The Tyros 2 was reviewed in the Feb issue of Keyboard Mag.. It even has a quote/advice to the reviewer,,from Jim Eshelman...

Ok Fran, since I haven't received my Feb subscription issue of Keyboard Mag yet (and it's still not available at my local newstand either), please tell us more about that review: the reviewer's name, summary of reviewer's impressions, as well as what quoted advice our fellow forum member Jim Eshleman (Esh), had given in that review as well. Thanks.

- Scott

Scott, Stephen Fortner did the review..He was very impressed with the sounds and thought it was far better than the original..On the negative, he complained of sluggish response when pushing buttons...He appears not to be an arranger type guy..

He makes mention that the T2 can not compete with the G70 in the organ department..He also says the T2 is the best sax he has found..

He also seemed excited about the T2 vocalizer[this might go against his expert opinions]..

Jim was giving credits for his advice on proper timing while making chord changes in style play...apparently Fortner has some trouble with this...Jim advised playing slightly ahead of the measure of chord changes..Fortner continued with stating the T2 handled this well..

I'm having a senior moment. I thought I knew Stephen Fortner, but I was thinking of Scott Fournier with Roland. Time for another cup of coffee.

Joe

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

[This message has been edited by Songman55 (edited 01-26-2006).]

There are a couple sound reasons I stopped my subscription to Keyboard Magazine, one of which is their lack of sound articles and reviews pertaining to arranger keyboards. Nearly all of the articles related to synths, synth software, and all the associated gadgets and gizmos that interfaced with synths in huge recording studios. Additionally, many of the so called experts doing the reviews had very little technical knowledge about arranger keyboards and their operating systems. From my standpoint, Keyboard Magazine was great for firing up the wood stove.

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Ditto !!

Ian

I'm on that page too I started subscribing to keyboard mag a little over a year ago because of a review they did on a Casio Privia digital piano. Each issue I waited for more articles related to arranger keyboards and they were few and far between. Generally, I've been disappointed with the content of the magazine, my last issue was delivered yesterday, I won't be renewing.

[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 01-26-2006).]

I haven't read the article yet but I can tell you what happened. First, some years ago I was disturbed by Keyboard's review of the Yamaha 9000 Pro - they gave it to a girl who worked solely in a commercial recording studio for review, and predictably her lukewarm review came down to "what do you need this for in a recording studio?". I complained that it should have been reviewed by a solo performer and preferably in actual live use, but my advice was ignored. Then Stephen Fortner, who is a very thoughtful writer as well as a contributor to the Keyboard magazine online forums (and now technical editor for Keyboard), did a review of the Roland G70 last year where he tried it out by using it with his band which virtually skipped over the arranger features. I publicly gave Keyboard Magazine a kick in the pants for that and pretty much let it be known that Keyboard on the whole was treating arranger keyboards unfairly. Stephen also did the Keyboard review of the Yamaha PSR3000, which was done better, but he agreed that arrangers overall were not being given their due by the magazine and promised that he would review the Tyros 2 by actually using it as a solo performer. He asked me for advice on features and use and it seems he found some of my tips helpful. I like Stephen Fortner and believe that his recent promotion will help guide Keyboard Magazine to a broader perspective.

In light of the above comments re. Keyboard Magazine, here's a link to a UK publication called Keyboard Player which I think is aimed more in the direction of the interests of most folks on this board.

They have reviews of over 100 Yamaha models and dozens of other brands as well. Here's the link. Enjoy!
http://www.keyboardplayer.com/hardware.php?manufacturer=Yamaha

Oh, I just noticed they make a charge to read each review - I guess that's not so cool.

Fran & Esh: Thanks for filling us in with your capsulated summaries. I look forward to reading the full review as soon as my subscription copy arrives.

On the subject of Keyboard Magazine itself, though it doesn't cover arranger keyboards much, it's come a long way from a mere 5 years ago, when not only were there absolutely no arranger kb reviews, but arranger kbs were not even mentioned in the new products section. Now, new model arrangers are typically included in the new product annoucements section.

