There's an expression used amongst football commentators which goes 'sick as a parrot' and having only fairly recently paid approaching £2000 for a KN7000 keyboard because of the SD Card technology and having learnt that Technics are now launching a cut down version for half that price (KN2600) I can really appreciate what that expression means!!!!
In all my years in marketing I never discovered such a well planned way to upset my core market...and it's not as though we're talking pennies (cents for you guys over there) here....
I expect the knowledgeable amongst you will point out that the new toy hasn't got this or that but in essence it is the new technology at half the price...
Scuse me while I go away and weep somewhere!

it is the nx chip with less wave rom and less polyphony and without the excellent amp and speakers of the 7k. Less sounds, less styles, less panel banks, no custom, no wide colour screen, no EW expansion. Historically there has always been a midrange model launch in between the top model launches, only skipped by the 6500.

I know it is excellent value at it's price point because I've heard it, particularly since the CB7 is included too in the UK package, and will give the psr2100 a very good run for it's money, but at the end of the day if you play them, neither of them are a 7k.

so cheer up

Bless you for trying to cheer me up, Alec...I must sound really sad about a 'few bob' and I know I've got the best currently; but just tell me that I wouldn't have been able to load all my song specific style files and recall them in a second the way I can now with the wonderful SD card and I'll feel a little better!!!!
Chuckle
Roger M

.....and I'm still trying to find out if 7000 files (or any other KN for that matter)will be compatable with the 2400, or 2600.

Will the 2400 or 2600 be able to play any of the songs or styles from any other KN models (and visa versa)?


SeeYa,
Larry Hawk


[This message has been edited by lahawk (edited 05-14-2003).]

no specific information yet, but again historically the 1600/1400 could load 5000 files, so it might be likely the traditional pattern might be continued. Vice versa could be more more problematical, we shall wait and try it out.

Hi
I suppose there's another way of looking at.
Last year , hubby went out and bought me a lovely brand new Audi A4. I was so nervous about driving it that I didn't go out in it for days. He remarked on it , and in a fit of temper I told him I would have been just as happy with another new Hyundai ( my previous car and retailed for a quarter of the price). I figured it would have gotten me from A to B also and I would have been less nervous if I accidently damaged it or something happened to it.
I know I hurt his feelings, but bless his heart, his reply was he could afford it, and he felt I deserved a bit of luxury.

I think of my KN7 as a luxury.
Don't be upset, we've got the top of the line with our KN7's.
It's been happening for years, keyboard manufactures bring out their new top of the line flagship, and a year later they bring out a scaled down version which usually has quite a few of the features, but not all.
If you kept waiting to see what new features the next model keyboard may have, you'd never end up buying anything.

best wishes
Rikki

Dont feel too bad Roger. I've been reading some of the posts on the "other" forum with users of Yamaha 9000 / Tyros vs. Psr2100. The cheaper Yamaha is a very good board, but its standard of construction is way below that of the 9000 and from what I've seen the PSR 2100 users frequently bemoan features that are cut down or missing. I haven't seen the new KN's but I suspect it will be a similar story. The KN7000 is a professional instrument, made for players like yourself who use it to make money. I suspect the new KN's will be like the smaller Yamahas, good boards but nowhere near the same league. Good amateur boards perhaps, but not for professionals. (I'm sure this will invite comment from dedicated PSR2X users !)

BTW How did last Tuesdays meeting go ?. Sorry to miss it, but family crisis took precedence.

Regards

Keith

Hello Keith
And thanks for the thoughts - the keyboard meeting went extremely well but only 6 or 7 turned up - see you on the 27th.
We discussed and tested the value of 'one finger chord' playing and technicord.
Roger M

I have two questions about new KNB2600.
1. How many user styles can be loaded into new KN2600, into its user style area?
A lot of styles can be loaded into new PSR2100 (2 MB for styles, pehaps 100 or more styles may be loaded into).

2. Is it possible play styles directly from floppy (or from SD card), whitout load them before in keyboard internal memory?
PSR2100 play styles directly from floppy.

If both answers are yes, KN2600 will be a great keyboard in managing styles area. If not, I think Yamaha is a lot better on it.

