I can't believe George went to NAMM and did not bring his laptop and posted about the new Korg or any other new keyboards yet. Where are you George?

[This message has been edited by boo hargis (edited 07-23-2000).]

I'm still here in California! I've been in business for 30 years and I've never attended a summer NAMM show. Most Califonia dealers do not attend. This show is very small compared to the winter LA NAMM show. The information I received about new products has come from district sales managers who have attended meetings within their companys and let me know what they see and hear before the NAMM show.
What I know right now, is that the VA7 from Roland will be shown at this weekends NAMM show, but it will not be from the MI division of Roland, so I can only assume it will be a CK division product. I also know that the new Korg will be shown as well, however, it is still several months away from being released.
The strange thing for me as a dealer is that we are now completely out of Korg iS products and with Roland discontinuing the G1000 and EM2000 products, I don't have much to show my customers right now. It's a good thing the Solton X1 is still my biggest seller so I know I can still buy and sell something! I can't remember a time in the past 15 or 20 years that there have been so few arranger keyboards being offered in the US. I have an opinion on this. Because so many large "chain" stores don't carry many of these types of keyboards, the Companys don't sell enough of these products to make their margins, so they decide not to bring new products to market here in the US because sales don't justify the costs of development and distribution. I have decided to make arranger keyboards my strength several years ago after realizing that the sales force in most large stores can't demonstrate effectively these high end complex arranger type keyboards. I only hope this market will not dry up in the future. It is amazing to me when I talk to the Management teams for the big companys, how small the market really is for these products compared to Pro type keyboards. I keep assuring them, that my market place ranges from total beginners, to hobbyists, to total pro musicians, but their numbers don't show enough sales year in and year out.
George Kaye

it would certainly be a shame to see such a powerful and satisfying instrument disappear.

Especially if they are replaced by non pro models in K-Mart.

Hello to George and other's,
I just returned from Summer NAMM show in NAshville .
Korg will be introducing a new arranger keyboard .The PA 80 was present at the show.
It was a prototype. Not near completion . It is basically a Triton with Korg styles and
Speakers on board. Buy the new Triton Rack ( available in Sept..??? says Korg)and combine it with an I30 , I35, I40s or I40m and you just may have there new keyboard ! Go listen to the Triton keyboard and wait for about 2 to 3 month before we see this new PA80. Korg has been having alot of problem's with distribution and production recently.
Roland did not show anything new !
Look for Yamaha to add a 76 note version of the PSR9000.It will not be available anytime soon.
Technics had nothing new. Technics does have KN6000's available to supply it's dealer's.
General Music just upgraded there operating system's.
Now about Solton.... I was doing the demonstration's on the X1. I love the X1 !
The vocal kit along with the sound's and style's are ingredible !
If you have any question's about NAMM or Keyboards in general.... You may email me directly at oneils4@home.com or Call me at Guitar Center in Towson Maryland. Phone 410 821-5200. I am on vacation til July 27th.
Sincerely... Dan O'Neil ( DAn O )