News From Keysound

Well it's nearly here, the time when you can find out for yourself what the new features are on the brand new Yamaha Tyros5 keyboard. Is it worth changing from my Tyros4 keyboard? What colour will it be? Will it have a touch screen? Is there any brand new technology? Is the organ section expanded? These are just a few questions that we are constantly being asked at Keysound and all will be revealed early tomorrow. All I can say at this point is, that you will be impressed; in fact you will be 'knocked out' by the sensational new sounds and real rhythm accompaniment section. Lots to tell you about come back tomorrow first thing: http://www.pianoandkeyboardshoponline.co.uk/

An exceptional introduction to Kawai quality. Authentic Key Touch The KDP90’s Advanced Hammer Action IV-F (AHA IV-F) keyboard action has been developed to represent the distinctive touch of an acoustic grand piano. Its springless technology and sturdy construction delivers consistent upward and downward motion for a smooth, natural, and highly authentic piano playing experience. Moreover, just as acoustic pianos utilise heavier bass hammers and lighter treble hammers, the AHA IV-F keyboard action also employs different hammer weights, appropriately graded for each playing range. Such realistic details provide greater stability during fortissimo passages, while preserving delicate pianissimo control, to satisfy the demands of even the most discerning pianist. Grand Piano Sound The KDP90 digital piano captures the beautiful sound of Kawai’s highly acclaimed EX concert grand piano, with all 88 keys of this exceptional instrument meticulously recorded, analysed and faithfully reproduced using proprietary Harmonic Imaging technology. This unique process accurately recreates the broad dynamic range of the original grand piano, affording pianists an outstanding level of expressiveness ranging from the softest pianissimo to the boldest fortissimo. Additional reverberation effects that simulate the acoustic environment of a recital room, live stage, or concert hall are also applied, resulting in a rich, vibrant acoustic piano tone that delivers breathtaking realism and authenticity. Digital Piano Convenience Complementing its authentic keyboard action and rich grand piano sound, the KDP90 offers a variety of useful digital features. For aspiring pianists, the integrated metronome, lesson songs and dual headphone jacks ensure that practise is both productive and engaging, while more advanced musicians will appreciate the alternative instrument sounds, Dual playing mode, and song recorder functions.

The affordable digital piano for home and live use Buying a digital piano usually involves compromises: pick a more affordable piano, and the sound isn’t up to scratch or key features are absent. Choose a more sophisticated model, and it can be heavy and difficult to transport, as well as being expensive. The Roland FP-50 is a digital piano that’s playable, portable and affordable. You get the authentic tone and touch of an acoustic grand piano, plus a large selection of versatile sounds for performing in a variety of situations. This entry-level FP piano is designed to be played every day, with a host of features to make your piano practice more rewarding. Sound, touch and style combine to create an affordable piano that rivals high-end instruments costing many times more. So here are four reasons why the FP-50 is equally at home on stage, or, um…at home 1. Style, feel and authentic sound for playing piano at home The keyboard is the business end of the piano – it’s where you spend all your time, so that keyboard had better be comfortable. The FP-50’s is called the ‘Ivory Feel-G keyboard with Escapement’, which replicates the appearance, texture, and moisture absorbing properties of real ivory. If you’re an experienced player, you’ll appreciate the authentic feel of the keyboard; if you’re a beginner, you’ll be starting in the right place. Next there’s the sound. The FP-50’s piano sounds are among Roland’s finest, using a technology called SuperNATURAL Piano to power the onboard grand piano sounds. SuperNATURAL is only found on Roland pianos and the FP-50 reacts quickly to your touch over the entire length of the keyboard and the transition of notes from soft to hard is smooth, responsive and realistic – no matter how quickly you play. The ‘decay’ of each note (how long it takes to fade to silence after being played) is also consistent with that of a real grand piano, so the character of the tone changes authentically, as it decays. 