Weighed my Tyros 4 and soft case today.

46lbs.

If I was gigging everyday like many of you, I might have to rethink the use of the Tyros.

As is, the Tyros only goes out about once a week on average. Two times a week, once in a while.

Funny, I used to haul around organs that weighed several hundred pounds. Now I'm wincing at the thought of a plus 30-pound arranger! Last organ I had, and I mean LAST, was FS500. What a beast. Then add Leslie, dollies, etc. No wonder lots of us have bad backs in our old age.
To me, the problem with Tyros is not so much the weight, but the shape and design. It seems really bulky and hard to handle. I suppose the bulk of them are setting in living rooms or music rooms so it doesn't matter.
I wish Yamaha would incorporate those incredible lead voices in a design that would be really portable. I think people would pay the price! How about a Tyros module that weighs about 12 pounds?
They would sell out the first two days!

that's one of the major reason that i uses mjpro and korg micro keyboard for my gigs. both including mic, cables fits on a backpack.

I was going to buy a used Tyros a year ago and Ian suggested I buy an S910 instead. I shall ever be in his debt. It is my grab and go board.

Compare it to the weight of the kawaii mp11 stagepiano, and you know how lucky you are with a light Tyros

I had serious thoughts about purchasing a T4 when they first came out. Then, after lifting a friends T4 that was in a case with a lightweight, flatscreen monitor and a couple cables, I immediately came to the stark realization that this thing was bulky, unwieldy and too damned heavy for someone that loads and unloads his gear every day of the week, often twice a day. Even my PSR-S950 begins feeling a bit heavy after a while and it's among the lightweights.

All the best,

Gary

DITTO

I don't mind the extra weight of my Tyros4 over a PSR or other keyboards that don't have semi-weighted action with aftertouch.

Since I primarily do all instrumental tunes, the quality of the melody line is what I depend on to keep the listener's interest, and having that incredibly sweet FSX keybed gives me a lot more control over every sound, especially the SA/SA2 voices.

Semi-weighted actions, by their very name, do add to the instrument's overall weight, but, for my needs, and considering the important benefits, it's worth it.

Mind you, I also like playing the PSR action due to its lightning quick response, but after getting accustomed to having aftertouch, I really miss not having it.

Ian

It would be fantastic if most instruments were available as modules like the Korg M3. You could use a high-quality Roland A-800 pro master keyboard with them. It has aftertouch and definitely more feel and more weighted keys than a MoXF, but only weighs 4.5 kilograms.

I prefer light touch to semi-weighted. You can have both light touch and aftertouch, as evidenced by Korg PA900.

I agree with Don,.... on Light touch, that does it for my style of playing. Tyros arrangers are just too much real estate for my needs in & out every day, been there done that. It's Better suited for a living room player. That said this discussion will never end because everyone like a different feel....nuff said.

It's sometimes difficult to find that "Baby Bear" action that works well enough for every sound. Too light (and shallow), and Acoustic and Electric Piano sounds are less responsive and expressive...too heavy, and most other sounds, like strings, brass, organ, sax, guitar (to name only a few) become tedious to play...especially fast runs and repetitions.

That's why I like the Tyros4's FSX...it's an excellent compromise, and (most importantly for me) manages very well with Piano/E.Piano sounds...it also lets me do without the expense (and complexity) of two keyboards, especially important if I plan to gig a few times a day or several times a week.

The aftertouch lets me add expression without taking my hands off the keys...the T4's SA/SA2 sounds also let me do this.

A keyboard under 50 lbs, in its case, is still quite manageable for me, especially if I really like how the action works for me.

Ian

Having moved from many years of PSR's to a T3 I have to agree with everybody!

If I was gigging frequently the extra weight and size of the T3 would be an issue and make me consider the s9xx. But the FSX keyboard is excellent and I can definitely play complex stuff more easily than I could on the PSRs. It would be a bit sad going back to the psr keypad, but if it a choice between that and a bad back then the back wins every time.

