I finally pulled the trigger and bought an arranger! I wanted something high-end but at a substantially reduced price. The best of both worlds and I think I have obtained my objective. I just couldn't justify forking over big bucks for a Tyros 5 when it still incorporates USB 2.0 (an obsolete standard since 2010) and Yammie also refused to bump up the polyphony on the Tyros 5 even after owners complained of note drop off on the Tyros 4. As arrangers become more complex and feature rich they need faster processors and more polyphony. But the Big Three still hasn't gotten the message regarding polyphony. I suspect Yammie will increase the polyphony on the Tyros "6" but don't be surprised if they also raise the price.

So what did I end up getting? Steve Deming will probably faint because I actually bought a Tyros 3 for several hundred dollars less than I paid for my Tyros. As you know the Tyros 3 was the king of the hill just a few short years ago and of course it also has the physical drawbars and an internal hard drive plus the option of adding additional memory for loading samples. The Drum Kits were improved on the Tyros 3 but obviously the Tyros 5 Drum Kits are even better. But at what cost? The Tyros 5 is about $6,000 out the door so you do the math. I would love to own a 76 key high end arranger but only if it is worth the price of admission. In my humble opinion the Tyros 5 falls short of that ideal but of course that is my own personal opinion. The main Concert Grand on the Tyros 5 appears to be a step backward in terms of realism. Quality control issues have also diminished the roll out of the Tyros 5 and some issues are still left unresolved. In fact the Tyros 4 also experienced weird anomalies after it was released which have been thoroughly documented by Tyros 4 owners and are in addition to the polyphony note drop off issue. Adding a 76 key version has amped up enthusiasm for the Tyros 5 in general but the enthusiasm has been subdued somewhat because of the various bugs that have plagued Yammie's latest flagship. That said, it's still an excellent arranger keyboard and if you have money to burn then be my guest. Yamaha has been fairly astute in providing firmware updates for the Tyros 5 and so hopefully all of these various issues will get corrected in the near future. Although I'm not sure they'll be able to fix the Concert Grand piano. Having said that..

If Yamaha releases a Tyros "6"/76 key version in three or four years and they give it USB 3.1, 256 note polyphony, a real Sampler, micro editing, an SSD hard drive, streaming capability, a quad core processor, physical modeling, VH3 and some other cutting edge features... I'll be the first in line to get one... even if it costs an arm and a leg. I don't mind shelling out big bucks IF (and that's a BIG IF) the keyboard is worth it. I like the Tyros 5 but it has a few shortcomings and the astronomical price tag is one of them. The lack thereof of certain professional features is another reason and that's the main reason why I passed on the Tyros 5, in combination, with its astronomical price tag.

I should receive the Tyros 3 tomorrow by UPS. In fact, it's sitting at a local UPS Distribution Center and I was hoping to pick it up myself on Saturday after it arrived there but they are closed on Saturday and Sunday. I saw some photos of the keyboard before I bought it from the Guitar Center in Arlington, TX. It looks like it's in pristine condition from the photos the rep sent me via email. The GC rep also said the Tyros 3 was loaded with premium sounds so I'll have to take his word on that. After it arrives on Monday I'll do a thorough inspection to make sure everything is on the up and up. If there is any physical damage or any other problem I have a 30 day money back guarantee.

By the way I'm not trying to diss Yamaha. In my opinion Yamaha is a reputable corporation and they also have a fairly decent customer service department. There might have been a culture of complacency that developed at Yamaha Japan during the production of the Tyros 4 and the Tyros 5 and that is perhaps why those two keyboards have experienced numerous quality control issues after they were released to the public. Complacency can lead to shoddy workmanship and I'm just wondering if that's not the result of consumers continuing to buy the Tyros series upgrades irregardless of the build quality and therefore Yamaha has perhaps taken a lackadaisical attitude knowing that they'll still sell boat loads of them even if they aren't built to quality standards. If the same type of thing happens to the Tyros "6" it will be even more of an indication that Yamaha is slacking off and if that's the case then Yamaha's reputation could take a hit. Shoddy workmanship can negatively affect the marketplace and the economy, which in turn, can negatively affect a company's reputation. And by no means am I singling out Yamaha. Roland rushed the Fantom G to market back in 2008 and it was half-baked when it arrived at stores. Over the last few years Roland has lost money hand over fist but thankfully there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel because Roland's fortunes have reversed somewhat in 2014. Once again it demonstrates that consumers are way down on the totem pole when it comes to company policy. By the way, it doesn't hurt to discuss these things because transparency is necessary in order that issues such as this can be dealt with and hopefully rectified. Ethics should be vitally important to businesses and corporations alike because it ensures the public's trust in the private sector and the survivability of the companies themselves. PS: If you don't hear from me for a while I hope you'll understand. It'll take some time familiarizing myself with the Tyros 3 as well as running the gambit on all the sounds and styles. It's a dirty job but somebody's gotta to do it right?

All the best, Mike

You will absolutely love your Tyros 3.I have had 1 for the last 3 yrsand find it a fine keyboard. Enjoy it!!!

Mike,

I had the Tyros 3 and it was a great keyboard.
For your info - the Tyros is designed in the UK.

