Sounds wise they are close, but I'd have to give it to the Pa2X for having the clear edge because of DNC / RX Technology. It just sounds more real than the Audya. Ketron seem to have recycled a lot of PCM data which is partly why it doesn't sound so new and fresh.

Sound wise, the Audya sounds really great. You can't really criticise the factory sounds at all, they all sound great to be honest. They clearly recycled a lot of PCM data, but hey, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Comparing the sounds to the Pa2X.... it's not really fair because the Pa2X has DNC / RX Technology which allows it to sound very realistic with no effort on your behalf other than to just play the sounds. DNC is also not sample based like Mega Voices are on the Tyros. So it can use it's technology on any sound which is the clear winner if you ask me.

From a programming point of view.... NOTHING comes close to a KORG and there is nobody here that will disagree with me on that one because it's not an opinion, it's a fact. The sound engine is as deep as the top of the line KORG Workstations. If fact a single sound is a merger of Prog and Combi mode all in one. So in certain ways it even exceeds KORG's top workstations in a different way.

For styles, I think Ketron have the edge over everyone, not just KORG. Their style programmers just know how to write good foot tapping beats, so it's really a personal choice here for which you will perfer. From a programming point of view the Audya hasn't had the means to allow you to make your own styles and so I'm not really in a position to compare it to the Pa2X which has had a full style edit mode since day one.

Which is a major beef I have with the Audya. KETRON are clearly a company in serious trouble financially and this keyboard was pushed kicking and screaming out the door with entire systems missing and lots and lots of bugs. Even at this late stage it's still missing many basic functions the competition release a keyboard with, and the OS stability and hardware reliability is still very questionable. On top of that, this is a premium price keyboard.

I'm an OASYS user with is another premium price keyboard and if KORG had done what KETRON just did with the Audya, KORG Forums would be still on fire now from the war that would have took place. There are some things that are just not acceptable and KETRON using it's customers as beta testers and share holders is nothing short of embarrassing. They have no shame though.

All that said, if KETRON can keep going and somehow hold out, they will eventually finish the Audya and it should be a great keyboard by that time. I think though that they will drop it very quickly at that point because the only way for them to make a profit at this point is to finish it, take what they did and put it into another keyboard that costs less.

My 2 cents.

James



[This message has been edited by Irishacts (edited 11-01-2009).]