I posted a piano sound at the PSR Tutorial site specifically for Yamaha keyboards used in combination with the Bose L1. It took just a few minutes to create the sound, which is based upon the GM Grand Piano voice, then modified a bit to create depth. A lot of folks downloaded it and use the voice exclusively. Check it out.

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

I find the Yamaha Stereo Grands just a tad 'phasey' even on normal speakers. It just, IMO, gets a little funny in the middle, the edges are fine, but the middle of the keyboard feels just a bit hollow.

How well does it collapse down to mono (say you just use the mono out jack instead of running stereo)? Does it sound weird compared to when it's in stereo...? That's usually a sign of poor phase alignment during the sampling sessions, and is very hard to get rid of if it's in the samples themselves.

The "Live!" sounds in the Yamaha are designed to sound their best when played through stereo speakers.

Whilst some astute listeners may find the "Live!Grand" sound "phasey", it is this very slight animation that gives Yamaha's stereo grand piano the ultra realistic sound that seems to escape some of the other brands(not named to protect the guilty ).

You must remember that Yamaha has been making "real" acoustic pianos for over 100 years(something many other brands cannot claim), so they do know a thing or three about how a realistic piano sample should sound.

The Bose L1, unfortunately, does not reproduce these "Live" sounds well because it is mono.

Virtually any "stereo sampled grand" sounds much better in stereo.

Ditto on board Leslie effects, stereo chorus and delays...they just sound much more deluxe in stereo.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if a player wants to hear his stereo sampled sounds at their best, playing through a mono amp just won't cut it.

I liked the Bose L1 for it's exceptional sound spread and it's quality, but it is not the best system for reproducing stereo sounds, in my opinion.

Ian

Scott,

I have owned the Stagepas 300 since last December using it mostly for nursing home audiences up to 100 (usually less). Although I still like this system for the portability and (mostly) good sound, from my experience, there 3 main issues:

1. Some loss of midrange frequencies. I perform using pre-recorded backing tracks and some MIDI files mixed on my home system with Logitech Z5300 speakers and converted to MP3. I noticed right away that I had to do some remixing to beef up some of the more subtle parts such as rhythm guitar and keyboard. This is a frequent complaint with his system.

2. Not the best reverb, although there is a "sweet spot" where it sounds OK. Of course this wouldn't be an issue for you with a T2.

3. The most noticeable problem for me is a lack of speaker dispersion and presence of falloff. If you are in the sweet spot, this system can sound pretty good but it is a small sweet spot. I work one room in particular that is probably 80 by 65 feet with good acoustics. I place the speakers about 15 feet apart and get a great sound. However, if a room is much wider than it is deep or asymmetrical in some way the dispersion problem becomes very apparent. Also, the power is what I would describe as just adequate even for the jobs I do. Speaker falloff is very noticeable as little as 30-40 feet away, but with 50 people may not be an issue.

Good points about the system? Great portability and setup speed. Good bass response for small speakers. Great sound (I especially like the vocal sound) for the money which was the clincher for me. I paid $700 for the system with the poles and roller-case so it was a great way to get started with nursing homes. I am now using a Yamaha subwoofer with his system (just a regular home theatre type) to get a little more bass and clean up the mains.

I play 4-10 jobs a month and if my finances ever warrant it, I would probably move to the Bose L1 but for now the Stagepas is a compromise for me that works for the type of jobs I do.

"You must remember that Yamaha has been making "real" acoustic pianos for over 100 years(something many other brands cannot claim), so they do know a thing or three about how a realistic piano sample should sound."

Ian, you would think they could get it right by now!!!...

They got it right for the right people, Fran.

Ian

http://www.purgatorycreek.com/index.html

You want to start comparing apples to apples in sampled pianos, this is as good as it gets.

You can download the files, put them in a random playlist, and blindfold pick your favorites. Be prepared to be surprised!

Plus, you get an opportunity to see just HOW good the current crop of software streaming piano sets have gotten (and the modeling ones like Pianoteq 2). Ivory blows me away!

[This message has been edited by Diki (edited 09-04-2007).]

BTW, the PA800 and Tyros2 pianos (and the new MotifXS) are on their New Entries page (also in the regular Yamaha and Korg Pages), the G70 is the same as FantomX Ultimate Grand..

How about uploading the S900 piano, Ian? The MIDI file for the piece is at the site, play it through the S900, capture it with the incredibly handy MP3 recorder, and upload the file...

I got to say how much improved the PA800's piano is compared to earlier Korgs. They've FINALLY made a piano I can stand (I have a Trton w/Pianocard, before you all get huffy!)...

Sorry...I've decided to remove the link.

Ian

[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 09-04-2007).]

You want to upload it to Purgatory Creek, Ian?

Thanks, BTW...

[This message has been edited by Diki (edited 09-04-2007).]