Why I will NOT be getting a PS60

[Randelph]

Have been in the market for a lightweight keyboard. With my Nord Stage 88 (all time favorite) and M3, I'm covered board wise, but I need something lightweight for the park, for busking, parties, etc.

The reason I will NOT get the PS60 (Korg, are you reading this?) and will be getting something like the Roland Di is:
~ Battery power to the people! Not exactly portable if you have to plug it in
~ No microphone input! For me this is a must.
~ No mod knobs- this is crazy- you can't even do the cutoff and freq with dedicated knobs- it's not a synth if it doesn't have them! Though to be fair there is a pedal input that could be used for that. the Roland Di doesn't have a pedal input, just a sustain pedal input

Which is a shame, 'cause it looks like a great board otherwise. i particularly like:
~ lots of knobs for eq and fx
~ direct mixing of 6 different sound sources
~ a condensed set of voices (instead of over 1,000 to wade thru)
~ potentially better action than the roland Di
~ robust fx section
~ light weight

Hell, I'd even appreciate really good speakers in them as well- great for monitoring or solo practice sessions or when you don't need a lot of volume. I've had them in other boards and the stereo sound of them is surprisingly good and useful.

[Giggity-Gone]

I have been in the market for a lightweight keyboard in the past few months as well. With my Alesis QS.6 (my all time favorite) sold a few years ago to a friend, I'm without a main gigging keyboard. Being a guitar player first and foremost, this is a secondary issue. But I'm in another band now and need a decent "gig board".

The reason I just ordered the PS60 (Korg, are you reading this?) is:
~ It has all the features and sounds I need to play gigs
~ It's affordable (under $1000)
~ It's lightweight (under 11 lbs)
~ 61 keys (all I need, just right for smaller stages)
~ no hammer action (Great! I play better on synth boards anyway)
~ Logical layout, easy to change sounds on-the-fly (no menu sorting)
~ lots of knobs for eq and fx (tweakable on-the-fly)
~ direct mixing of 6 different sound sources
~ a condensed set of pertinent voices (instead of over 1,000 to wade through)

Some points that Randelph made don't apply in my case.

~ battery power? I wouldn't take a board THIS NICE out in the street. Maybe my $200 Yamaha PSR-280, but not a $700 board.
~ Microphone input? I've never seen someone make a decision about a keyboard on the basis of a microphone input. (Maybe for a Vocoder ?) I'd buy a small mixer instead.
~ on-board speakers? I wouldn't expect to need them on stage and if I did use them on a LOUD stage, I'd need them to be pushing <120+ db (unrealistic from a keyboard speaker system and would add considerable weight/size).
I've always been just fine with a sustain pedal on stage. No problems there.

BTW, the Roland Di? (if you mean the Roland Juno GI) is having problems with the LCD screen going haywire. If you're out of warranty, the repair will cost you 20% of the units original cost. I looked at the Roland closely. I'm glad I saw the new Korg PS-60. It looks like the keyboard I always wanted. A dream come true. I already have a 1982 Juno 106 anyway.

Thanks Korg!
I'll give you my opinion of the PS-60 on here soon.
I've never seen/heard/touched the PS-60. I'm going on a leap of faith that it will be the perfect board for me.

[dickinsonc]

I'm thinking about the PS60 (If I could find someone in Reno who actually STOCKS one).... A good "bar-board" is a must for a gigging musician.
My main bar-board is the Juno G.... great little board, doesn't do anything perfectly, but does everything reasonably well. There is a "known" problem with the display, I haven't had any problems except for screen blanking when out in the summer sun.

[dickinsonc]

Starsound Audio here in Reno does stock 'em (I now own serial #34)..

For the money, great little bar-board

[MuZicMaKEn]

The reason I just ordered the PS60 (Korg, are you reading this?) is:
~ It has all the features and sounds I need to play gigs
~ It's affordable (under $1000)
~ It's lightweight (under 11 lbs)
~ 61 keys (all I need, just right for smaller stages)
~ no hammer action (Great! I play better on synth boards anyway)
~ Logical layout, easy to change sounds on-the-fly (no menu sorting)
~ lots of knobs for eq and fx (tweakable on-the-fly)
~ direct mixing of 6 different sound sources
~ a condensed set of pertinent voices (instead of over 1,000 to wade through)

Some points that Randelph made don't apply in my case.