2. Easy to carry, hard to beat The FP-50 is easy to carry, weighing just 15kg. It sounds much bigger than it looks, as in addition to the premium acoustic pianos, it’s brimming with a large selection of inspired stage-ready sounds, including SuperNATURAL-based classic EPs, smoky organ tones, emotive strings, modern synths, and more. Stereo outputs let you connect to an external amplification system, while the built-in speakers help you monitor your performance while on stage. The intelligent rhythm feature gives you control of an entire onboard backing band for solo performing, with automatic accompaniment that follows whatever you play on the keyboard. 3. Helping you become a better piano player The FP-50 was designed to be played every day and includes several ways to help you practice. You can turn off the built-in speakers and play privately using headphones, allowing you to practice day or night without disturbing family members or neighbours. The on-board Rhythm accompaniments can help you develop your timing and groove, and the wide selection of on-board music styles help expand your versatility. The optional USB memory also lets you play along with your favourite songs saved as WAV audio files, but here’s the clever bit: you can change the key and adjust the speed of the audio, and even reduce the sound of pre-recorded vocals so you can sing over the top. Best of all, you can record your performances back to USB memory as audio data, useful for composing or self-evaluation. SMF songs can be played from USB memory as well. 4. Connect with free Air Performer app – no cables needed either The FP-50 works with Roland Wireless Connect and the free Air Performer app, and you can play along with your favourite songs in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch through the FP-50’s sound system. Roland Wireless Connect is simple to set up and use, providing convenient, cable-free communication with Apple iOS devices via Roland’s optional WNA1100-RL Wireless USB Adapter. Available in black or white, this compact and stylish digital piano also includes a built-in speaker system, so it’s always ready to go wherever you want to play. FP-50 in brief Roland’s acclaimed SuperNATURAL Piano sound engine Ivory Feel-G Keyboard with Escapement Built-in speaker system Intelligent rhythm feature with full-keyboard chord recognition 90 rhythm types, with two variations for each style Available in attractive black or white finishes Compatible with DP-10 Damper Pedal (included) or RPU-3 Triple Pedal (optional) Optional matching stands: KSC-44 (for home use) and KS-18Z (for stage use) Optional CB-88RL carrying bag

Korg Pa900 Professional Arranger Korg debuts the newest high-performance Arranger in the acclaimed PA-Series; the Pa900. Featuring Defined Nuance Control technology for extra realism, Pa900 offers users a new palate of sounds to impress any audience, as well as an enormous range of styles covering music genres from around the world. Combine this with powerful functionality, an intuitive user interface and rich, powerful sound, and you have an Arranger for the most demanding performer. The Pa900 sound engine uses double the PCM memory of the best-selling Pa600 and extends the amount of User PCM memory to 192MB. The number of user Style locations has also expanded to 1,200, which will cover almost every style imaginable, and the improved built-in speaker system delivers it all with clear, rich sound. Standard features such as the TC Helicon Vocal Harmonizer, an MP3 player & recorder, Dual Crossfade Sequencer and Video output for lyric display enhance your performance options. The Pa900 packs all this in a high‐quality instrument featuring aluminium side-panels and a silver body to provide a prestigious look on any stage! With more power than ever before, the Pa900 sets a new standard for arranger workstations. Pa900 Highlights Enhanced RX (Real eXperience) sound engine offers improved realism and expressiveness Massive internal ROM; can accommodate up to 192 MB of user PCM data; provides a powerful wave memory, delivering incredible sound quality Three assignable switches and a four-way joystick ensure total control for the sound articulation levels (DNC – Defined Nuance Control) 61 key semi–weighted keyboard action with velocity and aftertouch Slim and compact lightweight design Large TouchView™ 7” TFT display Easy layout and intuitive graphical interface with new Search function for quickly locating musical resources 2-way speaker system provides powerful, clear sound Improved Style and Performance selection; over 400 factory Styles, each with 4 variations and 4 Fill Ins + Break, plus 15 user banks for nearly-unlimited storage of your favorite customized or user-created Styles and settings Enhanced Guitar Mode 2 for even more realistic guitar parts Chord Sequencer function records any chord