You know Dave, we all have reasons why we do things. Everyone has different needs in their life. These needs temper our reasoning therefore affect the reason for our actions. I have never met you but feel I understand your reasoning when you decide to use the type of keyboard you use. Also you have made it clear the technique you use to accompany your singing. Very nice results, I must say. However, cut your throat and what’s left? Only the board used to accompany the main part of your act. The determining factors for choosing the board you have are no longer completely valid. You state you are a one or two finger left hand chord player and are not willing to change. Now that the main God given part of your performance is gone and you want to play music using a keyboard as the sole source of sound and performance, I would bet you would be out evaluating them all again. In other words the reason for purchase would change. Ease of operation, versatility, quality of sound, quantity of sounds and rhythms, reliability, and on and on. I do not and do I know anyone of my acquaintances who have purchased their KN’s because of loyalty to technics. Loyalty? For what? Because they take my money? Because they cost a tad more than most others? I bought mine because of the reasons I stated above. I think by reading all the posts on this forum it is apparent most all the others are of the same reasoning. I have mine, as must of us do, because we consider it a very fine musical instrument sitting on the cutting edge of technology. Top of the heap for making authentic music. Designed to do just that and do it with ease and reliability. On the other forum there are those who buy because of cost. Buy because of weight. Buy because of color, LED lights, gadgets, loyalty, of what others think and on and on and on? Childness, to say the least. If your singing is the product, then use the accessories needed to present it. Accessories that you are capable of using with the ability you posses. Dave, your right. Most all of us are not singers. Most of us are instrumentalists of one kind or another. That link you think is missing is not missing for us. You think our choice of boards is as good as any other but no better. You salute our continued enthusiasm and seem to not understand why. We express emotions and our artistry through our fingers and you through your voice. The keyboard for you is only a backing for the main attraction. Not to take the spotlight off of you. For us the keyboard is our voice. Not being blessed with a naturally gifted voice we must purchase one. After experimenting and evaluating different ones we have chosen the best for our type of singing. Yes, we are very enthusiastic. We had to buy what for you was a gift. Our ears are very pleased with what we hear and the people we play for, confirm this. What other keyboard is so well received that a book has been written on ‘Getting the most from your KN7000’. What other forum has a man so knowledgeable and so willing to share it, than we have. Is it no wonder we bubble over with enthusiastic words of delight? When people have shelled out upwards of thirty to forty G’s for their organs and then drop another three to buy a KN7000 because it sounds better than their organ, WHY? There must be something there to trigger their enthusiasm. I can only hope you will have a little better understanding. Our voice is not like your voice. When people buy us they buy a little different product produced in a little different manner. Dave, your posts always stimulate the brain. As the book of books says, ‘My people are parishing for a lack of understanding’. I hope understanding has increased for the good of these forums and for all of us. Sometimes not quite understanding what one says and thinks is like that man who in a twinkle of an eye was eighty years old. So Dave and the rest of you guys, open up the old brain and let some of the wisdom flow out. Good for understanding and then we can all play a better song and be more in tune.

Grandpa Doug

Nice One Gramps and Hear! Hear! to your comments.
As I mentioned before, I have been 'Loyal' to the Technics brand for many years now, but my loyalty is not to Technics as such - it is purely due to my personal opinion, that they make the best keyboards. However, I still have an open mind, and if I find another maker's keyboard that suits my purpose then I will either add it to my collection or possibly replace my KN7000. My very first keyboard was a Yamaha 6100, which, at the time, I thought was 'The Bee's Knees' until I heard a Technics KN800. The Yamaha very quickly disappeared However, since hearing some very good reports about the Tyros, from people whose opinions I respect, I have been having a look at one and have now placed an order. I think it will probably complement rather than replace my KN7000.

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Willum

Willum, I really like singers, I really do. I admire someone with a good voice and especially those who know how to use it well. I really do. With that said I hope you can’t sing a lick. I mean it, not to be mean but so I can get an opinion of a non singer. The only way to really get to know someone is to live with them for awhile. And so it is with keyboards. After you have had her for awhile I would be very much interested in your opinion of your new music maker. How is she built. How does she sound when you play with her. Which of the two sounds like the real thing, like a live band? Which is easier to use in a live performance. I had a rolands once because I liked the piano on the thing. After I had it for awhile and learned how to use the thing I had a brainstorm. At that time I also had my KN5000. About six of us guys would meet at each others house every so often to shoot the boloney and play music. We each would try to conjure up something of interest for the guys when it was our turn for the get together. I had just read an article on evaluating things and the methods used. One method was the blind test. Brainstorm, ya, that’s it. Took my 5 and recorded a song I was going to play at the dinner dance gig coming up. Done the same on the rolands. Talking to myself, as I do frequently, I said, why not? So went into the closet and dug out the old 1000 and did the same, picking out a similar fox trot style and recorded it. Double the plot, I mused, and done the same with a waltz. The other guy I talk with in my brain said, it ain’t fair. Ain’t fair? Ya, ain’t fair! Ok, OK and dug out my mackie mixer and my pair of Yamaha MS 60’s and rigged it all up. Can’t fault the different speakers or amps, but sure was a lot of work. After Ruthie and me rigged up one of her sheets in front of the whole mess we declared success and agreed we were ready. Let’s party. Just like those guys, first thing out of their mouth when coming in was a comment on our new decorating scheme. Shut up, sit down and don’t touch. Whats a matter, we going to play spooks or something? Ruthie, watch em, I’m gona get some drinks. After everybody flushed their tonsils I said we’re going to play a new game, ‘Which One’. Which one? You ain’t even given us a choice yet. All right, all right the only thing needed to play ‘Which One’ is your ears, so relax. I got a big dinner dance gig coming up. I have to choose one out of three to play the thing. If you were one of those at the dance which would you choose to listen to. I will now go under one of Ruthies’ sheets, which I am used to doing, and play the same song on each board. Here goes. Never heard these guys be so quiet for such a long time. Emerging, I said, Well......? OK OK, interesting, can you play a different style. Disappearing again I lit off the waltzes. After another period of silence I said, SOooo.....? Number two board won on both styles. With great flair, Ruthie and me then rolled up her lilly white sheet exposing the three beauties. So, the one with the biggest screen sitting in the middle, is the one I played the dinner dance with. Shhhhh.....I was going to use it anyway.

