I think would be great if everyone will post here those features that are making life easier when playing (especially live) our arrangers. Saxxman initiated it for Yamaha arrangers, but maybe we all can add to this list, for ALL the arrangers we have.

Care to join?

Korg PA:
1. Double click on intro/endings/fills will play in loop until pressing again.
2. Shift+click on an track button(s) in arranger mode will solo that part.

...and so on. Add your, please!

Korg PA.
Hold 'shift' and press almost any other control button ....instant access to those functions exact settings...the easiest OS to use I have seen.
Lots of folks either don't know about it or forget to use it.

One more thing while we are on the subject...get yourself a nice cup of tea (or ?), set down some night and actualy carefully read the manual!
(You would not believe the questions on the Korg forum from people that are too lazy to read the books). Actually STUDY the manuals.

Lee S.

This feature has been on Yamaha arranger KB's for 20 years since the Psr740 days...

"Direct Access".....
"Direct Access eliminates navigating through multiple menus. Press any function button while holding down the Direct Access button, and the keyboard will instantly jump to the screen associated with that function. Convenient for quickly setting voice and sequencer parameters, etc.

Every arranger keyboard has a myriad of wonderful features available that make live performances easier. And, with each ensuing model those features have become more accessible and user friendly. Unfortunately, MOST arranger keyboard players do not take the time to explore their keyboards and discover all the wonderful and exciting features it has to offer.

Diki and I don't often agree on many subjects, however, this is one that both of us feel very strongly about. It is likely that less than 10 percent of the world's arranger keyboard players ever take the time to read the owner/user manual that comes with every keyboard. Granted, the manuals are very poorly written and trying to read an arranger keyboard manual from cover to cover would put most people to sleep before finishing the first page. Fortunately, there are keyboard specific forums such as www.psrtutorial.com where information pertaining to Yamaha PSR and Tyros series keyboards can readily be found and questions are quickly answered.

During the past two decades I have learned a lot of neat short cuts that really improved my performances. I must give credit to individuals such as DonM, DNJ, Pose, Uncle Dave, Fran, and others for sharing their tips and performance tactics with me.

The one item on my Yamaha PSR-3000 that has been extremely beneficial is the Music Finder Directory. It's an extremely versatile tool that is essentially a list of miniature registrations that allow you to quickly select scroll through a song list and make a selection with a single button push. You can do this while playing another song and the operation will not interfere with the song you are performing. And, since the advent of Michael Bedesem's Music Finder View, a free program that allows easy editing of entries, you can create custom lists on your PC, then transfer them to the keyboard when needed.

Cheers,

Gary

Great post Gary,
After two years of jamming on the Roland E 80, I decided to read this full size 280 page manual. I am blown away by what I have learned just in the first few pages. It is like getting a brand new keyboard. I will keep this keyboard and persevere and learn how to do everything it can do and make my self some new styles too.
Bebop

The day Yamaha TOTALY redesigns the MFD to save ALL Parameters including Transpose and all registration information will be a Happy Day in Yamahaland until then it's remains useless & non existent for me!

Gary,
Yep...I agree...just like I said in my post...RTFM.

I for one don't find it boring...I find it enlightening.

Over at the Korg forum, we get questions all the time that are pretty basic and in the manual...seems very few read the manuals?

I guess most just turn it on and start playing, trying things and that's fine but you do miss out on a lot of good info that way.

Before I buy a new board...I download all the manuals and study them...I then know what that board will and wil not do! I even print out some of it to take to the audition at the store...(they usually don't want you using (opening up)the maunaul that comes with the instrument)
Lee S.

Yes, "Direct Access" is very handy.

A quick way to get out of a menu, especially if you are in several deep, is to press "Direct Access" and "Exit" which takes you immediately to the Main screen.

Ian

Donny, we both know it's not as good as Songbook in Korg.............but you may want to re-visit if you already haven't the improved MFD on your s910. It's not the only tool I use but the ability to add not only styles( from USB stick), midi files and even mp3/wav files to the MFD has made it a more viable tool. Sure it won't save key changes, but I just make a notation in the MFD entry. I'm at the point with that after making edits to my styles and SMFs I store them to the USB ( or hard drive on the T4) then pull from either for live gig play, it works for me.

Now if only Yamaha would allow pulling registrations into the MFD, they'd have it perfected.

Aside from saving all data including transpose on the MFD they need to redesign the MFD OS so that it's a live stage performer user friendly larger display .....there needs to be a "REG" tab in the MFD window that when pushed can bring up a full list of ALL REGISTRATIONS and all their data in an alphabetical listing to just scroll down and press enter to activate. Instead of wasting money on Doo Wop voices this could have been done easily by R&D if they would just ask Real in the trenches performers not home players before they design these things. After all it how many PSR/S Series/Tyros units DON'T have this feature by now?..

PS.. Yamaha if your listening at all.....
How about an Exterior Vocal Harmony 2 On/Off button on deck on the next
S Series units so you dont have to dig into the menu for it.

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 11-29-2010).]