Just wanted to add my opinion on the T2... For some users it offers some great features. I really wanted to be blown away and I don't wish to rain on anyone's purchase or start a flame war...To each their own. But after playing one for a week I have decided to return the Tyros 2 and buy another original Tyros. It is just too expensive... heck an ES7 is less and I think even the 88 key ES8 is too.

The 'semi-weighted' keys are better but are not that big an improvement. I miss the floppy drive and as old as that technology is I have loads of disks, etc. The Vocal Harmonizer and mic processor has not been touched. In some cases there are less instruments in the bank like in the drum section. I don't care for the new button layout and the T1 seems simpler to operate The SA voices are good but will take some time to master and from an overall audio standpoint I had my T1 and the T2 set up side by side and playing back SMFs they sound and I can tweak the T1 to sound nearly identical to the much more expensive T2. Unfortunately I was unable to use the T2 voices on the T1 in the user 'custom'' bank. It would be nice to be able to use any Yamaha voice interchangeably. On a real plus side the music stand brackets are much easier to install... the designer at Yamaha who created the screw in strand on the original Tyros should be SHOT! Ever done it in a hurry in a dark nightclub at 1 in the morning? The LCD screen was sharp and clear with no lines, etc. But I like the lyric/score as handled on the T1 better.

Further from a style /design standpoint its obvious to me the Euro folks had lots to do with it. From the design to the more heavy duty buttons it feels very German like to me. I also like my KBs in BLACK as it matches other gear and makes the stage look more uniform as well as easier to hide scratches, etc.

Further still a real case could be made that MANY of the improvements in the T2 _should_ have been or should be in a 2.0 Tyros OS upgrade which I feel should be free but would be willing to pay for. The bottom line for many is that users were promised some of these problems would be fixed and/or that new features would be added to the T1. One can only hope that Yamaha will follow thru and add/fix some stuff with the _original_ Tyros but I won't hold my breath. But failure to do so will affect future purchasing decisions by myself and others I'm sure. OEM can not expect folks to invest $2500+ in a KB that's dead-ended in 2-3 years. One of the advantages in having a s'ware OS is being able to fix and add features fairly easily.

I'm sure also that for some players, especially those from a piano background, might find the extra cost may be worth it but I really think for many it won't. The hype has been waaaaay overblown IMHO and some have approached a new level of Shilldom (ya know who ya are!) But notice how it has only been a relative few vocal users.... and power users who have to have the latest and greatest on the bleeding edge of technology type stuff.

I predict any new T1's still in the dealer pipeline to fly off shelves once more users have the chance to work with the T2 first hand AND look at the cost. I also think used T1's will hold their value well for some time to come. We now have 3 Tyros in our family and we love 'em. To each their own I guess but 4200 is a whole lot of money!

But for me the two main things this has really brought into focus for me is that, like Gary, I think that it's really the person who can 'entertain' and not just play music that will always get the lion's share of the gigs and dollars and also that technology alone no matter how good can not replace music chops.

To those able to afford a new T2... more power to ya and knock yourself out! To those considering an arranger in general... I say the original Tyros still provides mega-bang for the buck. I think Yamaha would do well to cut the price a bit on the original Tyros and continue to make, sell and service them as a high end entry level work station. In the meantime I may even buy a fourth one! Just thought I would add a different perspective and one that unfortunatly is perhaps not as positve as others here. Yet still I have multiple Yamaha products and think they offer max bang for the buck.

No flames please and
Thanks for listening!

Play on and Happy New Year to all

Tommy


[This message has been edited by TP123 (edited 01-07-2006).]

[This message has been edited by TP123 (edited 01-07-2006).]

Tommy

I'm with you on this one..I bought a T2 to replace my PSR3000 which I've only owned about 10 month's, I'm afraid I was taken in by all the hype and bought one without actually trying it out..intitially I thought certain things sounded very good but playing it side by side with the PSR3000 I found the very large outlay did not get me a very much different sound from what I was already using, altough it did bring me an overall much larger instrument to account for in the packing of my vehicle, a sluggish LCD display response time and the re-located registration buttons layout caused much worry as it was/is possible to hit wrong registrations acidentally in their new position..so after
3 weeks I sold it at a loss but I did offload all the styles and they sound close to the T2 on the PSR3000 with some tweaking, a lot of the styles* from the T2 sound untouched from the PSR3000 except for the inclusion of the new SA/Mega voices.

I think the lesson I learned here is 'NEVER' buy expensive equipment unseen.

Rgds
Noel Jay

Please email me anyone if you would like the *

[This message has been edited by pasadoble (edited 01-07-2006).]

.

It's not for me. A year ago I bought a 76 key DGX 305. I can never go back to a 61-key board. Its a shame really. Some of those cool features soumd relly great. But sometimes I want to turn off the styles and just play piano. No Tyros will let me do that. So my next upgrade will be to a better laptop where I can run OMB and Band In a Box. The shord keyboard is a definite deal-breaker.

.

When my tyros 2 boot up it has 61 keys of only piano until I push a button. the Piano is as good as I have have in the 11 keyboards here in the studio, but.......depending on the sound system you use for it.
Best to all
Bebop

Posted by Flatfoot:
--------------------------------------------
A year ago I bought a 76 key DGX 305. I can never go back to a 61-key board.
-------------------------------------------

I completely understand where you're coming from. Once you've had the taste of 76 keys it's like going from (High Speed DSL) back to (dial up). Just leaves a bad taste in your mouth

That's why I wish the keyboard makers would make more module versions of their boards. I dream of a module PSR-3000, or even a module Tyros2. Then I can midi them up to my keyboard that's 76 keys.

