Well the Pakefield keyboard festival is over and pretty much all the main instruments were there, however this report will be about arrangers (Or items connected with arrangers) rather than a full show report.

Needless to say all the artists in concert were top notch on all the different instruments used, plus with the cameras and screens you could see what the artist was actually playing. (Started quite a few years ago, but still great to watch)

Individual Instruments in alphabetical order

KETRON (Only there till the Thursday)

All the Audya line was there, as well as the smaller instruments and expanders, and they gave quite a good performance, however it has to be said that apart from the styles, the solo sounds were rather dated in quality, and at a price of £4299 is (In my opinion) way over the top when compared to the competition.

KORG

Star of the show was the PA3x which if you like listening to live bands will be right up your street. (It really does sound live)
The main differences between the PA2x and PA3x (As well as a few more technological advancements) are that whereas a lot of the sounds and styles of the PA2x were the same as the PA1x, most of them have been upgraded for the PA3x,and in addition it is much more refined and cohesive then the PA2x.
The best way to look at it is to say the PA1x was new, and the PA2x added features that took the PA1x to a new level, but were essentially added on. The PA3x though is a Mark 2 keyboard were as well as further technological improvements, it is a much uniform whole, thus being a new keyboard in its own right.
As with all modern arrangers make sure you use a quality sound system to hear them at their best. (If you just use on board or computer speakers then you may as well stick to the PA1x, as you will miss everything the PA3x has to offer. (No matter how good the keyboard, if you use a crap sound system, then the keyboard will also sound crap)

ROLAND

The highlight here was the BK 7 module and providing you use a quality sound system, (Not surprisingly Roland used their own) the sounds and styles on-board are great. (It is also very easy to set up)
Before the demo started, the demonstrator explained where the BK7 had come from, and it was confirmed that Roland was indeed developing a new TOTL arranger (To be called the G90) however with the downturn in the market, plus the low number of Roland arranger sales compared other manufactures, it was decided to put all the technology into a module that could be added to any instrument.
The BK7 is therefore a G90 without keys, harmoniser and smaller screen size etc.

WERSI

The main instrument here was the Pegasus Wing, however as they were sharing the same room as Yamaha (And Yamaha is bigger) there was less time available for demos. (Although you could play them to your heart’s content on headphones)
The keyboard itself was a real eye opener for those that have tried Wersi’s in the past, as for the first time in the History of the Wersi name (Wersi is no longer a company but just a brand name of Music Store) it is designed to play straight OOTB and a great job Music Store has done with it.
Sound wise the Pianos, Strings, Synths, Vocals and organs were up there with the best, (With many being far better than the significantly more expensive competition) however I still think they need to add a few more acoustic articulated guitar sounds and also the brass sounds while much improved, could do with a bit more work. (In my opinion)
The beauty of the Pegasus Wing though is that it has real drawbars and controls, has 76 notes and is consistently upgradable via software and hardware. (It also doesn’t take an age to update, with the last 1GB update taking about 5 minutes to do. (Excluding download time)
Look for many new features, plus voice and style packs in the future.
For those that are in the UK a demo DVD has been produced by Wersi Direct with Bret Wales, so give them a call to find out more details.
A number of people have noticed that the Wing seems to go out of stock quite often, and reason is that Music Store underestimated the demand for it, and so are bringing them over from the Far East (Where they are made) as fast as possible. (This is the reason you cannot always buy one off the shelf, however they are now getting quantities in so this should soon be a thing of the past)

YAMAHA

The Tyros 4 was the main instrument on their stand, but not on its own, as the dealer was heavily promoting the TRX system which adds a stand and pedal board and/or lower keyboard to make it more into an organ. The latest Regi Stick has also found a way to have split voices on the lower manual (Although you do have to alter your playing style a little) even though the T4 only normally has just as 1 sound for the left hand.
If sales continue to advance like they are then this time next year (In the UK at least) sales of T4s with the TRX system will probably start to outsell T4s on their own. (Yamaha Japan take note)
With the sound and styles little needs to be said, most are top notch in a smooth CD sounding way, although the brass sounds now fall short of the PA3x (Not by a great margin though) with the synth sounds being its weakest point, so if your into more modern, disco, progressive, New Age then the T4 may not be for you.

CONCLUSION

No matter what type of sound or features you want, there is a board or module out there to suit, so make sure you try them all live before making a decision.

If you like a smooth middle of the road sound (And you don’t mind spending a lot money) then the T4 has much to offer, likewise if you like the more live modern sound then PA3x offers it up in spades, however the biggest bargains (If you can call any keyboard purchase a bargain) are the Pegasus Wing (With 76 notes and infinitely upgradable) which is roughly £1000 cheaper than a T4 or Pa3x, and the BK7 module which is well under a £1000.

If you already have a TOTL keyboard, (And don’t want to use external computers) try out the Korg Kronos Workstation as it is far more flexible than any arranger made (As are all Workstations) but like all workstations is not an OOTB instrument. (Put the work in through and the sounds can become awesome, so just use the pre-sets as a base to build up a sound from)

I hope you found this report interesting; however it is only my opinion, so make sure you do your own research, as everybody has different requirements.

Bill

Thanks Abacus !!!

Nice report. I really enjoy the reading.

Nice report, Abacus, and, of course, it was obviously your own personal opinion.

Thanks just the same.

Ian

Hi Bill.
thank you for the report.

Hi Bill,
Thanks for taking the time to produce and post your opinions on the exhibits at the Pakefield Festival
it made for interesting reading and in the main appeard quite factual and even.

Gilbert

Bill,

Tanks for that, you are winding me up again about that wing, when i get back from spain i will get the dvd

Bill,

As always a wonderful review. Thanks for lending your eyes and ears.

I do disagree with your opinion on the this statement regarding the T4;

"although the brass sounds now fall short of the PA3x (Not by a great margin though) with the synth sounds being its weakest point, so if your into more modern, disco, progressive, New Age then the T4 may not be for you."

I happen to think the Brass sounds are awesome and it's one of the reasons I use it with my Wedding band and to play Big Band music during cocktail hours.

Also, the Tyros 4 Synth sounds are Sound Samples coming directly from the Yamaha Motif XF and those sounds are some of the best of the best. I use quite a few of those sounds even when I perform with my Motif XF. The PCM Synth sound is use on Ke$sha's Tik Tok and I use several Synth PAD sounds on Prince's Purple Rain.

I consider myself pretty objective and not a fanboy of any particular brand as I own or have owned Ketron, Korg, Roland, Yamaha keyboards. I use the best equipment for the job.

With that said, I really do appreciate your review of the Pakenfield even which I wouldn't otherwise have known about.

Thanks Bill,

Good review, as usual.

Gary

I agree wholeheartedly, Al, and like you, the brass and synth sounds are more than satisfactory.

I can't say I am not a fanboy , but, the reason I am one is because I simply love the sound and layout of the Yamaha Tyros4 more than any other arranger I've tried.

All personal opinion, of course.

Ian

Hi Bill , thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to write a good report about the products you had seen and heard at Pakefield .
Your report is very interesting .

once again ...many thanks .

Regards ...Giovanni