~ battery power? I wouldn't take a board THIS NICE out in the street. Maybe my $200 Yamaha PSR-280, but not a $700 board.
~ Microphone input? I've never seen someone make a decision about a keyboard on the basis of a microphone input. (Maybe for a Vocoder ?) I'd buy a small mixer instead.
~ on-board speakers? I wouldn't expect to need them on stage and if I did use them on a LOUD stage, I'd need them to be pushing <120+ db (unrealistic from a keyboard speaker system and would add considerable weight/size).
I've always been just fine with a sustain pedal on stage. No problems there.


Thanks Korg!
I'll give you my opinion of the PS-60 on here soon.
I've never seen/heard/touched the PS-60. I'm going on a leap of faith that it will be the perfect board for me.

AMEN!!!!

Those were most of my likes as well....


--Don't forget it has NO Drum / Percussion sounds on it which I was glad to see..Which are useless sounds playing live unless you're an all keyboard band.
--Batteries...You better buy stock, having to change them every couple hours
--If I wanted speakers I'd gotten a $100 Casio

I use the PS60 live and it is amazing...Was one of my best keyboard decisions I've made. The PS60 is made for the gigging musician. I don't have to scroll through endless menus trying to find the sound I want.

It does feel cheap but don't let that fool ya. I would have like to seen more 'Useable" sounds in it 9not more sounds I also like the condensed sound library just would have like to have more usable sounds) or even expandable like my Roland Juno Stage.

One thing I didn't like was a gig bag. I bought a 61 key gig/padded case and it is way to small for the bag so I reinforced the styrofoam ends the PS60 (duck taped the outsides) the PS60 was shipped with and put a piece of foam underneath and then prblem solved fits in the bag. I would guess although I"m not sure, it may fit into a 49key gigbag.

Out of all the keyboards I tried out the PS60 was a no brainer.

[dickinsonc]

"One thing I didn't like was a gig bag...."..
Ditto on that one...... Seems no one (that I can find makes a gig bag OR hard-case for this or the (Roland) Juno-G. Either to small or WAY to big!
I ended up building one for my Juno.. guess I'm going to have to build one for the PS60 also (cheap to build... but too damn time-consuming)

[billbaker]

Looked at Island Cases on ebay?

Custom sizes, ATA rated, user selectable hardware and colors.

BB

[GeePee]

I bought it a few weeks ago and dont regret it at all.
I didn´t want an "accompaniment keyboard" with tons of cheese rhythms etc. Don´t care for drums, the drummer has to do this for me. I wanted a keyboard to be able to have access to usable sounds within seconds. Also not too hard to edit programs, with a few mouseclicks. I paid less than 600 euros for a new PS60, so it was a bargain. Show me an other produckt with the same quality in this price range, please.

[zzzxtreme]

not being able to layer same voice of same category is a big no no for me.

90% of the time, my strings requires another layer with higher octave.

[GeePee]

Layering sounds of the same category is possible when you do the following:
Edit any instrument, then before you save the changes, choose an other category and the "group D" will be your location in the memory. Here you can assign a piano as brass (for example) or something else. I have done this with the editor, now I can layer more than 2 pianos or strings. BTW: you can layer already in the "instrument level" up to 8 oscillators. The PS60 is better than most people believe!

[zzzxtreme]

Layering sounds of the same category is possible when you do the following:
Edit any instrument, then before you save the changes, choose an other category and the "group D" will be your location in the memory. Here you can assign a piano as brass (for example) or something else. I have done this with the editor, now I can layer more than 2 pianos or strings. BTW: you can layer already in the "instrument level" up to 8 oscillators. The PS60 is better than most people believe!

thanks never knew that! this should be made known. all reviews out there listed that unknown feature as a con

[ajgroover]

A sample of PS60 sounds on why u should be getting one of these sythesizer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWrmtcUCrak