What do you Love or Not about the Yamaha SX900/SX700 so far..
if you have or had one...?

Thoughs, Improvements, alternatives, pro /con?

Here is some interesting thoughts..

https://www.doomsquadmusic.com/yamaha-psr-sx700/

I can only answer this for its big brother the Genos..
But i guess the answer is the same...

Whats great, is its powerfull sound
Easy way to opperate.
All the features the TRY to make it a complete experience

What is underpowered is onboard edditing, saving and managing sounds ( i dislike yem)
Whats underpowered is daw integration, daws are perfect for edditing and creating midi and audio
Whats a little me, is the many things that are still underdeveloped.

Like no way to create and load user arps..
No way to assign things like song parts not used to other things like the keyboard
No ipad app, which could be very very usefull
You can use extra effects from song parts to keyboard parts, but cant save this anywhere reliable in styles..
Also no effects for multipads... which kind of limits it
The sequencer is getting really old, its a basic midifile player, would love to see things like the pattern sequencer from modx added to it. Also incorporation of audio tracks, like having 16 midi tracks and 4 audio tracks for every sequencer file..
No audio over usb, would make daw and ipad integration much better..
Still limited in what you can assign to the sliders, knobs and assignable buttons.
3rd rank vocaliser
And more of these things


Yet all over the genos is an incredible experience compared to all other arrangers..

Bachus sounds like you should if kept your Kronos to do all that kind of stuff & a DAW also.
Hoping for all the things you require isn't going to
happen in an arranger KB regarding all the sound editing, arps, etc..
sounds like your music is very complex...
I would love to hear some of it sometime....
seems very interesting.

I posted this on the PSR Tutorial page a few weeks ago after purchasing my PSR sx900. It is geared towards “what could be improved” so it is mostly negative stuff...

I do like the keyboard. I bought it for a particular reason (to play EDM music). but since purchasing it - I have still spent more time on my G70 and BK9 ..in comparison - overall the Yamaha samples lack a certain richness and depth...

Basses are shallow, Pads lack that low end warmth which is also reflected on the EPs, drums still sounding plastic and not as “tight” as they should be. (I hate how they add a few nice new kits but leave the legacy ones un touched Instead of re doing them. The T8 and T9 kits which are basically imitations of the Roland TR808 and TR909 are a joke. Thankfully we can load sample drum kits to come to the rescue.

After spending the money on the PSR and learning I could have purchased a Kurzwiel PC4 for almost the same price it leaves me wondering...


Here's What I posted on PSR Tutorial:

1) FAVOURITES: When you allocate a new "favourite" voice or style - as soon as it works you automatically get reset to page 1 of that category... very annoying why cant it just keep you on the current page you were on?

2) PIANO VOICE: I didn't by my PSR SX 900 for the piano voice as I have other keyboards for that BUT they really need to upgrade the expressiveness of the piano voice - the SA Concert Grand is rubbish for current day and age... seriously... it needs more samples in the dynamic velocity range of 0-127 to make it cut through a mix.

3) STEP EDITOR (Style and Midi Song): We should be able to do a "select all" instead of having to do "Multi Select" and keep pressing (or hold) the arrow buttons to scroll down and select more than one event.

4) STEP EDITOR (style and Midi Song): We should be able to do a granular "select all" where we can select all of a certain note only for example: I want to select every note that is above the C0 range or only all C0 notes to make edits to them such as volume or velocity... currently you need to manually press each one individually as you scroll down the list of events

5) Drum Edit: any of the drum track channels in a Midi song should be fully editable down to each individual sample being played in the drum track (individual note volume, velocity, reverb, re voicing etc) (without manually scrolling and doing it through the step editor) ... Roland has had this in their style and song "make up tools" for about 20+ years?

6) Another missing feature: Octave shift of the bass note being played when Accomp is on but the style is off (and editability of the bass note - re voicing?) - also being able to leave it on auto hold as well as the pad voice being played that is following your chord progression while the style is off...

7) CUSTOM DRUM KIT CREATOR PLEASE.........................

The PSR SX 900 has "work station" functionality but when compared to level of workstation functionality with other branded boards it doesnt go as deep... the above tweaks would definitely take it right up there IMO so hopefully one day we will get there....

I would like to point out though that the new OS and touch screen is awesome. It really “mordernizes” the machine and brings more ease of use and “logic” to it which has been much needed for years and Finally we have it!

The board could be sooo much better if it just had a little extra add ons that could be sorted with a software update....

Nick great thoughts,...but for EDM music production there are so many other better units to use. The New Fantom is simply amazing and would answer all your needs IMO, even the Kross EX is better suited for EDM, vs a simple arranger like the sx series units ......
Most new DAW programs can do wonders regarding EDM also.
I am still gathering more information on the New Fantom
as we speak, It's a bit deep for my needs but nice to learn.
Live and learn..

Donny, good post, very informative.

When I bought my Sx900 I made a decision to use the features that Yamaha offered. I put aside the “if only thinking. I had to learn to think like the people who designed the keyboard.
The result is that I am contented with my Sz900. It does things that I want -- with class.
Would I sell it? Depends --- on what the new keyboards offer. Until then I am a happy camper.
John C.

John glad your content for now,...
tell us more on how YOU use the Sx900 for your
music arrangements etc ..

