I am considering buying the Yamaha PSR 9000 or the PSR 9000 PRO. I would appreciate a reply and a recommendation from anyone knowledgeable about these two boards. I am thinking of buying one or the other as a companion to my KN6000. I have passed on the KN6500, and I am beginning to feel like I am going to pass on the KN7000. It seems to me that Yamaha has everything already in the PRO or as an accessory that the top end technics should have had two models back.
I have the best price so far from xxxxxx for the PRO at $2800 discounted from list price of 4000.00, no tax and just freight of maybe 40.00 or thereabouts. I did not get their price on the non pro 9000 yet but it lists for 3500.00 so comparably should be about 2450.00. I did find three new ones offered for 2200.00 in San Jose, Calif.All these prices are US Dollars for those of you in Europe/UK.
Please post advise here, on general arranger forum or on Yamaha forum or email me at
bforrest@ix.netcom.com
Best to you and Yours,
BEBOP

BeBop ...... did you see the posting by macbabbi on the S-Z Wanted to B/S page? ... could be something, maybe?!?.....
t.

Thanks Tony, I have an email from him but i am not buying at this time, I am RESEARCHING. I will be researching availability and prices after I make a buying decision. I am more likely to buy new though. Thanks for your post
Best to you
Bebop

HI: BEBOP
The PSR9000 & 9000 PRO have the good sound Jedi
talks about & also has the quality built into the keyboard
also, but they are heavy PSR9000 51lbs. 9000 PRO 45 lbs.
no speakers in the PRO .
The vocal harmonizer is great in both boards.

I have the Technics KN5000 & the 9000 PRO
I love the 9000 PRO GREAT board.
Have had the PRO 15 months & no trouble with it yet.

It took me a little while to get used to the OS on the Yamaha
as they do things different then Technics, but now I find it to
be as easy or maybe easier to use then the Technics.

If you have any questions send me a Email & I will try to help.
Enjoying the 9000 PRO
Denny

Hey BEBOP,

I think everybody should get stuck a few times. Kind of keeps them on their toes so they don’t get stuck again. I remember when I was a kid and lived with my Grandpa during the depression. On this one super hot summer day my dad had a little extra cash and decided to get a big fat juicy watermelon, soak it in a tub of ice water and call up the relatives for a party. When the time came dad sliced open the melon. It was awful, not ripe at all. My grandpa told dad, see, I told you to stick it and plug it before you bought it. Well let me tell you that was the last time old dad got stuck with a bad one. So BEBOP don’t get stuck with something before you test it real good.

I’m glad you had the good judgment to inquire and get opinions before you decide to purchase. Good thinking! In fact after I present my expert advice chances are you will see it prudent to seek no other. After many many years of making decisions, executing purchases and the like I have come up with this scheme of virtual perfection. Ninety nine point ninety nine percent foolproof. And I must say, pure genius. And now I shall present my expert advice for the acquiring a companion for your 6000. Get what you like. If the six can’t get along with the nine divorce them. If you get stuck with it invoke the old Chinese proverb - You fool me once, shame on you. You fool me twice shame on me.

The only thing I haven’t worked out to make this one hundred percent perfecct, is Ruthie. Well Ruthie is OK, it’s just her mouth. Why does she always say - I told you so, see I told told you so!!! Those words just make me feel bad all over.

Well BEBOP even if you don’t take my advice I had fun giving it. Just remember, planing and looking forward to buying or doing something is always more fun than maintaining it.

Grandpa Doug

Oh Grandpa, I loves ya. Can't stop laughing since I read your post. Don't ever stop writing for us.

Now seriously to the Yamaha. I've had no experience with the 9000 but I had the 8000 and there were a couple of things I didn't like. First, the styles. Without exception they were bland and uninspiring - unlike Technics or Korg - I'm talking here mainly about the swing/jazz/big band section. In too many cases the same bass line was used in all four variations. The style disk back up was pretty limited and still dullsville.

The second was that on Yamaha's equivalent of easy record, it would not record 'lead in' notes as it only recorded with the ACP playing. I often like to start a song with single note intro e.g. piano, trumpet etc and on the second or third bar bring in the rhythm section, and as I said this can't be done on the 8000. If these two items have been attended to then I would guess the 9000 (and for that matter the 8000) would be very acceptable to me, but definitely not otherwise

Have fun deciding!

Peter

BEBOP,
Would you please elaborate on your statement about features of the Yamaha Keyboards that is drawing you to them as opposed to the latest Technics? What are the specific features and why are they important to you?Thanks in advance for your reply, as I have visions of a new keyboard someday myself.