I for one, continue to enjoy reading Keyboard Magazine. Not only does it include reviews of the latest keyboard related equipment/software, but I especially enjoy the articles about legendary, as well current and upcoming keyboard artist-composers, as well as keyboard playing tips from them. One of my fav KB mag features (monthly) is: "PLAY" in which the magazine's featured artist shares their keyboard playing secrets, with different specific tips tailored for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced player, of which frequently includes music transcriptions of their music as performed on their CD. I especially enjoyed Bill Evan's classic rendition of "My Romance" in the Dec 2005 issue. I enjoy reading about the varied artists & styles of keyboard inspired music even if it's not specifically arranger keyboard oriented (yet). Once interest among the aspiring American synth/keyboard musician buying public becomes more widespread in this Country, keyboard magazine articles specifically targeted to arranger players should follow, but this can't happen until respectability for arrangers among legitimate musicians takes hold here, and the key (I believe) is gaining arranger keyboard endorsements from widely respected pro keyboard/composer musicians in the field. - Scott

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 01-26-2006).]

renig,
I once bought a review from them, it is very easy
Saves you from subscripting, if you need only one review

Keyboard Player magazine is not a cost effective subscription for those of us who live in the states. A 1 year subscription costs 69.4372 USD. That's outrageous for a magazine subscription. Keyboard magazine is $15 per year for US residents and $30 for Canada and Mexico.

I'm with Scott on this, I subscribe to Keyboard maagazine and find their coverage quite good and I was very surprised to see the Tyro2 in this months issue. They have a section on new equipment, samples, software, Tips & Tricks, even the advertisements are informative. Well worth the subscription price.

Gary: I bet Dura-flame logs cost about as much as each issue of Keyboard Magazine, so you might as well read the darn thing!!!

Rgds,
Al

I also agree with Scott..

Dittos to Fran and Scott.

A while back, it seemed like the WHOLE issue of Keyboard Magazine was geared towards higher-tech groups at a higher level of involvement than that of the common keyboard player and those interests.

Over the past year or so, I have seen coverage in Keyboard Magazine that has brought me back to a point to where i at least take a peek into each monthly issue on the magazine rack (and buying most issues again)

They have covered the Casio, Roland, Yamaha arranger boards and electric pianos...
EVEN THE ROLAND ACCORDION (with good detail, i thought)

I use to be able to pick up an issue on most grocery and convenient store racks. Now, those racks are saturated with guitar and bass magazines.

Stephen Fortner is a great guy and he's doing an excellent job as the new Moderator of Music Players 'Keyboard Corner' Forum.

Also, his reviews are timely and well laid out and he gives you an extensive look and insight into the products he reviews. His views are basically unbiased and untainted from the Company's products he reviews which, of course, is how it should be. So many professional product reviewers tend to be biased - READ: "bought" but not so with Stephen. The same can be said of Jim Aiken who reviewed the original Tyros.

As soon as this months Keyboard Magazine comes in the first thing I will do is read his review of the Tyros2. Although it may be slightly different than mine.

>> I finally got to play a Tyros2 firsthand and will attempt to give you my take on it.

Okay, first off I played the Tyros2 at a local GC and the nice thing about it was the Tyros was sitting right next to it so comparing the two could be easily done whether visually or playing them, or examining their respective features.

My take on the new look is honestly?? - well it looks like a sawed-off Tyros to me. The button lay out is visually similar to the Tyros but that stealth look has nothing on the Tyros' look in my opinion.

Next is the Keybed which is suppose to be a vast improvement over the Tyros' keybed. Well... I did like it but I also like the Tyros' key action. The Tyros2 has a 'slightly' stiffer action but there is not much difference at all compared to the Tyros. In fact my Tyros has a superior keybed to the Korg Triton Studio 76 keyboard in my opinion. The Triton Studio 76 feels more like my PSR 2000's keybed to me. In my opinion the Tyros2' keybed feels exactly like the Clavia Nord Electro 2's keybed. That's neither here nor there except the Nord Electro 2 sells for $1,695.

So what I am saying is if you bought the Tyros2 hoping for a vastly improved keybed over the Tyros you may be disappointed. There is not that much of a difference at all and I am quite satisfied with my Tyros' keybed thank you.

Of course the price of the Tyros2 is $4,095 retail but they are selling for $3,495 at most retail establishments. Oh btw, the price of the Tyros has dropped from $2,995 to $2,495 at GC which is actually the same price when the Tyros first hit the streets back in late 2002. You may be able to dicker with the salesman and get the price even lower.

I talked to the Keyboard manager at GC and he said he would sell me the Tyros2 for 3 Grand even. But little does he know that even at that low??? price - I won't bite. 76 keys or nothing remember?

