'There has been no evidence that there is not a substantial market for 76 keys or that a 76 key would turn away those who have used 61. In fact there has been overwhelming evidence to the contrary.'

Where is this overwhelming evidence that there is a substantial market for 76 key arranger products ?

There is definately a market for 76 key instruments but is there one for the 76 key Arranger market big enoug for everyone to sell in and make good enough profit ?

We have been going round and round but if you focused on this specific point then you would see the fatal flaw in the idea that everyone can make a good profit in this niche market.

There is also a clear distinction between the wants and needs of the pro user and the home user. similarly there is a huge difference in market share in terms of sales of arranger keyboards for those customers that are strictly home users compared to pro users.

Who does yamaha gear its sales to in terms of arranger keyboards and why ? Could profit margins have anything to do with it ? Could concepts like returns on investment have anything to do with it ?

Does anyone deny that the yamaha range of arranger products from the lowliest psr right through to the flagship Tyros2 are geared towards the home user ?
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A TYROS 2 DEMONSTRATION AND LOOKED AT THE PEOPLE THAT ATTEND ?

Clearly some of you have not!

Why do you think both Korg and Roland made diferent size arranger keyboards ? Were they aimed at the same market ? But surely by some of the arguments that have been put forward having 76 keys would not prevent a customer from buying an arranger keyboard so why two diiferent key sizes and why not exactly the same keyboard. EG the PA2X has much larger sampling Ram and different pro focused outputs for recording and performing when compared to the Pa800. The same for the speakerless G70 compared to the E80.

Those that cant see the sense in yamaha focusing on producing only the 61 key version of arrangers have all argued that the market is not sensitive to more keys , only less keys right ?

Perhaps , just perhaps Korg , Roland etc understand that there are differences within those customers that might buy an arranger keyboard ? I.E some need more keys and pro features and surprisingly some dont.

The question is , are there wide enough profit margins for both and if so what about when more companies fight for a share of the diminishing profit?

If yamaha dip into the marginal pro arranger market with a 76 key version then the 76 key market will be further diluted and what meagre profits there are will be further stretched. It wont increase the overall pro arranger keyboard market volume. Yamaha make their money from the home arranger keyboard market very well .

They have pro synth products already which again they are clearly within the top 3 profit making manufacturers and they have both 88,76,and 61 key versions of EXACTLY THE SAME KEYBOARD as the pro synth market is sufficiantly WELL DEVELOPED and MATURE.

Incidentally you wont find the same garish colours , multiple christmas tree lights and drum symbols above the keys in their pro line of instruments as you do on their home instruments .These are the same features that many of the pro users here who want 76 key arrangers have complained about.But surprisingly the home market are not so concerned. In fact some of them find the drum cybals above the keys very user friendly.

Does Yamaha know something about marketing to its customers that some of the guys on here obviously dont ?

However the pro arranger market is tiny compared to the pro synth market.So there is less room for profit and consequently less room for error.

If you cant see the difference in the markets,in profit margins, in returns on investment , if you dont understand conepts such as dilution etc then of course it will seem idiotic for yamaha not to produce a 76 key arranger.

I mean there are so many synthzoners that want it yamaha are fools not to produce one right ?




[This message has been edited by spalding (edited 04-04-2008).]

[This message has been edited by spalding (edited 04-04-2008).]