Hi

Good to be here. Can I have your input on the following:

I am a retired drummer of many years and I now wish to take up learning keyboard. I had narrowed down my choices to the Roland E-80 or the Korg PA800 but have been recently advised to look into the Ketron SD5.

Can you tell me why you believe this keyboard shines above the other two, i.e. sounds etc?

Also, I am visually challenged: Is the Ketron SD5 easy to work with ect?

Many thanks for any input.

Kind regards

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Runedog

Raised buttons on the SD5 with dramtically help with navigating the Ketron vs. using a touch screen on the Korg & Roland keyboard.

You can email me privately for more info..

You may want to consider a SD1plus ...

dan.oneil@yahoo.com

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[URL=http://www.esnips.com/web/SongsfromDanO
http://www.esnips.com/web/SongsfromDanO
ketrondan@yahoo.com[/URL] or keyboardcity@yahoo.com

Hi Runedog
As an ex drummer myself i am sure you are going to love the Ketron drum sound's and patterns.
To my ears they are without doubt some of the best in the business. Try to listen to the original SD1 demos, particularly the Ac Drummer demo.
As a long term SD1 player even to this day when i hear a particular fill i think that is exactly what i would have played.
As for the choice between the SD1plus or the SD5, i have had no experience with the SD5 but if it were me and i was going to be gigging a lot i would choose the SD1+, if it's for the house it would be the SD5 but as always try them both first.
Hope that helps a bit
Cheers
Sandy

Thanks for your comments chaps, most helpful, keep them coming

Also been reading-up on the Audya: I can only find one demo at present on Youtube, hope more become available soon.

I do hear Ketrons are hard to work with at first, do you guys find this?

Thanks very much again.

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Runedog

Hi Runedog,
speaking of the Audya, it's still on a preliminary phase and shouldn't be available for sale before next summer (there was a recent demonstration in Milan, Italy, and the guy who did the demo admitted that they have still work to do to make everything work as intended).

Speaking of the SD5, I think that it's a more modern keyboard compared with the SD1 and -even if the SD1 is still considered the admiral of the Ketron line- the SD5 has without doubt better sounds and fresher styles. The SD1 has the advantage of the 76 keys, the hard disk (which is optional on the SD5) and the sampler; the SD5, on the other hand, has a much better system of classifying and retrieving registrations and this makes it really easier to use.

Hope this helps you with your decision.

Thanks Dreamer, I appreciate your comments.

Do you use a SD5?

128 styles on the SD5 vs. 307 on the SD1plus. I love ya dreamer, but the SD5 styles do not blow me away...

If you buy SD1plus, you will need to make adjustments to volumne levels within the styles.... opinion )

Come on now Dan,
the SD1 styles are easy to find on the Internet and you can always load them into the SD5 memory.
Did you ask yourself why the new Midjay Plus has the new styles (and maybe also the soundset) from the SD5?

The SD1 is about 7 years old already and soon to be discontinued. The SD5 is a much fresher sound with the new live drums and guitars. The better styles from the SD1 are now on the SD5.

Thanks once more for all input guys: Have any of you tried-out the Roland and Korg alternatives?

Looking forward to your replies.

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Runedog