From brad@crowsnestphotography.com Mon Jan 29 12:25:20 2007
Subject:Re: Clone Players 1-2% of Keyboard World (was Double Triggering)

I tend to agree with the low percentages. I also have an impossible
time getting to try new 'clones' here in SE Virginia. Guitar Center,
Mars Music(now defunct) and the other large local music store just
don't carry them in stock. "Oh we can get that for you in two
days", "I can order that today", yadda yadda, "we will beat any
legitmate price", ect. etc. I look around the rather large keyboard
demonstration room with well over 40 keyboards, (with every hip-
hop/rapper in town making noise writing his/her own persoanal album for
ever on the different demo workstations)..........but not a single
clonewheel in the group to try!

Practically IMPOSSIBLE to play (and HEAR) with any board you personally
want to try. NO HEADPHONES and I have asked(they get stolen, I guess),
along with all knobs on the keyboards removed (they get stolen, I
guess). I get a headache most of the times I walk into the place, LONG
before I get any real attention, and usually I leave without a
purchase. When I do get attention, the salespeople usually can't
answer my questions/explain how the thing works! AND I HAVE BEEN THERE
TO BUY large items SEVERAL TIMES!

Beening almost 50 (shudder, shudder) and a self-admitted hack of a
keyboard player (former B3/Lesie 147 owner--late 70's-- and I stayed at
a Holiday Inn Express last night), I tend to buy on impulse at times.
ALL THE THINGS I WANTED TO BUY at the GC last time I went in there were
NOT IN STOCK!!!!!! (Special keyboard stands, Hammond XK1, wanted to
see a Roland AX-7, any Leslies, never a Motion sound rotary.....) If
it weren't for the fact that there is one guy there that takes care of
me now, I would just buy online! I sure can't demo a clonewheel! (I
bought a Korg Trito Pro X there.......then the XK2 (ordered sight and
sound unseen), then 2 years later a Motion Sound Pro 145 (again ordered
sight and sound unseen!) a Yamaha S90-ES, and now want an XK1 or a XK3
to try, but they don't stock 'em. Pretty frustrating.

BeeRad