Hey guys,

I was curious - what keyboard do you guys use when you actually perform on stage? I've heard that many of you have bought the Tyros 2.

I'm still using my PSR740 (which I LOVE) but I've never performed live before. lol

What's it like to perform live? Post your the keyboard you use, your experiences (good AND, yes, BAD ), and other thoughts you have on performing in front of an audience.

Ryan

Hey Ryan,

I use the same setup for live and studio because my studio gear is on stage with me at the venue. I am on staff full-time for Destiny Ministries and the Gateway Prayer House. I play live every week for a living when we have Sunday services at 11:00. We also travel a bit. Our church usually has 30-50 people in attendance but on the road we could have between 50 and 2000-3000 people depending on the size of the conference, etc.

I use a Yamaha DGX-500 as my controller and piano sounds and I MIDI to a Korg PA1x-Pro for everything else so I can do the one man band thing. If you go to my webpage http://360.yahoo.com/korg4god you can see pics of my setup - the first two albums are actually my old set up before the PA1X when I used the DGX-500 and a Korg N264 on top. I just used the DGX's drums and split/ layered sounds on the N264 to cover other sounds. The last album is with the PA1X but now I have fixed my Apex stand to allow the PA1X to sit at an angle so I can access the controls and touch screen easier and see the screen on the DGX easier as well.

I was using a PSR-3000, which was very nice, but have recently switched to the Tyros2, which is awesome.

I play it through a pair of Yamaha MS60s powered monitors.

Ian

Tyros 2,Hammond XB1 & Motionsound Pro3T +
Pa 2x 250 Watt.(as Monitors).

Impuls,

Hi
I am a home user with a Yamaha Psr2000, Yamaha MW12 mixer hooked up to a pair of Yamaha MS10's with the Yamaha SW10 sub woofer.
Whoa !!!! I think I see a pattern here.....

Ron

For performing, I use a Roland Discover5, Roland VK8M Hammond Organ Module, and Roland KC500 amp. At home, I have a T2 with Tapco S8 studio monitors. Once I get the T2 ready for the road, I use it in place of the Discover5. I'm looking to get a pair of powered speakers for the road to supplement or replace the KC500. I play mostly standards, oldies, latin, Buffett, and a few upbeat songs (Manalow, Eagles, Doobie Brothers, etc.). I also want to record with the T2 but I'm still working on it.

For one on-going country club job, I use my B-3 and a suitcase Rhodes, which stays put. At another club, I use the house Yamaha grand. At another house job, I use my old Ketron MS 60 and a Roland controller with an old Yamaha tone generator. With my group, I use the Roland and a Hammond/Suzuki with a Motion sound top box.

Whatever works...


Russ

Ian
What do you think are the best Tyros 2 features versus those of the 3000? Did twice the price of the T2 justify the move from the 3000?

T2+ Laptop + 1 or 2 Mackie SRM450's.....
In & Out

Stephen,
I get an employee's discount so I paid a lot less than the retail price for the T2.

If I didn't have that benefit, I would have probably waited for the 3k replacement.

Having said that...I do love the T2.

Keyboard feel is deluxe, the SA sounds are awesome, the organs are really cool, build quality is great(made in Japan).

Ian

Mike how much do your PA speakers weigh?

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 07-14-2006).]

Hi Ryan: My live performance keyboard setup includes the Tyros2 with one, or a COMBINATION OF, the following PA setups:

1) TRS-MS02 Subwoofer + Bose 161's
2) Motion Sound KP100S
3) Electro Voice SxA100's



Donny: Are you not experiencing stereo phase cancellation problems when utilizing ONE mackie speaker alone?

Scott

Hi Ryan: My live performance keyboard setup includes the Tyros2 with one, or a COMBINATION OF, the following PA setups:

1) TRS-MS02 Subwoofer + Bose 161's
2) Motion Sound KP100S
3) Electro Voice SxA100's



Donny: Are you not experiencing stereo phase cancellation problems when utilizing ONE mackie speaker alone?