------------------
Lanny

Lanny,
I don't want to start a flame war on this forum so I replied to you by email.
Also go to the Yamaha forum and to the general arranger forum here on the synthzone and read all the replies to my posts there. I think you will get the message as I have
Bebop

Hi, just curious on your reasons for wanting the Yamaha PSR. I love my KN6000, but am not interested in the 7000 either. I bought a Roland VA3 this weekend as a second keyboard. I appreciate your not wanting a flame war here...but if you have the time send me an email on why you are leaning to the 9000.

Marilyn

HI Marilyn,
Congrats on your new keyboard. I am sure you will enjoy it.
I have emailed you two docs with my comments for your perusal regarding your question
Best to you
Bebop

Hi Marilyn and Bebop. I'm reading your posts with great interest as my next move is to update my Roland G800 to the VA Series or the Yamaha 9000. I'll be looking forward to hearing what you think of your new keyboards when you get them.Twenty four hours in the day isn't long enough is it? I am going to hear Tony Fenelon play at our club night in a few weeks and he will no doubt have a Roland keyboard midied to an Atelier organ so I'll get a bit of a feel for it. Cheers. Jean.

[This message has been edited by Jean Olivia (edited 06-04-2002).]

BEBOP,
Thanks for both of the Emails. I appreciate the information very much. When is the big event due (new keyboard!)?
Lanny

Hello,
I just bought a yamaha psr9000 pro as a second instrument and I like it a lot.
Good rythms and also good sounds...but for the sounds not so good as the technics kn6500. I also have the technics kn6500 with the ew01 and ew02 board and these sound very good. A personal opinion maybe.
Good luck with your second keyboard....when you can afford it take a good second keyboard.....that's not the same with women....if you have a good woman you have to stick with it...it is not permitted to have a second woman to add to your first woman.....

Greetings from Belgium,
Just played 2 - 2 against Japan.....sad.

Alain

Hi, Jean, I think the subject of keyboards and which is best is a VERY subjective one. We all have different things we want to do with them and we all have different preferences in sounds and rhythms.

I like the sounds best on the KN6000, but I think I might like the Roland rhythms better. I have never heard a PSR 9000, so only know what I've heard on that. Bebop sent me some brochures on it also. I needed a lighter weight second keyboard and that 9000 is anything but light weight! I think I'm gonna like the VA3 fine, but it's going to take some getting used to. I love the touch screen.....but I wish Roland would give you more on board buttons.

Marilyn

In my opinion the quality of sounds is more important than that of rhythms because there are so many rhythms available on the net, both free and commercial. Also, many of the free available rhythms have been converted from other brands or models. Many thanks to Bud Whipple for all the work he has done in this area.

Mike

Having played both I feel that Technics definitely has better sounds, though the 9000 has a couple of nice ones in there too. I definitely disliked the Yamaha piano though.

I'd definitely pick the KN7000 over the Yamaha, since it's much newer.

Then again, having switched to samplers for my sounds I'm not buying any keyboard ever again myself.

Thanks to all Respondents on this POST.
The primary reasong for adding a Yamaha 9000 PRO to my other 10 keyboards in the recording studio is to get a 76 key PROFESSIONAL KEYBOARD, and a WORKING HARD DRIVE both inside and outside the keyboard. I have a sampler but it will be nice to have a sampler inside the PRO and then I can maybe sell the samplerKeyboard I have. Ensoniq 16 plus turbo with hard drive and three pedals if anyone is interested.
I wrote Musician's Friends and advised them I would drive up to their Medford, Oregon warehouse/store next week and pick up the board as it is only 4 or 500 miles, just a nice drive in the motorhome. They just advised me they have closed that store and now ship from a central warehouse in Kansas City, MO
Well Darn, back to the drawing board again.
Best to all and thanks for all the advice. It is appreciated.
PS Vol 7 of the 20 for 1 zip is now on load for downloading
Bebop

Well, the built-in sampler was not that good, it has very limited functionality which is why I decided against buying it and bought me a professional Yamaha sampler a year ago (with a 10 gig drive and 128 megs of ram). But that thing is eating dust too now with all the software samplers that are out (and which deliver the same, even better sound quality).

I am still stunned by the quality of violins, guitars, etc. But then again, these (gigasampler) samples start at around 20 megs (have a picking guitar here which is a 100 megs!) each so I don't expect such quality to appear in consumer keyboard anytime soon. Which is why I vow never to buy another home keyboard again, no matter how slick it looks.

I did buy the PSR 9000. see separate post for reasoning
Bebop