progression on-the-fly 4 Stereo Master Effects (125 FX Types) + 2 Global Effects (Limiter, EQ) TC Helicon 3-voice Vocal Processor with 4 dedicated effects Double MP3/MIDI file players with recording capability, X-Fader and Vocal Remover Enhanced compatibility with lyrics in graphical format (+G) for MP3 Enhanced sound compatibility for GM and GS songs Fully-programmable SongBook database based on Styles, SMF, Karaoke, MP3 with instant recall of any song setting. User-definable custom lists. Filtering and ordering options. Multi-language extended character set. Lyrics can be showed in their original languages (except the Oriental and the Arabic Languages*). New SoundFont import function Mass Storage with Micro SD              The New Pa900 Korg prides itself on having delivered some of the most successful arranger keyboards ever. Used by tens of thousands of music professionals in every country around the world, Korg arrangers have thrilled audiences and delighted players with a magic combination of unbeatable sound quality and features. Korg’s RX (Real eXperience) Technology blends this great Korg history with powerful new technology and ideas from musicians around the world to deliver a new standard in arrangers. The result is a musical jewel that packages technological magic into a cool and user friendly design: the Korg Pa900. Feel the keyboard The 61-key keyboard offers a semi-weighted action, feels great, features naturally responsive key-on/key-off velocity sensitivity and aftertouch, and is designed for musicians of all levels. Slim, powerful and easy to use The Pa900 has been designed with the concept of combining a slim shape with a professional look. But while its size might appear diminutive, its sound is huge, thanks to the power of the onboard high-quality custom designed amplification system. The 2x20 Watt amplifiers drive the 4 loudspeakers in a bass-reflex enclosure to generate a rich, powerful listening experience. The main panel has been redesigned and optimized to ensure that buttons and knobs are ergonomically and intuitively well positioned to enhance any performance. Our graphical user interface is now even easier to read and has been renewed with more detailed icons and objects thanks to the new large TFT Graphical Color Touch Screen display. So that musicians of all levels can make great music quickly, there are two interface modes: Easy and Expert. The Easy mode shows only the most important controls while keeping a clean and straightforward interface, useful for beginners or playing live. Of course, in Expert mode you have full editing control. When you do not remember where a file, a song, or a style was saved, just use the Search function to let the Pa900 find it for you. Sound quality at its best Based on Korg’s sophisticated sound engine, the Pa900 provides truly outstanding new sounds. Our RX (Real eXperience) Technology and the DNC (Defined Nuance Control) system refine an already powerful sound engine, allowing the performer to accurately and expressively introduce the most subtle nuances and sound articulation. Assignable switches have been added to the joystick control, resulting in deeper control and rich expression. Thanks to DNC, you can reproduce subtle articulation sounds that are typical of most acoustic instruments, for example, the growl of a passionately-played saxophone, elements of the breath found in wind-Instruments such as trumpet, clarinet and harmonica, and the added characteristics that give added authenticity to the pizzicato and bowed sounds of a rich string section. Many demanding professional sampling sessions with some of the finest musicians in the music industry have resulted in more detailed natural sounds than ever before. More than 1,100 sounds, including a new stereo grand piano (with string resonance and damper realism) and new electric pianos from the acclaimed KORG SV-1 stage piano; new wind instruments, basses and stunning guitars; plus new digital drawbars with leakage and key on/off noises provide the perfect sound foundation for any harmonic and melodic need. More than 70 drum kits give life to any rhythmic texture and sound truly authentic due to the Drum Family Easy Editing feature, which gives total control over volume, pitch, EQ, and more. Up to 192 MB (PCM User memory) are available, so custom sounds can be added easily. The General MIDI (GM) sound bank has been improved for better compatibility with GM files. The Pa900 can also load/import Korg, WAV, AIFF, SoundFont and export in WAV or AIFF. Sounds can be fully edited, and can now use up to 24 oscillators for each note! Do it with Style The Pa900 delivers over 400 Styles, straight out of the box. Each one is a fully-realized musical