posted 11-20-2009 11:26 AM            

AJ's back, OS4 nowhere to be seen, I thought AJ would have been bubbling about it, our UK dealer says OS4 will blow your socks off, I've stopped wearing them just in case, does anyone have the sheet music to "Promises" or "Memories" . Ketron an enigma rolled up into an enigma.

Look do you think anyone at Ketron gives a toss about OS4, HHD going down and a backup disk, KB locking up, sound card packing in, software bugs from OS1.0, like the hell they are. sheet music to The Unfinished Symphony will do!

Cheers

posted 11-20-2009 11:48 AM            

Sorry I really couldn't resist doing that

posted 11-20-2009 11:53 AM         

Superb James..have'nt had a laugh like that for a while.

Great timing

posted 11-20-2009 11:55 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Irishacts:
World Exclusive screen shot preview of OS 4.0

Sorry I really couldn't resist doing that

---

James,
That’s not nice but what a wizard wheezes, are you beta testing Audya, if you are you are going to need counseling, is this why AJ gone off. I need a USB Musikant stick - who is importing them into the UK. Sod OS4 it's never going to beat that stick. BTW you little sod, you have made the blue page up using photoshop 7, you should have made it in green.

posted 11-20-2009 01:17 PM            

I'll assume you would like 4.0 released when it is ready ? Right ?

posted 11-20-2009 02:16 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by leezone:
i know where OS4 is

it's in the Ketron Italy Labs

---

Well, that's probably the best place it can be until it's tested beyond limits and runs
stable. Also hardware problems we can read about both here at SZ and elsewhere most come
to an end.
I would love to get hands on Audya, but I'm a bit "scared" by all negative experiences
and comments from many users. I also refuse to get robbed to become a betatester, but if
Ketron deside to place the pricelevel to match the other top arr. kb. brands, I might go
for a ride.

Anyway, it's nice to see some positive remarks as we see from DonM, looks like it's some
hope for the future releases.

Cheers
GJ

posted 11-20-2009 03:59 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by leezone:
i'd like to see the AUDYA at $3999 or less

---

posted 11-20-2009 04:04 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by leezone:
$3699.97 would be nice and THEN it would be same price as the KORG PA2XPro :-)

---

Putting the bugs aside at the moment because they will get fixed in the future. The Audya (Ketron it self) is a completely different animal all together, that's why we use a use a Ketron for our type of music and not a Korg!

A buddy of mine lent me his Midjay Plus to go with my S900, but I'm struggling with the buttons, I'm not use to it, so next year (Jan) I'm putting a SD3 over my s900.

Maybe by next summer/fall I'll settle on a audya.

posted 11-20-2009 08:47 PM            

1- crazy
2- tone deaf
3- loves thin-tinny plastic sounding styles
4- has all other arrangers, and has $$ for another arranger
5- or high on something

really, that keyboard is not worth it, not for a few good super articulated sounds,

posted 11-20-2009 09:35 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by DanO1:
Ketron does care and 4.0 will be released.

I'll assume you would like 4.0 released when it is ready ? Right ?

---

You bet your cotton socks I want OS4
Two bloody good reasons.
Firstly I want to test the crap out of it and secondly I have already paid for it, does that answer you question Dan.

Forget Dan, Thirdly I have already paid for OS5,6,7,8,9 & 10 but I doubt if I will be around to hear these at this pace and will Ketron be around they may well go before me!

posted 11-20-2009 09:52 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Irishacts:
World Exclusive screen shot preview of OS 4.0

Sorry I really couldn't resist doing that

---

You know James it's rather worrying, your picture has almost gone un-noticed, not until it happens to someone on an Audya will they jump up and down! The reason for this latest silence about OS4 there must be big problems delaying its release, Ketron are getting the message, any more crap and they are doomed. If your picture is genuine then they have got problems. If the new 300 voices from Ketters are as good as that German USB stick for the Korg then good, but what do you think, I doubt it. Dons happy with his Audya but where are all the others are there any. I know how many have been sold in the UK it’s a handful, and a few have been sent back, a few exchanged for other KB and one on ebay, riveting reading and phenomenal sales figures. You will not beat the Korg with that USB stick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fugtN0SU_Yo&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8X1aFLB8DE&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ07XqtGij4&feature=related

posted 11-20-2009 11:59 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nedim:
Now lets talk real, PA2X being 3700$ is a dream now, i can get you tonz of them for
2800/2900$ brand new, unpacked...

