That is great Col and certainly shoots down the idea that the KMA is nothing more than a toy. It sounds like it has become a great work tool for you.

Tony,

It stands to reason that I fully concur with the remarks mad here by Saswick and Nigel. Mind you this should not become a " did he or didn't he " contest. Personally I think that having the fleet of keyboards which you have at your disposal there is no dire need whatsoever to get the KMA. However your continued assessment of it being a toy is utterly wrong, as is also brought home by the ( stage) experience of Saswick.
As I have pointed out on several occasions the engine of this little mini is virtually identical to the PA1X, and that was far from being a toy.
I also think that they are going to sell big time here in Europe once they hit the market as long as the keep the prices down. It looks like it is going to retail at approx. 495 euros/ 440 Pounds which is slighly less acttractive than the USA prices.

As to your remark about my software, you have got a point there. People have gotten used to getting everything for free, but , and I have said this many a time before, I am not in it for the money but spent literally hundreds of hours on this programming lark. And those who do make a donation are without any exception , very pleased with what they get. Read my webpages 4 and 6.
So what else can a man wish for ? Eternal fame perhaps ........

Greetings from the Netherlands,
John Smies

especially for Tony:
http://pasounds.intropagina.nl/page-4--pa800pa2x-user-commetns.html

This little instrument put Casio in the pro synth business...

http://www.vintagesynth.com/casio/cz101.php

I had one, and quickly traded it for the one with full size keys, with the same specs.

http://www.vintagesynth.com/casio/cz1000.php

And now, we see them return to the synth market with another terrific product, shown on another thread, but, thankfully (for me), this one has full sized keys from the outset.

I think if Korg can move more people into buying full sized arrangers like the PA3X due to the introduction of the microArranger, which will expose people to the Korg arranger sounds and features (who might not have otherwise bought one), they have really pulled off a terrific marketing move.

Yes, they will probably sell quite a few, but, let's face it, even though it's 10 year old technology and it's paid for, you'd have to sell a lot of KMA's to equal the profit of just one PA-800/PA3x, so hopefully the popularity will extend beyond the entry/mid level $500 instrument.

Ian

I still have a CZ-101 and a CZ-1000 .... I think I maybe a keyboard "hoarder"

They are surprisingly powerful...also, if midi'd to a synth with velocity, they respond to it, as well as aftertouch.

There was a distortion guitar patch going around for them that was simply a knockout...it had feedback and all.

Very powerful company, with very deep pockets.

Ian

Hi Ian. No, not interested in the micro. I have plenty with my road 800 and studio 2X that I bought from Tye recently.

This is the year I'll try to post my demo page (but I say that every year - man, times goes fast!

Yep, you have all that you need, and more.

I was thinking about getting a PSR-S910 so to have something very portable with built-in speakers, but I'm not gigging enough right now to justify the added expense.

I think I'll stay pat with the Tyros4...I'm still exploring the style creator and having lots of fun playing it as well.

It's hard not to be caught up in these little SZ buying frenzies. Ha ha! But, thankfully, common sense, which is usually not too common, prevails.

Ian

PS...Looking forward to your demo page.

Nigel,

Glad you have come in, I am not an avid uses of faces if you look back. When I said what I had I thought it would be obvious that the last thing on my list would be a KMA Korg, Ketron or whoever. Some people won't even buy a 61 note KB instead of a 76 , in the UK you will not find professionals using a 61 KB, the Tyros 61 is classed as a home KB in the UK, no band would ever use one, OMB yes. I did say a while back that I went into the biggest KB shop in the UK in Manchester, they had no intentions of stocking the KMA and not my words but theirs they class it as a toy, maybe therein lies the difference across the pond.
Maybe the word professional is the real problem Nigel, perhaps it’s what audience you play in front of.

You can take it from me I will not be buying one, what I will say is DNJ as got some very very nice sounds from it in a very short space of time and I am impressed, there is not going to be an KMA epidemic, certain not this side the pond.

I notice people do have a lot of gear you only need to look in their SZ footer, it does appear that this might well be one they can add, but I see little merit in using it to midi up just for what on the KMA, rather buy the Pa3x now there is a tool and one half, I can see myself jumping up and down like folks are doing with the KMA if I bought Pa3x. Something would have to go to buy a Pa3x, although I have seen someone with a three stack.


Regards
Tony

Hi Rikki, My MIDI days..were about synths , keyboards and modules...6,8,12,and 16 voice instruments..

When I started to use arrangers on stage (90's)..it opened a "whole new world", not because I could play the auto stuff..that was great..but the possibility to use arrangers as multi instruments, with drum patterns that worked great...and plenty of polyphony...all the effects abound also...Arrangers are complete packages..that curbed my primary need to MIDI up...

Is MIDIing up arrangers important..not so much..more of experimental, and just having fun...Detail operation between two arrangers is still complex and they do not talk or play well with each other..but basic operation as we discussed here on SZ, does work well..

I stil have several Anatek Pocket units..Pocket channel, Pocket split,Pocket merge, Pocket Transpose, Pocket pedal etc..

I recall using these pedals with early arrangers like Roland 301 and 305 arrangers..Using Pocket channel I was able to layer additional sounds from the same keyboard ..using the "open" channels like 14 and 15..

I used the Pocket pedal for EV5 and dp2 pedals that the keyboard did not support..and the merge pedal was a must when you were midi..ing 3 keyboards...Pocket transpose was always needed..for JX10 and other units with no transpose..
Anatek had a brilliant concept...and they worked..