Since I've had loads of people asking me about the Mediastation and why it was faulty (hardware/software or user fault eg.me) I've decided to post this reply I've had.
It is not my intent to cause any arguments between myself and Lionstracs, neither am I bad mouthing them in any way. I am wanting to put an end to all of this and I'm fed up of still getting e-mails from them.
After all, this is a discussion forum so I am giving Lionstracs the chance to reply on here.

As many of you know, the faults I had were: no sounds after turning on the instrument, notes sticking, mp3/midi placyback hanging up, touch screen works then stops, plugin problems, no aftertouch (this is going to be corrected), having to reset the MS 6 times which takes about 15 minutes before I could even try to use it, just to name a few.
I have never bad mouthed Lionstracs on Synthzone and they did give me a refund in full. They didn't really have a choice as I still had rights even though I am in UK and I purchased it directly from Italy.
Here's the reply from Lionstracs explaing what happened:-

Hi Craig
Two days ago I get back your MS and I made all the test. You are right, just after booting I don’t get GM sounds at all. I try to rebooting again some times how you made there, but still not GM sounds at all and after some minute the MS interface will not respond good. I had open the MS and changed the Flash Dimm, where are stored all the GM sounds. Rebooted and all had working fine, GM sounds, Players, VST….
I had installed your old Flash Dimm in the programmer and I had found the error: fatal error on chipset. I don’t know why, but the flash chip is like fuse, the memory allocation map don’t exist anymore and line conflicts in the bus shocket. For that the Dream was out of order, this will block the whole DSP and the midi serial interface. When the player start, will send continue note and controls events BUT when the buffer is full because the DSP don’t read the data and give back the sent command.
In this way is normally that the CPU go in crazy because cant sent the data from this port and will overload the all serial interfaces.
( try to connect one fault Modem in your PC and you will get the same problems)
Anyway, like always is my fault, I know, but before shipped I had play with your MS for some hours and don’t get this problems.

About the all s*** (I've censored it) that you gave me in SZ:
We HAVE the aftertouch, but the true control name is Channel pressure, like all the keyboards. - Sorry to Domenico from me but not one of the sounds I tried featured this so I'm assuming it is now working?

I will really SEE if your Tyros 2 Sounds so power like the MS with GIG….. - The TYROS 2 works and sounds far better than the MS I had so I don't care about any Gig sounds.

If you still think that the GIG pianos are sh** and you prefer the G-1000 and SD1 pianos…then for sure this all GIG sounds company are stupid or you really don’t understand nothing of sounds. - I am a qualified sound engineer and have done many sounds and styles for different keyboards over the years. I use GIG with my PC and they sound fantastic, they didnt sound good in the MS because of its faults and yes I still prefer embedded piano sounds which work.

I think now really that you are not ready for this technology, better you will stay with embedded keyboard like SD1 and Yamaha.

- I can't believe a company can be so childish with all this banter. I will be ready for the technology and embrace it once someone can give it to me that works correctly.

Later I will post in SZ too to prove all what really is happen. Do not forget that I refound you…NO another company make this!

- ANY company selling faulty goods by LAW has to refund the purchaser within so many days or at least offer a replacement that works. You had no choice in offering me a refund, this was confirmed to me by the European trading standards who were waiting to act on my behalf if a refund wasn't offered.

You've put you will post onto Synthzone what really happened. I am waiting for a reply and I'm certain many would be buyers of the Mediastation are waiting as well. Please respond and put an end to this. I am not accepting any more e-mails from you

Basically all what was factually wrong was a flash chip.

The rest is emotions from both sides;
MS is bleeding edge, so be prepared to endure stuff like that.
If you prefer embedded stuff then choose Tyros/SD/...
Factual is also that GS sounds potentialy can sound far better than any embedded sound(Tyros, Kurzweil or whatever).

Peace.