---

3000 US$ = N.Kr. 16968,- !! Less than half of the price if I get a good deal here !!
(Todays currency 1US $ = N.Kr. 5,656)

Nedim, if you deliver brand new PA2X Pro (Western edition) at my doorstep for that price,
you probably get lot's of more customers than me.
Tell me when you're going to ring my doorbell for delivery, I'll have the money ready.

Cheers
GJ

posted 11-21-2009 12:28 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gunnar Jonny:
If you can deliver brand new PA2X Pro (not oriental version) at my doorstep without any
hidden taxes you most likely would get lots more customers than just me.
That's N.Kr.17000,- and less than half of what I have to pay even if I got a great deal!!
(Exchange rate today is US $1 = N.Kr. 5,656)

Tell me when you're going to ring on my doorbell, I will have the money ready.

Cheers
GJ

---

Jonny what kind of KB have you got, not a stylaphone surely http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrIPvvivS_0

Doesn't lock like the Audya made in 1960, no HDD, no drum loops, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07vtwBMZf-w&feature=related

posted 11-21-2009 12:44 AM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tony Hughes:
Jonny what kind of KB have you got, not a stylaphone surely......

Doesn't lock like the Audya made in 1960, no HDD, no drum loops ..

---

Regarding the Stylophone, I had one since Rolf Harris demostrated it on a TV show looooooong time ago.
Still works, had much fun with it.

Nice you quoted my post, I deleted it by a mistake, copy and paste not always work as intended. Had
to rewrite, not quite same words used, but hopefully the same meaning.

Cheers
GJ

posted 11-21-2009 02:54 AM         

Introduction year: 75% right.
Year two: 85% right
Year three: 95% right.
Year four: Discontinued.

It's too bad, because the Audya sounds pretty darn good...not quite as good as a Tyros2 or Tyros3, or even a PSR-S910, but it knocks spots off the current Korg arrangers.

That's why, at least here on SZ, it's most likely that Korg users will be interested in this controversial, but great sounding instrument...thankfully, not all of them have fallen for Ketron's ingenious method of introduction (see below).

So far, seems to be that at least one Audya user has a reasonably functioning instrument....Bravo! Light the signal fires! Open the gates!

It also appears that Ketron is cleverly doling out improvements over time, as it not only keeps their development costs down, but also keeps interest in each successive revision high, and, therefore, keeps SZ members talking about it....this is probably based on the premise that there is no such thing as bad publicity.

And Tony, I think you're right...it looks like OS4 will be introduced accompanied by the strains (literally) of the Unfinished Symphony....maybe they'll include it as a factory demo.

Or, perhaps an appropriate theme song based on Irving Berlin's Blue Skies...[sings]

Blue screen,
Smiling at me.
Nothing but blue screen,
Do I see.

Ian

posted 11-21-2009 03:13 AM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by ianmcnll:
Seems to me the Audya scenario is following this path, as predicted by the FWKC of A (Fully Working Keyboard Confederation of America)...

........
Year four: Discontinued.

It's too bad, because the Audya sounds pretty darn good...not quite as good as a Tyros2 or Tyros3, or even a PSR-S910,.....

---

Not bad, 4 years before discontinued, others change models every 2 years and forget about the
past ones

Yeah, Yamaha sounds good in your and many others ears, sometimes even in mine, but what I don't
fancy at all regarding Yamaha, is when go from one to another style, it sounds like a totally
different keyboard. Maybe different producers for each style?
When swap style (play as is) it sounds like it's a new band entering the scene, or it's a new
CD put into the player. Ketron at least sounds as it is the same band playing and also it is
much more live sounding than Yammaha.
Also I feel Yamaha is a kind of cold and hard sounding, not as warm and soft as i.e. Ketron and
Korg.