Scott

Scott, although I have used all the sound systems you listed without personal happiness for my needs & had to briskly sell them ....but I hope you are enjoying them......& yes using one speaker phase cancellation mostly on theT2 Live Grand still exists....I have to tweak & use a few hookup "Y" plug L/R workarounds to make it sound decent for now but that's what pros do .
Seriously, my next intervention will be with the Roland E-80 when it comes out, its the only new offering that stirs my juices right now... ...we'll see at that time what it sounds & navigates like to qualify for a serious contender for "MY" needs!,

l8tr,
I'm off to my first gig of the day!




[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 07-14-2006).]

My mix/match PA setups offers me the FLEXIBILITY of not having to haul around a 50 lb x 2 PA system for even the smallest jobs. I reserve the big guns for the larger venues, saving valuable transport time & effort.

On the other hand Donny, with 'your' back to back 2-3+ gig a day schedule , I'm sure you must be getting really buffed now, and saving money to boot, not having to fork out bucks on a gym membership.



I certainly could never put up with that!

Scott

2-3 gigs a day crikey he'll be retiring in a few months with all that money made, along with his T2, G70, E80, T3, Korg PA super deluxe edition.......... lmao
Those poor roadies will be out of work

Scott please stop showing off your frailty to the masses its embarrassing your starting to sound like your parrot .....
the weight is no issue with me .....
I use what sounds good to my ears....the 3pc Bose 161 w/ T2 sub is OK but not enough power period for me.......Motion 100 is the WORST KB amp I ever used ....Ev's sound nice but not enough Balls..(can I say that? )...just A/B them with the Mackie SRM 450's
if you enjoy them ..that's fine too. I'm glad its NOT me.
As for my gigs ....
Again Scott, sorry I dont discuss financial business on the web...
nuff said....

carry on



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 07-14-2006).]

DNJ do they have internet connection where you gig as you are always on Skype?
I bet with all the carrying of the equipment you've got muscles like the HULK, just need some green body paint for you now lol
You could use the left overs to paint the T2 where it's come off hehe

[This message has been edited by Craig_UK (edited 07-14-2006).]

M8......even when Im performing my PC is NEVER turned off....just because status shows on it means nothing,.... just leave a message


[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 07-14-2006).]

DNJ your status shows you as invisible but you keep signing in and out on there so I thought you had a gig at an internet cafe

Ryan,

This summer I have been quite busy playing out.. much more often than I am accustomed to, and I'm pretty happy doing it. In most cases I still use my PA80 in combination with my laptop and a host of softsynths for lead voices. I like the Korg styles, along with about 60 converted Yamaha styles that sound good on the PA80, but I don't care for many of the lead voices. The PA80 does do decent organ, sax and synth based sounds though. The softsynth sounds I have are incredible, and I preload up about 30 of the best inside Xlutop chainer, so they work as presets for me.

Sometimes, as space permits, I also bring along my Motif ES. It has more than enough good lead voices on it, so that I can pay less attention to the laptop when performing.

When I don't need to rely so much on style play, I'll either bring the Motif ES alone, or the MZ2000 instead. The MZ's styles are perhaps it's weak point, but some, including a few converted ones, are good enough, and I like most of the lead voices better than those on the PA80.

I use a Behringer UB1204fx mixer, and for a PA I play through a modiifed Logitech z2300 system.. modified in that the two satellites were replaced by a pair of 10 inch Kustom speakers. Usually it's plenty loud enough, and it sounds pretty decent to boot. For bigger jobs, I am looking for a pair of powered speakers or KB amps to replace my Peavey PA system, which is ancient at this point.

AJ

Donny my friend: It's got NOTHING to do with frailty. If I had to, I certainly can handle more than the weight of the 50lb each SRM450's, but why drag around more weight than needed for the small 1 hr gigs which greatly benefit from convenience of quick in/out transport, setup & breakdown. Time is money afterall, right? For truly large gigs, the client covers for a dedicated sound engineer (sound man) including a pro large stage PA system setup/installed by dedicated sound pros. All I need to do supply my keyboard & mic.



