The new 88 weighted key DGX replacement has shipped from Yamaha today and will arrive tomorrow. This model has the following:

88 Graded Hammer Standard weighted action keyboard

USB To Device terminal for convenient memory stick storage for playing Standard Midi File
and song and style storage (USB 2.0)(First time a USB to device is on this type of keyboard)

Screen displays score and lyrics

Full keyboard and Multi fingering modes (full keyboard mode was not available on the DGX500 or DGX505)

5 types of Master EQ

Music datatbase with 267 keyboard setups by song title

Yamaha Education Suite interactive lessons

500 XGlite/GM voices: 8 Sweet!, 3 LIve! & 5 Cool!

Performance Assistant

Dual and Split mode

150 Styles plus User

30 internal songs plus 70 more on CD

Backlit Display and panel lights

Pitch Bend Wheel

6 Track Sequencer

Easy Song Arranger

Two Way stereo speaker system with bass ports

Wooden Stand and bench included

Retail price for YPG 625 with Survival Kit is $1179.00 MAP price is $779.99 (What a great Value !!!!!!)

Also arriving tomorrow is the YPG225 which has all the above features except with 76 keys and a MAP price of $349.oo and without the USB to Device port.

Later this month we will receive the YPG-525 which has all the features of the Hammer Weighted key model but with 88 lightly weighted keys (like the DGX505) with a MAP price of $629.00

George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California\
818-881-5566

I need to make one correction. The YPG-225 does not have semi-weighted keys like the DGX305 which is now discontinued. It has 76 Full Size Piano Style keys like the ones on the DGX-203 keyboard. They look more like a Synth Style key.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

32 note polyphony

6w + 6W speaker system

Silver/woodgrain finish

there goes my three-strike alarm...

George,
That's great.
It seems that this model is a breakthru in the keyboard-making technology.

Judging from the discussions we had on the zone there are lots of people (including me) who have anticipated the release day of the YPG-625.

As always, I am looking forward to the first in-depth review of this keyboard, as well as comparison with the currend DGX models regarding sound quality.

Regards,
George

The YPG625 and YPG225 arrived today, very late in the afternoon.

Upon taking the YPG625 out of the box the first thing I can say is "beautiful". The keyboard looks like $3000.00, not under $800.00. The wood all around the sides and top of the keybed is beautiful Maple with a really nice rich looking grain. The buttons are totally new for Yamaha. They are shaped like light switches, white in color and the 10 numeric buttons are small perfectly round white buttons. They will take some time getting used to compared to the larger differently shaped ones on the DGX505, but I really like the look of the front panel. Most all the buttons are similar to the DGX505 with the exception for a few new ones. There is now a button called fingering mode, which allows you to select multifingered or full keyboard mode for chord recognition. When using the full mode you can play 3 fingered chords anywhere on the keyboard to change chords but playing single or duo notes does not change the chord played.
Another new feature in found in the perfomance play mode. In the DGX models you had the choice of chord mode or melody mode. This allowed you to play any notes when playing a song with chord changes and you would never play a wrong note. The fun of this is is playing anything, chords or melody and only getting notes within the chord changes. The problem with this is you could never play anything that resembled the actual song. Now, with the YPG's, you can select a mode which splits the performance play mode so that you could play any thing in the left hand as chords and not get wrong notes while playing the correct notes for the melody of the song in the right hand section. A nice touch for having some fun.
As Yamaha always does, many of the sounds having the same names as the previous models and many of the styles having the same name as previous models, have suttle changes in the YPG625. Although I haven't spent enough time yet, I did here a new "live" orchestra voice and I saw some new names of styles and when I played some of the same names I could clearly hear better sounding voices then in the DGX models.
I also want to point out that I am amazed the speaker system is only rated at 6 watts per side. I actually called the product manager at Yamaha to varify this. These on board speakers are loud but mostly, they sound much fuller with more bass and more highs than the DGX505.

I plugged a thumb drive into the USB port with a couple of hundred midi files and in a second, songs beginning with the number 36 showed up and I could select and play midi files in a heartbeat. Now, finally, I don't have to worry about buying Smart Media Cards which are getting almost impossible to find. I went out tonight and bout a couple of 128, 256 and 512MB flash drives for between $14.00 and $25.00. I really have no need to buy 1 or 2 GB drives because standard midi files just don't take up very much memory. There is also a USB to computer (midi) port for sequencing, etc.

