I am prepared to change my opinion in a flash, at the first sign of any adequate demos.

What I can't understand is why Lionstracs can't post any demos that sound better than a T2 (I keep quoting the T2 just to prove that I am not just extolling the keyboard - G70 - that I own!).

They are an instrument manufacturer in direct competition with Roland, Yamaha etc., and yet somehow seem to feel that THEIR keyboard does not need a competing demo to demonstrate their superiority. In fact, they have a stated opinion that seems to say 'Don't listen to our demos, YOU can make the MS sound MUCH better than this, don't listen to the styles, YOU will have much better sounding styles than this.... and don't EVER criticize our demos, because you just don't 'get' what an open system is all about!'

Laughable.... This may possibly be how things get sold in Italy (don't test drive our Fiat, just buy it and find out whether it's any good), but I am afraid the rest of the world doesn't work that way.

All that seems apparent is that Lionstracs don't 'get' what an open system keyboard is all about, or else WHERE ARE THE MP3s THAT PROVE IT?

Any idiot with a laptop or desktop computer can go out and get B4, Hypersonic or HyperCanvas (itself way worse than a ten year old Roland GS module) and use them with the arranger they already have. Everyone reading this forum has got enough computer for an 'open' system. B4 used to work pretty well on my old Apple G3 300MHz doorstop!

The ONLY thing that can make the MS into a competitive arranger to T2 and the like is, as I said earlier on, is for ALL sections to have unfettered access to top of the line VSTi's, and for the styles to be developed for those same VSTi's. Anyone that thinks the onboard GM/GS sounds are adequate just hasn't ever played a T2 or E80, etc..

I am also concerned about Alfa's appeal to Nigel for 'protection' against this criticism. You have to understand that these people (Domenik and Alfa, and maybe even Fran, if he is still a distributer) are NOT regular members of this forum. They are representatives of a MANUFACTURER, not end users like ourselves. Their opinions serve themselves, you can take their claims with as big a pinch of salt as anybody trying to sell you a product.

We have as much right as anybody to keep the pressure on for 'proof' of their claimed superiority, and to cry 'foul' at their marketing hype. Until they can post ONE style demo that justifies their inflated price (I understand about hardware necessities, but what point is expensive hardware if the sounds and styles it plays are poor?), no amount of claims of superiority will persuade me to buy one.

Perhaps Domenik and his company don't think that hiring a top of the line demonstrator is worth the money. They ARE expensive, and precisely because the product evolves so rapidly, will need to be re-hired every time a significant improvement to the OS or sound-set occurs, but apparently Yamaha, Roland, Wersi, Ketron and just about everybody else thinks they are a necessity of business.

It's an interesting marketing concept..... you post barely adequate demos of a product and say 'But in YOUR hands, it will sound better......' and expect us to fork out a fortune just to find out if you are correct.

How about you GIVE us one, and IF we sound better than the demos, THEN we pay you for it......? No....?

Then don't expect us to trust you, either. Every other manufacturer demos their equipment to hopefully it's highest level except, apparently Lionstracs. Or perhaps, they ARE demoing it to it's current highest level, and unfortunately, that's the best it can do right now. That is what most people will infer....

Remember, these guys are trying to sell us their product, NOT recommend something that someone else makes. They make a profit from our gullibility.

Caveat emptor......