I am still exploring this fantastic machine with its wonderful styles and sounds, but it's SOO good .... WOW

Roel - Congratulations on your new keyboard. I'm sure you will be wearing your fingers out at the moment.

Be sure to let us know what you think about the various features. I value your opinion and had exactly the same feelings about the G70 as you when I first tried it - I also love the live sound of Ketron stuff so I think your taste in keyboards is similar to mine.

I am pleased for you that you like it so much...

Regards - Keith

roel,
What about some demos?

Yeah man, we want demos!

Have lots of fun...

Roel,
I agree with your assessment of the Tyros 2.
Have fun with yours, as much as I am having with mine!

Are you saying, it is night and day better than the original Tyros...If not you better get out of the house more often...

Fran, can't speculate Roel's thoughts on this, but I'm willing to bet he thinks the T2 is 'night and day' better sounding than the Roland G70, of which you continue to tout, even though you haven't even played one yet. Ok Fran, time to get out of the house and explore your world beyond the G1000. - Scott

I think Andrea already wrote a short review, but here is mine:

The housing is very nice design and feels robust. This T2 looks smaller because of the 'stealth' edges. In fact the dimensions are almost T1 alike.

The music-stand adapters are newly designed and mounted within 2 seconds without tools.

The buttons feel better.
The keys.... SUPER feel, a joy to play them.

At this very moment I can't stop playing as much styles/sounds as I can !

Styles do have a 'live' feeling now and show much power, all instruments sound very precise and well defined.

The Harddiskrecorder works perfect and sooooo easy to use
It generates 44.1kHz stereo WAV-files, so NO compression, NO quality loss

Super Articulation Voices : Unbelievable realistic !

A good friend of mine also got the T2 yesterday and and he told me today he gets very emotional while playing the T2. No other instrument ever produced, was able to do this to him.

Demo's ? Please have look at www.tyros2.nl
The best thing you can do is visit a dealer and experience the power of T2.

Fran:
Are you still using a G1000 ? Perhaps YOU should leave the house more often and have a look at modern instruments like T2 !!
;D

Many many visitors (musicians) came to my place today and ALL are deeply impressed. I think everyone of them wants the T2 but they have more ore less 'problems' with admitting the T2 is SOO much better equipment than Roland and Korg stuff ... what some of them recently purchased... LOL

Well this is it for now... back to T2.

Scott, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will explore[play] the Tyros2, when available locally..I never rule out anything comparing it to a previous model...though in the past Yamaha makes very few changes with each new model[like many other manufacturers]..

If I thought any other board did a better job for me then the G1000...I would be using it..Keyboards that I owned that could not replace the G1000 :
Roland EXR5,VA-7,EM2000..
Ketron X1, SD1..
Korg PA80,IS35..
Yamaha PSR2000, PSR2100...
As for keyboards I have played, and still could not replace my G1000[overall]:
Yamaha PSR9000, 9000PRO,PSR3000, Tyros..
Korg PA1x[close, but no reward].
General music Genesys..
Ketron XD9..

Naturally , many of the above are more valuable[monetary], but not in use to me..


For the Tyros2 to be "the best I ever heard" it definitely has to be night and day from the original Tyros..What I have heard from demos, it is not!!

SMF playback..still Roland.

In your face arranger..still Ketron.

All around features..still Korg, followed by Ketron.

All around playability on stage without quirks..still Roland..

Right now the equipment that has a chance of making my G1000 a studio keyboard[I will not "dump" it]...
Ketron Midjay with a very good controller..
maybe the new offerings to come from Ketron..
Maybe the G70[after on hands demonstration].

Maybe Korg future models[they have to address the hard drive/access..get around before it is a consideration]..

Yamaha will have to improve the keys and keyfeel[maybe the Tyros2 is better]..they also have to fix the lame drum kits that are not really compatible with GM[let alone GS]..
The sounds will have to be more realistic[get away from the fake vibrato etc]..

and above all..build a quality unit , and get away from the "toy like" image..

