A lot of dancing on the head of a pin... Tiny differences between one piano and another, or one pipe organ over another don't really cut it if you are seriously thinking on dropping $5000+ on one of these things. Essentially, this demo by sudclaviers should be helping you decide whether you want to drop $5000+ on a T5, or whether you would be fine with a used T4, probably about $2000 less.
Me, I don't hear $2000 difference.
The thing is, at the end of the road, what does a tiny difference between one sound and another make? What REALLY counts is, what CAPABILITIES does the new arranger add? What do you get in the OS significantly better than the old model? Sounds are sounds. Bottom line is, a skilled style creator can work with either and make something great. But something significant to the OS allows them (or you) to do something they simply cannot with the previous arranger.
Now, you'd THINK that audio drum styles would be something significant. But it appears the roadblocks to third party style creators still exists. No easy loading in of new styles, no software to allow you to create your OWN audio styles from your loop library, and after a YEAR of Yamaha having the PSR S950 out, obviously, no serious commitment by Yamaha to radically increase the number and choice of new styles to add in. Even if you could, on the gig (takes too long). Also, no fix to the audio multipads, so forget about audio loops alongside your style, in sync.
OK, so what IS radically different on the T5? You've got that Ensemble feature. We've talked about this in the past, and before it was a Yamaha feature, didn't seem like anybody really gave a rats (watch the Yamaha users all of a sudden start caring a LOT!). Personally, I think it is the ONE thing added to the T5 that has any REAL significance. But you've got to have good voicing skills to be able to get the best out of it.
A slider that goes between an MP3 and an SMF. But not between two MP3's, or two SMF's. Wow! Really? Something the most barebones of tablets or laptops can do (and if you need it, you already have one).
No apparent significant update to the MFD (so still WELL being Korg in this regard), no update to the sampler (still pretty closed with regard to multisample formats), no increase in the number of fills, breaks, intros and endings, or Variations.
Some significant effort has been spent on the effects, but TBH, a LOT more spent on the eye candy of how you interact with them than their basic sound. It's amazing how a killer graphic interface can effect your perception of how good a sound is... try it with your VST effects sometimes. Call up effects with your eyes closed, and just LISTEN to them. Sometimes you'll find its the graphics that color your perception. Now, don't get me wrong. I think that, just from listening, some of the Yamaha new effects sound better... but $2000+ better? And does that improvement turn the T5 into a significantly better arranger? IMO, no, not really.
You all know my feelings about audio drum styles. Thing is, it seems Yamaha apparently feel the same way. WELL under 10% of the ROM styles are audio. If it makes THAT big a difference, why aren't they ALL audio? You know, it can't be that big a difference, or all your other styles would sound pretty bad by comparison. So far, while I hear a few S950 owners say they like them, I don't hear them complain they make the rest sound poor. They ought to! TBH, the most I've heard about the audio styles is how few of them most can use, and how tough it is to integrate them sonically into the rest of the style and the overall sound.
So, what do you get for ditching your current arranger (probably a Tyros) and forking over the dough for the T5?
Ensemble Voices.
Is that enough?
The only upside to this is, I am hoping that Roland and Korg etc., take a look at Ensemble Mode, and come up with the code to do it themselves. I have long lamented that divisi parts double or triple the size of the ensemble, and love how the VSTi's with this feature work. It's great to see arrangers start to use this. Now all I have to do is wait until it won't cost me $5000+ to get in an arranger!
I like the T5... But I'm not sure, if I was in the market for another arranger, if I would pay the premium of a new price Tyros, when droves of older Tyros owners will be dumping perfectly good and little diminished capability T4's and T3's on the market at bargain basement prices.
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An arranger is just a tool. What matters is what you build with it..!