There has been some discussion of this topic in the BK-9 thread and I posted this there as well but thought it might get lost so I posted a separate line here. I like the BK series because I think Roland has a better "Style" sound especially with drums and bass but I can't give up the SA voices. Why? Here's a couple of demos with examples of Yamaha SA2 Voices, specifically the Breathy Tenor Sax. I have not found a better sax voice or Trumpet voice. The SA and SA2 voices are the only reason I keep the Tyros 3. Those voices are very expressive and as someone who played Tenor Sax for many years it responds exactly the same way as the real thing. The examples are my compositions with Drums, Pads, ARPs and bass from the Motif XF and leads from the Tyros 3.

Dreams of You (SA2 Jazz Trumpet and Tenor Sax)
https://www.box.com/s/gc4p2frx9vt0f4o5ge8l

It's Over Now (SA2 Jazz Trumpet, Classical Guitar and Tenor Sax)
https://www.box.com/s/tbl7myn6mmv05cnk5xfm

Candelight (SA2 Jazz Trumpet and Tenor Sax
https://www.box.com/s/q6a1y2o5lh63up1ghpkd

Nice Joe..I always liked the SA tenor sax and concert guitar..from Yamaha..

Definitely, having a REAL horn player play the horn sounds bumps up the authenticity. The Yamaha SA2 sounds are very nice, but they can be killed as easily as any other horn sound by non-idiomatic playing.

I have said so many times, I would LOVE arranger MIDI control standardization. IMHO, there isn't a single arranger out there that has every sound area superior to all others. Yamaha do some things best, Roland do some things best, Korg do some things best. Only a combination will ever reach nirvana, and a combo arranger is the one thing that the manufacturers make impossible to do.

Diki:

Yes, that is the frustrating thing. While I love Tyros SA2 voices for Trumpet, Guitar and Tenor Sax there are other voices on Tyros I do not like at all. The Alto Sax is terrible, Electronic Pianos just OK, the Cello and Violin are also terrible. String Ensembles just OK with the exception of Live Strings being pretty good.

I have listened to many Arranger demos and tried many in stores and the sounds are all over the place. As I mentioned I like the overall sound of Roland Arrangers. They have the warmth of the Yamaha's but with a much livelier sound but also like Yamaha and Korg they have specific sounds I do not like. Seems like Sax,Trumpet and Solo Strings are the most inconsistent across the brands. Pianos in general sound OK on all Arrangers but different in subtle ways. Would be nice to own one of each.