Fran.......
Great post & Spot On HONEST Assessments from a PRO !!

Hi Roel


Then it must be easy for you to make a demo so we all can hear your fantastic new Tyros2. Come on give us a demo.

Dear Roel ,
My highest congratulations with your tyros 2!
I am sure this is the best keyboard you even bought .
Do you remember one of our first one’s ?
The technics 2000 ?
That was I believe 15 years ago.
But…I like to ask you something :
As you know in autumn I always make a cd for my family , friends and relations with 15 X-mas songs , played by my own on my 9000 pro .[ background music for the dinner]
I give them that cd as X-mas greetings and happy new year wishes in december .this year for the fifth time !
It should be me a honour when there will be on that cd one or two instrumental x-mas songs played by YOU on your TYROS 2 .
Is that possible ?
The choice of the songs is yours but I am by example thinking about the beautifull song “kartsmis bij us groetmoe thuus “.
Of course there will be a note at the cover of the cd that is your performance .
Please will you think about it ?
Coming saterday there will be a demonstration of the tyros 2 in this part of our country
[ noordwijk , shop :music all in ] .
I will be there of course and send you my report .
Have a nice weekend with your brand new tyros 2 !
Guillermo .

Hi Guillermo (WILLEM!)

It's good to see you here my friend
Sure Willem, of course I'll do my very best to 'beat' your PSR9000 with my toyish looking Tyros2. My toy has some nice XMAS styles.

Fran:
I'm sorry but for me it is hard to understand a 'PRO' is writing the 1997 (stone-aged) G1000 (soundengine CANVAS-SC55 alike) cannot be replaced by the latest hi-tech kb's You must be kidding !!??

You probably got too used to G1000 and have problems with changing gear ?
Please wake up my friend !!

It looks like you did not take time to read my review in which I wrote about the great keyfeel, realistic sounds etc. Of course, I know I'm not a PRO (like you are) but do know what is excellent- or 'stone-age' stuff.

When i switched from the va5 to tyros1 the difference was night and day. Roland sounds will never be as realistic as tyros1 and the roland drums are very weak and lacks the punch of tyros1. The styles on my va5 were not usable. Now the g70 sounds and styles suck just more than my va5. I think the difference between g70 and psr3000 is night and day in favour of the psr3000 afcourse. I love the vibrato effect that yamaha wisely puts in the appropriate sounds

With each step foward roland takes, it seems to take them 10 steps back.

I can understand where Fran is coming from. We all have our own personal needs from a keyboard. The G-1000 suits Fran's needs and works well for him. Just because there's newer models doesn't mean he needs to dump the G-1000 and "get with the now". Hell I still see people playing Korg M1's and would rather die than lose that keyboard.

To be honest I think the T2 has some great sounds, but you know I still think Yamaha's styles reek of cheese. Why???? Simple.., OVER QUANTIZED. Yammies styles lack a natural feel. It's that "cheeze" feel they have that always are a dead give-a-way that it's a Yammie arranger. Mainly really weak drums tracks and bass lines. Yamaha has ALWAYS had weak drums in their arrangers. That's why I always trashed their drum kits found on $1,000 and up keyboards of theirs.

I still think the best styles I've heard today come from Ketron. Their styles just have so much power to them. They sound very natural. That's why I even think the Korg PA series has the edge too. A bands timing ins't dead on. You need just a little roughness to it. If Yammie backed off a bit on the quantization their styles would sound better in my opinion.

Fran keep playing that G-1000. If it works for you, gets the job done, and makes you smile then that's all that matters.

Squeak



[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 10-27-2005).]

Squeak,
I agree, Very well said .....I think you hit it right on the head this time on All Counts! Btw I too miss my old M1.....

I agree with ya too Squeak... Totally. For me it has been like this with the PA80 as it is for Fran with the G1000. It has always worked for me and I never saw any need to change. As for a backup ? Yes I still value having one, but my Software system more than covers it. In fact, it's getting good enough that I can semi-retire the PA80 and relegate it to backup status at this point.

