Hi James,

I am impressed with what you have done within that 32MB memory limitation. You have me sold. Put me down on your customer list. I will be buying the Tyros2 version whenever you have it ready.

We would all like to see how that Test MIDI file sounds with your Piano Evolution sample. If you post it taking some of your presets, it would help us all.

There are some recent killer piano samples missing in that Digital Piano Shootout page. As Miden mentioned, I would like to see the new Yamaha 90ES concert piano recording. This one stood out when I was at our local Guitar Center last week.

I would also like to see the stock Korg OASYS piano recording as well as the 512MB Steinway Sample that could be loaded optionally upon powerup.

Thanks,

Tapas

Why the restriction to 32mb? You can install 1gb additional RAM.

Graham

Exactly, Praise The Lord....... why limit it to 32MB if there is no constraint. The SRX-11 and GrandX patches are said to be 64MB in size. a bit more realistic size for a multi-velocity set. That being said, I've got a couple of GREAT sets for my K2500 that fit in 16MB, but the programming capabilities of that machine can help a smaller set.....

I still can't believe that you all aren't screaming at Yamaha for firstly, making a 512MB capable sampler and having virtually NO Yamaha-made commercial sound sets for it (an obviously missed opportunity to make additional revenue, IMHO), and secondly, although you can import .WAV and .AIF files there is NO multisample support. No Akai import, no soundfont import, no Roland or Kurzweil import. What the hell are you supposed to do with 512MB of RAM if you can't put anything into it except laboriously, one sample at a time?

You'd be FAR better off with a rack-mount sampler that imported Akai format. We all tend to use that which is easiest to use, and from what I've been reading at SZ, not too many T2 people use the sampler extensively, for precisely the reason that it's a PITA to make sample sets on it.

Not exactly what you're refering to here, but Tyros2 supports loading multi-samples (wavs/aifs) into a single TVN custom voice, limited only by the amount of RAM installed. In addition, every custom voice (TVN) can have up to 8 elements, with multiple wav/aif samples assigned to each.



I suspect this because WAV & AIF are universal none keyboard manufacterer specific audio formats, while Roland, Kurzweil, & Akai sample format are produced by Yamaha's direct electronic equipment competitors.


I've got 1,024MB RAM (512 x 2) installed in my Tyros2 and loading 30MB of custom TVN Wav Voices which takes approx 135 seconds to load. Though I concur with the disappointment that Yamaha has yet to make custom TVN 'WAV' Voices for sale, there are now 3rd party Software developers such as James (Korg Forums) & PEMO begining now to offer Tyros2 custom wav sample voices specifically in Tyros2 "TVN" voice format. In addition, with the included 'PC Voice Editor' software that comes with Tyros2, you're able to create your own custom TVN Wav voices from multiple samples. IMHO, the advantage of having 512+ RAM available is that it allows you to load a LARGE library of (TVN format) custom voice samples. Up to 127 indiviual custom TVN wav voices, which means a lot of new custom wav voices at your disposal to select from & play during your playing session.



I for one have been really enjoying utilizing the Tyros2 sampler to import & create new custom TVN wav voices, and find the PC Voice editor program to accomplish this, quite user friendly. My only beef is with the slow transfer/load time because of Tyros2's slow USB 1.1 speed.

I believe perhaps the reason a lot of Tyros2 onwers still haven't utilized the T2 sampler has more to do with the fact that Tyros2 is the first Yamaha arranger keyboard to include this TVN custom voice creator feature, so many Yamaha arranger keyboard players just aren't knowledable about the sampler feature and its potential to create & load unlimited new (wav/aif) sound samples.

Admittedly, Tyros2 is my first arr keyboard I've owned which supports wav/aif sample import. With the help of other Tyros2 owners, I've now gained the confidence to experiment with importing, customizing, and even create my own custom WAV voices, some rivaling Tyros2's PRESET voices.

Scott

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 09-16-2006).]

