I think a few things made the 9000 PRO a failed experiment. One is the weight factor. At a little over 45 lbs. the PRO is not a piece of cake to lug around. And I think the Manufacturers are finally starting to realize that weight is a BIG consideration for Keyboardists and I think Arranger Keyboardists in particular because Arranger keyboardists, being OMB/s in most case scenarios, pack and transport their Arranger keyboards to Gigs multitudes of times a week in many instances. OTOH, regular Synth Workstations and Organ/Combos, etc. are often times setup over long periods in a single spot, not being moved around at all. Instances where that might happen is Churches, Business establishments where a long standing Gig is contracted and the Keyboard or Portable Organ/Combo is simply left there until the contract has expired. Or many times Roadies do the dirty work and the Keyboardist is absolved from lugging his own equipment around.

One fine example of a 76 Key 'Workstation' being fairly light is the new Roland Fantom X7. At only 32 lbs. it would be considered "light" and much more easily transportable when compared to the 9000 PRO or most every other 76 Key Arranger or Workstation keyboard around.

Another reason the 9000 PRO was a failed experiment IMO was at the time the PRO was introduced in the year 2000 Arranger Keyboards still had that "Home Keyboard" image tacked on to it/them in the minds of most traditional Workstation/Synth Keyboardists and because of that preceived notion they simply passed on getting the PRO. As of Nov. 2004 I think the image of Arranger Keyboards (particularly the High End models) preceived as only 'Home Keyboards' is changing. And as word spreads more and more of not only the Professional quality status and Sounds in Arranger Keyboards but of their extreme beneficial functionality on a Professional level in a Gigging environment,etc., then more and more traditionalists will be willing IMO to plunk down their hard earned cash to buy one.

And another big reason I think the PRO was a failed experiment not only in the eyes of Yamaha but in the experience of PRO owners themselves in many instances, is the fact that the Chip[s] used to power the PRO are under powered. This has been acknowledged by Music Industry experts btw. I'm not just pulling that info out of my hat so to speak. They put sooooo many features on the 9000 PRO that the Chip has a rather tough time handling (powering) all of them sufficiently. Different problems have been reported on the PRO that have been linked directly to the Processor's inability to handle all of the instructions appropriately, accordingly, and sufficiently, i.e. with sufficient power and response time.

But todays Chips are much more powerful and efficient and speedier so the only way a 76 Key Arranger would not work in the eyes of Yamaha is that they simply don't want to build it. The technology is there, the resources are there, the market is there, the viability is there, but they seemed to be stuck in a "61 Key" rut if you asked me. But I am still holding out a glimmer of hope that the Tyros II will have the option of a 76 Key Model.

PS: Steve Deming reads these posts, so it can't hurt to voice our overwhelming support for a 76 Key Professional Arranger keyboard. I mean; it's not like we already have a 'currently produced' Yamaha high end 76 Key Arranger keyboard that's available for purchase or on the market. So raising our voices in support of one seems the logical and most effective way of possibly getting one produced.

Btw, I think Yamaha is making a mistake IMO if they don't produce a high end Professional 76 Key Arranger Workstation keyboard. I think they will lose a significant market to the likes of Roland with its new G70 Arranger and Korg of course with the PA1X PRO. I'm looking for Ketron to eventually offer a replacement model to the SD-1 in the near future also, and possibly GEM will get on the band wagon too. But GEM needs to lower their prices significantly IMO if they want to really compete with the Big 3 and Ketron.

I think the "KEY" is the weight issue. If Yamaha makes a 76 Key Tyros II and it weighs in at significantly less than the competition, then they should be able to gain a significant potential market share from Roland and Korg, etc. and they should do extremely well on the sales end of things. A win, win situation IMO. But Yamaha needs to keep the price within reason too. If they beat the competition in the "$$$$" arena also, then that will only add to its attractiveness.

Best regards,
Mike



[This message has been edited by keybplayer (edited 11-13-2004).]