Huh?! I don't recall ever asking you to.

Scott

I find Internet Cafe (Starbucks, Borders Books, etc) gigs rewarding: no drunks, nice hours, and typically a more intellectual crowd who appreciate traditional music (aka jazz, classic standards, etc), creative artistry & musicianship. I encourage everyone here to not only consider playing these venues yourself, but to checkout & support other local musicians playing these type of gigs too. Thank goodness the appreciation for live musicianship lives on at internet cafes venues. - Scott

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 07-14-2006).]

Hi:

I use my Tyros2,)before it was the PSR 3000 also (for now) the Korg PA60, and I have 2 PA systems, the large one has:
Stand Quik lock M-92 for the Keyboards.
2 Sm112 V Yamaha
1 EMX 312 sc
1 KCW1 Roland active subwoofer
and the smaller one :

Another M92 quik lock
1 KCW1 Roland active subwoofer(yes, I have 2).
The Crate TV 100 package system, that has 2 active speakers (8 inch 2 way) with the stands, and 8 channel stereo mixer with digital FX, I was very surprise, sounds VERY good in this combination.....like the T2 speaker system, only in Steroids.....!!...maybe better.
I use the smaller set up for Restaurants, and small halls.

With the biger one I have performed for up to 500-600 people, of course, I have stands for the SM112V,the audience(some of them), compare my sound with my very friendly competitors.....and people seem to like my sound much better.
In fact, I have recomend similar set ups for my friends/coleages, and so far, 2 of them, did listen to my sound system, and got a very similar PA.

After 8 years of playing the G 1000, which I still love and would never part with, I got a good deal on a Tyros 1 and after 3 weeks of playing it I love it. I frequently do 2 and 3 gigs back to back so weight and easy set up have become very important. I love all the different endings the Tyros offers. My set up is:

Tyros 1, Ketron Midjay, Yamaha EMS 600 PA head and 1 or 2 JBL Eons, Neumann KMS 105 mic and Shure wireless SM58 for walking around.

This pretty much handles everything from nursing home shows of 30 people to dance gigs of 200-300.

Joe

------------------
Songman55
Joe Ayala

Some of my gigs offer wireless Internet service in hotels, casinos, etc ....which on breaks I will sometimes check my email on my LT etc, etc, .....Internet cafes dont exist around these parts

Looks like you have more breaks than actually playing m8. If I was out playing and used the internet as much as you they'd soon pay me up and tell me where to go

[This message has been edited by Craig_UK (edited 07-15-2006).]

Internet Hell!?

Gem Genesys pro.

The best all in one keyboard and one of the easiest to navigate around quickly.

Its a shame we dont hear more discussion about the genesys pro.....btw what does it weigh?

The specs say 41LBS for the Genesys pro. But there is also the Genesys xp which is a module 17LBS. I don't know how available that is in the US.

Thanx for the info ....41 is not bad at all especially with all those onboard features...
http://www.generalmusic.com/html/prodotti.asp?cod=995213&lingua=eng&frame=ca


one of these days I'll find one to play...looks very interesting...& I love sliders

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 07-16-2006).]

Yep, he does!





-mike

lmao love it, nice one

Scott common dump those baby speakers and get some a real man's Sound System then you could have 17" Guns like me !!!!

[img]http://cdn-aimtoday.aol.com/aimtoday_kisses/kickbutt[/img]

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 07-16-2006).]

Yep those sliders are a must have for adjusting volume levels on the spot for the 8 style parts and the 6 right hand live keyboard parts and the 2 live left hand parts. The sliders can also be used for organ. I can not imagine an arranger with out sliders.



[This message has been edited by to the genesys (edited 07-16-2006).]

You are so right about the adjustable sliders they are a superb navagational mix balancing need for playing live....as much as I like playing the T2...maybe someday Yamaha will wake up, listen to real players needs & put them on the Tyros 2, 3, 4.... & a 61 / 76 key model, black or charcoal grey, round corners, seperate controlled mode play including Mp3's, rubber coated buttons, XLR mic inputs !! Its these little things that you always keep you on your toes & your eyes open to change.



