a little searching has come up with this site:
http://technicskn7000.com/

this must be the first official announcement...

G R E A T !

But it's still a "boomerang"
GJ

I hope it will become more then a boomerang soon, some specs would be welcome. At least I would know then whether I should start saving money!

... boomerang ?!?.... isn't the object of a boomerang to return to the person who releases it? ....hmmmm... may not bode well for the people who purchase the 7000
t.

You never know, it might be the new way of "play back"
GJ

I still think the logo is a 7
J

Johnnie c .... looking at the new website, I agree with you .... I also think it's pretty cool looking....
t.

saving money...???

ever since the KN800, then the KN1000, then the KN2000 then ... I have said this keyboard is the best I've ever heard, and far in advance of what I need or my playing skills, so this is definitely the last one I shall buy...

guess what?

I've got a 6500 with both sound cards

don't talk to me about saving money

It's OK Alec, just send your KN6500 to me, I'll take
good care of it, and you can use your money for a KN7000
GJ

Thanks for the info Alec - Knowing how much you love Bill G. have a look at this ! http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/24278.html

Cheers

------------------
Willum

Hi Bill,
humph! the idea that you cannot code a windows without having IE built in is so ludicrous as to be beyond the amount of ludicrous needed to be completely ludicrous.

ps my love has not increased!

While I have been a PC user since the mid 1980s I have always found Microsoft's aproach to OS design to be severely lacking for a company that makes so much money yet don't seem able to sink it back into the areas of development that really need attention. CPM-86 showed great multitasking potential back in the mid 80s yet it took Microsoft another 10 years before they even introduced a multitasking OS. And we are now only getting closer to shaking off old DOS legacy code still built into the OS. I don't know why Microsoft didn't simply build Windows correctly back in the late 80s/ early 90s and simply emulate DOS in software rather than continuing to try and keep building Windows on top of DOS code for which we have been paying for for years in terms of instability. Bill G. has made some unwise decisions over the years, and though it has not hurt his success in business it peeves me that the money made is not really used to improve the product.

Though given that web browsing is simply accessing a network and providing FTP, HTML and Java protocols, web protocol should be provided transparently as you browse files whether they are local on your computer or elsewhere online. This pretty much means that IE capability should eventually become integrated as are all other network protocols. It unfortunately makes sense. But Microsoft's claim that they can't not integrate IE with Windows is an absurd defence. It is a business decision to make such a claim, not an issue of software engineering design.

Hi Nigel,
off topic, but I absolutely agree 110%. There is no earthly reason why dos could not be emulated for favourite legacy applications not available elsewhere. This should and could easily have been done with the successor to win95. We had enough processor and ram etc to manage it then. Where microsoft spend all their research money is a complete mystery to me... probably on lear jets and marketing to advertise the latest windows launch in the jungles of borneo.

What a STUPID ad. Does that image conjure up anything positive about the keyboard? NO ! All I think of is NIKE ! Give us a real picture ......Just DO it !

ah, but if they did that, they would not have the traditional technics 'teaser' campaign, where little titbits of information come out one at a time...

dealers both sides of the Atlantic tell me they already have orders for 7000 when no-one has actually seen it yet.... ???

How much of the specs and stuff might we expect to be presented on the Messe then? If they continue this so called traditional 'teaser' campaign, it might possibly be oktober before we will completely know what to expect on the new keyboard. Lets hope this tiny bits of information will all come to us in the next month
At least we can hear some reports from those of you who go to the Messe themselves. I am looking forward to read your postings

Yes - typical. Many people are brainwashed into thinking that the kn series is so far ABOVE the pack because of how they are marketed. The home stores charge so much for them, that some people think that they're the best, just because they cost the most. That thinking won't last much longer, now that "Global sales" are increasing. The era of the UNLIMITED list price is almost over. Consumers are too smart to fall for that anymore. I think you'll see many kn7000's sell for the same price as the competition. At least, I hope so. They are certainly in line with the pack, but NOT ahead of it.

Quoted UD: Yes - typical.........
________________________________________

Yes, just as many others are "brainwashed" regarding to other brands,
always claiming that the brand they play, always is the best!

I think the customers are so smart that they will look after the options
who suit theyr personal needs, rather than only looking to the price.
But I agree that the pricelevel should be similiar when products are in
the same "quality and category".

If the KN7000 is ahead or in line with the pack, I guess we have to wait
and see, just as we have to do regarding other brands coming models.
GJ

sorry, nothing to do with brainwashing, or with high prices here.

On this side of the atlantic the kn is better value than yamaha, the market penetration high and pricing is quite different from the states.

There is a section of perhaps mature and more affluent customers that have never been disappointed with the top keyboards, and will regularly change models because they like them.
Some try yamaha or others and come back after a few weeks and change them for kn because they can use them that much easier. These people may not be professional players (although I know many pros who prefer the kn) but they know what they like and enjoy. They are not brainwashed into anything.