Plus the 76 keys give you so much more range in your playing. Once you start playing one and realize how nice it is to have a wider playing range you're sucked in

Squeak

I have owned tyros1 and have played the psr3000. To me the tyros1 is lightyears better than the psr3000 . Now lets look at all the new stuff in tyros2...100 extra styles..300 readjusted styles. 8 more mega voices. 93 NEW cool,sweet,live sounds, 120 brand new multipads using the mgavoices, 9 live drum kits instead of 5, 42 super articulation sounds, vastly improved keyfeel, stronger frame and buttons, 6 new dsp effects, 4 new chorus,audio recording....and more. I love it. Cant wait to buy one...will be worth every penny

And dont forget 389 extra songs in music finder, 2 usb ports, multipad select button, import new sounds, 1024mb ram expansion,oh and it looks stunning

Hi Flatfoot,
why can't you run OMB with your laptop? I used to use it with my old windows 98 laptop, and it only had a fairly slow celeron processor.
Admittedly I used to use it with a Clavinova not DGX.

best wishes
Rikki
[QUOTE]Originally posted by flatfoot:
[B].

So my next upgrade will be to a better laptop where I can run OMB and Band In a Box.

Thanks guys...
great sharing opinions and good points all... although some are a little more on subject than others

I guess the one thing I'd like to add on the T1 vs T2 voices is that aside from the SA voices/technology I know that... thanks to those on here and other forums who have been generous enough to share their expertise...I CAN tweak my T1 via EQ, processing and layering to sound nearly indentical or enough so that _in a Live gig situation_ the benifit does not finacially make it _for me_. I'd rather go for the new Yamaha PA speakers or their all in one recording system board or go surround sound AND still have almost enough to add another T1 for backup.

But now that I re-read it the OP is also really two or 3 diff. subjects :

the T1 vs T2 - what's really best for price vs features and the
need for Yamaha to continue making T1s

The need for and the user demand for a T1 OS software update

and lastly

the discussion on Music Chops vs Entertainer Chops vs. Technology


As always I look forward to any further thoughts you guys may have. To those with a new T2... good on you and go for it. To those considering a new KB the Tyros is still a viable contender and with a price adjustment could continue to lead the arranger market for some time to come IMHO.


Yours in Music and Yamaha forever!

TP123

.

QUOTE Hi Flatfoot, why can't you run OMB with your laptop? I used to use it with my old windows 98 laptop, and it only had a fairly slow celeron processor......UNQUOTE

I can run OMB. Also Band in a Box and Cakewalk. But it is a very old computer. If I had something newer I could use it for other things besides running basic sequencer programs.

I am not complaining, mind you. A friend gave me this laptop a year ago, which had been collecting dust in his closet. Considering that its a free computer, it works great. [8{>

.

You are wrong about the Live Drum Kits rolandfan. There are "13" Live Drum Kits in the original Tyros whilst only "9" in the Tyros2.

You gotta love those S Art. voices though.
But I've noticed some of them don't have that vast sound improvement over the Tyros' standard Sweet! Live! and Cool! voices. But Yamaha is making a step in the right direction and I imagine they will improve the technology more and more as technology advances. By the time Tyros3 comes out with 76 keys (I hope ), 200 Super Articulation Voices, 300 Sweet!, Live!, Cool! and Natural! Voices, an improved Acoustic Grand Piano sound[s], some killer B3 emulations, USB 2.0/Firewire capability, Digital I/O's, 16 Track realtime 'Audio' Recording, A "REAL" Sampler, an "improved" Vocal Harmonizer, weighing under 32 lbs., and all for the price of the 'original' Tyros or LESS, then we will talk turkey. And until they offer a 76 key version I will absolutely and unequivocally pass on getting one until they do (if they ever do). I will bide my time and stick with my Tyros and continue to wait that Yammie will eventually offer a 76 key high end 'something' (whether it be a T3 or Pluto XRT or whatever). If Yammie doesn't I'm pretty certain one or both of the other Big 3 will. Even GEM or Ketron may surprise us. Now if GEM, Ketron (and Korg) only offered something beyond the dated 64 note Polyphony issue. Then they will start to open some eyes of serious musicians. You just gotta have more than 64 note Polyphony when using a full blown Arranger keyboard. A Workstation you may be able to 'squeak' by, but not a high end Arranger with all its multifaceted arranger functions. I'm sorry but that's just the way I see it.

Best regards,
Mike

[This message has been edited by keybplayer (edited 01-08-2006).]

Hi. I'm looking at the tyros1 specs and it says the live drums are live standard, live studio, live funk, live brush, live percussion. Thats a total of 5 live drum kits only. How do u get 13?

Tommy, I have a question...how do you type the box?

more power to ya and knock yourself out!

Here they are in order:

1. Live! SFX Cuban Kit
2. Live! SFX PopLatin Kit
3. Live! Std. Kit + P
4. Live! Funk Kit + P
5. Live! Brush Kit + P
6. Live! Studio Kit
7. Live! Standard Kit
8. Live! Funk Kit
9. Live! Brush Kit
10. Live! StyStd. Kit + P
11. Live! StyFunkKt + P
12. Live! StyStd. Kit
13. Live! StyFunk Kit

The Tyros2:

1. Live! Symphony Kit
2. Live! SFX PopLatin Kit
3. Live! SFX Cuban Kit
4. Live! Power Kit1
5. Live! Power Kit2
6. Live! Standard Kit1
7. Live! Standard Kit2
8. Live! Studio Kit
9. Live! Brush Kit

I realize that Yamaha put derivatives of the Funk, Standard and Brush Kits on the Tyros but they are clearly separate Kits.

No biggie as I'm sure the Tyros2's Live! Drum Kits are excellent likewise; even though there are fewer of them.

Best regards,
Mike