Wait till you have to drag your S900 AND an 88 around...

Their combined weights will easily equal my behemoth Add in a two tier stand, two road cases, more setup time, cables, ways for things to go wrong, and the difficulty Yamaha make you go through to integrate the two for anything more than just the basic MIDI connection (you will probably want to drive the S900's arranger section from the 88 in Piano Mode, but then probably play a solo section on the S900 with both hands - best of luck getting the S900 to do that, or other performance tricks) and you have a recipe for frustration.

But I look forward to hearing this monster rig when you finally get it. I hope things speed up in your recovery, and you can get back to doing what I know you love so well

(Been recording anything new, lately? Send me some more, I really enjoyed it... Get better soon, my friend!)

Thanks for the good words, Diki...I appreciate it.

I don't plan on taking the P85 to every gig(when I get started) just the when I need a solo piano set, which isn't very often.

I'd use a separate double X-stand, and plug the piano into the S900's aux in...I wouldn't play them together...

The S900 is better arranger than the G70, in my opinion, of course, as is the G70 a better digital piano/arranger than the Yamaha.

I hope to get both the S900's power, and the action of a P85 in one manageable instrument, but until I do, the S900 will be my primary gigging instrument.

The P85 is for my chops..plus I love to just sit and play a piano that feels like a piano.

You have the luxury of a real piano as well as your G70...not many do, and I'm sure the semi-weighted action would not be good for a real player if that's all they played over any length of time.

So we're both lucky to have pianos at our disposal.

Haven't been doing much recording lately...mostly out doing a lot of walking to get back in shape...still play everyday, but since I'm not gigging, I don't have the same practise agenda...it's more relaxed.

All the best to you,

Ian

Korg just emailed me their latest price list dated June 19, 2008. The Pa588 has a retail price of $3199 and the MAP price is $2599.00. This makes the 588 $1,100.00 more than the 61 light key model Pa500. The additional piano sample and 88 hammer weighted keys and a more powerfull internal speaker system accounts for the additional price. I think it will do well in my store because there is nothing from the other manufactures except for clavinova and KR series Rolands that can do what this will do. It's still alot more than the $799.00 Yamaha YPG635, but the Yamaha has only presets styles with no editing at all and the Korg can manipulate anything and everything.


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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566
www.kayesmusicscene.com

Ian.. One of the things I absolutely ADORE on the G70 is how well the PianoStyle Mode works. It has a pretty uncanny ability to track the changes and inversions around on pretty standard piano playing, so you can forget about triggering the arranger, and just concentrate on being pianistic, and the rhythm section follows you around like a champ. Especially if you just stick to Bass and Drums, you are in jazz trio heaven!

I am SURE the S900 has a similar mode, and I am pretty sure that if you hooked the P85 and the S900 together, and somehow managed to get the P85 to input to the NTA section of the S900, you could do the same thing. Trust me, it is utterly addictive once you get the hang of it

Hmmm,

George I think 1.100 USD is awfully lot's of money for keybed upgrade, piano sample and funny looking speakers, especially when You consider that entire Pa500 arranger (with lots of samples other then piano, styles, etc.) cost 1.500 USD. But sure is attractive for anyone who wants powerful arranger and 88 keys.

Yamaha have something similar from couple months ago, MM8 88-keys version of MM6 the mixture of arranger and synth. Not as powerful as Pa588 in the arranger department, but surely much more affordable (it costs almost the same as the price difference between pa588 and Pa500).

the Yamaha MM8 isn't even in the same league as the Pa588. No style editing, only hip-hop styles, 32 note polyphony, a very simple sequencer with no editing, etc. etc.
Also, the korg does include the stand and pedal included in the price.
I would have liked to see the Pa588 come in closer to $1999, but I still think it will do well up against the home clavinova products and the Roland KR products. Generalmusic used to sell the SK88 which was in this price range, even higher for a while and I did quite well with these.
I sell to a lot of families that want or need certain features their piano teachers demand yet they want the fun of a contemporary karaoke style workstation with lyrics displayed of midifiles and also desire great sounds and styles to play. Up till now, the Yamaha YPG625 has been a very good seller, but some would like more than it produces and the Korg might just fit the bill!




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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566
www.kayesmusicscene.com

Hey - Yes, I got to play the Pa588 at Summer NAMM. As George says, it is the Pa500 but with the same RH3 Graded Hammer Action, Stand and Half-damping Pedal that come with the SP-250.

The additional "PIANO" sound is from the C-720 - the Korg top-of-the-line home console. Four sample layers deep and with string resonance and hammer samples, etc.

Some guys just demand the 88 notes, and won't give it up to get the Pa Engine. So Korg made the Pa588 for them.

For some one like me who is a piano player first, it is nice that the Style Engine just keeps pace with me as if I was just playing piano alone. I dug it.

At the booth, Korg said the price will be about $2600 - a hundred dollars higher than what George Kaye guessed.

Oh, and available in August; maybe end of July!