Maybe you are a little brainwashed into believing that the kn7000 can "NOT be ahead of the pack" when you have never seen one yet?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Uncle Dave:
[B]
Yes - typical. Many people are brainwashed into thinking that the kn series is so far ABOVE the pack
------------------------------------------
Do yourself a favour uncle Dave get real & treat yourself to a KN or failing that be happy with your psr2000 & don't try telling us here about something of which you know nothing.
Any pro worth his salt would not get involved in discussions concerning the opposition.
Whilst you are very happy with your Yamaha you have to accept that members on a Technics discussion forum are going to talk about the virtues of their keyboards
& what delights await them with a new model or maybe the problems they experience with their present one for after all they should know they actually own one.
Johnnie

I would like to see a switchable multi-voltage power supply in the new KN7000. My KN6000 has a 230 Vac power supply. I cannot take it to some European countries or North America where voltages are lower unless I buy a step-down transformer. That is ridiculous and unnecessary in my opinion. Panasonic has multi-voltage power supplies in its audio products so why not keyboards.

Hi Chuck,
there is no reason why not, since the transformers usually have the required taps on the primary to facilitate world voltages internally. If you look at the rear of the 6500 there is the cutout for the traditional screwdriver voltage adjustmnent slot, but blanked off internally. Maybe a marketing decision to disuade grey imports?

Might be even better if they fitted a Universal switched mode power supply - as is supplied with a laptop PC - which is generally 100v to 240v AC 50/60Hz. (I don't mean an External Unit)
Plug it in almost anywhere!

------------------
Willum

[This message has been edited by Bill Norrie (edited 03-09-2002).]

Back to the original topic!

I had a look at the source for the web page mentioned at the top of this thread. It contined the following which I have edited by changing <> characters to ! characters to stop it being interprted as HTML by this site:

!head!
!meta name="vs_targetSchema" content="http://schemas.microsoft.com/intellisense/ie5"!
!title!Technics KN7000!/title!
!meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft Visual Studio.NET 7.0"!
!/head!

Official confirmation of keyboard name?!!!! Do I see a smoking hole in someone's foot?

Regards, Peter

[This message has been edited by Peter Simpson (edited 03-09-2002).]

true Bill, and a lot lighter and compact. I have power supplies for cameras and external burners and hard drives that are the size of matchboxes supplying 1.5 and 2.5 amps... incredible performance.

The problem is that these have no transformer as such, they switch the mains at high frequency, and filter the result for dc power. The filtering has to be very, very good indeed to get a low noise floor on the dc supply, otherwise that will cause audible problems with the audio signal.

Virtually all home pcs also have these switching supplies and they also contribute 'grunge' to spoil the audio from home pcs and laptops. you need very careful design in layout and filtering to minimise the problems, but it is the way to go, and the problems are not without remedies, only cost constraints

sorry Peter, I don't understand your point...

First thing I looked at was the source code too... it just describes the software the page was created with, does it really signify anything else at all?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Peter Simpson:
[B]Back to the original topic!

Do I see a smoking hole in someone's foot?
-------------------------------------------
I guess anybody registered at Technote would have received this email as did I on Friday 8th so there are no socks with holes in here
----------
If you want to know all about the forthcoming Technics KN7000, be sure to
register at www.technicsKN7000.com

Hi Alec and Bill,

Appreciated your collective comments regarding the power supply. I dare say the transformer in the KN series does have multiple taps because it would not be cost effective (I wouldn't think, anyway) to manufacture a transformer limited to a single voltage input. To do so would require a range of transformers to meet all voltages around the world. There is too much thought, engineering, and sophistication in the KNs to believe Panasonic would go that route.

I wish I had a schematic of the power supply. It would tell us if there are multiple taps. With that information I might be tempted to take the back off and change taps. Used to disassemble radar and laser systems down to the last diode and rebuild them using schematics years ago.

Bill, your suggestion to have a universal power supply like those in laptops would be the ideal solution. It would be interesting to know Panasonic's rationale for their power supply design. Perhaps it is as you suggest, Alec, to deter the grey market. On the other hand, grey market products have a power supply anyway, so perhaps Panasonic's design is for other reasons? Let's hope the KN7000 is multi-voltage. If it is I would likely buy one. If it isn't, there is no way I would buy one because my KN6000/6500 does it all already - for me at least.

Thanks again, guys, for your comments.

Chuck

Hi Alec, First I realise that this is a bit off topic but still relevant.(Apologies)
As you probably know, I design electronic instruments for a living and all our devices include a built-in universal switched mode supply, or, if portable and battery driven, a switched mode DC-DC converter. Ok, we do use quite a bit of filtering, but these instruments work with sensors which produce sometimes just a few microvolts of signal and we still manage to produce perfectly good noise free results.
We are only a small firm but we export all over the world, as Matsush*ta do, and have to cope with the varying available supply voltages (sometimes as low as 95Volts AC in Japan!). I don't think it would be too much trouble for them to incorporate a suitable universal power supply, considering the resources at their disposal.