1st To all service personnel, my humblest Thank You for keeping us safe. with that said I was scanning the weight issue and here's what i moved around for 35 yrs. B3 @ # 380, Leslie 122 @ #150= 530 pounds. and no one got real injured,remarkable. Now I carry around a Hammond sk1 @ # 16 and sk3 73 @ # 22 and a Leslie Studio 12 @ 3 100 = 138 lbs. carried the b3 2-3 times a week. I know what the b3 can do, and I'm loving that the 2 sk's are just as capeable giving me the sounds I'm use to.

That's all well and good and most of us old dogs carried the b3 around for years with 147's etc, etc, not too mention a Rhodes,
Juno synths, stacked, etc, etc, also I know I'm one of them...
as that's all there was,.........but most of us Now are talking in & out of Nursing homes, and much smaller venues where we need the lighter convenience every day & in no way R U gonna shlug a C, B, leslies, etc, or what have you in there for a 1 hr show day after day 300-400 times a year, .... I could see it for a house gig, or extended stays,...and then the bottom line always is what does it sound like no matter what the rig consists of which comes down to the players talent, singing, etc,..

It was quite a lot of setting up way back then...but, oh, was it fun!

Nowadays, I've shaved down my keyboard setup...and my hair too. Much less maintenance

This was my "portable" organ/keyboard (Yamaha C-605p) back in the day...like your FS500 it was a beast, but it did come apart...and still weighed a lot too.

I’m a converted guitar player to arranger player and weight is a big issue. At my senior age, that’s the first thing I check on any new product or potential purchase. What it looks like, how it sounds, and the cost are all secondary issues. And, if indeed, arrangers are pitched largely to us old fogies, as some have argued, then you’d think the manufacturers would be keenly aware of the weight and size issue of their keyboards.

I'm a converted guitar to arranger player as well. And weight/size issue might be in part what is driving one of Yamaha's new MOTL arrangers:

http://au.yamaha.com/en/products/musical...=product_lineup

From the spec sheet..."The PSR-S670 features two assignable live controllers..."

This looks very interesting, and hopefully we will see these assignable knobs on the S960 and S760 and even more importantly, they will wind up on next Tyros.

Formerly, these were only on the entry level PSR-E-series, and having "live" control over voice filter and resonance is very expressive indeed.

When I was doing Yamaha Arranger clinics, only a small percentage of users were doing the gig thing, but those using them had locked on to a great little tool for one man (and two man) jobs.

Regarding solo and duo acts in my area, there seems to be an increasing usage of MP3 players for accompaniment tracks, whether inbuilt to a keyboard (where they can also use styles and/or SMF) or stand alone units such as laptops.

Ian

The future is atleast 8 endless encoders on every pro instrument, you can do so much live controlling with that.. If you look at current controll keyboards that have a lot of daw integration then they are all build around 8 endless controllers... akai advance, NI complete controll, Ableton push, Nektar panorama...

With some vision you can see a new standard being developed, and my best guess is all pro instruments will be compatible with this standard in the future... A new standard for DAW integration and communication between devices...


The next Tyros should definately have 8 knobs...

Hell, I'd be happy with just two assignable knobs. We used a PSR-E423 in the studio and were very impressed at the great sounds we could get out of it using filter and resonance etc.

I come from an analog synth background, so these controls are very familiar and useful to me, especially for "live" play.

Two would be quite acceptable, but eight would be simply great.

Ian

My keyboard player had a portable B3 and an oversized two-man speaker. It was great, we gave it our all when setting up and breaking down. I had my guitar setup and a PA to carry. Both he and I worked very hard. But I was in my 20’s, 30’s 40’s and 50’s, it is no longer the same.

My Dad and I had to move pianos on occasion, we were both piano tuners. He taught how to handle the weight of what we were transporting. I feel it would be a good idea to share our methods of how we handle our equipment.

How I handle lifting my keyboard:

1-The keyboard bag is placed on the arms of my recliner’s arms.