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 07-16-2006).]

[img]http://cdn-aimtoday.aol.com/aimtoday_kisses/steam[/img]

right now i use an Alesis Ion and a Roland Juno 106 and a hammond XK-2 with a Yorkville 300k (2x10 speakers, 300 watts) and an ampeg 125 watt bass amp (connected through a line out from the york). i use a boss rd-20 and an alesis quadraverb for effects, and a whole mess of onstage stands for my other gadgets and boards.

I really liked the Yorkville 300k..I used one for 3 or 4 years..I did put castors on it though..

Oh yeah, count me in with the 'gotta have sliders' crowd. Nothing like 'em for on-the-fly balance/volume, plus the mute switches below each one. This is why I have such a hard time moving on from my i30. Well, in addition to the small matter of finances, of course.

That Genesys looks like a very decent board, but there seems to be a lot of wasted real estate on either side of the keyboard. Is there a 76-key version on the horizon?

BTW - Just tried the demos on the page but nothing's playing. Anyone else having that problem?

[This message has been edited by renig (edited 07-16-2006).]

I think Tyros2 goes 'one better' than the old fashioned physical sliders:

This method not only allows you to quickly change part volume levels 'on the fly', on the MAIN SCREEN, during live play, but allows you to save & RECALL part volume settings quickly as well. With simple physical sliders alone, vol settings can't be saved or instantly recalled:



On Tyros2, accessing the style part volume window simply requires pressing ONE button: Mixing Console, to enter the Style Part volume adjustment screen:



Making on the fly volume adjustments on Tyros2 works well for me for on the fly performance. Of course, Tyros2 also includes a physical MAIN Volume knob to control overall vol, and a separate conveniently accessible MIC Volume button. I think Yamaha's got all the bases covered, at least in the volume adjustment dept.

Scott

Scottyee
When you enter the Mixing Console, on the Tyros 2, do you then have to press a lot of buttons to get to the style track then adjust its volume?

BTW, The Genesys pro also has a main volume slider, a separate style, wave and MP3 volume sliders, a mic volume slider and a harmony slider.
There is also a mixer lock function on the Genesys so you can save and recall any volume changes to the style parts.



[This message has been edited by to the genesys (edited 07-16-2006).]

i use the pa1xpro

Nope. Tyros2's "mixing console button" always calls up the window opened last, so after inital performance setup, I merely press the Mixing Console (physical) button, and the following STYLE SETTING Parameter Window appears:




allowing me to quickly adjust (if desired) the indiviual style part parameters 'on the fly', while performing. To mute a specific style track, I merely press the channel on/off (phyical) button and then select the desired track to mute it. Pretty simple.

Scott



[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 07-16-2006).]

The Yorkville line is excellent in quality & sound right up there with mackie....

Thanx for sharing your setup with us .

No chance .....although T2 has all the pretty colored adjustments for me physical sliders are so much more easy & accurate in live playing. Yamaha needs top implement these in the future its what the people want & need....BTW.. I'm a big navigational buff

Miden .....can you elaborate on your opinions on this KB....I for one am interested in hearing it.

Scott that slider system with up/down buttons is terrible..you shouldn't even call them sliders..Casio has used this system for more than 10 years..I would think by now Yamaha would use real sliders..You paid enough for a Tyros2 to get some quality..

