Yamaha PSR9000 players,

I was chatting with Uncle Dave last night via AOL chat and he gave me the impression that the Yamha PSR9000 has serious polyphony problems. He said that if you try layering strings with piano, that notes (voices) would 'drop out'. Has anyone else experienced similar problems? I was quite shocked to hear this as I thought that the PSR9000 has 126 note polyphony. Could it have been a "specific" deffective PSR9000 you were playing on Uncle Dave?

I primarily play in "full keyboard" mode and the problem that Uncle Dave describes would (of course) be totally unacceptable to me. Did I perhaps misinterpret you Uncle Dave?Can someone (Uncle Dave?!) please clarify this issue with me?

Thanks,

- Scott

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 10-05-2000).]

I guess it depends on type of sound you are using.
PSR9000 can have 8 tones per sounds. some drums are upto 4 waves per key.
so that will droup your polyphony to
16 notes... and if you layer two sounds using 8 waves for one key... your polyphony is "8 keys".....

I know this is the extreme situation, but this might be happening, when you are playing along accompainant...




[This message has been edited by Shakil (edited 10-05-2000).]

First of all, I have to apologize some to George Kaye who mentioned that one of the advantages of Yamaha's plug-in slots is the added polyphony. I felt that was not an important advantage, as I would add cards with one or five additional notes of polyphony. However, for those that emphasize piano sounds, a piano card plug-in would add 64 notes of polyphony for the piano sound alone. This might overcome the polyphony problem for the PSR9000Pro only.

Wait a minute now. If you are a piano player, you probably should buy a piano. Arranger keyboards are made to provide automatic background rhythms and backup instrumentation while you play fills and lead instrument lines with the right hand.
I use fingered pro chord mode on the PSR9000 and sometimes use a vocal, string or organ sound on the Left voice, use a piano or guitar sound on Right 1, and layered strings on Right 2. I have not yet run out of notes. I do not even know if the one-finger chord mode works because I've never tried it, but I'm sure there are lots of people you do use it. I've made enough money using arranger keyboards that I haven't had a "real" job in 25 years, so by definition, that makes me a professional. Just because I don't turn off the arranger and play the bass lines myself, doesn't mean I couldn't, it just means that's not the way I prefer to do it. And I believe that's the way the majority of arranger keyboard users play.
I suppose you can layer enough complex sounds to run out of notes if you try, but I maintain the primary purpose of arranger keyboards is to make one person sound like a band. All of them do that pretty well.
I particularly like the way the 9000 functions in live performance. The buttons and screen are logical and functional. It recognizes all the chords I know how to play. I seldom use Full Keyboard mode, but haven't noticed any polyphony problems when I have.
I didn't like the way the X1 was laid out or the fact that I was afraid it would not work when I plugged it in.
I couldn't get some of the sounds to work right, and I understand Tom has had more troubles in other areas. Also many of the others on this forum have commented on various problems with the X1. I'm not talking about minor "bugs" but major problems that prevent you from playing the keyboard. One guy in Europe had his replaced three times.
Yes the X1 sounds great, but that is just one factor among many.
Again the bottom line is--go try all the models you can, and find the one that fits YOUR purposes. Don't buy one because I like it or because Uncle Dave likes it. Get one that does what YOU want it to do.
Nothing wrong with getting everybody's opinions, just be sure you place your own opinion first, because you have to live with the results.
DonM

Hey guys,
Here I am at home tonight, a 50 year old guy with a new Yamaha DJX II that I just got in today, learning how to use it. With my love for Arranger keyboards, I can't believe this thing. there are 61 keys, but all you really do is trigger parts, loops, scracthing, effects and you only have 10 keys on the bottom of the keyboards to change keys! I am having so much fun and I don't even have to be a keyboard player. My 13 year old son things this is the greatest thing since turntables came back!
Now, getting back to business.............I think having the plug in boards to add needed polyphony will be great from Yamaha. I just wish they offered more boards like the rolands do for their XP80's, etc. More orchestral, or more specific for different genres. I also need to let you know that i've lost count with how many X1's I've sold these past almost 2 years, and i have had very few customers have any problems at all. I just loaded the new operating system in all three of my store floor models today, and they are working great, and according to Italy, numerous little bugs, that might have occured have been cured with this software. Also, for the guitar and accordian players, they have added new features to enhance the playability of the product. Sorry, got to go and figure out this DJX II thing. Hip Hop anyone?
George Kaye

Maybe I over-reacted. Usually do. I re-read your post and understand what you are trying to say.
I also use the keyboard to augment my vocals. Lord knows they need all the help I can give them. I think the 9000 has the best vocal processing of anything I've played, although the X1 probably has a cleaner, more open sound.
Regarding the Farfisa, when it first was announced several years ago, I was really impressed with the features. I called the number in their ad, and got a guy in New York. He said there were no dealers anywhere close to me, but he could send one to me (at full retail because they were such a hot item). I told him I would wait until I could see one in person before buying, and I'm still waiting.
Back then, there were no forums like this that I was aware of, so you were strictly on your own. My memories of Farfisa were of the old combo organ that sounded like a bad sample of a Radio Shack keyboard, so I never got to hear one. Do they have anything new in the line?
DonM

Hello Scottyee,

the PSR 9000 has NO serious polyphony problem. I have been playing it since end of November 1999 and I have not found any problems regarding polyphony.
Some explanations: it is true, that the PSR 9000 can run out of the 126 polyphony (and it happens sometimes, it depends how you play). As Shakil explained, one waveform (instrument) can use up to 8 waves. I have not found such a instrument. Some of panel voices use 4 waves, the rest less than 4.
You should be awake, that if you layer three instruments with 4 waves, play a full chord with both hands and turn on auto-accompaniment, it will sure run out of the polyphony, but what keyboard will not??

In my repertoire I have only two or three songs, where I should pay attention during playing, otherwise some instrument will be muted. And I use On Bass Pro accompaniment, always Left Hand instrument, depending on the song up to three instruments for the right hand and sometimes Multi Pads.

Regards

Marek

Just wanted to respond to a previous post which suggested voices other than LIVE, COOL and SWEET on the PSR9000 are substandard, I think this is totally untrue, some of my favourite voices are the standard ones, I find the standard "STRINGS" are absolutely beautifull with a little extra reverb(try them in R1 & R2 an octave apart for a rich string section), they are ideal for using with other instruments as they use very little of the polyphony, also "vintage open", another standard voice,
with a touch more reverb than the factory setting, gives the best "shadows" guitar I have ever heard on a keyboard. My opinion is the standard voices are much better than the competition and the LIVE,SWEET,COOL, blow the competition out the water, I know sound is subjective, but there seems to be something about the PSR9000 voicing that just reeks of itegrity and quality, it just needs a good ear to appreciate it.

Paul.


[This message has been edited by Paul A Smith (edited 10-06-2000).]