I may well get excommunicated from Synthzone for even suggesting this....but in desperation I have been frequently emailing keyboard Manufacturers in China pleading with them to produce replicas (with approriate updates)of the Kn7000 and Kn2600 explaining that these instruments are still the best that were ever produced and are still extremely popular.I feel if enough were to follow my lead...well who knows,perhaps a manufacturer might just take it up.

I guess they'd have to buy the copyright Jim which if I was Panasonic I'd want a bob or two for...

I think once the copyright and patent questions were answered, the next most important question would be "where are the engineers who developed these great boards?" ...
t.

This will give you the mentality of Panasonic. A couple of days ago, I sent a snappy email to Panasonic about their no longer making a wonderful Blu Ray DVD/VHS player. They brought it out last year and it is now discontinued and people are scrambling to buy it. When it was released, it could be bought for as low as $139. It quickly went up in price and is now selling (if you can even find it) for as much as $499. This unit plays not only Blu Ray but standard DVD and VHS. The best of all worlds! They are the ONLY ONES that made such a unit so the market should have been wide open for them. When I sent them an email on their site, I wanted to know why they would discontinue making such a fine unit and that it has gotten very high ratings by those that have been fortunate enough to have purchased it. I told them that they did the same thing with the Technics KN keyboards – stopped making them. I went on with whoever is in charge of marketing should be slapped and then fired. I received a short response of “Thank you for contacting us about our products. We appreciate your feedback.” Sincerely … They addressed nothing about why it was no longer made and available.

given that the technics Musical Instrument Company is no longer and that China appears to be a law unto itself anyway,it is worth a try.The technical side would be no problem.It would be great to think that it would be possible to get a replica replacement part for existing keyboards,enough enquiries,enough emails,and some keyboard manufacturer in China might listen.

Going on some of the styles and patterns on my Tyros 3 (some of which even have the same name) I think some, if not all, of the Technics programmes have been bought by Yamaha and I have to say, who can blame them?

As for getting some enterprising company to produce a keyboard as good as the KN7000, with the same quality and ease of use, I truly believe Yamaha are working to this end because they keep bringing out new (and expensive) add-ons which again, to me, are more than similar to the Technics ideas. They've just brought out a few new voices one of which is called 'Boy Scat' (or something similar) and it even sounds the same as the Boy Scat on the KN7 but slightly better because of course, the Tyros 3 has a more up-to-date sound system.

If it means that we get a 'super' keyboard made up with the best of the Yamaha and the KN keyboard, then I for one, am all for it and will support Yamaha all the way.

Ah well! we can but dream on.

Audrey

[This message has been edited by Audrey Turner (edited 10-19-2010).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Audrey Turner:
[B]Going on some of the styles and patterns on my Tyros 3 (some of which even have the same name) I think some, if not all, of the Technics programmes have been bought by Yamaha and I have to say, who can blame them?

Very interesting, Audrey

We appear to be getting reports that Tyros 4 is a worthy succesor to KN7000?
Keith

I very seldom post on this site I just read everyones comments frequently. With that said I would like to get my two cents in. I was thinking of going to a tyros 4 becuase the old kn7 is getting old. I did not want to spend that kind of money and not know how the operating systems worked on the Tyros.
I was advised by another forum member to get the Psr S910 to see if I liked it as it has the same operating systems as its bigger brother the t-4. I took the advise which I am very glad I did. In my opinion, and this is just mine, the Kn7 was years ahead of its time. It is like the Tucker automobile. I found the sax sounds that were articilated to sound very tiny as well as the strings. I will say the Guitar sounds were awesome.
I then went to the sequencer to multi record. This was a nightmare as compared to the kn7.
To me the Kn sounds better, everyone says you have to tweak the sounds to get then to sound better. I did not have to with the Kn.
If the t-4 is comparable to the kn7 I would hope the sequencer, note editing, step recording, and being able to see all of the channels and what instruments are assigned to them at one time , has been improved.
Again this is just my opinion and I do not want to offend anyone, But I am one who went back to the Kn R. I. P. Technics

RC,
Your analysis is right on. I have a s910 and had a PRS 3000 before that. I've spent the better part of a year trying to get the Yamaha to sound some what like the KN7000. Perhaps in another year I'll get fairly close, however the nightmare that Yamaha calls a sequencer is beyond any hope of saving. The keyboard is easy to move around and many of the styles are very good. The styles I really like I transfer to my true love, the KN7000.
Frank