I had some questions over hooking up my PSR9000 in stereo the other day so my dealer hooked me up(via 3 way phone connection) to a Yamaha Tech. He told me that the only yamaha sound that was stereo was the piano. Is this true? What's the point in having right and left outputs if that's true.

Any comments would be appreciated.

------------------
Ed

MisterEd,

Are you talking about stereo samples or stereo outputs? These are two different things. Most of GM sound implementation on keyboards is mono and without effects. However, with suitable panning of instruments we still can achieve "stereo" image when playing a MIDI song.

I am not in front of PSR9000 and cannot verify how many of its sounds are based on stereo samples, but if you are, you can listen for yourself with a pair of good headphones and try your PSR9000's panel sounds. To make comparison between stereo and mono easier, you can insert a stereo Y adapter/cable (1 stereo 1/4" male ,tip-ring-sleeve, to 2 stereo 1/4" female, also tip-ring-sleeve connections), hook a stereo headphone directly to one of the Y connectors, hook the second pair of stereo headphone with a 1/4" mono male to 1/4" stereo female adapter first, then to the other connector of the Y adapter (this makes the second pair of headphones receiving only mono). Select a panel sound and press a key (press down sustain pedal) and listen through the two pairs of headphones and you should be able to tell the difference, while stereo gives you a perception of expansiveness of sounds, mono gives you much more centered, compressed feeling.

I do not know how many PSR9000 sounds are based on stereo samples, however, I know that stereo outputs are very important because even if all the sound samples are mono, you can pan different sounds to make a stereo image. When I first hooked up a keyboard's stereo outputs to a 16 channel, 4-bus mixer like Mackie CR-1604 a few years ago I found that everything sounded mono. Later on I found that I had to pan the left channel all the way to the left and the right channel all the way to the right on the mixer to make them stereo. If the pan position of both channels are in the middle, they will definitely sound mono. On a stereo mixer where stereo channels are provided instead of separate mono channels, there is usually no provision for panning those stereo channels because they are already designed and built to handle stereo connections. Larger mixers usually allow more options so you can tweak your mix more extensively, thus allowing you to do your owning panning.

I hope I answered at least part of your questions.

Paul Ip
from Texas

Where you get the stereo effects is with effects and panning. For instance, some drum instruments can be panned toward the left and others toward the right, so that drum rolls appear to start at one side and "roll" to the other. Try the Live Electric Piano voice, or a good demo. Each time you strike a key the note alternates from left to right. There are many stereo effects such as echos that utilize this features also.
You can customize the 9000 completely and position your style parts or solo parts anywhere you desire in the stereo spectrum.
You can also position vocals and harmony vocals as you desire.
From the factory, the positioning of voices is not dramatic, but it is there.
Also sequences are often done with excellent stereo panning. I have one of "Dueling Banjos" where the guitar and banjo parts "answer" each other from opposite speakers.
Put headphones on you will hear the difference.
Hope this helps.
DonM

Paul, looks as if we had nearly simultaneous responses. "Great minds think alike". , but I like your explanation better.
DonM
P.S. I still haven't made the Texas trip because of weather and work, but I hope to have time to chat on the way through.

Mr. Ed, can talking horses even wear headphones?? Oh I'm feeling it today!
DonM

Don,

If you are feeling it, you'd better use it. You know how things get at your age.

Tom

Thanks once again to you all, for all of the info provided. Your answers help considerably!
The only thing I can say about the ability to use headphones is that "Horses have feelings too"!)

------------------
Ed

Hi everyone,
I'm very busy so I havent posted for a while. Anyways, one main thing about stereo is reverb. Almost all reverbs are in stereo. Thats what gives it the "rich" sound and of course you need two seperate outputs to hear this effect.

Enjoy your music,
Jick Duck