$300.00 price drop S975

Yamaha S975

Very tempting, but I really want a chord looper!

Maybe this may interest you.

Roland G series all had chord sequencer.. G600, G800, RA800, G1000..Roland dropped it on the G70

.... crappy keys, no touch screen. You'll see lots of these available soon

yes mixed in with the SX900..

now, who'd the Debby Downer? You haven't even seen one yet. You've posted more about the Genos, and 900 than actual owners of the two. What's UP with that?

Dave all eyes are watching your Sx900 progress
I hope it works out for you buddy.

It's just another toll for the arsenal. I mostly play guitar on stage, anyway. This is not a "holy grail" for me; not by a long shot. My hope is that it's the first playable psr that I can actually be comfortable using. Go play your 3rd gen PA4x.

Love the "holy grail" fall back buffer..
Have fun!

Guitar Center selling at that price for two months.
Makes sense, John C.

I know it's been talked about a lot, nevertheless I would state that just because PSR's keys are so light doesn't mean that they are bad.

I played a lot a decent Yamaha grand piano at a restaurant, my set was up to 4 hours, and I enjoyed that, but at home I had PSR-3000 and I enjoyed it as well and my fingers were adjusted to both units.

Keyboard can be called bad if it's unpredictable, so you can't get adjusted to it.

Right now I have Juno DS 76 with rather tough keybed, I had to get adjusted to it as well, perhaps, a week or so. I must say, that if I feel lazy (like late at night) subconsciously I reach for light keys, but after all, if the sound inspires me, I forget about a keybed.

I think Yamaha had to have enough arguments to justify a purpose of SX700/900, so they made a small change (as I understand, the same keybed was used in MX49/61 years ago), but they used that light keybed for years because it was actually just fine, it just takes time if you are moving from something different - yes, at first it's rather uncomfortable.

Hi ,
I ‘ve avoided posting too much, basically I’d sooner not try to influence people, especially if they can’t try before they buy. What works for me, may not work for someone else. I find the keys, better than on my s950 . Touch screen works fine for me. etc etc
So, hopefully that’s the case for others too. Keyboards are an individual thing.

Don’t regret selling my PA4x, also have my PA3x for sale, may also sell my pa800.
Psr went yesterday.

Happy with my sx900

If something new and exciting arrives on the korg scene. Who knows, never say never . At least I hope to be down to only one keyboard and the piano. If nothing else I’m slowly clearing out a heap of stuff I wasn’t using.

Kabinopus, I completely respect your use of tact, and decorum. I believe you are a true gentleman, and your posts reflect your respect for others. I, on the other hand, while not a bad person (shhhhh) do "occasionally" come off as unfeeling, or judgmental because of my directness. I'll try to follow your lead, and buffer some of my initial thoughts before I post. My Dad is a master of tact, and humility, but but I got his weak eyes, and failing prostate, in stead of his calm demeanor, and quiet wisdom.
So, on the subject of what I called "crappy keys" ...
Of course, I am just one of many I know, who are less than inspired by the short key throw, and flimsy feel. My musical teeth were cut on a Rhodes for years, and then the more substantial Roland, and Korg arrangers of the past. I watched as the keys were gradually degraded ... probably to cut down on weight, and aim the product to a more casual demographic, but as a guy who literally sings for his supper, I always felt that the combination of drum machine, monitor speakers, and good staple sounds in an ALL IN ONE box was the smartest choice for my work. The key feel has been a shortcoming for many of the new choices made available to us. This new Yamaha represents a real breakthrough to the working musician who needs to "dig in" sometimes, and get more expression from the keybed. My style of play is primarily chording with my right hand, and as such, I need to vary the velocity, and intensity quite often. No PSR to date has given me that result. The Tyros series, has great sound, and feel, but .... no speakers, and EXTRA large. Not a good fit for me.
I Love my $X for everything it does, but again ..... silent slab. Not ideal.
I patiently await the arrival of my sx900 to see if the combination of upgraded keys, touch screen, and chord looper are indeed ,the game changer they seem to represent for me.
Again, thanks for the reality check - always love your posts, and your playing. I wish we were closer neighbors.
Ciao, my friend. ( I know ... it's Italian, not Russian, but hey - my mamma is from Italy)

Uncle Dave, no worries at all; I just felt like to write something. So far I’m not sponsored by Yamaha to take criticism towards it personally

I also would love it if we all lived closer to each other; but sometimes I wonder if an arranger player is a such type of person who deliberately seeks isolation and then creates special ways of communication with outside world; I mean, there can be a reason why we choose to socialize here in such a form without calls or instant messages.