Anyway, it's good we have different taste and needs, or else it would have been quite boring
in many ways.

posted 11-21-2009 03:41 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by ianmcnll:
So
It also appears that Ketron is cleverly doling out improvements over time, as it not only keeps their development costs down, but also keeps interest in each successive revision high, and, therefore, keeps SZ members talking about it....this is probably based on the premise that there is no such thing as bad publicity.

And Tony, I think you're right...it looks like OS4 will be introduced accompanied by the strains (literally) of the Unfinished Symphony....maybe they'll include it as a factory demo.

Or, perhaps an appropriate theme song based on Irving Berlin's Blue Skies...[sings]

Blue screen,
Smiling at me.
Nothing but blue screen,
Do I see.

Ian

[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 11-21-2009).]

---

posted 11-21-2009 03:48 AM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gunnar Jonny:

...what I don't
fancy at all regarding Yamaha, is when go from one to another style, it sounds like a totally
different keyboard. Maybe different producers for each style?
When swap style (play as is) it sounds like it's a new band entering the scene, or it's a new
CD put into the player. Ketron at least sounds as it is the same band playing and also it is
much more live sounding than Yammaha.
Also I feel Yamaha is a kind of cold and hard sounding, not as warm and soft as i.e. Ketron and
Korg.

---

Of course, GJ, my post was mainly tongue in cheek, although some bits about the Audya have an unfortunately familiar ring to them.

I feel Yamaha's approach to having each style sounding like a new band entering the scene, is actually one of the many reasons the Tyros, and it's brethren, are so successful...a whole evening of listening to same instrumentation (or band) doing different genres would be a tad monotonous to most listeners...otherwise all CDs would be done by the same group of musicians.

Yamaha sounds pretty darn "live" to me, although, I must admit, the sound is even and compressed....a good quality in my opinion, especially when you want consistency in your "live" playing and/or recording projects.

It's strange, but I find Korg a tad hard sounding as well, although, like the Yamaha, one can delve into the instrument and change the sounds to taste.

Korg's extensive sound editing is perfect for the synthesist/home player hybrid, although the question is whether this person is a bit of a Yeti in arranger land.

The concept of the Audya is brilliant, and we may eventually see the Big Three use a similar system...after Ketron is eventually sold to one of them.

Edsel and Audya....mmmm....

All keyboard manufacturers have a skeleton in the closet...one they wish everyone would forget about...the Audya just might become one for Ketron.

With a small(er) company like Ketron, all it takes is one Edsel to topple the entire empire.

Ian

posted 11-21-2009 06:31 AM            

quote:

---

You know James it's rather worrying, your picture has almost gone un-noticed, not until it happens to someone on an Audya will they jump up and down!

---

That's fine by me because I had expected to get flamed for it.
Guess I will just have to try harder next time OK here goes. ….

It's actually quite interesting to see that each forum has it's own habits, and one I have been on the receiving end of a few times here is the suppression of information from existing owners of problematic keyboards.

If you don't own one, then your right to comment is taken away from you by existing owners. If you do own one, you still can't express your opinion on it because ….. well I haven't figured that one out yet, but it's very clear to me it's happening here in a big way.

It's almost like people don't want to admit they bought into something they feel caught out on.

Personally, in my opinion that's the one time when you should open fire and blow both barrels straight into the face of the company who built it. If you bend over and take it, then they will just do what they want. If you stand and let rip, you can be sure that will effect $ales and get their attention. It will also get the problems fixed.

quote:

---

The reason for this latest silence about OS4 there must be big problems delaying its release, Ketron are getting the message, any more crap and they are doomed.

---

That does happen when the company starts to realise it can't get away with the usual crap it pumps out. So the delay is likely to be a good thing.

I sincerely do hope for their sake this is true.

quote:

---

If your picture is genuine then they have got problems

---

Lets hope this time around nobody sees the real thing.

posted 11-21-2009 08:24 AM            

How any one can say that sonically, a computer generated midi loop can sound better than a real drummer or guitar loop totally baffles me.

posted 11-21-2009 03:00 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by DanO1:
Ketron introduced live audio loops.

How any one can say that sonically, a computer generated midi loop can sound better than a real drummer or guitar loop totally baffles me.