On to the Voices. Ah.. the SA Voices.. Yamaha has made an improvement but after playing them in person there really is no major difference over the Tyros' Sweet!, Live! and Cool! voices to my ears. Although there are exceptions like the SA Tenor Sax which is a big improvement sonically. The SA Trumpet is quite nice also. But for the SA Guitars the improvement is miniscule to me with the exception of one or two and in some cases no improvement at all. In fact, I think the biggest area of noticable improvement with the SA Voices is for the Brass and Woodwind (Tenor Sax, etc.) instruments. I like the SA Strings a lot too. Also the Brass 'Falls' and 'Shakes' are a neat little feature but with the Falls you need to really pound the keys hard to get it to kick in. Of course you can set the Touch sensitivity to Soft1 or Soft2 and it makes it easier to do the Brass Falls but if you're not careful the Falls may kick in when you aren't expecting or wanting them to when setting the sensitivity to Soft1 and especially Soft2.

I also noticed the multitude of extra Sweet!, Live!, and Cool! Voices were a mixed bag. Some were pretty good while others were just so so to me. Perhaps Yamaha is slacking up on what makes a Sweet!, Live! or Cool! Voice - a Sweet!, Live!, or Cool! Voice?? Is it starting to turn into a gimmickry type of scenario where they increase the numbers but not the quality of the Voice so much? Humm...

Also on the Board layout the Tap Tempo button is too close to the Tempo buttons in my opinion. A mistake could be easily made if done in a hurry or in low light situations seeing how it is closer and the Tap Tempo button is smaller and less distinguishable. Apart from that I did pretty much like the layout, and the buttons had a nice solid feel and look to them. The other thing I DIDN'T like was the Lyrics and Scroll buttons were separate from the LCD screen which seems a little inconvenient because you have to reach farther instead of it being right in front of you as it is on the Tyros.

There were some additional Organ Voices and even one SA Organ Voice but the elusive B3 emulations on Yamaha's high end Arrangers is still no where to be found. Why can't Yamaha make a decent B3 sound especially when you're paying upwards of four - count em' four $$$$ Grand? Mystery of mysteries if you ask me.

In fact if you notice the Cool! 'Hold It Fast' 'Rotary Switch' and 'Jazz Slow' Organs sound pretty much identical to one another with only a very slight hint of differences that are almost indistinguishable from one another. Wouldn't it have been more economical and discrete for Yamaha to just put in one of those Cool! Organs instead of putting in three that are basically identical to one another? Humm?? Cool!, Live!, Sweet! whaaaattt's... going on??

Of course most of us know by now that the Tyro2's Sampler is not really a real Sampler. Yes, you can load .wav Samples but you can't edit them like you can on a real Sampler found on the Motif ES, etc. A technicality which is a major oversight in my opinion.

Still all in all the Tyros2 is a great Board for those wanting a high quality, high end Arranger that has plenty of cutting edge features (except a 'real' Sampler [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/biggrin.gif[/img]) and the Tyros2 has obviously been a promising and concerted effort on Yamaha's part to give us the latest/greatest in today's Arranger market.

I also liked how Yamaha gave the Tyros2 more and varied Multipads. 40 more Multipads than the Tyros and there are some really cool ones. No pun intended. [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/smile.gif[/img]

The Live! Drum Kits were nice but there are only 9 compared to the Tyros' 13. But the addition of the Live! Symphony and Live! Standard2 kit was a bonus.

Conclusion:

If you have a Tyros, then the Tyros2 will NOT be a vast improvement for you in my opinion. There are subtle differences but they are mostly cosmetic in nature. The SA Voices have improved things but the most noticable improvements to me regarding the SA Voices were in the Brass and Woodwind categories. Next is the SA Strings with the "Piano/Mezza Forte/Forte" additions and pulling up the rear are the SA Guitars in my opinion. Still you can't knock the SA Voices. Yamaha is to be congratulated for implementing this new Voice realism into their Keyboards.

If you've got money to burn and want the latest/greatest (philosophically speaking) - high end Arranger keyboard and don't already own the awesome - and I might add - much "less expensive" Tyros [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/wink.gif[/img] then go for it! The Tyros2 is very appealing if you only need 61 keys and don't mind lugging around 5 extra pounds compared to the Tyros. [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/wink.gif[/img] Just make sure when you wield the Tyros2 around that you be careful of those pointed edges.. if you know what I mean. [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/biggrin.gif[/img]

Best regards,
Mike

[This message has been edited by keybplayer (edited 01-27-2006).]

