i LOVE the AUDYA but HATE Ketron Italy, see my link:

http://www.synthzone.com/forum/ubbthread...rvic#Post368822

Let me clarify a bit here:

As for me, Henni from South Africa, personally - I purchased my Audya 2nd hand. No warranty, guarantee or anything came with it. Next I upgrade to Ajamsonic which consists of new software only. Next thing I receive better customer service than I've received from any other arranger manufacturer to date.

Now you can see it any way you please. I am a happy Ketron customer. Fact is, AJ is NOT sick, he's NOT out of business & he's NOT in any fued with the factory in Italy. He responds to every single email from me. I am a happy customer.

Why should I not recommend this to those who are frustrated to the extreme? You can blame him any way you want, but he delivers on his promises. And he even goes beyond that as was clearly the recent case with me when he send me a complete new sound module with the latest RAM installed without any prior arrangement and in full faith that I will compensate him for it for the price as quoted with delivery. Anyone else out there tell me where you've received same from your super reputable arranger manufacturer!

How the products are distributed is of no concern to me. I am the end user & all my needs have been taken care of & then some.

Leezone, you can keep on being frustrated or follow my advice. There is no gain or profit for me in this other than to see you happy. Take it or leave it my friend. You gain absolutely nothing by poluting the reputation of Ketron Italy. They make an outstanding product!

Tell me, can you edit the live user guitars on your Tyros or even create new ones for it? Have you ever complained to Yamaha about this & if so, what was their response...

Henni

Well Said !!!!

"You gain absolutely nothing by poluting the reputation of Ketron Italy."


Henni,

the truth MUST be told. Ketron Italy Customer Service is horrendous to say the least.
let's not be afraid to express the NEGATIVE as well as the positive

Ketron USA, UK, on the other hand is a totally different story.

Ignoring your customers is totally unacceptable for ANY company in ANY country.

Leezone,

I am apsolutly on your site and Agre with your opinian about Ketron Italy coustomers suport.
On first day when I purchase my Audya I do complaine about Ketron behavior,no response on mail and no responce on forum members questions.That is thre year old story with no changes.

On the ende of March this year my Audya was stolen from my music room thill when I preper tu upgrade to AJ product. Now I looking on my new Audya to buy and that mean I am not engry on Audya,but on Ketroners guys who had no faces to respond on problems.
AJ is a brite light on the end of that sad story with Ketron products and I hope will be sine a long time....

Henni, "buying through AJ" is the problem...and it's a MAJOR ONE.

He works for the US distributor and should NEVER sell direct.

There are several instances where Ketron lost good dealers over this practice.

There is no excuse for this type of highly questionable business practice.

Now, if he wants to sell his upgrade, that is a different story, if the Ketron company does not offer it through distribution. It's not completely "clean", but less of an obvious breach of ethics than selling Ketron products direct, around established dealers.

That is NEVER an accepted business practice in the US.

Really sad!


Russ

Russ, why would you not consider AJ a dealer?
He qualifies as any other Ketron dealer...buys wholesale and retails Ketron products..He even operates is an area that has no other Ketron dealers..

AJ is/was a independent technician for Ketron, and developed a product independent of Ketron...this product makes it necessary for AJ to sell Ketron products with his added hardware/software options...

I do recall your initial concern was the distributor selling retail..but this is not the same situation..

In Henni's post, he talked about the fantastic price AJ gave a friend of his for a NEW KETRON. Universally, approved dealers ONLY can sell the contracted product. As an employee/consultant for Ketron, that's a major conflict of interest; something not tolerated by any manufacturer I know of.

Typically, when asked, a manufacturer will direct a sales lead to a dealer in the appropriate sales area.

At a summer NAMM, I was hustled to buy Ketron direct but never tell any dealer(s). I was even asked to meet away from the show for delivery. Later, I was called and offered deals
direct, without a distributor invoice.

Two guesses who did that. It doesn't matter whether this was done without the knowledge of the distributor (major blame goes to the individual) or with the distributor's OK (if that were the case, in any industry I am associated with, EVERY DEALER WOLD DROP THE LINE)!

Several good dealers have dropped the line.Good for them.

I would upgrade my SD-5 and Midjay in a heartbeat if it weren't for this major ethical "no-no".

If AJ weren't affiliated with the distributor, and was granted a dealership, it would be a different story. He probably has the OK to sell his upgrade. But, that doesn't make direct sales, bypassing distribution OK at ALL!

It's a damn shame!


Russ

Henni,
It is a very good thing you are getting "first class" service from Ketron regardless of where it comes from. However, there are those of us in the USA not that happy with the service offered. I for one have yet to get a broken SD2 unit replaced after installing a Ketron recommended update which caused the unit to stop working. It has been over 6 months and I can't even get a phone call or email returned from either AJ or the USA Ketron dealer. Sorry, but this is a true event and I make no apologies to anyone for posting my experience.

Deane

Your local dealer is your lifeline... Whenever I have a problem, they are the first people I go to, and their clout with the main distributor in the country has saved my butt a bunch of times, not to mention the local dealer, if they have what has failed in stock, never hesitate to give me a 'loaner' while the issue is resolved.

What Ketron have allowed to happen to their local dealer network (allowing them to be undercut by shoddy business practices) has been what has allowed them to become little more than a minor player in the game.

If Ketron (with a wink and a nod, or just total disregard for the matter) don't really care how sales are allowed to come from anywhere, at any price, then they need to allow ALL local dealers the same deal, and allow those with brick and mortar stores to undercut AJ if they feel like it...

The playing field needs to be level. Or the system doesn't work.