LEE how do you like the SX900 so far?
love top hear about you beginning experiences?

Donny, haven't had a lot of time on it yet..but so far I think it is terrific....sounds are excellent. 61 sure is small, but for now it will do...I'm used to 76. I may drop a 61 below and make it more of an organ...should be very easy to do.

Tomorrow I hope to spend more time on it....also I am mapping out my lessons direction.


I'll give a better update soon...

Ok good luck...

Lee
I am curios about mapping your lessons. Mine will arrive tomorrow,and was wondering the most efficient way of learning the new system besides the manual and random youtube demos.I seem to start with operations I need the most to get going,but never get around to some of the others.

Bernie

Bernie, When I say mapping out my learning I am talking learning to play...not the keyboard learning...that will be easy as I am technical and have experience with lots of kbds/organs/synths.
I need to so to speak re-learn reading/playing music...its been a while for me.

Everybody has different abilities,as I am just the opposite; good reader,challenged technician.I blame it on my age, but in reality, I have little interest and would rather perform.

Bernie

Hi Bernie,
possibly most important things to learn is how to put your registrations and playlists together. I gather you have a lot of different types of files you use for performing.
Brilliant what you can save to a registration, from there, you create your playlists.
I didn’t have any old music finder records, personally decided to start from scratch, have the luxury of time, being a home player, but apparently they can be converted across.

Check out Yamahas website for downloadable content. Manuals etc.They have a Playlist that can be downloaded .

I spent my first few weeks sorting prior model Factory styles and deleting duplicates.
They’re downloadable at, if of any use. A lot of the Tyros styles work on Sx900 which is great.

https://psrtutorial.com/sty/yamaha/psr-sx900.html

The Playlist is a big PITA for loading single songs... Hope they update it soon..
Korg songbook is so much better...

Thank you Rikki. The first thing I do with a new kb is start From scratch if it a new brand, and a combination of new and old with an upgrade.However,I have to be careful not to fall in my own trap. For expediency,it is easy to download favorite registrations,but--, I would have a new version of an old keyboard. You are right,playlists and registrations are most important,after I am satisfied I have auditioned the sounds and styles in the SX900. I have other keyboards, and hundreds of registrations to use until I get the SX the way I want it. If I don't, it is hard to go back and change the old,although,most of us tweak as we go along,also.

I have saved you psrtutorial link,and, it will be very helpful.

Bernie

When I get a new keyboard I always focus on what the keyboard can do. Not on what it can't do.

Jerryghr

What it can't do.. is a hindrance to
Moving forward..
Navigation is Paramount for a live performer..

Hi Bernie,
That’s great that you will have the time to start from scratch and get it set up the way you want.

Let me start with; this is about me, the way I look at my new keyboards, my game plan.

1-If I try using what I have from a previous Yamaha, I will sound pretty much like I always did.

2-What is my Sx900 offering me –Voices, Styles, Pads, and more.

3-My first step was to learn, to understand, everything about the Regs, and playlist. I have work on those two for four weeks, creating and deleting. Always asking; What is Yamaha trying to tell me?

4-My beginning s slow, but once it is set, I can fly through my plan. Anything I put into a Reg is opened to change. If you are playing out, and you want to use your new keyboard in the next few weeks, my ideas will not get you there.

When you stay with the same brand, like I did with Technics, I just added to what I already had. When I went from a Kn7000 to a Korg pa800 I went nuts. (ouch, smile) I had to forget what I knew (systems) about the Kn7000, and learn what Korg was giving me. I am glad I did, my guitar player and audience noticed the difference.

I’m sorry, I do not know how to write a short letter/post, John C.

PS, When I get a new keyboard I always focus on what the keyboard can do.
Jerryghr -- Nice Jerry

John,your posts are always helpful. Thanks

John ... I found your comments interesting as I also went from technics - Kn6000 - to KORG - Pa600 - and at first the different OS was very confusing ... but after a while I actually found similarities in how the KORG OS worked compared to technics ... It was more a matter of terminology ...

Donny, I’m not sitting at your side but not sure why you seem to be having a tough time with Playlist, from my experience it’s on par with Songbook just a little different way of skinning the cat. I use 1 song per registration bank then add and/or order to a playlist.

Steve....

