I'm considering the 740 over other keyboards because of (1) the price factor, and (2) the excellent quality for the price. But before I do, I would like to know some answers:

1. What is the "count intro" and "simple ending".

2. What is the recording capabilities of this like?

3. How well does it read GM/XG midis that you get off the internet?

4. In your opinion, is it worth it?

5. What features do you guys like the most of this, and what don't you like?

Thanks for you time. I hope to be a happy 740 owner within the next few weeks.

P.J. - Keep the music alive!

Considering a Psr740 ???
Here's what I think.
Overall it's a great value.
The speakers are improved over the former PSR series (630 and 730 ). If you audio out to an extenal amp the on board speakers can be used as monitors. I think it is a advantage.
I think that the Psr740 plays midi files very well for it's price range. You have access to all 16 tracks while the midi file plays making it easy to delete parts. Or isolate parts to help you learn a song or riff.
I would not recommend the 740 for sequencing.
I do think that it can be a nice scratch pad for idea's though.
The sounds are much better then anything Casio is coming out with. I played the New Casio's at Namm. They are just repackaged and look Cool. But Yamaha still rules with the Psr540,640 and 740 in there respected price points.
The 740 offers digital drawbars !
A groove feature that gives you multiple variations in addition to the 4 varitions (A,B,C,D ).
One of the coolest features I think with the 740,640 and 540 is the One Touch feature.
When you use this feature it will give you 4 suggested sounds and 4 suggested multi pads that musically interact with the styles. Totally cool. Turn off the arrangement after pressing the One Touch feature and have yourself some great layered sounds and multipads that interact as well.
I like it for the money. Dan O . Guitar Center in Baltimore.

Hi, P.J.! I've had the 740 for a couple of months, and I like it a lot! I'm a home user, not a pro musician, so my needs are different from Uncle Dave or some of the others.

To answer some of your questions:

1. Count intro is an an alterative intro that counts down to the beginning of the song (like rimshots, etc.). It's different for each style, and is simpler than the regular intro.

2. I haven't used it to record much with multiple tracks, so I can't comment there. You can do a "quick record", where you just start recording and play, and it records whatever you play, including the style. That's what I've used. You can go back in and edit, but I haven't done that.

3. Again, I don't use it to play MIDI files, so I can't comment.

4. Yes!

5. Things I like:

The quality of the sounds (especially the saxes, flutes, trumpets, and organ sounds).

The Organ Flute feature (digital drawbars) - there are only 8 instead of 9 like the PSR-9000 will have, but they sound nice.

The styles - my favorites are Guitar Bossa, Guitar Waltz, the Swing/Big Band styles, and most of the Latin styles. Plus, you can make your own styles, but it could be easier (see Dislikes, below)

Things I dislike:

It could be easier to create and edit styles. You record a style part by part. Other than the rhythm parts, you can't just take out a wrong note - you have to go out of record mode, into edit mode, and clear the whole track (not the whole style, just one track of the style), and then go back into record mode. It's rather cumbersome. And MIDI sequencers don't preserve the special data that makes the style work right. Somebody should come out with a real style editor!

The vocal and choir sounds could be better - there are no scat jazz voices, just choir pads. The best one is Gothic Vox, but the others are just average. The 9000's scat vocals aren't much better, IMO. I liked the scat vocals on the Roland Sound Canvas SC-8850, but I couldn't see paying that much just for a couple of sounds I want.

Anyway, that's my impression of it. To me, the good outweighs the bad.

HTH,

Cindy G.

[This message has been edited by Cindy G (edited 03-12-2000).]