If it was designed in Japan, no doubt about it, it would be light years ahead of where it is now.

All the Yamaha Arranger keyboards are (And always have been) designed in Japan, however all the sounds, styles, pre-sets are designed in the UK & Europe so as to appeal to the western market.

Bill

Hi Mike,

Congrats on your T3 purchase, it's a wonderful keyboard. I owned it for a few years before chosing to upgrade to a T4 last year (just after the T5 was unveiled & demonstrated).

I couldn't fault the T3 apart from only one thing perhaps was it look a fairly long time to load up the premium voices into memeory in comparison to the T4. My T4 has 1GB and I'm using nearly all it's capacity and it still takes about just under a minute to load in everything, I think the T3 took 5-7 minutes? Even so, that's only a very minor gripe and if you're not going to use the additional voices anyway then it won't even matter.

However, I know the T3 doesn't have the great vocal and choir voices of the T4 (which is arguably the biggest difference between the two) but before I upgraded to the T4 I was using the vocal and choir premium pack on the T3 which helped plug the gap between them, albeit a small one but it's still worth having if you use vocals and choirs.

Enjoy!

Take Care,
Danny

Greetings everyone. Well I did indeed receive my Tyros 3 on Monday as scheduled and let me tell you right off the bat it looks brand new. The person who owned it took extremely good care of it and I'm certain it wasn't used for gigging and from the looks of it the person probably played it very sparingly.

The Tyros 3 did in fact come with some extra goodies like custom styles, pads, registrations and also two Premium packs which are the Euro & U.S. Organ and Choir & Vocals - a $338 bonus for free! It also had 1GB of memory installed which is another bonus and it also included the music stand. I purchased the premium SA2 Trombone on Yammie's website a couple of days ago and I'm also thinking about getting the Pan Flutes. The Tyros 3 voices are superb in many cases and the Drum Kits have indeed been improved substantially over the original Tyros.

I have been dutifully familiarizing myself with the features and functions but I must say the owner's Manual is severely lacking in content. I've had to resort to the internet over and over again for even minor things because the instructions weren't included in the Tyros 3 owner's Manual. I realize Yamaha likes to pinch pennies but you can be penny wise and pound foolish. So that's a minor beef on what is otherwise an excellent high-end arranger keyboard.

Having already played the Tyros 5 extensively I can distinguish some differences in the sounds but you almost need to be an audio engineer to sort them all out. In other words, the Tyros 5 has many outstanding voices but so does the Tyros 3 needless to say. In some cases the Tyros 3 sounds better to my ears in certain instances. To prove my point here is a demonstration performed by an individual on youtube comparing certain string sounds from a Tyros 3 vs. the same setting on a Tyros 5. By the way he is playing everything on a Tyros 5 but he has a Tyros 3 midi'd up to the Tyros 5 enabling him to switch between the Tyros 3 sounds (which he plays first) and the Tyros 5 sounds (which he plays last). You be the judge.



It doesn't hurt to compare an earlier generation arranger keyboard with a newer generation arranger keyboard from the same company. It gives Yamaha an incentive to "keep on its toes" regarding new product releases so that it will ensure quality products are being produced both now and in the future. Musicians want their money's worth on any given product they decide to purchase.

It is in Yamaha's best interest to keep improving their products or they might experience a loss of marketshare. If newer products are in some ways inferior to previously produced products then musicians won't be getting their money's worth in certain ways and especially if the introductory price points are the same. The Tyros 5 lists for $5,299.99 for the 61 key version. The Tyros 3 listed for $5,299.99 when it came out. There are certain voices on the Tyros 5 that seem more realistic than certain voices (in the same category) that are on the Tyros 3. So kudos to Yamaha in that regard. But I take great comfort in knowing I now have an outstanding high-end arranger at a fraction of the cost of a Tyros 5. Hallelujah!

Enjoy what you play! The Tyros 5 is an awesome arranger keyboard and again if people have money to burn then be my guest. The more money that flows into Yamaha coffers the more R&D that will be used to hopefully improve future Yamaha products. Or so the theory goes anyway. I can't wait to see what the Tyros "6" will offer but we will have to wait perhaps 3 or more years before we find out. 256 note polyphony will be a game changer in my opinion. Time will tell.

All the best, Mike

I agree, the T5 sounds are hurtful to my ears and the T3 has more warmth.

A good comparison and one I've seen mentioned before, but not heard.

Thanks!

You can buy a Tyros 5 for about 4100.00 if you shop around.
Anyone paying 5400.00 or more is truly a sucker. Lloyd

MIke, Merry Christmas early! Glad you've found an arranger that you're enjoying as we alll know a few years back T3 was the best thing since sliced bread, a couple of years doesn't change that much.

As far as the pricing I just hope you had contacted Frankie at AudioWorks Ct, his prices are hard to beat when it comes to any arranger, either new or used.

Hey Mike,

I am glad you found something you like. Sounds like you got a great deal. Give me some credit... I didn't faint... I was barely light headed.

I have edited a variety of Tyros voices and I would be happy to share those with you. Send me an email at ycasupport@yamaha.com and tell me your preferences. I don't want to send you 500 voices you wont use.

Steve Deming
Yamaha Customer Support