Yamaha PSRS-950 now at Kaye's Music Scene!

Don't get too excited! Only received 1 today. I've been playing with it for hours! Love the Audio Styles! Vocal Harmonizer is great! The additional Super Articulation voices are wonderful. When you select a new audio style the word loading comes up for just a fraction of a second and when you turn the keyboard on it takes several seconds longer because it must be loading up the audio styles. I also loaded up a Yamaha middle eastern package which normally takes about 4 to 5 minutes on the PSRA2000 and the PSRS750 but it only took less than a minute to load on the 950.

Looking forward to the review!

Please put some videos up - you will be the first in the world to do so! Even Yamaha hasn't released videos yet.

Exactly whats the big secret Yamaha Common!!

I've been playing with the audio styles and they work beautifully when you slow and speed them up. If you push "tempo" for an audio style there will be a "max value" you can speed up to and once you go past this the drum track stops! Anywhere between very slow and this fast speed the style plays beautifully.

Sounds good George. Please continue, we all appreciate it.

Are the audio drums in the audio styles noticeably better than the standard style drum kits?

Is the display and all the buttons easily readable from a normal sitting position?

Have you noticed that the on board speakers and sound engine to be more powerful?

Sorry too many questions, I know you'll have a review..just very interested and can't wait to hear more.

Thanks

Are the buttons still rubber?
Deane

A cool thing I just saw was when you enter channel on/off like in older models you see your 8 tracks within the style including the 2 rhythm tracks, and when you push the channel on/off a second time you see just 3 tracks, "rhy1, rhy2 and audio trrack". You can turn each one on or off. With some of the styles you might have the bass drum and closed high hat played by rhy2, percussion on rhy1 and the snare and cymbals on the audio track.

Larry, what I noticed about the audio styles are how Yamaha has been able to create drum tracks that are recorded in different environments and with different mics, etc. The two audio styles in the "pop and rock" section are done with the 1960's live sound highlighted. It's very much just like if you heard songs recorded back then. When you go into the live styles in the R & B section they sound like those "in your face" kit sounds I've been waiting for Yamaha to do for years! The latin and swing and jazz audio styles are top notch and there are a few middle eastern styles that Yamaha has nailed! I wish there were more but in speaking with the product manager for this division today I am sure Yamaha will release more over time.

George those 3 audio track thing sounds really cool. Is it three ADDITIONAL tracks?
Make a video. you'd get tons of views and advertising for your store etc.

Was great speaking to you on the phone. I sent you the email.

Deanne,
yes the buttons are still rubber but the main white ones are shaped differently. Instead of being square they are shaped with a down angle making them feel much better.
Shim, I know how to make a video but don't know how to upload here. I've never done it before.
Also Shim, you asked about using superarticulated sounds when recording from scratch and after we got off the phone I took a look at the PSRS910 and can see that you don't even have the choice to select a superarticulated sound there but on the PSRS950 all the superarticulation sounds are available and they do work.
As for using the audio drum tracks when going into the style creator and assembling different sounds on the 8 style tracks I can see you cannot do this. If you select an audio styles drum track you just get a metronome sound instead of the newly choosen style track.

George - how good are these Audio drums? are we talking on par with Ketron Audya or are they just on par with Motif XS/XF ?

George, thanks for confirming that the SA voices do indeed work. That's very important to me, as I make my own styles all the time, and the ability to use SA voices in a style is tremendous. Think SA guitars, I know you have mega voices, but it's much easier to use the Super Articulation.

(Side note:)
Sometimes when you select a guitar (regular OR Super Articulation) in style creator, the effects are suddenly lost, this is a known problem from Yamaha. I hope they fix it, but for the meantime, the way around it is: BEFORE going in to style creator, see (in mixing console) which effects are used, make note of it, and then just reapply them when in style creator.
(End of side note)

One more thing, can you try the .wav to multipad feature? The thing where you can play audio files (from the usb) by pressing a multi pad?

