Rediscovering S970

Pulled out my S970, put on a set of Sony headphones and spent the morning playing.

Loved the sound. I was reminded why I was so impressed with the keyboard in the first place. I’ve got one more gig(maybe two)before hip surgery and am going to use it.

I still have a sort of a weird issue in that, occasionally, I will choose a registration(song) and the song will come up with the style from the previous song. Also sometimes the lyrics are the lyrics from the previous song.

I have checked to make sure I’m saving the registration properly. I’ve owned the S710, S950, Tyros and never had that issue. I’m saving everything in the user memory. I’ve got OS 1.05.

That said, for my use, the 4X Songbook really shines in comparison to Yamaha’s registration system. Also, my 4X keybed makes the S970 bed feel a bit like a toy.

All in all though...S970 is an excellent keyboard.

So, I wonder how Genos compares to my S970. 😋

Be sure you have the correct boxes "ticked" in the Registration Save menu. Sounds as if STYLE isn't checked.
Be sure Freeze is off.
Also there is a choice to be made between Text and Lyrics viewer. Archaic system!

I am using the 970 as well. In some ways I feel it has a little more punch and raw sound than the Genos. Most of the Genos demos I’ve heard make it sound a little smoother sounding than kick xss. It might be the styles picked or the way the instrument is being played. I wish someone would show a little more raucous demo of the Genos.

Even the ac/dc style sounds a little flat.

Tx Don. I have double checked to make sure I have ticked the right boxes. Maybe I won’t have that problem in the future.

Didn’t know about the txt thing.

Tx again

WOW. Those are words I NEVER heard (or read) to describe any Yamaha arranger. "Kick A**"
If anything, Yamaha has a reputation for being on the classical side of wonderful. You hear things like "compressed" ... "CD like" ... etc, but never Kick-A**

sounds to me like you are choosing the reg in the window and sometimes not pressing a reg button. This would explain why the previous reg is still there.

That’s my point Dave. I’ve got the 970 to kick more butt than the Genos...and definitely more the the Korg PA600 I had previously.

The guitars and even the drums on the 970 rock more than what I’ve heard from Genos!

http://youtu.be/yCZSQKvtgbs

Probably not the best example...but Voncken shows a little more contemporary edge

Maybe. However, I’m not doing anything different than I did with my other Yamaha’s...no problem there.

Tx all.

Guitpic, post the registrations so I can download them and determine what is wrong with them. Pretty much impossible to provide you with a definitive diagnosis without having the registrations to work with.

Gary

Gary,

If I get one again that won’t work, I’ll do that. I think I have that registration manager as well from the PSR forum.

Thanks for the help.

Just like guitpic1 said, I’ve rediscovered my S970. Sold the T5, thinking I’d get the Genos. Now, I’m getting cold feet. That S970 really does sound good for what I do. I prefer onboard speakers for monitoring and a 61-note board to tote around. I’d like to add a second arranger. Think I’ll take a hard look at the Korg Pa 1000 once it’s available. Never owned a Korg. I’ve been impressed with the scant videos that out at this point.

I know I keep saying this and may sound like a broken record, and the S970 is an amazing keyboard, it ticks so many boxes, you get so much for the price... mine is loaded with samples / drum kits etc... BUT its biggest letdown is its KEYBED!! For the love of God Yamaha give us a PSR with at least a keybed from the MOXF line as a BARE MINIMUM... Is that really asking too much?

My AUD$500 Arturia Keylab Midi Controller has a keybed that puts the PSR to shame. seriously...

Nick, not everyone wants a semi-weighted keybed. Granted, if you were brought up on a piano, then you are accustomed to those heavy keys. Even though I started with a piano, then transitioned to a guitar before going to an arranger keyboard, I thoroughly enjoy those extremely light keys, especially when I was doing 4 hour jobs in an Italian restaurant in Baltimore's Little Italy. Lots of songs involved piano sounds from the keyboard, and that meant lots of right hand playing, which after four hours, my hands were not cramped.

Several years ago, while my wife and I were vacationing in the Florida Keys, I was asked to fill in for a friend who performed nightly in an upscale restaurant. He played a Clavinova and had a female vocalist who was incredible, both vocally and visually - she was drop dead gorgeous. After two nights playing his Clavinova, which he insisted I use, my hands felt as if they would explode. At the end of each night I had to soak them in hot, salted water for a couple hours to get some relief from the pain. By the end of the week, when he returned, he thanked me and said he had lots of good reports from audience members and the restaurant owner about the performances. Then he asked if I could fill in for him the following month, to which I replied "Only if I can use MY keyboard." He acquiesced and everything went just fine. After that week of performing, my hands felt great, and I went back to fishing and drinking expensive booze and eating food that is bad for your health.

All the best,

Gary

Gary - Im not talking about semi weighted - im talking about something that has more depth and better spring... which is basically a keybed from any of the low to mid range korgs or rolands..

The Tyros / Motif / GENOS / MONTAGE keyboards ALL use the FSX keybed (excluding the 88 note hammer action models)- it is barely "semi weighted" or whatever you want to label it - but its quality... and then you have the keybed from the MO XF range (mid range synth) - which is similar to the FSX but slightly not as good (no after touch and slightly not as good quality in the feel) - but still way better than the PSR keys. Anyone who has played on these boards can vouch for me...

any of the above keybeds are NOT heavy or hard on anyone's fingers any more than the PSR S970 keybed - it just feels way better, is more expressive and more playable. AND you can actually press the black keys with more ease and press the white keys down from the back towards the plastic casing of the keyboard.

