Yamaha - Ketron - Korg comparison

I like to hear people's thoughts on these brands and differences.

Vocalizers
Styles
Sounds
Op systems

and such

Which are better for certain kinds of music and such

thanks

Best to worst (IMO)

OS:

Yamaha (by a wide margin)
Korg
Roland
Ketron

Sounds:

Yamaha (overall)
Korg
Roland
Ketron

Styles:

Yamaha (except drums & bass)
Korg
Roland
Ketron

Vocalizers:

Korg
Roland
Yamaha
Ketron (don't know)

Kind of music:

Yamaha - Everything
Korg - Mideastern / Dance
Roland - Dance / Hip Hop
Ketron - Mideastern

I have spent excessive time with all of them.
Vocalizers:
Roland
Ketron
Korg
Yamaha

Styles:
Ketron
Roland
Yamaha
Korg

Lead (right-hand) sounds:
Yamaha - Ketron
Roland
Korg

Drums and Bass
Ketron
Roland

Op System
Yamaha
Roland
Ketron
Korg

Country Music
Ketron
Roland
Yamaha
Korg

Swing Big-band
Roland
Yamaha
Ketron
Korg

Jazz
Ketron
Roland
Yamaha
Korg

Midi files sound
Roland-Ketron
Korg
Yamaha

Portability:
Yamaha S900/3000
Korg PA800
Ketron
Roland

Value for dollar
Yamaha
Roland E-50, 60

It took minimum of one week steady hard work to learn enough about each of these to form opinions.

DonM

Dito all Don Mason said, I will add the Latin (American and the other REAL Latin, like the one you hear in the radio/TV in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, etc.)
And Ballroom music styles (not mentioned) in My own opinion and experience with those brands.

Latin Styles:

Ketron
Korg in certain areas is better, but
Roland-Yamaha is getting better...


Ballroom Waltz, Fox, Viennese W.etc

Ketron
Korg
Yamaha-Roland

I will add that in the Midi File play with NO editing...in other words, a Generic Midi File (Plain GM)...NO GS or XG banks.

To my ears Ketron beats all the above, Roland may came close, they have terrific tone generation too.



------------------
mdorantes

I have been working on my S900 Yamaha for more than four months and I am still discovering new things. The keyboard keeps getting better as I learn more about it. It was just OK just out-of-the-box, now I am finding ways to do whatever I want and the keyboard sounds great.
Dom, with all respect two weeks of dedicated work will not reveal all the possibilities of a keyboard, although you would have the answers to your personal needs.

My opinion, John C.

Thanks guys,

Just ttying to see which professional think of each, this helps me when selling, since certain music styles are really best judged by those that truelly know them.

Thanks

"with all respect two weeks of dedicated work will not reveal all the possibilities of a keyboard, although you would have the answers to your personal needs."

Oh I agree 100%. The shortest time I had any of these boards was the Korg PA800, and that was for several months. My point was, you have to spend a LOT of quality time with a keyboard to become familiar enough with it to see whether it will work for you.
I've had the SD5 for about a month now, but previously had X1, SD1 and Midjay (twice), so I was already familiar with the inner workings of the OS.
DonM

Many folks get a product and spend months on end trying to make it work, only to get frustrated. For me, that's valuable and wasted time. I personally can tell in a few days (raised eyebrows) if it's something to keep working on.

In my case, I have an incumbent to compare to and it delivers, day in and out. So I carefully compare the parameters to determine gains and losses. These parameters aren't rocket science. It's simple stuff like styles, style play, OS and individual OTB sounds. All the boards tried lately would be too much on the negative side, despite some great features.

My time needs to be devoted to working on new material instead of long learning curves or excessive tweaking.

I'm sorry if I offended anyone with quick judgement and therefore will reserve comments on products. I don't want to offend my good friends on the forum.


zuki

Vocalizers:
Korg(only the TC)
Ketron (close second)
Roland
Yamaha doesn't qualify for this category

Styles:
tough ctaegory:

Useable/generic:
Yamaha

Punchy/live:
Ketron/Korg

Swing/Latin:
Roland

Sounds:
They all have terrific engines now...each with different strengths

OS:
Yamaha
Newer Korgs
Roland

:::::::::::::::

This debate is always a ballbuster, but I know that Frankie is just trying to get a good market analisis. Lots of features - even more opinions !

Good Luck Frank !

Vocalizers:
Roland G70
Korg(only the TC Helicon)
Ketron ( Good but quirky )
Yamaha doesn't qualify for this category & needs to totaly replace the unit in their KB's period!

Styles:

Very Useable, Smooth fills/breaks/generic & repetitive:
Yamaha

Punchy/live Sound:
Ketron/Korg/Roland

Swing/Latin:
Yamaha/Korg (swing) Ketron/Korg Latin

Sounds:
They all have terrific engines now...
each with different strengths & nuances depending on how you play them.

OS:
Roland Touch screen/makeup tools
Yamaha
Newer Korgs
Ketron tie with Korg once you get the idea on how they work.

I would pretty much echo DonM's findings...except the OS category..

I think folks are confusing what they are use to ...and the best OS..

OS can be different things to different people..

I find Yamaha to be one of the least favorite OS...and Roland the best...why because I am use to Roland and prefer it..

Some of the OS has to do with saving and loading data...another area can be features..and another the ability to get around...another the ability to edit[and in a live situation]...Roland excels in all of these....Yamaha does not..Korg does not...Ketron does not...

Think about what I am saying with an open mind...

