And here we go again, another episode of "search in the Dark". I can't believe that I am doing this all over again. Shedding another $3000(from my already "market" depleted bank Acct) for the machine of my "dreams"; falling in love with something that I won't get to know until is to late to find out. It's like getting married to the girl of your dreams, only you haven't held hands or even kissed her yet.
Ok, OK, seriously, Does anyone know if this keyboard will play PSR styles and registrations?
Is it the same "exasperating/lousy" Registration/style saving procedure of the PSR line?
Does it come with a HardDisk or, what kind of file storage system does it have as a standard?
Do we have the "perfect" keyboard here, or is it another "upgradable" specimen as some of its counterparts dreseed in "party attire"?
Please, someone tell me that this KB is worth waiting for!
Help, help, I am desperate.
Mario



[This message has been edited by Mario (edited 07-20-2002).]

Mario. Its all in the clouds as they say. I see the main changes are going to be the new Mega Voice samples which are reported to perform more like the real instrument which changes timbre depending how hard you hit or blow. My 9000Pro already does this on voices like the Nylon Guitar & Sweet Flute, but the new Mega voices on the Tyros should be even more responsive.
I am rather fortunate that my close friendly neighbour has already ordered one of the first to arrive in the UK, expected October \ November and no doubt full of the normal Yamaha bugs. So I shall be able to really give it a thorough ride. It is stated that the Tyros will contain new styles which I am expecting will load into my 9000Pro.

Added info. My friend has been informed today to expect his Tyros Mid September UK.

Graham UK

[This message has been edited by Graham UK (edited 07-20-2002).]

Hi Mario,
This is just a guess , but I would say that the files should be interchangable.
I know you can take a "clavinova" disk and it works with the Y2K . I think , where they are both "Yamaha" they should work together. As far as "regestration memory" that is a very good question. Did "Yamaha" learn from the Y2K or is it in there eyes the "perfect way to save" !!
I think we`ll have to wait and hope that "Yamaha" has seen the error of there ways
Take care, best of luck
jedi

Mario,
the storage system will be a floppy drive with an optional hard drive. USB will also be a choice for storage on a computers hard drive.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

george,

Tyros weight with out the speakers?


[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 07-20-2002).]

I gaurentee ... it will not be PERFECT.
They already lost a lot of points with me by making the speakers an add-on item. Just more junk to carry and hook up. Wasted time & needless bulk. It's ugly and it's probably heavy and clumsy. I'll look at it when it hits the shelves, but I am not excited from the ads I've read so far.
The XD9 was a strong contender for me until I saw that there are NO stereo audio inputs. If you use the mic input(set to "line") then you loose the harmoniser option. Big boo boo.

Keep a cool head, and PLAY the thing before you go reaching in your pocket. I know lots of people just want new toys, and that great, but at these prices .... you better be prepared for some heartache after the sale. So far - the best idea I can come up with is to just put better keys and more memory in the PSR2000. (like a HD)Put the power supply INSIDE (where it belongs) and make the harmonizer work off of key presses (via midi, maybe) instead of the arranger notes. We really don't need new designs ... we need the old ones fixed ! Stay small - stay light and fix all the crap that's wrong, please! That's ALL we want..... That's all.......
and this remote-control.............
and this lamp..........................
and this ash tray........................ (we've done this before ... sorry !)
(LOVE that movie)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Uncle Dave:
So far - the best idea I can come up with is to just put better keys and more memory in the PSR2000. (like a HD)Put the power supply INSIDE (where it belongs) and make the harmonizer work off of key presses (via midi, maybe) instead of the arranger notes. We really don't need new designs ... we need the old ones fixed !

UD:
Hope you had a great vacation.
You must have read my mind. In my opinion, the Y2K is a "Rolls Royce" without an engine.
Boy, they are so close to making one of the best KBs ever. Why is it that they always fall short on the most basic things used by "live" musicians. Like Storage, easier/simpler file saving procedures, sturdiness, OS upgrade capabilites, so on, and so on..
But let me talk about the things I love about the 2K.
1)Size and weight
2)Great Piano and strings sounds
3)Right hand Chord Harmony. Clean, tight and an incredibel amount of harmonies offered.
4)Midi implementation. (I've made my cleanest best recordings ever with this "pup".)
5)Quiet when asked to.
6)Great Soprano sax.
7)Price.
among others.
I wish the folks at Yamaha were more "in tune" with the "live" Performer, and instead of listening to engineers, the would listen to Us end users.
Regards,
Mario

Mario,
Yup. It's confusing alright.
For me - the chessy keys are too big of a hurdle to overcome. It's not that I need fully weighted keys, but I DO need a good, solid feel under my fingers or I tend to hold back, and then the music suffers.

