Well now that most of the world has received their NEW Tyros 5 arranger KB's......please post your Reviews and your DEMOS for all to see & hear please,........I'm sure many people are on the fence, or just want to know, & are curious as to your first reviews.

Thought there would be more then this or is it too early?

Hi,

I'm guessing it's still too early. Mine is being delivered the day after Christmas but I'm sure it would take some time playing it to offer a good review. I'm sure everyone who got theirs before Christmas has played them but it's probably hectic finding extra time to spend with it considering a busy holiday anyway. I am really looking forward to more reviews from the people we know here. -charley

I have mine since mid November and I love the T5.
To be honest this forum is not the place for me (anymore) to put my reviews/experiences in, because the 'mine is better than yours culture' and Yammie slamming posts.
I prefer a forum that is not dominated by 4-5 superposters that keep asking questions all the time, posts URL's and hardly/never show themselves.
Just my opinion and I know a couple of buddies share it.

All Tyros 5 Users are invited to join CssSongS... and share their songs... Novice, Professional, young, old, tall or short, All are welcome

www.csssongs.com

My Tyros 5-76 arrived at 10AM this morning. It was out of the box, hooked up to my sound system, firmware updated and playing within 15 minutes. I played it for 5 straight hours even eating my lunch beside it. My Tyros 5 stays at home and is hooked up to an Onkyo 150 watt 2 channel receiver powering 2 KLH 15" tower speakers. I have had this setup since my PSR 3000 and it still sounds great. My first general impression of Tyros 5's sound was that the highs shriek a bit to much for my liking. The midrange seems more pronounced and the bass is definitely punchier. I haven't changed any of the settings on the receiver as I wanted to notice what was initially different on the Tyros 5. I haven't played with any of Tyros 5's settings yet either.

When choosing styles the first thing I noticed were the audio styles all are listed first. There are 2 tempos shown, the first being the default, and I'm guessing the second is the highest suggested tempo for the style. I need to look this up. They have come a long way with time stretching. I was very pleased to hear nothing sounding funny or un-natural going thru the tempo range live. Just for fun I reduced the tempos to ridiculous levels and was presented with very unusual results. DJ's might like this discovery ad many of the drum parts repeat in an unusual matter. Many have said that the audio styles are song specific but I found that by changing tempos on the same style the whole style seemed to be more appropriate for a different song. I found these audio styles perfect for my adlib playing. I make my own melodies following a style and like the creativity aspect. I haven't loaded the MFD yet so don't even know what songs these styles are for. In the past I seldom liked the results the Music Finder gave especially when using it backwards as the Repertoire feature does. I would never have made my edited styles so unique if I didn't find creative ways to match styles to songs.

Something I should have mentioned earlier........I bought the 76 key model because people here have been asking for one for years. I thought I would like the extra keys. It never occurred to me to check what the left most key was. 61 key Tyros's start at C1 while the 76 key starts at E0. I assumed it would start a whole octave lower at C0. For me playing full or AI chords with my left hand these extra keys on the low end mean nothing. And that doesn't give me the extra keys I thought I would have at the higher end. I thought I could split the lower keyboard exactly 1 octave lower giving me the same lower key span to play chords as I always have thus giving me another octave of keys for the right hand. Unless I use different chord inversions than I'm used too I really can't change the split point to get more right hand keys. I wish the keys started at C. Knowing this now I could have saved $200 and bought the 61 key T5. The 76 keys do look impressive though.........

On with my review..................

All the styles and voices seem to sound better on T5 probably because it has a better sound engine. I love the additional voices especially in the strings, organs, and guitar sections. I like how the acoustic and electric guitars now have their own category. The string voices have a lot more choices with tighter instrument selections as opposed to general strings sections. The addition of first real and classic violins are what I mean. Using 3 right hand voices to create a string section can sometimes sound more realistic than using 1 general strings voice.

The electric guitars are some of my favorite voices. Just playing with them today I have never heard guitars more realistic.........especially with my playing skills. I never sounded so "polished" on Tyros 3 or 4. They always sounded like a keyboard imitating a guitar. I could close my eyes while I played today and I sounded like I was a guitar player. WAY COOL!!

Clearly for me my 2 favorite things about Tyros 5 are the Ensemble section and Organ World. I definitely need to delve into the mechanics more on how to best play the ensemble stuff. I immediately became frustrated trying to play the sting ensembles like I saw them played in some demos. My 2 hand 4 note technique seems to be missing something. So I took the easy way out today, turned on the harmony, and chose some free play styles. I performed some of the prettiest classical music I ever have. Absolutely beautiful. Definitely want to master this section. Hope to see some better tutorials on it than I've already seen.

I've saved the best for last and I can't help but get all emotional about it. Organ World is the best I have ever heard. I have a musical organ background, As a kid we had a Lowrey console in the living room. My mom had a piano background, took the free organ lessons that came with the organ, and then taught me a few things. My Dad has had no formal musical training but has always had the musical gift to teach himself. He's great on a guitar and taught himself the organ and plays his own creations beautifully. Mom can't play anything without sheet music and Dad can't read it. I am a product of both of them and share their skills. I can read music if I have to but usually perform without it. I can play copyrighted songs by ear but usually go off on a tangent playing adlib original stuff.

Enter Organ World.............I've got tons of computer software and huge libraries of organ samples. I converted an old Conn Theatrette organ that got destroyed in 2004 during Hurricane Charley. It was refitted with three m-audio 49 note midi controllers and a 25 note midi converted pedalboard and plays a Wurlitzer Theatre virtual program called MiditZer. Today Tyros 5's Organ World blew them all away. The theater and concert organs are the best I have ever heard. I played some simple hymns and classical stuff using an ethereal free play style and the concert organ. As I progressed from the quieter organ settings to the mighty tutti while moving up thru the style variations I felt a musical rush thru me that was awesome. I was glued to the keys and had tears running down my face as the music filled the virtual cathedral I was performing in............................I need a tissue. These are incredible voices!!!

The theater organ was next. There's a new style in the ballroom section among the theater style that is freestyle. I used it with the theater presets and was very impressed. The other theater organ styles like the march and quickstep were fun too.

It would be great if a group of us could edit organ world sounds, modify and create new ones, and share them with all of us organ lovers here. For me there never was a question of whether to upgrade to Tyros 5 from Tyros 4. I've upgraded since Tyros 2 thru the models and never have been disappointed. I like having the latest technology in the latest model. I've watched keyboards thru the years go from very cheesy sounding to so realistic it doesn't sound like a keyboard. My old Tyros 4 belongs to a new owner and is still a wonderful keyboard. It doesn't sound any worse but Tyros 5 really shines better in a few areas. I don't know if audiences will hear all the differences but as a player I can and appreciate them. I know I am gonna LOVE this board!!!!! -charley

Charlie, I was confident you would love what you would hear.

All the best,

Gary

Congrats Charley enjoy your new KB.....dont worry you will get used to the E0 in time......great for left handed bass.. enjoy.

Well Charley, you sound very pleased. Congratulations on your new Tyros5.

Ian

I agree that the Ensemble Voices take some getting used to. I hope that Yamaha people explain how to use the voices and perhaps come up with an expansion program based on the Ensembly
Voices. Heidrun Dolde has a video on UTube showing how to use
the Ensemble voices but it's in German with English printed
beneath the video. Worth watching. Lloyd