Uncle Dave,

Reading the manual can provide important insights into the instrument even before yon can get your hands on it. Granted, one is not a substitute for another, as often there are details of the operation or sound which are impossible/unlikely to convey in a technical docu ment.

However, when things are described to work in a certain way, which is detrimental to one's needs, there is a good chance that that is how it will be in an actual instrument. For example, the Korg's 62 voice polyphony may not cause a problem to you or many other players, but the simple fact is that you will NEVER be able to get more than 62 notes of sound out of this beast - this is something that is obvious just reading Korg's promotional literature. Every Korg user who has ever ran out of polyphony will live with the fear that it may well happen to them againg.

The reviews are much more subjective, but even they can point out areas of potential problms. If I have a chane to play an instrument at a store, usually my amountof time with the instrument is limited. Knowing the areas of potential problems for others, I can spend my time making sure that they are not a factor for me.

Regards