Hi.
I'am a new owner o a PSR2000 and here is my quick review. I sold my three years old Roland EM2000 few days ago and bought new PSR2000 (staying with 2000's) for the same money. I have really enjoyed playing EM. It is far more professional oriented keyboard, with excellent sounds and styles and unlimited storing capabilities. I simply wanted something new to have more fun. Now about PSR2000:

Look and layout: it is far from profi look – the look and feel is plastic, but the layout is excellent and very simple to use. Also command keys have a good feel. Everything is preprogrammed to play instantly. Excellent screen - I think even more clear than on PSR9000. Do you know that the new Clavinovas have the same but color screen with double dots (looks great). We will see this on the new PSR10000!?

Sounds: I miss my superior Roland sounds, but I'll get used to new sounds. Piano is too artificial for my taste, but some sounds are really great (some sweet voices, guitares etc.) – some are even better then those on Roland. Amplification and sound from the internal speakers is ok, but not on the level of Roland. Sound editing is very basic. Is there a chance that Yamaha will upgrade OS with the evenlope editing like it was done on PSR9000? Big sound drawback: when you switch a voice or One Touch Setting the previous voice stops playing. This is a serious problem. Is there a way to overcome this?

Styles: in general majority of styles is very useful. Changes in variations are subtle, and thats good. We need »boring« styles. I think It is far more important for arranger keyboard to have good accompaniments – a band playing which is only supporting you as a center of show. A lot of styles on other keyboards are not like this, their sound is too rich – in reality have you ever seen a band on stage with 8 members (channels)? One of the reasons why I changed the keyboard are break fills. So if I summarize: I love the styles. In this couple of days I have found a lot of additional styles on the net. I would like to have few styles from my Roland back. Anybody knows where to find Roland styles for Yamaha with 4 variations? What I have found only have 2 (probably from the times of PSR 8000). Style editing is really simple and effective. I enjoy tweaking the parts with more obscure sounds to get more hype accompaniment.

There are a lot of different settings on this keyboard. I like this, but the manual is very minimalistic although good. Some options are not described at all. For example I was trying to change the style sounds and save it as a new style. In the style editing menus you can only change a sound for one variation (or a fill, intro etc) separately. On PSR 9000 you have a nice PART COPY command. Nothing like this here. I suggest Yamaha to add this on the next OS. Finally I have found it - It is not obvious, but is very simple. You can change style sounds from the main screens and then enter style editor where you save the style. Nothing like this in the manual.

Vocal harmony works well, still when playing loud there is a problem of microphony(?) – whisteling sound? - if microphone is too close to the keyboard. Does anybody have some experience which type of the microphone is good for home use?

Memory: storage for about 20 styles will be enough for me because one of the best thing about this keyboard is direct disk loading. When you put your floppy in you have a list of the styles on it in few seconds. If you want to load a style you just press a key for it and you play it in one or two seconds. Style list stayes there all the time and in practical use It is almost the same as internal or user style handling. I can dare saying that this is very close to hard or zip disk (which I had on my Roland). And after all I was collecting styles for Roland instead of playing them. Who needs more than 50-60 styles which can fit on one floppy? While I am impressed with the disk handling there is a serious drawback: you can not save disk style to performance memory. Yamaha, please add this.

This is all for today. I would appreciate some comments.

Marko

Hi Marko

Congratulations with the PSR 2000 !

Converted Roland styles can be found in the Spectromatic Arhvive and in the Files area of Yahoo Group "Yamaha PSR Styles".

Link to both and many other style sites from The Unofficial YAMAHA PSR Resource Site at http://home7.inet.tele.dk/js/musik/740pages

Follow menu "PSR Links" -> "Style Sites"

Good luck
Jørgen

MarkoDra.....Your quote: Big sound drawback: when you switch a voice or One Touch Setting the previous voice stops playing. This is a serious problem. Is there a way to overcome this?

When I played the PSR2000 I found when changing to another voice whilst holding down a note, the voice did not stop playing, but unfortunately it immediately took on the effects of the new voice selected. This was bad when switching from piano to say a guitar with vibrato etc:

Graham UK

Double congratulations.

As far as mics go, I strongly recommend a wired headset mic, because it
1. Keeps the mic close to your mouth so that the harmonies are always right on
2. It gives you the ability to make eye contact with all of the audience all around you.
3. It gives you the ability to sing and look at the buttons you are pressing on the keyboard
4. It's lighter and you don't have to carry a boom to gigs.

I keep my headset mic in my keyboard gig bag, and with my monitors in a bag slung around my shoulder I go to all my gigs with one trip with my keyboard and stand on a luggage cart.

Larry

And yet, others have praised the vocal harmonizer on this keyboard. That's why these things are so objective. As several Forum friends have said, the 2000 IS an excellent songwriting/composing keyboard. Only knocks have really come from gigging musicians, IMO.