Cheers

Since there is no direct load on the 2600 then the 2100 is better in that respect, the 2600 flash card has advantages in other areas where the 2100 can't compete. Pros and cons with most features, it all depends on your personal preferences.

Technics player, which are the advantages in other areas provided by KN2600 flash card? It would be interesting to know them to may compare both kbs.
As you say, probably there are pros and cons in both keyboards. But it is difficult to know them before buy, because usually people say or write about Yamaha or about Technics, but rarelly about both in a comparative sense. And that is exactly what is more necessary: a comparative point of view. As you say, people will decide at the end by their personal preferences; but for a good decision, it is absolutely important to know not the characteristics of both keyboards (you have them on the net), but differences between both keyboards.
So, may you write a little about sustantial differences between 2600 and 2100?
Thanks a lot

the biggest difference is the ability to record digital audio through usb which gives pro quality recordings entirely independent of the quality of your soundcard, or whether you even have a soundcard at all.

The 2100 has added usb data transfer to the 2000, but you need a computer connected... SD storage is reasonably cheap, self contained, and can hold digital audio as well as 1000s of midi or technics files without the need for a computer connected or a boxful of floppies to swap.

Hard drives and floppy drives and the disks themselves all have mechanical sensitive moving parts that are subject to damage to shock as when moving the keyboard and such. Lay a floppy on top of one of your speakers or any magnetic device for that matter and see what happens. Surprise, surprise! Had a kid shove something in my floppy drive once when I was on break. Good thing the mike was off when I shoved in the floppy. OK, maybe it wasn’t a kid but I had six of them consecutively and know what they do. My third son shoved a chunk of rock salt up his nose once from the water softener. Way up! Told Ruthie I would take the kid out to the shop, turn on the air compressor, stick the nozzle in his ear and see if I could blow it out. Ruthie never seems to like my ideas so we took him to the doc. All I want to say is the SD card is a great step forward in making the keyboard more kid proof among the other things I just mentioned. Alec is more knowledgeable when it comes to technology but let me tell you if you want to understand more of the down to earth stuff I’m your boy.

Grandpa Doug

Hi,
I actually have a kn7 which uses the sd card and has the audio functions that Alec mentioned. Loading styles via sd card is very quick.
Personally I find the audio function a fantastic feature. One of it's uses for me is to record audio backing tracks from Acid4 software and also from my other 2 keyboards, save them as mp3 files to sd card (via Panasonic SD Audio Writing Kit), then plug sd card into my kn7 and play along.
The backing track plays using the sound from the original instrument it was recored on ( in my case a Yamaha 9000 pro and a VA7 or tha Acid 4 Audio Loops), while melody is played using the kn7 sounds. I've even had a friend do a backing track for me on his wersi. He recorded and saved it to cd. I then converted it to mp3, saved it to the sd card and was able to to play along.

I haven't seen the KN2600, but if it has the same audio features as the kn7, then that is a big bonus.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tracknet:
[B]Technics player, which are the advantages in other areas provided by KN2600 flash card? It would be interesting to know them to may compare both kbs.

Talking of audio features, one of the highlights of the official 7k and recent official 2600 launches involved audio SD. The excellent Sara Raybould sang harmony with herself recorded on the SD card. The live and recorded voices were indistinguishable in quality over the studio monitors, and the total artistic effect was far superior to any vocaliser.

Too bad you can't save the Audio (mp3)that's on the SD Card while playing along on the keyboard...or can you ? ...

Maybe record the combined performance as a wave or MP3 file then re save as a 7000 Audio File using Jukebox.

Then for even more imagination, harmonize on the new recording, save as an mp3, save to Sd Card, and add some more sounds on top of that.

The possibilities are endless

SeeYa
Larry Hawk

Hi Technics player,and lahawk;

Yes, throw away or get rid of your vocaliser, the sd card is the next best things since baked bread - well almost.

We have taken our songs playing live added live vocals and recorded on SD card direct from mixer into cool edit pro, changing to MP3 saving on SD card. Than playing SD card on
keyboard and re recording vocal again in harmony back ground.

We have also recorded our instrumentals and
played along live using untold amounts of
super sounds from the keyboard and sound boards. It is just endless on what you can do.

