Do you(or have to play)need realtime arranger mode?or is seq playback enough?

if you don't need arranger mode- the big three under 1500 $ can do the job.( used triton or new triton le,fantom 6,7,motif 6)and except le std version all have sampling so you can get your ethnic sounds without a problem.triton and motif(unlike fantoms)can record audio directly (no need to resync)so some acoustic solos shouldnt be a problem.on the other hand fantoms are the best bang for the buck for both built in and expendable memory.

but if you need arranger mood-

get psr 3000 or korg PA 50.

for indian sounds(tabla,sitar,slides)korg PA is much better.yam don't have much.(PA's indian frets patch is pretty nice and you cant find and create /load wkstation like patches in yam).
but on the other hand yam is easier to use,more verastile (mega voice,VH'pads'better fills etc) ,SM card so on.(yam's presets are more tuned for western gigers)
more info for pros and cons http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/009293.html

if you compare side by side you can hear the diff.PA sounds more crisp and clear(48khz compare to 44.1 in yam),but some sounds in yamaha are great too(eg-ac piano-where Korg is weak).

both are great KBs.but PA is 'more sound ' KB for your dollar.3k is more feature /technology,versatility for your dollar.

[This message has been edited by jamman (edited 11-14-2004).]