Just thought I'd share this. I ran across this German website that is making an expansion keyboard for the Tyros/Tyros 2 and tried to use Google to translate it but it didn't do well enough for me to get good info. Interesting picture anyway. Enjoy.

Hi Esh.
Yamaha are bringing their own expansion keyboard out for the T2 within the next month (think it's going to be shown on Sept 11th or there abouts at the Pakefield show in the UK) and also a pedal board. This one by Venus has been out quite a while and was posted quite a few month back. It looks pretty nifty but I'll be glad to see what Yamaha themselves come up with.

Wouldn't it be cool if the expansion board had 76 notes like the lower manual on the Roland Atelier organs?

Ian the Hopeful

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Remember to leave good news alone.

It certainly would Ian.
I'm hoping they don't bring a new standalone 76 note T2 pro out, otherwise I think many existing T2 owners who wanted 76 notes last year when it was released will be very unhappy with Yamaha. I can't seeing them doing that though, but stranger things have happened.

Craig - that's very interesting. I don't remember seeing previous posts about the Venus and if you have any further info sources or pix for the Yamaha Tyros expansion keyboard I'd love to see it.

It's funny that Yamaha and third party companies are coming to a similar conclusion that I did, which is to use a first-tier keyboard with an arranger. I've been using a Privia keyboard for a controller under my Yamaha 9000 Pro on stage since March and find it to be an ideal combo. I truly hope Yamaha offers a graded-hammer lower keyboard T2 option, but since you mentioned a pedalboard I'll bet they just come out with the lower keyboard as a non-weighted 61 note to turn the T2 into something resembling a dual manual organ to further appeal to the home market.

Hi Esh.
It was actually DNJ who posted something the back end of 2005 about this. I only remembered when I saw the picture posted by yourself of this set up

Here's Donny's post
http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/012417.html

I also thought Abacus posted something about TMS but can't find it.

As soon as Yamaha post some more info or pictures I'll do a link to them, unless someone get's there first. I do know that they are catering for the organist as well with an extra manual. Suppose it's similar to what Wersi do with their stuff. They have the Abacus and Ikarus keyboards, they did an Abacus pro (2 manual) Xenios with 2 manuals then the all butt kicking organs that cost an arm and a leg.
If Yamaha keep the cost down they could be onto a real winner here.

Thanks for the link to DNJ's post, which I had missed. Guess we'll wait and see what happens with Yamaha...