I can't say I miss my old M1 though I had it for a long time. It was a love-hate thing for me ..always. Loved some of the sounds and combis.. liked the key feel.

Hated that mine was one of the earliest ones available with the eeprom issue that caused it to lose everything internally several times. Unfortunately this started happening well after the warranty had expired, but Korg must have known anyway because it was fixed relatively early in the production run. I also didn't like the look all that much ( I KNOW Donny and I disagree here.. we've discussed this before.. lol ) .

Marketing is a wonderful thing. I'm sure those "new" Super Articulation voices sound great. On the other hand, what Yamaha isn't marketing is that they are finally starting to employ technologies that have been around for quite a while now, dating back to a couple Kurzweil models ago and available for quite a while through higher quality sample sets and specialty modules.

Don't get me wrong. I think it's great that these boards are evolving somewhat and I hope that those of us who buy them have great enjoyment. Heck, I might even consider a T2, if I come to the conclusion that it would work better and be a good value vs dollar than what I have available to me now. I also try to see through the marketing hype too though.

AJ

I miss the M1 too. It is and always will be a great classic. I don't know..., I guess I just get frustrated with the battle of "keyboard power" here on the forum some times. It's almost like the "mine's bigger than yours" game.

What works for one person doesn't always work well for the other. What sounds great to others may not sound so hot to ssome. Is the T2 a good board? That along with just about every topic we talk about here is "subjective". After being a member here for several years now I've come to the conclusion that the Zone can at times be extremely biased towards Yamaha. Some people here are quite sensitive and the moment you say anything negative about Yamaha you can get verbally assaulted by either email or replies on the forum. I've talked to numerous forum members who also said they feel they have to watch what they say about Yamaha.

Personally I think Yamaha arrangers are some of the most "overhyped" keyboards out there. Their styles are (in my opinion) quite cheezy and just down right blahhhhh. They rip the buyers off when it comes to construction quality, and still have the nerve to ask $1,500 for a keyboard with the same build quality of a $200 Casio. However these are my opinions. Some may agree some may not. The bottom line is were all here for one reason. To learn from one another and to share our experiences and ides so that we ALL as a WHOLE can grow.

Anyways sorry to rant.

Squeak

Squeek,
Did you play the Tyros2 recently?
If not, please do and after that give your review again
The Tyros2 is much much better compared with PSR's or Tyros1 : Old styles are completely renewed and sound different.

Fran,
If the G1000 works for you, that's great, but why tell the 'world' your gear is the best over and over and over again?
Please accept other opinions and stop slamming other brands wherever/whenever you can !

Perhaps it's time for me to leave here, because I'm starting to dislike those annoying posts.

Donny will probably NOT repond with "Hit on the head" this time

Roel I look forward to playing the T2. Hopefully one of the rag tag sorry for nothing music stores in my area decide to carry the thing.

As far as styles on the T2. I've been listening to the demos since they've been posted on the net showcasing the difference between the T1 and T2. My opinion..., Not impressed at all. Still sound over quantized to me. As far as the T2 sounds. I think they're awsome! Yammie did a great job on the sound set for the T2, but I still think Yammie is lagging behind in "Wow Factor" in the style department.

Roel the T2 seems to work well for you, and I'm happy you're pleased with your purchase. However it doesn't mean the T2 is suited for my needs. Also take into consideration the number of us members who stopped performing years ago. The T2 cost over $3,000 Holy Shit! paint it any color you want, but its still over 3 grand!(yikes)

For those of you who perform like Scott Yee, Gary Diamond, UD, to name a few..., these guys see a return on their investment because they still perform. For someone like me that's just over $3,000 out of my pocket with no return.

Squeak

I did some (quick) recordings, and have no place to put them to download.

I could send them by mail, or perhaps someone is willing to put them some where?

Roel, send them to me and I'll gladly host.

Scott

Congratulations, Roel.

Have fun with your new baby!!!

Cheers.
Armando

Hi Roel,

congrats on your T2.
Soon there will be more and more dropping into peoples homes, hearts and ears.

