The Ketron Event Module (EVM)
I have enjoyed keyboards, including the piano, for over 25 years. In December of 2023, I purchased the Yamaha Genos2 when it was first released in the U.S. last summer (2025), I decided to add the Ketron EVM to my Genos2.
Ketron, made in Italy, is not a brand name familiar in America. I first became aware of Ketron products by watching YouTube videos by Keyboard World (U.K.) and AjamSonic (U.S.). Both are excellent sources of information on the Ketron EVM and the entire Ketron Event series.
Ketron is, to my knowledge, the only keyboard manufacturer offering a module that attaches to a keyboard. The EVM is a quite small box and provides the complete set of capabilities of the flagship Ketron Event keyboard lacking only the keys. It is connected in a very simple setup to my Yamaha Genos2 via MIDI and works very well with the Genos2, allowing me to play either the Genos2 only, the Ketron EVM only, or both simultaneously.
A common feature of all arranger keyboards is the ability to split the keyboard with the left hand playing styles (musically appropriate combinations of instruments) as an accompaniment together with a wide array of possible right-hand voices. The Ketron EVM is unique in that it affords many styles with acoustically recorded loops which follow the left-hand chords and provide the sound of an authentic accompanying band. The richness and variety of accompaniment styles of the EVM are remarkable, and A.J. of AjamSonic offers Pro Packs with many additional styles that also contain many real instrument recordings in addition to MIDI instruments. A.J. is a recording engineer and a very talented musician who puts a great deal of effort into successfully creating rich and vibrant styles to supplement those provided by Ketron.
The Ketron EVM is also a diverse and capable media player, handling many types of files, including MIDI, .wav (audio), .mp3 (audio), .mp4 (video), and .kar (karaoke) files as well as its own proprietary system file types. A.J. has prepared and offered for sale two volumes of Tune 1000 files, affording access to literally thousands of songs in all genres. In fact, the EVM has two media players, and one can cross-fade from one to the other.
The Ketron EVM takes a unique approach to voices, I.e. right hand sounds with a Voice 1 and Voice 2 button on the Ketron interface, each of which allows the user to choose any or all of three additional voices for a total of six right-hand voices that can be layered together. The EVM interface also affords a set of ABCD buttons to which any of the Ketron’s voices may be assigned for easy and instant access while playing. Interface buttons also provide for intros, endings, breaks, fills, and subtle, but distinct, variations in the style. Ketron supplies a tablet that is connected through HDMI and USB to the EVM, but the EVM may also be controlled wirelessly with an iPad with no latency or lag. This is only a superficial listing of the many features of the Ketron EVM.
For any arranger keyboard, the single most important feature is how it sounds. Having compared the Genos2 and the EVM extensively, my opinion is that the Ketron EVM has the better sound. Certainly, with respect to left-hand styles, the acoustic styles of the EVM are superior to either the Yamaha or Korg instruments. Even the right-hand voices of the EVM are as good and sometimes better than the corresponding voice of its competitors.
My only criticism of the EVM is that its operating system (OS) is not trouble-free. During my work, I have had a number of times when the interface has locked up, refusing to respond to any touch, and, even more seriously, occasions where the interface seems fine but does not function correctly and requires a reboot that solves the problem.
