This is a duplicate of the post I made on the General Arranger forum.

Just a few thoughts after using it on the job for two weekends and one private party...
Of course the drums and bass are wonderful, as expected.
I love the "natural" sounds, guitars, pianos, saxes, fiddle, pedal steel, trumpets, harmonica, flutes, organs... Those are the ones I use and I want them to sound like they are supposed to, and they do.
I'm becoming more familiar, or re-familiar with the operating system and it has some good features.
The huge touch screen has really great definition and it is very responsive as well. It helps that the screen is large, so the icons can be large as well.
The onboard speakers are fantastic. I had not been using them until Monday night at the party, when I had to set up a little behind the two Maui 5 speakers.
I decided to turn on the speakers and the sound was great. In fact too loud, so I turned the keyboard volume down. Then I realized I was not hearing the Maui 5s. I had to figure it out quickly and I wanted to make certain I wasn't missing something so I called AJ and asked him if turning the speakers on would affect the L&R outputs.
He said "no way". But he said they are really strong.
Then I realized that I had to turn the keyboard volume down, and the speaker/mixer volume UP to balance everything. A few minutes of experimenting and everything was fine! Those speakers are so powerful I could have done the job with just the keyboard.
Of course there are some things I don't like much. The power supply is external, adding another "wall wart" to the setup.
There is no indicator light to tell you if the vocal harmony is on or off; you have to remember it.
There is no phantom power for the mic.
It's a TAD heavier than I thought it would be, but I'm not moving it much and when I do I have lots of help. It is three pounds heavier than the Korg PA-4X61. Doesn't sound like much...
It's too long, just like all the other Ketrons. I had to change stands from my 61-note size to a 76-note size, even though the keyboard is a 61. Same thing for the carry bag.
However the wasted space on the right makes a great mouse pad! Or you could easily set a mini mixer or whatever there.
Just thought some would want to hear my first impressions.

Tnx for a nice review Don.
Interesting reading.

Hi DonM,

I am AMAZED that you did not upgrade to the SD9 instead. Now THAT would really be something...

Yes, as I've stated numerous times efore, till this day NOTHING beats Ketron for realism. Somehow they seperate their voices more than other products and the results can be heard clearly.

Good luck with the SD7. Looking forward to some recordings from you.

Henni

Henni, SD9 is too new for me. If were to get one, it will be after it is fully tried and all the bugs are out. Besides I got a great deal on a used SD7. SD9 costs too much since I already have a PA4X that I LOVE, and also a PA1000 that I just got for easy portability when I need it. Also SD9 is 76 notes and heavier, neither of which I want.
Plus, even though the SD7 seems to be stable now, I feel I always need a backup just in case. If it were to have a problem, only AJ could work on it as far as I know.