Last night I had a visit from Ted Krauss of CMC, the distributors of Ketron products here in the USA.
Ted explained that without anything new to show at NAMM as of this weekend, there was no reason for the company to show old models.
He has one Audya in New York, but it is still a prototype and therefore not complete with all the new styles and sounds.
AJ, however, just returned back from Italy and he has been given a finished version which hopefully will make the Don Mason Jam next week.
Ted expects finished products to be delivered here in the USA sometime in February.
We spoke about price and although it has not been finialized, I think it will come in at about the same retail price as the Yamaha Tyros3. However, only when it arrives here will we really know the final price.
Ted has assured me that I would receive my store's sample as soon as they arrive and that we would be able to schedule a "ketron day" with AJ here in Southern California soon after.
Ted left me with some brochures and again pointed out to me that besides all the new functions with styles including live Drums, basses and guitars, the other main exciting features of the Audya is a full Ketron Midjay inside, with all it's faders and buttons as a complete midjay section and a large sampler, allowing for the developement of sounds and styles for all ethnic musicians requiring middle eastern, Indian, Latin, etc. sounds. Ted has already lined up musicians well known for their abilities in these markets to develop new "sets" for the Auyda. This will be a project developed for our market here in the USA.


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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566
www.kayesmusicscene.com