With the recent discovery that the Yamaha Tyros' OS is 40MB, and that it takes a whole 30 minutes just to perform as OS update, it's got me wondering now about other arranger keyboards. Just how large is the OS (megabytes) on the Yamaha PSR9000, 9000pro and other brands (Ketron, Technics, Korg, Roland, General Music, etc) of flash-able ROM arranger keyboards, and just HOW is the flash ROM update performed on these other keyboards?

With my former arranger keyboard (Technics KN5000), all OS updates fit onto ONE single floppy disk (less than 1.4 MB) and it only took 2 or 3 minutes to complete the OS upgrade.

What's different about the Tyros which requires that both the OS and update software to be 40MB vs 1.4MB (Technics KN5000)? Is the Tyros' OS size a LOT more than other hi end arranger kb models? I meant to ask Steve Deming (Yamaha) during our conversation earlier today, but this one slipped past me. Hopefully somebody here can help figure this out, or if perhaps Steve reads this, he could answer me (publicly or privately). Either way, when I find out, I promise to share the answer with the rest of you. Thanks in advance for feedback from anyone who can help answer this question.

- Scott

Scott, the OS of the Roland VA7 (v 2.01) is 1.48 Mb and requires two 1.44 Mb disks.
The OS of the SD1 (v. 3.0c) is even smaller: just 1.024 Mb and fits completely in one disk.

Hi Scott and Andrea,

I expect the Tyros Operating System (OS) to be a little part of the 40 Mb. (2 of 3 Mb ?)

In fact the menu structure and tasks the OS has to handle is VERY simple and could not take more than the 2 or 3 Mb's.

The rest of the instrument functions as soundgenerating software, display, controlpanel, etc. is done by dedicated chips (IC's)..... in a normal situation

It is possible Yamaha's upgrades contain much more than an OS... perhaps styles, DSP-programs, sounds (samples), graphic (display) software, wallpapers etc.... ?

Sometimes it is cheaper to let software do a 'job' than to develop/create dedicated (custom-made) IC's. Software has less weight.....and the Tyros is a "leightweigt" in a few ways ha !

Roel

Roel is probably right.

KORG PA80 OS fits inside a single floppy, while all its resources (styles, performances, programs, drawbar, demosongs...) need 5 floppies.

Thanks to everyone for their insights.

OK, can ANYBODY tell me what the OS size on the Yamaha PSR9000 and 9000pro are? I would assume they aren't much more (if at all) than 1.4mb , especially if they're user OS ROM upgradeable via floppy disk(s).

If this is true, there definitely is something very different about the design of the Tyros keyboard in this regard. What EXACTLY is filling up that additional 38 MB on the Tyros? is it the new Mega Voice sounds? I would think the sounds to be better stored on IC chips, not in Flash Rom. I hope a logical answer is forthcoming from Yamaha. I'll keep you posted if I hear privately.

Scott,
Good Q. .....what exactly is in there that is so large? Could this possibly be broken down to a more manageable size for easier upgradeability?
Terry

Frank,
Then Scott must be correct in his assumption that they have done something quite a bit different on the Tyros to require this large of an o/s.
Terry

Frank, thanks for providing the info about the 9000's OS size.

In the meantime, I spoke with Steve Deming (Yamaha USA) again today in hopes of getting an answer to the Tyros 40MB OS question. He told me that 'he too' was wondering why 40MB was needed, but was not provided any info from Yamaha Japan. Sounds like Yamaha USA is basically a sub-division to Yamaha Japan, and isn't made privy (yet) to much of the information (secrets?) that Yamaha Japan has on the Tyros. Steve said that the answer should come in the Tyros Service Manual, but Yamaha USA hasn't received a copy yet. In the meantime, even though there's no official answer yet, Steve also suspects (as Roel conjectures) that the 40 MG certainly MUST include more than just the basic Tyros OS itself.

Steve also acknowleded there is some kind of 'production' hangup (from Japan) which is delaying the Tyros from reaching US shores. He didn't go into specifics, but said that Yamaha needed to 'make sure' all the bugs were worked out before shipping. Sounds to me like there may have been some last minute glitches (software or hardware) Yamaha discovered after the initial Tyros shipment to Europe, but of course it's just speculation on my part. Steve could not give me any definitive US shipment date now, though Japan had initially promised it for October. I personally wouldn't be surprised if the Tyros was delayed until the end of the year or Jan 03 (NAMM roll out?)

One interesting comment that Steve made to me was that even though the Tyros demos seem to show it to be a truly groundbreaking sounding keyboard, he recommended that I NOT pre-order one now, but instead, wait till it actually appears in the stores and then take it for a personal test drive. He says Yamaha truly wants happy satisified customers and that only by playing & hearing a keyboard yourself can you really determine if it's the one for you. I was impressed (yet surprised) to hear this coming from the manufacterer. Ok, back to enjoying the PSR2000 (for now).

Scott

Perhaps the extra megabytes are devoted to the full-color graphics (animations?) from the CVP series. It's also possible that they may have decided to store the styles in this memory, as opposed to hardware. 40MB is quite much though.