I am still waiting for delivery [PSR2100], but I have a question..Can the 2100 read a hardrive connected via USB, to select songs and/or styles to play in real time? Scott [or anyone], Will this application work with the Tyros?

First question: No
Second question: ditto

Best regards,
Mike

So what are the functions available thru the USB connection? Can you not save and load styles etc.? I am not basing this question using a windows format, but formatting a hard drive via Yamaha formatting..Are we altomatically ruling this out, or has someone tried to do this? Scott have you tried formatting an external drive via the Tyros[Does the Tyros have USB or SSCI ports to do this?]?

Fran, I am worried.

Frank, no need to worry, this is free time to experiment..Dave is already in the wings to become a PSR2100 owner..I definately am a Roland fella, and as long as I have my G1000, I can wait for a Roland that can light my fire..All kids need a new toy to play with...some turn to junk right away and others last for a while..Fran

Hi Fran. The only HD you can format via the Tyros, is the one located in the keyboard.

The function of the Tyros USB connectivity (no SSSCI support) is to move data back and forth between your PC & the Tyros keyboard via the Yamaha PC Windows 'file utility' software program supplied by Yamaha.

Recently (OS 1.20) Yamaha added a new feature which enables your desktop Windows PC computer to see/access via Windows the Tyros hard drive as just another external USB HD device connected to your PC, enabling you to even more quickly & conveniently move data back and forth between your computer & the Tyros hard drive. With the addition of this feature, I suspect that it would be also possible to format the hard drive from your PC, but I definitely DON'T recommend doing it this way as I suspect this formating type might be incompatible with the Tyros OS and then not recognized by the Tyros. Perhaps someone else could shed more light on this.

This leads to a burning question I've been having. Since it's now possible to access the Tyros hard drive (as an external device) from your PC Windows desktop, I would think it would now be possible to use Symantec's 'SystemWorks' utilies such as: Norton Anti-Virus, Disk Doctor, and Speed Disk (file defragmenter & disk optimization) to maintain & optimize the Tyros hard drive now as well. It certainly would be a boom to be able to keep the Tyros hard drive in good working order via these useful Windows disk maintenance utilities. I'm reluctant to try this out though, unless I know it's safe, and that it would really work. Anyone know?

Scott

Scott,
I tried the defragment function in the 9000 pro (I have a Musitronics USB interface) and it worked; I had only a "little" problem in that afterwards some files (styles) were not recognized by the keyboard, like the defragmenting process had somehow modified their properties, at least from the point of view of the keyboard.

Interesting concept Scott. My only concern would be that Norton Speed Disk, Disk Doctor, and AntiVirus utilities would not function properly by the fact that the Tyros Hard Drive is 'linked' to the Computer via a USB "cable" between them. That said, I am not sure the data exchange between the Tyros and the PC by the Norton Utilities would be achievable because of 1. The slow data transfer rate, ie., USB 1.1 and 2. because the Tyros Hard Drive is not 'directly' connected to the PC. Which is to say, that the Tyros Hard Drive does not have a USB "Controller" to link directly to a PC/MAC. A good example of this type of Hard Drive would be an External USB 2.0 Hard Drive. Of course the Tyros or other Keyboard that has an 'internal' Hard Drive could utilize this same concept of a USB 2.0/or Firewire "Controller" Hard Drive to link directly to a USB 2.0 or Firewire port on a PC/MAC. With the necessary file utility software installed, defragging, etc., of the Hard Drive could be acheived. The way it is now, the Tyros's Hard Drive is "IDE" enabled and the USB 1.1 connection is not directly linked to and from the Hard Drive[s].

But knowing me I would probably take the chance and at least try the Norton Utilities to see if it would work as is.

USB 2.0 and or Firewire linked directly from the Tyros Hard Drive to a USB 2.0 or Firewire port on a PC with all the necessary software file utilities to exchange data between the two would sure simplify the process and make defraging, or disk doctoring so much easier and attainable. The way it stands now I doubt seriously if it would work effectively or even at all. I hope at least Yamaha is considering adding USB 2.0 and or Firewire to their Arranger Keyboards and integrate the Hard Drives to link "directly" from the Arranger to the PC/MAC so defragging, etc., can be done effectively, efficiently and swiftly.

PS: Try not defragging or optimizing your PC/MAC Hard Drive for 6 months and see where it gets you. How about a slow boat to China and the WWW:// "World Wide Wait". The same thing happens on a Hard Drive connected to a Keyboard. If you are not able to defrag it and optimize it, the Hard Drive will eventually take longer and longer to access and assimilate the data on it, thereby causing a 'slow down' in the processing and retrieval of the same. By the fact that the Hard Drive becomes "fragmented" over time and use just like your PC/MAC Hard Drive does.

Best regards,
Mike