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#99685 - 08/18/01 05:57 PM Has the X1 aged that much ???
DannyUK Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/09/99
Posts: 1130
Well i remember the days when the X1 came about (in the old forum) and so many praises were sung branding it far advanced in both sounds, styles and features over anything at the time. I think the competition then was the KN5000, PSR8000, WK8, G1000/EM2000, I30. I think we are talking about a little over a 18 months ago now. Since then, we have had replacements from nearly all the above keyboards and its as if the X1 has aged considerably (by reading all the recent posts that is). So are we saying that Yamaha, Korg, Roland & Technics took a back seat when seeing the X1 and thought they had to come up with something special to match it, OR are we saying that the next new keyboard that comes along is automatically better? Im confused really. I am not in a luxury position of trying out all these new keyboards so i have to trust you guys on it. But i have to sit and take notice when it swings from one extreme to the other. I will always be happy with the X1, however, I was brought up on a Yamaha but even up until the PSR8000 (my last Yamaha keyboard) i never thought it could really compete with the other top keyboards and to my ears this rang true and that is why I sold it. Now, the PSR9000pro appears to be the daddy. Have Yamaha really improved THAT much?? Yamaha have always been mass market, and ive certainly noticed a major change with them, first of all cutting down on their riddiculous range of kiddies keyboards, theres not so many now in the bottom and mid range. Credit to them, they are definately showing they mean buisness. They have been reading this forum and taking our advice!!!

Basically what I am saying is, its time to go back to my first love IF deemed worthy, and I think you guys are definately making me think twice about it. Now, all i need to do is find a PSR9000pro and listen to it!!!

Danny..

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#99686 - 08/18/01 06:19 PM Re: Has the X1 aged that much ???
Scottyee Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/01/99
Posts: 10427
Loc: San Francisco Bay Area, CA, US...
DannyUK: I think ALL the keyboards you mentioned (including your X1) are still EXCELLENT keyboards cabable of making PROFESSIONAL sounding music. The NEXT new model keyboard is NOT going to make you automatically better. This is only a marketing ploy used by the manufacters to keep you buying. Time spent practicing, and possbily taking some keyboard lessons are probably a MUCH BETTER investment than thinking the NEXT keyboard will be better. REMEMBER, the musical expression & creativity comes from US, not the keyboard.

That being said, I personally prefer the acoustic piano sounds and ease of use of the Yamaha 9000pro & Technics KN boards over the X1, but these are 'very personal' preferences. The key is to enjoy MAKING MUSIC on whichever keyboard you currently own. Switch ONLY if you no longer enjoy making music on your current board. - Scott
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#99687 - 08/18/01 06:40 PM Re: Has the X1 aged that much ???
DannyUK Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/09/99
Posts: 1130
Hi scott!! Nice to hear from you... I understand what your saying. The point in which I was getting at was really to understand if the manufacterers of the so called keyboards (since the X1) have really taken note and thought they had to improve what they had already sold because there is no doubt that the X1 at the time was far superior. About owning any of the keyboards i mentioned, I would be happy with any of them and for the music I play most of the suit me fine. I am really happy with my X1, although like with every keyboard there is something you dont like about it. The X1 has a few faults in which I really dislike, but this does not outweigh the good points.

Also, I certainly dont want to change keyboards to improve my playing! Thats not the idea at all. I was just curious to know that how much in a space of 2 years has the quality of these instruments have changed, and it seems to be its pretty considerable.

I have always been keeping an eye out for any future Yamaha keyboard in the hope that I would return back to Yamaha, but only of they were worthy enough. It seems to me that my temporary switch has sort of backfired on me! But this is just personal preferences, give my any of the top models and I am perfectly happy.!!

Danny.

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#99688 - 08/18/01 07:17 PM Re: Has the X1 aged that much ???
Fran Carango Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 05/26/99
Posts: 9673
Loc: Levittown, Pa, USA
Danny,Your X1 is as good or possibly better than the PSR9000..Fran[the Roland fan]
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#99689 - 08/18/01 11:11 PM Re: Has the X1 aged that much ???
Dreamer Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 02/23/01
Posts: 3849
Loc: Rome - Italy
I think that right now, even with the poor acoustic piano already mentioned by Scott and others, the X1 is still a much better buy than the SD1.
Just my 2 Euros.

