Hi All!

What does everyone think about the looks of the new KN7000? Over the last 16 years I have purchased Technics instruments as they have sounded fantastic and they have always looked great. I switched from Yamaha some years ago because they started to look too futuristic and cheap ( although they sound very good). What have Technics Done? It is hard enough to pursuade our partners to allow us to part with the cash to start with (I'm not totally under the thumb!) but in the past my wife has always liked the appearance of the machines, as the keyboards are situated in our dinning room (Everything must match). Upon seeing pictures of the new KN7000 her reply was "I HOPE YOUR NOT THINKING ABOUT GETTING THAT UGLY THING!"
So my final point is this. Come on Technics, make our life a little easier by designing instruments which look pleasing on the female's eye. This way us men would not have to try as hard to pursuade our partners! I suppose I'll have to take her out on a shopping spree (OOH the pain of being dragged around 'MARKS & SPENCERS's).

Since our judgements of appearance are currently based on pictures from the web (apart from a few lucky individuals who have actually seen a KN7000), let's not be too hasty. The first (illegal) pictures showed a rather drab looking keyboard, and the official pictures could represent almost anything at all. But then came along some pictures at thkmcs.de, and to me they show a very stylish looking keyboard that I would be happy to have in my lounge room (which is where I have my KN6000). However, I have just checked back at that site and the pictures have gone! Fortunately I have a local copy of them.

Mike

I have to say that I'm a bit concerned when
it is the surface for "zillions" of buttons
and "fancy looking things" who are the main
"picture", and the keys needed to play the
machine are "hidden" downstairs with a wall
at both ends.

This bring me back to my whish about at least
76 keys, and seeing the pics, the KN would
have been much better looking if they could
add that too.
But again, who knows before the hands is on
the real thing....
GJ

I of course appreciate a keyboard's aesthetics, but not at the expense of functionality. Only by actually getting our hands on, and playing the KN7000 firsthand, will we know if the KN7000 delivers. We all WAIT in anxious anticipation. - Scott

Regarding the appearance of the new KN7000. This design is not new. Some years back I had a PSR6100 followed by the PSR6300. Both these boards had the opening lid just as the new KN. When not in use the lid shuts to make a clean closed PC.laptop like appearance. All very elegant and keeps the board dust free.

Graham UK EM2000 \ 9000PRO

Hey Graham.... Snap!
I had both too, together with Bill Norrie and Marilyn here, who had one or both too.

Changed to PCM sounds, which were just appearing then, after the 4 operator FM sounds in Yamaha. Do you remember the transpose on the 6100, which was a huge mechanical rotary switch? You excersised your pectorals using it, and it clunked around like the control on an old washing machine. But those machines did look VERY swish for their day, and everybody was impressed as I slowly unfurled the control panel. The display was a 3 digit red led, which showed funny meaningless dots and dashes if you wanted to set up the midi... happy days.

LOL Dicky, My Sister who cleans up for mum every week almost said the exact words! when I showed her a picture of it on the pc.

J5

I remember trying to do some 'midi' stuff with the PSR6300. What a job...it wasn't helped by the fact that my computer, a Commodore 64 was in one room and the 6300 in another, with a long midi cable between them. The program we used which I don't remember now required several keypresses. The PSR needed you to press the Brass and Chimes key if I remember. My husband did the computer part in the living room and I did the 6300 button, but it only worked about one in 5 times, we never could figure out why, or what the secret was. Do you remember those little Ram cards that went with the PSR they cost a small fortune and held mostly nothing. Ah memories.

Marilyn

Hi Marilyn, yes, I'd completely forgotten about those ram cards. My 6300 had a midi fault, which only came to light after a few months use, and apparently no one else had ever complained about it, but nevertheless it was not to spec. So they had to take it back in to change the rom chip, and when it came back the case was bust through being dropped by the carrier. Yamaha offered to change the case, but the keys were clanky too, I was unimpressed, so I got a new one as replacement. So I ended up with 2 cards without buying one. However I do not recommend this method to others if they like a hassle free life.
It was either the 6100 or 6300 where we finally got Yamaha to admit that they put demo tunes in the keyboard that could not be produced on the keyboard, ie they were done on a pc sequencer, and then put in the rom, which really is a bit naughty. I remember the story got into Keyboard Player magazine at the time.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jupitar5:
[B] LOL Dicky, My Sister who cleans up for mum every week almost said the exact words! when I showed her a picture of it on the pc.
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J5
So what keyboard are you sporting these days then
Regards Johnnie