environment dedicated to creating a particular musical style. With so many to choose from, the Pa900 can provide instant access to a vast and robust range of musical genres. Each Style features 4 Fill Ins + Break patterns, one for each variation. Using the new Auto Fill function they can be automatically recalled as you move between the four variations. Our international sound team has created many new Styles; and many of our revered and well-known Styles have been improved with new sounds and new mixing. The Pa900 has 1,200 locations for you to save your new Styles and settings. Several new sophisticated parameters which ensure professional and realistic guitar tracks have been added with Guitar Mode 2, making the guitar tracks of every Style rich and authentic. A new function called Chord Sequencer records your chord progressions on-the-fly so you can immediately practice or play along with your own chord sequences. Studio quality-effects The use of premium effects can not only add polish and class to your overall sound; they can also make your music tracks sound more interesting! Korg is famous for its outstanding studio quality effects, and the Pa900 includes the best of the Korg effects library. Up to 4 Stereo Digital Multi Effect processors can be used for each song. 125 effect types are available, running from the standard reverbs and delays through to the more unusual and vintage effects. In addition each track features EQ with Low, Mid and High controls. A custom track EQ can be memorized in the general preferences for the Song Play mode. This will help adapting the sound to personal taste for any MIDI file you play. Need a lighter Bass track? Save the right equalization, and the Bass will stay light with all the subsequent Songs. A limiter and a final 4 band parametric EQ has been added to the sound output of the Pa900. Everything can be processed by this powerful and musically refined EQ, easily adapting the sound to your musical taste or correcting a problematic live scenario. TC Helicon® Voice Processor Korg’s long term cooperation with the world leader in vocal harmonies, TC Helicon®, continues in the Pa900. With new features and algorithms the TC Helicon Voice Processor ensures your vocals have the highest possible sound quality. Up to 3 realistic voices are available and can be controlled by the keyboard, or by MIDI events. Other 4 effect blocks are available, including Reverb, Delay, EQ and Dynamics. To ensure professional vocal performance, 2 knobs and 3 buttons controlling the most important vocal functions have been added to the top panel within easy reach. Player/Sequencer The famous Korg XDS Crossfade Dual Sequencer Player now supports the “MP3+G” (also known as MP3+Graphics) format for MP3 files in addition to the most popular lyrics formats. This new feature allows backing sequences to play with enriched lyrics and graphics which can be displayed simultaneously on the on-board TFT display and on an external monitor. There is also a Marker Function, allowing direct jumps to a given position in the song. Two different MP3 or MIDI files can be played simultaneously and both MIDI and MP3 files can be transposed, accelerated or slowed down. The Vocal Remover allows vocals to be removed from MP3 files using a center-channel cancellation tool. The 16 track sequencer allows sophisticated levels of sequencing, but also provides quick and easy song creation using the Backing Sequence function. And because the Pa900 is very clever, it can record your entire performance! You can run a song, play the keyboard, sing along and everything will be recorded in MP3 format and stored on an external USB device or in the internal memory. A sophisticated Score Viewer is also available to display the lead track (or any other track) of a song as clear and plain traditional musical notations with notes or chords, together with lyrics and chord abbreviations. Chord names can also be seen both in English and Italian. For those learning music, we also added a function to show note names next to each note. The SongBook Particularly useful for live use, the SongBook is a fully programmable and easily searchable Music Database. Each entry contains all the settings required to play a particular song. The SongBook can use styles, MIDI files or MP3s and immediately recall settings such as song title, genre, artist, tempo, volumes, sounds, muted tracks, FX settings, easy edit, 4 STS*, TC Helicon® presets, master transpose and more. Everything you need to play your song back perfectly is in the SongBook, a useful musical feature that is unique to Korg. *STS - Single Touch Settings are memories that recall sounds for all the real time tracks (Upper 1, 2, 3 & Lower)