If anyone has some good ideas on how to set up the BK9 for live band use I'd appreciate your input. I'm thinking Diki is the guy for this. I'm looking to be able to go from Hammond sounds to maybe a Brass sound and then back to Hammond within the same song and do it instantly. Using the UP!/2 buttons seems too limited to me and I'm thinking of programming the One Touch settings which would give me 4 setups per song.
Also the manuel doesn't state how to change the preprogrammed Hammond setups but I'm thinking there's got to be a way to do this.
For now I'm using my VR700 but would like to replace it with the BK9, its an amazing keyboard. I've just started to delve into the Hammond sounds and so far I don't there quite as good as the VR700 but the BK9 offers more options, other sounds like Pianos are much better and I can have one less keyboard in my studio.
Thanks in advance

As noone has answered so far, just an idea: Couldn't you simply create several performances for one song and store them in a performance list? If you have an FC-7 pedal, you can program buttons to jump to the next performance in the list (this is possible in the BK-7m so it should be the same with the BK-9).

Bill call Fran or Diki

Bill, there are several ways to change sounds quickly on the BK-9.

You can use the 4 SW switches on the LH side by the bender, and put one of them to set 'Change UP2/1' which will quickly toggle between the two UPR sounds. You can use the OTS Write ability to program in four COMPLETELY different keyboard assignments, sounds, EFX, basically the entire setup, and recall them from the 1-4 buttons on the RH side.

You can also use an FC-7 footswitch unit (highly recommended for live use!) to do the Change UP2/1 function too, if you need it hands free. You can also use the FC-7 to do Perf UP/DOWN, which can toggle seamlessly between a bunch of different Performances, if you need something more complex to happen.

TBH, the manual states pretty clearly that 'The BK-9 contains a virtual organ with 8 presetted Registration memories.' Nowhere does it say that you can program in your OWN 8 registrations. But this is pretty much like a real B3..! Unless you are good with a soldering iron and have a ton of patience, those preset reverse keys at the bottom of the manual are set at the factory. If you need multiple registrations quickly in a song (I just tend to move the sliders!), you can still set up the OTS or different Registrations on UPR1 and UPR2 (and LWR!) and switch between them using the above methods.

TBH, I prefer to answer Roland specific questions over at Roland-Arranger.com, where the answer can help ALL BK users and not get lost in the shuffle and kerfuffle here. Sorry it took so long to see this thread.

By the way, one of the things you are going to appreciate is the BK's ability to hold sounds WHILE you change to another one, and do it pretty seamlessly. Instant changes are one of the things I HAVE to have in any keyboard, the days of sounds cutting off when you change them is so 20th century!

Plus, you can make some pretty complex soundscapes by playing and holding complex pad sounds and changing to other ones, then changing to other ones, etc., etc.. You end up with a VERY complex sound, very new age! Or spooky, whatever you are shooting for!

Diki

Thanks for the response. I was waiting for you to jump in. The 4 left hand buttons I haven't delved into yet but thats a good idea. Using the UP1/2 is obvious and the OTS are what I was thinking of. I don't know if I want to get int the FC7 . Its kind of bulky to pack and move.
Just got an email from Hammer and he said he cannot save the OTS and the unit keeps reverting back to the Factory setups. I'm thinking it a filter issue.

BTW you could change the presets on a Hammond with a screwdriver and a lot of patience going thru the multi colored wires for each drawbar. If you get a chance look inside the back of an A, B, or C console and look at the upper right. You'll see all the wires connected to contact strips. Maybe even a little bag of brass screws hanging there that was supplied by Hammond.

Are you talking about the same functionality as "smooth sound transition" which is a very important quality. If so, do you know if the current Tyros 4 has it? If it does then I would know that the T5 has it too. If the T4 doesn't have it, it would be a disappointment if the T5 does not have that ability. Thanks.

Hal, I just checked out your YT channel - lovely stuff, recommend it to everyone.

Thank you for your note. I'd like to complement my workstation with an arranger like maybe the Tyros 5. Used the bk7 on my You Lucky Dog song.

The Tyros 4 has no smooth sound transition; this means that if you change a registration during a song any lingering note from the previous registration will be abruptly cut off. This was one of the things that bugged me most when I had the Tyros 2. One can only hope that Yamaha has fixed this problem in the Tyros 5.

Thank you Dreamer for answering my question. I had posted this question on the Yamaha Arranger forum (SZ) and although 38 people viewed it, had not gotten a reply. Lack of SST may be a deal breaker for me as my compositions rely heavily on patches bleeding (intentionally) into the next patch. I don't want to divert the original thread so I won't post anymore on this one about the issue. Hal

I am not sure, but you may be able to get smooth transitions from a Yamaha if you change sounds WITHIN a Performance. Doubtless you already get them by switching between UPR1/2/3 while you hold them.

And, pretty much ANY keyboard short of the new Kronos (and even that has limits) will get a hiccup in the sound (if not a total cutout) when you go from one Performance to another with different MFX insert type effects, as the effect algorithm changes. Even Roland's do that.

Diki is correct, most keyboards these days have a smooth transition between changing voices, (It was first introduced by Kurzweil in the 80s and copied by virtually every other manufacture shortly afterwards) however global changes (Such as a pre-set or performance) have no reference (They apply to multiple voices) so you will always get a change.
NOTE if an insert effect only relates to the one voice then transition should still be smooth.

Bill

Thanks Diki and abacus. I did order the Tyros 5 - 76 this morning and will figure out how to bring out the best of it for whatever it's strengths or weaknesses.

Best of luck with it...

BTW, it's amazing, but I think most people I have read about so far that are going to get a T5 are getting the 76..!

So much for 'Yamaha will never need to bring out a 76... The PSR9000Pro was such a failure, OBVIOUSLY arranger players don't want or need a 76!'

Not according to what's been posted on the various Yamaha forums.

Seems to be roughly even numbers, with some 61 owners (T4/3/2), who actually planned on, and asked for, a 76 years ago, are buying 61 again because they've found it suits their needs. It certainly isn't price, as the 76'er isn't a whole lot more...allegedly around $250.

However, the 76'er has also attracted some new buyers, former Korg and Roland users, so it looks like the 76 was a great idea.

One thing for sure, the introduction of the 76 as well as keeping the 61 was also a wise move.

And, I have to admit, I was surprised to see a 76'er, and certainly it's development was a very closely guarded secret.

Ian