i have been using it for nearly 2 years now, apart from brief dalliances with the genesys XP module,a midjay, a psr 3000 (hooked up with a s90 ES), and the s90es hooked up with a PC using OMB software......i keep coming back to the PA for its ease of use,(once setup)great sound (better than the T2 imho)...i play solo and with a female singer using styles+midis and with a band,and it fits in with all 3, except for the band a more detailed synth section would be useful...(heh heh sorta like a hybrid between the PA and the OASYS!!! yeah i wish!!!!)...
the style sounds are very much more "live" than the yammies, with superb drums and basses and synth sounds...i ahve found some other pianos to use rather than the stock standard ones, even though they are quite good for non-yamaha/roland ones....the electric gtrs (distorted and overdrive) are pretty pathetic, and so require much tweaking to get something decent....(to digress, i reckon the best combo would be the PA with the Motif ES module, cos its got some killer guitars and basses, and in fact when i save enough this will be the rig i will use)....back to the PA...polyphony is an issue for me, and i reckon 62 just isnt enough even with korgs great voice allocation algorithms...some of the sounds are using 4 oscillators (bear in mind each oscillator=one vocie of poly) yammi have it spot on with the 128, although with electronics being so cheap now i cannot see why manufacturers can't put in 256 note poly..the keyboard action is superb for a non weighted (as in hammer action...im a piano player and do miss the wooden/heavier keys) i found all of the yammi keyboards, apart from the s90es, a bit "plastic" and flimsy, although i am sure they are strong, they just feel that way...
i have the mp3 board installed and at its highest setting records at 320kbps, which is so damn near wav quality you canot pick it....most styles excellent, except no where near enough rock and dance stuff...the TC helicon vocal processor is awesome, its so clean and bright and is really really musical and useful either in studio or live, in 2 years i still have not filled the hard drive...DNJ, its really hard to write stuff off the cuff,so if you have any specific areas you want to know about just post the question, as many as you like .....my overall rating out of 10 would be 9...

[This message has been edited by miden (edited 07-16-2006).]

Miden.....

Thanx so much for the detailed review.....I myself was a big KORG fan years ago also from my first "Korg Personal" arranger KB
http://www.keyboardmuseum.org/ar/k/korg/s/sas20.html

to the M1/i3/i30/Pa80/Pa60

I always like the live sound of KORG units....what turned me off mostly was the navigation & access to SMF/ folders & the extra steps to do so in live play....I haven't played a pa1x yet but its on my list when I get the chance...being a singer also ....& being a weak link on my T2 which I hope they improve the vocalize on future models like your Korg & also the G70....the "fill break" was a concern on the PA models how is it on your unit?
Again thank you....how about a Mp3 song when you get a chance using the Pa1x?

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 07-16-2006).]

I for one do not want mechanical (physical) sliders. So I am not one of people you say want them and need them. I don't see how pressing one button to see and access the various volumes can be considered difficult. Scott Yee is right on and I agree with his sentiment 100%.
I really find it interesting that this function gives so many cause for concern.
And YES... I have had and used mechanical sliders. I am sure some of you may think that I just don't understand...bla,bla,bla.
Adjustment of volume levels during live performance is just a button away for me. The best part of virtual sliders is...No dust in the controls HaHa

Regards,

Dennis L. Almond
aka...TwoNuts

hah, yeah. i put casters on mine pretty fast. it doubles as an amp and a moving-palette for the rest of my stuff.

Huh!? I don't believe I ever called them that. You're gonna need to point out where I called Tyros2's "volume adjustment control" feature: "Sliders".

Though I initially hoped for physical sliders (on my Tyros1), after a quick initial adjustment, I (like Dennis Almond: TwoNuts), find Yamaha's volume toggle buttons, in conjunction with Tyros' Color display screen, functions very well, especially with the Tyros2's impressively large COLOR display screen, which makes viewing & on the fly vol level part adjustment simple & convenient.

Fran, perhaps its because your G1000's display screen is smaller, monochrome only, & not tilt adjustable, that you're so unable to appreciate Yamaha's toggle button + LCD display part volume adjustment approach. It's obvious that you and I approach arranger keyboard music making VERY differently (you prefer commercial midi file play along, I prefer live arranger mode; you prefer your Roland G1000, and I my Yamaha Tyros2) so let's respect our differences, and live and let live.

