Great!!!

My SSD is on it's way, UPS already contacted me. Tx once again AJ for the FANTASTIC service I became so accustomed to expect from you. I cannot recommend the Ajamsonic upgrade enough to all the rest of you out there. I am more than elated with mine & there are many things I now miss sorely whilst waiting for my new Ajamsonic SSD.

I find AJ to be exactly the opposite of the suggested "no care" attitude displayed by Ketron Italy, although I've never yet had direct dealings with them myself. Plus he is in a position to fix any software bugs himself & also fix many of the hardware issues inhouse. AJ has always been quick to respond to any of my queries/suggestions & yes, he did respond to ALL of them. I really feel like I am in safe hands with my Audya & I cannot complain about lack of support at all!!! In my world, AJ IS mr. Audya - period! From a support point of view, in my opinion he should have been the main Ketron distributor!

Should I ever have the need to purchase another Ketron product again, I'll do so direct through AJ. It's the likes of him, Frank & others that help to give these products the respect it deserve. For those of you who do not know, any Ketron product can be directly purchased through AJ himself & his prices are very, very good. He offered my friend a brand new Ajamsonic Audya 5 at less than I bought his non Ajamsonic Audya 76 2nd hand from him!! And I thought I got mine at a good price...

I have the absolute best arranger on this planet with all the absolute best updates available for it. I truly am in arranger heaven!

I guarantee that Ketron will follow suite soon and that the Audya will come out with a 120GB SSD as standard. And just maybe AJ will come out with repeatable intros & endings before Ketron Italy will...

Keep well all my friends,

Henni

Hi all,

Yesterday I received my new Ajamsonic SSD with all the latest on it. I could never utilize all the new Ajamsionic sounds before as my Audya is one of the first models which do not accept more RAM without extensive electronic modifications.

To my utter AMAZEMENT!!! AJ included a brand new sound board with the new memory already installed with a note to say I can pay him later for it (the price for it is extremely reasonable!)

What service!!! Ajamsonic really rocks!!! Man, I only have GOOD things to say about my Audya experience. We had visitors yesterday, and only during the night could I start to play with all my newest goodies. I had very little sleep as a result...

I am once again blown away by what I have!!! For the first time, all new sounds required are loaded into memory & now all styles sound the way they were intended to & the way they were created. It's like having a new arranger & once again I'm in arranger heaven.

The new voices are beyond description. They make the existing & new styles shine. The default Ajamsonic voice selection for the different variations for the different styles is superb! The new styles (yes, already there are many new ones) are superb!!! The new super styles are just AMAZING!!!

The audio parts on the factory Audya stands out a little too much. You can hear them in just about every style as great emphasize have been put on these. It sounds nice eventually, but after a while it becomes boring. Well, AJ re-balanced everything and now all you hear is just real sounding, well balanced, fantastic real world like styles.

It came with many, many new onboard Ajamsonic demos. I'll post most here over time & I'm totally convinced you'll be as impressed as I am. I cannot see how anyone could have an Audya without the Ajamsonsic conversion. You are loosing out on a LOT all my good friends.

Oh yeah, one last thing: My Ajamsonic Audya makes ample provision for the younger generation. When I post some of the on-board the demos over here you'll hear many, many styles not found on any other arranger. I make you all this solemn promise. Hear for yourself soon...

My Ketron rocks!!! AJ's service rocks!!! AJ's upgrade rocks!!! What an arranger!!! What service!!! What happiness!!! Thank God for giving me the intellect to choose right!!! I am a happy chappy!!!

All the best my many good friends,

Henni

Hi all,

Just a short description of what could be done with some of the new voices: (I list only the new voices that has specific methods of playing attached to them)

AJAM GRAND PAD: Play & hold notes. Play hard & soft for variation.
AJAMS GRANDSPARK: Play & hold notes. Play hard & soft for variation.
FANTASY GRAND HM: Play in arranger mode. Harmony added to notes!
AJAM GRAND PARIS: Play & hold for auto Appregio!
AJAM GRAND PIZXZA Play & hold for auto Appregio!

AJAM ORGAN MORPH: Use modulation wheel to cross-fade between sounds.

AJAM CELESTE: Play soft, then hard/fast for bend effects.
AJAM HARMONICA: Play soft, then hard/fast for bend effects

AJAM NYLON: Press normal for new Nylon. Ptress hard for bend. Hold & release note after 1 sec for fret noise.
AJAM STRATO BEND: Press normal for Strato Plus new dfelay effects. Press hard/fast for bends.
AJAM DISTOR SFX: Press normal for new Dist. guitar. Press hard/fast for bend. Hold for 1 sec before release for release effect (else no release effect - you choose)
AJAM STEREO GUIT: New Nylon with space effects. Press hard for bend etc.

AJAM SPARK EDEN: Nice new Electro with 'Garden of eden' effects when you hold down notes.

AJAM AHH_HEY: Play soft for Ahhh & hard for Hey. Great with styles.

AJAM BRASS SHAKE: Play normal for natural Brass. Hard for shake!
AJAM B&S: Play soft natural Brass. Normal for bend. Hard for shake!
AJAM TRUMPT: Play normal for Trumpet. Hard for bend.
AJAM TROMBONE: Play normal for Trumpet. Hard for bend.
AJAM BBAND MODL: Mod play & move modulation wheel.
AJAM TRUMPETS: Play normal for bright horns. Hard for thrill!