Certainly there are families and people at work, but, perhaps, it doesn’t cover everything.

Besides, it’s exiting to communicate through all the world.

At least new SX900 gave us a lot to talk about. And it is reasonable – flagship PSR is like a core product in the line, because it is how Yamaha represents itself to the major part of customers – it has to be good within a reasonable price.

Funny you mention that. I've been at this crazy game for 50 years, and in the early days I was always in a band. There were no arrangers, or drum machines.(except the horrid home organ bossa nova units) Through the late 70s, and early 80s it was the same thing. Then mid 80s brought the death of disco, the birth of punk rock, and grunge bands, and drunk driving laws stiffened. Bands were forced to reduce their size to keep working. I was a full time bassist/singer in pop top40 bands, but I saw the writing on the wall, and knew that as band members were dropped, the last man/woman standing would certainly be the keyboardist, so I put all my attention into that arena. By 1989 I was 90% a soloist, and working many of the same rooms that I worked with a 4 pc band .... FOR THE SAME MONEY.

I used a Rhodes, Moog bass, drum machine du jour, and whatever synth was popular at the time. For really large rooms, or extended engagements, I added my Clav D6, a second synth, and a module layer with my main synth. It was a totally live rig, except for the drum patterns. Manual bass all night long. No sequences.
Fast forward to the 90s, and some of us who had recently gone solo began to yearn for the camaraderie of our bandmates, so a few of us decided to go to dinner on an off night. That small group turned into an organization of over 100 members who meet once, or twice a year to bitch about the biz, talk tech, and have some food and jam a bit. It's an amazing brotherhood of local talent who are mostly soloists, (but not all), and mostly full timers, (but not all.)
It's always a great time, and we get to meet, and chill with our peers, who mostly work the same nights, so socialization would otherwise be impossible.

Given our global borders, this forum is much the same to me, and even though we razz, and tease, and sometimes ruffle feathers .... it's basically a love fest. Music lovers coming together to share thoughts, songs, and wisdom. When we share personal experiences, and console each other in the tough times ... it's even better.

Let's all raise a glass to NIGEL! Thanks for creating this meeting place, my friend. It's a sanity haven for lots of us.

Actually, they are selling the bundle as well in the same price! As mistake?

A nice post Dave -- the part abouy Nigel is so true. We do owe him a big THANK YOU.

John C.

Why are you guys awake?

I thought I was the only night owl

I am use to seeing Don Mason around this time, but thought Dave needed his sleep to cope

John you probably got up to use the bathroom... right

I'm actually working on my studio setup .... AGAIN
(4:44 AM EST)

I am here trying to figure out what to play for Halloween job..

I guess I will do a mix of live stuff and DJ other songs.

Dave and Donny...you guys sure do keep things interesting around here. Especially since you’re defending typically opposing manufacturers.
Keep it rolling guys :
JM

Great write up UD
I enjoyed that.
Thanks
Eric

LOL - I have no allegiance to any manufacturer, and I often change it up, just for variety. In the case of arrangers, it's really more of a mini PA for me. I rely on a solid monitor system, strong bass, and drums, and a few bread & butter sounds. My song choices, crowd control, and singing style is infinitely more important than any one sound or pattern in the keyboard. Even with all the sonic advances, my audience is still there to hear me sing the songs they love. Rhodes, Wurli, Piano, Organ ... these are all superfluous choices, and the bottom line is: I need to follow a simple plan for success on stage - no matter what instrument I use. For me, it's all about
1)song selection
2)dance tempo
3)strong vocals with my signature harmonies
4)solid bass and drums, with song specific chord comping (mostly Rhodes)
5)being an attentive host to the crowd

Everything else is fluff. I've actually been happier lately playing guitar on the job than keys. I have a drum machine in my rig, and enough tracks to cover any party or event. When the mood is right, I shut it all off, and just sing and strum. sometimes, that's what's needed. So, it's not about brand names, or sounds, or features, and it sure isn't a competition. A good artist has all the right tools to do the job effectively, but if the performance is not from the heart, then no amount, or kind of gear will save you.

Won't be long now, (I hope) till the SX invasion in the US. I'm anxious to test this puppy out. I have high hopes that I'll like it for certain things ... like the winery. I've become attached to my P-121 in the living room. I bought the stand, and pedal unit that makes it look, and act like a digital spinet. It's kind of cute in the corner of my living room, and I 'm hoping to not take it out once I get the 900. The SX will most likely go out on one nighters, as I leave my club rig set up from Thursday thru Sunday each week. The Yamaha, an iPad, with 2 Bose S1s is an easy in-easy out rig for one nighters. (at least that's the plan!)