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#96957 - 01/20/01 03:26 PM Which keyboard fits my wishes?
Sander Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/01
Posts: 189
Loc: Hoogeveen, Drenthe, The Nether...
Hello,

I currently own a GEM WS1, an old keyboard. I want something new. I think this forum can help me because advanced users are here, I think.

I want to have a keyboard that can make good trance/dance music, but also nice, slower popular music. I also want to have the option to create my own rhytms, which I find very important just like a good piano sound. A connection to the computer would also be appreciated (optional), but.. it MUST have a disk station in order to save my files.

I was thinking about the GEM WK2,WK6 or WK8. All these keyboards can be found at GeneralMusic.Com, but they are just giving an 'promoting' review. I would like to hear it from an owner/user.

Who can advice me about this question and knows whether these types fit my wishes or not.

Does anyone know online music (Like Don Mason has) of the mentioned keyboard types?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Sander Thalen

[This message has been edited by Sander (edited 01-20-2001).]

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#96958 - 01/20/01 09:34 PM Re: Which keyboard fits my wishes?
George Kaye Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 11/24/99
Posts: 3305
Loc: Reseda, California USA
Sander,
I am very familiar with all the WK products. You would probably be more interested in the WK6 or WK8 because the style recorder and song recorder on the WK2 is very limited compared to the other two. If you don't need a vocal harmonizer, you would probably look for the WK6 instead, because this and more internal Flash Ram memory (8 vs 2 in the WK6) are the only differences. The sequencer in these is quite good as well as the style creator. Just released by Generalmusic are the SE models which feature a better acoustic piano and 8 more flash ram styles. Other than that, they are just like the same keyboards out for the past couple of years. If you are interested in a slightly used WK6 with a vocal harmonizer in it let me know. I have a 4 month old unit in my store. Comparing these keyboards to the newer models such as the Solton SD1, X1, Yamaha PSR9000 and 9000Pro, Roland VA-5 or VA-7, I think these keyboards from Generalmusic are comparable although they've been around for a while. A lot of musicians specializing in Ethnic music like these a lot because of their ability to create really good styles. Also, the Generalmusics sequencer is better than all the others in my opinion for ease of use, and incredibly easy song and style editing in great detail. Here is the US, there are not many Genralmusic dealers, so they aren't seen and tried as often as many of the other brands. I've always considered the Generalmusic keyboards very similiar in what they do and how they work to the Solton keyboards, which are also not often seen here in the US in stores, especially not in Chain Stores. A few years ago, I would have considered the WK4 and now the WK6 way ahead of it's competition, but now I would say the Solton X1 or Yamaha PSR9000, all with 61 keys and speakers built in might have the lead as far as styles and sounds go but I still like the Generalmusic sequencer better.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
_________________________
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene (Closed after 51 years)
West Hills, California
(Retired 2021)

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#96959 - 01/21/01 02:35 AM Re: Which keyboard fits my wishes?
Sander Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/01
Posts: 189
Loc: Hoogeveen, Drenthe, The Nether...
Hi Kaye,

Thanks for your answer. So, I'm not going to buy the WK2. You're saying that you are going to sell a keyboard, but I found that the price in the USA is much higher as here in The Netherlands, a big difference you can say.

I don't know if you know artists like DJ Jean, DJ Jurgen or Alice DeeJay, but that's also a kind of music what I want to make.

I don't know the price here in the Netherlands of the WK6 and WK8 (SE and not), but they differ heavily from the WK2 till the WK6.

Thanks for your advice!

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