Genos arrived today

After four hours straight I’m bushed. I don’t know if I can shed much light.

Sound Genos through Bose S1 excellent....outstanding.

First impression pluses.

Voices are dead on. SA adds so much. Many are gorgeous. Genos uses one touch much like Korg does keyboard sets. Each style has 4 one touch settings. Each setting has three voices so you have 12 voice options for the style.

Styles are alive and rich sounding comes to mind. Genos is every bit as good as my 4X...maybe better?

Genos is well laid out...love the large touch screen...easy to navigate.

It’s light and easy to handle. Love all the multipad options...especially the vocal backups...really missed those from my Tyros. A specific multipad option comes up for each style.

Now the things that made me go hmmmm... 😖

The Genos has the same damn keys and key-bed as my S970! Unreal! On a $5K keyboard? This might be the deal breaker for me...my 4X keybed feels to me like a pro keyboard...the S970, not so much. BUMMER!

Voice, style and other sound balance...

For live play, all controlled, it appears, by sliders. The sliders work well..however the sliders are off to the side and I struggled to figure out when playing which slider controlled which volume etc. Not a deal breaker but I can see a person would have to practice with them so as not to get confused in live play.

Finally, I’m still struggling with paying that much $$$ for this keyboard...especially when the keybed is, I think, the same quality as an entry level PSR series. If the Genos had keys/keybed as good as my 4X, I think the deal would be done.

Oh well, I’ve got the board for a few days, we’ll see.

It’s true that Genos is a wonderful sounding keyboard.

Congrats, and tnx for the cons and pros.
If the keybed is as bad as you describe, it will be disapointing.
I did hope it would compete to G-70 / SD 1 keybeds ....
Probably similiar to T4 and T5 ?
Oh well, have to wait till tomorrow for the package, and I'm not sure if there is any time to test this weekend.

sorry to hear this news ......I hope you have a good return policy in place without too much restocking fee?....at least you got it out of your system. I also agree the KORG Pa4x is almost the ultimate pro live arranger keyboard on the market today in so many ways....

Reading many reviews I am so glad I didn't bite the bullet early like I always do on genos...what ever KORG has lined up next for a TOTL successor to the Pa4x will be Amazing for sure.....I can wait.



good luck..

The keys on the Genos are not as good as the Pa4x. In my opinion they are much better than the s970 and are no way like the entry level Yamaha arrangers. The Genos keys are like the tyros 4 and 5 and are shorter in length than the Pa4x.

Interesting though we all have our perceptions of products.

Sorry you feel that way about the keys.
I have both keyboards too and the Genos has quite a bit better response and key action than the S-970.
The Genos keys are very responsive. Much better than the S-970.
It is even a tad better than my old T4.
However, I don't know how the PA4X keys are in comparison.
But the Genos and the S-970 are certainly not the same.
Try them really side by side.
The Genos is a great proffessional keyboard.
Give it another try ....
Eric

FSX keybed on the Genos... semi-weighted synth action with aftertouch. Same as the Motif XF but different than the 970... only Organ, Initial touch!!

Genos has the same FSX keybed as Tyros 2,3,4,5 and Motif XS,XF, Montage... this keybed is a WORLD of difference to the PSR keys...

The FSX keybed is slightly lighter than the Korg PA3x/4X key bed but it is still a VERY good keybed... to me they are both equally as good.. its a matter of preference.

Tx all. Genos sounds great and is a top notch keyboard.

I won’t make any decisions on keeping it till next week.

First and foremost, key-feel would never be a deal breaker for me. Firmer keys may make some folks play with more expression, but to me it never made a bit of difference. What encourages me to play with more expression is those wonderful sounds that come out of the speakers. When I hear those incredible guitars, sax's, strings, horns, etc..., it makes want to play longer and better.

Those same sounds also make me want to sing better. Yeah, I know that probably sounds crazy to some of you, but I'm not a musician - I'm just a hack entertainer that has always been able to sing fairly well.

Donny made some statements in another post about the VH2, which Yamaha has improved on with it's latest release of the Genos. Donny, go the PSR-Tutorial site and check out the demos at https://www.psrtutorial.com/forum/index.php/board,88.0.html . I think you will find some of those vocal harmony posts you were looking for. Personally, I've never had a problem with the VH2 system on my S-950, but I do prefer the TC Helicon Harmony-M, which is no longer available. The TC harmonies are only slightly cleaner. The VH2, however, when properly set up does a fair job as well.

