Tonight I was in a Billy Joel mood, and I did alot of solo piano arrangements from the early days ....
Piano Man, Captain jack, Summer Highland Falls, NY State Of Mind - you know the style, lots of busy, two handed pounding. Well, I must say .... I was getting nervous as I dug in to the psr2k. I just don't think it will take that kind of playing in any great ammounts. I started hearing a "clicking" noise that was purely mechanical, and I only heard it when I was digging into the changes.
I sure hope I'm wrong about the road-worthyness of this little beast because it's so convienient to use, and SO LIGHT !
How are y'alls holding up?

Uncle Dave,
Mine's holding up fine so far (no mechanical clicking noises), but to be honest, I too have been feeling nervous about this issue. There have been moments when I wonder if the the keys will hold up over time. The 2000 was definitely not designed to endure the type of heavy duty playing (pounding) which is such an integral part of traditional rock and roll (Jerry Lee Lewis, Elton John, & Billy Joel) keyboard playing. To help overcome my tendency of really wanting to dig into the changes, I turn UP the volume of the main & left parts higher than normal. When real gutsy rock and roll playing is required, I think you're gonna have to drag out the HEAVY duty aresenal (weighted action board). So far though, I continue to opt for the lightweight PSR2000 and make adjustments to my playing style. - Scott

PS: The EV SxA100's are continuing to work out real well. Though the Mackie SRM450's may sound a tad better, the EV's much lighter weight and size (very ergonomic) make it much easier to handle. Though I do miss stereo when taking only one speaker, I've found that even one SxA100 speaker will handle most smaller to medium sized venues quite nicely; and it's one less piece to have to haul and setup as well.
- Scott

Stereo will spoil you big time. I pretty much always use both speakers unless it's such a small deal that the KB speakers can be heard - then it's stereo image anyway. When this is the case, I usually place the speaker very close to the kb base, and use the angle brackets to face up and out at the crowd. This way - the basic stereo image is still progected straight up anyway.... even if it IS at a lower volume.

I think the 2000 will hold up to the way I play. Having never been a piano player, I realize that banging the keys harder does not produce louder sound as it does on a piano. At least after the touch sensitivity point is reached.
I learned this lesson many years ago by having to replace all the key mechanism on a Lowry organ. Big Bucks.
There was a really great piano player here some years ago. (He's now in Las Vegas). I finally barred him from playing my keyboards simply because he would get so into the song that he would physically break the keys.
I always use stereo, mostly for my own enjoyment.
Uncle Dave and I are much alike in caring for our vocal cords. Don't strain. Alcohol is bad for you, not only for what it does physically, but it can make you lose control and start screaming. Also, it makes you THINK you sound better, when it generally has the opposite effect.
The second-hand smoke has long been one of my pet peeves. That's the great part of working in the Nursing Homes.
I gnerally drink warm beverages before the gig, and water or juice during.
There are generally several "guest" vocalists who are more than willing to do the screaming type songs. Incidentally, the compressor/limiter in the PSR's is great for these guys/girls!
DonM

Yup - that's what's missing from these "light action" keys. You only get so much dynamics, and then you're just abusing the thing. I really try not to bang, but some styles are difficult for me to execute with a "loungy" touch. Sometimes, I just gotta pound it out.
BTW - I almost never let strangers play my boards - for the very reason that Don stated. I "baby" these tools, and I need it to work EVERY day. Guests rarely share my "kinder, gentler" approach to playing.

Yes UD.
I never let strangers to make use of my tooth brush and my profi kbs ,too!!
Brasilian regards,
Chico(Loving 9000Pro )

Yes the keys are flimsy in the psr 740 too. That is one of the reason (among some others) why i chose to buy the 740 instead of the 2000. Unfortunately, I am used to the xp60 keys, which offer much higher threshold for digging in. Fortunately, though i am keeping my xp60 and whenever i have to dig in, i just midi to the 740, and play it through the xp60, where the keys don't make those irritating squeaky mechanical sounds, like the key is about to split in half if you hit it another time a little too hard.
In the shop you don't hear these kinds of noises because of all the other surrounding interference. Fortunately, though, I was able to get a rare quiet time with the psr2k, and noticed its mechanical squeaks, similar to the psr740, and decided there and then, as far as key plastic/springs quality is concerned yamaha is still being stingy. Although the 2k pitch and mod wheels are much better than teh 740.
Its surprising that the psr 740 and 2k which are made in japan are having the same quality keys as the psr160 which is a much lower model and made in malaysia.
Nevertheless, I am using the psr740 as much as i can, so that if there is a weak key on the keyboard it breaks before the warranty runs out.
Another thing i noticed is that the plastic used for the psr keys is very low quality. It is very thin, and feels like th stuff they use to make bath tumblers for third world countries. Compared to the xp60 keys, the psr's have a long way to go.
Why I chose to buy the psr 740 over the psr 2k?
1.Did they increase the quality of the keys? NO
2.Did they increase the quality of the vocal harmonizer? NO
3.Did they increase the quality of the sounds? Only 4megs worth, NOt worth it for me, since I have the xp60 which has 8megs built in, and space for more.
4.Did they put in a better interface? Yes, but now its too busy, with so many buttons. Plus the screen reminds me of my ancient Toshiba 286 laptop, makes me feel like I am supposed to have a mouse to navigate it. Furthermore, I felt it detracts from the music. I like my screens ugly/stoic like the xp60, keeps me centered on the music rather than twiddling my fingers to see which function I might experiment with next.
5.Any other significant improvement? Yes good sequencer, but my xp60 more than makes up for that, better sound editing, again xp60 sound editing covers.
6.I would have bought the psr1000 if they had put 64 voices, instead of the 32.
7.For home use, the psr740 coupled with the xp60 is a great choice. I don’t know about pro use. The pros have their own good reasons.

P.S. Be careful, when I heard one of my psr160 keys squeaking, I didn't give it much thought, and then a couple of weeks later the spring was shot and now the key just hangs.

I had a psr550 for two weks and it developed a keyboard problem with one of the keys (c3) having a different response from the others,and I played it very lightly. The time I spent with the 2000,it felt like the same low quality keyboard. This was more expected at $500 than at $1200.
Bill