The new OS for the Zoom's accept up to 4GB SD cards, now...

George: Any more info on this? What is it called?

I was at the show for a few hours today because I wanted to come home and watch some football!
I visited Yamaha again and have some more info on the new YPG635. Besides having 64 notes of polyphony, it also has a new "live" grand piano and the option to have a three pedal unit attach to it's wooden stand. The nice thing about this pedal unit is that although it looks plastic and you might think it feels like the flimsy casio version, it is really quite solid. And, underneath the 3 pedals there sits a hard section the pedals sit on top of. The price for this unit is $79.00 and worth every penny!
Also, I found out that the new PSR413 now features more arpeggiators and the buttons for this feature have been moved to just above the keys on the left side, instead of high up and out of the way. I was also shown that when you activate the arpeggiator it turns on immediately unlike the PSR403 which has a slight delay when you change from one to another.
The 76 key version now features a graded non weighted action like the NP30.
Also, keep in mind that the new little Yamaha G2 thumb drive size recorder is much smaller than the zoom and the edirol units. Also, the mics pull up and adjust from the top and I was shown that when you lay the unit on a hard surface to record, the mics adjust for good placement while recording instrument s such as pianos, etc. and does it with stereo imaging.
The new Yamaha P85 piano is a 64 voice polyphonic $599 map digital piano that I think will do really well.
I stopped by the Casio booth today and checked out the new Privia P120 and the new P320 pianos. These will replace the current P110 and P310 models. New features include 128 note polyphony, 20 piano type styles on the 120 and 70 full accomp. styles on the 320. Plus, the 320 has stereo line outs, stereo line inputs and is GM compatible.
On a totally different topic, I picked up a new line of guitars I have been trying to find out since my kids fell in love with a singer, songwriter named Jack Johnson several years ago. Jack plays a guitar made in Australia called "Cole Clark". And there they were this year, for the first time in the USA. Great hand made Australian guitars made from woods indigenous to Australia.

Tomorrow, the product manager from Korg USA's arranger and digital piano division will spend the day at my store and we will be going over the state of arrangers, what we need and what we would like to see from Korg in the future.

It wasn't a show with much inovation in technology. Ketron might have shown the latest inovation with the Audya, but I'm still waiting to hear a finished product when it becomes available.

It was nice to see that Yamaha, Korg and Ketron are all committed to enhancing there lines and having many models to choose from. I'm not sure what direction Roland is taking. There was little attention to their current models that I could see. Although, they were doing a big job demonstrating there line of physical modeled accordions.




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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566
www.kayesmusicscene.com

Wow! I'm glad there's no dealer like you in my area, George.......else my house would be chock full of gear (well, chock full..ER). Since most of us have little choice but to deal with the large chains or the 'net, it is so refreshing to be able to interact with a real, honest-to-god, hands-on, human-type, over-=20, non-guitarist/drummer, ACTUALLY-the-owner, dealer. I think that I'll be directing my next major purchases your way. Appreciate the straight-up, first-hand, NAMM review.

chas

Thank you for the kind words. I've been doing this for 38 years and as those of you that know me and call me from time to time already know, I can talk for ever about these keyboards.
In these tough economic times I wish I had all of you "Synthzoners" living near my store. Thanks to the many members that do give me a chance to provide them with new arrangers. And thanks for all the information and help I receive from all of you. I've learned so much over the years. I come to this site so many times a day that you have have become an internet family to me.
When I had back surgery 2 years ago, emails and phone calls kept coming wishing me well. This is a very special place!


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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566
www.kayesmusicscene.com

Thanks, George, for you very comprehensive and informative reporting. It is much appreciated by many of us here.

Glenn

Hi,

I was at the Namm Show last weekend. I was lucky enough to have a visitor ticket that sponsor by M-audio because I did some work for them. Below is my 2 cents on the new Arranger this year.

Korg PA2X:
I am very impress with the new Korg PA2X. The operation system is much more enhancing. It is so easy now to copy style, variation from one style to another. It is also easy to convert midi file to style. However, only 1 midi files per variation, intro, or ending. In another word, you need to chop off your original midi file into many different file before convert and assembly a whole style. Korg puts M3 sound engine into the Korg PA2X body. It sounds very good but it is not much improve over the Korg PA1x. The PA2X have styles than the Korg Pa1x. I like some of the new style but I still prefer the Tyros 2 styles because it fit my music better.
The coolest feature is the backing sequence; you can record it then change the chord line in the sequence later if you want to fit it latter. It is very motivate to compose and write song. Overall, it is a very keyboard.

Ketron Aduya:
The keyboard is still in prototype. All demos are in pre-record wave file in which sound very good but I want to see the final product. According to Ketron, it is about 6 more months before they complete the product. I suspect the price is similar to PA2x and Tyros 2. It is a nice looking keyboard.

Roland:

No new high end keyboard. At Roland booth, no one even bother to demo their arranger line. Their focus is on the new Fantom and RX-700 keyboards. I was able to play with the E-80 keyboard; I still prefer Korg, Ketron and Yamaha over Roland. It seems does not care much about Arranger line. It is just my opinion.

Yamaha:

No new high end arranger keyboard. Rumor that they will release the Tyros 3 by next year.

Thanks,

coca

George,
I'm confused.
I thought the old SA-100 was stereo but the new SA-1000 was not. and now u say SA-300 is, i never heard of that model before now. Can u clarify differences of the 3 and MAP prices?

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Miami Mo

It is the Kaossilator and is the latest version of the Korg Kaos Pad. Here is a link to a Sonicstate report on it.
http://www.sonicstate.com/articles/article.cfm?id=143