Well, I picked up my PSR-9000 from my local music store yesterday. I played it from about 4 PM till 2 AM (yeah, tired today). There's only one word to describe it -- AWESOME!!!!

The new sax voices are incredible (it sounds like Kenny G. is playing live right beside you). Flute voices are just fantastic. If you like String voices, you'll love Ocean strings, heavenly strings, King strings, and many, many more.

Every voice I tried seemed to have something unique about it. I have to say that Yamaha did a wonderful job of sampling and selecting voices. They're so life-like that you can almost see the other musicians as you play.

There's a huge selection of styles. Each style has mutiple variation and the Pads change with every style so you don't sound stale after pressing the pads through a couple of songs.

Well, I could tell you more but all those Solton guys are going to be saying that the X1 is better. Well, here's one thing that the X1 CAN'T DO -- IT CAN'T PLAY 126 NOTES AT ONE TIME. The PSR-9000's 126 note polyphony means that you can fill the air the voices, styles, and rhythms, and not surpass your keyboard's abilities.

I'm glad I waited for the Yamaha instead of buying a second best board -- MAN, I'M HAPPY!

I can't play 126 notes all at the same time anyway. Don't have that many fingers. I'm sure that the new voices on the 9000 are great. Even some of the 740's were excellent, better than many of the X1's. But if you need a backup band for your vocals or a backup band for a real sax player or trumpet player the X1's styles are hard to beat.

Tom

Hey Gentlemen, let's not get defensive. I did not say that the PSR-9000 is "better" than the X1 (although it probably is). I simply pointed out just one thing that the X1 can't and never can do - play 126 notes at one time.

So, let's keep things in perspective . . . you want to stick with your old X1, and I like the NEW technology of the Yamaha PSR-9000 with the incredible Live! voices and huge polyphony. Isn't that fair?

PS. I drive a CADILLAC (its simply the best). Drove a Mercedes once, didn't like it.

I like it, I love, I want some more of it!
Now we're talking keyboard choices again. I can't wait to see the 9000. I miss the X1. I'm playing a 740 and the audience really doesn't care. Life is good if this is all we have to worry about!
Don

Tom, you said: I can't play 126 notes all at the same time anyway. Don't have that many fingers.

To play 126 note at a time you only have to do:
1) A 3 layer voice for the right hand playing 4 finger chords
2) A complex style playing 4 finger chords
3) Massive percussion
4) A complex multipad playing

Break the 126 notes barrier...! :-)

a classical pianist played a heavy piece on a gigastudio beta. The polyphony meter ran up to 91 (!)notes due to 'pedal down' notes

O.K. The PSR-9000 is better than the X1. Glad that is settled.
But wait, I was told the KN-6000 is better than the rest.
Oh oh - I also remember that the G-1000 is the best.
So many people tell me what is the best, I am confused.
I humbly must admit I love my X1. Did I buy a second rate machine? To others perhaps, but then to me, it is the best. The sax on the PSR-9000 may be an awesome Kenny G sax. Oh woe is me.
But wait - the X1 has the Blowed sax. I've had people tell me it sounds exactly like a Kenny G sax.
Is the X1 the best unit? For ME it is. Is the PSR-9000 a second rate unit? Absolutely not.
No unit is second rate if it delivers joy to the one who is playing it.
I love reviews of units. If the reviews stay in the realm of only that unit, pros and cons.
Now, hopefully, someone will give an overview of the PSR-9000 styles and leave my beloved X1 out of the picture.

Kenny G eh??!!

Stevizard,

Could you tell us what Operating System your USA retailed PSR-9000 came with ? (I have no idea how one accesses this on a 9000; on my PSR-630 you hold down C#,F, G# while turning on the power to the keyboard and then press start, start, etc.).

What were you told is the "retail price" for the 9000 for the USA market?

We have a PSR Users Group that you might wish to join:

http://www.egroups.com/group/yamaha-psr-songs/info.html

To join just send an e-mail, no subject or text required to:


yamaha-psr-songs-subscribe@eGroups.com

You can find more styles at one of our sites and you can upload some songs you've recorded so we can all hear you imitate Kenny G

Cheers,

Bob

Hi all,

nice to hear, that the PSR 9000 already arrived to the USA. I hope that Yamaha will be more motivated now to implement OS updates quicklier.
I have been playing the PSR 9000 for exactly 84 days and I can tell you this instrument is FOR ME awesome, terrific, wonderfull, ...
But I would not say it is the best instrument generally, because everyone has another preferences, priorities and another "brain-ear system". Therefore, if I like the instruments of the PSR 9000 the best, anyone else can tell me for him the G-1000's instruments are the best. I would take as a fact and would not try to persuade him, that he is not right. I think, that the discussion which instrument is the best or which has the best soprano sax has no sense.

Regarding the polyphony: the PSR 9000's 126 voice polyphony can be achieved simplier I thought at the beginning: it will do to choose two complicated voices with many layers (e.g. Grand Harpsichord and Live! Strings) push down the sustain pedal and play quickly any arpeggio. You can run off the polyphony with only these two voices (because they have long sustain). Thus, the sustain pedal can be very dangerous tool by some songs with full orchestral accompaniment, multi pads, left voice and right voices with harmony (it has already happened, that the leading voice, I was playing, was cut short).
(Remark: full orchestral accompaniment on the PSR 9000 takes about 60-70 polyphony banks - you can see it on the "utility" page).

On the other hand I experienced, that there is no keyboard without some flaws or disadvantages. That is also the case of the PSR 9000. I decided not to write about them until OS version 2.0 will be ready, because I talked many times with Yamaha hotline, sent them a fax with my remarks and I hope that solutions of my complaints will be involved in the OS version 2.0. I will inform you in any case.

Stevizard, I would suggest you to subscribe to the Bob Gelman's site, because it is an excellent site for PSR users (Bob, you have done a very good work). There are many good styles (user or factory), which you can download and extend the style database in your new PSR 9000 (especially if you are intending to buy a HD).

Regards

Marek