Originally posted by ThePro:

"If there was any doubt at all that Yamaha does not consider arranger keyboards to be professional-use keyboards, it should be laid to rest now. I feel like I've been patted on the head and told not to worry about unnecessary things like setting MIDI channels that might scare me..."

Sad but true. The 9000Pro carries the connotation of a "Professional" Keyboard hence the word 9000"Pro"fessional and Yamaha built the Keyboard with that in mind hoping to attract the Professional Musician. For the Tech person to give an answer like that just goes to show you that they Market a Keyboard one way but in actuality when the rubber meets the road the Keyboard falls short, "even by their own admission", albeit unbeknownst to the Musician who thinks he or she purchased a 'true' Professional grade Keyboard, having trusted Yamaha's spiel about the 9000Pro.

Yamaha should either "Fish or cut Bait" as they say. In other words: Focus on what your doing Yamaha or stop doing it altogether. If you market a Keyboard as Professional make sure when you sell it to an innocent person off the street that he or she can rest assured they are truly getting what they paid for and what they thought they were buying ie., a "True in every way Professional Keyboard". The Motif can be bought for 1/2 the price of the 9000Pro yet your worried that a 9000Pro user doesn't have the brains (he sure has the money though) to do serious professional level work on his Keyboard? Give him or her the tools, which, btw, he or she thought they were getting to begin with, and I am sure that person, if they don't already know how, will take the time and effort needed to learn about and use it to its intended full potential. They forked over the cash in the tune of twice that of a Motif 6. Give them more credit than what your Tech is conveying in that reply to ThePro. They trusted you when you said the 9000Pro was a professional grade Keyboard and were willing to pay the price on that assumption. Can you do no less Yamaha than give your customers a product that lives up to its 'name' in every aspect of the word "Professional"?

Best regards,
Mike

PS: I realize as CEO, Shuji Ito is trying to turn around less than stellar Business results Yamaha's Music Division was facing just a few short years ago, and he seems to be doing just that. But in the process Yamaha Music Division seems to be cutting corners on some of their products in the area of Quality Vs Quantity. You are mass producing your Keyboards and selling them at a reasonable price point in the hopes of attracting more customers which is commendable. But in doing that you are oftentimes leaving out the "Serious Professional Keyboardist" by producing less than "Professional Grade" Keyboards. The
very 'Customer' who has the potential of being your mainstay and also your substantial bread and butter are the ones you are not providing for.

Man!!!, how I wish that Shuji Ito visited this site. He could sure learn a thing a two from all our SZ members vast storehouse of Knowledge and insight and in what the Professional Keyboardist really wants and needs and demands in a Keyboard.




[This message has been edited by Idatrod (edited 06-20-2003).]