Here is a list of a few things that I hope will be implemented in the upcoming O.S. upgrade for the Ketron SD1:

1) When you want to use outs 3 or 4 plus the L&R, you are losing the internal effects for all the outs. The whole keyboard becomes dry.

2) Wave files imported and processed in the sd1 sampler synchronize with the tempo of the style but when you change tempo while playing the pitch of the sampled loop changes simultaneously.

3) Will be very helpful if in the pattern edit they add: loop recording, copy measure, insert measure, erase or delete measure, and also event editing.

4) The velocity curve function in page one of the utility does not function at all. There is no difference between the different parameters like fixed, user1, soft, normal, and so on. I am surprised nobody noticed that yet.

5) There is a serious delay in the fill ins if you are using styles that contain real drum loops or wave files. All the styles I use contain wave files or real drum loops in the drum2, and it is so annoying to have delay when using fill ins. If you turn the auto crash off it kind of helps, but what is a fill in without a crash at the end of it.

6) This could be a bug: when in pattern edit, copy mode, if you are copying different things from one arran. to the other and when you come back to the pattern edit record page the instruments change and also just about every time your drum2 loop gets erased as well so you have to reset the original instruments and drum2 loop over and over again if you are using the copy function of the pattern edit.

These are some of the things I wanted to share with you, and I like to hear from people who are already using Ketron Sd1 or anybody else on this forum.

Sev01: Your posting is of particular interest to me because I'm seriously considering purchasing an SD1 myself. I currently play the Technics KN5000 and am also considering an upgrade to the KN6500, but I just heard that the KN6500's hard drive backup 'data transfer system' suffers from a very SLOW archaic data transfer protocol (parrallel port interface). A USB interface had originally been planned, but apparently was never implemented.

Sev01, your SD1 questions and concerns (1-6)sound valid:

1) Sev01, Does the 'internal' efx ONLY shut off when you use outputs 3&4 along with the L&R outputs, or is there also no internal efx output when outputs 3&4 ONLY or outputs L&R ONLY are used too? I'm wondering if there is some kind of efx output routing setting you need to switch on your SD1.

2) Please clarify what you mean regarding imported WAV files synchronizing with the the tempo and pitch (key) changes.

3) I too think it would be VERY USEFUL for the SD1 'pattern editor' to support:loop recording, copy measure, insert measure, erase or delete measure, and also event editing. In fact I would also like to see a Style Pattern 'Drumkit Editor' so one can easily edit (add/remove, change velocity levels), all occuranaces (universally) of a specific drum part (bass, kick, hi hat , etc).

4) I assume you are refering to the keyboard playing (touch sensitivity) velocity curves, right?

5) WAV file 'Fill in' delays: From what I heard (from Ketron_AJ), I think this issue is being addressed by Solton (and resolved?) in OS 3.0. AJ, can you please confirm this. Also, WHEN is OS 3.0 due out?

Sev01: I agree that, most of the time, a fill without a crash on 'beat ONE' of the next measure will sound pretty weird. My question is: just 'how bad' is the delay when auto-crash is turned OFF? You say 'it kind of helps', but HOW MUCH? Does it sound better to just leave the fills out altogether when playing WAV sampled drum loops? This leads to my next question? What is the quality of the internal 'midi' drum patterns, sounds, and fills on the SD1 compared to the WAV Drum sample loops?

6) This 'pattern part' copy thing you mention certainly does sounds like a bug which needs to be addressed. I hope Ketron (Solton) is reading this and hope that they will get it fixed in their next OS update.

Sev01: I would have emailed you privately but your profile does NOT include your email address, so I hope you don't mind me asking you the following questions here:

1) What are your FAV strengths of the SD1? Disappointments?
2) Is the SD1 the 1st Ketron (Solton) keyboard you've owned? Did you ever own the X1? How does the SD1 compare?
3) How difficult was the SD1 OS software (operating system) and keyboard layout to master? Did it take long: days/weeks/months?.
4)What feature(s) about the SD1 led you to choose the SD1 over the other arranger keyboard brands/models?

Thanks for input from Sev01 and any other people here who have had experiences with the SD1 too. Also, I'm still looking forward to hearing SD1 music produced by SD1 owners (Roel deJonge, Ketron_AJ, Henry Ho, and others). BTW, I wonder what happened to Notlos (Dirk Baert)? I really enjoyed his music produced on the SD1.

