I personally have never been impressed by any online demo from any manufacture, (Artists performances Yes, but instrument sounds and styles Ho Hum) in fact if I went by online demos I wouldn’t have bought any.
This is the reason I always listen to them and play them live before making a decision. (I also go to many Live music venues to re-acclimatize myself with real sounds, so as to make accurate comparisons (I never compare artificially produced sounds with other artificially produced sounds, unless the original sound is artificial that is)
As an example:
When purchasing my last keyboard I made sure that I tried as many different types as possible, (Again comparing with Real sounds) these included Yamaha, Ketron, Roland, Korg and Bohm, and out of all of them I was pretty much set on Roland, (Sound,, Interface and feel were brilliant, and would have kept me happy for many years) however following my advice (Even though the Demo CD and Video were not exactly inspiring, I stuck to my guns) I made the 420 mile round trip to try the Wersi, (OAS 4 at the time) and boy am I glad I did, as for me, it quite simply left the others high and dry, And this is why I now own the Abacus. (Upgraded to OAS 6 with a move to OAS 7 in the near future)
As new instruments come out I may find one that overtakes the Wersi, and I will probably then move on, however for the time being, for me, none of the others come close to the Wersi.

To sum up, my golden rules are:

1. Ignore Online Demos

2. Go to plenty of Live music events (Of all types)

3. Listen and play the instruments live (The way you interact with the instrument is just as important as to how it sounds)

4. Then and Only then make a decision (These are not cheap items, so take your time)

Bill

HANDS ON !!! .....

t.

I have owned the top arrangers from Yamaha, Korg, and Technics but wasn't overly thrilled with them. I most likely would have bought another Technics had they come out with a KN8000 but alas Technics ceased to make a follow up so my search for a new arranger was on.

I'd heard of Wersi online and did extensive research on them. On paper the Wersi looked like it had everything I had hoped for and after talking with several Wersi owners who were all ecstatic with their instruments, I took the plunge and bought an Abacus Duo Pro having never heard one in person. When I first received my Abacus I was amazed just how much better it sounded than any other arranger I had ever heard. With each OS update it only got better and better and exceeded any other manufacturers offerings. To this day I've yet to find the rival to Wersi but if and when that time comes, I'm certain I'll jump ship. For now I don't expect that to happen in the near future.

The online demos absolutely influence my potential decison to purchase. If the thing sounds bad in a demo then i am not going to waste my time digging any further. If it sounds good in a demo then i may investigate further. I never buy just because of a good demo. But if i never get to hear the thing at all because

a, Music shops dont stock arrangers
b, the instrument in question is not sold in my locality

Then go to forums like this and listen to opinions and ask questions but i treat the responses very carefully as everyone has their own pet bias.

420 mile round trip? Count yourself lucky....

It's more like a 2200 mile round trip for me. I can't afford $500 in gas, and two or three days on the road just to TRY something that the demos leave me a bit cold.

This is why (especially as even the dealers here rarely have all the models in stock) that demos be both high quality, and plentiful. Sorry, but one out of two for Wersi, IMO...

[This message has been edited by Diki (edited 08-08-2008).]

Some of you guys are lucky enough to have stores within a reasonable drive from your homes... Then there's some of us who have NO stores within a reasonable distance. When I demoed the PSR-3000 when it came out.., it was at a store (3) hours aways from where I live (I was already in that area for the day).

Myself, I have to use Online Demos-for part of my decision. How well the demo is played really isn't what I'm looking for. I just want to hear the "sound".

I also speak with other owners by contacting those who have posted vids on YouTube about a keyboard I'm interested in. I will also read as many user reviews on the item as I can.

I would love to have stores within a reasonable driving distance. Sometimes I get calls from local stores to come in and demo a board for them (one they got on consignment, as their employees don't play keys). So with that I sometimes can get my hands on a decent board to check out.

Another VERY important thing I do is READ THE ONLINE MANUAL. How people today buy a keyboard then complain it doesn't do something they assumed it would blows my mind.., when all you have to do is go read the manual. That alone saves you from making a mistake on a purchase.

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 08-08-2008).]

Past experience is the number one factor for me. There are 'boards by some manufacturers I won't even cross the street to audition. I already know they're just not for me, irrespective of how great they sound. True musicality comes from interaction between instrument and player. I need a user interface I am already comfortable and confident with out of the box.