Apologized, excused, whatever... It certainly seems a lot of fanboys are going out of their way to try and find a REASON for Yamaha's decision... Sadly, none that they have come up with make any sense at all. 'No demand'... well, that's obviously wrong! Or the DGX, YPG and NP80v, not to mention the entire Clavinova line (after all, we are basically saying that no 'arranger player' really needs anything more than 61, aren't we?) would not exist.
'Yamaha MUST have done their market research'... By ONLY asking 61 users! No Yamaha poll has EVER asked me, and I would imagine almost ALL users of other companies' 76's. Anyway, that same 'market research' has led to the DGX's et al... 76 arrangers to anyone but a zealot.
'Yamaha lead the market'... except in 76 arrangers. Their own 76 arrangers are a poor substitute for a PSR, let alone a PA2Xpro or Audya (or even an E60).
Maybe you make a larger difference between an apologist and an excuser... They are closer than you want to admit, at least IMO...
Personally, I can see absolutely NO connection between the size of keyboard you play, and the capabilities that you need. That Yamaha, alone, have come up with the idea that, unless you play a 61, you have no NEED for the latest sounds, styles and OS simply shows how out of step they are with arranger players. At least ALL of them except 61 players.
All I'm looking for is ONE good reason why someone that WANTS to play a larger keyboard should be HAPPY (at least as happy as all those 61 Yamaha players!) that Yamaha don't make a GOOD one, as good as a 61.
And yes, OF COURSE I am only harping on this because I WOULD buy one. In a heartbeat. But not a T4. I want a 76 PSR, and will continue to suggest it until Yamaha regain their sanity!
That's the only constructive thing I CAN do... I certainly can't make one
And I HAVE contacted Yamaha directly.
I still believe it is corporate division protectionism, not any FACTUAL player needs, that dictate this decision from Yamaha. And corporate divisions get shuffled around ALL THE TIME... No reason why this can't happen to Yamaha. We just have to keep it in Yamaha's forebrain that not EVERYTHING is hunky dory with what they choose to do. Which, if you went off those that ARE happy playing a 61, would not get mentioned AT ALL if they could help it! I mean, just LISTEN to how hard these people, who honestly have no stake whatsoever in whether Yamaha made this or not, are trying to get those of us who DO want this to shut up!
Those very same people are happy as sandboys shooting down every OTHER arranger if it doesn't have everything THEY need, though...
I wonder if they ever see the hypocrisy of that..? Somehow, I doubt it...