I really didn't think I would be saying this...but after many hours of listening to many performances...I am.

Listen to this performance. Keep in mind there are user voices involved...that's OK by me.

The quality of the sound sounds very good to my ears.
Yamaha must have one 'H' of a sound engine/system to be able to sound this good.
I have e-mailed him, the user sounds/regs/and styles are for sale. If I had a T3 or T4...I would order them.
Be sure to use good headphones or speakers, or don't bother.

http://www.youtube.com/user/YAMATI40#p/u/62/tjlGuyu3f_Y

Also, if you look at all his you-tube videos available you see he demos all his user voices.
I am interested in what you all think.

Hi Lee,

My Tyros4 sounds pretty darn awesome.

I've been playing the Tyros4 quite a lot in the last two days...very impressive all around.

The Tyros4 appears to be the "love child" of the Tyros2 and Tyros3.

Have a cigar.

Ian

PS...Orchestral styles and patches, just on the standard T4 without extras, are pretty formidable.

That is one impressive demo as far as sounds, orchestration, and musical ability. I skipped around a little bit, however. I'm not ready for a 7:30 Mona Lisa. Maybe when I'm tucked in.

It's the samples, pure and simple. Yamaha have always done an exceptional job of recording samples for keyboards, possibly to do with them actually MAKING the real instruments in the first place, so a bad sample quickly gets shot down for being wrong!

This is superb, if this is the kind of thing you are into. Short of some VSTi libraries and a few Akai loads, I don't think I've heard better orchestral samples, especially out of just the one machine. I've always had to do it from a combination of different things... this one's strings, that one's flutes, this oboe, that french horn, etc.

The thing is, the all blend together very well. A bit 'distant', if you will, though. Very much a large film orchestra, on a large stage, rather than a more close and intimate smaller ensemble. But it's too much to expect EVERYTHING..! If you like this kind of sound (and who doesn't!) it looks like the easiest way to go, short of a decent VSTi rig and something like Vienna Orchestral Library...

Just remember, the samples are just the START... When it comes to orchestration, it is still 90% what you play, and how you play it, voice it, orchestrate it. There's no easy OOTB solution. You still have to play great!

Lee et all: Just got home from my gig with the Tyros 4 and as usual had the audience in awe with the sound, and believe it or not, particularally the style's background vocals, which I enjoy augmenting with my live lead vocal. I'm always getting comments asking where my backup singers are hiding. When I initially bought my Tyros 4 I thought I'd never use styles with vocal auto accomp parts, but I've since changed my mind. As a singer, I'm finding both vocal auto accomp and/or the ability to "live play" the vocal voices either in left hand (pad style) or as fills/solo in my RH a terrific way to add interest to my songs. The solo SA2 instrument voices sound equally impressive but it seems the backup vocals are wowing my audience most. My only Tyros 4 "beef" is the odd mod wheel direction assignment on organ voices, and the inability to call up reg bank files from the MusicFinder. Having my Tyros 4 for nearly two months now, perhaps the thing I enjoy most is It's out of the box impressive sound requiring little or no tweaking, and it's intuitive navigational interface, making This keyboard such a fun to "play" station vs "work" station.

BTW, note his great swell pedal use... that's what makes much of this come alive. Just play those sounds from the keyboard alone, and they lose much of this.

Don't leave home without one!

Diki,
I agree, if you don't have the samples done right...'foget about it'!
Sorry about the Mona Lisa thing...but it struck me as especialy beauitful. And the sounds were great. I don't play all my music that laid back! I am the kind of guy that must have a seat near the first violin section when I go to symphony.

Diki, correct as usual..the orchestration, playing is what makes the performance...BUT ar least for me, the instrumet, specially the sound has to be inspiring! I guess that's why I have a Kurzweil.

I just want to play it, I don't have time ori the real interest n being a sound engineer..not that I won't tweek a sound some.

Diki, your the first to say it...how the sounds work together is a big deal, and Yamaha has nailed that. Yes, a bit distant...but, I turned up the volume and it dd seem better.

Yes, I plan on using my PK-5 pedal board.

I guess all along I wanted a Yamaha Stagea...this is close...maybe better!

Actually this is bitter sweet. I really want a Korg to sound that good...as I prefer the features and many things on it to the Yamaha. But, this time sound will be the deciding factor.

How did the audience like your Logitech Z2300 system with the T4?

I downloaded the complete Tyros3, Tyros2, and CVP-509 factory preset styles.

They sound super good in the Tyros4, and in the case of the Tyros3 styles...these sound even better than they do on the T3.

Diki is right about the swell pedal...almost totally necessary on the the SA organ voices, like WhiterBars, AllBarsOut, ProgRockOrgan, ClassicBars, JazzRotary, and RockRotary, to name just a few.

Also works with the orchestral SA voices like RealStrings, ClassicalStrings, LushStrings, the various SA Brass and Horns, and the synth sounds, which are from the Motif.

The "out of the box" sound is excellent...never had to tweak anything, even the OTS from the Tyros2/3 styles; the styles from the CVP-509 needed a few changes, but nothing serious.

I'm using a pair of Yamaha MS60S powered monitors, and the Tyros4 sounds BIG, but yet, it can still be delicate and sweet sounding.

I have two demos scheduled for next week...back to practising.

Ian

Donny, used the larger Z5500 POZ setup tonight. Still haven't had a chance to try out the Z2300’s satellites perched atop the T4 because it requires mounting them to the T4 MS04 swivel bases, which are currently mounted to my Bose 161 satellites. Remounting requires drilling holes on the bottom of the Z2300's satellites and I just have'nt found time to do that yet. Perhaps next week.