To make a video, all you need is a camera and a youtube account, once the video is on your computer (or phone) go to your youtube account, put in the name, tags, etc. for the video and upload. Once its done you can share it with the link.

Let me know if you need more help with that.

I think that a MP3 record of the audio styles will be a more simple request for George.

Thanks George for your input. I think you are the first one to report on the PSR S950.

I have already tried the .wav to multipad feature on the PSRS-750 and it works perfectly. I assigned all 4 multipads to 4 .wav songs I have on a usb drive. Once selected I saved this multipad bank in the user area. When I call up another style and with the one touch link light on, the multipads changed. When I then select my user bank it took about 3 seconds for the 4 full length .wav songs to light up and be usable.

To answer the question regarding how good the audio styles are you need to know that unlike the ketron audya styles where all the ones I heard sounded like they were all done in the same studio with the same microphones, the Yamaha was totally different in my opinion. Yamaha choose different mics, different rooms, different ambiance for each audio style. As I mentioned earlier, the pop and rock 60's audio drums sound just like you would have heard on a record recorded back in 1960. The quality of mics, effects, etc. were very different than we had say in the 90's. The drum set used in the Rhythm and blues styles sound very "live" and more contemporary in Yamaha's choice of mics, etc. In the dance styles the drums are a mix of electronic and live and sound very contemporary. The 2 audio styles in the Jazz and Swing styles also show a very live and real brush and cymbal audio loop. To some it up, I think you will find the Yamaha audio styles to be very different from the Audya files. This is not to say one is better but you will have to experience this yourself. My first impression when only hearing the 2 in the pop and rock catagory was mixed. I didn't really understand if the ambiance I was hearing was what I was expecting. I quickly realized that this audio style's drum track was exactly the type of drum track you would have heard in those two 60's tracks. It wasn't until I listened to the Latin styles, the Jazz styles, the R&B styles that I understood what was being presented to me the player. Soon enough you will all get to hear these styles at stores near you I hope and then I will enjoy reading your experience with the 950. Customers in my store today loved it! And all those superarticulation guitars from the tyros4 are really amazing!

Good review.
How does 950 sound over PA??

Thanks George. For the first time in many years I'm seriously considering giving up my PSR-3000s. Really looking forward to getting my gnarled, aging fingers on the S950.

Cheers,

Gary

George, can you confirm that + and - transpose have their own dedicated buttons easily accessible on the keyboard?

Many thanks.

I think they are the two lowest left buttons on the upper section of the arranger (not the ones nearest the keybed)

Me Too!

the dedicated transpose up and down buttons are just above the "break" button on the left side of the keyboard with the tempo buttons just above these buttons.

Thanks George.

It's a pity you don't have an Irish store lol!!

He does, every March when Saint Patrick's Day rolls around.

Cheers,

Gary

George,
Have you tried any of the Tyros 4 styles on the 950?

Deane

George,

Any changs in the organ voices or Leslie sim?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE





PRLog (Press Release) - Sep 24, 2012 -
BUENA PARK, Calif.—Yamaha Keyboard Division announces the upcoming release of the PSR-S950 and PSR-S750 arranger keyboards. Available at authorized Yamaha dealers nationwide in September 2012, the instruments will also be featured in a special showcase event at Winter NAMM 2013. Featuring Super Articulation Voices, Styles and a number of advanced connectivity options, these arrangers now offer possibilities previously only found on higher-end Yamaha instruments, like the acclaimed Tyros4 arranger keyboard.

The PSR-S950 arranger keyboard debuts Audio Style technology, bringing the realism, nuance and character of live drums and percussion to Styles. Each Audio Style adds a track of tempo-synch’ed audio from drummers and percussionists around the world. It also features Vocal Harmony 2, a tool that augments singers’ vocals with 3-part harmonies and effects using the newly added Mic/Line In capability. Additionally, the upgraded color screen on the S950 makes the interface clearer and easier to read, while a brushed metal data entry wheel allows for simpler programming.