Andrea
_________________________
Korg Kronos 61 and PA3X-Pro76, Roland G-70, BK7-m and Integra 7, Casio PX-5S, Fender Stratocaster with Fralin pickups, Fender Stratocaster with Kinman pickups, vintage Gibson SG standard.

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#99690 - 08/19/01 01:45 AM Re: Has the X1 aged that much ???
Roel Offline
Member

Registered: 06/24/99
Posts: 1232
Dreamer,
I don't agree with you this time. Last wednesday a friend of mine visited me and brought his X1 and KN3000 with him.
(This poor guy needed assistance in setting up MIDI)

So I re-touched the X1 and KN3k ...... NO WAY BACK : The SD1 beats them easy !!

Roel

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#99691 - 08/19/01 10:20 AM Re: Has the X1 aged that much ???
DanO1 Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/31/01
Posts: 3602
Loc: Maryland
Danny,
The X1 is still a great keyboard even compared to the PA80 , Kn series and PSR9000 and 9000pro .
Here are questions for non- ketron owners .
Can you record directly to the harddrive of your keyboard ? If it has a hard drive .
How easy is it to play songs back to back ?
How much different are the styles from the last keyboard you owned ?
I think Korg and Yamaha are playing catch up .
With the PSr9000 or 9000pro I beleive that you can not play songs off the hard drive or play songs back to back . Ketron has had this fiquired out since the MS100 .
How long did it take to get the 9000pro to market ?
How long did it take to bring the PA80 to market . Is there a PA80 elite ? No one knows for sure how long it will take to see this latest Korg release .
Sound for sound ....style for style the X1 just sounds better than Yamaha and Korg . The problem with the X1 is the appearence . It would be great it it was Silver ! Dan o
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#99692 - 08/19/01 10:30 AM Re: Has the X1 aged that much ???
Uncle Dave Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/01/99
Posts: 12800
Loc: Penn Yan, NY
Dan - you wrote:

With the PSr9000 or 9000pro I beleive that you can not play songs off the hard drive or play songs back to back

That's not so! The playback is a snap off the hard drive. Direct recording is also a ONE step event. Back to back song playback is very easy and glitchless. The overall O/S of the Yamaha has it ALL over the Ketron design. You can't even call up isolated drum patterns on an X1 without sending volume and program changes to the bass and other sounds.
I tried for months to overcome the shortcomings of the X1 as a "live" (arrangerless) keyboard, and couldn't do it. I think, at the very LEAST - all arrangers should function as a simple piano/bass/drum synth first. That's where this all started. The auto stuff is icing on the cake, and ego boosters for beginning and amature players.
The 9k has the most versitility of all of them - too bad the harminzer and I can't play nice together!
I'm sure your beloved SD1 is terrific, but after owning ALL of them, I'd never go back to the Ketron O/S.
I could live with the Kn stuff, but I'm spoiled by Yamaha at the monent.
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No longer monitoring this forum. Please visit www.daveboydmusic.com for contact info

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#99693 - 08/19/01 11:48 AM Re: Has the X1 aged that much ???
Eric, B Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/15/99
Posts: 2028
Loc: Ventura, Ca, USA
Hi Danny,
I used to own a Psr 8000, now I have a 9k Pro. I think that Yamaha did a great job in improving sounds and styles, however, I remember trying out the X1 way back when, and was very impressed by the realizm of their guitar strums. I used to be a guitar player so I pay more attention to that.
As I said The Pro is much better than the 8000, but I think the guitar strums in the X1 are still better.
Eric
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Genos, PSR-S970, TC Helicon VoiceLive3, Mackie 802-VLZ3 Mixer, 2 Bose L1 Pro16, Electro-Voice ZXA1 Subwoofer

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#99694 - 08/19/01 01:13 PM Re: Has the X1 aged that much ???
George Kaye Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 11/24/99
Posts: 3305
Loc: Reseda, California USA
My two cents:
The X1 still has the best direct song play and chain play. Yamaha can play songs from the hard drive, but you can only search for the next one while one is playing, you can't play a chain of songs (but the next operating system might change this!). The X1 has the weakest grand piano compared to both the Yamaha and the Korg PA80 (to my ears and most of my customers). The Korg can search and load a second song while the first is playing, but it's search system is not as quick as the X1. Korg PA80 has the most big band, Fox Trot and Swing songs of the bunch.
These are just a few thoughts on the subject. I could go on for hours, but in reading these few posts I just thought i'd put a couple of thoughts down.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene (Closed after 51 years)
West Hills, California
(Retired 2021)

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