Short but promising.
http://www.synthesisers.co.uk/tyros2review.htm

Eric

Too bad no 76 keys.....

[This message has been edited by kbrkr (edited 09-22-2005).]

You guys don't seem to get tired...

I'm with kbrkr here regarding the 76 keys. It just seems a complete waste of space for Yamaha to drop the floppy and still leave that shelf. There's clearly enough room for additional keys.

Squeak

And yet another one:
http://www.piens.be/news/detail_en.lasso?id=1951

You can also listen to the demos here:
http://www.piens.com/prices/index.lasso?a=041035en]&id=5&lang=en

Eric

I forgot, some pictures:
http://www.piens.be/news/detail_en.lasso?id=1950

Eric

Taken from one of the review sites:

"Every Cover Band, Rock and Pop Band, and indeed every Recording Studio will buy this new-generation instument."

How far fetched is that? And if it's not offered in a 76 or 88 key version just the opposite will be true in my opinion. In other words: "Hardly ANY" Cover Band, Rock and Pop Band will buy this new-generation instrument. And to prove my point how many Professional Bands (Well known Bands or otherwise) use 61 key anything up on stage?
The answer is nary a one my friends.

They're very few and far between. OTOH how many 76 and 88 key keyboards do you see on a stage? Right, mostly all the Keyboards you see on stage are either 73, 76, or 88 keys? Occasionally you do see 61 keys but not that often. So do they think the Tyros2 will change that statistic overnight? Sorry, I don't think so.

But if Yamaha does offer a 76 or 88 key version somewhere down the road then Piens' bold statement may just have some truth to it.

Best regards,
Mike

I totally agree with you keybplayer. When you look at the keyboardists playing in bands today I'd say that from what I see 98% of the time they're playing with 76 or 88 keys. Also the two keyboards I ALWAYS see are the Motif ES8, and the Korg Triton with 88 keys. Also I always see players now with both the Triton and Motif sharing the same 2 tier rack.

Studios and bands aren't just looking for 61 keys. Hell if that's the case why aren't we seeing the current Tyros 1 all over studios, on stage with cover bands, ect.

You're right they are not going to change that just overnight. I think the T2 may be a good board, but with the pre-release of all the top boards the (hype) is often way overplayed.

Squeak

Though I too would appreciate a 76 note (and better yet 88 note) arranger for the ability to play solo piano style on the arranger, for auto-accomp style playing, 61 notes really is sufficient. With the split point set at F#2, I'm able to easily able to play just about any standard chord progression, with full chords & inversions, rootless chords with extensions (9ths, 11ths, 13ths) & alterations (b9,#11,etc), and relatively 'smooth voice leading', all within the confines of an octave and a half (C1-F#2). The KEY to mastering this is learning "how to" play all the standard chord changes (I-VI-II-V7, IV-V-1, etc in ALL keys) utilizing smooth voice leading, utilizing all available chord inversions.

This leaves F#2 - C7 (four and a half octaves) available for the right hand part: melody & melodic fills, which is the same real estate playing area possible (between middle C and the highest note on a standard 88 note (not 76) acoustic piano. Considering this fact, and also, the ability (on the Tyros) to conveninetly trigger the 'octave transpose' buttons (if needed), I now tend to argue for maintaining the 61 note approach on a "portable arranger" (afterall that's what it's marketed as, right) to preserve lighter weight. As a classically trained acoustic pianist begining at age four, I had to later learn to adapt my playing style for arranger playing & its 61 keys. The bottom line is that "no arranger out there" includes keys that feel or respond remotely like a true 88 note grand piano. I've learned to approach solo keyboard & arranger keyboard playing differently. Ok gang, I promise I won't even go into the 'smaller' Yamaha keys issue, of which I believe is continued with Tyros2. As far as integrating 76 keys, fitting within the confines of the existing Tyros2's dimensions, it would further raise the Tyros2 weight, and 'my guess' is that the 'new improved' 61 key feel key bed included in Tyros2 will already raise the Tyros2 weight above Tyros1. 76 keys would add additional weight, and I'm sure there will be some people complaining about that. That said, other than missing the ability to play full solo piano on the Tyros, to me, 61 keys is just fine for arranger style playing, of which this keyboard was primarily designed for. - Scott

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 09-22-2005).]

Seriously how much weight could that add though? I don't want any forum member to take this the wrong way and I truly respect you all, but I can see the concern with the weight issue here with several of the older members on the forum, and that's completely understandable. However, how much weight is too much today? I'm sure with 76 keys the Tyros 2 would weigh just around the same as the 61 key Motif (of course that's just speculation) The Motif does have some weight to it, but I don't hear anyone upset about the weight of either the Motif 61 key or 76 key model. Same goes for the Triton and Fantom series as well. It seems that the weight issue is often brought up more with arranger than with the synths. I find this interesting to because often the arrangers (even with speakers) are considerably less weight than an non arranger keyboard.

Now if the Tyros 2 was 76 keys and had internal speakers then I would be with everyone else saying drop the weight.

Squeak

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 09-22-2005).]

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 09-22-2005).]

