Why?
It would take all the fun away

keep in mind guys and gals that Yamaha does make 76-key keyboards. You keep forgeting about the DGX series


Lots of neat features and not expensive.

It seems as the folks asking for 76 keys are asking Yamaha to build a Tyros2 with 76 keys, which would entail a complete retooling. This would involve spending huge sums of money for a very small market--it ain't gonna' happen.

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Gary the first arranger I used some 3 plus years ago when I first started playing gigs was the DGX505 with 88 keys very lightweight too. I paid $ about 599. for it in one of the wholesale clubs. The audience never seemed to mind. Despite some neat features it just didn't have enough of them or the flexibility that the more advanced arrangers have.

Not sure I need to go here but will anyway, why is it for $599 they can offer a scaled down arranger( for young piano students possibly) but for $3000. can only offer 61 keys? I know the topic has been beaten to death. Yes retooling is expensive and you're right it ain't going to happen.......


[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 03-28-2008).]

They re-tool completely for each arranger produced. Is the S900 in a PSR3000 case? No, it is not. Is the Tyros2 in a Tyros1 case..? No, it is not. The case for the arranger is the LEAST expensive thing to develop (compared to the electronics, sound and styles). We don't want a brand new Yamaha arranger, we just want an S900 in a 76 form factor.

Next...

If the G70 and E60 were unsuccessful, but the E50 and E80 WERE, that argument (it's the key size, dummy!) would hold water. Way I hear it, Roland's 61 note arrangers are not much more market successful than the 76's.

Next...

And finally, Yamaha (as pointed out) DO make 76 and 88 note arrangers. They just don't make very good ones. A $500 DGX is no comparison to a $1600 S900. Why do Yamaha think that low-end users need a 76, but NOT high-end ones? Where is the failed Yamaha product that proves their point? I KNOW you don't mean the 9000Pro..!

Next...

Keep setting them up. Tired yet?

Diki...you should read Spalding's and Gary Diamond's posts again.

They make sense...you do not.

Really, I'm surprised you've lasted this far...most people would have seen the light by now...but, then again some are slower than others.

And you're right...the E-80 and E-50 didn't sell well either....Roland hasn't had much luck with any of their arrangers so it can't be a number of keys thingy.

Your roll.

Ian

I think we can agree on those points (although persons who had the T1 and upgraded to the T2 would strongly disagree and claim that the T2 is a completely different keyboard from the T1).


The only thing that is not too right with that point how ever, is that any change to “perfection” would always put Yamaha at risk of potentially turning some customers off. Take for example the T2 had SA voices. The Motif xs (yes I know it is a workstation) tried to improve on those SA voices but it was met with great disappointment. Now the T3 is probably going to try to top the T2’s SA voices. But that is a real risk for Yamaha because they are playing with the heart of the keyboard. They are playing with the reason people by the keyboard. Now making at 76 keyboard would not present that much of a risk because people do not by the Yamaha arranger for the keys.

Diki,

You must be kidding! The cost of creating a mold for an injection-mold plastic mold is beyond your wildest dreams. I've had some experience with this and the cost is astronomical. In my case I wanted to have a 10 cavity mold made for a fishing lure, one that was very easy to make and could be produced at most machine shops in less than a day. The cost, in 1980, was $25,000 for the mold alone. And, the mold was nothing more than an aluminum block measuring 25 inches long with 10 tapered holes and a spruce injection hole at the top of each hole. Nothing complicated, but damned expensive. Today, the same mold would cost more than $100,000 and it's nothing compared with the upper and lower halves of a keyboard shell. I would surmise the cost would be in the millions--and this would just be for the keyboard's shell. The keybed would also have to be retooled, along with dozens of other components. Yep, every manufacturer would want to put out that kind of money for a tiny percentage of their overall market--NOT!

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

They probably do have an explanation but making it public would not be in their best interest because it is probably not a legitimate and a business sound reason. As you can see by these 61 v. 76 key Yamaha arranger discussions there has been no plausible argument put forward for Yamaha not making a 76 key arranger. What company would not want to increase their market with not much risk.

There's nothing wrong with better sounds...that's a win-win situation, and Yamaha's tradition of coming up with stellar sounds has not diminished one iota over the years.

The next generation SA will no doubt give the players big smiles and the competitors big ulcers.


Ian