Ian I think its much bigger world wide then you might expect.

Never seen one, either, Ian. L&M are listed on Ketron's website as distributors, but L&M's site shows only a Mid-Jay Pro module unit at $2,700. Ketron seems to have a long way to go up here.

Possibly, Donny, but in my region, arranger keyboards were/are very popular, and Ketron (of any model) was barely a blip on the radar, and most people have never heard of it, despite the world becoming increasingly smaller due to the Internet.

If using an arranger keyboard (without backup, especially)is a pro musician's main means of income, one would have to be daft to be using an instrument with little or no support.

It's not just hardware/software reliability either...anyone can have an accident by bumping or dropping an instrument, or have a drink spilled on it.

Bachus,cars like Peugeot and Renault were tried here in Canada (especially in Quebec) but poor dealer service (and inadequate rust resistance preparation...plus dreadful depreciation) had a severe effect on their place in the market.

Why would inadequate or very rare support regarding an arranger keyboard be any different?

Ian

I have to agree with Ian. While arranger keyboard breakdowns are rare, as a pro entertainer, I need service NOW - not two weeks from today - NOW! I've very fortunate in that I have a great repair guy an hour away who has most of the parts in stock to fix any Yamaha arranger keyboard, and more often than now he can fix it while you wait, frequently in less than an hour. And, he does not charge an arm and a leg to do the job. As I've stated in the past, if it were not for AJ, Ketron would not exist in the US.

As for the cars, I feel the same way - my Dodge Grand Caravan is very reliable, has 115,000 miles on it and runs like a Swiss watch. If something goes bad, I can have it repaired just 5 miles from my home, usually in one day or less, and the repair guy provides me with a loaner car while he's fixing mine - another Grand Caravan. Many years ago I had a Renault R16, the wiring harness caught on fire the first week I owned it, and it took three months to get a new one from the manufacturer. That one caught on fire, and they did a recall. It took me two months more to get the car back - I traded it in on a full size Ford van the follow day. Drove that van more than 300,000 miles before getting another. So from my perspective, that Renault was the worst car I've ever owned in my life.

Cheers,

Gary

. Despite all things AJ does, Ketron seems to be concentrating fully on the european market. In Germany, France and the southern european countries Ketron is a big thing... Major player.

The US arranger situation is just not representive for the rest of the world.

I must admit that it was a leap of faith when I was blown away by the Audya videos and just had to have one. I was also very aware of the early problems some were having.

However, there was Frankie as a dealer, although not a rep. There was a very good chance that if my machine was okay, it would stay that way, since I never had a board go out on me in over thirty years. Lastly, was the fact that I had three other boards gig ready.

As it turned out, I never have had one glitch, and I upgraded to AJ's package, which put it over the top,IMO.

I'm glad to hear of your positive experience, Bernie. The Audya is one very powerful arranger, and I hope they remain on the scene for a long time to come.

Choice is always good.

AJ is one excellent and indispensable member of their crew.

Ian

Gary,

Can you please PM/email me the information for your service center (KetronUSA@AjamSonic.com)? These are the kind of folks we would love to authorize repair/service KETRON products ... people dedicated to keeping their customers happy and who will have our parts on stand-by if needed.

We will be expanding the service centers accross the US within the next few months as we re-organize.

Thanks.

AJ, I PM'd the information to you.

Gary

Here is THE guy in Shreveport area.

Mike Blau
Electromusic Service
2100 Marshall St, Shreveport, LA 71101
(318) 222-5884