Mines the same as usual coming from an Organ Background

Hammond B3 Organ with Leslie
Kurzweil K2600 Synthesizer
Wersi EX1 Expander (Upgraded to include Quad Core CPU, 4GB Ram and Twin HDD)
Various Akai samples plus the following VST Instruments for the above
Kore 2 (Native Instruments)
Kontakt 3 (Native Instruments)
Goliath (East West)
True Pianos (4Front)
EZ Drummer (Toontrack)
Jazz & Big Band (Garritan)


[This message has been edited by abacus (edited 06-20-2009).]

Even if they WERE...

Honestly, given the choice, would you chose a semi-weighted 76 or a fully weighted 61 if you HAD to play piano on one or the other?

For me, at least, the semi-weighted 76 gives you the most OPTIONS. If you know full well what you are going to always play every night, choosing a particular type works well. If you don't... You can play just about any style on a semi-76, up to close to full solo piano style. Sure, it's not as good as the full 88, but you've either GOT to lug one of those around 24/7 just in case, if you use a lightweight 61 the rest of the time, or forgo being able to do a full piano part if the mood strikes you.

I don't know about Yamaha's Pianostyle Mode, but Roland's is certainly good enough that, if you want to play a full piano part AND still have the arranger back it, it is capable of tracking your playing (including dynamics) pretty well. I realize there are better ways of doing everything, but they involve carting a lot of gear to achieve it. If you want to cover ALL the bases with the minimum of gear, the semi-76 is possibly the best compromise. Personally, I think that playing organ parts, or flute and sax parts, or even Wurlitzer 200A parts (that have a pretty light and short action compared to a grand) on a fully weighted action no more or less of a compromise than playing grand piano parts on a semi-weighted.

Unless you haul THREE keyboards around (weighted 88, synth weight 61 and a waterfall 61 for organ), you have to make SOME kind of compromise if you need to cover all the bases. If you hone your act around your equipment, you can use anything (I jam out regularly on a 37 note KX-5 no problem - but I have much more restricted choices when I do), but if you prefer to let the MUSIC dictate the equipment rather than the other way around, a semi-76 is the best one keyboard choice, IMO.

I look forward to hearing the S70XS in your hands, though, Ian. Perhaps you can (as an owner) get Yamaha's attention to making the arp section just a BIT more arranger-like, too...?

Neither. I haven't been given the choice, my friend....but I have made a choice, just like you have...you're happy with yours and I with mine.

Arranger gigs, for me, require only 61 keys.

I don't play piano, except at home...the arranger gives me the edge over the trad piano player...there are lots of pianists around here, and very few who do instrumentals on the arranger, so that's my focus...and it works wonderfully.

Given the choice for an arranger, I would gladly choose 61 unweighted...I'm not forced to use Yamaha...I can play what I want for my personal gigs, and I haven't found anything that covers the arranger bases as well as the S900...great sounds, great OS, excellent styles, very light weight, and a very comfortable action, that I happen to like....a lot.

You know darn well I'm content.


Ian

Yep... we both manage to be pretty content!

It's just that I do play a pretty large variety of musical situations, from OMB all the way through total live band, so I can't get away with the 61 like you can.

You don't play ANY live music anymore, or non-arranger ensemble...? Pity, the musicians around your area are missing out on a good thing! As might you...

Sometimes it's amazing to all get on the same page and create an arrangement for a song from scratch that would have taken you DAYS to program. I know you used to jam out... you sure there's no room left for others?

Just think what that S70XS could do in a live band...!

I know we're straying off Fran's topic, so I'll just say that I still do a fair bit of jamming with a few friends of mine...not as often as we used to, but it keeps the doors open and the exchange of ideas flowing.

Last time we jammed, I took the S900 and my two MS60S monitors...the guys loved it....and so did my back.

Besides working pretty steady with arranger gigs and my Yamaha clinics/demos, myself and another Yamaha clinician (guitar guy) do a fair bit of recording backing tracks for a local songwriter...that also keeps the creative juices flowing as well.

So, I'm doing okay.

Ian

I'd love to hear some of that songwriter's work with you, Ian. Email me if he wouldn't object.

I don't have anything here...they are just very basic...you know yourself that a fleshed out recording is not what they look for in Nashville, where they are being sent.

We're shut down for the summer as we don't get much great weather but for a few months, and my guitar buddy is a boating freak...we'll start back in late fall...I'll see if Peter will let me snag a few tunes.

We usually do six or seven tunes in a day, usually by having Peter sing and play his guitar, whilst we get a chord chart and an idea of a style...I then record mostly bass and drums with some additional parts of the style recorded, we very seldom do solos, unless it's a part of the song's theme...I'm also never there when the actual vocals go down...it's a five hour drive. I arrive the night before, do the tunes the all the next day, and I'm gone the next morning for home, and back to other things.

Thanks for your interest, Diki.

OK, sorry Fran, off topic but three guys are wishing for a mint B3 and I got one like you've never seen for sale!
MINT late 50's CHERRYWOOD B3 with a perfectly matched leslie. Purchased together. Bench, pedals, music rack all intact. Never left the house!
All new tubes in both units, rebuilt leslie amp, new speakers, Fischer reverb and Trek II String Bass in the organ.
Again MINT !!! 30 day guarentee.
Brand new set of covers for both organ and leslie and a set of roll R carry dollies.(Not used on this unit but from my past Hammond business)
Shipping can be arranged. Last B3 I sold went to the Netherlands!!

Billlewisnj@aol.com
Thanks