Enjoy playing it and being inspired by it.

Eric

Roel,

Just forgot it. Congrats with you Tyros 2, I know how it feels finaly to get a new exiting tool. Remember to get some sleep.

Regards Niels

[This message has been edited by nielshs (edited 10-27-2005).]

VERY Quick Take unrehearsed recordings performed by Roel DeJonge on Tyros2:

Big Band Swing1 Style 192kbps MP3

Beguine Style 192kbps MP3

BigBand Slow Style 192kbps MP3

HammondRock Style 192kbps MP3

Milonga Style 192kbps MP3

Scott

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 10-27-2005).]

Wow! That Tyros 2 sounds really impressive: I want one!
Hey, wait a minute... I already own one!

Ok, now that I've had a chance to post Roel's demos, I can finally sit down and listen. Ok, b4 you guys start complaining about the sound, remember that Roel's demos were done in just a few short minutes, totally 'on the fly'. I'm very impressed. I especially like the "Milonga" style. It seems to me that Yamaha is reaching out with some impressive fresh new ethnic rhythms. Nice guitar & trumpet.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from the keyboard musicianship talents of Roel & Andrea as they get even more comfortable and mastering the LIVE PLAYING of the T2 S.A. voices. Thanks guys for putting yourself on the line and getting your demos out SO QUICKLY.

Scott

roel,

Nice demo. But no "live alike" sound at all, way to polished sound. Some like that, some don´t.

Your play = 8
Sound = 5

Andrea LOL

Thank you Roel. Hope the Dutch will help me next week.

These brass is amasing. Is it Roland or What

Roel, thanks for having Scott post your demos, I enjoyed listening to them and gave me a chance to compare the demos to another SZ player's demo of a G70..
Not having a chance to play either keyboard, but only comparing sounds via MP3 demos,,,I am more impressed...with the G70 then before..
I sense in your posts the last few weeks, that you are irritated at me[why?]..

As for the "PRO" slinging comments..Search all my post, I have never used the word "PRO" in describing myself...I don't have to acclaim this...those that know me...it is a given..

My antique 1998 G1000 still does the job I need it to do..even today...
I never said it was the best keyboard of all..I said it to be, the best for my own needs..

If I mention I do not like a product, I give specific reasons why I do not like it..

If you read my post , you know I have owned and played "modern" keyboards..I just make educated choices of what works for me and "Dump" the others[sarcasm]..

I respect choices made by others, and do not condemn a particular board totally...maybe a few specifics why I pass on any particular board.. I have done this with every major brand , not just Yamaha..

As for ridding ourselves of the "old" and getting "modern".If Scott dumps his Steinway, and the guitar guys dump their ES335's, and sax guys dump their Selma's...and they all buy "Modern" Yamaha pianos, Yamaha guitars, and Yamaha sax......Maybe I'll get modern and dump my G1000....................
Not a chance!!!

For the Record, the best sounding , feature laden keyboard I have owned even to date was the[1999] Ketron X1..
Was it the best performance instrument for me...NO,NO,NO...

Roel and Scott,

thanks for posting some demos so fast.
Roel I liked your playing a lot.

Hi Nielshs and otheres that look for that "life sound"

actually some of the stuff did sound very much life to me.
I had this conversation with another forum member recently.
There are all kinds of different bands and musicians out there. Some are in a cheap bar with a crude sound ( actually a lot )
If you look for that kind of sound, the T2 won't have it.

Then there are some bands/ musicians where you have to pay a little money to see them and hear them. There sound is much better and more pollished, because there sound system is better and they can "PLAY" better.
( Closer to the T2 sound.)

Then there are some that are world class.
Sometimes when you go and see them there isn't much difference between them and a CD recording. Why? Because they are top noch proffessionals and they have the best equipment. But they are a life Band/musician and are playing life.
Again sounds like T2 from what you guys are saying.

