Ketron news at Musikmesse 2013

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Basically they have introduced a new digital piano, a general midi module, an USB/SD card reader for the old arrangers like the SD1 and, again, the Midjay Pro (already introduced the last year).
This is what they say about the Midjay Pro:

The KETRON MIDJPRO is a new state- of-the art professional Player, featuring modern multimedia performances with Midi, Wav, Mp3, Mp4, Jpg, Pics, Cdg, Karaoke and DVI, touch sensitive Screen, advanced USB and SD Card facilities.
The sound card is provided with 4 hi-quality Sound Banks including STEREO orchestral voices, STEREO Drum Kits with Live Drum Modelling, Multi Effects and a huge variety of Drum Grooves.
The MIDJPRO has also a new professional Style section with Audio Drums, Variations and full Preset Voices which enables the player to perform as a true, powerful Arranger unit.
Microphone and Guitar Inputs with Pro-effects, Vocalizer, Juke Box, DJ , HD Recording and Registrations enhances even more the instrument’s capabilities.
Combining all-in-one such huge potential together with an easy interface and compact sizes, the KETRON MIDJPRO redefines the standard for the contemporary live entertainment’s players and arranger modules.

I am particularly curious to see what "professional style section with audio drums" really means, since this could be the solution for those who want a backing module with the Audya styles but without having to pay an arm and a leg for an Audya 4.
Besides, technologically this Midjay Pro seems more up to date compared with the Audya.

Here are the Midjay Pro specifications:


Display : Lcd color Tft 7”- Touch sensitive. 800 x 480 dots.
Multimedia Player : Player 1- Player 2. Wav. Midi. Mp3. Mp4. Avi. Cdg. Jpg. Txt.
Functions : Marker. Sync/Next. Autoplay. Lead Mute. GM part. Lyric Off. Cross fade. File Search. Play List. My Folder. Transposer. Time stretching. Metronome Click.
Poliphony : 128 note. Multitimbral 32 parts.
Dvi : Video Monitor. Karaoke Lyric / Mirror.
Menu : Disk. Midi. Play Modes. Audio Edit. Language. Footswitch. Preferences. Controls. Video. Reg. set up.
Media : Internal Storage: SSD Card 16G. External Storage: SD Card - Mmc, HD. USB: 3 Host + 1 device. PC connect. Disk Edit. Info. Refresh. Eject.
Sound : 512 Voices with 4 Sound Banks. 47 Drum Sets, 248 Audio Drum Loops.Live Drum Modelling. Drum Remap.
Preset Voices : 320 programmable Voices. 2nd Voice. Lead slider volume. Controls : Volume. Shift. Pan. Tune. Effects. Velocity switch. Portamento. Legato. Slide. Morphing. Harmony. Efx Insert.
Arranger : Style section with Audio Drums, Midi Drums & Grooves. Arranger : Bass, 5 Chords, 2 Lowers. Styles slider volume controls and Balance. Drum Mixer & Remap. Drum filter. Auto fill. Fill to Arrange. 3 Orchestral Variations. Variation to Groove. 4 Arranger ABCD. 4 Fill. 4 Break. 3 Intro. 3 Ending. Restart. Pause. Count In. Reintro. Key Start. Key Stop. Split. User Styles. 4 Voice Set programmable. Voice to ABCD. Play Modes : Pianist. Bassist. Manual Bass. Bass to root. To lowest. Octave. Harmony.
Registrations : 4 Bank x 999 Regs.
Ram Sound : 64 MB Ram.
Dsp : Chorus. Reverb. Flanger. Phaser. Tremolo. Rotary. Echo Delay. Tap Delay. Equalizer. Distorsion. Amp simulator. Compressor. Filter. 48 EFX Insert. 16 programmable Insert Chains.
DJ : Double Audio and Midi player. Tempo & Pitch stretching. PFL. Sync. Tap tempo. Cue. Fx Pad. Backspin. Brake.
Juke Box : Play List. My Folders. SFX Special Effects.
Pic&Movie: Jpg&Mp4. Karaoke background. Movie to Rgb. Pic list. Autoshow.
HD Record: 1 Stereo track recording.
Micro 1 : XLR. Gain control.Volume. Reverb. Micro Edit. Talk.
Micro 2 : Gain control. Micro / Guitar Input select. 32 programmable Guitar Effect set up. User slider.
Voicetron : 3 Voice Vocalizer.
Midi : In, Out, Thru.
Out : Left/Right Stereo. Pedal volume. Micro Out.
Input : Micro 1, Micro 2. Line In Stereo. Headphone.
Optionals : Footswitch 6 or 13. Volume Pedal. Bag.