Some nice features of the SX-900 by Martin Harris

It sounds good. Drums are better than in previous PSRs. Joy stick is a big improvement.
The few programmable buttons are a big improvement.
The things Yamaha does well are all there, fills, endings, multipads, sounds.
There is a lot of value for the dollar.
But,
Vocal Harmonizer is still terrible.
No aftertouch.
Many icons on the screen are very small for my big fingers.
Operating system still archaic.
Still no XLR input, no phantom power, still uses wall wart power supply.
If there were no other options, it would be wonderful.
The Genos gets closer, but is still just another Yamaha. You love it or not. And the Genos is too expensive for a lot of people, even though in the big picture, it's worth the money if you do love it.
DNJ, are you trying to convince yourself to give it another try? You already know ALL the pluses and minuses.

Why play a Kronos when you want to play an arranger?

Since i am one of the few that actually has experience with both
Using kronos, montage as an arranger, is just not it..

Thanx saw this a many times studio produced..
I'd rather hear it from real players at home etc.

Donny, didn't you own a SX900 and a Genus not too long ago - what didn't you like about them, and why did you send them back?

Gary

Don I have been going back and forth with buying another Yamaha unit
It would be my 3rd SX of both but you just confirmed my thoughts on why I got rid of them all or go the synth workstation route Fantom which after watching so many demos my head is still spinning , Montage, Modx, etc, and get creative again, but at what cost and tedius work to get there?... maybe a SD40 & a controller too.. ?
You always make sense Don I just remembered the horrible playlist feature also on SX.. I am in a search mode at the moment.
We'll see or wait.

Gary just do a search it's all on the SZ..for both units..

Bachus I was referring to your statement of what
you wished they had that you do not have now.
Now since businesses are opening little by little
I will take some road trips to Sam Ash, GC, etc,
to get a hands on feel for the next unit and actually play them..

Modx looks tremendous for the money

Hi John,
couldn’t agree more.

I knew Yamaha’s had certain short comings ( as far as my needs go) vs the korg ,
I bought it for what it had to offer, not for what I wish it could be.

There is the odd feature on the sx , I wish my Korg had, had. ( mainly the registrations).

On the other hand the style creation/editing functions on Korg, leave Yamaha for dead.

Still, I knew what I was getting with the sx, why daydream of what could be.

Rikki do you see yourself back with KORG again down the road?..or

Hi Donny,
not instead of the sx, but certainly wouldn’t rule out a new model Korg pa ? in addition to the sx.

I’ve always had a psr,( even if not the latest model) in addition to a Korg.

I sold th Korg pa3x and Pa4x, but I held onto the ec5 pedal ( which I’ve had for about 30 years, it went with my Korg i2, ) plus I held onto my Paas speaker system , just in case. Haha.

Had been considering a new Clavinova , but, think I came to my senses, starting completely over and learning solo piano again, ( instead of keyboards) maybe too hard, not that many years left , haha, Whereas keyboard in conjunction with my p121, that is achievable.

Rikki good luck to you ...I have a problem just deciding on one KB .......have more would give me a major headache lol

Haha, maybe one day they will bring out the perfect Donny keyboard.

I gather you are currently without. I haven’t been checking in quite as often, so bit out of the loop.

1-I did try making styles years ago – now I take a style that the pros have made, and edit it to my satisfaction.

2- I counseled marriage people in my church for six years. What worked best is when they learned to love the traits and gifts their partners had, and to stop wanting what was not there.

And so with the Sx900; and that is easy to do – there is a lot there, all that is needed is imagination.

Donny, this is how I am using my Sx900:
No people dancing, or listening, just me and my desire to create music the way I heard it played years ago. I am not talking 50’s music here.
Many of the bands used charts (music for their part). The saxes may not play for the first eight measures, but they came in right after. The band changed their mood as the mood of the song changes. When the piano took a solo the band volume came down, some of the instruments did not play. So, registration buttons – 8 plus 4 OTS. And pads, are a must. Using what I remember, I make the needed changes. Instruments, deleting parts, changing volumes, adding pads, sometimes changing a style, it is endless. There are times I spend hours making changes, only to come back and change it again.

Think of the artist who uses the brush, canvas, and colors to create. Then he studies what he has created and he is pleased. Me, for me, about me, there are no dancers.

I have changed most of my songs from chords and words to written notes and words, using the Encore program. I can select one page and have up to 9 songs embedded. (sets) My Jewish set goes from slow to fast and exciting. My Latin set changes moods.

Donny, I get lost doing all this, but the result brings me back to who I was, and I find myself remembering what I used to do. (fill inns and more)
I love the Sx900, it’s doing the job. Lockdown has given a reason to invent – no boredom here.

Donny, thanks for asking, us old guys have a need to share.
John C.

I have used Synths in the past and they require far too much work to get going. I like playing live arranger mode and switching through reg banks and OTS the fly. It also promotes more improvising in live play.

An 8 part Live Arpeggiator doesn’t cut it. Remember u still need upper and lower Voices on top of that which isn’t possible in that environment.

I am left feeling I probably should have went for the Korg PA1000 which was even a cheaper option.

John, Great post!

John glad your maintaining a very positive attitude and enjoying the music creative process with your SX900 arranger kb.
We all do it differently and the arranger can accommodate all approaches in so many ways. Good Luck