Yeah... it’s amazing how car manufacturers keep selling boxes with wheels at each corner and an engine to get you around!
Where’s those damn flying cars we were promised back in the 50’s? 😂
If the progress that Yamaha made doubling the polyphony and upping the insert effects to 28 amongst other very significant changes isn’t enough for you, you might be setting your expectations a bit high! There’s an awful lot more to an arranger than the raw style engine.
What exactly were you hoping for?
,
I agree with you that Yamaha took the Arranger World by surprise when they released the GENOS in 2017. No other Arranger Keyboard can match the 28 insert effects of the GENOS even today.
These effects help bring out the polished studio quality backing tracks and lead voices. The Yamaha GENOS sounds stellar.
What really makes owning a GENOS so attractive is the eco-system that Yamaha has built around it.
Yamaha went the extra mile supporting their user base by releasing all OS updates for free and offering 59 Voice & Style Expansion Packs for free:
https://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/contents/keyboards/vse/index.htmlWithin this staggering collection of voices, styles and registrations there is something for everybody. They used to cost around $100 per pack.
Yamaha has their MusicSoft website where you can download the Premium Quality XF Midi Files optimized for your GENOS.
https://shop.usa.yamaha.com/downloadablesThen we have all these Forums and Websites set up by Yamaha Arranger Fans that offer a wealth of Styles, Midi Files, Lessons, Technical Help and Tips & Tricks that puts a new owner at ease.
Let me list a few:
1.
The SynthZone Forum run by Nigelhttp://www.synthzone.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/37/1/General_Arranger_Keyboard_ForuThis is the premiere forum for professional Keyboard Players. Every question gets answered by the experts from around the world.
We are already here!!
2.
The PSR Tutorial Forumhttps://www.psrtutorial.com/forum/This forum is dedicated to Yamaha Arrangers. It was set up by
Joe Waters 20 years ago and now
Roger Brenizer helps with the administration.
I was completely stunned when I realized the size of their resource library comprising of Midi Files, Song Styles and MP3 files of actual performances.
Although one can download everything piece meal, it is much more convenient to have Gary copy the products you want on a thumb drive and mail it to you for a small price.
https://www.psrtutorial.com/cdrom/productsum.htmlI was delighted with my purchase. It showcases the talents of the Yamaha user base.
No other keyboard manufacturer has anything that parallels what Joe has done to popularize the Yamaha Arranger Keyboards.
3.
Create Song Styleshttps://createsongstyles.com/You can find Lead Sheets, PDFs, Yamaha Song Styles, MIDI Files, MP3 Files for almost every Song you can think of.
The membership is $20/year which is very reasonable.
4.
Yamaha Keyboard Players Forumhttps://www.yamahakeyboardplayers.com/This forum was set up by
Eileen Lowry. She is an accomplished player and an expert on the Yamaha GENOS. She answers every single question. This is her life, her passion.
5.
Yamaha Musicians Forumhttps://www.yamahamusicians.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=160This is another great resource to have your technical questions answered on the GENOS.
6.
Strawberry Music Ltdhttps://www.strawberrymusicltd.com/This company is run by
Neil Blake.
He has painstakingly developed several products for the Yamaha GENOS. They come with the printed Music Book and 10 GENOS Registrations for each of the 100 songs for a total of 1000 registrations.
Neil has his YouTube Channel where he demonstrates his products by playing a few of the songs using his registrations.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Fvpt5m4-EMuxkXQEKKH7w/videosYou could take his thumb drive and begin to play on your GENOS without having to think about what Style to use and what Voices to layer for a specific song.
7.
Easy Soundshttps://easysoundsshop.de/yamaha-electronic-keyboards/yamaha-genos/One of the third party sources that design excellent sounds for the GENOS.
8.
eBayYou will find as astonishing collection of GENOS Styles and MIDI Files from various sellers.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-GENOS-Professional-Styles-and-MIDIS-DOWNLOAD/254684075024This is a must have collection of 10,000 Styles, 5000 Midi Files and hundreds for Song Styles for your GENOS.
9.
YouTubeWant to see what the Yamaha GENOS is capable of?
Search for Peter Baartmans, Martin Harris or Michel Voncken.
There are too many jaw-dropping performances by these keyboard wizards to list.
Add to that all the inspiring performances uploaded by various GENOS fans.
10.
The Unofficial YAMAHA Keyboard Resource Sitehttp://www.jososoft.dk/yamaha/fora.htmThis website run by
Jørgen Sørensen has a treasure trove of free MIDI Utilities to maximize the potential of your GENOS.
You can spend days and months deep diving into these fascinating programs.
11.
Frank Ventrescahttps://www.AudioProCT.comFrank is the owner of
AudioProCT , in Milford, Connecticut.
All it takes is one email to
Frank@AudioProCT.com and he would deliver your GENOS at your doorstep at a fair price well below all major music retailers.
Frank alone is responsible for over half of all Arranger sales in the US. He is a musician who loves arrangers.
Why am I listing all these sources?It is to remind a prospective buyer that an exhaustive feature set with tons of bells and whistles does not automatically make an Arranger Keyboard become the market leader.
It also must come with a supporting eco-system.
Users must be able to communicate, share ideas, songs, styles and have a platform to showcase their work.
They must be able to buy their gear from reliable sources at a fair price from a person they trust.
By some sheer luck, the Yamaha GENOS community has grown to becoming a nurturing environment for new and seasoned owners.
If you buy a GENOS, you will be in good hands!
Yes, there are many improvements that can be introduced down the line. This does not take away from the fact that Yamaha has put a lot of thought and effort into designing their flagship GENOS Arranger Keyboard.
We can look back in time and see how much Yamaha has pushed the Arranger Technology.
I remember purchasing a Yamaha PC1000 keyboard that used PlayCards. This predates MIDI.
Looking back what we had then, you cannot dismiss the Yamaha GENOS or the Yamaha Clavinova CVP 809GP as a rehash of old technology.
Every generation has helped expand the envelope of possibilities.
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