Stephen Fortner gave the Tyros 2 a KeyBuy award and openly said that it sounded better than many top workstations. He called the Super Articulation keyboard a "revolution" worthy of a KeyBuy alone. And he also took up the call for more pro features like XLR mix input, 76 keys and PLG expansion compatibility. It's a very good review.

Thanks Jim. I'm glad Stephen took the initiative and stated publicly that Yamaha should make a "PRO" version of the Tyros2. XLR inputs and a Low-Z Mic input and with the possibility of PLG expansion capability and of course 76 keys would in my opinion be a big seller for Yamaha. It would be the proverbial Golden Egg in a golden basket if you ask me. But only if they keep the weight down to under or around 30 lbs. (easy to do in my opinion) and the price has to be lower than the competition. Also they should put in a 'real' Sampler like the one on the Motif ES.

Best regards,
Mike

You guys are all dreaming.
In my opinion,Yamaha will ,in all probability ,not make a 76-note version of the present Tyros instrument.
The reality is that Yamaha can barely keep up with the demand for the 61-note Tyros 2, and, realistically the limited number of sales to "pros" would not justify,to Yamaha's accountants,the fabrication of such an instrument.The Tyros is just a high end PSR despite the name difference,and is sold like one.The PSR-9000 pro was a great instrument,but not a sales success for Yamaha(read...money maker).That's why they haven't made another one.
Very little Yamaha arranger stuff was intended for pro use...it's just that some pros were resourceful enough to see the potential in the one man band...more money,less hassle with other band people,and the ability to play what music you want.
I've seen performers use everything from cut-down Electones to butchered CVP Clavinovas,to using PSR-310s or smaller.......bottom line...if it does the job,use it.
I use a PSR-3000 because it is cheap,light and gets the job done...and I make a profit.
If I had to have 76 or 88 notes,I'd use a controller with the required number of keys...and I'd stop waiting,hoping and wishing!
Yamaha expects us to adapt to their instruments....it's not the other way around....the hue and cry for a 76 note arranger would have to be of a much larger volume than the few people on this forum that seem to need it...I don't think for one second, that Yamaha would worry about these people going to another brand like Korg or Roland...they simply would not miss the money these people spend.
There simply isn't enough demand to justify making one,and the limited number of people who think they will make it(if they demand it) are just waiting for nothing....they may as well get that Korg or Roland.
Sure,we'd all rather Yamaha made a pro Tyros2,but it's not going to happen in the near future.
Again,it's my opinion.
Ian
PS Look up the meaning of the word "Tyros".




[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 01-28-2006).]

Ah, Keyboard Magazine. I am a charter subscriber and felt that one day I would be able to sell my collection for $$$. Last month I dropped the four cases of heavy glossy paper into the paper dump at my church. No one wanted the old issues. Lately, the mags have moved quickly from the mailbox to the floor to the dust pile. Yeah, I've noticed that the most recent issues have covered less exotic gear, but this 55 yr. old is out of the loop when it comes to most of Keyboard's ware.

Ian is spot on - There is not enough interest for Yamaha to make 76 note arrangers as the vast majority or AKs are sold to home users it's as simple as that.........

I use my tyros at home with an 88note weighted controller but I wouldn't gig out with it - I haven't the stamina

KF

As a pro who utilizes the Tyros2, I concur with Ian's comments that Tyros2 was primarily designed & targeted to the arranger keyboard hobbyist-enthusiast. Still, I appreicate my Tyros2 for it's onstage ez 'on the fly' navigation, terrific sounds, and responsive keys. As I have reiterated before, for arranger style performance, 61 keys is fine. I'd of course would prefer 76 notes, but only if the case size & weight remain the same as Tyros2. For serious solo piano performance, 76 is required, and 88 notes prefered, so (optionally) taking along an 88 note controler board for only those occasions offers flexibility.

Scott

I don't know about the interest in general, and can only speak of my own interest - indeed, my interest is in a 76 key high-end arranger. I would love to get a 76-key Tyros2, I believe that it is the most user-friendly instrument out there. However, if at the time when I will need to replace or augment my G1000, the T2"Pro" is still not available, there will be other options. Thankfully, the marketplace provides us with a variety of choices. The Ketron SD1, Roland G70, and Korg PA1XPro all have the good features AND 76 keys.

