The thing that annoys me the most is that Yamaha tried to create an entirely NEW arranger in the 9000Pro. This wasn't a larger keyboard version of what WAS selling well, it was an entirely NEW product. (And EXTREMELY poorly tested, from all accounts).

Nobody (well, not many, anyway!) is screaming for a brand new, from the ground-up Yamaha arranger with a million bells and whistles and a 76... they just want a T2 or S900 with a bit bigger keyboard tacked on. Hardly something that takes a fortune in R&D to develop...

And I'm sorry, Ian, but your constant contention that Yamaha ARE the market leaders, so NO change is ever necessary hardly does you justice. If NO change were ever necessary, NO change would ever be made, hardly the case with constant (or at least bi- or tri-yearly) new models.

There didn't used to be a sampler on Yamaha arrangers. I guess, back then, to the folks that said they would like a sampler, you would have said, 'Yamaha are the market leader, and samplers are for professionals. This is a 'home' keyboard, why would Yamaha put a 'pro' feature on a 'home' keyboard?'

Well, they DID... Idiots, weren't they..?

Maybe, instead of spending ALL your time constantly defending Yamaha no matter WHAT they do, you just took a little time off from your 'manning the ramparts' stance, and just looked at the simple fact that SCORES of members at this site have cried out for a 76, even some who already have 61's. I guess that, just because the S900 suits you perfectly (but of course, so did the 3k, and probably the Yamaha before THAT and so on - it's a good job SOMEBODY wants just a little bit more, isn't it?) there should be NO possible improvement to Yamaha's line.

After all, it's all about YOU, not the dozens of other Yamaha users here, isn't it?

No, the sad truth is, if Yamaha DID make a 76 PSR or T2, you would be defending it, and the company's policy of making it, as strongly as you attack anyone's opinion that there should be one, now that there isn't. Yamaha could make a 44 note arranger and you would be perfectly OK with that, too, I suppose. The fact that you can't bring yourself to publicly criticize ANYTHING that Yamaha does, I'm afraid relegates your OPINIONS (because they are CERTAINLY not Yamaha official PR releases) to the level of used-car dealer patter. (Of COURSE it doesn't need a cup holder - cup holders are a TRUCK feature! )

And any salesman (or manufacturer) that constantly disregards the requests of their customers, sooner or later finds out that their customers have gone somewhere else.

Just for once, try to imagine that you are addressing a bunch of fellow arranger USERS, instead of some dumb 'home keyboard' customers, and dial back the company line, OK, Ian?

Hi Diki,

I love it when you take this stuff so seriously.

If only you could understand how little I care.

Ian

I KNOW how little you care, and how flippant your posts are, Ian...

Doesn't stop you from saying them over and over again, though, does it..?

It's just a shame that you can't raise yourself to the level of an intelligent conversation about what MANY Yamaha users and would-be Yamaha users would like to see in the products that the company that you occasionally work for produce.

Oh, whoops..! I forgot, again... You DON'T CARE.

No, you really don't know how little I care, Diki, or you wouldn't have replied.


Slow learner, you are.

Ahh, perfect example of a good thread gone bad....

One thing for sure...Yamaha (and Korg) tend to keep adding new features and, unlike Roland, they keep them...even if they are not used much.

Personally, I think Korg has edged out Roland.

Like the T2, you can bet the T3 will be a tough act to follow.

Ian

after spending some time w/ the motif XS, I wouldn't be surprised to see Yamaha move in that direction w/ the next-gen arrangers. the arpeggios (which are similar to multipads) are easy to create and manipulate, and while they're not the main draw of the XS, they could be the center of a very flexible arranger. this would also allow for more modern electronic styles -- there are tons in the XS, very weak derivatives in the tyros et al.

it is time for Yamaha to retire the rather dim drum samples from the arranger line and use the motif kits....ditto some of the bread and butter sounds.
another handy XS feature is the 8 knobs and sliders on the RH side -- the next top arranger should have that, to allow for on the fly part mixing, etc.

of course, I'm also waiting for yamaha to fully implement midi and sequencing capabilities in the mm6. err, perhaps that's coming in the mm6pro???

For me its quite simple: I want Motif sounds on my Tyros - especially drums. Lots of sharp, cutting, drums! I'm sick of plastic.

its been a few months now since i purchased my Motif XS6 and still every time i play it i get blown away by the sounds.

If Yamaha had an arranger with the Motif Sound engine I would buy one straight away!

Yamaha uses the AWM2 (Advanced Wave Memory 2) on the Motif line of keyboards which includes the Motif XS. The Tyros/2 uses AWM (Notice no "2") wave memory. I have searched high and low for the differences between two i.e. AWM and AWM2 but I'm still not sure what they are. Maybe it has to do with the sampling rate when recording the different samples, or perhaps they are longer samples, or perhaps even recorded at a higher bit rate, or perhaps all three plus other additional reasons. Maybe Yamaha doesn't want to divulge the differences either because it is a trade secret. But whatever the differences are they are very noticable. One fine example that has been attested to is the differences in the Drum samples. The Tyros/2 drums are flat and lifeless by comparison.

I think it is time for Yamaha to step up and give their top-of-the-line arrangers the same AWM2 wave memory as in their totl workstations i.e. the Motif series. I've said it before that we are paying as much or more for Yamaha's totl arrangers as for their totl workstations so it should behoove Yamaha to provide the same technological advancements for their totl arrangers as are in their workstations.

And the sound differences go beyond just the drum samples. Some of the synth sounds in the Motif XS are simply superb as also are the Acoustic Pianos which in my opinion run circles around the Tyros/2 ac pianos. That's not to say the Tyros/2's ac pianos aren't good themselves but the Motif XS ac pianos simply out shine them quite a bit. And the AWM2 has a lot to do with it most likely.

It is going to be a real undertaking for Yamaha to come up with something that gives the T3 (although I seriously doubt Yammie will call it the Tyros3, but stranger things have happened ) - and give it the edge in sound and features to once again blow everything else out of the water. When I hear the Pa2x demos I am simply stunned and amazed by those awesome guitars. And many of the other sounds are really outstanding in my opinion. And then there's the Ketron Audya around the corner waiting to be released sometime in 2008. And I have a hunch that Roland will be releasing a new workstation shortly and then a new totl 76 key arranger waiting in the wings from them after that that will be based on the sound architecture of the new workstation.

Things are indeed progressing in the area of sound quality and also style and feature enhancements with these new and soon to be released arranger products and hopefully Yamaha will produce something that will keep them in the thick of things technology wise and in the maintaining of their lead on cutting edge features and sounds and ultimately for us the consumers who purchase and use their products.

Best,
Mike