Gee Chas...why did you waste your money on that ugly red Hammond wannnabe? It doesn't even smell like a Hammond. You're going to have to get a rag soaked with tone generator oil and hide it inside the C-1.

Here's my opinion, for what it's worth...

Those who are bashing are actually doing more harm than good for their product, as it is quite obvious they are just trying to make their product look better at the expense of another.

Several friends of mine who lurk on SZ have said that to me already...and that's why I'm trying not to do it anymore, but I must say, it's sometimes very difficult.

Seems that anytime anyone says anything bad about Korg, the same ones regurgitate the same tired old defenses.

Call down Roland, and the same bunch suddenly appear and go bonkers on everything else.

Step on a Yamaha user's toes, and they get just as bonkers and regurgitate equally as many defenses.

Mediastation? Audya? No different.

Whether we like it or not, someone bashing what someone else plays is more than likely going to be taken as a personal slight.

Childish? Maybe, but I doubt it. It's more a human trait, than a maturity issue.

We choose a keyboard because we love the sound/features/weight/ key feel, and all of those things are personal...we believe, after much research and testing, that we have wisely invested our hard earned money into a certain brand and model, also a very personal act, and we like to feel we've chosen the best for our needs...again a personal decision.

Then someone decides to start aggressively and tactlessly bashing our personal choice in something.

It's like you (figuratively) walking into another person's home, and saying they should have bought the kind of furniture that you use, because their stuff is crap compared to your much better choice.

It's like saying you (again, figuratively) saying that someone's taste in music is stupid, or weird because it does not conform to your obviously superior choice of another genre.

I've seen skirmishes happen here that started over who was the best jazz organist (Jimmy Smith, of course), who had made the best choice in computers, like PC vs. Mac (by the way, PC is better) the color of a keyboard (Blue?), the number of keys an arranger should have (61 is the best)....these are all personal choices....and the debates (that's using a nice word) are always ultimately, no-win situations.

All it ends up as, is a bunch of people with hurt or angry feelings, that will jump at a chance to get even at the first opportunity.

I've been there, so I'm no saint, but I'm not buying into it anymore...maybe I'll slip a bit, but I'll keep trying...it's still better than making bad friends and going around looking for opportunities for retaliation.

Life is too short for that foolishness.

Ian