I'll say not that much Tony if you really think about it

I'm still using my Technics KN7000 to great effect in www.theabbaholics.co.uk and www.sultansofswingers.co.uk and enjoying it's enormous versatility.

Technics was my first 'real love' when got muy hands on arranger keyboards,
and I got sad when they ended developement and production of the KN series.
But as they say, time heals most wounds.....

Unfortunately yes, the KN-2000 goes between $100 for the examples that are in rough shape to $300 for examples that come with the original box and are almost new.

Sometimes you can find one for $150 from a person who has no idea what it's worth, but then it's sometimes also a guess how good it still works..

I got my KN-920 for $50, when i got it home a few buttons didn't work, the screen had a line missing, and yesterday a key broke off..

My first AKB was the technics Kn1000, a really nice easy board to use and gig with ... created a lot of my own back-up files, and was able to immediately switch to style play ... the Dynamic Accompaniment was a great feature ...
Then came the kn6000 and I could never understand the displeasure some people had with this board ... Still the best Alto sax sound of any KB before or after IMHO ...
Then went to KORG Pa600 and now the KORG Pa900 ...
But the technics Kn series was always ahead of the curve ... and would be today if they were still around ...
But, life goes on ...

does anyone know the real reason why they folded?......
something had to be amiss?

http://www.synthzone.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/319852/Why_did_Panasonic_pull_out_of_

They didn't fold. Panasonic bought the company and probably decided there wasn't enough profit involved in arrangers.

I had a KN5000 for a while the disk player went bad, and sold it. I bought the KN7000 shortly afterward, and WOW!. I was the best I had ever played until the Audya later on. I was especially happy to see the the floppy replaced by the SD system and the wheel. I wasn't put off at all with the closed in keybed like Donny, but then, I don't play like Jerry Lee. It took a long time to get back to the Technics quality. BTW, I read that they kept R&D going because it was a pet project of the CEO, who died. That was the end, and Panasonic pulled the plug, claiming that that division was too small to bother with anymore.

You're right Don, they did not fold. If my memory still work fairly well, it was Matsushita that owned both Panasonic and Technics.
Because of less sales and predicts of even less sales world wide, they desided to shut down Technics electronic music instrument division.
This is probably the short version, and the real reason is most likely more complex.

Anyway, I had the pleasure to own and play K450 (I think it was), AX7, KN800, KN1000, KN2000; KN3000 and KN5000.
My top favourites was KN1000, KN3000 and for me the best T-KN ever: KN5000.

Yes, it was a disappointment, the Kn series was a fantastic keyboards.

1-The display came up and you could slant it if needed.
2-You were able to display what you wanted to see in the display. One display if you were recording. Another if you were playing live. It was programable.
3-I lay a chord track for a song I was going to sequence faster than my Pa4x.
4-If a wrong note was recorded in a song it could be easily changed. And not by finding the measure and counting to find where the note was. The Kn showed a music staff to make the change.
5-In creating a style you could select a Acc. track, an intro, or an ending from another style.
6-Writing in step time included length and velocity. (Emotion)
7-In creating a sequence you were able to change everything you wanted to change and put into one of the reg memories. Then place the change where you wanted it.
8-You were able to create a sequence and add photos. I took pictures of the condo I was to play in -- recorded in a sing-a-long with the pictures and displayed it on the house video screen while I was playing.

There is more, and there were set backs also. The reason I sold my Kn7000 was because it fell short when I played contemporary music. I added a sub-woofer and sent my drums to a separate channel of the mixer; this way I could add more of what was needed. OPINION – It was lacking in the same way a Yamaha is lacking against a Korg. I also feared the thought of repairing an aging keyboard.

Please keep in mind that the Kn7000 was created many years ago. Ahead of it’s time? Yes.

I often wonder why most of my recording and playing was when I owned a Technics. I’m betting it was because I did not spend so much time on technology.
John C.