AJAM BLOW TENOR UP: Play normal for rich sax. Hard for bend up note. Monophonic sound (press a note then as this note is depressed, press another) LIVE SAX (cannot play more than one note at a time)
AJAM JAZZ CONT BEND: Play normal for rich sax. Hard for bend. Valve sounds on random notes especially for delay more than 1 sec between notes.
AJAM ALTO SAX D: Play normal. Release note after 1 sec for random roll off sound!

For many of the styles: Hear the new choir voices in some of the intro's & endings. Make sure lower vol is up & play left hand chords hard & then soft. Play & hold right hand notes for >5secs!!! Etc...

Keep well all my friends,

Henni

Hi all,

Here's the manual for the Ajamsonic upgrade should anyone be interested.

Keep well all my friends,

Henni

Hi all,

Some nice Ajamsonic demos:

















Keep well all my friends,

Henni

Hi all,

A few more:























Keep well all my friends,

Henni

Hi all,

A few more:
















Keep well all my friends,

Henni

This says it all!!!

Henni

That's not exactly a ringing endorsement of Ketron's after sales service. AJ seems to be doing a good job, but one man taking up the slack for an entire company that seems to care nothing about its customers doesn't inspire me.

For whatever reason, illness, a falling out with the company, whatever, if AJ is not your contact, once again, you are screwed. Holding its customers over a barrel and saying that, unless you buy AJ's upgrade, you might as well talk to a brick wall if you want after sales service is appalling.

I should get the same level of service from Ketron whether I purchase additional upgrades or not. No other manufacturer ignores its customers until they have purchased expensive additional upgrades. This is extortion, not customer service.

A $5000 arranger should come with the highest standards of service out of the box. Not after you have been forced to pay even MORE!

I guess that everyone knows by now that I LOVE Ketron products; HATE the US company. It involves the major "no-no" of going around established distribution and selling direct.

Two guesses as to who's done that? (the first doesn't count).


Russ
(Diki-you nailed it)

i LOVE the AUDYA but HATE Ketron Italy, see my link:

http://www.synthzone.com/forum/ubbthread...rvic#Post368822

Let me clarify a bit here:

As for me, Henni from South Africa, personally - I purchased my Audya 2nd hand. No warranty, guarantee or anything came with it. Next I upgrade to Ajamsonic which consists of new software only. Next thing I receive better customer service than I've received from any other arranger manufacturer to date.

Now you can see it any way you please. I am a happy Ketron customer. Fact is, AJ is NOT sick, he's NOT out of business & he's NOT in any fued with the factory in Italy. He responds to every single email from me. I am a happy customer.

Why should I not recommend this to those who are frustrated to the extreme? You can blame him any way you want, but he delivers on his promises. And he even goes beyond that as was clearly the recent case with me when he send me a complete new sound module with the latest RAM installed without any prior arrangement and in full faith that I will compensate him for it for the price as quoted with delivery. Anyone else out there tell me where you've received same from your super reputable arranger manufacturer!

How the products are distributed is of no concern to me. I am the end user & all my needs have been taken care of & then some.

Leezone, you can keep on being frustrated or follow my advice. There is no gain or profit for me in this other than to see you happy. Take it or leave it my friend. You gain absolutely nothing by poluting the reputation of Ketron Italy. They make an outstanding product!

Tell me, can you edit the live user guitars on your Tyros or even create new ones for it? Have you ever complained to Yamaha about this & if so, what was their response...

Henni

Well Said !!!!

"You gain absolutely nothing by poluting the reputation of Ketron Italy."


Henni,

the truth MUST be told. Ketron Italy Customer Service is horrendous to say the least.
let's not be afraid to express the NEGATIVE as well as the positive

Ketron USA, UK, on the other hand is a totally different story.

Ignoring your customers is totally unacceptable for ANY company in ANY country.

Leezone,

I am apsolutly on your site and Agre with your opinian about Ketron Italy coustomers suport.
On first day when I purchase my Audya I do complaine about Ketron behavior,no response on mail and no responce on forum members questions.That is thre year old story with no changes.

On the ende of March this year my Audya was stolen from my music room thill when I preper tu upgrade to AJ product. Now I looking on my new Audya to buy and that mean I am not engry on Audya,but on Ketroners guys who had no faces to respond on problems.
AJ is a brite light on the end of that sad story with Ketron products and I hope will be sine a long time....

Henni, "buying through AJ" is the problem...and it's a MAJOR ONE.

He works for the US distributor and should NEVER sell direct.

There are several instances where Ketron lost good dealers over this practice.

There is no excuse for this type of highly questionable business practice.

Now, if he wants to sell his upgrade, that is a different story, if the Ketron company does not offer it through distribution. It's not completely "clean", but less of an obvious breach of ethics than selling Ketron products direct, around established dealers.

That is NEVER an accepted business practice in the US.

Really sad!


Russ

Russ, why would you not consider AJ a dealer?
He qualifies as any other Ketron dealer...buys wholesale and retails Ketron products..He even operates is an area that has no other Ketron dealers..

AJ is/was a independent technician for Ketron, and developed a product independent of Ketron...this product makes it necessary for AJ to sell Ketron products with his added hardware/software options...

I do recall your initial concern was the distributor selling retail..but this is not the same situation..

In Henni's post, he talked about the fantastic price AJ gave a friend of his for a NEW KETRON. Universally, approved dealers ONLY can sell the contracted product. As an employee/consultant for Ketron, that's a major conflict of interest; something not tolerated by any manufacturer I know of.