Nice post, elle

Well Craig,

They did show their 'real' face again and again. So lots of reasons to NOT purchase from them !!
Have fun with your Yammie that sounds superb.

i certainly dont think that you bad mouthed the Media Station. You simply accurately reported its problems as all us here were interested to hear about it. You certainly did not volunteer the information as you had had the instrument for some weeks and from your post struggled with it valiantly. I think the quality control of the Media station production has let them down. Thats a fault that is easily fixed with some attention to detail. However the attitude of the company towards its customers is not so easily fixed. They have shot themselves in the foot in a huge way and i for one would wait for their competitors to produce something similar rather than buy from them even if they got the product eventually ready for public consumption

Thanks for the replies already.
elle, if you had spent £2650 would you really be putting it down to emotions and stating 'be prepared to endure stuff like that' ... I doubt it? Makes me wonder if Domenico is posting under a different name on here lmao
Anyway it's gone and I'm extremely happy with Tyros 2 and other stuff I have so peace to everyone on here.

Also forgot to mention that Lionstracs even put the wrong rated PSU into the MS for the UK market. This more than likely also contributed to some faults.

[This message has been edited by Craig_UK (edited 11-12-2005).]

Well..i think there you are waiting one reply from me...

What is happen with Craig is true,just read the story before.
We use standard 110/230V ATX powersupply and there in UK give more than 240V.
For this maybe had fuse the flash Dimm and then the serial card can not send in time the all data

information.
Anyway here after changed the Flash Dimm module all is working fine.

Then.Craig..if you like copy/paste my private emails here, then copy and paste all and DO NOT
delete the remain parts that you dont like to shown.
Here the part missing ( Craig have the original Email)

About the all shit that you gave me in SZ:

We HAVE the aftertouch, but the true control name is Channel pressure, like all the keyboard.

Go in www.ketron.it and choose the SD1 spec, you will see there that they remap the channel pressure in different controls.

In attachment the pic made with MUSE and will shown the AT: aftertouch…

Right today we get a new update and now we can remap the aftertouch in this events too. http://www.lionstracs.com/download/software/aftertouch.png

About the VST plug ins installed: all are working but of course some are demos and they send NOISE, because need to buy the original AND Not all the VST are working, you know that, we use Linux!

About GM sounds: I get last week the new sounds from Groove park and I had burn the new Flash Dimm,now we have good sounds too.They start next week to develop professional styles and I had ordered
From AT studio Portugal another more 150 audio styles.
Yes, the sync audio-midi styles was not perfect, we have to fix it, but for sure you know that soon wil working too.
Just added the 16 tracks GIG sound system in the arranger, here I made some simple styles demos:
http://www.lionstracs.com/site/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=37&catid=37&Ite mid=59

I will really SEE if your Tyros 2 Sounds so power like the MS with GIG…..
Get today the new 2Gb sounds License from Realsamples.de of about 300 GIG professional sounds, now give reallt the difference.
If you still think that the GIG pianos are shitt and you prefer the G-1000 and SD1 pianos…then for sure this all GIG sounds company are stupid or you really don’t understand nothing of sounds.

I think now really, that you are not ready for this technology, better you will stay with embedded keyboard like SD1 and Yamaha.
Next week I will sign one Joint Venture with one Big brand name and then maybe you can buy again the SAME MS but with a new Brand name on the cover.

About the refound, is NOT that I dont have the choice,I could also to change you for one new MS, but I had preferred to send you back the money.

Of course when is my fault, I will always fix the problems, all the brands have a lot of problems but of course they can anyway sell and you hold the bugs for months, because they are the BIG..

Roel like lough, but maybe he had forget what is happen with Tyros 1 in Germany.." fatal error" and how many x00 tyros they had replace in the market...

Or maybe you think with Korg is better...look in the old topic how many problems PA-X have too and
after two years they still are fixing the software.
Or maybe you thin if you buy one Oasys fro 8000 dollars you are lucky: http://www.sweetwater.com/forum/showthread.php?s=3c460e14a9df3a0051fa75b0dacb1c 75&threadid=9504

For Roland, Wersi....is the same, dont worry.
But they are the BIG and they can make and you there...silent....

Then Craing sent me this email:
By the way, just listened to the demos with the midi and Gig sounds. I see I'm not missing anything there, I can produce far better backing myself.
If this is the future of technology and sounds then I'll happily stick with my embedded (as you put it) keyboards and PC/Mac recording tools

Well, then let me shown what you can make better with one PC and then play it in one keyboard. For sure with proTools you can much MUCH better, but you can use this system when you go play outside?

