So is this mean we can pretty much use any freely available drum loops and use it on the new PSR 950? That would be nice!

NO... from what I have read so far, the audio loop STYLES are Yamaha proprietary format.

However, you can add audio loops in .WAV format via USB stick as Multipads. But these can't really be used as full style drums, not being able to have fills and Variations functioning like normal styles.

As of yet, there is also no information about how long it takes to load the 64MB of Flash memory, where the audio loop styles are stored. So, if you need to load in extra styles (once Yamaha make and market them), no information is yet available (AFAIK) as too whether this is practical on a gig or not.

There's a lot of information that is so far missing as to how practical this new feature is.

Really? An iPOD?

Either the information supplied here is wrong, or perhaps you meant the s950 has a direct connection with an iPAD?

I only noticed an AUX In and nothing about iPod or Ipad

Anyway, somewhat interesting...

What is the difference between Freeplay, Pro and Session styles?

Does all the older styles for example the styles of the psr 9000 work on this arranger?

Oh thanks! It would be nice if they could let us use our own drum loops without any limitations. But I guess we will have to wait n see.

Hey Larry,

Aux in - so u can buy a 3.5 stereo Ipod/ipad jack on both ends to do audio out from an Ipod to the PSR.

The keyboard also has MIDI connectivity to an iPad, iPod, or iPhone. According to the website:

With Yamaha’s i-MX1 MIDI interface for iPhone, iPod and iPad, you can experience a new dimension of MIDI control with apps like Yamaha’s Scale Tuner, Piano Diary or Faders & XY Pad.

I figured it had to be more than just a hookup for iPod audio

Everything seems to be moving forward ...

The Good:

Thanks to Yamaha’s new Voice & Style Expansion packs, players can take advantage of a wide and ever-increasing selection of authentic sounding Voices and Styles from around the world. Load them to the PSR-S950's built-in FlashROM (64MB) and instantly play authentic sounds, rhythm and backing in the musical style of your choice!

The Bad:

This instrument allows you to install only one Expansion Pack.
Installing an Expansion Pack will erase all the previously existing Expansion Pack data in the instrument. Make sure to keep a copy of the Expansion Pack data in a USB flash memory for future use.

The instrument will be restarted when installation is completed.
Save all the data currently being edited beforehand, otherwise
the data will be lost.

So the 64mb is good for only one expansion pack. It doesn't take any time to load, according to George Kaye. If you want to change expansion packs you have to go through menus, and load a different one and then restart the keyboard - impossible during a live performance. Owning more than one expansion pack would probably be of interest to just home keyboard players.

This limitation sounds very frustrating.

I'm psyched about

1) The 60 new SA, Mega, Live, Cool, and Sweet voices.
2) The Live Audio Drums
3) The Real Drum kit
4) The new guitar technology that's hinted at
5) The improved vocal harmonizer
6) The ability to interface an Apple device
7) The better onboard speakers
8) The ability to add some new voices via the Expansion Pack

I'm disappointed by

1) Only 5 new Mega voices. Mega! voices are the voices that bring the styles alive.
2) The live audio drums being featured on so few new styles
3) No Real Brush kit
4) No Mega Choir or SA Choir voices
5) No SA2 voices
6) No new buttons and the buttons crammed together more because of the new speakers
7) You can only have one expansion pack loaded. Otherwise you have to go through a big process and restart the instrument.
8) A higher price

It's enough of an improvement that I'm going to upgrade, but outside of the Live Drums and the improved vocal harmonizer, it's pretty much Tyros 3 technology which is 5 years old. The Tyros 3 has about the same amount of special voices than the PSR-S950 has plus 11 SA2 voices.

Also disappointed by no new additional DSP's. There are about 20 new presets, and it will be interesting to see what they are.

But I'm afraid that a lot of the T4 styles won't sound much better in the new keyboard because of the lack of DSP's and new voices.