I got a chance to play this thing early this morning at this dealer.. there was a setup in the backroom with a T4 on top of a T5. Same PA, same settings same eerything. I must admit soundwise the T5 is a step up again. Styles really cut it, and for home use the sounds are nothing but stellar.

Its an instrument clearly aimed at the home user, but it works also perfect for One man bands that play at weddings and parties, or just do lounge music, its very versatile and even the piano sounds really well. need to play piano music at a lunch and it will cut it with some nice piano sounds as long as you have a good PA, everything is still at the tips of your fingers, as long as you dont want or need to do any real time sound edditing and such. Still think that 4 real time controlled knobs and a touchpad for soundcontroll would have made it a perfect thing.

I didnt really miss a touchscreen for live playing, and its not an instrument with deep layers of sound edditing so i cant see how the current Operating system would not serve people well. Its just there to play straight out of the box, and add whatever you want or need to it.

For everyone not playing at a band or as a Deejay, its as good as it gets.

Just found this video comparing them both, but i dont think it really justifies the 5, as in real i tought the difference was even bigger.

Bit of a push, for me. Some of the T5 stuff was better, some about the same but different, some not to my taste. I simply hope that BOTH sounds are in the T5, so the user can pick which suits the song better.

I DID find the chamber strings exceptional, but I am unsure if the BEST sounds from the T4 were being put up for comparison. Any T4 owners with suggestions of more equivalent sounds that weren't used?

I must admit, Yamaha are showing their hand pretty clearly with things like a Soft Shoe Shuffle tap dancing styles and all those theater organs. Yikes! I'm pushing 60, and I wouldn't touch stuff THAT old with a bargepole! How old a target user are they designing this this thing for..? LOL

I suspect that's why the BK-9 is selling so slowly...no Soft-Shoe, tap dance, and theater organs.

Yamaha obviously knows very well the market for arrangers...just look around the web at all the excitement for the Tyros5.

Ian

It's selling so slowly because it's too advanced for Yamaha users. Audio loops? Who needs those?!

The sounds as long as you don't want to fiddle with them too much are superb. What i think and believe is that the price they ask for it is way beyond the value offered. Rrp aussie $6,700. I mean the last time prices like this were seen was the korg oasys, and we know where that went.

I get annoyed that just because i like arrangers that on average i pay double what a band member pays for a flagship synth that does far more than any arranger. I want the T5 but i don't think unless we are talking under 5k that i will buy yet, and still see the PA3x as an alternative right now.

Drums and bass, still hearing that very compressed sound, nice for some tunes, but not live enough still. There should have been so many more features included for the price and real opportunities to expand the user base has been missed here.

Dont think i'll be using organ world too much, and as far as tap dance, what can i say, what were they thinking.

On the guitar sounds, ensemble and better styles, touch feel of the keys and the yammy reliability would buy t5 if the price is right.

LOL! Diki, I've got ten years on you, and I don't do Robin Richmond, et al, either.

Not what I heard...I think Roland is aiming at the younger buyer, or at the very least, trying to drum up some younger interest, but it's an extremely small segment of the arranger market...and quite likely, it will remain that way.

The average arranger buyer is over 50 (as you are), probably retired (like moi), has a decent pension, maybe had some former music training (or played in a band before they took a 9 to 5'er), and wants to have a hobby that is also a healthy escape.

The Tyros name says it all.

Yes there are some that are outside the demographic, so Yamaha adds some advanced features (none of which are required to just sit down and play), and lots of Dance, Hip-Hop, and other more contemporary styles, and, as you have observed, the instrument covers a huge range of player interest, and skill levels.

Their pitch? Play your dream. Who doesn't want to do that?

You can't deny Yamaha's success...just look at the frenzy regarding the Tyros5...the Tyros4 and earlier models were much the same.

So regardless if you agree or not with how Yamaha does things, the bottom line is that they obviously are doing something right...and for quite some time.

Young and old, Fox Trot or Gangnam, Gene Kelly or Creedence Clearwater, Big Band, and Unplugged...they have it well covered, and having so many Tyros/PSR Clubs on the Internet, gives a sense of fellowship, as well as a source for more styles, tip and tricks, and many kinds of programs devised to make the experience a great one...not just a good one.

Ian

Well said Ian...