so the competition is on who will succeed roland G70 or yamaha tyros 2.if the tyros only offers the CD burner,then i think Roland will take the lead,however if tyros 2 installs their Motif engine (which is rumoured)the sound quality will excell and put them back on top,mike

mikey you obviously dont like korgs then? LOL

digi,the latest korg has been out for quite a few months now,whenever a new top of the range board comes out there is always a lot of excitement,yamaha has always been the top seller,roland is the one that the pro,s always look up to as the best,mike

[This message has been edited by nardoni2002 (edited 11-08-2004).]

I don't look as Roland as the best. My experience has been that they are too heavy, and the OS is difficult to learn and use. They haven't had vocal processing and harmony, although evidently the new one, which by the way is not yet available to me, does. Also I don't like the heavy keys. Makes my fingers tired and it's harder to emulate instruments.
They do have some great features and the sounds and styles are good. Everything's a trade-off.
DonM

This weekend I had an opportunity to try PSR3000 for the first time. I liked the sounds, styles, user-friendliness, and the features, although the gray plastic case seemed a bit flimzy. However, playing it, I realized just how much I am used to the 76 keys. When I got home, I set up my E70, and tried to play it. Although it sounded OK, I once again felt hamstrung by the shorter keyboard.

I realize that the requirement for a longer keyboard is a very subjective thing, and probably not dependent on having a piano training/background, but more on a playing style. Still, at this point, not having 76 keys is a show-stopper for me. To spark my interest, Yamaha would have to come up with a Tyros 2Pro . I would venture to say, however, that with the size of Tyros case being this large, Ymaha could easily fit another octave into the same case, by eliminating empty space on the sides of the keyboard.

On the bright side, at the music store I saw none other than Manuel Dorantes - meeting him is always a delight, and once again I was impressed by his enthusiasm, product knowledge, and playing technique.

Regards,
Alex

I would like 76 keys also, but it's not essential. The weight is more important to me.
One of these days maybe SOMEBODY will get it right.
DonM

DonM,
Semi-weighted makes your fingers tired? To date I think the best set of keys I've ever played on was the semi-weighted Roland XP-60. I didn't find that I was held back in emulating instruments with semi-weighted keys. Using the Roland I was able to do really fast high-hat work when I was recording drum tracks. I think semi-weighted keys are the best.. They're not too stiff, and in my opinion don't prohibit (fast) playing techniques when using instruments such as guitars, saxes, and drums. Now fully weighted keys is different. They don't make my fingers stiff, but for real intense playing of some instruments the full weight gets in the way.

I think the smartest move Yamaha could make with the Tyros is take the same route as they did with the 9000 Pro.. Drop the speakers, add a sampler, and 76 keys. They did a good job with the 9000 Pro, and I think a 76 key speakerless Tyros Pro would be great.

Squeak

Also number of keys is really based on particular needs. Persnonally I ended up changing on this issue. All my keyboards before my most recent were 61 keys. I liked the size and portability, but my latest keyboard has 76 keys and boy I forgot was I was missing! It just feels so much more right for me with 76 keys. I go to music stores and play the keyboards with 61 keys and feel so croweded now. I've gotten so used to the 76 keys and enjoy them so much I'll never by another 61 key model again. I'm going to be buying another board soon (most likey a synth-probably the Motif ES-7), and I'm taking the 76 key model. You just get spoiled with all those keys

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 11-08-2004).]

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 11-08-2004).]

I'm not certain of the proper names for the various keys. I know I had a Roland G800 and the keys were too heavy and slow for my taste. Maybe they are why the beast weighed so much

I like the Tyros keys. Yes, I know they are "smaller", but I didn't notice much difference when I had Ketron or Korg. Now that I've played the Tyros, I no longer care for the PSR 2/3K keys.
DonM

More and more I feel that a 76-note "Tyros Pro" isn't going to happen. I've been exchanging emails with Yamaha reps in their synth and PKB dvisions trying to get my problems with the PLG150-AP expansion card discussed. In fact, trying to get someone to discuss using the PLG150-AP in the 9000 Pro isn't going well: it's obvious that the synth division that makes the AP card is only concerned with S-series, C-series and Motif-series instruments and how the PLG cards work with them (that's why the PLG150-AP only comes with voice data for synths in their division) and the PKB division is on another frequency altogether. Yamaha did a bang-up job of dividing the pro-line and the home-line of keyboards.

I've been told that the 9000 Pro was a "failed experiment" (from someone in the synth division), and considering that most US Yamaha dealers didn't know what to make of the 9000 Pro and never bothered to stock it, plus the fact that Yamaha discontinued the 9000 Pro without a substitute high-end arranger model except the Tyros, it looks like pro models of arrangers was nothing more than a short-term phase for Yamaha. The next Tyros will likely be as described here: an updated Tyros 2 with the same 61-note keyboard and dimensions of the original.

I think the Korg PA1Xpro and the Roland G70 are going to be the alternatives to the 9000 Pro for the forseeable future. Personally I still prefer used 9000 Pro's, which should be around for some time to come.