Some people say they get by swimmingly with 61 keys - that's great. I, on the other hand, feel severely constrained having only a 5 octave keyboard to play, so it would not work for me. The saddest thing is that Yamaha could probably add the 15 missing keys without even changing the case dimensions - just eliminate the wasted space on the sides of the keyboard (the same goes for Genesys "pro". While it may be true that the 9000Pro did not make a lot of money, its development costs were miniscule - it reused all of its technologies from other boards - the case, keyboard, sound engine, user interface were all cannibalized from other products in the Yamaha's product line. As Jim's (Esh) experience indicated, Yamaha did not even do a proper job integrating all the parts together, and the plug-in cards did not work properly. Hopefully they will do better when putting together the Pro version of the T2.

I also wanted to address the subject of using a controller - it may work for someone who is playing at the same location every night. I play in a variety of venues, and not very regularly. The extra work to accommodate the keyboard AND the controller is significant - I'd need a larger, heavier, longer to set up and break down stand, another case to carry to and from the car, another set of wires to plug, even more mess on the power bar. With the extra height I would be forced to play standing up, and the keyboard higher rig would obstruct the view of the audience. In addition, having to reach over the other (the T2) keyboard would put the panel buttons out of easy reach, negating much of the user friendliness of the T2. Sorry, but to me having a controller keyboard is not an answer.

The only approach that IMHO works with controller keyboards is having the T2 (or even PSR3000) functionality packaged as a module. Such a module can be placed right on top of the controller, with its buttons within easy reach. However, Yamaha does not seem too keen on making a module version of the T2/PSR either.

Regards,
Alex

Alex and Scottyee,
I have a good friend that has two PSR-9000 pros and he wouldn't part with them for love nor money. He absolutely must have 76 notes....probably because he is first and foremost a piano player.
I came from the Hammond B3 to the Yamaha Electone (even took the Electone music program and ended up teaching it after graduation) so I'm used to playing chords in a way that's pretty close to what's needed on a 61-note arranger.
Just because Tyros 1/2 isn't a "pro" instrument doesn't keep a professional entertainer from using it to make terrific music with it,as Scottyee has expressed.And Gary(travlin'easy) makes the most of the 3k which is not truly a "pro" instrument....he's making a living!

Professionals have always been resourceful and make the most out of a instrument...sometimes even using it's limitations to their own advantage.
The arranger module is a great idea...I used Roland's great series of RA arrangers,the last one being the RA-90,but again they were dropped for some reason after the RA-95(correct me if I'm wrong).My understanding is that they were hard to sell because they were too pricey....
A "Tyros in a Box"....that would be ideal, and something I'd love to have, but Alex, I'm afraid you are right about Yamaha's disinterest in making a module.
I have used an 88 note controller connected to the 3k but it was off to the right (in an "L" configuration) and I used it only as a solo piano and sometimes to play along with a midi I had previously recorded.To have the 3k mounted above the controller would have made both difficult to use.
The inside info I have received from other Yamaha Clinicians is that a 76 key Tyros 2 is not in the near future....a boon to Korg and Roland and others...but a bane to us Yamaha devotees.
Ian

Ian,

Please do not confuse my designation of the 76 key version of T2 as "T2 Pro" with the propfessionals using the keyboard. My name of T2Pro is purely ficticious, though in keeping with Pa1x PRO and Yamaha's own 9000 PRO.

I never alluded to a greater professionalism of people who require the 76 keys, nor to the fact that just because someone uses fewer keys or a lower end instrument, they are less professional than others. In fact, the opposite may very well be true - a real entertainer will be able to keep his audience happy with a $99 Casio. Paganini demonstrated his place at the apex of the violin technique himself when he continued performing on only a single string, after the other three strings of his violin broke in the middle of the performance.

Nonetheless, there are some of us (perhaps of lesser musical talents like myself), who need 76 keys, because we have developed a certain technique, after years of playing a 6 octave keyboard. As I said before, I can only speak for myself for certain, but at this point I would feel that going with a 61 key board would take away from my playing whatever technological advantages this new board may contain inside.

You may well be correct that Yamaha will not be making a T2 module nor the 76 key version. In that case, I will just have to turn to the competition - fortunately Yamaha is not the only game in town.

Regards,
Alex

Yes Alex,I am inclined to agree with you...it is fortunate that Yamaha is not the only game in town.
The lack of a 76 note arranger is certainly something they should have rectified,and with the Tyros 2 having such a great sound with the new SA voices,it would have made a wonderful basis for an instrument with 76,or even 88 keys.
Of course,if portability isn't an issue,the new CVP line will have the same features as Tyros 2 plus Yamaha's great Graded hammer keyboard...88 of the finest feeling keys on the market.
Of course if portability is an issue,the only choice is the competition...Roland and Korg make excellent instruments that would surely meet all your requirements...
All the best,
Ian

If an arranger manufacturer would make a reasonably priced arranger module, that could solve the problem of asking them to build a full 76 or 88 key arranger. You jus get the module and use what ever 76 key controller you want.