I might become a fan if you can tell me STEP BY STEP
HOW TO TAKE 20 REGISTRATIONS BANKS OF SONGS 8 SONGS PER REG BANK
FOR A TOTAL OF 160 SONGS.......
THEN SEPARATE ALL THOSE SONGS FROM THE REGISTRATIONS IN THE PLAYLIST AND PUT THEM INTO ONE PLAYLIST SINGULARLY IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
SO YOU CAN SCROLL THRU THEM SINGULARLY JUST LIKE SONGBOOK ON KORG..
REMEMBER STEVE STEP BY STEP ...
THANX

Ah I see what you’re saying, You CANNOT use 8 songs per bank and split them in a playlist. It works with 1 song per bank but in that bank you can add any variation, voice, multipads, pedal assignments. Why wouldn’t you just assign 1 song per bank?

Hi Stephen,
that’s what I’m doing. Work’s really well for me, there again I don’t need 1000’s of songs.
Works really well with the Registration Sequence function. Have to use that when I use my piano as a controller for sx.

One song per Bank seems ridiculous to me
I have never used a Yamaha Keyboard that way?
one reg button.. Per one song..
four OTS settings always...

So you can't do what I am asking or?

That's what I've been trying to tell you! One song per bank.

YRM (Yamaha Registration Manager) can do JUST THAT! - split ALL registrations into individual MFD entries in a single batch process. Sure you can find your way from there?

As for retaining OTS & Multipad settings, call up each registration and save style shown with a new name - it will attach all that info to the style itself. Hence all you need to do is transpose.

If you need assistance, mail me buildtofly@yahoo.com and I'll do for you. Should not take all that long.

I don't think anyone understands what I am trying to say above?
and that said I guess it cannot be done as I mentioned just like with the KORG songlist?

I am willing to experiment using it on a trial basis
using this multi REG method with much caution.....

I don't think anyone understands what I am trying to say above?
and that said I guess it cannot be done as I mentioned just like with the KORG songlist?

too bad the play list another feature I will never use..

That would mean I would have to take hundreds of songs that I already have setup 1 reg per song 4 ots......and start from scratch and use a bank for each song button 1 for the initial song and 3 or 4 more reg button setups just for sounds using the same Reg setup?????

this is nuts
as I would have at the end over 500 reg banks
and have to Name EACH REG bank with the title of the song?
and instead of using OTS I have to now assign my sounds into other reg buttons too?...and then you have to remember what sounds are on which buttons? vs just 4 OTS sounds?... that it will work with the playlist?
vs the 150+ I have now........
all this just to use the playlist???

One reg per song would never be enough for one song...the way I like all the various orchestra sounds etc. I do this the same way I did on Yamaha Organs.....Call up a bank...start with reg 1 use as many as I need in the song ALL within 1 Reg bank. Simple and as Rikki said makes using a foot sw or button to seq. through the red's as you play the song. Just put the banks in each as a Playlist entry.

Donny, are you saying your only variation on setup for each song is the 4 OTS? That could be enough but I like more in most cases.

Lee are you playing live in front of a big audience using your reg multi method making lightning fast changes while playing
and singing on stage ....or just at home with now pressure..?

Donny, actually I sympathize. When the 'technical stuff' starts becoming more important (and challenging) than the 'playing stuff', that's when I start losing interest. I've come to grips with the fact that I'm too dumb for modern arrangers and that is why I now spend 95% of my time with organ and 'Rhodes'. That way I spend 99% of my time PLAYING. It's also why, in the past, I never used an arranger for gigging. However, in all fairness, I also never (except rarely) played 'solo' gigs either.

Although I admit to being totally clueless about the intricacies of the Yamaha (or Korg, for that matter) operating system, it seems to me that setting up all the parameters for a song and then saving and/or recalling it with ONE button push should be as simple as JUST THAT. I really don't understand all the 'registrations' and 'banks' and whatever to save and recall a song, especially live on a gig. But then, there is probably something I'm not understanding (and that's not a suprise ). Ideally, I think there should be (as with a lot of sophisticated tech devices these days) an 'EASY' (mostly automated) method and a more in-depth 'manual' method available to the user (such as in photography). But then again, maybe I'm just too old, tired, and lazy, to be a 'tech freak' again. Oh well, back to my organ; 1. hit 'ON' switch, 2. start playing.

chas

Donny, this is written with one thought; trying to help you.

Later today I will unravel your post so I can give you what I understand. The Kn7000 did not allow you to write your own four OTS instruments, you had to rewrite the style. The Korg Pa800 allowed you to change the OTS instruments. The Sx900 has taken this to a higher level. This opens the door to many options; you need to think out of the box to appreciate what they have done.