I've heard some of the best musicians and orchestras in the world life, and again some sound very similar to a CD.
Does that make their perfomance boring or less life like?
Not in the least. They are the best because they have what it takes: heart and soul.

The quetion here is now what do you want to sound like?: a cheap band with a crude sound in a dark smoked filled bar; or imagine yourself playing life on a world stage with some of the best musicians backing you up.

Well you know my opinion.

Eric

Fran are you saying that we the others are not taking educating choiches. I´ve been playing arrangers since the first Rolands so I think that I am well enough educated in this business. I am playing pro 3 to 8 times a month. I have played all of them and liked them all. But these Rolands are history. If you still like it, please keep on doing that but the others are moving forwards.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dreamer:
Wow! That Tyros 2 sounds really impressive: I want one!
Hey, wait a minute... I already own one!

LOL - You've been too long under the earphones

zuki

Eric says:


You can make the G-70 sound as a live band, and ajust the sound and make it sound "Tyros alike". You can´t do that with the Tyros.
BTW the G-70 live sound is not like a cheap band but sounds like a PRO band.

Niels,
Thanks for your votes
Please can you post a demo with the G70 sounding like a Tyros2 ?

Do I want the T2 sound like a G70 ? Don't think so .... ha!

Scott : Thank you so much for hosting my files.

[This message has been edited by Roel (edited 10-28-2005).]

VERY Quick Take unrehearsed recordings performed by Roel DeJonge on Tyros2:

Big Band Swing1 Style 192kbps MP3

Beguine Style 192kbps MP3

BigBand Slow Style 192kbps MP3

HammondRock Style 192kbps MP3

Milonga Style 192kbps MP3

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 10-27-2005).]

I dont think the g70 can ever be made to sound like a psr 3000 let alone a tyros1. However you can make the tyros sound like the g70 how? U ask ..simple ..make sure the on/off button on your tyros is in the off position and then play as normal and hey presto it sounds like a g70

Hi Nielshs,

I didn't mean to put the G70 down in any way.
I was more referring to the X-1 and Sd-1 (I think ).

Even though I bought a T2 I think that all the top models right now like G70, PAX-1, T2 are great and you can't go wrong with either of these.

They all make fine music and I doubt that people will come up to you and say: " this sounds like crap and you don't sound like a life band at all".
Maybe one or two jealous people

What I was trying to say is that there are a lot of different sounding life bands out there and we have some different sounding boards right now with outstanding voices.
If "WE" bring a little heart and soul to it, we will sound more like a life band and make some terrific music

Even with my 9000Pro people came up to me and were astonished by it's sounds.

Let's all have fun with what we got right now and share some terrific music like Roel was trying to do.

At least I enjoy all of you guys and your music out there.

Eric

Donny has finished commenting on the T2...
I've heard enough. Enjoy

Hi Roel,
thank you for the music, I could recognize that Yamaha's publicity department did a great job. And,-- there is absoluly no reason critisize the G-70. That's the second point I make out.
Greetings,
Hanspeter

Wow, it's good to see the "PASSION" back and alive & well at Synthzone these days.

Hanspeter,

At first I did not understand your 2nd point but after rereading my post about the 192kbps rate.... it must have been my bad word-choice, because you read it as critics on the G70. I corrected it... sorry for that!

I tried to write the 128kbps of the Tyros2 music sounded not OK , now with the higher rate they sound much better



[This message has been edited by Roel (edited 10-28-2005).]

Hi Roel,
please don't pretend to be stupid. I know you're not, -- perhaps only a little bit emotional.
Greetings,
Hanspeter

What on earth is it, that some G70-owners need almost nothing to feel 'attacked' and react pretty aggressive ?

Scott thanks for posting those demos. I had a listen to them. I know there's so many here who are completely phyched about the T2, but I'm not impressed with these styles. The "Hammond" style really drove me nuts. Here's why. The distorted guitar that was used really sounds bad with the overdone fret noise. When playing a riff like that you don't get such an overbearing fret noise.