Typically, when asked, a manufacturer will direct a sales lead to a dealer in the appropriate sales area.

At a summer NAMM, I was hustled to buy Ketron direct but never tell any dealer(s). I was even asked to meet away from the show for delivery. Later, I was called and offered deals
direct, without a distributor invoice.

Two guesses who did that. It doesn't matter whether this was done without the knowledge of the distributor (major blame goes to the individual) or with the distributor's OK (if that were the case, in any industry I am associated with, EVERY DEALER WOLD DROP THE LINE)!

Several good dealers have dropped the line.Good for them.

I would upgrade my SD-5 and Midjay in a heartbeat if it weren't for this major ethical "no-no".

If AJ weren't affiliated with the distributor, and was granted a dealership, it would be a different story. He probably has the OK to sell his upgrade. But, that doesn't make direct sales, bypassing distribution OK at ALL!

It's a damn shame!


Russ

Henni,
It is a very good thing you are getting "first class" service from Ketron regardless of where it comes from. However, there are those of us in the USA not that happy with the service offered. I for one have yet to get a broken SD2 unit replaced after installing a Ketron recommended update which caused the unit to stop working. It has been over 6 months and I can't even get a phone call or email returned from either AJ or the USA Ketron dealer. Sorry, but this is a true event and I make no apologies to anyone for posting my experience.

Deane

Your local dealer is your lifeline... Whenever I have a problem, they are the first people I go to, and their clout with the main distributor in the country has saved my butt a bunch of times, not to mention the local dealer, if they have what has failed in stock, never hesitate to give me a 'loaner' while the issue is resolved.

What Ketron have allowed to happen to their local dealer network (allowing them to be undercut by shoddy business practices) has been what has allowed them to become little more than a minor player in the game.

If Ketron (with a wink and a nod, or just total disregard for the matter) don't really care how sales are allowed to come from anywhere, at any price, then they need to allow ALL local dealers the same deal, and allow those with brick and mortar stores to undercut AJ if they feel like it...

The playing field needs to be level. Or the system doesn't work.

I was also a Ketron dealer....Only Ketron dealer in my area..

Lou was the distributor in New York.

Selling price was a issue, and they did not want the product line discounted heavily....

In fact George Kaye and I had a small issue on X1 pricing on SZ...If I recall George had Lou call me to assure there would be no undercut of prices..

The distributor has all the control...they set the prices, allocation and have a big say about policy....or you won't see product..

I've said this before but I believe the US is a small market for Ketron (IT) as opposed to Europe and the UK. So they dedicate their resources, customer service and otherwise, accordingly. Then we get disgruntled, and don't buy Ketron, and the cycle continues. Not the dealer's fault- it starts at the beginning of the chain. The European mentality of shutting down production for the summer doesn't fly here, but if you want something not in stock in late June don't even think about it until things gear up in September. They do not think, nor act , globally on all levels. Puzzling since the world economy has taken such a hit and most companies are scrambling for sales. I have talked to the western US distributor and a midwestern US dealer who are always anxious to help and to sell. I think the New York distributor needs to work harder at responding to customers and supporting dealers in the northeast at least. You can't be draggin' your feet the NYC area (a center of world commerce) and be successful. But again, the Italian home office doesn't care much about how the markets and buying habits are here, even to the point of losing sales for a long summer vacation.

Of course some, including me , would say we should do that here, for the sake of life and families. Ah, but greed rules in this country, so summer closures are few and far between here. Hell, even some schools are going all year 'round. Eases the burden of daycare so people don't have to be home from work..$$$$$$..

If Ketron don't pick up the phone, how do they know what country the call is coming in from?

Hi everyone,

Here's the way I understand things:

1. AJ purchases Ketron products from the distributor at the SAME COST (no employee discount what so ever) as any dealer.
2. AJ offers more direct support than any dealer to date (at no extra charge to the end user).
3. The current distributors (CMC distributors) contracts his company (Ajam Inc.) to provide Product support services to Ketron USA customers 1 day a week (Mondays only) and these services include (but are not limited to):- phone calls/emails/text ...etc from customers and them, repairs for the entire country ...etc. So when he helps out outside of those days, isn't it fair to do so to his customers only?
4. The new Audya offered to my friend was a fully Ajamsonic converted Audya, including the new RAM & SSD.
5. As I understand, most manufacturers have what they call a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price). The distributor sets this and all their dealers adhere to it. Now this means e.g. AJ cannot 'advertise' anywhere (internet, in store .. etc.) say an Audya to be less than it's MAP of $4798.00.
HOWEVER ... if a customer walks into the store, calls AJ or communicates with him (text or facebook) and wants to negotiate the price, it is his right to sell him an Audya for $1000.00 and take a loss. The store owner knows what margin they can live with and when they can let a product go. Once you begin negotiating with a dealer, they can sell at whatever price they want - they just cannot advertise it at a price lower than MAP (in order to be fair to all). This is something people need to know. Guitar Center (one of the biggest chain stores over there) has always sold Yamaha products below MAP to many customers (AJ included) ... if you get in and start to bargain.

Let's be fair. AJ is my door to Ketron & I have nothing but praises for the way he's treated & helped me to date. And I like to make things like these known to all so they can experience same...

Also, I see very little effort from dealers over here defending Ketron Italy. I am a private individual, but if you look at my posts, you'll get the impression that I work for Ketron. I do everything in my power to give the Audya the reputation it deserves. Where are all the legal dealers to back me up whenever I do so?

