All things retro

[⚖musicalmemoriesuk]

A slight sidestep from my normal posts. 

Besides arranger keyboards, I’ve always had an interest in computers which came long before my interest in arranger keyboards. 

As technology advances people jump on to the bandwagon to get the next latest bit of hardware or kit.

But zooming out to the wider picture there is a growing amount of people reverting to older generations of technology, look at the huge demand for older gaming systems, and physical media collections. Just look at videos on social media of people who have rooms full of older gaming systems and games.

How is this applicable to arranger keyboards, it’s similar in a way. 

Whilst the newer models of arranger keyboards are excellent, there are a lot of people holding on to older models or even getting older models because they become more affordable.

As you probably read posts from Chello of how good the Tyros 4 is or was. 

Maybe the arranger keyboard companies are missing something yes the market is in decline, but with the increasing costs of components etc this will also push up the price of any newer models which will make them beyond the budgets of more people. So then previous models become more in demand because they are more affordable.

So is retro or older technology really that bad?

[♔Chello]

Thanks for your retro perspective.
You have always been good at highlighting that retro products can be perfect for many people's use.

It took me a while to realize that retro is actually better when it comes to non-existent bugs and better durability.

The Tyros 4 in particular is a classic that is extremely durable, and I never found any bugs.
It is also the best of all I have tried in terms of midi to style - almost all midi to style works better with this; you always find substitute sounds that fit well.

And SF2 works brilliantly and easily.
The screen is so large that all edits are easily accessible and visible.
The keybed is actually very good.

It is reasonably easy to get a Tyros 4 that looks like new for a ridiculous only 1000$ in Norway.
It is very likely that I will buy one on occasion.

In general, retro keyboards are more durable, and bugs are by no means the problem it has become; the newer the model, the worse the durability and bugs that are never fixed.

The Pa5X should be a well-known example with its bad buttons, missing new foot pedal and countless serious bugs - almost 4 years have passed since the launch, but little or nothing is being done.
It will probably never be completely fixed either.

Also, the Tyros 4 has far better voices than the Pa5X - in my opinion.