I finally pulled the trigger and bought an arranger! I wanted something high-end but at a substantially reduced price. The best of both worlds and I think I have obtained my objective. I just couldn't justify forking over big bucks for a Tyros 5 when it still incorporates USB 2.0 (an obsolete standard since 2010) and Yammie also refused to bump up the polyphony on the Tyros 5 even after owners complained of note drop off on the Tyros 4. As arrangers become more complex and feature rich they need faster processors and more polyphony. But the Big Three still hasn't gotten the message regarding polyphony. I suspect Yammie will increase the polyphony on the Tyros "6" but don't be surprised if they also raise the price.

So what did I end up getting? Steve Deming will probably faint because I actually bought a Tyros 3 for several hundred dollars less than I paid for my Tyros. As you know the Tyros 3 was the king of the hill just a few short years ago and of course it also has the physical drawbars and an internal hard drive plus the option of adding additional memory for loading samples. The Drum Kits were improved on the Tyros 3 but obviously the Tyros 5 Drum Kits are even better. But at what cost? The Tyros 5 is about $6,000 out the door so you do the math. I would love to own a 76 key high end arranger but only if it is worth the price of admission. In my humble opinion the Tyros 5 falls short of that ideal but of course that is my own personal opinion. The main Concert Grand on the Tyros 5 appears to be a step backward in terms of realism. Quality control issues have also diminished the roll out of the Tyros 5 and some issues are still left unresolved. In fact the Tyros 4 also experienced weird anomalies after it was released which have been thoroughly documented by Tyros 4 owners and are in addition to the polyphony note drop off issue. Adding a 76 key version has amped up enthusiasm for the Tyros 5 in general but the enthusiasm has been subdued somewhat because of the various bugs that have plagued Yammie's latest flagship. That said, it's still an excellent arranger keyboard and if you have money to burn then be my guest. Yamaha has been fairly astute in providing firmware updates for the Tyros 5 and so hopefully all of these various issues will get corrected in the near future. Although I'm not sure they'll be able to fix the Concert Grand piano. Having said that..

If Yamaha releases a Tyros "6"/76 key version in three or four years and they give it USB 3.1, 256 note polyphony, a real Sampler, micro editing, an SSD hard drive, streaming capability, a quad core processor, physical modeling, VH3 and some other cutting edge features... I'll be the first in line to get one... even if it costs an arm and a leg. I don't mind shelling out big bucks IF (and that's a BIG IF) the keyboard is worth it. I like the Tyros 5 but it has a few shortcomings and the astronomical price tag is one of them. The lack thereof of certain professional features is another reason and that's the main reason why I passed on the Tyros 5, in combination, with its astronomical price tag.

I should receive the Tyros 3 tomorrow by UPS. In fact, it's sitting at a local UPS Distribution Center and I was hoping to pick it up myself on Saturday after it arrived there but they are closed on Saturday and Sunday. I saw some photos of the keyboard before I bought it from the Guitar Center in Arlington, TX. It looks like it's in pristine condition from the photos the rep sent me via email. The GC rep also said the Tyros 3 was loaded with premium sounds so I'll have to take his word on that. After it arrives on Monday I'll do a thorough inspection to make sure everything is on the up and up. If there is any physical damage or any other problem I have a 30 day money back guarantee.

By the way I'm not trying to diss Yamaha. In my opinion Yamaha is a reputable corporation and they also have a fairly decent customer service department. There might have been a culture of complacency that developed at Yamaha Japan during the production of the Tyros 4 and the Tyros 5 and that is perhaps why those two keyboards have experienced numerous quality control issues after they were released to the public. Complacency can lead to shoddy workmanship and I'm just wondering if that's not the result of consumers continuing to buy the Tyros series upgrades irregardless of the build quality and therefore Yamaha has perhaps taken a lackadaisical attitude knowing that they'll still sell boat loads of them even if they aren't built to quality standards. If the same type of thing happens to the Tyros "6" it will be even more of an indication that Yamaha is slacking off and if that's the case then Yamaha's reputation could take a hit. Shoddy workmanship can negatively affect the marketplace and the economy, which in turn, can negatively affect a company's reputation. And by no means am I singling out Yamaha. Roland rushed the Fantom G to market back in 2008 and it was half-baked when it arrived at stores. Over the last few years Roland has lost money hand over fist but thankfully there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel because Roland's fortunes have reversed somewhat in 2014. Once again it demonstrates that consumers are way down on the totem pole when it comes to company policy. By the way, it doesn't hurt to discuss these things because transparency is necessary in order that issues such as this can be dealt with and hopefully rectified. Ethics should be vitally important to businesses and corporations alike because it ensures the public's trust in the private sector and the survivability of the companies themselves. PS: If you don't hear from me for a while I hope you'll understand. It'll take some time familiarizing myself with the Tyros 3 as well as running the gambit on all the sounds and styles. It's a dirty job but somebody's gotta to do it right?

All the best, Mike