- Scott

Hi Sev and Scott,

I already noticed the minor differencies in the 'normal', 'soft' and 'hard' but forgot to write it down on the forum and to Ketron. The user-curves however are editable. (see manual)
I'll write Sandro and tell him !

kindest regards,

Roel

Hi guys!
If you don’t mind, I’ll contribute few thoughts about SD1.
1. Concerning Pattern Edit I too have some problems with copying and editing patterns, but since I’m used to external sequencing software, I overcome this troubles by using Midi record – I send a pattern to sequencing software on PC (I use Cubase), I edit it and send back to SD1. That works perfectly without any problems. Anyway I agree with Sev that editing should reach each event.
2. About Fill delays please allow me to make a ‘’copy/paste’’ of one of my previous posts:
‘’Fill delays is something I noticed as soon as I got my SD1. It’s true that Autocrash causes this delays , but not in all styles. The problem occurs when that ‘’standalone’’ crash (cymbal) sound is not in the current drum set. At the moment the crash is supposed to play, a program change has to happen to pick it up from some other drumset and this unavoidably causes the delay. In my opinion the SD1 will have to be programmed in the way, that for each style the Autocrash sound will reside in the drumset currently playing.’’

Two days ago I had my first gig with SD1 and I must say I was surprised about how good it sounded even after a month of practising at home. For the first time I could play It loud and all the characteristics of sound came out. The vocalizer improved my singing a great deal.
I use footswitches that help me make fills, breaks and endings so the fingers are free too play music and the problem of small and similar buttons disappears. The navigation during performance is very easy if the Registrations are well prepared. This gig confirmed once again that SD1 was the right choice for me.

I also believe Ketron engineers will solve most of the problems that we find on SD1, we just have to inform them.
Luka

My response in () below:

1) When you want to use outs 3 or 4 plus the L&R, you are losing the internal effects for all the outs. The whole keyboard becomes dry.
(This is true and had been mentioned in the X1 manuals ... don't know if it is in the SD1 manuals or not).

2) Wave files imported and processed in the sd1 sampler synchronize with the tempo of the style but when you change tempo while playing the pitch of the sampled loop changes simultaneously. (Correct! Wave sync was designed [at this time] for minor drum loops such that tempo effects to pitch changes would be minimal. I believe a 'fix' is on the way for longer loops/files.)

3) Will be very helpful if in the pattern edit they add: loop recording, copy measure, insert measure, erase or delete measure, and also event editing. (I agree)

4) The velocity curve function in page one of the utility does not function at all. There is no difference between the different parameters like fixed, user1, soft, normal, and so on. I am surprised nobody noticed that yet. (Hmm ... strange b/c this works on my current SD1 keyboard. Change settings and the strength:volume ratio changes. At 'fixed', independent of velocity, volume is constant.

5) There is a serious delay in the fill ins if you are using styles that contain real drum loops or wave files. All the styles I use contain wave files or real drum loops in the drum2, and it is so annoying to have delay when using fill ins. If you turn the auto crash off it kind of helps, but what is
a fill in without a crash at the end of it. (Already addressed this in a previous post).

6) This could be a bug: when in pattern edit, copy mode, if you are copying different things from one arran. to the other and when you come back to the pattern edit record page the instruments change and also just about every time your drum2 loop gets erased as well so you have to reset the original instruments and drum2 loop over and over again if you are using the copy function of the pattern edit.
(Although the SD1 allows you to change eg. from ARR A to ARR B [while REC], without saving, it is advisable to SAVE/F5 whenever you've recorded an ARR component. This way, it's settings are memorized prior to you moving on to next part).

Hope this helps!
AJ

PS: I am not aware of an official OS_3.0 release at this time.

Hello everyone,

I thank all the ones responding to my post.

Scottyee, I think most of your questions have been answered by now. I have used SD1 for over 20 gigs so far. It sounds very good. I almost bought a Technics 6500, but it lacked a sampler a hard drive, which were very important for me. In terms of
panel look, display size, and buttons I have never seen anything as beatiful as Technics 6000 or 6500, also sounds are nice too. The operating system in SD1 is not very complicated, it took me about a week or so to learn a lot of things about this keyboard.

Luka, I happen to do what you are doing with the patterns using midi record into the pc. I am using pro9 cakewalk, but it is not convenient and is time consuming, just because me and you have the luxury of having a nice sequencing software and nice sound card doesn't mean everybody else does. These functions are very important for a high end arranger to have. Even a Korg i3 which was made 9 years ago has these features, plus alot more when it comes to patter editing.

Ketron AJ, I am sorry that I forgot to mention that the fixed mode does work, but the rest of them like soft1, soft2, hard1, user1, and so on all feel and sound the same to me. Don't tell me everything else in my keyboard and your keyboard are the same but the velocity curve. As far as the copying function, even if you save your settings while in pattern record mode, as soon as you copy few things between the arrangers you will lose the original instruments.

Roal, yes I know the velocity curve is editable and I have already been there, but sorry to say that it does not work as well.

I thank all you guies again for responding. I am only trying the get the message accross so we could have the best arranger with no flaws, weaknesses, and bugs.