“The PSR-S950 represents an evolutionary leap forward for the PSR line, offering sound innovation, vocal harmony features, pro-quality accompaniment features and comprehensive recording capabilities,” says Mark Anderson, Director of Marketing, Yamaha Keyboard Division. “Audio Styles, just one of many remarkable new tools, give performances greater expressive potential by adding real audio drum and percussion parts to Yamaha’s Guitar Enhanced Style engine, producing a natural feel, ambience and warmth. The PSR-S950 is a truly powerful addition to any musician’s arsenal - whether they are playing live, writing a song or producing music.”

Both the PSR-S950 and PSR-S750 models feature highly expressive Super Articulation Voices and offer “Real Distortion” DSP, which adds high-quality distortion and overdrive effects to instrument Voices like guitar and electric piano. The keyboards allow for the addition of Voices and Styles by loading Yamaha's ever-growing library of Voice and Style Expansions into the 64MB FlashROM. Players can also assign and trigger WAV audio with Yamaha's new Audio Link Multi-Pads, and a re-designed speaker box has extended lows along with a highly efficient digital amplifier and digital EQ to perfectly tailor the overall sound.

“The PSR-S750 provides Yamaha's outstanding Super Articulation Voice technology at a never before seen price,” says Nate Tschetter, Electronic Keyboard Product Manager, Yamaha Keyboard Division. “With the built-in FlashROM for loading-in new Voice and Style Expansions, it truly is a world-class keyboard that grows with you.”

Originally introduced on the Tyros arranger keyboard, Super Articulation Voices enhance the sound of performances by adding instrument-specific nuances as you play the keyboard. Convenient connectivity options like USB TO HOST, USB TO DEVICE and audio line inputs and outputs allow players to use the PSR-S750 in a variety of exciting ways. The PSR-S950 features 1281 Voices, while the PSR-S750 has 1186 Voices.

The PSR-S750 (MSRP: $1,499) and the PSR-S950 (MSRP: $2,499) are now shipping.

For more information on the PSR-S750 and PSR-S950, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Keyboard Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; visit www.4wrd.it/keyboards

Tell us more george...more

Where are the demos?

even audio demos would be cool

I'd love to hear some demo's - either video or audio.

Why in the wild, wild west have Yamaha not released any yet?!?

Anticipation is Smart Marketing

Yeah, I agree to an extent. I think we have went past that now though and they should have had some demo's out by now.

Tom asked me if there are any changes in the Organ voices.....
Yes, there are now several super articulation organs which were not in the 910 and are from the Tyros4.
Also, Yamaha has many new Piano voices from their acclaimed CFIII $100,000.00 Acoustic Piano. These samples are pure uncompressed samples. There are now 9
"live" pianos compared to the 910 with 3.
There are also a lot of new Tyros4 electric pianos to choose from using the new "real distortion" modeling.

Wow! That sounds pretty incredible George, especially the piano voices. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on the S950 when I get back from the sunny south.

Thanks again for all your help,

Gary

anyone know where to here samples from this board?
does it have an arpegiator?

Ok, I just recorded a couple of minutes on a new Zoom Q2HD. It's the first time i've ever done this and put on YouTube. I only used the built in microphones so I hope the level is strong enough. I just stood in front of the 950 and recorded using the demo button for each sound.
http://youtu.be/J4LdpeOEPqE
0%

The tapping you hear in the background is the drums being played by a saleperson in the background.
Now that I know how to do this I will demo the audio styles for you all!

Thanks George!!

I recorded a bunch of styles for 17 minutes and it is taking over 2 hours to upload to YouTube! I must have a very slow DSL connection at my store. I will post it in about 1 more hour hopefully. I don't know how it turned out but I had fun fooling around!

It's much appreciated George.

I don't know how this came out but I'm posting it anyway.........This is a rough idea of the audio styles:
http://youtu.be/ZCwG1bdQZfE

I apologize for my terrible camera work. I actually can see that I was tapping my foot to the beats and the camera was shaky. I almost got dizzy watching! I'll try to do better in the future. I am very impressed with the audio quality of the built in zoom x/y mics. On my computer I'm just using to small samson media O_N_E 4a speakers and they sound really true to my ear.