Scott

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 07-16-2006).]

it has the "songbook" function which is exactly that...it stores pointers to all the resources required for the song, be it the midi file,MP3 file, style, all the single touch settings, pad settings vocaliser settings, lyrics, midi file song pointers etc etc etc and recalls them all within about 1/2 second ready for play...in the actual song mode, to selct a single midi is a simple as just pressing select, and the folder the file is in..thats it...you can even set up your own custom lists, which is handy for sets(as many as you like)...and with the dual sequencer you can play 2 midis at the same time, or even a midi+MP3, or crossfade between them....according to my contact at yamaha australia, the vocaliser on the T2 is exactly the same board as on the psr3000 and it wasn't very good so i know what you mean about it on your T2....as to fill breaks..yeah they are a bit of an issue with me, particularly with the endings, which do not seem to have any AI when it comes to what variation you are ending from...the best i found at the fills/endings was the genesys XP , more realistic (read more like a real band) and less "showy"...i reckon korg have a way to go in having decent endings...the user does have to tweak some of the fills and endings, but i think thats the case with most of these boards.....as for an mp3, we are just about to record a demo CD, so yeah,i can post some MP3's when they're done...i could post some instrumental mp3's with various styles if you like as well.....

[This message has been edited by miden (edited 07-16-2006).]

as to the sliders issue mentioned by others, no worries on the PA it has both...physical sliders AND touch screen sliders....

10 sliders on the Tyros 3, 9 for the drawbars and one for the volume.
Isnt it possible to control the "physical" sliders with a extern controler thru Midi ??

Impuls.

To DNJ and Scott, keep it nice on this forum,
Please ,

Best regards
Impuls.

[This message has been edited by Impuls (edited 07-17-2006).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Impuls:
[B]To DNJ and Scott, keep it nice on this forum,
Please ,

Best regards
Impuls.

impuls no need to play forum police....Scott & I are friends even tough it appears we differ on may issues....Scott is a dedicated Yammy pro T2 man...I'm a non dedicated T2 pro player who will use whatever works...we both make a living performing in such different ways & with over 15000 posts between us we're like an old married couple ....try to read between the lines & feel the love!!

It still amazes me that they dont address the fill issue especially when the Pa1x was introduced...otherwise Korg is right on top of the game in so many way although different then the other big three...looking forward to your songs for sure....& once again thank you for your thoughts......stay well!

DNJ puts with over 15000 posts between us we're like an old married couple ....try to read between the lines & feel the love!!

You and Scott can't be like an old married couple m8, you'd have to get a divorce from Fran first just kiddin' take care

DNJ

For me, you and Miden are spot on to the reasons why I like but won't consider the PA1x. I love the sliders and the styles breathe a lot of life into what I play. The fills in the PA1x however, don't seem to be much better if better at all than the ones on my PA80. That's problem #1 for me. Problem #2 is that the guitars are just plain awful, and to me the pianos ( electric and acoustic ) aren't a whole lot better. Unfortunately, along with Hammond type organ sounds, these are my staple lead and comping sounds.

Aside from the sliders, the one real major improvement I see from PA1x is the harmonizer setup, which is relatively poor in the PA80 in today's world.

Miden, your suggestion is pretty much how my setup works btw - PA80 and Motif ES in tandem where space permits. I really just want an arranger that would make me feel more comfortable bringing just one KB along. If neither the T2 or G70 are it, and in the end perhaps they may not be, then I guess I'll stick to what I have for now.

AJ

[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 07-17-2006).]

hi aj,
yes i think that would be a good setup....does the lack of a hard drive make much of a difference to you?

I play the Roland G70 for most everything now other than some studio work, where the K2500 still kicks butt!

As a 'live' keyboard (playing pickup gigs with full band), the G70 is one of the unsung heroes of the keyboard world, with fast and easy adjustment of volumes and effects on the fly using the REAL sliders, a VERY decent Hammond clone, and all of the 'meat and potatoes' sounds quickly reachable and assignable.

Basically, if you are thrown into the deep end of a pickup gig (no time to prepare) the G70 is BY FAR (IMHO) the easiest keyboard to call any sound up, split and layer it, dial in the volumes and effects, and just PLAY!

If you have time to prepare, well, Motifs and Fantoms, Tritons, and even older Kurzweils will do a great job (look at them being played on all the major tours......) but I would NEVER want to play a pickup on them unless it is a 'one sound at a time' gig.