Dynamics are very hard to compromise, and the 2000's keys just don't give me what I need. I'd rather play something that has less features, as long as I can really PLAY it. I need that solid response to remind me that I'm doing the driving.

I think a lot of players tend to delevope a lighter touch after playing these arrangers because their left hands are doing less and less in the way of actual rhythmic playing.
If all you do is hold your hand down in a chord formation, then a light feel will never bother you, I suppose - but for me, I need the tighter feel of a solid keypad because I play so much full piano and split bass stuff. The whimpy keys just don't give me enough "oooomph". Ya know what I mean?

I saw a friend at the shore this week that useually does a "dueling piano" routine, but his partner called out that night. He brought his son in to fill in on the drums, and it was a great sound. The kid is a terrific drummer, but the pianoman did not do anything different than he would alone. NO left hand bass, no synth layers - straight, strong, rhythm piano and vocals. It did not sound like any thing was missing. He does a style similar to what I do on the piano, although he's much more advanced than I. We play full, two handed chords that include mostly, I-V-I in the left hand. That gives you a strong, powerfull bass that really fills up the arrangement. His routine is mostly a barroom sing-a-long, so he uses NO effects on the vocal (totally dry) and he is constantly stopping for effect during the songs to get the crowd involved. It's a strange concept, if you've never done it - but it really ties a room together and makes a "Cheers" atmosphere. Everyone is involved AS A GROUP - no singers on mics, no one storms the stage. They all just sing from their setas. You know, the crazy hooks that everyone knows in Sweet caroline, Brown Eyed Girl, and that stuff. (Bump, Bump, Bum ! or Sha laa laa laa laa laa laa .... )

Very entertaining way to work a room, but VERY tiring, and very intense. You can't do 40 minute sets in that routine - better pee at the beginning of the set, cause you're gonna be on stage for a while !

Another thing he does that works is this:
He askes that requests be written on a dollar bill and just placed on the piano where he can pick from them. Then, as he picks them - HE drops them in the bowl to show the crowd haw it's done. It's a polite way of begging that really brings the room together, and feeds the kitty quite well.

No requests are played if they are simply shouted out. They must be written on a bill. People also just drop some cash in at the end of their stay as a "thank you" but the bulk of the money comes from the requests.

Just one man's way of doing it. See if it works for you.

UD:
I don't want you to get a "big head", but you never cease to amaze me with your infusion of "good stuff" to this forum. Not to mention that you make reading your contributions a pleasure since you have a clever way of putting things in prospective. Did anybody ever tell you that you should be a writer as well?
Well, enough of the accolades and on to the subject at hand.
I guess we all benefited from your vacation; what a great tip! “a tip on tips”, a clever way of soliciting without being rude, sort of making it fun for people to give to the performer. Although, in my music career I never had the courage to put a “cup” for tips, I admit it’s definitely a “better way of doing it for those out there that have the nerve to do it. I just make sure I collect my tips included in my fee when I sign a contract prior to the gig. My personal opinion is that I don’t want to hinder anyone in the audience from asking for a request since some people don’t want to bother “digging” into their pockets; I know, I know, those “chipos” don’t deserve the request to be played for them any way, but if they ask for it and don’t tip, I feel at least they are interested in your performace, and that’s enough for me. Anyway, it’s a good anecdote, the one about your friend, and what he did in the absence of his partner. One of the advantage of doing a single, is that you never have to depend on anybody to do your thing to your own expectations
As for the keys on Y2K, what do I know? I’ve been only playing keyboards for 3 years. I am just glad that the damn thing has a set of keys to bang on. That’s the problem with you “professionals”, you are too “demanding” and hard to please. Bliss is great! We just don’t know any better.
Glad to have you back!
Mario


[This message has been edited by Mario (edited 07-23-2002).]

I played my PSR2000 at a similar piano bar type situation Friday night, filling in for a friend. There is a BIG tip jar on the pianobar. At the end of the 3-hour job, there was $187.00 in it. A lot were for requests, but at least as much were just tips.
I try to do all requests regardless of whether there is a tip involved, but I must admit I assign a priority to them.
My son in Tulsa called just this morning to tell me about a dueling piano setup there.
They did it as you described--all requests were tips. He said they must have had a thousand bucks in the jar.
Since I started doing the piano bar at the other place about a month ago, I've had a lot of interest and a couple of offers to do it elsewhere. Maybe we're on to something. I thought the piano bar scene was pretty much extinct around here, but it seems it was only dormant.
Let me warn you--you had better be really versatile before trying this type of thing.
Friday one guy kept requesting Sinatra songs (at $5.00 a pop). I think I did about 10.
Another was a Merle Haggard fan, and so on. It is fun but, as Dave said, very intense.
DonM