---

Ketron was the first in many things that other brands borrow.

posted 11-21-2009 03:09 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by DanO1:
How any one can say that sonically, a computer generated midi loop can sound better than a real drummer or guitar loop totally baffles me.

---

Depends on who played on the audio loop. Just because it's played live doesn't mean it's automatically good. Besides, for this kind of application, don't they have to play to a 'click' track? I would think that that alone would automatically take away from some of the 'free flow' and spontaneity. Just speculation on my part. I don't really know that for a fact.

chas

posted 11-21-2009 03:24 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by mc:
Ketron was the first in many things that other brands borrow.

---

You're so right, mc...they have been the leader in several areas, including this audio/accompaniment stuff on arrangers.

Still, one must remember that Technics was once a leader in arrangers, and they went belly-up...I think a lot of people were shocked and/or disappointed.

Let's hope that the Audya's incredibly shaky introduction is not indicative of the direction of Ketron...it's a fairly small company compared to the Big Three, and it may not be able to survive if this product is not corrected in full in the near future.

Come to think of it, Technics was a division of the giant...make that really giant, Matsushita Electric, and it went under, so I guess no one is really immune from failure...but, a smaller company will have much less chance of bouncing back.

It would be horrible to see the present Ketron/Audya owner base stuck with instruments that no longer have factory support.

posted 11-21-2009 03:48 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by ianmcnll:
You're so right, mc...they have been the leader in several areas, including this audio/accompaniment stuff on arrangers.

Still, one must remember that Technics was once a leader in arrangers, and they went belly-up...I think a lot of people were shocked and/or disappointed.

Let's hope that the Audya's incredibly shaky introduction is not indicative of the direction of Ketron...it's a fairly small company compared to the Big Three, and it may not be able to survive if this product is not corrected in full in the near future.

Come to think of it, Technics was a division of the giant...make that really giant, Matsushita Electric, and it went under, so I guess no one is really immune from failure...but, a smaller company will have much less chance of bouncing back.

It would be horrible to see the present Ketron/Audya owner base stuck with instruments that no longer have factory support.

Ian

---

I don't see Ketron going belly up any time soon. Their main focus is arrangers, which it has been for many years. Ketron is not just the Audya; they also have the SD5 as their mid-range keyboard that had fantastic sounds and styles. Their only arranger module company out there, for the guitar and accordion players. Ketron does very well in Europe, I'm sure the US sales are icing on the cake.

posted 11-21-2009 04:02 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by mc:
I don't see Ketron going belly up any time soon. Their main focus is arrangers, which it has been for many years. Ketron is not just the Audya; they also have the SD5 as their mid-range keyboard that had fantastic sounds and styles. Their only arranger module company out there, for the guitar and accordion players. Ketron does very well in Europe, I'm sure the US sales are icing on the cake.

I have to say I see Roland dropping their arranger line more so than ketron going out of business. Roland’s best selling keyboard was the G series G800/G1000. The VA76 was a flop and the G70 didn't really take off also. Time will tell.

---

Perhaps you're right, mc...I'm not as familiar with the Ketron line as you are.

I was very surprised at Roland's departure from MOTL and TOTL arrangers, as I thought the product was well designed and sounded very good.

Perhaps they are working in a new direction as far as the home market is concerned? This VIMA stuff might be what will replace, or at least supplement the present arrangers; the GW-8/Prelude.

I do know Roland's arranger sales were dismal in my territory, and we have a relatively healthy arranger market.

Hopefully Ketron will turn things around...and judging by the unhappy owners, it needs to be soon.

We don't hear of the Mediastation any more...wonder why?

Ian

posted 11-21-2009 05:14 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by mc:
Ketron was the first in many things that other brands borrow.

---

Really, like what for example ?

posted 11-21-2009 05:23 PM            

quote:

---

I don't see Ketron going belly up any time soon.

---

That maybe true, but the problems they have with this keyboard, it's price tag and the recession don't help matters.

Simply fact is that this keyboard was released entirely unfinished with large percentages of it's OS missing. What company with a good balance sheet does something as dumb as that ?

James

posted 11-21-2009 05:54 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by Irishacts:
That maybe true, but the problems they have with this keyboard, it's price tag and the recession don't help matters.

