Ensoniq KS-32

The KS-32 sounds pretty good right out of the box. The sounds are fairly easy to edit. The interface is easy to follow, and the sequencer is adequate.

The Fatar action is the best that I have ever played, but more on that later! The built in effects are adequate, no more, no less. The unit isn't very easy to expand upon. The memory cards are fairly expensive and there isn't a great variety of sounds that you can purchase for it. The on-board sequencer is ok, but I would have wish that they would have left it off, and saved me some money.

The sounds vary greatly on quality. The organs are pretty good, the brass are deplorable. It has a variety of clavs and pianos that are good in a variety of different situations. The strings are quite effective in a pop situations.

I have hated this keyboard as much as I have loved it since I purchased it. I love the action and like the keyboard, but it constantly breaks. I would say on average every couple of months I have had to get it fixed. I have had an entire new keyboard assembly put into it, no help, it is simply not reliable, I finally just gave up and play with it broken.

I have dealt with both Ensoniq U.S.A. and Ensoniq Japan with this keyboard, so I have two vastly different opinions of the customer support of Ensoniq. I bought the keyboard in the states, and have had to deal with the lousy service here in the U.S.A. and was totally dissatified. Then I moved to Tokyo. I have pushed this keyboard about five miles on top of a small luggage cart through the tokyo subway system to and down streets to get it to Ensoniq Japan. I could not believe the amazing service that I received there. I believe that the guy's name was Ichi. He is one of the most competent people that I have ever dealt with. They actually repaired the keyboard by reglueing it somehow. I was totally impressed. I don't really miss living in Japan, but I really miss the workers there. I am going to give them a 5 for customer support, a 1 for the u.s.a and a 10 for japan.

I just want this to work!! I have played on the "best" keyboards available and I always want to go back to the KS. I love it as much as I hate it. I will probably still own the KS in 50 years, still hating it, but refusing to get rid of it. I refuse to put a rating on it.

Very intuitive operating system. Pretty good presets & I usuallu hate factory persets. Editing is very easy & intuitive. Good manual.

32 voice polyphony. Kybd action is pretty good. Fairly good effects, but limited voice/effects mixing capabilities. Virtually NO expansion. Good MIDI implementation, incredible for a master MIDI keyboard controller. A dream in this aspect. OK sequencer but I had so much trouble w/ sequencer hanging my operating system & causing re-initializations (loosing ALL my patches & sequences), I had to stop using sequencer. I don't even go near it.

Fairly good expressiveness. Good pianos, B3s, clavs. Mediocre strings & brass unless you "create" them yourself. Probably good for all kinds of music. Good velocity & aftertouch.

Poor reliability. I've been through 3 motherboards & 2 keyboards. I really need a 3rd keyboard but can't afford it. Ensoniq has been really good about working with me on some of these replacements but still, too many breakdowns. Keyboard weights ALWAYS break off. Portamento totally unuseable while using multitimbrality.

Fairly unfriendly & mucho runaround but they ultimately came thru on some out of warranty issues for which I was very grateful.

I've played for 30 years. I'd probably buy another if stolen just because I have so many hundreds of hours invested in creating my own sounds. Otherwise, I'd never replace it for the bad reliability issues. I love the MIDI implemntation & incredible master keyboard implementation..

Ease of use-6 Editing patches-3Manual-7

Polyphony=32 (on really, really good day...) 8built ins=Reverbs, Rotor, Leslie, Flange, Phaser...EASY USE 7Not much expansion, except for RAM cards 2Good Midi capabilities, key pressure, mod wheel, only no tuning....6Fairly good sequencer, 16 "Song" capab's. 6

Sounds? Hmmm. Great Organs & Flutes; Ok Pianos,Brass, Reeds; Cool Synth sounds; NO BAGPIPES!!!! }:-0 8Works for just about everything.....8 Onboards good=7, Reaction=what YOU put in.....N/A, Good velocity and aftertouch reactions=8

Yup! andYou bet.

Very courteous and understandingHeck, I WISH there WAS an upgrade.... :-(

If I knew then what I know now, probably not, It's a GREAT intro to the Pro World. It makes learning MIDI alot easier. The selling point is the wonderful weighted key action. Not ALOT of other boards have for the price range. I wish to heck they had installable boards...