If I were able to go back to work, which unfortunately, is out of the question, I would have a new Genos and be performing ith it every day.

Good luck,

Gary

Gary the poor tracking of the VH2 is the issue for pro singers..if that has been improved as you say I haven't seen or heard any of that from Yamaha which should be a highlighted feature or from anyone in a demo.
Its just lacking the electronics.

You know there is a key touch setting that makes a major difference to me on Yamahas. Set it where you like it.

Yep!

Gary

Good point. Tx

Genos in house, and the first impression is actually not too bad.

Unpacked and sat to replace T4, it looks nice visually. Black is back, missed that since the KN days. In fact it's not black, it's very deep dark grey close to black.
First thing to do after setup was the update to v1.10. Smooth and easy, no problems.
Keybed feels great, looks very much like T4, but more "punchy", not quite as soft as T4. But, I like it that way!
Touchscreen and OS layout is nice, modern and "up to date" visually, nice touch response as is, and very configurable to personal like.
Yamaha has worked a lot with the styles, also most intro/end/fills I've tested till now are updated or redone. All to the better as far as I hear it till now.
The Revo drums is great, and the bass and drums do sure make things more live.

Older Tx/T4 stuff loads and play just fine as far as I can see by now, but not tested much because it's so much new to explore. It looks like a fresh Genos start and to create new "playlist" is better than try adapt everything from older existing archives.
Did not manage download free packs and stuff as described from Y-Soft, code to free stuff was not valid, nothing at the Yammie site did as they write it should in the welcome mail.
(Download and install stuff from the resourse site, like updateed T5 files, programware etc. no problems at all, packs also installed well at Genos.)

Even if I'm a lot more pleased by this new Y model than ever before, the overall sound is still very "Yamaha'ish" out of the box. A bit too "cold and CD'ish", my taste is a bit softer and warmer, but that is very personal, also probably 'old fashion' if listen to all modern stuff there is nowadays.
But again, it's as I mentioned after heard and seen YT demoes, the best sounding Yammie arranger till date.
Have to say that, just to defend the huge dump it caused in my wallet.
No, seriously it looks good so far, it's going to stay and we're probably going to play together for a long time, and then in not too long time add a Korg PA to replace the MA at the top of the rack.

GJ congrats on your new genos & good luck with it .
I would say more but after getting blasted & labeled a "hater" for being honest on another post about genos I will leave it at that. Please dig in and keep us up to date with your progress we all learn from each other.

Take care

Good move, GJ. Genos and a PA - best of both worlds. Plenty of scope there.

Tnx guys.

Donny, just keep on as you do, don't let the "hate" remark affect you.
Keep'em comin', every one can agree to disagree without be "haters".
Damn, I hate haters.
After all, this forum is a great place as we can speak out about most matters as long as we behave as civilised people. (tnx to Nigel)

Yes 124, but the real plan was to keep T4 and add PA4X-76, and then look at Genos later on....
But, now it will be the oposite way, so maybe Korg have a PA5X when I'm ready to add one.
Never as bad as it don't be good for anything.

I made today a quick recording after i modified the Lester K rotary unit with a foot switch for speed control .

https://youtu.be/1FHdjg5A7wE

Impuls

Really nice, sounds good.
Btw,
"the wasted space" as it is a tread about on PSR forum is not wasted at all,
perfect place to have boxes like this .......

Please pardon my ignorance.... but why would you need a unit like that extra when you have such a fantastic keyboard that cost so much doesn't it have good rotary sound already?

If you have the rotary unit why not use it for your enjoyment? He did not mention the Genos cost a lot. Here we go south.

regards, charles

Personally, I don't think the Genos rotary is that good, with no noticeable upper and lower interaction. The unit made all the difference. IMO ONLY.

Why not ?

As you know, no musician agrees about how and what a Hammond should sound, even people who have a Hammond are experimenting to match the sound of the enormous Leslie from a mini cabinet, and everything depends on personal taste and experience. You also have a lot of equipment to make your "own" sound, that makes it so fun to be busy with music nowadays.

Regards,
Soryt

Good comments Gunnar.

Interesting