The action is just what I expected. A really nice weighed graded key action which Yamaha certainly knows how to do right.

So, I have this Casio Privia PX555 model which was a very good value at $799.00 with stand and pedal until Yamaha unvailed this new model. The Casio has a mic input, both have speakers built in, lyrics display, 32 note polyphony and 88 weighted keys. But the winner right now has shifted to Yamaha. Their sounds and styles do win in my opinion. The Casio Privia PX310 is still a really nice option for $599.00, but no stand, bench, 2 year warranty, headphones and not nearly enough buttons to do all the things as intuitivly as the Yamaha. Plus, the Yamaha really wins in the looks department.

The YPG225 is the first non weighted Yamaha keyboard with actual sized piano keys with boxed fronts like a real piano. Unlike the DGX305, these keys are not semi Weighted, but unlike other PSR's, they are full size piano keys. The front panel is laid out just like the bigger 88 key models, but there is no USB device port, only a USB to computer jack.

Tomorrow I will be able to play alot more with these new models. I excited to go into the store. It's been awhile since something new has come in that has got me jazzed to go into work tomorrow. I love when new, good products show up.

George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

Could you do us a favor?

Could you find a scale or find SOME way to weigh this keyboard without the stand and without the music rack? Some people around here, and a couple other boards, are curious. Two sites say 44 lbs., a Japanese site says 56+ lbs., and musiciansbuy says 39.6 lbs. My money is on 39.6 lbs.

I have my order in for this keyboard, so I'm very glad you like it. It became apparant with the (much smaller!) 6W speakers in the P70, that Yamaha has figured out some new way of packing quite a bit of power into small wattage. When I compared the DGX-505 side by side with the Privia PX-555R and the Roland FP-5, with and without headphones, the speakers on the DGX were the only ones I would want for a small gig. It was much more than a volume issue. And now you say the YPG speakers are that much better.

I think the 32 note polyphony is a fair trade off to get the weight in under 40 lbs. The state of the art apparantly requires twice the oscillators or a wider bus to double up polyphony. The only keyboards lighter than the 625 with 88 keys, and 64 poly, have "semi-weighted" action" or speakers less than half the size by area.

32 poly is sufficient for players like me who are interested mainly in a performance synth. Playing sequenced material through the keyboard seems like cheating just a little. You can still hook the YPG up to a computer and sequence to software limits in that medium.

So for my money, there really is no alternative to the YPG-625 at any price. But I do wish it had real MIDI IN/OUT and audio IN. If they added those connectors, you'd have a real pro set up for under 45 lbs. and less than $900. That should shake up a few people! I also think black or rosewood would be more professional looking.

Rick

Rick,
I'm taking this right out of the YPG 625 owners manual.
"YPG-625: 39 lbs.11 oz.
With keyboard stand: 56 lbs.3 oz."

"YPG-525: 24 lbs. 4 oz.
With keyboard stand: 37 lbs. 8 oz."
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

George, thank you so much. It's tiring being right all the time, you know?

Nah, I believe you're the guy that brought the YPGs to my attention. So thank you twice!

Rick

I loaded up a flash drive today with hundreds of standard midi files and they play beautifully without any lag in calling them up and pushing the start button. I also like that I don't have to go into the "function" screen as I did on the DGX505 and select "Smart Media" instead of "Flash" from the Media Select menu and then hold the function button down to store this new setting if I was using the Smart Media Card. Many of my customers didn't understand this feature and couldn't get their midi files to be read until they thought the keyboard was broken and called my store for me to explain what they needed to do. Now, just install the drive and a USB light shine on the display and your ready to play right off the plugged in device.
Many potential customers came into my store today and when I showed them the new Yamaha, all were impressed with it's look, sounds, features and price.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

[This message has been edited by George Kaye (edited 06-05-2006).]

Do you know what the feature called "easy song arranger" does?
When you first select a song, and if there are chords programmed with the song, the tracks of any selected style becomes your accomp. for that standard midi file. If there are no chords, just the drum track changes. This way you can change the genre to play like any style you like.

George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California