, its your ears that should judge. But popular opinion steers towards 2, and they are the X1 and PSR9000. My many years experience with Yamaha should of really prompted me to get the PSR9000 (as I used to own the PSR8000 and everything else before it) but when I heard the X1 I really believed that it wasnt a keyboard that I was hearing and that it was a CD playing directly from a hifi system. The X1 has such a unique sound that takes it that one step closer to sounding like real life bands within its styles. The PSR9000 in my opinion lacks this emotional grip.

Hope any of this helps you and good luck in any of the choices you make.

Danny (UK)

Not much has changed, huh?

Nice necro....

And why would this ever change, people have different opinions, and a forum is an excellent place to discuss those different opions, while other people use the forum to ask more experienced players for their opinion...


In my book, its a fine post...

I have owned a few from your list..

Hands down, if you want or need a mic input, and optional harmony board....maybe the best styles and sounds (overall), of the boards listed...Ketron X1

Fran, that post was from 1999. I doubt the OP is listening now!!

I checked his profile.

He owns the GEM WK6, and hasn't posted since Aug 2000.

Jerry

I was wondering why he had such a poor selection,,,

Hey those were cutting edge arrangers at the time. X1 was way ahead of its time.

How the heck did that post surface???

I cannot tell a lie, it was not me. No sir, I had nothing at all to do with it. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Brings back memories!

I've owned 3 out of the 6 keyboards mentioned from the initial post and they would still sound great today.

Nice to sometimes have a read of older posts from yesteryear, I occasionally do as well, even some prior to the creation of this great forum !