I wouldn't count me out on the T5 completely, Ian...

They have at least addressed my issue with not enough notes..! There's a CHANCE that some of the new kits may very well address some of my concerns there, too (the new kits on the T4 and S950 were a good start to addressing that end of things), and who knows? Maybe Yamaha will wake up and realize, if enough of its users start asking for practical updates instead of 'defending' to the death every boneheaded decision they make (you don't catch ME trying to excuse any of Roland's missteps!), that a simple loop enable parameter on the multipad audio would radically change what you can do with it...

There's always hope. I like the Tyros enormously for many of the things it does well. I only wish that SOME here could recognize that my criticisms of it come with a goal of exposing the weaknesses, so that Yamaha could improve them.

For instance, punchier drums (like you already have in the newest MIDI kits) don't MEAN less balanced styles. That is entirely the responsibility of the style creator, and this is one area where Yamaha outshine Roland by a considerable margin. You CAN get Roland's nice and balanced (mine is!) but it doesn't always come OOTB that way... And doing it yourself takes considerable skill, something maybe lacking in some players, or too much work.

In fairness, I think if the T5 came with a PSR action, anyone not heavily invested in trying to present Yamaha in the best possible light at ALL times (not confident enough already with their purchasing decision to acknowledge its weaknesses, perhaps? LOL), would be entitled to bitch up a storm at something like that on a $5000 keyboard (you don't catch Yamaha inflicting those on its WS players!). And, I'm sorry, but if you compare the PSR action to ANY other keyboard, arranger or WS in the same price bracket, it still comes up woefully short. I have to tell you, if Roland did that to me, you wouldn't see me sucking it up and trying to flame those pointing the obvious out... I would be leading the pack demanding parity with other keyboards from the same manufacturer at the same price!

Now, don't get me wrong... if the FEATURES of a Roland arranger made it a must buy for me, even with the lousy action, yes, I'd probably buy it. The BIG difference would be, I wouldn't be sitting there, knowing how bad it sucks (comparatively), trying to tell people when THEY point that out that they know NOTHING about arrangers, it's fine, go back to your Holiday Inn! I'd agree with them, try to work with them to get Roland to improve it, and move on...

There's only ONE reason I make any arranger critiques... To try and help be a force for improvement. And I am as willing to do it to my OWN arranger as I am doing it to anything else. That's how you improve the breed. Don't excuse faults, expose them, and let the breeders work harder to fix it on the NEXT generation.

IMO, PSR owners have sucked it up and made feeble excuses for too long. Yamaha could EASILY afford to put a quality action in a $2000 arranger. They do for WS's costing MUCH less. But it won't get better while every fault is pushed under the rug, and those trying to drag it out into the light of day are ridiculed and attacked.

You know, the NEXT generation of Yamaha's might have a Chord Sequencer. Both Roland and Korg now have one, and more and more people are beginning to realize how useful it can be. And if you get one, guess who you'll have to thank for it..? Not Yamaha users, that's for sure..! If it ain't on a Yamaha NOW, it patently can't be of any use, right?

Let's just get down from our high horses, and try to improve these things. There is still MUCH work to be done, to ALL of them.