... DGX-300 (76 non-weighted key Yamaha with 600+ sounds, MIDI but no line in, and a disk drive -- $300 rebuilt on eBay) with one of those Radio Shack jobbies (88 weighted keys with a few sounds, MIDI, line in/out, $299) for a live rig??

Using the RS to control the 300, wouldn't you basically have one of the new $750 Yamaha YPG-625's coming out in June? Cept $150 off the sticker, a disk drive, and 76 extra keys to play with? What drawbacks can you foresee? Would the bottom seven notes work?

Total weight would be 49.5 lbs.

Or how bout a DGX-200. No drive, but total price = $490 + shipping.

Sorry if this is a goofy question.

Rick

Hi Rick,
You sound as if you are either trying to save $150 or in a hurry to buy a keyboard.

Here is my opinion. No one has provided review to the YPG-625 yet. Few people on the Zone said they were impressed by the keyboard when they saw it at the winter NAMM. My main concern is how this keyboard sounds (I consider getting the 625 at some time, too). If the 625 sounds superior to the DGX-300/305 it will be better to wait till June . The specs say there are 4 more sweet! cool! and live! voices than the DGX-305. If this is the only difference in the sound department (all other voices are of the same quality as in the DGX-305) then it might not worth to wait till June. In that case, it will be up to you to decide if you want to carry around 2 keyboards weighting 50 lbs or one weighting about 30.

Definitely, no.

Yes

Personally, I own a DGX-305 and I am happy to a certain extent. I miss weighted keys for some of my compositions but I'll go for the YPG-625 only if it sounds superior to my present keyboard. I am looking forward to the first reviews of this keyboard (and especially yours if you decide to wait till June)

Best wishes
George

Hi George,



Ha! Both! Actually, I probably won't do this myself, but it seems like SOMEbody should try it. Computer ... er... Synth power to the people! It's my rebellion against big corporations withholding key features to meet certain price points.

If you can mix and match, improve functionality and save money at the same time, it proves that they're dinkin around with us, and makes us heroes to the little people.

You say it won't be basically (underline basically) the same as a YPG-625. Can you tell me why?



Ah, but do we know that?? The hammer action could add another 10 lbs, no?

I wouldn't worry about the NAMM feedback. In a big room full of 100W speakers, the 625 is going to sound pale.

Good to know A0 to Eb0 will work, though.

Thx,
Rick

Hi Rick,
Skimming through the specifications of the new Yam digital piano P70, which has the same hammer action as YPG-625, I noticed it weights 13kg (~29lbs). I don't expect the 625 to be more than few lbs heavier.
Basically, If you liked to know what the YPG-625 hammer action would be about you should try a P70.
Turning back to your main question
Here's what I think: You'd get a different key action, different sound set, different styles, 625 seems lightweight and easy to carry around. On the other hand, 625 lacks storage media and MIDI connectors but, in exchange, comes with а nice wooden stand. I listed the differences, the most important being first according to my point of view. Other people would list them in different order. Basically, if you went for a DGX-300 & RS controller only the 32 notes polyphony and 88 keys would remain.
I don't say that the 300 and RS would be a bad set-up. You may not like the hammer action of the 625 and, like I said in my previous post, the difference in sound quality may not be significant. On the other hand I'd prefer having both a light and a hammer action keyboards.

What if the 625 was amplified through 200W speakers?

I hope I helped you a bit. I am curious to know what you will decide. If I were you I'd wait till june and try the new keyboard. It is only one month away.

Regards,
George

[This message has been edited by George V (edited 04-22-2006).]

Me Again,

It's fun to compare different models. Basically I think the P70 is a Yamaha's effort to make hammer action available at the minimum possible weight. The P70 has no display, smaller speakers (12x6 vs. 12x12), and fewer speakers (no 3 cm). If you take the dimensions and multiply them out, the volume of the DGX-505 is 63% greater than the P70. If you extrapolate, a DGX-505 with hammer action should weigh 46.87 lbs.!

I hope the YPG-625 won't be that heavy.



Not entirely clear! The Radio Shack is a relabelled Casio PX-100, which has excellent hammer action, by all accounts. I suspect Yamaha ripped off Casio's new (hydraulic, I hear) system for getting hammer action, which helps explain the P70 and the new 625.



The sound sets, styles etc. are all of a piece in the 200/205/300/305/500/505 line. The sound improvements have been pretty incremental. And some people prefer the 200/500 sounds. I have to think the 625 will just be another increment.

Hey George! I just figured out why they stuck us with those USB MIDI ports. I THOUGHT that was a strange upgrade -- take away functionality and steal sales away from their whiz bang MIDI to USB converter at the same time. Ha! They deliberately went out of their way to cripple mixing and matching like I'm suggesting in this thread. THOSE BUGGERS!

Best,
Rick

Hi, I'm bringing this topic to mention that I found out some details on the new YPG-625 (or, as they call it on some internet sites, DGX-620)

- The keyboard weights 25.5kg - that's more than 50lbs, so Rick you were right, that keyboard is going to be heavy.
- the internal flash memory is 875KB - as much as my DGX-305
- there is a USB-TO-DEVICE wich means one will be able to plug in a USB pen drive.