Ketron makes a FANTASTIC product. They need all the support they can get. Yes, their outlook on life & marketing is way different than those of the rest of us, but never the less they are the designers & manufacturers of this stunning product. They can't be all that bad after all...

Henni

I love the products- that's why I am looking for an SD5 (had an sd3 module, loved it) instead of keeping Yamaha's "all that" 950. "Best natural sounds" really is. And the Sd series was/is relatively trouble free, and doesn't require a mortgage to buy. But this is about service and support, not the product.

I cannot say enough good things about AJ and thank him enough...

I did not buy my Audya from him, but judging by his support, you would think I did.

IMO it's "ALL" the "SOUNDS" in the "TOTAL MIX" that count in an arranger KB ...

AJ has helped me out several times. Ketron should recognize his value and give him a staff of customer service and technicians to work for/with him. Or sub him to provide these things on a regular basis. then he can hire the aforementioned staff.

When I bought the Ajamsonic upgrade. AJ was right on the phone to me to help with a problem that turned out to be user error. Now, I must say he appeared to be too busy to answer my general questions until a week or two after,but,that is understandable.

Once you are a customer, the level of service is great. This is because he agreed to spend X number of hours servicing Ketron customers in general, and the bulk of his time to his own business. I do know,however, that he spent much more time on non customers than he agreed to.

I am not passing judgement on his agreement with Ketron, just defending him otherwise.
Bernie

Email support from most arranger companies in the US is 7 days a week. One day a week for Ketron (unless you buy from AJ?)...

Yep. That's the way to build a reputation.

Not a good one, though.

Hello All,
I wonder whether Ketron are statistically content with their product sales figures or initiating a marketing campaign for their products at all...
I discovered the Audya on this exact Forum and like most purchases i make now are self searched with emphasis on negative feedbacks on the particular product. And yes, this very topic about Ketron was brought to mind and i was very much aware.
Back then, I've only managed to locate one dealer in Australia. Asking the rest of Pro Music dealers in my local area, surprising most haven't even heard of Ketron nor Audya less alone stocking the product. So I ended making the purchase on Ketrons attitude of take it or leave as the sales manager could only gave me a certainty of a price and not much about the product. Because of this initial engagement, I can't say nor recommend pre and after service sales.
Today, and everyday prior since, turning on the Audya well... Henni please ... And all products released by either Robert Messier, AJ and any other suggested/related ketron products, I have no second thoughts but to have my "little" contribution to the overwhelming costs of producing this fine piece of gear.
As a day to day user and not much concern for its technical numbers thus leaving such to either professionals like Robert or AJ to deliver the goods, I can only emphasize to those around me about the end result of this Magnificent arranger.
All I can sum up is.. No matter what product purchases you make, keyboard, computer, car.. You are more likely to be pleased and content with what the product actually IS rather than what you would like it to do...
As for Audya support, this Forum and AJ is my reference manual. With AJs personalised service and the Ajamsonic upgrade it is indeed his pursuit of perfecting perfection. And with his video tutorials well.. That's all I ever need to fulfill my Audya purchase..
Kindest regards to all...

Everybody is happy with their arranger UNTIL something goes wrong. We've had people on this thread that have had no problems with their Audya, and they are perfectly fine with Ketron support.

Then we've had people that HAVE had issues, and they almost to a man are NOT happy with Ketron's sparse dealer network and lackadaisical support.

Draw your own conclusions. I know I have.

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

More Ajamsonic demos...

Yup Diki,

You condemned the Audya right from conception stage. I can very well remember all your verbal abuse over here towards Ketron. No wonder they shut their ears to outside opinions & doom prophets. I know I would have done same!

Guess what, it made it after all & despite what you've predicted, it is the most stunning arranger to be had by anyone. It is light years ahead of anything else currently available.

Anyways, enjoy your Roland. I am enjoying my Audya tremendously!

Henni

Henni... don't take it so personal. Verbal abuse? Doom prophets? What a bunch of drama queens!

I have reservations about the concept of audio loops for arrangers. I spend a fair amount of time customizing styles, moving a beat here, a bass line there, changing the sounds the factory uses. I am one of those kinds of players that rarely wants to sound EXACTLY like everyone else with the same gear, and who wants to put my own stamp on a style. Ketron's audio features don't really allow this.

I also, if I get behind the idea of audio loops for guitars, I want audio loops for FAR more than the basic maj/min/7th chords. I've heard all the demos of the guitar loops, and so far, I haven't heard ONE go from a maj to a diminished chord without a fairly radical change in sound and performance. Which is exactly what one would expect, as one is a recording of a real guitarist, and the other is a 100% MIDI guitar performance (no different to what we all already have). As I have said before, IF the transition were so smooth you couldn't hear this, why bother with audio chords in the first place? And if you CAN, the feature is incomplete.

Then there's the price, versus the appalling after sales service. Few arguments there. The only people happy with Ketron's repair service are those that haven't yet used it!

If bringing up pretty obvious shortcomings is 'verbal abuse', you need to grow a thicker skin! This entire forum is full of 'verbal abuse'... in fact, your touting your opinion of Ketron's superiority is 'verbal abuse' to the rest of us, viewed in that light!

This is a forum to discuss the pros and cons of different arrangers (amongst other things), and if you can't handle warranted criticism without becoming paranoid, it might be better to not comment about how great YOUR arranger is!

