Well, I'm almost ready to make the plunge into the exciting world of the 7000! To those of you who have had the 6000/6500 and now have stepped up to the new 7000, can you tell me what items of the 6000/6500 have been taken away on the new keyboard and what new things have been added (I don't mean technical things, I mean sounds, patterns, etc.)? Some of my favorites on the 6500 are the Broadway rhythm, the jazz rhythms (jazz combo, jazz, quartet, jazz quintet, etc.), Romantic Swing. Am wondering if they have been replaced or modified. Also, is there a good calypso rhythm on the 7000? I have tried to synthesize the many comments here on the Forum about the new 7000 but I am becoming overwhelmed and thought I would simply ask this question to try to pull it all together. Thanks for all information you can share with me, even if it is redundant and has been mentioned here before. Also, thanks to all of you who provided me with information about where to purchase the instrument (i.e. dealers in the USA). I had a number of great responses and leads. You people here on the Forum are truly the greatest!!!

Hugs to you all!

Ted Rose

Another question: Have any of you found "bugs" in the operation of the 7000? If so, what are they and will they be a problem or easily corrected? Thanks.



Ted Rose

Big Question Ted, rather than try to list out the differences between the KN7000 and KN6000 styles, I'll scan in the appropriate KN7000 pages from the 'Blue Book' tomorrow, and email them to you. Then you can compare KN6/KN7 styles. Some of the KN7000 Styles, whilst they have the same name as those on the KN6xxx, have some subtle changes. There are also a few changes in the performance pads. As you will see, some of the KN6xxx styles are missing but there are many new styles. I can't find a Calypso style on the KN7000 although I seem to remember someone asking for and getting one, on this forum. The Sound Controller 'Ball' is not fitted on the KN7000.
If any of your favorite styles from the KN6xxx are missing, you can always load them back as Composer styles. I'm sure I sent you all the KN6000 styles - if not, I sent them all to Bob Hendershot and he has put them on his web site.
I have not found any bugs yet

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Willum

[This message has been edited by Bill Norrie (edited 10-24-2002).]

Ted,
I have the KN6500 for over a year and was looking forward to upgrading to the kn7000, however after spending more than a few hours on one, I've decided not to.
The kn7000, is a great keyboard, and they've added a lot of technical stuff, like the SD-card, but the sound quality is the same as the 6500(the kn7000 speakers are a little more powerful). They haven't, in my opinion upgraded any of the samples or styles. They've just changed some of them.
So if you didn't own the 6500, I would say, you might as well by the 7000, but if you already own one, you might want to wait for the 7500.

Steve

Hi Ted,

This keyboard was made for me. Here are a few things that haven’t been discussed very much.

Chord recognition allows you to play one finger and fingered chords in the same mode.

Amp is so powerful it eliminates the need for outboard speakers except for large venues.

Styles are much more adaptable to orchestral arrangements - really wonderful stuff. Very good jazz and swing styles. However no jazz combo waltz, but a swing waltz orchestra. The number of styles can be close to doubled through the careful use of the Sound Arranger.

Righteous organ samples - just as good as my F100 organ.

There are wonderful guitars, greatly improved drum kits and a cello that sounds like a cello.

The tilt panel is very comfortable and easy to use. It’s easier to move the instrument because the keys are covered.

I’ve done everything I can think of to this machine and can’t find a bug. This is not like the experience many of us had with the 6K.

I hope this of some help.

Frank

Thanks for all the comments from you all here and via e-mail. I was surprised by the above statement of StevenB, whose comments were among the only negative ones I have read about the new 7000! Everyone else seems to think that there is a great improvement in the 7000 over the 6000/6500. Anyway, I think I will still take the plunge; you only live once! By the way, a note to Bill Norrie: what is the web site address for Bob Hendershot??? Thanks everyone for comments, advice, references, etc. You Forum members are the greatest!

Ted Rose

Hi Ted, Bill, Steven, and Frank.

What we are seeing in this thread is KN player's diversity of feelings, needs and expectations concerning their instruments. Steven expressed his feelings and mine are similar.

Some of you may have read my post regarding the North of the Gap gathering last Sunday, October 20th, at Wetherby. It was my first opportunity to see, hear, and touch the KN7000. A comprehensive and detailed demonstration of the many features of the keyboard was given by Chris Whitehead and Paul Thirkettle of Technics. As I said in that post, the KN7000 is a marvellous instrument - but I'm not buying one.

The reason I am not buying the new flagship instrument is simple. I am a beginning keyboard player. I have a KN6000/EW65/EW01/EW02 instrument with all of the accessories including the organ pedals, nearly 40 software disks, and all of the tutorial videos. That represents a considerable investment. I still have so much to learn about the various features of my instrument (Music Style Arranger, Sequencer, Composer, Panel Memories, Custom stuff etc.) in addition to learning how to play.

After the gathering last Sunday I sat at my keyboard and played for an hour or more. I said to myself, "Hey, this is a great sounding keyboard with a ton of technology packed into it. It makes no sense (for me) to get rid of it at this point in time."

I have decided to wait for the next generation flagship keyboard. I think it is worth remembering that Technics is listening to and reading the feedback from KN7000 owners. And it is worth remembering that Technics' new flagship keyboard is under development as we write! The KN7000 has some technology advances, an improved speaker/sound amplification system, great voices and styles. And the organ styles/sounds are particularly attractive to me. All of the improvements incorporated in the KN7000 will be included in the next KNXXXX - plus all of the suggested changes put forward by owners of the KN7000, thus the next generation keyboard will be even more powerful and user friendly. That is the one I'll buy! By then (probably two years?) I will have progressed much further as a keyboard player and will have learned how to use the technology built into my present keyboard.

Those are my thoughts on this subject.

Finally - Bill, thanks again for germinating the idea of a North of the Gap gathering and making it such a resounding success. And many thanks to you and Frank Bez for sharing your music creations with me.

My Best Regards to All of You,

Chuck Piper

Steven, whilst I recognise that you are entitled to express your own opinion, I think you will find that all present owners of the KN7000 will disagree with your comment that the "sounds are the same as the KN6500". I can assure you that they are not! We have been informed by Technics that all the sounds have been re-sampled and there are many brand new sounds as well. You could certainly hear the difference if you had been able to carry out a side by side comparison of the two keyboards. I still have my KN6000 as well as the KN7000 and have carried out many comparisons of the sounds. I can assure you that there are significant improvements, not only in the amplification and speaker system but in the actual sounds themselves.


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Willum

Ted: I found a problem with the Expression Pedal connected to the KN7000.
If you do not have the pedal depressed (Volume at a level higher than off)and try to play the demo., it will not sound. The screen shows that the demo is being played (picture and printed matter show on screen).
I posted this on Synthzone and thank goodness I got a answer to this problem from a owner.
Was ready to call a serviceman.
The master volume will have no effect if the expression pedal is not pushed part way down.
Hope this is solved by Technics with a patch.
Hope all KN7000 owners will see this so they will not suspect that the demo has failed completely.
The answer to my problem came from Synthzone and this is why it is so important a site.
Lloyd

Willum,

I wish I felt the way you do. I was really looking forward to upgrading. I went to the store twice, hoping that it would sound better the second time.
They had a KN-6500 set up right next to the 7000. I tried all of the main instruments, (piano, trumet, sax, guitars, drums), at least 50 styles, and the difference was all in the speakers. I used a good set of headphones and there was no difference. Any small difference could be tweaked on the kn6500 by using the editing features.
I would be very happy if someone could convince me otherwise. In the meantime, I'm hoping they come out with the 7500 in 6 months, just like they did after the 6000 with the 6500.
Steve