Thanks George. I also use a Zoom for recording. I connect it to the headphone jack - works great.

Deane

George, thanks for the video demo's

It appears to be a cool sounding, and a good looking board.

I think I want one

Thanks George. It does sound more open and live unlike the previous PSR`s. I think Stein would have made this choice by now

Yupe George,

Not a good idea the foot tapping, better give the camera to someone who is tone deaf, when I was watching it I was doing the same so we had a double wammey foot tapping. Hrrrrh may I suggest a camera tripod !!!

George, thanks for the video, really appreciated! There was a comment posted on youtube that the vol was at max. Is that right? I was thinking of using this in smaller NH gigs rather than taking speakers (quicker setup and takedown), but not if that was the max vol.

Graham,
I was using a handheld Zoom Q2HD which we had just received the day before. I recorded my playing while I was holding the Zoom in front of the keyboard and didn't notice that the record level was set so low until I played it back and could see how low the stereo meters on board were showing. I had to turn my computer all the way up and my powered monitors up high to hear the playback and a decent level. The keyboard is definitely louder than previous models. This was a case of pilot error. As I mentioned, I've never done anything to put on YouTube until this experiment. I just knew many of you wanted to hear the keyboards audio styles and some sounds.

From the demo, are yamahas audio drums just as good
As ketron?

Thanks, George

Well, they seem to be more of an add-on to the midi drums, while Ketron's have many totally audio drum patterns. Also Ketron has WAY more of them.
DonM

Actually Don, most of the audio drum patterns are all audio drums. Only on a few of them Yamaha has maybe just a bass drum and a closed hi-hat added to the audio track. However, this use of an additional sound or two is not common on most of the 25 audio styles. Yes there are more are the Ketron keyboards but Yamaha promises more to come.

I've been searching for a listing of the 25 audio drum styles with no luck. Can somebody help me out?

More to come, if they take a reboot of the PSR to load, doesn't seem like that good a deal.

We have maybe one or two more generations of this feature before it becomes useful, at least on the MOTL. Hopefully, when the T5 comes out with it, fast and easy loading will have been solved.

The really disappointing part is, no ability at all to make these yourself. There are some truly fabulous real drum loops in song format (various different grooves and fills, with intro and ending pickups too) available, and not being able to make your OWN real audio drumset styles (or add hip grooves to existing styles other than the 25 it comes with) is a distinct drawback.

Let's face it, how many styles do most of us use? Hundreds, probably. But an S950 will only ever have 25 at a time available (give or take).

However, it is genius marketing on Yamaha's part. Rather than bring the feature out on the Tyros, and us KNOW it will trickle down to the PSR in one or two year's time, bring the feature out, albeit crippled, on the MOTL... THEN bring it out, fixed and perfected finally, on the TOTL, and watch all those that love the idea but HATE how impractical it is on the PSR trade UP, for once!

Brilliant!

Is it me or the S950 audio drums in the demo sound a bit "DISCONNECTED" to the overall sound of the style itself?..sought of in a different "sonic family" then what the rest of the style is showing....these were my Audya concerns also when I demoed it...I would assume these so called "Audio Drums" styles will take some real Taming to get the appropriate "overall sound" BALANCE that is in sync with the rest of the style so they don't "stick out" like a sore thumb IMO...could this be the reason there are no demos yet?...that they are trying to work out a way to advertise the 950/750 in a way that is acceptable to the masses? We'll see soon enough.

One of the issues with audio drums is... it's a stereo track... you can't add reverb to it without the kick and lo toms getting muddy.

Most studios will track drums in a drum room, some nice ambiance around the drums to give them a bit of space, but then, at the board, a plate or bigger reverb will probably get added to the snare, and maybe the toms a bit to bed it in with a bigger soundfield.

But the audio drums will be fixed... can't add or subtract reverb. So, they either work with the track or they don't. In all likelihood, what is going to have to be done is dial BACK the reverb a bit on the arranger tracks so it sits a bit better with the smaller space. Whether you like that or not.

