You know, there are several pianos in every keyboard, and I've had COUNTLESS keyboards. It's hard to remember what each one sounds like.
I think the Ketron pianos are all very good. I like the Yamaha piano too, and they sound quite different from each other. As I said before I like the Casio piano as well. Now, if I were a piano player, I might have greater appreciation for the nuances. I just want it to sound like a piano in the mix.
Anyway, it was very interesting John. Keep up the good work on the Korg. I will audition the PA3X, but don't expect to love it.
However that's how I got a couple of my wives!
DonM

Probably one of my main decisions to remain with the G70 has been the main piano. Taken straight from the FantomX, four velocity layers per note, warm AND dynamic (hard to find those two in the same piano set), delicious stereo detail that collapses decently to mono (better than most do, anyway)...

For some insane reason, Roland re-programmed it for the E80, made it muddy without tweaking the filter... People got to realize when they have reached the zenith a sample can go. All they can do is make it WORSE past a certain point.

But I am optimistic about the future, after seeing the Kronos. Streaming from a SSHD seems the OBVIOUS way to get past ROM limits, or unreliable regular HD's and streaming, and all the demos I've heard of the Kronos' piano sound are stupendous. I guess, when you have 12GB of samples to play with, rather than maybe 3-400MB, you can get things pretty good!

BTW, don't forget about the excellent Purgatorycreek.com website. You want a straight apples to apples comparison of sampled pianos, there is none better. If you want to hear the G70 piano there, listen to the FantomX Ultimate Grand. They are identical...

I wish the E50 had the G70 piano in it. I wish the E50 even had the E80 piano. Maybe the module will.
DonM

It did, Don. It's the 'Classic Piano', if I remember rightly... But like the E80, Roland messed with the basic voice programming, so you have to open out the cutoff parameter a bit, to get rid of some of the 'mud'. Plus, of course, Roland (as do most manufacturers) skimped on the overall D/A quality and length of the samples to fit it in the budget line.

You might, just for home use, keep an eye out for a used Fantom XR, the rack version of the FantomX. That would have that piano in it...

I will be interested to see if the BK-7m gets the G70 piano, but I have my doubts. It seems, for some crazy reason, that after getting it RIGHT for the G70, they second guessed themselves away from the sound... I don't know about you, but ever since Eric Persing left Roland to form Spectrasonics, they seem a bit lost when it comes to nailing great sounds in their keyboards. Probably wrong, but they do seem a bit confused, these days. Great hiphop, but some real headscratchers in the voicing department, lately.

I have made tweaks to the Classic Piano to get it sounding o.k., but it's still lacks something. I need to take time to play with it some more.
DonM

It would help if you had someone with a G70 or FantomX nearby, to help you know when you have it nailed (as much as it can be, anyway).

Mind you, I think I have a friend that just got an E60. Let me see if I can get a hold of it for a day, and I'll do some side by sides...

That would be GREAT. Thanks!
DonM