Ketron already has top-of-the-line keyboards, that are out of my financial reach at the moment. So how about a mid-priced keyboard that can go head to head with a new Yamaha (lets assume it will be called) PSR3100. It should be priced in the same ball park as the PSR3100, approx $1500U.S. $2000CDN. Roland's new E50/60 will probably not be able to compete with the PSR3100 (no harmonizer, no organ flutes,). It will be interesting to see how they price them. Not sure why Roland doesn't take the competion seriously.
Yamaha's strength:
1) Vocal harmonizer (not important to me, but important for others),
2) Special voices (sweet, live, cool, natural, etc). Good quality voices is very important to me, so Ketron will have to come close.
3) Large quantity of styles on the internet.
4) 3rd party software to create styles on a PC.
5) B3 organ flutes.
6) Availability of demos in many stores. This will be a tough one for Ketron. My philosphy (others have this as well), "no see, no try, no buy". I would never buy a keyboard I never demoed.
Yamaha weaknesses:
1) They refuse to make a 76 note keybed.
2) Weak organ sounds.
3) All "normal" (non special) voices are very weak.
4) The acoustic piano voices have a weak signal strength (compared to other voices),IMO. Not a big deal, but very easy to beat them on this.
5) They removed the talk and DSP button. Would be easy to beat them on this
6) They don't have any gritty voices.
Starkeeper




[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 05-01-2006).]