As to arranger play, well, I'm finding the G70 to be at least as easy to operate than my old G1000, sonically FAR superior, and only the lack of Chord Sequencer as a minus point. I HAVE to have 76 keys (I play a fair amount of SMF and 'live work') and need the extra keys for more range in the Lower part (I usually play as if I have two right hands, not just chord triggering or comping with the left, so range is important), or for full(-ish) piano parts.

If someone said to me 'you have a gig tomorrow, no idea what they want you to do, you can have any keyboard in the world', I would say 'find me a G70, and there'll be no problem'. It's not familiarity that makes that decision, I'm fluent on Tritons, Kurzweils and Motifs, it's just such an easier OS to get around on.

FINALLY......... I can take ONE piece of gear to ANY gig, and know I've got it nailed.......

One keyboard to rule them all, and in the darkness bind them........

Diki....glad to hear you found your perfect keyboard for YOUR Pickup gigs etc .....as it should be for YOUR personal needs.....quite frankly the Tyros 2 is exactly the same sentements for MY NEEDS on stage every day .....so as long as we all find what WE NEED we ALL will remain happy....we all play differently, we all have different needs regarding a KB, but we all make and share the love of music....& That's All Good !!

Enjoy Your G70

ain't that the truth!!!!

Miden,

My laptop comes with me everywhere that I play live, whether I bring the Motif ES or not so no problem with storage. Still, the floppy disk storage of the PA80 is pretty much an ancient technology now....

I have a lot of great sounding soft synth modules, samples, and effects in the laptop, so I don't miss the ES as much anymore when I don't bring it, other than it also doubles as a very good controller and it's VL150 plug in board still has the best horn and reed sounds of anything I've ever used.

AJ

dnj......... I don't seem to see anything in my post that states the G70 is anything other than MY choice for gigging keyboard (as the thread title asks), and stating my reasons why........

If you re-read the post, you will see not the slightest reference to your Tyros2. Tritons, Motifs and even my beloved K2500S all get unfavorable comparisons, but my reasons are clearly stated (and if Yamaha got of their arses and made a 76-er, who knows, I might be using one!).

I've been a full-time professional for 35 years and try to do my level best to AVOID the knee-jerk 'my keyboard is better than yours' rhetoric so common here (primarily from hobbyist kids, I'm sure), and try to state clearly WHY my choice works best for me. Your choice works best for you, and I'm not trying to tell you otherwise.

My choice of G70 comes from playing in a lot of different situations, NOT just from arranger play, or SMF playback or live band work, but for ALL work. That's why it's my choice, now. Maybe the 76 note Tyros3 will be my next keyboard, maybe not. I won't let my opinion of the Tyros2 OR the G70 affect that decision!

But I DO want to continue only having to take ONE keyboard to a gig......... Enjoy your Tyros2 and make great music on it, I am having a blast on the G70.

And it is ALL good (we could be roofers, instead!!)

[This message has been edited by Diki (edited 07-17-2006).]

Thats is a scary thought.....

Music is my life & my passion

aj, what spec is your laptop? i am asking as i have just bought a laptop, with a view to doing something similar, in my case its to get some decent distorted/overdrive gtr sofsynths happening with both some styles and midi files...mine has the p-m 1.73 centrino with a gig of ram, (80 gig hdd)do you reckon thats enough to do what i want, or does that depend on the soft synth? talking of which, are there any you can recommend i look at (guitar ones) ?
dennis

[This message has been edited by miden (edited 07-17-2006).]

Sounds like you might have the exact same laptop I have Miden ( mine is a Toshiba Satellite btw ). The only difference in specs is that I added another gig of Ram to mine. I also have a Usb Audio Interface hooked up to it with 4 ins , 4 outs, and midi in / out ports.

To date I've run everything I've wanted to in it, meaning seperate sofstynths for each style part in OMB or seperate softsynths / samplesets for each sound while recording tunes in FL Studio, without any hiccups, crashes, or latency issues. In comparison, I'd crash out my old P4 laptop ( 2.8 gig processor ), using half of what I can use on this machine.