Or Maybe you will use the Tyros 2 and TOP one PC laptop for play midifiles,waw, mp3...
this mean that Tyros 2 in NOT enough system and need close one PC laptop for complete the missing features?
Dont have you there shame to play one keyboard and at TOP one PC laptop??


Now my opinion about my Mediastation:
I'm honest like always, the arranger is still not complete, we have to fix the syn for the

Midi-Audio streaming, sometime we lose it.
But now the MIDI part with the GIGA support is working fine and you can hear there the simple

demos.
Yes, are simple demow because we dont develope the styles and sounds.
How I told before, Groove park germany and AL STUDIO Portugal are developing new 250

styles-audiostyles.
Media Recors www.mediarec.it is working for the dance/house music realtime audio styles for the DJ

Of course, like always, we will continue developing software, fixing bugs and add more features
and for this next year you will see the SAME Mediastation Licensed under another Brand name too.

About the GM sounds: now give a lot of new sounds BUT we will NOT investing more money
in this DSP sounds BUT only in GIGA sounds. I prefer buy or make new License for new GIG sounds
that we can install when we like, EASY to copy to HD and READY to play, NO bigtime to loading.
The concept is to GIVE one OPEN system keyboard that you there can loading what you like.

Of course in T2 you can install 1Gb ram for loading new wave samples, BUT how many minute you have
to waiting for loading some Mb?? Li,ke Ketron SD1, for loading 8Mb wave need about 7 minute...

Or like my development DSP card installed in the PC 2.0Ghz...loadind the 64Mb data need 18 minute.
Is the time that you can waiting there untill you can play?

About the Craig fault MS, fortunatly are only some Mediastation hardware fault from the shipping,

but the remain 380 mediastation around the world are still working.

Can happen to me and for the others brands, but the Video in the webpage show that the MS is

working and will always working better...the WEB Updater Server is working now...

I will make again some video to shown you how will normally startup, play styles and giga styles
without crash.

If I missing some,Free to reply.
(sorry for my bad english, but you there can understand me)
Domenico

[This message has been edited by domenik (edited 11-12-2005).]

Every time mr. Lionstracs start 'talking'/slamming, he keeps shooting in his feet over and over.... how stupid can one person be ?

Domenico, I didnt post the entire e-mail as where you go on about the new sounds and features with other companies working for you, if this was hush hush with Lionstracs I didn't want to type it in here in case other manufacturers saw it. You've chosen to bring this into the open, I was actually shielding your company by not letting anyone see what you had planned for the future of the MS.
I see you also posted my last e-mail, the one where I say I am not missing much with the new sounds. I also see you didnt post the one before where I mentioned trading standards were wanting to get in touch with you in Italy!
Just goes to show you how the smaller firms value their customers and how silly they make themselves sound by typing in childish comments here.
By the way Domenico, you mentioned to me that you are refusing to sell anymore MS's to the UK, is this still the case?
Well Lionstracs true colours have finally come out anyway for all to see. All I can say is if anyone wants to buy a MS think twice and don't jump in at the deep end like me.
By the way Dom, I refuse to use midi files anyway and even if I wanted to use a backing I have created on Pro Tools/Cubase/Logic or whatever I can just record it into the Tyros 2's hard drive. I'd be crazy to carry a PC or Mac with me anyway as I play 100% live to singers and only use backing (playing live over the top) to show off my skills at the beginning and end of a show. I mainly record guitar parts as its impossible to play guitar and keyboard live at the same time.

[This message has been edited by Craig_UK (edited 11-12-2005).]

Come on guys,

How difficult can it be:

Lionstracs is more of a lab annex production instead of a production annex a lab.

Hence all the advantages and disadavantages. And it's not like they are hiding this from you. Nore could they, if they wanted to.

Seriously, the real issue for me (next to mundane stuff such as quality control (see above)), is the question if they will get the soft-arranger function to become as elegant as the embedded keyboards.

If they pull this off I'm buying.