------------------
Willum

Hi Chuck,
if you are a really brave man, you could take the top off and have a look. The primary should be easy to recognise because the leads will go to the mains input plug. if there is another tag, measure the resistance between the 3 tags. if one value is about half the value of the total, existing wires, this must be the 110 v tag?

I know this measurement will be influenced by inductance etc and is not precise, but I too find it difficult to believe they would build with different transformers for different markets.

but this is NOT something I would recommend, if you are in your guarantee period, or if you do not want the possibility of a mini mushroom cloud when you switch on !

Hi Alec,

Your advice NOT to attempt to change taps to preclude a mushroom cloud materializing is the right advice. I would definitely want to have a schematic diagram handy and perhaps talk to a keyboard repair technician before attempting to do anything myself, despite my long experience in electronics. I know a technician here locally in Manchester who repairs musical instruments and I think I will give him a call and see what he has to say.

On the surface of it and as a layman, I would think it would be cost effective for Panasonic to use a universal power supply, but then I'm not in the business. Maybe we need to start a write-in campaign on this issue? Consumer presssure works wonders sometimes.

Thanks for your response, Alec. Take care.

Chuck

Hi Bill,
I didn't know that was your line of work

I think the problem is that if you are talking about an analogue audio signal of a few hundred millivolts, then for 16 bit dynamic range you are literally talking about microvolts of noise being important.

the supply will be used as reference voltages on differential input amplifiers, so the noise will be amplified with the analogue signal. and as you know the switching supply noise is more difficult to filter because the harmonics are at all radio frequency, rather than harmonics of 50 and 60 hertz of a transformer power supply, where the transformer is itself a big inductor that helps the problem.

as you realise that's why the expensive soundcards have 'battleship' filtering, multiple layer ground planes, the shortest possible tracks not to act as radio frequency aerials, and grounded boxes over critical components etc.

I think the difference is that the human ear has an incredible dynamic range (logarithmic scale) and can detect subjective noise most efficiently down to levels that tax even sophisticated noise meters. So the cost of a 'silent' switching supply starts to rise analogous maybe to the cost of 'audio grade' soundcards compared to even good soundblasters.

my respects, my friend

Alec, Johnnie,

I'm just going to plead temporary insanity! Much smoke seen rising from both shoes.

Regards, Peter

Hi Peter,
ok as long as the smoke is not coming from Chuck's transformer (boom boom)

Hi Peter
Just so long as it is only smoke that is rising

Hi All,

My keyboard is sitting next to me neatly covered and my smoke alarm is not beeping. Hope those are sufficient indications that my KN is still healthy and intact! Uh oh - think I better remove the cover and double check.

Chuck

I'm glad I quit smoking 9 years ago
GJ

It might seem a silly question, but who owns the site? Is it Technics, Panasonic, Taiyo ?? - I'm curious to know

presumably we'll know from the email address when an update info arrives?
it must be official technics because of the logo?

If this is any indication, I received an email from Technote directing me to the kn7000 site.
Peter

The following suggests to me that it is a Technote site on behalf of Technics UK. I guess it could be similar to the kn6000 site which Technote ran when the KN6000 was launched.

Regards, Peter

Response from the network tools on www.demon.net :

whois -h whois.opensrs.net technicskn7000.com

Registrant:
Panasonic UK Ltd
Panasonic House
Willoughby Rd
Bracknell, Unknown RG12 8FP
AL

Domain Name: TECHNICSKN7000.COM

Administrative Contact:
Oram, Ben Ben@technote.com
Steel Close
Steel Close
Huntingdon, Cambs, unknown PE19 8TT
GB
+4401480470320

Technical Contact:
Oram, Ben Ben@technote.com
Steel Close
Steel Close
Huntingdon, Cambs, unknown PE19 8TT
GB
+4401480470320

Billing Contact:
Oram, Ben Ben@technote.com
Steel Close
Steel Close
Huntingdon, Cambs, unknown PE19 8TT
GB
+4401480470320


Record last updated on 11-Mar-2002.
Record expires on 08-Feb-2003.
Record Created on 08-Feb-2002.

Domain servers in listed order:
DNS.FASTHOSTS.CO.UK 194.74.63.90
DNS1.FASTHOSTS.CO.UK 194.74.63.91

Maybe not any big surprise, because Technote did send out
info about it to those of us who is on the mailing list.
GJ

If it is a Technote site, good on 'em. But I'm disappointed that Technics / Panasonic / etc haven't yet established a site of their own for Technics keyboard owners.

Mike

I got an email directing me to 7000 boomerang site
and the name "Ben Oram" on one of the email addresses is the name of the person who answered telephone helplines in england for the technote magazine about 4 years ago so I immediatly presumed that the site was "technotes".

------------------
jan