Hi,

Yes you are correct a pro gigging musician is very subjective to his tools of the trade, whereas a nonpro views it in a different way for his uses at home.I just gave my straight up, honest, no bull, opinion hoping people would read and take what they can from it.

Good Luck

donny

Can't agree with you more Donny on this matter.
What surprises me, is why someone would want to trade down from a Pro Keyboard like the EM2000, to a Yamaha 2000? Just because the Yamaha 2000 is "New Blood" - doesn't mean its better - not one bit.

About 2-3 years + ago, I had a Technics KN5000, and was pleased with it. However, at that time, the Roland EM2000 was also out, and I just couldn't afford this model (it was £2000), And had a KN5000 instead. I would have sooner had gone for the EM2000 (which my friend had - to my envy) which had better sounds (IMO) than the KN5000, with more Wave rom allocated to it (24MB).

There was also 1169 top quality sounds, and would have loved this model at the time over the KN5000. It was only when the KN6000 came out that I found a keyboard to surpass the EM2000, but the Roland EM2000 still sounds good to me, even today.

A swap from a EM2000 to a Yamaha 9000 might have been a better Idea (with a few cash adjustments here and there) but to go from a EM2000 to a Yamaha 2000 makes little sense to me to be honest, Unless marko, you yourself think it was worth it...

Your loss may be someone else's gain.....

J5



[This message has been edited by Jupiter5 (edited 11-08-2001).]

Depends on how you are using it. I've been a full-time pro for 30 years and the 2000 does everything I need.
I never used the sampler on the 9000 or 8000 except to play around with. The on-board memory of the 2000 hold everything I need without having a hard drive.
I have no problem with the harmonizer.
The sound continues after I change it. Yes the keys are light, but I have no problem with that either.
The only input I've missed is the 3rd footswitch, and that's not a really big deal either.
The only way I can make the speakers distort is turn the bass up too high.
Most important--I can carry it under one arm. I don't like the external power supply, but at least it is a new, better design that the old ones.
DonM

Thanks for your opinions guys. First of all I'm not a pro. I only play at home having good time (and for my kids and khmm, my wife). Like I sad EM2000 was far better machine, but If I'm honest it was simply not used enough - It was too expensive and too pro keyboard for my tipical use from the begining. I was of course happy to have such machine, but after three years I wanted to try something different. I was thinking a lot and It was difficult to admit myself what kind of a keyboard I REALLY need. I am not prepared at the moment to spend double money for the things I don't need. I'm more clever now so I bought a keyboard for home use. Plus It is far more user friendly, I can change styles in a minute (even simple revoicing was a pain on Roland), have much more funny options, vocal harmony, break fills :-)), score display etc. What I only really miss are piano sounds and aftertouch. But that's life. From my perspective It was a good deal. PSR2000 is better for me.
And I wish new user of EM will take all advantages from it. I wish him good luck. So it is a double gain.

DonM,
Sound on your keyboard continues after you change it. Do you think I have a problem with some settings? Does anyone else have the same problem?

Beakybird,
thanks for the idea, what would be the price for a headset mic? Which one do you use?

Jørgen,
Thanks for the link. So far I have found some converted Roland styles but only with 2 variations.

Nice to talk to you.
Marko

Marcodra...
You has the new PSR2000 and you likes it except piano sounds... You writes: "What I only really miss are Roland's piano sounds..."

It is always the same problem: piano sound.
Some PA80 owners say in similar sense: a piano sound too bright...

But, why? What is the problem? What is the problem that makes so difficult to do a good piano sound on kbs?

Perhaps Korg or Yamaha makers do not know to make better piano sounds (ex. Roland)... or perhaps it is a "money" question, or what??.

Marko,
I'm not at the keyboard right now, but I remember a setting that can be made that determines whether the One-touch setting takes place immediately or at the start of the next measure. This could by the problem with the sound cutting off. Or there could be a similar setting for the sound itself.
I'll try to check it out when I get time, but VERY busy right now. But that's a good thing!
DonM

Which is the best piano-module I can connect to "my" PSR2000? Cost: less than 400 box.

Don is right. If you hit the function button and hit the Button "C" next to the Style Setting/split point/chord fingering words, you will then see at the bottom of the screen aove the button 2 "OTS Link Timing" You can select "Real Time" or "Next Bar". Now you have the choice of the OTS changing immediately or at the beginning of the next bar.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

DonM and George. Thanks for the tip. It works as expected, but the problem stays the same. After the voice change I get a short stop in sounding, working with the OTS or without. It is true that this is not the case with every voice.

Please try this on your keyboards: Select Ballad: 8BeatModern style and switch the OTS link on. Play the right hand sound and keep the voice sounding while pressing another variation. Do you hear the interrupt? If not It is something wrong with my keyboard.