I have been working on the Regs., the Playlist is on hold. My commonsense; If I have 800 songs in my playlist, finding the song I want will be a problem; so Yamaha must have a system. The system in my Tyros III allowed e to put a code name in each song that was saved. If I wanted a set of songs that I used when playing NH, the code might be NH; enter the code name, and there’s the songs I am looking for.. This opens the door to start MY system of retrieving songs.

When I think of have 8 Regs and 4 OTS I am excited. I can go anywhere, come back, add anything, come back --- imagination is my only Problem. I have not done anything with the playlist, got to learn hoe it works first. I did see the word TAG, that might be a clue.

Enjoy your new baby, John C

PS, Again, Jerry – fantastic thinking.
When I get a new keyboard I always focus on what the keyboard can do. Not on what it can't do.
Jerryghr

Sorry for jumping in,but I just got my new SX,and am starting the same thing.I can see Donny's problem of not having one song per bank.I have always done it that way on the psr970,and saved my playlists in folders. As I understand it, the playlist is a glorified MFD,holding all needed parameters in each song. As I read it,one makes up the reg bank and adds it to the Playlist Record(database). You then can make up playlists named what you will,with a list of songs you need for that gig. You add records by scrolling or searching.

AM I wrong?

Yeah Bernie, sounds good to me....
Donny, NO DONNY, you still have 4 OTS per reg , so 1 reg will give you what you asked for, if I understand what you detailed out.
Oh no I am not a Pro player, but very tech knowledgable of kbds, MIDI etc..., but I want lightning fast changes...
You can do this a couple ways.
1) 1 Song per reg bank like we have said. AND of course you still have the standard OTS function on EACH reg 1-8...so you could have only 1 song, 1 reg (#1 and 4 OTS) per playlist entry.
2) OR you could have 8 songs in 1 reg BANK, each with 4 OTS of course...add that to Playlist, but then you will need to know which songs are part of that Playlist entry...(up to 8)...so no search by song.

That's the only way I know to do it.
You can have over 2,000 Playlist entry's per playlist, so is it not the same as Songbook (been a while since I had my PA2XPRO)??

A Songbook entry is one song right? A Playlist entry is one song righ? You don't have to use the other reg entry's in a Playlist/reg bank but they are there if you want to.

You don't loose anything as to speed with playlist...you have each song all setup in the playlist entry. As soon as you select it you have a reg bank all set to start playing based on all the parameters you saved with the registration, 4 OTS and all.

I hope I helped some....
If not ask away...
OH, I am loving the SX900 a lot!

Bernie congrats on your sx900...hope it works out for you ..
the playlist is somehow connected to the registration bank setups..
being I only use 1 reg entry per song & 4ots..
I need to separate the songs from the Reg banks and be able to pick and choose ONLY THE SINGLE SONGS I WANT FROM EACH REGISTRATION BANK TO ADD TO THE SONG LIST INDIVIDUALLY
HERE LIES THE PROBLEM....

I certainly see your problem. You went down your desired road that,apparently,prevents the use of playlist to list your songs that are encased in the banks. I guess you could add new songs the other way,but,I am sure you want to use vast amount of material on hand. That's a bummer.

Bernie for now sx900 playlist is useless for the way I set up my songs, j less hanged in an update.. ... Everything can't be usable for everyone..

Yes, unless you want to start over using one song per bank. If not, I guess we will be seeing another keyboard change? I thought you didn't play out much at this point anyway so why worry?

Hi Bernie,
For style playing , it’s the registrations that are the most important part for the time being.

The playlist I suppose is a sort of a database.
The playlist/s is where you organise yourself for your performance. Ie you organise the songs you want to play in a particular list for a particular type of gig, ie if you were doing a gig for over 80’s guessing you’d be playing stuff like Bigband, or old standards stuff along those lines? doubt you’d be getting a request for a number by Maroon 5.
You’ve no doubt got an idea of the type of music your audiences like for the different types of gigs, so create playlist accordingly. Your playlist is also for midifiles , MP3’s etc

Also you can organise as many playlists as you want. ( I’m guessing there is a limit, how many could one need anyway) Your registrations get saved to a data base, you then pick and choose which ones you want to add to the playlist/s.

Did you download the Playlist from Yamaha website

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_...ml#product-tabs

Quite a few well known songs, only 1 song , 1 registration per bank but they can be added to with further registrations.

I just downloaded the playlist-thanks.

One question: In determining which S970 songs to save,do they sound the same in the SX as the same style in it's factory list?

That maybe true and if it is it is no concern of yours so as you said "so why Worry?".....
that said........ I like to be organized navigationaly
when I play at home or elsewhere..
And If I dump it some one will get a great deal...