New idea for the Tyros 2 -- the way its going right now, maybe they'll hold up production a little longer to incoporate this idea!

I think they should incorporate expansion slots in the Ty for Yamaha plug in boards (or better yet the Roland SRXes. But I guess I should be realistic).

In addition, they should have the option to plug in a breath controller which we could buy for an extra $70.

Both of these options are very practical, as they exist on the Motif series -- but they would not in any way harm the Motif! Anyone who is looking for a full blown workstation would never by a Ty - as it does not have enough high quality sounds etc. But anyone who does have a Ty, and is prepared to pay the extra 250 - 300 dollars per card, would be able to take advantage of at least some of Yamaha's better sound technology.

With the breath controller too -- this would really add an edge in performances, and would be used differently than with the Motif.

I think that both of these ideas would be within Yamaha's interests, as it would encourage sales of the Tyros (with no loss to the Motif), their plug in boards (which are now lacking, but with the addition of the Arranger market would hopefully take off), and their breath controllers!!!

Also, this could be the difference between the Tyros and the "3000" - their semi-pro arranger. Instead of making an identical board in a less stylish case and minus a HD - they could minus off these options as well. Once again this would work well for Yamaha. Anyone who is serious about their performances would not be able to skimp on the cheaper model - but anyone looking for a semipro arranger for a great price - would have one available!!

Yamaha, you guys listening?

Chony

Dear Chony;

I believe the tyros 2 will have sample recording/reading capability. So this hopefully would allow one to increase voice capability through reading of the numerous formats. I hope yamaha will keep in mind 2 points. Make sure that they build in enough RAM to load in good samples, and allow upgrade slot for even more RAM capability!!!! for those who do alot of sampling or want to be able to use very high quality samples on the keyboard. (i.e. 32mgs ram for samples in todays age is nothing). Second point, make sure you include main stream & high quality sampling capabilities ( i.e. Akai, Giga etc..)

PS. Chony having expansion cards for sounds would also be a nice feature for those who don't want to bother with sampling etc.. and just want to drop in a card with sounds ready to go.

Regard;
BN

BN, I don't really agree with you.

I think that if somebody ones full blown sampling, they should not be using an arranger keyboard. That is not what the arranger is built for. As you say 32mb is nothing today, but I find it VERY hard to believe that Yamaha would include much more than that. And even if they would put in 100 mb or more, you wouldn't get that many additional sounds out of it.

An arranger is a "jack of all trades" where everthing is as you say "ready to go". It comes with ready preprogrammed sounds, ready preprogrammed styles, ready preprogrammed multi-pads etc. It would logically follow, that I would want an expansion possibility which would let me add to that prepreparedness.

Sampling would be cute on an arranger. If somone is serious about sampling though, they should invest in a workstation.

As they say, just my 2c,
Chony

Chony,

Personally I would love to see an arranger merged with a synth workstation (a keyboard that has huge sampling memory, fully editable sounds, arpeggiators, styles, large waverom, lots of knobs and sliders).
I think its about time, c'mon we live in the 21st century, I really think that this arranger "home"-keyboard vs "professional" synth workstation thing has lasted long enough, I think its time to actually create a keyboard that can be a synth and an arranger at the same time, but then again, this whole hardware synth/arranger system is very inefficient.
Take the Openlabs Neko for instance, you can put your own sounds & synth engines on it, and probably even run auto arranger software on it as well.
What I want to see is a hardware keyboard, with a custom designed OS just for music software, and new standards for style formats, sequence formats, sound libraries, something like a 21st century GM/XG system, effects etc.
So you can combine any soundset with your own styleset, own sequencer, own effects and the list goes on.
You dont like they way your keyboard sounds? just install a different or newer soundset.
you dont have to buy a completely new keyboard for it .
I really hope to see more Neko-like keyboards in the future, and that they will create some standards and formats for them.
But I can only hope .

Greetz ,
Marcel

[This message has been edited by Wazza (edited 03-20-2005).]

Dear Chony;

Remember that these are not refered to as arrangers but as "workstaions", and Top model arranger/worksations at that. By definition, workstations have samplers on board. The sampling reading capabilities are to allow the players to add more sounds that he/she wants that are not avaliable on the base keyboard. So this would ideal, you could add exactly what you want. You wouldn't have to pay for an expansion card with 100 sounds , only 5 of which are of actual interest. Also companies usually charge top dollar for these sounds, and they are only of medicore quality.

Chony, just to add arrangers players are always looking for the next great gadget/ software/hardware etc... that comes out, and subsequently they want it added to thier keyboards. These top model arrangers aren't cheap and are more pricey then alot of synths. So why shouldn't we ask for more options?

Further, as you said we are all not alike. I would like to see sampling compatibility, you wouldn't. So, in the end these companies are trying to please eveyone and capture as many sales as they can.

Regards;
BN

let's take a poll, I would not buy a new board because of a sampler. Or lets say I wouldn't pay extra for one and probably would not use it except if It was easy to use I would sample my dogs barking and play with that.

How many would buy a new arranger because it included a sampler?

If you could buy the same board with or without the sampler would you pay 5 or 6 hundred (?) bucks more for a sampler?

Hi all.

If Yamaha add the great composer functions and make it as easy to use as Technics KN's,
also put on a 17" or 19" LCD screen ala Laptop to replace the musicstand, put on 76 good
quality keys ala SD1, I would most probably be tempted to take a real close look into it,
even consider to buy one.
But when cut the edges it's probably not space or room enough doing any it....
GJ

Dear Mike;

I am not sure if you relize this, but there are 2 components to sampling. First is the recording portion ( i.e. as u mention sampling your barking dog). Secondly, there is sample reading capabilities. This allows the KB to read presampled materials from other companies without actually having to record anything. There are many companies which have sound sampled libraries from which you can acess. So the least I expect from yamaha is to have sample reading capabilities. But of course both sampling capabilities would be great.

PS--put me down as wanting the KB to have sampling capabilites.

Regards;
BN

Fair enough BN, I guess I'd also subscribe to a keyboard with sampling "reading" capabilities.

The only thing is that I don't think that Yamaha designed the Tyros to be a professional workstation (even though they use that name). That's what the Motif is for. If they would turn the Ty into a real workstation, it would completely destroy sales of the Motif. Their other choice would be to design a Motif-Tyros keyboard at the price of both put together $5000.

Considering that it is not the intention of Yamaha that the Tyros be a workstation (whatever they choose to CALL it does not really matter) - I think it would still be a preferable option to have the ability to insert plug-in boards over sampling. I guess its the quality vs quantity debate.

IMHO, arrangers are "Quantity" - many and all options in a single unit;
and workstations are "Quality" - great and the best at what they are designed for.

Once again, my 3c,
Chony

I would not even look at getting a high-end arranger if it does not have sampling. At the very least it should be able to read samples like wave and other formats. Expansion cards are good but why spend $2 or 300 on an expansion card when you would probably only be using 3 or 4 sounds from that card.

I think if you want a keyboard with every thing done for you already and playable out of the box, there is the PSR 1500, 3000, Korg PA 50 and 60. But when you are talking about high-end flagship professional workstation/ arrangers, that are over priced to begin with, basic functions like sampling, sequencing, are just the minimum with any future produced keyboards. If I am going to spend that amount of money I want something that I can customize to my taste and needs with respect to sounds and styles.

I don’t think that the concept of having customizable features on a high-end arranger like sampling is any different from having customizable features on a workstation.


P.S I think that Yamaha may try to offer arranger features as a software option in their next workstation which will be heavily software baste. Just look at the competition.


[This message has been edited by to the genesys (edited 03-20-2005).]