I thought this might be an interesting topic and what members here would regard the biggest update that a given manufacturer as made in their next model.

I've owned a few keyboards over the years including ones from Ketron and GEM but I am probably more familiar with Yamaha & Korg keyboard updates.

In Yamaha's case, I think Yamaha's biggest upgrade was from the PSR8000 to PSR9000 perhaps? I thought those two were quite different in many ways. Any other opinions?

My guess is probably Yamaha PSR-9000 to the original Tyros. Mega Voice made it's first real appearance on the latter, and has defined Yamaha's great style realism ever since.

Still, the 9000 was significant in having 4 Variations per style, as opposed to the two on the PSR-8000, so it's a tough call.

Ian

Regrettably, I never owned a PSR9000 as I went from the PSR8000 over to Generalmusic and the WK6 then to Solton's X1. I think back in those days there were a lot of choices and I fancied a big change from owning many Yammys, I totally underestimated Yamaha though with the 9000 and assumed it wouldn't have been a significant enough update.

I saw a photo of your twin setup on PSR Tutorial, Graham...it looks very good, indeed, just like they were designed to be that way. The NP-30 has a very nice semi-weighted action.

I have passed on your idea to several friends of mine wanting a two manual setup.

Do you use bass pedals as well?

Ian

For me it was upgrading from the PSR-500 to the PSR-2000. The 2000 was light years ahead of anything on the market at the time.

Gary

Ensoniq ESQ1 to SD1, if the latter would stay in tune I'd still be using it. After that PSR630 to PSR2000 - for the operating system sound and extra polyphony then 2000 to 3000 due to on board storage meaning no more floppy shuffles. From a functionality viewpoint the 3000 still does everything I need it's a pity the LCD is now completely useless!

Wow!

How could all of you overlook Kertrons upgrade to the Audya? Even now, 5 years later, still in a class of it's own. Now THAT was really thinking outside the box.

All the best,

Henni

I'd say, if talking about Ketron's, the first one that used audio. The SD-1, right? The Audya merely upped the use of that feature, but the SD-1 was the first, wasn't it?

Until then, all styles used MIDI.

I thought it was the X1? I can't remember if it used audio or not actually, I should know as I owned one for a while !

The first Ketron product to use "AUDIO" was actually the MS-series in the late '80 (which used GROOVES/Sliced Audio) on some of the style and most that were offered later on disk.

The X-series was the frist to implement actual Audio and grant user access to the Audio parts - which they could now use to program their own styles or within user styles... This followed through into the XD and SD series.

The AUDYA took it to a whole new level with maintaining the Grooves plus now streaming complete AUDIO Drums (plus AUDIO on Guitars and Bass) plus gave the user access to use, mix and match whiile being able to sync all this to the current tempo....etc!!

I understood the post/topic to be "what keyboard made the biggest upgrade" - so if you were to say look at the Tyros line from Yamaha, the PA line from Korg, the G-series from Roland, the AUDYA-series from Ketron ... or which manufacturer made the biggest leap forward ... etc (maybe I miss-understood)? I believe Ketron and Korg have offered the most upgrades per product line (additional content/features within subsequent OS releases to an existing product, not number of upgrades).

Thanks,

The biggest upgrade was probably Wersi OAS introduced in 2000, as apart from Bohm (Via Hardware) no other manufacture has allowed continuous updates/upgrades to be added to their instruments without forcing the user to buy a new keyboard just to get the few new features and sounds.

Bill

Spot on Bill and that's why Yamaha are still selling KBs faster than any other manufacturer, they have a forward thinking produce development policy, not one like a spluttering tap and they will be around tomorrow and the day after. Not so certain you will agree with me wholeheartedly or even at all. BTW we will take your word for the OAS upgrade, wouldn't mind hearing you play it on the Abacus so we can all judge how good it is, it does biggest not the best!!!

Hi Tony, can’t see what relevance Yamahas sales figures has to the thread, and as to the last sentence, what upgrade are you on about?

Bill

I am pretty sure soon we will all say that it was the Tyros 4 succesor, as wel as the motif XF succesor.... Because they might be one single instrument..

Because developing a single instrument that suits both groups cuts development costs in half, and the hardware cost (cpu memmory, ssd) are almost non excistent compared to the development cost / system...

Perhaps sales figures are brought up to show that, if a keyboard comes out at double or even triple what any other similar keyboard costs, touting it as the most technologically advanced is a bit moot.

It has to be affordable before it is relevant, surely?

Nay Diki,

Depends how much spondulas you have, you can buy anything with the readies, a few good gigs and you are away, its all as old as history itself Diki, money make the world go round, you know the score Diki, nothing to do with Moot, you must have some deep deep pockets, you can't take it with you Diki, don't even try

vArranger did big upgrades too
After Ketron styles support, Yamaha styles came, then Roland styles too. Maybe Korg too later...
Song chords, Chord sequencer... and now
A new ASIO software synth with SoundFonts support. So we can play arranger only with a PC and a midi controller.

The good news, is that someone who bought vArranger 3 years ago, got all this new features everytime for FREE

That is what I did Dan, and consider it the best money ever spent, thanks to you.
Bernie

I have to agree with you 100% on that, Bernie.
Wally

Certainly a number of updates for vArranger, however it is not marketed on a hardware keyboard (Which can be purchased complete) but as a software arranger, therefore it does not comply with the original question.

Bill