2-I lift the keyboard with straight arms off the stand on to the bag.

3-Zipped the bag closed.

4-I place my silver hand truck near the front of the recliner.

5-I slide the end of the keyboard on to the floor; the other end is still resting on the recliner. Once it’s on the floor I stand the keyboard up and walk it onto the hand truck.

6-I walk the keyboard off the hand truck next to the door of my car – tilt the keyboard onto the back seat of the car and lift the other end and push it in.

7-On the job I do the same. Two chairs / keyboard on the seats of the chairs / open the bag / lift the keyboard on to the stand. Lifting the full weight of the keyboard happens two times. The distance is short and my arms are straight with a straight back. The system works great and the only time I have a problem is when I am rushing and get careless. Once when I was done playing I placed the keyboard on the floor, I paid a price for what I did.

There was a time when I would grab the handle of the keyboard and walked it to the car, that time has passed.

I hope this helps, John C.

[quote=J. arrangers are pitched largely to us old fogies, as some have argued, then you’d think the manufacturers would be keenly aware of the weight and size issue of their keyboards. [/quote]

why should they? .....unless your a pro gigging player...the weight shouldn't matter if the KB is always gonna stay in your living room.

Donny if the keyboard is going to stay at home why not have an organ; you don’t have to use the pedals. That’s what I’m going to do when I no longer play out.

John C.

I guess that would work John if you were an organ player...
good luck to you.

Current day organs like wersi and bohm are quite expensive...

And then there is always the Nord C2D, but then thats not really a piece of furniture.

The problem I have with a "home" instrument, like an organ (with arranger features) or Clavinova, would be service. These are huge instruments to ship for repairs etc. unless the maintenance people make house calls.

I think building a portable arranger into a nice cabinet (from which it can be removed) would be better, if you (or your significant other) want a more homey/furniture look.

Ian

Ian, great idea, I’m into building stuff. My thought was to purchase a used quality organ.

In the past I bought two Wersi organs for a fraction of the original price. Working in a major piano I had a chance to get the shell of an organ – the amplifier was working but the rest had seen better days. Having two top-of-the-line keyboards built in a piece of furniture with a more than adequate amplifier was a dream, I'm sorry I passed it up.

John C.

Don Mason already did that many years ago, Ian.

Gary

Using an old organ cabinet saves a lot of time if you can find one that is roughly the same width as your arranger (61 keys are easier to fit into these old cabinets)...many years ago, a friend of mine built his Roland E-10 into an old Yamaha Electone A-55N shell that worked out quite good aesthetically...but it still sounded like an E-10, which wasn't exactly breathtaking, although passable.

His wife had pressured him into making it ("Honey, the E-10 looks too much like a musical instrument"), but it still worked out okay in the long run, as she and the instrument disappeared in the divorce, and he ended up getting a sweet deal on a fully loaded 9000 Pro that he could leave unaltered.

I asked him, "Bad divorce?"

"Nope, the divorce was great,” he said, winking at me. “It was the marriage that sucked.”

Ian

If I recall, the one that Don Mason constructed was made from lightweight plywood, looked like a grand piano and was quite portable. He'll have to fill us in on the details.

Gary

My friend Jimmy's "E-10 into A-55N" project looked very good indeed (if you like that sort of look)...he removed the bass pedals, and managed to use the organ's volume pedal opening to fit in a sustain pedal for the E-10.

The advantage of using the organ's empty shell (minus the keyboards) is that it is already at the proper height...it's just a matter of doing a suitable enclosure around the Arranger. The wood was really nice...sort of an American Walnut veneer.

It took up a little bit more space than when the E-10 was on a double braced X-stand. The matching wooden bench needed to have the legs shortened a tiny bit.

I think all he paid for the organ was the cost of moving it to his house...the A-55N was the entry level Electone and had only the basic features.

So, if one could find one of these old organs, they would make a great starting point.

Ian