Bob's KN5000 "How To" Site Closing Jan 2002

I will be closing my Technics KN5000 "How To" site about the 1st of January 2002. I will be switching to a different Internet Service Provider and will no longer have the necessary web space available.

If anyone wants to keep any of the articles from the site, they can be printed.

If anyone would like to host the site I can provide the source code and photographs.
http://bobgrh.home.att.net

Hi Bob

This is bad news for the KN5000 users, your
site is excellent information.
e-Mail on the way................
GJ

Hi Bob:
I concur with Gunnar. Your wonderful KN5000 resource website will be SORELY missed by us KN5000 players worldwide. Thanks so much for the tremendous contribution you have made to the Technics KN5000 community. I guess this means I'd better start 'printing out' all the pages from your website before Jan 1st 2002.

Bob, could this possibly be a hint that you may have plans to upgrade your KN5000 to 'another' keyboard soon? Possibly the KN6500 (now that TechManger6000 is finally available), or possibly even another arranger KB brand? Just curious

- Scott

Thanks Scott,

No, I don't plan to change to any new keyboard until Technics gets it's act together on the hard disk subject. I'll probably upgrade to the next KN assuming they solve that item.

Gunnar Jonny has kindly agreed to host the How To pages and will have the site ready in a few days. So the data will still be available. I will be giving a link to his site at my home page in the next few days.

I hope to be going to a high speed internet connection but do not have cable available here yet. So, it may be a DSL satellite link.

Hi all

The pages is uploaded, and accessable
from my WebSite
Look into the Technical Info pages.
GJ

[This message has been edited by Gunnar Jonny (edited 11-09-2001).]

Gunnar!
THANKS so much for taking over the stewardship of Bob's very valuable KN5000 website. Gunnar, you truly are a LIFESAVER! Now I don't have to print out all those pages and will also be doing my little part to save the forest and trees too.

Bob, my sentiments are with you on the KN6500 hard drive issue, especially now hearing that the SX6 hard drive only supports a 'parallel port' interface (Very SLOW indeed) and not the current popular USB or serial interface standard, as was originally intended by Keysoft Service.

I plan to get the much anticipated KN7000 when it's released (Fall 2002?), but I'm still trying to decide whether to purchase the KN6500 with hard drive & TechManager6000 now or possibly adding a Ketron SD1 in the meantime. Decisions decisions. Hopefully this trusty ol KN5000 will keep on going (for another year) like the Duracell bunny rabbit does.

Thank you Bob & Gunnar for helping those of us with KN5000's! I appreciate all the hard work that you two have done for us.
Tom G.

Thank's for all kind words guys

It is a pleasure for me to host those pages,
and hopefully we will see Bob's contribution
in the future too.
As long as there are KN5000's still working,
it is always some that this keyboards are new
to, so the pages are a great addon to my little
corner of the Web.
Hopefully my webhosts keep the free policy in
the years to come too, or else I have a h***
of a job to move around in the syberspace

Scott, now when we have waited so long for the
engineers super HD6 tool, we might be smart
enough to by a good condition KN6500 when the
next model coming to the dealers?
Then we can start our reviews og the KN6500,
and have the TechManager too.
Guess we will be up to date, eh??
Maybe Tom join "the club" too, then we are
3 "newbies" again.
Kind regards
GJ

I don’t think that it would be wise to buy a KN6000/6500 with the KN7000 probably less than a year away. The KN6000/6500 is still a 64-note polyphony machine and appears to be taxed to the maximum that the CPU can handle. I am sure that the KN7000 will not need a hard disk. The file compression techniques available now permits an enormous amount of data (songs or styles) to be placed in the space of cheap compact flash or smart media cards that can be easily moved to and from a PC. You wouldn’t need software like the Tech Manager with that kind of memory storage. My primary concern is whether Technics will end their practice of using unique modules that can not be purchased as standard replacement items. Their use of unique floppy and hard drives has chased many many people to other brands. The cost of these special Technics items is exorbitant and unwarranted. And, if they use a unique mass storage device like a unique flash memory card or a Technics only CDRW you will no longer find me in the Technics keyboard player community.

Bob, you have some good points here, but my
thought was that we would probably be able to
buy a good condition KN6500 for a fairly price
when the next KN are in the stores.....
....and probably be the first ones to see if
and how the new KN6 TechManager works.
GJ

Yes, I understand your point, Gunnar. I need a hard drive or something similar and I just get so angry when I think of what I paid for the hard drive and it's software for my KN5000 and what is being charged for the KN6000 stuff I just have to get on my soapbox sometimes. There is just no excuse for Technics using that sort of design philosophy. They are killing their sales here in the U.S.

Yes, Gunnar, when the 7000 comes out, I will definitely try to buy a 6500 for about $1000 US! Then I can afford it! Of course, I would rather have the new 7000, but I think it will cost around $4000 (or more). Hmmm... too much money for me.

Tom

Yes, the cost of a HD is pretty high, and the
extra line outputs don't fancy all of the users.
The fact that Technics always make the addon
hardware so expencive make them loose alot of
customers to new models.
Remember when the KN800 came, the floppydrive
who was a addon cost 1/3 of the keyboards price.
Now the HD's, and looking to the electronic world
of today, I can't imagine why a HD for this
keyboards cost more than gold, and why Technics
is so d*** special that they can't use a ordinary
HD.
GJ

HI: Everyone
Gunnar very glad to hear your going to keep
Bob's KN5000 info alive. Thank You!!!!!!

I agree with what Bob & Gunnar said about
the rip job Technics gives us when we go to
buy there products.
That is why I went to Yamaha 9000 PRO!!!!!
I still have the KN5000 but don't play it
much anymore, after getting the PRO.

I probably won't ever sell the KN5000 because
I got took big time when I bought it.
All of the Technics Dealers around my area
sold/sell the 5000, 6000, & 6500 for
$5000.00 USD so when I talked the dealer
into selling me the new KN5000 for $4200.00
& that is without HD.
I thought I was getting a good deal untill
17 month later when I started looking at new
KB's & found I could get the new 9000 PRO
for $2800.00.
I have been mad ever since
Enjoying the 9000 PRO
Denny

I'm not upset with Technics about what the basic keyboard costs. With a little shopping you can get prices that are competitive with the other brands. I bought my KN5000 for a little less than $2,500 way back when they were hot items being sold by many dealers for twice that much. The purchase price is, for the most part, a dealer function.

My beef is the Technics design philosophy that uses unique items like disk drives or plug in modules that can only be purchased as very expensive Technics Brand items. Or worse yet, a unique hard drive assembly manufacured by the parent company of Technics, distributed with software designed by a third company, that Technics states will void your warranty if you install it!