The PSR keys are spongy shallow and lack expression. cheap $500.00 casios have a better feel all you need to do is walk into a music shop and you will see for yourself.

I would love to see what would happen if Yamaha offered the PSR S970 or whatever PSR you wanted and for the same price you had the option to choose one that comes with the FSX Keybed instead of the standard keybed currently included with the PSR - I would be highly surprised you would take the non FSX option.

If not then you would be an EXTREME rare case...

I played an MO8 in Marathon Key, Florida about 5 years ago. Pretty impressive keyboard, but to be perfectly honest, it wasn't the keys that impressed me as much as the grand piano voice and some of the EP voices. It was pretty nice, but lacked the entertainment capabilities that I had with my PSR-3000. Maybe it was because I could more easily maneuver through the songs with the 3000 than the MO8. The 3000 was much easier to do things on the fly as an entertainer, while the MO8 was a bit cumbersome in that regard. I guess it's a different scenario when you are on stage and trying to pretty much eliminate dead time between songs and keep the audiences entertained for the entire 4 hours. Maybe for a home studio player, those firmer keypads would be more desirable.

All the best,

Gary

+1 there!
I love the S970 but literally hate the keyboard feel and operation, I guess you get what you pay for. But, for me if I did buy one, I would never use the keys on it I would midi it to another keyboard with a FSX or waterfall keyboard.

A midi controller or older synth, just for the keyboard. When I play, I want good sounds and a good feel on the keyboard. Yes, I was taught classical piano originally. I ditch it for something more practical and portable, but I don't want a graduated hammer action even in a keyboard.

I play the Roland Rd700GX at church and is very nice indeed as a stage piano but NOT for what I do. You can't play B3 on a hammer style keyboard easily, and with the same effector sax and some other instruments.

The Yamaha s970 is a fun machine and is underused one at that, which is a shame , in my opinion.

Even is my loaner/teaching Casio wkxxxx I put a strip of foam under the keybed at the front with double sided tape. Just to change/ improve the feel and get rid of the clunk when you hit the keys.

It worked well and it was a cheap fix. The students loved the feel too of the keyboard than some of their own keyboards - it did the job.


Allan

The Pa4z is the best working man’s keyboard out there – agreed.
So why have so many kept the S 970 as a second keyboard? Why are there very few used ones available on EBay?

My opinion: Because the S 970 has captured a different area in the keyboard world. I find that I am spending more time with the S 970 than my Pa4x. Please keep in mind that I have become a home player. Gentle, classier, interesting, number of styles and the sounds are very good.
So I understand Guitpic1 having a good time with his S 970.

Does it have punch? No it’s gentle. I have owned every model of the Technics keyboard, two Tyros, two PSR, Korg 800, 900, and now the Pa4x. When I look through the recordings that I have made; most of them has been with Yamaha keyboards. Why? Yamaha has filled the space between the play out keyboard for the pro, and the home player.

John C.

AND--there are many times, in quieter settings, I will take my S970 for the styles, onboard speakers, weight, and just to have a different sound. For example I will be playing Sat. and Sun. for the annual Christmas bazaar. You just can't beat all of the Xmas styles for Yamaha. I will use my SSv3 and the Bose sub to give me a sound that sparkles, yet full.

the PSR S970 can load a massive amount of samples.. so really u can make it sound a lot "different" to what it does out of the box...

I have different drum kits, basses, voices all loaded into the sample flash memory. it makes a huge difference...

its popular becuase for its price it really offers a lot of features. Thew new screen is awesome too

Plus 1 for the merits of the s970, it's a great board for the price. I echo the comments of those of you who have already posted the positives of the s970.

Nick: Where did you get all the extra sounds for your 970? Would love to enhance mine.

Interesting comments all. Apparently no one else has had any problems saving registrations?

I’m curious for you PSR users out there...do you save your registrations to USB or the USER area? I save everything to the USER drive. By the way, gotta check, my USB drive on my S970, It might be USB 3.0.

I’m taking some time to go through my registrations one by one as I haven’t used my 970 in some time. Maybe the issue is fixed.

The keybed on my S970 has about the same feel as my PSR E400 series that I paid $250 for.

All USB except expansion voices.

You have done well, my young padawan!

Genos keybed is great cant be compaired at all

Genos is a real winner in my book

I have had mine for 3 weeks now and I really a big upgrade in sound and navagation .

now lookng to sell T5 76 if anyboby is interested

sold T4 already

even a trade for 970 and cash could work I am looking to PU 970 for back up

Ron

I’d love to at least play the Genos a bit but I’m guessing I’d have to travel severa hundred miles to play one.

I doubt there’s even one to play in the Twin Cities.

If I was strictly a home player, I could possibly be interested in a Tyros 76....gotta think about it. I saw one listing on EBay, new Tyros...under $3,000.

I use the User area as a temp storage area for registrations while I tweak them, I then transfer them to the USB drive and to a second USB drive as a back up