The Italian brand of electronic musical instruments – Ketron - located in Ancona was founded in 1981.
A portable organ was the first product made by the brand. In 1982 the company got seriously interested in digital technology which was necessary for the competitiveness. The next year Ketron produced an instrument to meet the basic requirements. In 1985 Ketron switched to producing arrangers, such as Programmer 24 which allowed creating up to 64 patterns using the built-in arpeggiator, and also included a 16-step sequencer programmable in real time. Due to the peculiarities of the drums and bass sounds the instrument was nicknamed Disco Machine.
With the introduction of Multisynthesis technology in 1991, MS series of instruments came out including MS 40, MS 50/60 and MS 100 models. Thanks to Multisynthesis, for example, Solton MS60 could use 256 patches and 128 user patches, had a 16-part multitimbrality, 28-voice polyphony, 11 preset drum kits and a dynamic 61-note keyboard with aftertouch, Dynamic and Retrigger functions. The 61-note keyboard features DSP with various effects: reverb, chorus, delay and echo. The instruments allow real time music CD recording.
Soon the brand released SD series which featured both electric keyboards and sound modules as well as chromatic keyboards. The series included synthesizer models such as SD 1, SD 1 Plus, SD 3 (sound module with auto accompaniment), SD 5, SD 7 and SD 9. Ketron SD 1 synthesizer became the flagship one in the line: the instrument has a 76-note piano keyboard with aftertouch effect and 6 dynamic curves, 64-voice polyphony (offering 32-part multitimbrality), 310 preset and 128 user patches, 16 digital drawbars, 1000 percussion sounds, 16 MB RAM, a rich variety of arrangement functions (131 style + 168 ROM styles, settings, acceleration and deceleration functions, etc.). It also has harmony and portamento settings, aftertouch, as well as a pitch wheel, modulation wheel for LFO, filter, amplifier and rotor speed control. There are typical effects such as reverb, chorus, flanger, delay, distortion, overload, equalizer + 16 user ones. Memory allows up to 16 MB of 16-bit samples. There is also a vocalizer unit and a 16-track sequencer.
After the successful launch of SD 1 the company began to introduce new products to the music market, such as X1 arranger and X4 sound module designed to complement the top synth synthesizer SD 1. Ketron X1 synthesizer was the harbinger of a new era for modern keyboards by introducing revolutionary technologies. Unlike other instruments with auto accompaniment Ketron X1 provided new advanced styles which included even a selection of real musicians’ performances which allowed it to generate all the nuances and subtleties of live performing.
Together with X series Ketron began to produce a line DG digital pianos which included models: DG 20, DG 30, DG 90, DG 100. Piano series was based on technologies used in high-end synthesizers of SD series. To support the first DG series digital pianos the company also released GP series which has become a successful example of portable digital synthesizers in terms of sound quality, weight and size. GP keyboard provided a complex next generation sound achieved by careful selection of the sampled famous grand pianos featured on the market.
XD and X1 models presented Oriental keyboards designs – the models translated the full sound character of traditional instruments. The instruments of the series were created in close cooperation with professional musicians and performers of the East. After the success of XD series VEGA keyboard was released based on the major specification and sound of XD but the instrument had a unique technology called Joystick Oriental, 27 high-quality "oriental" sounds, more than 450 oriental percussion sounds, 110 user voices, a rich drum section, functional arrangement (50 oriental styles + 172 international, with many functions). In order to quickly set the desired tempo and ensure immediate access to presets as well as to styles bank selection the instrument enabled a "Tap tempo" function ideal for performing live.
The popularity of the brand was also owed a lot to the progressive Audya series which was a powerful workstation with auto accompaniment function - ahead of many of its Japanese competitors. These arrangers use modern streaming technology Real Audio Loops. It included professional studio recordings with the participation of musicians. The instrument (the first model) has 76 semi-weighted keys with aftertouch effect, a 197-note polyphony, upgraded samples, and also allows operating with different audio formats.
Ketron is a brand that first of all pays attention to the parameters and quality specification of its keyboards which and has a highlighted priority of improving the features and properties inherent in digital pianos. However it’s worth noting the merits in a sound module segment and paying respect to MidJay series devices.