I disagree about the one big innovation: the big innovation for me is the usb connection. We have a constant stream of posts about 'how do I make a cd?' - this solves a host of problems at one stroke.

Being able to record 16 bit 44.1 kHz audio directly to your hard disk, with no analogue stages, no additional effects from your soundcard, theoretically no audible difference between the cheapest and most expensive computer is a major step forward, for me at least. You can make cds now, easier than you could make cassettes in the past, and with none of the hiss, distortion, and inadequate dynamic range. Many have cdrw on their computers, many can now make a cd in around 5 minutes. All the problems of transferring the very high quality output of the KN without losing any of it in the pc have been solved. I have been using usb audio soundcard for a while and am very much in favour of this move.

There are plenty of workstation type features in the existing kn already, but final wave editing or even wave multitracking will now be so easy on the pc, and still get a top quality result.

This is the future, because hardware effects units are soon going to be out of date, replaced by the flexibility of software. Pc power has reached the stage where you virtually don't need hardware anymore. The big problem always was analogue in a pc - this solves it.

I believe that absolute beginners will be able to produce cds easier with the usb than has ever been the case before, and with virtually guaranteed top quality results. More experienced pc sound manipulators can play away with wave files with no worries about loss of quality.

The sd card is another paragraph, but let's see exactly what is built in there first.

As to the rest of it styles, voices, blah-blah - that is the same as every other model replacement, everyone will make their own mind up if it is worthwhile for them.