Sorry, but I always felt that, although Technics did have more contemporary styles, they just weren't as good as the 'oldies' stuff, and didn't match up well against Roland and Yamaha or Korg if you NEVER played 'oldies'.

They simply had a 'focus' to their style selection, same as Korg have the 'smooth jazz' focus, and Roland have the hiphop 'focus'. Every arranger does one or two styles better than the others, something their style developers really nail... For Technics, this was bigband music. And many of the players here that STILL use the Technics probably use them simply because there is still nothing better for that style....

All JMO, though....

I played Rolands,Korgs,Gems,Yamahas but I cannot forget my first Technics (KN800) and my last, KN5000 (with the best navigation and software):Good times...
Chico

I hear ya Diki....its a whole new ballgame with arrangers & we are in for a roller coaster on the next WAVE coming in teh next few years for sure....electronic technology will trickle down into arrangers just as it is progressing everyday in everything on the market. Could be great for us....BUT It could also be our wort nightmare who knows now? we'll see very soon!!!

Somewhere I heard the story that the Technics keyboard range were the love of the chief executive of Matsushita. He died, the rationalists took over and out go the keyboards!
Keith

But it makes you wonder why they didn't try to sell off that division, rather than just let it die, if they were the rationalists like you claim....

Anyway, what chance do you think that Technics would have survived much longer anyway, in a market so dominated by poorly built, toy-like bottom-line arrangers like we have today..?

When a juggernaut like Roland have problems selling high priced arrangers in today's economy, what chance did Technics have? They never really went for that low-end stuff, which is what keeps Yamaha afloat to develop things like the T3...

It is unfortunate that Korg and Roland do not sell a lower end series of arrangers...I believe this was Technics problem as well.(they were also late in conforming to GM)

All arrangers were designed as "easy play" and "instant gratification" instruments, and even today they fulfill that role...consider that G70, PA2XPro, and Tyros2 all have "single finger" chording and factory designed One Touch Setting...aren't these for the novice player?

Having said that, although a fair number of "pros" use arrangers, including some big name players like David Paich (Toto) , David Bryant (Bon Jovi) and our own local heroes like Diki Ross, Donny Pesce, and Gary Diamond, to name a few, it is blatantly obvious the vast bulk of TOTL arranger players started on low end Yamaha arrangers(and, to be fair, Casio as well)...and once they learned the OS, which is basically the same for all Yamaha arrangers, they would naturally move up to the higher end product when their skills and their wallets allowed them the luxury of a more feature laden, and better sounding instrument.

Technics(R.I.P) didn't offer the beginner-on-a-budget anything to start out with...sadly, neither do Roland and Korg...are they missing something?

Time will tell.

Ian


[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 06-15-2008).]

I have to agree with Ian, as I stated so many times, that's my story.

All I know is that my local music shop owner loved and flourished with the Technics. Today he can't find an arranger that will sell that isn't sold at full discount in every big box store. He's tried the Yamaha pianos and the Roland G70, but it's been slim pickings. His clientele loved the styles and the OS. He says nothing out there today matches the Technics.

Technics did offer beginner (lower priced) keyboard..thru their parent company Panasonic..

Also Roland offered lower priced arranger keyboards..the EM series and E series had beginner models..like EM303, EM305, EM10, EM20, E,16,36,etc

Most all, former and present Technics users will probably agree on that.
The userfriendly and well developed OS are what I miss most. Also the upper
KN series was well buildt, good keys and sound/speakers etc.

Diki say: "They never really went for that low-end stuff...."
Well, they sure had "low end" keyboards, as i.e. KN920 etc, but the very low
cost kb was/is called Panasonic KCxx, and most people did not connect that to
the Technics brand.

I'm sure we would see really great and futuric developed keboards if Technics
was not discontinued, but if the KN7000 was the model to continue, I'm not sure
about. Myself I did not like the design, and would probably go for a KN6500
until the next model was to see. But we all know that story.......

Regarding styles/patterns, it was no problem, I'm not a "brass" player, but
had no difficulties make, rebuild or find other styes, Technics or 3rd. party to
suit the songs played, either for dancing or just background music during dinner
at weddings etc. The composer in the KN's or other Technics instruments is some-
thing the other companies should take a closer look at, and also they could steal
or adapt the panelmemory functions.

Anyway, Happy Playing whatever we play on

GJ