I've been sitting on the fence for the past several months, debating whether or not to upgrade to a T3 when they became available. After reading nearly every post on the Synthzone and a few other sites, I was still in the same place--on the fence. Since reading Michael Bedesem's review I'm leaning much harder to the right. Michael is among the most respected keyboard gurus on the Internet. His outstanding reputation as a computer programmer, and in depth knowledge of Yamaha keyboards, their operating systems, and MIDI places him at the very top of my personal list of arranger keyboard experts. On top of it all, he is a very considerate, nice person who does his best to help anyone in need.

The next step is to decide whether to buy one or two T3s. (Gotta' have backups!) I currently own a pair of PSR-3000s, both of which are in like new condition and do an outstanding job for me. Therefore, I must decide whether or not to keep one of the PSR-3000s as a backup and buy a single T3, or forgo fixing the driveway and buy a pair of them so both systems will be identical.

Decisions, decisions, decisions,

Gary

[This message has been edited by travlin'easy (edited 10-05-2008).]

Gary ....no need for two T3's......dump one 3k & get the T3 ....then take your shows to another LEVEL!!!
Call Frankie or George K ASAP!!

Congrats!!

Have you EVER needed a backup keyboard?
DonM

Fix the driveway!!! What for?

Get the new toys!!!

Don, I am with you....never needed a back up keyboard.....since 1956 (my first accordion lesson}....

I guess it is a assurance issue.."what if"..

Gary new driveway or old driveway, you'll still be able to get your vehicles into the yard. Old keyboard new keyboard, you'll still stay busy, but as Donny says, take your performance to a new level.

If my confidence level in a keyboard was so low I had to buy two, I'd be buying one of something else.

Driveway?, T3? ... T3?, driveway? ... how well can you serenade your lovely wife with a DRIVEWAY ?!?!? ... case closed !!! ...

BTW, Gary, how are the hands?

t.

Go for it!!!!

We will need your expert opinion, gig disks, and home made contraptions( ooops, I mean solutions) for the new technology.

Regards,

Jerry

DonM don't need no stinkin' backup . He's got Hank's or Bill's or who knows....or maybe even a couple spares in his garage he's forgotten about.

And then there is DNJ. He doesn't need no stinkin' backup either . He trades so frequently he has even traded for keyboards he previously traded away.

And then there is the laptop, which some use as another ace-in-the-hole if a keyboard fails...or...someone forgets to load it in their car. (Not gonna mention any names...but you know who you are )

Oh yeah...don't forget Capt'n Russ. He has keyboards who have taken up permanent residency at some of his jobs...plus a couple more in his studio and warehouse ready to roll when he needs them.

Seriously, it seems like most SynthZoners who are regular posters either own or have access to at least one other keyboard.

Sadly & to my chagrin , I can think of two times I had to use a backup due to an unexpected problem, such as a contact strip suddenly failing. And, if it has ever happened to you, you know what a racket that can make. Ever try doing a gig without using one particular note?

Eddie

Don,

I only needed a backup keyboard one time, and I was able to get through the night on the laptop. The very next day I bought a backup, used it for a week while the primary board was being repaired, then put it back in service. The problem was a cold solder joint on a tiny board buried beneath the other PC boards. The repair was cheap, about $75 if I recall, and the guy who fixed it is the best repair tech I know of in the entire country.

I bought the backup board from Dan01, it has only been used in the office since the repair job was done on the other board, but when you do this stuff every day backups are a necessity, especially when many of the jobs are booked a year or more in advance, and lots of them are under contract.

Seamaster, Electronic equipment goes bad when you least expect. Imagine that you're setting up to do a big wedding job, or maybe a concert in the park, and there are 500 people in the audience. You hit the on switch and out goes the lights of your keyboard. It really doesn't make a bit of difference if you are playing a Korg, Yamaha, Roland, Gen, etc.., they can all do this, and they will when you least expect. Anyone that has been in this business for more than a couple years has experienced electronic failures, and when they do, those that are prepared have backups. Back up mics, amps, cables, laptops, and yes, keyboards. As they said in the movie "Sh*t Happens!"

Tony, you're right, I can't serenade her with the new driveway. As for the hands, I thought I had rounded the bend and was on the mend, but four days after going off Prednisone the skin sloughed off the ends of three fingers and I was back to square one. A dozen doctors, $5,000 shelled out that insurance did not cover and I'm no better than I was three years ago when this started. Another doctor coming up in two months. Who knows, maybe it's lucky #13 for me.