My favorite module for Electic Guitar sounds is Plugsound's Fretted. Real nice Strat and Les Paul sounds. Not a ton of distortion there though, but I can take care of that by sending the signal through NI's Guitar Rig. I also use Slayer 2, and while some of the cleaner sounds aren't exactly realistic all the time, you can get a real modern "grunge" power chord sound that I can't find on anything else.

AJ

Like I said earlier in this thread, I think Yamaha's system goes ONE BETTER than physical sliders alone because you're able to SAVE your settings (in REG) 'on the fly' if you wish. As far as toggle button operation vs sliders: on Tyros2, you have the option of press & holding the upper/lower toggle button to raise/lower levels, clicking the button to raise/lower level incrementally, or utilize the Data Entry Wheel. Having these THREE options available makes 'on the fly' adjustment of STYLE and/or PANEL Parts really easy during LIVE PERFORMANCE. Another asset is that you're able to see on the COLOR LCD screen exactly which PART you are adjusting. On a darkened stage, my experience has shown that with a physical slider system only, you're not able to visually see which ONE of the 8+ sliders you're wanting to adjust.

As far as your attack regarding Tyros toggle button "quality", having owned & playing Tyros1 for 3 years straight, I never once experienced any problem with toggle button operation. Tyros2's toggle button design is the same, so I expect no differently.

Scott

I was told by an authorized Yamaha tech that the 3 most serviced areas of the PSR [ 740 -3000] are the key pad sensor contacts...multiple button assemblies..and out put jacks...

Correct you are Fran.

Best thing is, that it is a rare occurrance when things do go wrong, according to the Yamaha tech in Toronto.

My 3k was played 4-5 hours a day for over two years...and I use the buttons a lot...never had a problem.

Of course it was always covered when not in use.

The T2 should be the same and more, given the extra build quality.(Made in Japan instead of Indonesia)

It is a real beauty, and clearly the best instrument Yamaha has made to date.

Ian

[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 07-18-2006).]

On the PSR2000 I owned, the toggle buttons were of a 'rocker design', with each button controling both volume increase & volume decrease, depending on which end (bottom or top) of the button you push. Tyros & Tyros2 on the other hand, includes a separate dedicated button to control volume increase & volume decrease. Not certain if this difference (improvement?) in design affects the life/durability of this feature function or not, but like I said before, I've never encountered a failure or problem with this on Tyros1, and don't expect a problem with Tryos2 either.

Another Important Note I almost forget to mention: I now remember having experienced problems with the physical sliders on my Roland RA800 arranger. Every so often while operating the sliders, a scratchy electronic noise would sound thru my pa speakers/headphones. I was advised by Roland that a piece of debris (dust/grit) may have gotten into one of the sliders assemblies. I don't experience the annoying noise problem resulting from worn/dirty variable volume sliders parts on Tyros2, because the physical moving slider parts have been eliminated.

Scott

mine is an acer aspire 17"..with the upgraded chip, plus dedicated graphics ram and the increase to 1 gig system ram (they originally came with a celery and 256mb ram)
thanks heaps AJ i will check out those soft synths...
dennis

[This message has been edited by miden (edited 07-18-2006).]

Great setups guys!!! I read through them all and I cannot believe how much experience and talent we have here.

I'll try to quote as much as possible:


That's awesome Korg4God...you mentioned that you had 2 albums, that's awesome! Do you have a link where I can listen to your music. your setup is very impressive and I can tell your living the dream job.


That sounds like an impressive setup...especially with the T2 in the mix, which I noticed many of you have. What are Bose 161's by the way? I've heard Bose systems are supposed to be the best sounding speakers...


Very good point Scott - if I were ever to perform (I'm actually consideirng it...but have A LOT of work to do before I do...) I would want a crowd that appreciates music and live perfomance. But, what do you do in those cases where you get a "bad crowd"

And holy crap - those pictures of the T2 screens are AWESOME! And I thought my setup was awesome. My goodness, that looks amazing. I didn't realize the display had images and was colored like that...and I'm sure it sounds as good as it looks.