Thank you very much for your response.
Marko

Hi Marko
I'm surprised you miss the aftertouch on your EM2000. I own one myself and have NEVER been able to get the aftertouch to work right. In fact, I don't even know if it is working at all. I never seem to hear it. Maybe I have not turned it on, or programmed it, or something. But this just goes along with what you felt about the EM2000 being a big pain to learn to use!
Tom

TomTomSF. Funny but I find the EM2000 easy to use, possibly because I came from a Korg i3 & i30.

The Aftertouch and Dynamic Arranger on the EM are easy to setup.
If you wish to email me privately I would be happy to give you any help with questions about the EM2000.

Graham UK

Hi, TomTomSF
If I remember we purchased our EM2000's at the same time about three years ago. You were the one that introduced me to a mighty Roland arrangers group. It is relatively easy to setup the aftertouch but It is not preprogrammed - you must do it by yourself. So It is maybe not so userfriendly but It certainly gives you more control. I don't remember exactly where you find this in the unlogical structure of the menues because I don't have it anymore, but I think It is under the parameter menu.

BTW: Your room with four keyboards is very nice. Which one do you lately play the most?

Regards,
Marko

Marko,
Right now, I'm playing the pa80 a lot. Because it's my newest, I'm still learning and exploring on it. But yesterday, I sat at my KN5000 for a couple of hours and had fun. That's what I like about having a bunch of different keyboards. I can get in a "mood" and play one for a week, then the next week it's something else. The drawback, I guess, is that I never really become an expert at any of them. But, then again, I'm no expert player!

Graham,
Can you easily explain how to turn on Aftertouch and set it up on a particular voice to get a great result? I'd appreciate it.

Marko
By the way, where did you see my room with my keyboards? On the Yamaha group?
Tom

TomTomSF, There is a picture of your room with the keyboards in the Yahoo discussion group Yamaha-psr-styles under the File directory. Very nice.

Marko

TomTomSF.....Re-Your request for tweaking EM2000\G1000 Voices

Blown Voices SAX,TROMBONE,TRUMPET etc:

EXAMPLE. Put Selected voice into UPPER 1
These set the VIBRATO & BRIGHTNESS
1. Press TONE Button & Select UPPER to work on
2. PARAMETER.......VALUE
3. Vibrato Rate.........+5
4. Vibrato Depth.......+10
5. Vibrato Delay.......-10
6. TVF Cut-off...........+10 Brightens
Remaining Leave @ 0

These effect the aftertouch of the voice
1. Press PARAMETER \ CONTROL
2. Page 5
3. Pitch.......... -1
4. TVF Cut-off..-19
5. Amplitude......-28
Remaining Leave @ 0

REMEMBER TO SAVE TO A USER PROGRAM.

Graham UK

[This message has been edited by Graham UK (edited 11-12-2001).]

Hi Graham!
Thank you for the instructions! I think this may have been the first time I've heard the aftertouch effects on my EM2000 since I've owned it.
I have to say, even with your step-by-step instructions, it still was not easy to set up. It is far too complicated to go in and set up for each and every voice, and then have to save all those to a User Performance. Plus, the results do seem to require acquiring a certain playing skill to utilize to the best advantage. But, finally, I've heard & seen the aftertouch work on my Roland. Thank you, again.
Tom

Tom. The after touch works well with Guitars as well. Regarding
having to do the settings for each and every voice that you feel wants it.
You only have to copy the already set voice aftertouch setting to how many
User Programs you want which will copy the effects, then just change the
voice in each of the User Programs and they will respond to the aftertouch
already there..
I have programmed A11 to A18 only, with these aftertouch voices covering
most blown instruments and Guitars which are the only ones I feel I need.
When using a style you can easily lock the USER PROGRAM-STYLE \BUTTON and
then just move through the A11 to A18 to change your real-time voices with
the appropriate aftertouch setting.
On the VA Series a lot of voices are already programmed with after touch
setting.

Graham UK

I have got to agree with you Larry. After struggling with ordinary style mics and doing everything else in the heat of battle (gigging)the headset mic is the ONLY way to go. I use a Shure WH20 dynamic headset. It plugs directly into the 9000PRO (and 2000?)and just works! But one other thing - it took me a little time (a few hours practice)to get use to it. This stems from the difference between a normal mic on stand set-up and a mic that follows you everywhere!(because it is attached to you)

I've always liked to "work" the mic, getting close or away from it as needed. Don't you miss this? I suppose the Compressor/Limiter would help. . .
Are these wired or wireless mics you're referring to?
Thanks,
DonM

Hi DonM,
The Shure WH20 can plug into either a keyboard or amplifier (this is what I use) or it can plug into a radio transmitter attached to your belt etc. Working the mic is a training issue. I often lead sing (no keyboard etc) and use just a "hand" mic. This allowed me to develop the skill of working the mic. When I first started to use the headset mic with the 9000PRO I found that this was a hurdle. It's amazing what the body (mind) will adapt to. I have found (I believe)that I can now work the mic "just as well" while using the headset.

Hmmmmm . . . I think I already see wired headset mics on many of our Christmas lists.