OK, I THINK I know the answers to these questions, but I just have to be sure, cause I'm scratching some pretty cool keyboards off my list on account of this.

My belief is that a keyboard with a USB-MIDI port is sending MIDI signals based on some code contrived by the keyboard manufacturer. Is that correct? So the keyboard maker could easily construct a USB to MIDI converter so the keyboard could then be used as a controller for other MIDI equipment (assuming it doesn't already have regular MIDI IN/OUT ports). Right?? But a third party manufacturer would have to crack the code to make such a converter. Correctomundo???

The new Yamaha YPG-625 will be crippled in this fashion. It will have a USB-MIDI port but no regular MIDI IN/OUT. This is a better kbd than most people realize. It has tinny speakers -- but many pro kbs have no speaker at all. It has better sounds than most people realize, and 32 voice polyphony and 5 track sequencing is really OK for this type of machine. It's really the lack of real MIDI that makes this keyboard a "toy" rather than a serious musical tool.

It would cost them little more -- pennies perhaps -- to put real MIDI on the YPG line. (A DGX-500 costs no more than a DGX-505.) If they substituted real MIDI for USB-MIDI, it would also guarantee more sales for their MIDI to USB converters. The only reason for leaving out real MIDI is to cut their users off from the whole world of MIDI applications, and avoid competition with their own professional keyboards. A user might be forced to pay $1,000 more to get a pro kbd with similar features and MIDI. Sure, he'd get a sampler in the deal, but some serious musicians don't give a fig about sampling.

Anyone think there's a chance Yamaha will come out with a Yamaha-USB to real MIDI converter? Anyone think another company might come out with one, just to mess over Yamaha??

Suppose you had a work station, like a Roland GW-7, with a USB-MIDI port on it. Any chance you could hook THAT up to the USB-MIDI on a DGX-625 to use the 625 as a controller? Or is that hopelessly wishful tinkin??

Rick