Nah my friend,

I can dig up some of your old posts and show you what I mean. There were times when I felt embarrassed for Ketrons sake based of some of your comments.

But let's leave it there. You clearly have a personal vendetta going on with Ketron for whatever reason. I could not care less. It is one stunning arranger with all problems solved by now. I do not know of an unhappy Audya owner. Like any new product it had it's share of teething problems, not too hard to understand.

Yes, my skin is thick, you are right. I am tired of this contineous Ketron bashing. It's like a "belong to a club" thing for many. And I intend to put it right everytime I come upon it, so grow up & get used to it. You are NOT the only one over here with a strong opinion. Get used to that too.

You made some wild & totally unfounded statements. Let's see now:

1. First I stuffed up my software. TWD had to mail me restoration DVDs in a great hurry. I received exceptional good support & service from Ketron UK.

2. Next my HD packs up. Within just more than a week, AJ had a new SSD delivered to my doorstep. I received exceptional good support & service from Ajam Inc.

3. My Audya's memory cannot be upgraded to 128 MB making most new Ajamsonic styles virtually useless to me. To my utter AMAZEMENT, AJ arranges to have a complete new soundboard with the new memory already fitted delivered to my doorstep. I received exceptional good support & service from Ajam Inc. even when I did not ask for it!!!

Yes, one has to be a go-getter & make these things happen. No use sitting back & only badmouthing Ketron. These kind of problems won't solve themselves. But take it to the right people & you WILL get sorted out in no time at all!!!

I reckon that just sometimes you have to actually THINK before you start to type mate...

Cheers mate,

Henni

For starters, bringing up MUCH older posts and then going "with all problems solved by now" is a bit invalid, isn't it..? My posts at that time were a response to issues they had AT THAT TIME.

That they have solved them at a much later date (been out 5 years now, right?) doesn't address the FACT that they shipped it with those issues at the time. Which is what I posted about.

You have also seem to have completely forgotten about the many times I have said that the Audya, IF it fits what you want it to do, is a spectacularly good arranger. Apparently, only perceived slights are the only thing you can be bothered to remember. I don't see how that's MY problem, do you?

And my reservations about the Audya are based on FACTS that the Audya cannot address. There is no way to move beats around in a drum part, or have a different guitar or bass play the audio loop parts. I don't play much in the way of unedited, factory ROM styles. I like to change them to my taste. Audio loops don't allow you to do this, and there it is in a nutshell.

If you can play an arranger out of the box and be happy, well, if you've got $5000 to spare on something with email support one day a week, you are good to go... The Audya is a superb arranger.

My needs are very different.

Audya is for Henni and many others. Audya is not for Diki and many others. Problem solved! No charge for my incredible insight.
DonM

Don ... GREAT JOB !!! ... have you ever thought of being a psychiatrist or psychologist ???

I thought about being a Gynecologist a lot.
DonM

Okay Diki,

I'll leave it at that. I think AJ is busy making a video demonstrating style modelling on the Audya. I think many will be AMAZED when they see this & the effect it has.

For instance why move a single drum part around if you can simply select another loop more suitable to your specific requirements? But then, don't bother, I know already - what you are looking for would not be among those libraries.

Yes, like DonM rightly says, the Audya is not for everyone. But for some it's the ultimate arranger currently available. I think many of the demos listed over here will make that clear. And some users like i.e. Sokratis use it at a top professional level. All Audya owners are not only make-believe musicians like me.

Anyway, keep well my friend, it's been fun debating these with you.

Henni

Henni, we're not talking apples and apples. You're talking about a great machine and a great upgrade. You're right. I'm talking about a major business ethics violation. I'm right on that one, too.


You have chosen to buy the machine of your choice...GOOD FOR YOU!

I have chosen NOT to buy the machine of my choice.

Worst ethics violation(s) I've ever seen in the music business and I've been in it over 50 years.

Yamaha, Roland, Korg...ANY other manufacturer would have either fired the person involved on the spot, or NEVER entered an agreement where selling direct, against established dealers (and telling the customer...ME...not to tell a dealer)was allowed.

Either way, I'd NEVER have anything to do with EITHER the company, OR the individual.

You are giving a vested interest group valuable information about what you think is a great product. That's what a good "Zone" participant does.

I'm telling about a terrible business practice, thinking that prospective customers have the right to know, before making decisions. I feel it's my obligation to tell my associates here. That's also what a conscientious "zone" member should do.

Good luck with your Ketron product.

Wish me good luck with mine, because, when/if they break, guess who I "ain't" going to count on for repair?


Russ

If I want to change the drum track on my Roland from a rock kit to a brush kit, it takes a few button presses. If I want to do the same on a Ketron, I have to search for EXACTLY the same beat, played on a different kit? Get real, for Pete's sake..!

Plus, let's be real here... most loop libraries are not based around the needs of an arranger player. And, pray tell me, how do I deal with the intros and outros. I bet you've got a good suggestion for how I replace those rock intros with brushes, don't you? No?

This is a VERY common scenario... you turn up to a low volume/energy gig, someone wants to hear some Springsteen, or a Clapton tune, you have the perfect style for it IF you were at high energy levels. With an Audya, you say 'sorry'. With a MIDI arranger, you change the kit to brushes, the bass and guitars to acoustic, and everyone is happy.

No Diki,

Wrong AGAIN!!! Tx to a guy called "Henni" the Audya has as many midi styles as your BK9, no, let me correct myself. It has many, many more as it has a 120GB SSD on board. I haven't counted, but I suspect in the region of 30 000 or more...