Is this the same Vocalizer as in previous Midjays, or the better one from all the other recent keyboards?
Thanks,
DonM

Hi Don,

on the Midjay and Midjay Plus the vocalizer was optional; anyway this one has three voices, while the Audya has five voices, so I guess that is more like the old one.

Audya vocalizer:

Voicetron 5 Voices Harmonizer, Vocoder mode, Autoharmony,
MIDI Vocalizer track, Advanced editing


Midjay Pro vocalizer:

Voicetron : 3 Voice Vocalizer

Hey dreamer if you look at the specs between the midjaypro and the sd1000 they are the same. Same sounds,same number of drums, and same percussion grooves. If one has the software, and all one needs is the arranger section, I think the Sd1000 will do the job. For now with the proper software and an sd2 one sounds just like a sd5. Unless they are going to be using sounds out of the preset voices.

Hi Angel,

here is what Ketron say about the audio loops:

"Audio Loops and New Sounds.
In addition to the well-known timbres of the reference standard (GM), the SD1000 comprises other Sound Banks with lots of characteristic sounds of the conventional families (Pianos, Strings, Sax, and Brass etc).
The top feature of the SD1000 compared with other sound modules is definitely the presence of so many audio Loops (Drum Loops, which can be downloaded free of charge from www.ketron.it)".

So, you have to download them from the Ketron website, whereas the Midjay has them already inside, and we don't know if they are the same, or different ones.
Time will tell...

Tomorrow I see all news because i visit the MUSIKMESSE

Hey dreamer, you are right only time will tell. They were the same in the SD family, whether you had an sd5, sd2,midjayplus, the sounds for the arranger were the same. I was told,someone who was contracted by Ketron, the sd1000 will be the same as the Midjaypro in terms of sounds and percussion for the the arranger section. After I read your comments, I texted him for further detail to make sure. I am hoping they are the same,since all I want is the arrager section. The Sd2 had all the ingredients one needed the recipe (software).

Great for you victorptm, please let us know what you find.

Well my dreams have been shattered. The gentleman is Italian so I will quote him directly. I asked will sd1000 have same drum and percussions. His answer NO, Midjaypro has a real audio (slice) for style.

Second question will the accompagnment sounds in Sd1000 be the same as Midjaypro. Midjaypro has a dps with insert effect and program much better than Sd1000.

Third question I asked about SD2 compared to SD5 being the same. His answer Midjay has more resources and a better sound engine. Midjay can sound like a Sd1000 not the other way around.

Victorptm,
Press Ketron to give us an availability date for the Midjay Pro (and an estimated price)...
Ciao,
Jerry

How many pre-poaded styles are there? Or do they have to be created/assembled manually?

Thanks! That would be a deal breaker for me. The Midjay Vocalizer was just a simple Vocoder.
DonM

Hello everyone. Has anyone anyone heard the midjaypro or sd1000. Excluding Marcello Collo's video, and that crappy one that some one recorded the ambient sound greater than Marco Bacchetta playing. Did anyone attend, I would love to hear what your impressions were.

I have never seen anyone do such a bad marketing job as Ketron.Completely completely useless in keeping their clients informed, excited, etc. Signed a loyal customer.

On the Ketron website there aren't still new videos from Frankfurt 2013; I guess that they have just come back home and are organizing things. However, if something doesn't come up by mid-week, then it's really strange and I agree that they have a really bad marketing policy. The funny thing is that last year they started posting videos while the Musikmesse was still running, like a live coverage of some sort.

Hi Dreamer. I sent a message to Giorgio Marinangeli, the person in last years videos. If you can go to his blog and see what he responds to my statements. He says due to the economic crisis the company must be working with a skeleton staff.

Many companies - even the big players have down scaled their prescence at Frankfurt Musikmesse and other exhibitions. Yamaha used to virtually take over KC exhibitions in the UK, but now your lucky to see two staff there. Hammond did not even exhibit at Frankfurt this year. Its a sign of the times as more online sellers price out the retailers, many established privately owned and chains of stores are closing their doors. There is simply no need for large presence at trade exhibitions any more.

Angel,
I saw the blog; maybe it's time that Ketron too start to assemble their products in China and Indonesia otherwise, with firms like Casio coming up with terrific instruments well below the 1000 euros mark, will be tough for them staying competivive in the market.
Brand loyalty is a good thing, but in these dire times people are very attentive to the quality/price ratio.

At Musikmesse only : SD1000, AUDYA 5, AUDYA 4, AUDYA 8, SD5 WITH USB, MIDJAY PRO, GP1,..no more

hey victorptm, did you here the midjay or sd1000. what did you think.