The answer is for someone to start a custom keyboard modification shop that can install a 76-note keyboard in the Tyros/Tyros 2.

[This message has been edited by Esh (edited 09-22-2005).]

Yamaha CVP-series arrangers have graded hammer action keyboards. For that matter, so does a Tyros midi'd to a CME UF8 on a dual keyboard stand.

Hi Jim, right you are. I suppose I should've been more specific. I was referring to the portable & 'all inclusive in one unit' type arranger keyboards. btw: I see you decided to post under 'Esh' again, and not 'The Pro'. Any reason?

Nice to see you posting here again Jim.

Scott

Right now I am playing my Tyros as a midi slave, using as a master a Roland A-37 (76 notes, with waterfall keys). The difference in key fell is really remarkable (I like the Roland much more than the Tyros); plus, the velocity curves on the Roland allow me to play the Tyros with a lot more dinamics: I guess that not only the Tyros has narrower keys, but suffers also from the same problem as the old DX7, meaning that it's really difficult or even impossible to attain the highest velocities (like 125-127) from its own internal keyboard.

and I live within 5 miles of the store....

but the wife would shoot me if I cam back with one of these baby's under my arm!

Scott, I understand and appreciate your point completely.

BUT, you cannot play left hand bass very well on 61 keys. Many styles just don't fit some of the songs I do and I use UD's method of just turning on the Drum part and playing left hand bass. Can't do it with 61 keys my friend. So that's two types of music a 61 key keyboard cannot handle; solo accompanyment and left hand bass.

I simply do not understand Yamaha's rationale for avoiding 76 keys.

Such a fabulous keyboard in every other sense, but missing 76 keys. Don't they realize they are pushing players away from their keyboards to the Korg and Roland 76 key models?

Aaaaawwwwwwe what's the use!

I think kbrkr is right. I too would play left hand bass on my boards with 61 keys. It got too crowded. There wasn't enough room for both left hand and solo work. 76 keys really changes that.

Squeak

As long as we are saying things we've said before, one can have a lightweight extended keyboard with great action: e.g., the Nord Electro 73, which weighs 22lbs and the Nord Stage (88-key, hammer action) which weighs about 45 lbs. These synths use metal casing, not plastic. It is almost as though manufacturers intentionally make their high-end arrangers heavy to increase their perceived value. The smaller and lighter is better value that applies to laptops and cell phones has not really reached arranger keyboards.

Dreamer, as you know I have used the Roland A37 for a number of years and find it an all around good controller keyboard. This includes the ability to store in flash memory 128 instrument setups (program & effects changes). It works well with my soft synth/arranger setup.

Hi Scott et al:

Just thought it was time for a change. I won't be a regular here but when I think I have something to contribute then I'll drop a note.

I'm serious about the custom keyboard modification concept. I haven't yet had the chance to open up a Tyros and see exactly what is under the hood on either side of the current 61-note keybed (if anyone wants to open up their Tyros and take some pix, that would be helpful) but it seems perfectly feasible that the Tyros/Tyros 2 could be retrofitted with a 76-note keybed. I've read the many comments here about the desire for a 76-note Tyros... seems like someone should tackle this as a customizing project rather than wait/hope Yamaha will make one since they may never. The reality is that if Yamaha thought there was a serious market for a 76-note pro arranger, or even a weighted 88 note version, they could make one with off-the-shelf components. A portable CVP-309 would only require a new cabinet to make and would give you an awesome stage arranger (at a very high price).

If I thought that the Tyros or Tyros 2 was important enough to me to customize it then I'd jump on this, but lately my interests have taken me to working with Colossus. With the coming release of a Muse Receptor-based version of Colossus (Colossus Live) and the wide availability of good 76 and 88 note controllers, I think that Y/R/K (Yamaha/Roland/Korg) and even the Tyros 2 has already lost my interest. In fact I'm looking to sell my Motif ES 8 soon. My two 9000 Pro's will continue to serve my stage needs for as long as I need them, but I rely less and less on arranger functionality these days and am more interested in better sound quality and expression than what typical hardware arrangers/romplers can provide. These are topics that probably are better suited to other keyboard forums so that's why my presence here will be limited.

But I'd love to see someone modify a Tyros 2 with 76 keys just to make the point.

Hi Esh,
You got me curious!
Can you show me a link abouth Colossus Live?
Thanks

ReneT

Does anyone yet know what it weighs?
DonM

Is this the one?
http://www.kvraudio.com/news/2914.html http://www.soundsonline.com/revEW-164.shtml http://www.soundsonline.com/sophtml/details.phtml?sku=EW-164

Colossus live is a rack version of the sound library.

Welcome back, Jim! "We" knew you would come back with your great posts.

-- José.


[This message has been edited by Route 66 (edited 09-23-2005).]

My opinion is that TYROS 111, will have the 76 keys,this could have been done 3 years ago with tyros 1, but if they did then they would have lost a lot of sales,as it is a lot of people have bought T1, now alot will buy T2,then when T3 with 76 keys comes out lots more people will buy it.When they say that T11,is a big improvement over T1,what do you actually get that cannot be put into T1???