As I mentioned above, the final size of 32MB applies to the KORG Pa1X edition because that’s the limitation of the keyboard and any Tyros edition would not be simply a conversion of this data. It would be rebuilt from the ground up using the original GB of recordings I have, and shaped and designed based on the limitations of the Tyros.

So right now there are no specific sizes on the final edition for the Tyros. I have yet to even find out the loading times and just how many layers of samples I need to use to far exceed the factory piano sounds.

While I will include a 32MB Tyros edition, it won’t be the final version. It will be purely be a set designed for those who need really fast loading times. Chances are the actual studio quality version will be 100+ MB as I have much more RAM to play with here than I did on the Pa1X.

So in short, don’t’ panic. I know what I’m doing :-)

Kind Regards.
James.

Hi Guys.

This might allow you to compare the sound a little better now. I download that midi file posted on http://www.purgatorycreek.com and recorded Piano Evolution (the 32MB KORG edition) playing back the tune, using the Concert Hall sound.
http://www.irishacts.com/piano-evolution/purgatorycreek-dot-com-midi-file-demo.mp3

Even if I do say so myself, that’s one pretty freaking cool sound for a 32MB piano, even when you compare it to the one 1GB Tascam piano’s hosted on that website.

Looking forward to making a larger Tyros edition now :-)

Kind Regards.
James.

Multisample import means what it says, mostly. Instead of importing the samples, and then creating the keymaps, velocity crossfades or 'splits, you import ONE file that brings in ALL the samples at one go, and lays out the sample keymaps for you.

Korg, Roland, Kurzweil, Mediastation, and many more manufacturers ALL allow Akai import, so no reason why Yamaha should not adapt this de facto standard. This is what I mean by a 'closed' system. The only multisample import format for T2 is T2's own format. Period.

As to the load time, well, it appears you are talking 4sec/MB, firstly, four times the load time of a ten-year old K2500, and unacceptable in these days of USB2 and Firewire., and secondly, if you max out your RAM, you are looking at well over 60 minutes of load time.......... yawn!

If you haven't worked with any sampler before that allows multisample import, well, you probably don't miss it. But anyone that's ever used anything else will tell you, it's a gob-load of work to put these things together yourself, somethaing that the rest of the industry gave up years ago.

I'm not beating up on the T2 for it's own sake - I'd buy one in a flash if the sampler actually WORKED, and joined the 21st century in terms of convenience and speed, but for now the sampler seems more of a marketing tool than an actually useful feature.......

[This message has been edited by Diki (edited 09-17-2006).]

James, you are right, this is pretty impressive for a 32MB set, but there are some things in the mp3 that are a little strange..... Firstly, what kind of piano did you sample? There is a hint of CP70-ishness about some of the hard samples, a 'ringing' that I can't quite allow myself to believe is a real piano, despite obviously being one. And I'm still hearing a little 'swimming' in the soundfield, a certain lack of stability in the stereo 'picture' that makes it a little less 'real' to my ears. Maybe there is a little 'pumping' going on with a compressor in the chain (?), I don't know.

I think, from listening to the Purgatory file, that you may have your loudest strike set a little low in velocity, perhaps raise the vel-point it triggers at (I really quite like the timbre of the quiet samples, and mids seem ok, but the highest level seems a bit disconnected).

And, yes, there are many much bigger sets that aren't as well done as yours, but there are also some nice hardware ones that set the standard, with exquisite cross fading between hi, medium and low velocity sets that should set the standard for third party developers. Don't be discouraged, the piano is, by far, the most difficult instrument in the world to sample well, and I can hear you have a really good start, but I would take the RD700SX or S90ES sets as benchmark, and try to see if you can seriously better them........

Keep it up (and petition Yamaha for Akai support!!)

here is a recording of a 32.8 mb soundfont. Now this is what i think should be the benchmark, because it's close to the same size.
www.roryhoffman.com/piano.mp3

Just goes to show how much of a personal thing the Piano is and exactly what type you like. There are many different tonal qualities behind a piano, but there is no universally better one that all others should measure up to.

Kind Regards.
James.


[This message has been edited by Irishacts (edited 09-17-2006).]