Fran I really enjoyed the Roland G70 OS..in fact when I switched KB's I was lost for a few days & very uncomfortable...without the makeup tools, touch screen, ability to finetune EACH "individual Drum part" & its temperament....same for the sounds & style parts.......again OS is subjective to different people's learning & playing ability, but in no way does all this buying & selling change your talent to play.....many people think it does ....but it isn't true.

Hi Guys,

My two cents. I have been giging with my T2 now for about 2 years and I'm still finding new new features. There are areas that I have'nt touched, such as voice creater or style creator. I have done a lot of tweaking of drums,fx, and so on. As for the harmonizer that every one likes to hammer, I've got it sounding good enough that I discarded the digitech that I used for years.

Other than the T1 & T2 I have very little experience with the other kbs in this thread. Be for I purchased my T1 I had an opertunity to play an Sd1 for a couple of hours, was not impressed. I did'nt like the os or the sound. The weight of the keyboard was also a factor. I am extremely happy with my Yammies.

My two cents,

Jim

Whereas some folks get a product, spend months on it, and get rewarded. Just how full is the glass, Zuki..?

If you always think that anything that needs initial effort isn't worth the time, I am sad that your life has led you to expect that. One would have thought that, as a successful businessman, you would have been the FIRST to acknowledge that most things don't come perfect the first time. Imagine if Edison had your approach.

The truth is, you have probably forgotten how long it took you to master the Yamaha's to the level you are at now. And simply assume that anything new should be as 'instinctive' as you have persuaded yourself that Yamaha's are, once you forget about the time that 'instinct' took to develop. Give almost anything else that same amount of time, odds are you WILL find it both easier (for some features) and harder (for others). That's just how it is.

One can only hope your ability to find the time to develop new instincts increases for your T2 purchase. Otherwise, back to the shop for it! Whatever new features the T2 has will take as long to grasp as any other arrangers. Sure, the features it has in common with the S900 will feel natural, but get this frustrated with ANY effort to master the sampler, for instance, and you might as well stick to the S900...

The list at the top of the thread from you is amusing, at best. As a businessman, how much stock do you set in someone ELSE'S opinion, that has spent as little time as you on developing that opinion? Probably about as much as you would put in mine, were I to buy an S900 for a day, and then place it at the bottom (or close!) of every category...

Jim Id love to hear a short demo using the T2 harmonizer so I can a/b it with others I have used like the TC Helicon & Digitec VR units.....what are your secrets/settings? I had a 21k/3k/s900/T1/T2 and still HATE the vocalizer.
I'm not singling you out Jim, but here on the forum so many people are always talking about whats the best sounds, KB's, styles, etc, etc, ....but no one ever produces any demos or examples to show what they are really talking about to substantiate what they are claiming so we can all listen & learn....after all isn't that what its all about?



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 03-02-2008).]

I wonder if we can get a poll up on the site,

you have to be a registered forum user to access it with your forum registered name

only 1 vote per catagory, and it should be a 1 - 5,
1 being worst, 5 being best

Frank... as little time as SOME spend developing these opinions, what use would it really be?

Well it's more of a general information, to see what everyone thinks about each machine, what each person likes and dislike about the machine they have used..

I seen these polls on alot of sites, I'm not going to kill myself if they answer do not follow my thinking.

I have talked to a bunch of forum members and not agreed with all of their points but that's how I learn, from other people's comments

I guess the problem is that different people have diametrically opposite opinions. Not much to learn there, other than 'folks differ'!

I'll save you some time... Just about everybody will LOVE what they have, and dislike everything else they've tried.

Sound familiar?

I agree, but occasionally there is some truth in what people say

You just have to listen with an open mind

Hi Don, As soon as I can get Mr. Diamond over to show me how, I will be happy to post some demos. I,m not saying that the T2 harmonizer is any better than any other but I think it sounds good enough that I can eliminate the Digitech.

Regards,

JIm

Jim....
that's would be wonderful looking forward to it....but IMO the Digitech is miles ahead of anything in the way of a Vocalizer in any Yamaha unit thus far. Hoping the revise it in the next wave of units to be released.

I personally think that they are all great boards! It all boils down to reading the manual and learning how to operate these boards!

Arranger section :
- Roland has the best in my opinion.

(especially drums and bass), hey they make the best electric drum there is (V-drums).


Right Hand:
- Korg , Yamaha

Harmonizer:
- KORG - TC makes professional stuff

OS:
- It is very relative (read the manual and it is easy)

Styles:

- If you don't like what they give you, then make your own stuff + there is a ton available for every single board online!

- In my opinion, all the styles that come with these boards are TOO BUSYYYYYY.

--------------------------------------------

One advantage that Korg and Yamaha have over Roland is the SAMPLER on top models + multi-pad buttons)
Roland needs to lighten up and follow the trend!

--------------------------------------------
I CAN NOT COMMENT ON KETRON SINCE I NEVER TRIED ONE OUT!

They are all great boards and require some time investment in order to customize them for your own needs!

Good Luck!

Hey, then why am I being picked on?

I didn't pick on you! In the past year I've had Tyros 2, Midjay, G70, PA800, PSR S900 and now SD5, so no room for me to pick on anyone! Still have a few of them.
I could make a living with any of them except the Korg, and I have a feeling I had a lemon.
I didn't pronounce any of them doa after one day though.
I hope you find what you're looking for, my friend. I'll help any way I can.
DonM

Don,

Wasn't referring to you

zuki