Scott,

When you tried out the PAS the current OS and presets were not available. Things have changed, particularly the presets, which now have special EQ filters for keyboards.

As for the piano sound, the 3000s grand piano does suffer to some degree from phase cancelation, however, as I posted earlier, that problem was solved by utilizing the GM grand piano, which is not stereo sampled, then adding some effects. The modified GM grand piano sounds great.

As stated by Fran, the wonderful sound of stereo is thoroughly enjoyed by the entertainer, and those individuals who happen to be within the stereo sweet spot--a 90 degree cone of sound directly between the speakers. Those folks outside that cone, particularly those on the extreme right and left, don't benefit from the crossover effect because of the sound dispersion.

I believe, IMHO, the major benefit using the PAS is not only the excellent sound quality provided by the system, but additionally, the equality of sound dispersion throughout the venue. The audience gets to hear what you hear, and everyone hears it at the same volume. The person sitting 10 feet away is not having his or her head blown off, while the person in the back of the room is having trouble hearing the music. Those sitting to the extreme right or left of the system are no longer sitting in a dead zone.

Ironically, the Z-5500 system provides much of the same sound quality, and some of the sound dispersion equality. This may have something to do with the overall number of speakers and their individual frequency response. With the Z-5500 and PSR-3000, the total number of speakers pumping sound into the room is 10, just under half used with the PAS.

One of the other discoveries I made during the initial trial of the PAS is there is a significant difference between using the 3000s L/R-Mono out and firing this into a single channel, V/S using the standard stereo output and firing it into channels #1 and #2. The quality of the sound is improved dramatically, and the overall sounds are much fuller and richer than using the psuedo mono output. Keep in mind that I would prefer stereo as well as the next person. But, IMO, all of the PAS's other attributes far outweigh the sound dispersion of aspects of conventional sound systems.

I agree the PAS is not for everyone, and I imagine that sometime in the near future another sound system manufacturer will likely come out with a stereo version of the PAS that will cost significantly less. This wonderful industry never ceases to amaze me with all of the new, inovative products that it has produced over the past decade. I can vividly recall when the PSR-500 came on the market, and it sold for $600. By today's technological standards, just over a decade later, it's a dinosaur. I believe the same holds true with sound systems. They too will evolve over the new few years, and the transformation will be very dramatic. I just hope I'm around long enough to witness the change.

Cheers,

Gary

[This message has been edited by travlin'easy (edited 06-26-2005).]