So Willum, this is the kind of evaluation I am confident you can and will give. I will be waiting with bated, and hopefully not bad smelling, breath. Boy, I hope your not a singer.

Grandpa Doug

Hi Gramps, I have a singing voice akin to bullfrog with a bad cold and I certainly wouldn't inflict it on the public, when I'm playing my KN7000. However, when I did have a band, way back in the 60's / 70's we had a male and female singer out front, and the keyboard player and I sang harmony behind them - the voice was a bit younger then and just about acceptable But Now - no way Jose !! So no offence taken Gramps
I'm not sure when my new toy will arrive - I'm told they are in short supply at present. When I've had time to evaluate it against the KN7000 I'll post my findings.


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Willum

Lot of good posts here, thanks to all
Bebop

I have a KN7000 and a KN6500 which I have not sold yet. When I got my KN6500, It was hard to pass it without putting my hands on it. It was a joy to play, far more than the previous Technics keyboards.

There have been many factual views posted about the value of the KN7000 keyboard as related to the KN6500, mine is will be an emotional one.

I read reports that said other than the SD card there was not much change in the KN7000. When I got mine in Decenber, I compared styles, sounds, and all the bells and whistles and thought that the reports may be right.

After a short break in period I find I can play better on this new keyboard, I able to move faster, the sounds excite me, it is getting more attention from those who listen, and most important, it has a feel and responce that makes playing a step or two above joy.

I began playing keyboard with a Yamaha PSR 6300 which had a lid/cover that came down the cover the keys and here I am back many years latter. I liked the lid then, and I like it now. Great idea.

Have a great day, John C.

I would contest the assumption that the KN7000 is "the best keyboard you can own". Check out the Wersi Abacus. It is streets ahead, in many ways of all the opposition. What other keyboard can record direct to CD, has superior sound sampling, and - very important - is made to LAST and not be replaced every year by yet another model. It can be upgraded from CDROM. The only reasons I didn't buy one are:
a. It is too expensive - I don't do many paid gigs anymore.
b. It is too heavy - takes 2 to carry it.
Mike O'R

Mike, the very two reasons you gave to contest the assumption is the very two reasons why the KN7000 is the very best keyboard you can OWN. Whoever thinks that recording direct to a CD is some kind of an asset is the person who never makes an error, considers himself perfect and carries a tremendous weight on his shoulders. His ego! I have two ways to record to CD. My computer and my marantz CD recorder. A much cheaper and more versatile way to go. I can nestle it under my arm pit and sashay over to anyone of my friends places and make a CD of any keyboard they may have. Also does duplicates easier than making pancakes. Can be upgraded from CDROM? Rather have my KN7000 that has never needed an upgrade. Don’t know how the Wersi stores and recalls things but I’ll take the SD card system over any of the old fashion ways of the past. Made to last? Man, I still have the very first one I bought and it still works the same as the day I bought it. Not be replaced every year by another model? What manufacture replaces them every year? When you say the Wersi can be upgraded by CDROM how do they upgrade the amp and speaker system by CDROM? How do they upgrade the old hard drive and the floppy disk system with the CDROM? How do they improve the panel layout of the board, the button placement, add features, improve the screen etc. with the CDROM? Lets face it, I can buy three or four boards for the cost of one Wersi and be on the leading edge of technology at all times. Of course all minds work and reason in different ways. Me and my mind have gotten to know each other pretty well over the last seventy some years. At times we, me and my mind, disagree, and that becomes stressful to the point of me not liking what I think. When push comes to shove, me usually tells my mind where it can go and me gets what me wants. However, as far as the KN7000 is the best keyboard you can own, me and my mind are in total agreement. Ruthie has over the years realized that it is best not to intrude into the discussion of me and my mind. She does the cooking and I furnish the entertainment. Other than that, we like to hang out together.

Grandpa Doug
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Gotcha goin' Doug!
Mike

Thanks Mike, I'm gona take a nap.

Grandpa Doug