So one would simply choose a midi style for the occasion and then do exactly as you suggested. Easy as pie.

Russ,

I cannot comment any more than I did before. I am NOT a dealer. I have NO idea how they see things like these. My testimony is not from a dealer point of view, only from that of a end user. I have no intention of becoming a dealer, so these things are of no relevance to me.

What I care about is to have my problems sorted out as & when I get them and this has been outstanding thus far from two different resources. Thus I am extremely happy with Ketron's support.

Henni

I see. Ethical violations have no relevance to you and do not influence your business decisions.

Well, they mean A WHOLE LOT to me, and, I suspect, a good number of Synthzone members.

Good luck. Enjoy your Ketron product.


Russ

Russ,

You know very little about me. Two months ago I bough a vehicle for a bargain. I paid cash on the spot. The next month I approach the seller, told him he sold it to me for too little, & compensated him the rest of a fair price.

This week we bought a pedigree dog. After paying, the seller told me that the person placing the add advertised it for too little. I took his banking detail & made arrangements to pay the rest.

Yet, in spite of this, everywhere we go others take us for a ride. We sue NO one, so we just get over sulking & carry on with our lives. You will not believe everything that has happened to us this year alone. Yet we still make sure NO one ever suffers any loss as a result of us.

You can accuse me of many things, but here you are WAY out of line my friend. You will NEVER find me involved in ANY form of corruption. Not now, not before and NEVER ever!!!

We live for the down & outs and feed & clothe the poor out of my own income. And I am not young anymore. I am still corresponding today as I have to work all the way through the night. I earn my income in a hard working & in an honest way.

Henni

Henni, I certainly didn't mean to offend you.

I don't understand why we're apparently talking two different languages. Corruption and anything that looked like an accusation NEVER entered my mind.

You said whet you wanted to. I said what I wanted to.

Let's just be done with it.


Russ

After listening to & trying to understand all viewpoints, this is how I see it:

When you purchase a keyboard from ANY dealer, the only reason you have to go to the manufacturer for anything is if the dealer cannot or will not resolve your issue(s) at hand. In my case, I have not yet found the need to go to the manufacturer. How many folks in the UK have had to contact Ketron Italy after dealing with i.e. ToneWheelDude? How many in the US have had to contact Ketron after dealing with AJ or Frank or George Key or Dan Onliel?

In the case of those who say they have contacted Yamaha and received calls in a few hours, in effect they only contacted the Yamaha sales /distributors department in the USA. To be fair, if you contact Ketron in Italy (the manufacturer) and get a reply in a few days or weeks, how long will it take to get a reply if you contact the COMPANY - Yamaha in Japan (not the sales office in the US)? Can you contact Yamaha Japan and get a response from them with regards to a hardware technicality - maybe saying you want to add User AudioDrums to a Tyros 4 as well or since the PSR S950 already has audio drums, you would like to extend this and include Audio bass too (as these are questions Yamaha USA won't be able or willing to answer, apart from telling you it cannot be done -but you want the factory to tell you how it CAN BE DONE). I still remember the initial reaction to not being able to edit the live drums on the S950.

As for ethics, each company operates differently. There have been cases where sales reps (not dealers) have sold to individuals as well. There is no law in the US (to the best of my knowledge) that states that a sales corporation/distributor cannot sell a product to an end user if they choose to. Granted they will offend many of their dealers, but it's their choice and a law was not broken. Someone who is contracted to work for a distributor who still purchases a product from a distributor at the same cost as a dealer does shouldn't be looked upon as someone in violation of a rule or code -what code?

Ketron is not the only company with call back issues to customers. Not too long ago, DonM posted on SZ how for months, he had a PA3X and a problem and got nothing from Korg. He came close to suing them (if he didn't already)!!!! This is KORG .. one of the big 3! It doesn't justify Ketron's silence, but it needs to be understood that all companies have their strengths (Yamaha = customer service) and weaknesses (Ketron [the parent company in Italy now] = Customer service). Strengths (Ketron = Live Arranger section with live drums), and weaknesses (Yamaha = Lack of Live Arranger/Drums). Korg or Ketron (can be tweaked right down to the bare bones in most cases), Yamaha (tweaking at a deep level is reserved for the factory and not the end user) etc.

So, there are many sides to a story. One has to look to them ALL before forming an educated opinion. Ketron is not the only party guilty of some things. Yet they produce an outstanding arranger. In fact, they designed something five years ago that has not been surpassed to this date, not even by some of the Mega Corporations! And I & others are a personal walking, talking testimony of very, very good support & services rendered.

Don't believe everything you hear...

Keep well all my friends,

Henni

Hi all,

Man, how I LOVE my Audya!!! Just for fun, here are the very latest Tyros4 demos played by Martin Harris, the Yamaha guru himself. No one can play that arranger any better.

Compare for yourself.

All the best my friends,

Henni

Hi all,

Man, how I LOVE my Audya!!! Just for fun, here are the very latest Tyros4 demos played by Martin Harris, the Yamaha guru himself. No one can play that arranger any better.

Compare for yourself.

All the best my friends,

Henni

Hi all,

Man, how I LOVE my Audya!!! Just for fun, here are the very latest Tyros4 demos played by Martin Harris, the Yamaha guru himself. No one can play that arranger any better.

Compare for yourself.

All the best my friends,

Henni

We can't pass this one up, Henni...great use of multiple split points...this would work on most arrangers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS5gy34mIvU

Marty's playing is always inspiring.

