I honestly think the sound (and potential sound) of the Wersis is far better than the MS (obviously - they've been around for a long time and have the kinks knocked out by now) and can show what a hybrid can do. Amazing!

BUT....... (it wouldn't be me without one of those!) the price point and weight both weigh heavily against the Wersi's, especially in the US, where they are impossible to find, listen to, and service quickly in the event of a failure.

They really are the way of the future, but as anyone that bought a 42" plasma TV three years ago can tell you, being ahead of the curve is an incredibly expensive proposition, and the Neko's, Mediastations and Muse stuff are all showing an interest in this type of product, at a fraction of the Wersi's price.

I think that if Wersi slashed their prices in half, they would quadruple their sales, and Wersi would have the market cornered, but while they stick to their high-end Scala model of 'build the best and you can charge anything you want, because there IS no competition', guys like Lionstracs slowly (too slowly for me!) utilize the same technology at a fraction of the price, and relegate you to obscurity, if you are not prepared to compete.

Hammond, Wurlitzer, Lowery, all these guys ignored the trend towards keyboard synths and workstations for so long, the market just completely bypassed them, and now they are gone or marginalized. Wersi have an opportunity to avoid this mistake, but only if they act quickly. Technology waits for no man, the power of computers continues to leap ahead, and if Wersi wait while others gradually catch up at lower prices, that's going to be hard to recover from.

As to the weight issue, look, I know Wersi's are built like a tank, last forever, yada yada yada, but my G70, at 20.3kg is also built like a tank, and I have no doubt as to it's durability (especially as I gigged a G1000 constantly for 8 years, at least five night s a week, without a trace of problems). Modern construction techniques and modern materials show you don't have to weigh 30kg+ (60lbs or more for the US readers) to be durable.

Arrangers traditionally tend to be the choice of older players, and about 20kg is about the cutoff point most solo performers are willing (reluctantly!) to lug around. Many (most!) would prefer less, but I for one understand about stability and durability. But if others can make durable products at 20kg, why not Wersi?

Anyway, I enjoyed the demos, thought they showed what a mature hybrid system is capable of, but simply can't justify that kind of money and weight for something I can already do at home with a computer, and on the road with a laptop (or iMac) for a fraction of the price. Get it into MS's price range, or lower, and the Wersi is a no-brainer. It's a leap I think Wersi are going to have to make, otherwise they may go the way of the Lowery......