I was comparing some sounds on the T4 and I compared both the SA Concert Grand against the archaic basic XG Piano within the XG/GM category and they sounded identical which really surprised (and annoyed) me a little.

Just to make sure that I wasn't going mad, I did the same thing on the S950 comparing the Concert Grand Live! against the XG Piano and the results were the same.

Yep, all the hootin' about the new SA Pianos, and, in my opinion, they are all pretty poor...good bottoms and top ends, but the middles were lifeless.

They fared no better on the Clavinova CVP-509/609 with the "Natural Pianos"...same problems as SA.

Fortunately, Live!Grand Piano comes to the rescue and is an excellent piano voice, and sounds great in all ranges...it's also available on the CVP.

When I want it a bit mellower, I just go to the filter settings and take the Brightness down to -12. Sounds really nice for jazz ballads.

I don't think any arranger is perfect, and I think it's down sometimes to being able to live with the flaws of one particular brand easier than with another.

Having said that, I'm still on the honeymoon stage with my Tyros4...the Tyros5 I played the other night was nice...but so is the Tyros4. I wasn't tempted to upgrade, and, quite frankly, Danny, I don't think I'd find much use for most of the T5's new features, like Organ World and Ensemble to mention only two.

Ian

The trouble, Ian, is that you CAN'T have 'virtually unlimited' audio styles on the Tyros or S950. In fact, you can't load in many at all, even if there were many to load in! You can't do it on the fly (you have to reboot the keyboard to load them), and there's precious little choice even if you could.

As usual, Yamaha have decided to soak their users, keep the audio style format completely proprietary and closed off, offer NO software so you can convert loops you DO have into this format, and sell very few audio styles at inflated prices to their users. Like it or lump it.

Even the ONE feature that would allow you to do a sort of workaround, and put your own .wav loops onto the multipads, left off the ONE thing that would make this work... a loop parameter!

This is such a slap in the face of their customers...

'Here's a GREAT new feature... but we'll only use it on 10% of the styles, won't provide an easy way to load more in, and won't make many new ones for you to buy. Oh, and we'll cripple your only workaround!'

Jeez, thanks, Yamaha!

Thanks, Diki...that was very helpful...please go on.

Ian

Truth hurts, don't it? LOL

Hi Ian,

I was looking forward to your impressions of the T5 so thanks for your comments. I'm the same as you regarding the T4 although I've not had it anywhere near as long as you, I am more than pleased with it and have absolutely no reason to upgrade, I have pretty much everything I want already in the T4. I am sure the T5 is an excellent keyboard but Yamaha haven't added or improved upon the the area's I was looking forward to the most. If anything, it's the S950 that actually has one ore two new ambient styles over even the T5! Very odd.

Yep, I think we've got a very nice package in the Tyros4. The Tyros5's Audio Drum based styles are very nice indeed, but, I'm already very content with the MIDI drum kits in the T4. I've been having a great time sprucing up styles and getting set up to do some recording these past few weeks, especially when the snow had most of us staying indoors.

My friend would have got a Tyros4 if they had been available with 76 keys, as he already has a 9000Pro(76-notes) and found it difficult going between it and the Tyros3 that he traded in for the Tyros5-76. He thought the T5's audio drum based styles were a nice addition to what it already had in MIDI styles. The Swing/Jazz and Latin are terrific.

I should add that the Tyros5-76 is a dream come true for those wanting the longer keybed...same ultra high quality FSX action with aftertouch (thank you Yamaha) and the instrument is heavy enough not to feel skittish and bouncy on a stand like one of those lightweight 20 lb 76'ers.

Plus, the Tyros5-76 really looks the business, it's size giving it a very professional look, yet it is not at all awkward to carry. My buddy simply loves the instrument.

I can't see me getting anything new for quite some time, and that's a good sign that what I have now is doing the job.

Ian

I disagree Donny ... you may not like them, but I got great response from them. The deal is this: They sound very different from the existing styles and it takes some getting used to. You don't like them .... fine. I actually think they are the part I miss most about the 950. They are simple and effective. I shut the guitar part off in the swing style and I could play all night on that feel. Plenty of room for me to put in the kinds of changes that make me happy. I love the ride cym.
You're being pretty hard on them .... sorry you're so unhappy, but for prospective buyers = I'd just like to toss a positive comment in before they make a decision.

The thing I notice most about them is, the drums seem to come from one room, everything else is playing in another.

That's just not how it works, live... Mind you, there's many a singer that wishes that WAS the case, LOL

Gee, I don't feel like Yamaha slapped me in the face - I feel like they gave a bonus with the audio styles. Of course, I'm a bit easier to please than some.

Gary