Who needs the mechanical sound of a vocaliser, a little more work with the SD card but the results are fantastic. I sold my harmonizer
on Ebay about 3 months ago.

Most forum membes are not taking advantage of the neat "things" you can do with your SD cards. Check it out and see what you can do.

Walt Tenay

Hi Walt,
I'm not sure if I understood correctly,
do you use the Panasonic SD Writing Kit or are you actually using Cool Edit to save to your mp3's to sd card for use in the KN7?
best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Walt Tenay:
[B]Hi Technics player,and lahawk;


We have taken our songs playing live added live vocals and recorded on SD card direct from mixer into cool edit pro, changing to MP3 saving on SD card. Than playing SD card on
keyboard and re recording vocal again in harmony back ground.

Hi,

Cool edit pro only for tweeking etc. (audio)
You can use your Song Manager or Cool Edit
pro to change your Wav to MP3.

You will than need the writing kit software to get it to your SD card to play in your keyboard.

Walt

Hi Walt,
thank you for clarifying. Cool Edit must be something similar to the Soundforge program that I received with my Acid 4 software.

best wishes
Rikki

It will be interesting to know how many Mb for sounds has the new KN2600, as compared with KN7000, KN6500 and KN6000.

As you know, this new Technics keyboards is identical than old KN1600, but with new voices, new styles, and SD. So, perhaps some KN1600 (or KN1400) owners may write here what they thinks about it, not about sounds or styles, of course, because these will change now, but about other aspects (functionality, feeling, keys, possibilities...)

I played new kn2600 today it's good value for the money,not a patch on the kn7000 but saying that so far i have not played any keyboard that is, i have played a new roland and the tyros. The 7000 is truly awesome just to play using presetsit is good after a few tweaks but not too many it is fantastic.
Brilliant to take out ,suberb to acompany a singer with,records really well vocals and all.
and to top it all it saves and loads all these things from a SD card, perhaps if we look back 9 or 10 years and see what the kn 7000 has got compared to the kn2000 ,and that cost £2000 also. If anyone wants an mp3 of us playing and singing through the kn7000 just email me i will only send small clips.

Jan

Hi, congratulations, you are the first person playing KN2600 I know.
After you played Tyros and a new Roland (new Roland? which one?), what is your opinion comparing kn2600 with both others?
How good is piano sound?

Hi!

Recently i had a chance to try the demo model of the 2600 which was placed right beside a 1400 (i'm currently using 1400). At first glance the silver finish on the 2600 made the 1400 looked so 'old' .

There were a lot of people trying to get their hands on the unit, so i had a short time trying out the 2600.

The playing feel (keys and button access) are the same IMHO. I like the 'octave change' feature which is always active on the screen - makes changing octaves very easy and quickly. The board felt lighter and there is no Line In at the back. The overall layout does not really give any 'new' feeling except for the silver finish and the glossy SD slot - it's like playing a 1400 with better sounds & styles. I find the layout on the operation screens looked better.

The price for both the 2600 and 1400 are very close with 2600 tagged RM300 higher. So apart from the sounds and availability of styles, the SD card technology would be the driving factor to upgrade to the 2600. Without the floppy drive, especially for 1400 users, the transition to 2600 would be tedious (IMO) bcoz additional stuffs would need to be included eg. pc / laptop & sd card reader.

I will keep my 1400 for the time being.

The KN2600 has 64 mb of sounds onboard.

I am now playing Tyros and Kn2600 midied together with the Tyros as master. I was using KN7000 and have been able to transfer all my registrations from the 7000 to the 2600. They sound almost identical when played through my Torque system. I had built an extensive bank of theatre organ sounds which I use a lot, on the 7000 and am now combining these with the Tyros theatre organs to striking effect.
By setting the split point on the 2600 at C1 and playing left hand on the Tyros the whole 61 notes of the 2600 are available for right-hand work giving much greater depth.
I now have an extremely versatile set-up which has given my poor old back a new lease of life. Instead of having to rest for an hour after setting up at a gig I can get straight on with it (music, I mean) with renewed vigour. Don't anyone belittle the KN 2600. It is a remarkable instrument for the money IMHO.

Trevor.