Simply fact is that this keyboard was released entirely unfinished with large percentages of it's OS missing. What company with a good balance sheet does something as dumb as that ?

James

[This message has been edited by Irishacts (edited 11-21-2009).]

---

Regardless of some of the bugs, they are still selling and besides as I stated before the audya is not only keyboard or module thay make. I sure the recession is not helping, but not just for Ketron, I'm sure just as Korg, Yamaha and especially roland.

Almost forgot they also make keyboards with the buttons. no one else make one.

posted 11-21-2009 05:57 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by Irishacts:
Really, like what for example ?

James

---

posted 11-21-2009 06:15 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by Irishacts:
Simply fact is that this keyboard was released entirely unfinished with large percentages of it's OS missing. What company with a good balance sheet does something as dumb as that ?

James

---

Yamaha! Remember the PSR9000 Pro? If you happened to be one of the owners of that baby that Yamaha gave birth to well before it was ready you'd know that Ketron isn't the only offender and a good balance sheet didn't seem to matter in that case. Over the years many companies who were quite solvent have used the buying public as Guinea Pigs and Yamaha isn't excluded from that group. The problem is you never know if the keyboard you purchase is going to be 100% or not until after you've spent your hard earned cash. A simple demo in a store doesn't reveal what lies beneath and sometimes the depths of those waters run a lot deeper than you ever imagined. Caveat Emptor.

posted 11-21-2009 06:42 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ensnareyou:
Yamaha! Remember the PSR9000 Pro? If you happened to be one of the owners of that baby that Yamaha gave birth to well before it was ready you'd know that Ketron isn't the only offender and a good balance sheet didn't seem to matter in that case.

---

Yes, my friend, but Yamaha obviously learned from the PSR-9000 Pro, as did Roland with the G-70, but the problem is, Ketron is not in the same league as these companies financially.

Roland and Yamaha survived and thrived in spite of their blunders.

Ketron, on the other hand, may be looking at a much more serious fate.

They are making their mistakes at the absolute worst time they could make them...the poor economy is only one of the hurdles ahead of them.

They are putting an awfully high retail price on an arranger that is not finished, and may not be for some time.

Certainly we wish them all the best, and, very likely they're going to need it.

posted 11-21-2009 07:21 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by mc:
you can start with the live drums, they've been using them since the X1. They only difference is that Korg finally stepped up there game after few years.

---

Sorry but Ketron can't lay claim to that either. Live Drums is nothing but a description for a mic placement on a dum kit while a drummer played during a sampling session.

Every kid with a AKAI Sampler was doing that back in the 80's. I was born in 75 and even I was doing that back when I was 12 with an AKAI Sampler.

I highly doubt you can come up with one single thing I could give Ketron any credit for inventing actually.

The make killer sounding keyboards, but they don't lead with new idea's at all. By todays standards Ketron are well behind as far as tech goes.

posted 11-21-2009 07:38 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by mc:

---

quote:

---

Regardless of some of the bugs, they are still selling and besides as I stated before the audya is not only keyboard or module thay make.

---

Well to be fair it's not just some bugs. It's the history of an OS with large proportions of core systems missing, bugs and hardware faults .

As for the keyboard selling, sure there will always be those who take the plunge but I know for a fact that in my area (120 mile radius of where I live) I could count the Audya owners one hand.

Ask me to count owners of the older Ketron keyboards and there would be truck loads of people to count. Ketron's older keyboards are hugely popular here.

Funny enough the problems with the Audya are not the main reason for them to not buy, it's the price. You can buy a KORG Pa2X or Tyros 3 for far less.

quote:

---

I sure the recession is not helping, but not just for Ketron, I'm sure just as Korg, Yamaha and especially roland.

---

Yes it's hitting everyone, but Ketron have their neck currently sticking out the furthest by a long way on price.

I understand they can't turn around and start selling it under a new pricing structure and this would cause blue murder amongst those who have paid already for it. This is why I've been saying that as soon as they get the Audya finished, they will likely drop it and quickly release a new keyboard totally based on the work they did for the audya.

It's only then can I see Ketron turning a profit here. I just hope they can hold out that long because it's taking for freaking ever to get the Audya working right.

Regards
James