Henni, I must say I am very impressed with your enthusiasm for, and your complete satisfaction with, the Audya and Ajamsonic. It is heartening to see someone else more than satisfied with their arranger choice (I am another). I have had a few PM's with AJ and he is a very bright guy, a true gentleman, and appears to be a great person to have as support.

Ian

Hi Ian,

I'll download & post the MP3 version of that here soon. Yes, I am really, but really elated with my Audya. I'm not downing any other arranger. Remember, I've owned a few Yammies, Korgs & Rolands myself. But I really like to showcase the Audya to all.

Keep well my good friend,

Henni

Hi all,

Man, how I LOVE my Audya!!! Just for fun, here are the very latest Tyros4 demos played by Martin Harris, the Yamaha guru himself. No one can play that arranger any better.

Compare for yourself.

All the best my friends,

Henni

Hi all,

Man, how I LOVE my Audya!!! Just for fun, here are the very latest Tyros4 demos played by Martin Harris, the Yamaha guru himself. No one can play that arranger any better.

Compare for yourself.

All the best my friends,

Henni

I really liked this one (Gospel Medley), Henni...Marty does an awesome job on these tunes and makes good use of the style intros and endings. Very clever, indeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwBLDMfXiIE

All the TOTL arrangers we have to choose from (and many MOTL as well) are incredibly powerful instruments; all we need to do is pick the one that suits our needs the best...we are living at a great time.

Ian

Hi all,

Some non Ajamsonic Audya demos.

Enjoy,

Henni

Hi all,

Some non Ajamsonic Audya demos.

Enjoy,

Henni

Hi all,

Some non Ajamsonic Audya demos.

Enjoy,

Henni

Hi Ian,

Yes indeed, that is truly so. Can you perhaps help. I had a video clip of Matrty playing this exact same tune on the Tyros4. It was stunning, indeed. Won't you please be so kind as to help me locate it.

Here's the Audya version of same. One of my very favorite demos, both on the Audya & T4.

All the best my friend,

Henni

I must say, Henni, your enthusiasm for the Audya (with Ajamsonic) is remarkable...I don't think I've seen so many demos of the instrument in one place.

I have to admit, it does have a very interesting and reasonably "live" sound; it's not the type of overall sound I would like for my kind of music and my style of playing, but the Audya definitely has a sonic flavor all it's own.

AJ should be recognized and thanked for all his hard work making the Audya have it's own distinct sound, decidedly different from Yamaha, Korg, and Roland, and, it certainly gives arranger players another great choice among those other very versatile and fine sounding instruments.

I like your signature "Make sure you'll fly forever!", although cautious little ole me would pack a parachute just in case.

May you have the best of gigging pleasure with your Audya.

Ian

PS...I will try and find Marty's demo of that tune, although I am not familiar with his version.

Hi Ian,

Tx my friend. Although I haven't done so for a quite a while, I really, but really love flying with the same passion.

Thank you so much for offering to find Marty's version of that tune for me. Hard to believe it comes from an arranger, both from the Audya & T4...

Kind regards,

Henni

Hi again Ian & all,

Tx to AJ, those INCREDIBLE Tyros4 human voices & AMAZING bagpipes can now also be had in the Ajamsonic upgrade for the Audya. Here are some good Ajamsonic Audya examples of those.

The human voices can be set-up as different voices for different ranges of the keys, or as different voices for different key pressures. So one has full control over these even on the Audya.

I think few really appreciate the full extend of just WHAT!!! AJ has created for the Audya...

Keep well my friend,

Henni

Henni,

My apologies. I am unable to find the tune by Marty...maybe someone else can track it down.

I'm glad you like your Audya (with the Ajamsonic, no less!)...I feel the very same about my Yamaha Tyros4...it's the very best arranger I can find for my needs, and I have a feeling it will be my last arranger purchase.

When I get up in the morning, it's almost like it's sitting on the stand, inviting me to play, and I still get a wonderful feeling playing it as the sounds and styles are exceptional...no sign of the honeymoon being over at all. Ha Ha!

Ian

Nigel

Why is this thread not put in Ketron section?Audya can be great, but repetitive non stop posting (like an ad) is getting annoying IMHO.It now seems like AJ paid Audya ad which can be counterproductive.

Great keyboard but not 5 posts a day.definately do not belong in general arranger section since it's more infomercial posting.(not how one used in a gig /pros and cons). I'm just reading pros.no cons ,at all.No real world use experience. Just copy/paste demoa.praising like "all great/the best since...,thanks / praise to AJ, etc"even with certain short comings,seems to me like gear worship:blind/fanboy like/paid posting regardless of the true real intention of the poster.


Hanni- have you considered posting this in Ketron section?(or do you have enough views there)do you have anything else to share other than AJ update Audya?
What about your previous /other keyboards/tips/tricks?

Thank you for your cooperation.

Look guys you need to have had both Audya and T4 to compare and I had the G70, all gone except the T4, nuff said, nuff said, nuff said, nuff said

Bought a set of Panpipes, hell do they sound real when you blow on them...

Hi honey I'm home

Henni,

When I got my pilots licence my instructor said " you are now a member of an elite club " and you are too with the Audya, but Henni, it's just another KB, were it not just another KB it would have sold more than Tyros 4 and that ain't going to happen, fondle it, love it and cherish it by all means, but I am a realist, it's not for everyone, you enjoy it whilst you can.