I think the T2 has really good sounds. I love the new SA voices (that sax alone blows me away). I just can't get down with Yamaha's styles. I listened to the Funk style to show the drums and boy it was "classic keyboard funk". Sounded exactly like funk done on a keyboard.

Yamaha may have good sounds, easy interface, decent features, ect., but sorry to say (in my opinion) Yamaha is really weak in the styles. I don't think they sound natural at all. The guitar in that Hammond demo I think is a good example.

I think Yamaha could learn a thing or two from Ketron. I think Ketron has the best styles I've heard on keyboard. They sound so much more natural and more "live".

Personally I'd take an SD-1 over the T1 and T2 if I relied heavily on preset styles.

Squeak

Squeak_D,

Thank you for your views on the 'few seconds' demo's played by me.
The "hammond" style isn't really a style but I took one of the hardrock styles with the rotary-tonewheel sound.

Not the style, but I tried to show the leslie-effect with speed-up/down.

It's obvious we all think different, I played the SD1 for more than four years(!) and I loved it. I owned them all SD1, PA1XPro and G70 but this new baby Tyros2 is the best one ever IMHO.

Have fun and enjoy your gear.

Roel,
I'm glad the T2 is working for you and makes you happy. I think that's the most important thing is to be happy with the gear you buy. If it works for you then it shouldn't matter what the makers name is

Hell I'm still shocked I found joy in playing a Casio WK-3500 (I'll be buying the new 3700 shortly), along with a few other items.

Regards,
Squeak

Hallo Roel,
you're wrong! Since your devastating jugdement on G-70 a year ago you bought TWO
keyboards. Why? Can one furthermore believe what you say (write)? I use a G-70 (and a Tyros 1 too) and don't see (hear) a reason to change. That's all.
Greetings,
Hanspeter

squek_D I have a Ketron SD1 and Roland G1000. If the styles were better in the SD1 than the Tyros 2 do you think I would waste my money buying one - NOPE
Ketron styles are amazing and have a nice low end to them (plenty of punch) but some times there is just something lacking with them that is hard to pin point.
With all keyboards they have plus points and down sides. For me the Tyros 2 styles won me over because having listened to loads, I could think of songs to play to them immediately, same with the G1000. With the Ketron it's not always easy to think of a song to play to some of the styles and many of them I would simply not use in a live situation. It's each to their own.
Nice styles and demos Scott by the way, I can't wait to get it. Great speaking to you as well, speak soon m8.

[This message has been edited by Craig_UK (edited 10-28-2005).]

We all really are different. I cant stand the styles of the sd1.too rough for my taste. G70 styles too lame. Tyros styles are my cup of tea. All u yamaha fans be proud of the fact that yamaha increased the nunber of sweet live and cool voices from 27 to a whopping 120 from tyros1 to tyros 2. This alone is worth the upgrade

To tell you the truth, I wish we could all attend a Arranger Convention so that we all could try one anothers keyboards and setups. I am so curious about the boards I have not played.

Yep Al, that might be pretty cool. Might be the only way I'd ever get to actually try an SD1, PA1x, or G70 without having to buy one (.. or even a T2 for that matter, since our local store carries them and the 3k but doesn't display them.

The highest end arranger they currently have on display is a PSR1500. If the keys are the same as the ones on the 3k, then I probably don't care anyway. Still feels a bit soft for me. Heck, I don't even see the wk series boards on display there anymore.

I agree that Yamaha styles sound well.. like Yamaha styles. Even in my AJ2005 software arranger, which has very different sounds than any Yamaha boards. Whether that's good or bad is a personal preference. As for me, they are fine for live play, but I wouldn't want to compose any original tunes with them.

AJ

Hi Roel,

Thanx a zillion for the demos. It gives people like us far away in India to get a good preview into the sounds of the T2. While you are at it, could you also post some of the dance styles. It would be really helpful to see what changes have been made to the styles as there seem to be no new dance styles but the same ones reworked.

Thanks and best regards

SUNNY

Hi all, I thought i would post an opinion on this.

I don't know what it is, but have we become more fussy? Or do we expect our machines to do so much more, sound so much better!?

