Team,

The style approach (ie being able to have on board your most popularly used/best styles) is a good one indeed. By providing the user with over 100 styles that are re-writeable (and if you must, you can re-load the initial styles from the HD), I believe the Ketron SD_1 approaches this comfort zone. With a pattern expansion installed in the Ketron X-series you can load in over 150 of your own styles - not counting the 109 on board! Remember too that this gives you a widder category to choose from!

As a side:
I personally think that the time will come (if it hasn't already) when we cannot really judge an arranger keyboard from sounds/styles. If you think about it closely, most sounds are being geared towards sounding like the 'real thing'. If that is the altimate goal, then believe me - technology will soon catch up to the point where you would think you heard - the real thing, but until then ... As for the styles, similar situation - after all, most use the sound-set on board (appart from Solton's grooves or Yamaha's real/sweet voices or GEMs RASS etc). 8beat, Latin beat etc - when they are programmed, the programmers mosty use similar reference e.g songs that have already been written etc with a slight change in INTROs and ENDINGS...

So with SOUNDS and STYLES all 'shooting' in similar directions, how can we really rate/distiguish keyboards?
Well, think about 'features' that are attached to the styles/sounds. In that same thought process, add on Operating Systems, over-all cost (you might even what to break it down to cost-per-function if you want to get really acurate), communication with other instruments/outside world etc. These are features that are NOT really heading in the same direction - just one manufacturer copying from another or so to say.
Once you have looked at all the above features, adding on weight, looks, feel etc guess what?

The best keyboard DOES NOT EXIST ... at least not for everyone. Why? We all have different tastes - just as we have different taste for cars, tea etc. Which is the best one (BMW, Honda, LEXUS!).

My point? Voting on this subject, discussing what is best... won't really be effective. However, (in my case) I would be willing to read information here and there stating why someone 'thinks' a particular keyboard is good and worth checking out (e.g whow, the new PSR 10540 has ..., ... and ... check these features out guys!) Wouldn't that be more constructive?

With that said, I still must admit, it has been a pleasure cooresponding with others via this forum. Keep the spirits alive for there is a lot to be learned out there!

AJ