OH! there is just one problem, they don't seem to be making 76 key controllers any more. Its sad.

TADA....to the rescue...get yourself a Ketron Midijay module and a CME UF7 76 key controller keyboard and there you have it...

Tom

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Bigger is not always better

Tada, Tada....A Midjay and a Roland A-37...

But you can not get A-37s any more. Can you?

[This message has been edited by to the genesys (edited 02-01-2006).]

A Module is not the best solution because for one you have to carry another piece of equipment and the set up and tear down would be longer. Second, you would have to reach for the Module to change settings, etc. and that could be cumbersome during a performance. Third, you would probably need to shield the Module from the audience since in my opinion it would tend to look unprofessional. But having said that I would be open to using a Controller keyboard and a Module if that is the only thing available. Fortunately Roland and Korg are receptive to keyboard players needs and have provided us with the G70 and Pa1XPRO respectively. The only thing holding me back from getting the G70 is the weight issue (plus the exorbitant price ) and the Pa1XPRO's less than stellar Polyphony at 62 note plus it is also rather heavy at 45 lbs. But at least Roland and Korg ARE BUILDING 76 note high end Arrangers. And I'm looking forward to their next offerings which hopefully will be lighter and more feature rich.

The best solution is an all in one solution in my opinion. A 76 key high end Arranger with everything right at your finger tips. Yamaha's key to building a successful 76 note high end Arranger is to keep the weight to at or around 30 lbs and keep the price below the competition. Also they need to provide 'professional' features such a PLG expansion capability, a 'real' Sampler, and a superb keybed suited for Piano playing such as is on the CVP-309. If they give us 76 keys but the keybed stinks they will obviously sell less of them. Also Yamaha needs to put in an improved Vocalizer with a Low-Z Mic input. XLR Main I/O's, etc. would be a nice touch plus Digital I/O's too. And for goodness sake Yamaha please figure out how to implement some great B3 emulations in the Organ category.

I would buy one in a heartbeat and I'm sure hundreds if not thousands of others would too. Others may take a little longer to convince but it wouldn't take them long after word gets out of its superiority in both the sound department and the feature[s] department. But the question still remains if it will indeed be superior or if Yamaha will ever make it at all.

Best regards,
Mike

[This message has been edited by keybplayer (edited 02-01-2006).]

Im afraid you are so wrong my friend.
MJ & A37 combo is AWESOME in the right Hands

It is discontnued model....but they are still available...I just bought a like new one off the internet at a great price too!!
Great keyfeel also.

Roland and Korg may be more "receptive" to keyboard players needs but they still don't have it right, judging by the comments about the weight and cost issue(Roland) and the lack of polyphony and weight (Korg).Those are pretty big issues.
Yamaha will definitely not upgrade the Tyros2...they don't need to put on Low-Z Mic input or XLR Mains because the target market for all their arrangers is not the "professional" but the hobbyist.Look up the word" Tyros"......that should be a clue!
They don't "need" to provide anything (76 keys,Digital in&outs,great B3 emulations,improved vocalizer etc.) as the market that wants them is too small.They are already selling the Tyros2 as fast as they can make them ....here in Canada they are back-ordered in a great amount and our market was usually never this large.Larger roomier and weighted keyboards are handled by the CVP Clavinova line....again designed and marketed for hobbyists.
I seriously doubt if the Roland G-70 and the Korg Pa1X pro generate sales figures anywhere near the Tyros...and that's the name of the game for big profitable companies like Yamaha.If their market surveys indicated they would make a profit making a "pro" arranger,they'd be making it.Obviously the market is not large enough so they will let Roland and Korg and a few others have it to themselves.
The hobbyist has the disposable money, and the interest...... and is Yamaha's only concern.
The pro can use a Tyros but will need to be resourceful enough to work around the limitations. There is very little that's "professional" about the Tyros (it's just a bigger,fancier PSR), yet the pros still manage to use them and make money.The fact it has only 61 keys seems to bother only a few....they can get a Roland or Korg.
It's not that Yamaha can't make a pro arranger...they certainly have the resourses...it's that they won't make it unless there is a significant profit.
I hate to sound so negative,but this is what I've been hearing from those above me in the company.
Ian