Here is an email I sent to Tamaha's "infostation." It will be interesting to see if I get a response.

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Dear Yamaha,

I am in the market for a portable digital piano in the $800 range. It has been quite an education. I have compared the Casio Privia PX-555R with your DGX-505 at the Guitar Center in Lake Forest. I much prefer the instrument sounds on your 505 (especially the winds!). But as a classical pianist, of course I greatly prefer the weighted hammer action on the Privia. So I was quite excited to see that you're coming out with a weighted action version of the DGX-505 in June -- the YPG-625.

However, I am informed by some serious synth guys that the YPG-625 will not have a real MIDI IN/OUT interface, and this will make it impossible to use the YPG-625 as a controller without setting up a computer as host. Therefore, sad to say, I'm probably going to have to choose the Privia. I really wanted the option to use a tone module on gigs with my keyboard without having to lug around a laptop. I am also starting to look at cheap keyboard controllers that I could hook up to a tone module such as your MU15 or a Roland E-09.

Can you possibly tell me if my reasoning is wrong? Can you tell my why the decision was made to go with a USB port instead of the more flexible MIDI IN/OUT connectors? If there is a reasonable explanation, I will post it on some of the bulletin boards devoted to keyboards and synths. It may well have an impact on other musician's buying decisions.

Sincerely,
real name