After hearing the demo's of the T2, i thought it sounded amazing, i would be more than happy to own it! However, i'm in love with my PA1X, and would never change it - not because of anything other than im really happy with it, it does every i want it to do and sounds exactly the way i want it to.

Even after hearing the G70, i thought this keyboard sounded fantastic as well. I would be absolutely more than happy to own any of the 3 main keyboards of today, and to be honest, for the sheer quality of sounds and the cleverly arranged styles in "all" those 3 boards, i would be perfectly happy - they really all do sound amazingly life like imo.

It really would then come to personal choice, due to the particulars such as it's interface, OP system, key feel etc... that i can understand to prefer one over the other. But to judge them against how they sound, im not so sure, its hard to choose between them when all 3 sound amazing to me.

I think gone are the days when a keyboard has so many flaws, or that you could find many with them, they are really that good nowadays.

The last Yamaha i owned was a PSR8000, and since then i stayed away from them, only because i wanted to expand from Yamaha and try different machines - and i have had most of the best keyboards.

From a personal point of view, the issues i had with Yamaha that made me change i think have now been addressed, and i would gladly go back to Yamaha with the Tyros2 if i was in the position of changing. My complaint was that their styles were too samey (especially across the whole PSR series) and that, for example, were a little too basic for my liking.

To me, a perfect style would be a style that's so cleverly arranged that when you play something along with it, be it your own song or a well known song, that it's not so obvious you are playing a keyboard, especially if the bar count of a style increases over 7 or 8 like a lot of Korg & Ketron's do, making sound very realistic and with great variations within one variation itself - Yamaha i felt lacked this and a loop of a style was over too quickly back to the beginning, making a song sound very flat and too boring/samey. This i felt was the biggest flaw in Yamaha, but i think from the Tyros onwards it has been addressed, perhaps not perfectly, but still enough for me to warrant a purchase. This is why i love the styles of the PA series so much, the variation of arrangement in each style is just so clever and very different - even within just 1 style itself. Take for example, Half Time Ballad, gosh, the change over from slow to fast from variation 2 to 3 is amazing, i love playing "Coming Around Again" by Carly Simon using this style, and i blow people away with it - the song comes alive, it's like you have selected another style altogether with so little effort!. I am hoping that the Tyros2 has these types of styles as well.

The other thing that turned me away from Yamaha was it's drum kits - especially Latin and Dance, they were awful and sounded "kiddie-fied" in the PSR8000, the same kits that was used in the lesser PSR models... This was unnaceptable really. Yamaha should learn to distinguish which are pro machines and which are not - and seperate the 2 in different categories, and i think they are doing that now finally.

But anyway, good luck to all of those who have bougth a T2, i think it's an amazing piece of kit!

Danny

I agree with a lot of what Danny says - There is a lot of convergence nowadays of many features including quality sounds in the top end arrangers. Most of us could use any one of them on our gigs although the availability of some of the functions does vary a little between makes.

He raises a good point about not wanting all songs to sound the same and patterns repeating over longer than four bars along with useable variations of a style help out here.

One of the things that I like use on my XD3 is the Intelligent and dynamic arranger functions - Dynamic just alters the volumes of different accomp voices which differs from voice to voice depending on how you set it up.

But the thing that I like best is the IR (intelligent arranger)part. This feature mutes whichever part or parts of the accomp you first choose when you play the right hand part. It doesnt just stop abruptly but fades. This is great when using big band or latin styles as these can be quite busy with many parts playing in the accomp but when you solo it cuts out (for example) any brass sounds (or whatever you have selected) you have in the accomp. This way you have more controllable variation over the accomp.

Does anyone know if this feature is unique to Ketron or have I missed it on other arrangers?

Regards - Keith

Hi Danny & Keith

Well said.

As I said before you can't go wrong with either of the top models right now.

But it is interesting to note that even though "ALL" the keyboards got so much better in sounds, styles and interface we seem to be more critical then ever.... ?!?!

Eric