BTW been a realist T4 just another KB, tell you what there are a lot of FOC goodies around for the T4 you don't need to pay for and I mean a lot.

IMO I don't think the Audya ever needed any addins, sounded good enough to me from the factory!

Regards

Ha ha ha guys,

So now there's a limit to five posts a day to a single topic... And although this is the "General Arranger" section, this now belongs to the "Ketron" section?

Like any other topic, this one will eventually die a natural death as soon as it gets ignored enough. So then all my good friends, start to ignore it so that life can have it's natural course.

No need to involve Nigel. I have not & neither will I insult anyone. It's not my nature to do so. I build up & contribute, not the other way around.

Life is all about choices. I've listed some samples from more than one camp. What a way to compare them all in one go. I will not be offended if you start to include some of your favorite demos on this thread - it will make it just all that much more interesting. Please feel absolutely free to do so.

I love demos as it highlights the absolute best of the product in question. I'll not down run any brand, they are all awesome. You all know by now that most of my threads are rather lengthy. We all have our different personalities...

And exactly the same as i.e Diki, I am also highly opinionated & strong willed. Nothing wrong with that, or is there? It's the combination of all of us that makes ZynthZone so interesting.

All the best mates,

Henni

Diki highly opinionated, who says ???

My, my- look who has awoken-nice to hear from you Mr. Hughes. Here's my take on things (meant lovingly of course) after being around a not-so-long time:

Diki = fly swatter
man = everybody else

I don't just hold strong opinions. I try to articulate them and explain the reasoning behind them as well as I can. I'm not simply a fanboy, and a 'mine is best' sort of poster. There are substantial REASONS why, for instance, I don't use Ketron's.

Until those reasons are fixed (with an OS update or redesign), I don't feel the need to drink the Kool-Aid.

And, although it often gets ignored (as Henni has), I am lavish with my praise of things if, even if you don't share my reason for skepticism, the overall sound and design of an arranger is good.

There's MUCH about the Audya I like enormously, and have posted often about those features (usually wondering why MY arranger doesn't have them!), but apparently, bringing up valid reasons why I DON'T like the audio loop arrangers kind of obliterates all the good stuff!

I guess no-one ever remembers when the fly swatter doesn't come out, only the times when it has!

I post about MY feelings on a subject. Yours may be different. Let's talk, not sit there casting rocks at each other because we don't have the same one!

Hi Diki,

It's really not about casting rocks at all, but rather about getting the records straight. Here's another good example of twisted facts/understanding:





And sorry mate, I cannot help to be enthusiastic about the Audya & I know it shows. I'll keep on putting the facts on the table as I have them, and then allow others to form there own opinion.

You & I know very well all the negative hype circulating about the Audya - some true & some false & some completely ridiculous... I just intend to equalize/level the playing field a bit.

And I also try to quote the not so obvious or well known FACTS about the Audya, although I might not come over as technically or musically as you. But I DO try to make my point with my limited musical abilities.

All the best mate,

Henni

There's nothing 'hyped' about wanting a fair degree of control over the style. The Audya sounds absolutely GREAT if you want to sound EXACTLY like how it comes. I don't. If I want to do a softer version (or harder edged for 'soft' styles), there's no way to have the SAME style played on softer instruments. This isn't false or completely ridiculous, and IMO, a quite reasonable expectation for an arranger user.

I've also done a fair bit of moving ONE kick note or bass note around a hair, to get a particular syncopation that suits a song better, something else you cannot do with audio. Look, I've been using audio loops for musical production since ReCycle dropped in the 90's. I know full well what they can and CANNOT do, easily. They have their uses, and I think they make a great ADDITION to an arranger (in fact, one of the primary reasons I bought my BK-9). I simply feel they do not make for the PRIMARY sound source because of the lack of editing capabilities. But that is strictly because I do a fair bit of messing with the styles. Were I to play most of my styles the way they come out the box, I'm sure I'd be as content as you.

I am sorry about the misinformation about the VCE stuff, but I must admit, this is the most un-talked about feature on the Audya, which it certainly is not on Yamaha's (or Korg's or Roland's). If it were as effective, one would think it would have been. Maybe something specific about the VCE sounds could be pointed to, and we could compare against SA/DNC/SN?

And, BTW, that was a thread about Martin Harris playing a Tyros. Which got spammed to hell and back with Audya demos. I don't think hijack was too strong a word!

Wow Diki,

You simply do not seize to AMAZE me with all your posted mis-information. What are you smoking mate? Show me a single Audya demo on that thread, unless of course we are talking about altogether different threads... You should re-visit that thread & actually read it this time round my friend. You're going to loose your credibility mate! I suggest you slow down a bit & smell the roses first before posting again. You're not keeping up!

Also, as for the VCE-2 technology, there are many, many links to video demos on this very same thread where AJ is not only talking about this, but actually demonstrating it whilst playing live.

It is wild loose cannon statements like these that I'm rectifying as I go along.

Henni

Diki

i do understand the limitations with "Audio"
i do understand the advantages of MIDI
i do understand the disadvantages of MIDI

so why not IGNORE or change the Audya's Audio Parts to Midi
now you have ONLY MIDI like the Yamaha's, Korg's, Rolands.

the Audio parts are there for those who need them, or for when you need them

you don't have to use Audio at all with Audya,

replace the Audio Bass with a Midi Bass,
then you Shift that C# 1/4 note @ the 2nd beat of the 3rd measure anywhere you want, as syncopated as you want

understand?