Now, for the T3, what the hell--I'm not going to leave all this money to the kids anyway.

Cheers,

Gary

Backup for me means a few CD's with my SMF's and backing routines recorded to audio... Then I use any keyboard I already have to play live parts on.

That's a damn site cheaper than a $3800 backup T3!

In the three years since I got my G70, I've used them once. In the ten years I had my G1000, I never used them at all. I figure that saved me many thousands, right there!

Gary ... best of luck with the T3 ...
t.

Hi Gary - Sounds like you're the next "T3 Convert"!! That would be great because you're just the guy we need to identify all the new wonders lying undiscovered under the T3 hood, and reveal them to all of us in "Travelin' Easy" plain English.

The T3 does sound and look like a great board! Have fun and keep us posted!

Randy

I may be a convert too, Gary...I will have one on my sample account next week, and once I've spent some time with it, I'll make a decision.

According to every new owner, it is awesome.

Ian

This is contagious, I listened and watched the demos with Glyn Madden, James Sargeant and Martin Harris. Very impressive no question about it. Could there be another convert in the house? You just never know.

How do you all practice? Do you lug your keys in and out of jobs, in and out of the house and repeat the cyle all over? Ghads, that's a lot of work and demand on a product. Give me a board in my car and a duplicate (yes, backup forbid) in my studio.

But, I only have (2) boards, not an array of equipment taking up the entire driveway

I don't 'gig' the way you guys do, but if I did, I wouldn't feel the need to have an -identical- backup keyboard if we're talking about the top-level price range. I'd have an E-50 as backup for my E-80. That would get me through the gig very well, I'd say.

In that perspective, I'd recommend Gary to keep one PSR-3000 just in case the T3 ever failed.

------------------
- THE DUTCH KEYBOARD FORUM
http://www.keyboardforum.nl

PRACTICE!!?? I don't need no stinkin' PRACTICE. Five to seven nights a week for 40 years is enough playing for me.
To learn new songs, I can work out the chords on guitar at home. If I actually practiced, it might sound too much like the original! I sometimes go in an hour early and work stuff out using headphones. I also experiment on slow nights when most of the customers are drunk and/or friends.
O.K. as Eddie says I do generally have an extra kb around somewhere too. About the only time I spend at home on keyboard is when I get a new one and that's certainly no more than every couple of months.
I have never had a keyboard completely fail me on the job. I HAVE forgotten to load one at least twice and used the laptop to get through the job. Of course I'll never do that again because I'm older now and both my memory and eyesight are getting better. Anyway, if I had a backup keyboard, I would be just as apt to forget them both.
There have been several times I've forgotten other pieces of gear and had to phone my wife to bring something. So far she hasn't refused. Once I got to Longview, TX and realized I forgot part of a pa system. She met me halfway. Now that's backup!!
Monday is our 28th anniversary btw. For the first time in many years, it is on a night off, so I'll make her cook something special and dress provocatively.
What were we talking about? Oh yes, Gary, buy the new keyboard. It's going to be too cold up there in the North to go sailing much more until next summer, which falls on July 3rd. In your case, you should buy two because you won't want to negotiate your icy driveway carrying that over-sized, semi-fragile plastic box of chips, resistors and diodes. Or does Yamaha still use diodes?
DonM

Don,

For me, spring comes early, especially when it comes to sailing, usually in mid March. Yeah, it's still cold as hell, but I got a couple pairs of long-handled underwear, which makes it tolerable until summer arrives. The boat comes out of the water about the end of October, just before the first freeze.

If I had a pair of T3s, and a lot bigger boat, I would be heading south on the boat with my spare T3, make a right turn at Key West, then make another right at New Orleans and head for the Red River. Then I could spend winter in the sunny south and play music in Bossier City or Shreveport. Now that would be a fun trip.

I know that good-looking Cajun gal you're married to is NOT going to fire up the grill and cook dinner for you tonight. Yes, she will dress for the occasion, then if you play your cards right, she'll allow you to take her out to dinner at Earnest's Restaurant. BTW, at least in my case, it has always helped to have a small gift available, something made of 18 carrot gold and studded with a couple mid-size diamonds. Earrings seem to work best. Don't worry, though, you'll get a card, a big hug and a warm, tender kiss.

Have a great night,

Gary

COLD ?!? ... Don, don't you know Gary lives in the DEEP south??? ... just ask him ....
t.

The Mason/Dixon line is 12 miles north of me, and everything south of RI is the deep south.

Cheers,

Gary