Simply one more reason why I think audio tracks are a dead end. Why can't they spend the energy and time sampling a REALLY good MIDI drumkit, with lots of velocity levels, in a nice drum room, and do away with all these problems? You still get a great drummer to PLAY the parts... but he uses a MIDI drumkit instead of the real one. Listen to any BFD or EZDrummer demos if you don't think these can sound JUST as good as a real drummer on a real drumkit!

I can't believe I'm agreeing with Diki on something..

I was wondering this myself. Just put the drumkits of the Motif in their arrangers and they sound great.

25 styles would cover a LOT of songs, but only IF they were the 25 styles of my choice!
I'm looking forward to trying the 950 though. Haven't had a new keyboard in nearly a YEAR and I'm down to only two in my arsenal.
DonM

I'm not totally convinced Yamaha implemented audio styles in a MOTL arranger in order to perfect them in a future TOTL arranger. Everything evolves one way or another. But as Diki explained, it sure seems like that COULD be the case. However you need to start somewhere, and why not in a MOTL arranger that was due for a new model anyway. When, and if the new T5 arrives, it will be interesting to see if Yamaha audio styles will be interchangeable between a T5 and a S950.

In any case I give Yamaha credit for venturing into audio styles, and while it's true, they could have put more effort in improving the current midi drum tracks, they have included many more midi drum kits in the 950...kits we have not heard yet, so hard to judge. So it sure seems like Audio styles are here to stay, and I would guess it won't take long for someone to develop software that will allow editing of the audio drums. Cakewalk?


PS...Just wondering...Would it really take a reboot to load any new future audio styles? I would think they could be stored on a USB stick or in User Styles for almost instant call up. I also heard audio styles take only slightly longer to load than midi files. True?

It has been explained that any new audio styles (but not the USB .wav multipad files) HAVE to be imported, rather slowly, into the area of FLASH RAM that requires a reboot.

It's kind of like updating your arranger's OS...

Too slow to be of practical use.

George? Any real world figures?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsdNtbtBWos

New demo of s950 from India(?)
Good video quality, but the sound not so much.

Bomba,

Glad you said that, I feel a (Ruby Murry) curry coming on, having said that this chap don't pull faces like Martin Harris and has more dress sense than Peter Barts...

Tony

Drums still sound "Disjointed" from the rest of the style...has Yamaha abandoned marketing the 750/950 or what?

Sorry...That's just an awful video demo.

Perhaps a terrible video such as this will light a fire under Yamaha to get some decent videos uploaded. SOON!!!

LOL (-:
I love the demos of Peter and Michel...

I would like to hear demos from our friend george kaye

If george was going to do some demos he would have done them by now, he's had the KB a week, George if you do do a demo let some else operate the camera...

A question that comes to mind. We know there are 25 new audio styles and the rest using the Real Drums or whatever. I'm wondering how it sounds going from one type to the other. Is that going to sound balanced or are some styles going to sound a lot different as in maybe even sticking out over the others and what kind of sound effect that might be.

Can't figure out why they didn't do all of them with matching audio drums.

Stein,

I told you buy that MS thats been on Ebay for the last month

Hahaha

Guess what.....I have another question

Does anyone know if it is possible to connect a mic to the 950.....record a song with VH2 also......convert to a .wav and transfer to a usb pen drive and then to a PC to upload?

I'm pretty sure you can do that easily in the KB.

... T5

Yes, you can do all of that in the 950.

Yes Hells Stein,

It will play itself as well, you don't want an arranger, you need a servant. You still drinking that Pochin, look I have told you, if you want the answer to be yes to every question you ask, then buy the Lionstracs MS off ebay you will make two men very happy, you for number one and the chap who is trying to sell the MS number two.



You got me confused now.

T6 in undercoat, paint it any color you like Larry, will someone please buy a PSR 950 and put me out
of my misery. We get a new KB and all we do is talk about it.

Tony, did you miss "medication time" again?