- USB-TO-DEVICE is present on the YPG-525 (DGX-520)
Source: http://release.nikkei.co.jp/attach_file/0130585_03.pdf
it is in Japan but makes sense to people who don't read Japan.
Regards,
George

Hi George,

All I can say is, I hope you're wrong!

Several US sites that are actually selling the YPG-625 list the weight as 44 lbs. The one exception is musiciansbuy, who lists 39.6 lbs.

I can't pull up your link. It says I need latest version of Japanese something or other, which I have no idea how to get. Are they talking about DGX-620 specifically? All US sites taking orders call it YPG-625. Maybe there's a different machine selling in Japan.

I decided not to try the Casio/DGX combo, because it would have to go through the little Casio speakers, and they just don't cut it, IMHO.

Rick

A small correction: those Radio Shack pianos are a rebranded Casio CDP-100, not PX-100... it has even fewer features than the PX-100 but it's still a great value. And if you want one you better get it soon because they are discontinued and are reportedly getting hard to find. I use one as a controller with my Yamaha 9000 Pro (with PLG150-PF and DX card) and love it... excellent action and very light.

Thanks, Esh. I actually knowed dat. I've gotten much smarter over the last month.

R.

Hi Rick,
Judging from pictures and specs, the YPG-625 and DGX-620 are the same keyboard.
My Acrobat Reader (v. 7.0) downloaded the Japanese font automatically. There was written '8.3kg' under DGX-220 and '25.5kg' under the DGX-620. Perhaps that is the weight including the bench:
25.5kg (japanese) - 18kg (musiciansbuy) = 7.5kg

Moreover, according to my DGX-305/505 manual, the DGX-505 bench weights 7.5kg.

Regards,
George

I have played the DGX-620(625 in the USA)...it is awesome.
The action is Graded Hammer...as good as it gets.
The piano sound is the Live Grand from the Tyros/3k.
The one I played(this past weekend) was a prototype but in essence a production model...it was the only one in Canada.
Very nice piece.It is not light,nor was it meant to be...it is a home piano,not a portable keyboard.
Ian

And 18kg = 39.68 lbs! That is some nice detective work, George. I tend to believe the musiciansbuy specs (even though they don't respond to my emails) because they post big picture files, and more detailed dimensions. So apparantly, they actually pulled out a tape measure.



ianmcnll, I'm glad you like the kbd. The confusing thing is they advertise this as "Yamaha's first 88-key Graded Hammer System weighted action portable keyboard." Yet, the P70 has GHS and weighs 28.7 lbs! PR people live in their own world. The P70 isn't part of their "portable grand" series, so ... must not be portable!

Rick

The P70 doesn't have accompaniment.It also doesn't have as many sounds.
They are different products for different markets.
You may find a lighter weighted action,but it won't have the quality of Yamaha's GH (Graded Hammer)which is considered the best by many pros.

Ian

Yup. And the P70 also has smaller speakers, fewer speakers, and no display. I didn't mean to question whether the YPG-625 was better than the P70. Only meant to question Yamaha's use of the English language.

The sentence: "The YPG-625 is Yamaha's first 88-key Graded Hammer System weighted action portable keyboard." is clearly false, which they should know. The P70 is their product!



As far as I know, the hammer action should be identical between the two. They are both Graded Hammer Standard action (GHS).

Peace,
Rick

The P70 is not a portable keyboard.It is a digital piano.
The DGX is a portable keyboard....it is basically a PSR with 88 keys.It is the first with weighted keys.

Do you think you will ever find what you're looking for?

Ian

Nice picture.

Ian

Hi
Rick, I don't think Yamaha use the English language in a wrong way.
P70 is a digital piano
DGX-620 is an arranger
All that the both keyboards have in common is the GHS system. Grand Piano patches are different. I presume the P70 sounds better.

I think that Ian's sentence was confusing. In my opinion DGX-620 is as portable as DGX-505. I think the major problem connected with its portability of these 88-keys is the size of the keyboard, not its weight.

Anyway, are 18kg too much for a portable keyboard? How much a Tyros 2 weights?

Regards,
George

You're right,George,my statement was confusing.Sorry.
I guess I was thinking about the big wooden stand that comes with the DGX that gives it a distinctly "homey" look.
I played one for the better part of two days and I liked the sound and the action.
It doesn't give as many fingering options as the higher end PSR (like On Bass)but it does have the "Full Keyboard" option which is important to some players.
It is not that heavy,but it's size does make for awkwardness.

Ian

Well, I guess I'm the one who doesn't understand the English language. How can you say the P70 is not a portable keyboard??? You can put it in a soft case and carry it around. It weighs less than the DGX. It has lots of keys. THAT MAKES IT A KEYBOARD. I just don't get it.



I ordered the YPG-625 two weeks ago.



Well I do! They've got ianmcnll thinking a keyboard is not a keyboard! Or a piano is not a keyboard, or SOMEthing.

Don't let marketing departments affect how you interpret the English language! The language belongs to the people. I was called "a keyboard player" long, LONG before the first Moog synthesizer was invented.

Rick

Ianmcnll is doing just fine my friend.I've been with Yamaha 26 years and they haven't fooled me yet(well maybe a little)
I'm sure glad you finally bought something.

Ian

Hi Rick.
It is the terminology that confuses u. I think they shoud have called the YPG-625 "the first portable arranger with 88 GH keys".

I am looking forward to your review of this keyboard. It looks superb on that large picture!

Regards,
George