"The new S Series combines the sounds of the Motif XS, a handcrafted S6 piano, and the ease-of-use of a stage piano. Features like a Balanced Hammer weighted action, combo input jack for adding vocals and guitars and USB record/ playback make it perfect for stage or studio.

S90XS MAP $2599.99 * MSRP $3799.00
S70XS MAP $2499.99 * MSRP $3699.00
Available August, 2009

Features:

The sounds of the Motif XS plus a huge new S6 handcrafted grand piano sample

76- and 88-note Yamaha Balanced Hammer weighted action

New Performance Creator for instant splits, layers and drum performances
4 knobs, 16 backlit LEDs and tons of buttons for direct hands on control

1/4”/XLR Combo jack A/D input (with front panel controls) for adding vocals and guitars

Direct to USB Stereo Audio record/ playback (plus 18 minutes of internal flash memory)










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

This is the link to a video demo of the S70xs and the S90xs http://www.motifator.com/index.php/videos/view/s90_xs_s70_xs_released/



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

http://www.yamahasynth.com/products/synthesizers/s9070_xs#feature-anchor

44 lbs. for the 76, 50+ lbs. for the 88, and a tiny LCD screen compared to the huge one on the MoXS (mind you, refresh rate is so slow on that one, scrolling through patches will drive you insane!).

Sounds good for me, not so good for the lightweight arranger fans, though...

The thing I'd be most interested in finding out is, have they worked out a hands free way to trigger the different arps, and have they found a way to drop the fills in and out any other way than a bar ahead of time? Fix those problems, and you've got a serious contender against an arranger if you want a more contemporary sound...

“and have they found a way to drop the fills in and out any other way than a bar ahead of time?”

Actually, on the XS, there is a setting to either drop the fills a bar a head of time or immediately when you press the button (like with “traditional” arrangers).


[This message has been edited by to the genesys (edited 06-11-2009).]

sounds good BUT

why did they cripple this thing with that
SUPER SMALL screen?

makes no sense at all to me,

i mean jack up the price $50 and give me a BIG screen

The real beauty is that the 76 note is also balanced hammer...and both have aftertouch.

Wouldn't it be a hoot to see that 76 note keybed on the next Tyros?

I think I'm going to bring the S70XS model in on my sample account...it's going to be a winner, for sure.

[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 06-12-2009).]

Sorry, but this is useless. Think about it for a minute... ALL arps play from the 'one'. So, if you use the 'immediate' mode, let's say you ask for the fill on the 'two'. Sure, it plays immediately (in fact, it ignores the clock altogether, so your timing has to be impeccable), but it STARTS on the 'one'. You now have a five beat fill. Good for Brubeck, but that's about all.

On an arranger, you call for the fill on the 'two', it starts on the 'two'.

Oh yes, I suppose you say you can then press the next loop on the 'one' (again you have to be split second accurate - 'immediate' does NOT mean 'to the nearest beat'), but that won't change that your fill will have been shifted over a beat or two.

The MoXS system needs two things badly. The ability to have fill arps start on the beat you call for them, not always on the 'one', and the ability to either continue onto another destination (one of the main arps) without you pressing it, or to automatically trigger when you call for another arp from the arp you are playing. In other words, arranger-like operation. Hit a new Variation, a fill plays (if Autofill is on) and then plays the new Variation, or press for a fill, and it automatically go back to the Variation you started (if you don't select a new Variation.

Arps that go to a preset destination arps can be also used for Intros, and arps that automatically stop can be used for Endings.

The MoXS can't do any of these.

Ian... me, I'd LOVE to see that S70XS action on a Tyros (that's what I've been begging for, albeit I would still prefer the MoXS7's action to make organ playing easier), but if you can't get your friends to keep their G70's at 45 lbs., you are not going to talk them into a Tyros at the same weight...

Consensus here seems to be if it is over 30 lbs., a large majority won't buy it no matter WHAT... Heck, the T3 is over their limit with a plastic 61!

I AM surprised at how closely they are priced together. Usually, 76's are far cheaper than 88's, but then again, most 76's are semi-weighted, not full piano weight. But the Nord Stage's 76 piano weight model is $300 less than the 88. Be interesting to hear how many go for the 76, when an 88 can be had for only $100 more...

It's interesting to note that 12 additional notes ups the weight about 6 lbs.. 1/2 lb. per note! So we can see that just increasing the case size to accommodate larger keyboards makes a significant difference to overall weight. Nobody for one minute thinks those keys alone weigh 8 oz. each!

People have to take this into account when they ask for under 30 lbs. arrangers with everything from the TOTL ones... Just the action and the case size increase comes at a price...

I look forward to trying the S70SX, but as it stands, don't see much reason to take it over the XS7, with it's more capable audio section, etc.. My only hope is that Yamaha FINALLY put a piano sample set into something that firstly, collapses to mono gracefully, and secondly, stays as warm as their REAL pianos do at mid and lower velocities.

Diki,

I have two buddies using the Motif XS and they find the fills just fine.

Where did you find complaints about the fills?

On Motifator.com?

Ian

I don't think 30-35 lbs turns anybody off...that's only two more than the Tyros3...and, I'm pretty confident that Yamaha can keep the weight down with reductions elsewhere.

Besides, a new Tyros isn't due for quite some time....maybe it will happen.

I love weighted keys, and I don't mind them for organ...I just turn the velocity off, and my fingers are strong enough (and they'd get stronger playing weighted all the time ) not to find fast licks anyways difficult.

I really doubt we'll see a 76 PSR, but I do have hope that the S900 innards (including four variation styles)end up in the DGX Home arranger Pianos...seems rational, but, as we know all too well, sometimes big companies aren't logical...i.e. the Chord Sequencer.