New Yamaha DGX670 owner

Posted by: guitpic1

New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 07/24/21 01:12 PM

Just got the DGX 670 a few days ago. As many have said, it’s a huge upgrade over its predecessors…I’ve owned the DGX 650 and the grandkids got the DGX 660.

This keyboard has functions I don’t even have on my Genos.

Hello to all after an absence. Been a busy year and a half having moved from MN to Joplin, MO.

😊
Posted by: Tapas

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 07/24/21 10:28 PM

Congratulations!!

The Yamaha DGX-670 is the best 88-key weighted action Arranger Keyboard one can buy at $799. This model sets a new benchmark on the price/performance map. This is the logical and sensible purchase for a beginner.

I believe Yamaha was forced to reimagine their DGX line after Casio introduced their CDP-S350 88-key weighted action Compact Digital Piano with Arranger functions for $549.

Competition is great for the consumer.

Our local Sam Ash store is selling the DGX-670B model like hot cakes. The customers come in and play on the Yamaha P45, P125, Casio CDP-S350, Roland FP-30X, Casio Privia PX-S3000 and pick the Yamaha DGX-670B.

This fun video by Gabriel Aldort gives a good overview and explains the new features.

The only feature I wish that was included is a touch screen or a way to mirror the display on an iPad where you could control the instrument by touch.

Posted by: Crossover

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 07/25/21 03:46 AM

Congratulations. I hope the CFX piano will also soon be available in the P line, in the successor of the P-125.
Posted by: Diki

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 07/25/21 09:53 AM

I’m not a big fan of iPad control, because of Apple’s monopoly of program distribution. I’ve already been burnt by important iPad programs for the BK series no longer being available, and with no way to work around the App Store for installation, once gone from the store, they are GONE!

Laptops, otoh, the software works for as long as the OS supports it (and you don’t HAVE to upgrade the OS if it breaks the program!) and you can get copies of the installer decades later if necessary. Apple charge companies to keep apps up on the store, so it isn’t economical to keep a program up for a discontinued product for very long… So best of luck selling a keyboard that the control software is completely unavailable for. 🤬

I used to think iPad apps for music was a great thing, but in practice it hasn’t worked out as well as it could because of the brickwall between the device and unofficial installers.
Posted by: Gunnar Jonny

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/10/21 07:00 AM

Cogratulations! Hope you'll get lot of fun with your new toy! 🎵🎹🎵
I've been looking at videos at YT, and it seem to be a great kboard.

Just wondring, is it possible to copy the preset styles and upload in a zip? Maybe they'll play nice at Genos as well?
Posted by: guitpic1

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/11/21 12:22 AM

Thx all for the comments.

I have the Genos as well but haven’t tried exporting styles between the two

I got the DGX to have more of a ‘piano’ experience. The styles, though limited in number, sound very good.

When I want to get into style playing more in depth, I go to my Genos
Posted by: Diki

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/11/21 09:12 AM

If the Genos has a ‘mirror input’ MIDI mode, which simply copies all of the splits and layers onto a remote keyboard input even though it is sending just the one channel, that might be a great way to hook them together…
Posted by: captain Russ

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/11/21 10:25 AM

I might need one for a dining room project at the main club I work. Is there any good way to amplify other than buying a Bluetooth compatible PA? What would it sound like coming out of the earphone jack into a mono pa, or splitting the signal?

R.
Posted by: Diki

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/12/21 08:22 AM

I wouldn’t go Bluetooth unless you can’t hear the amp, Russ. I find the latency a bit too much, makes the keyboard feel a bit sluggish. And wouldn’t using the headphone out defeat the built-in speakers? If not , maybe you could use that. I record my BK-9 off my headphone outputs and it’s as clean as a whistle, mind you I don’t run the volume at much more than 50%. I can’t speak for Yamaha, but nowadays, most headphone outs are pretty clean until you get to higher volumes…

How well it collapses to mono is definitely an issue if you want to use a stick and sub type amp (which are awesome for creating an even volume front to back of the room) so it might be worth checking before buying. Most stereo sampled pianos change tone fairly noticeably if you run them mono… How much it affects you might vary. Some don’t mind, me, it drives me bonkers!
Posted by: guitpic1

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/12/21 08:30 AM

The DGX 670 has a way of playing both the headphones and built in speakers. I have used this function. I don’t know that the built in speakers would shut down if the headphone out was used for a speaker…I wouldn’t think so.
Posted by: guitpic1

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/12/21 08:40 AM

I took a snapshot of the owners manual addressing the headphone out used for line out but wasn’t able to copy it to this thread.
Posted by: Diki

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/12/21 09:28 AM

I’d like to hear about Genos style compatibility, but I have my doubts about it being painless if even possible at all. The DGX doesn’t have those Revo kits that so many of the Genos styles work with, does it? Or hundreds if not more Tones the Genos uses for styles (including many SA2 sounds, right?).

If the onboard style editing is either nonexistent or very cumbersome, it might be more work than it’s worth to transfer the styles. And there’s definitely no ‘player’ styles (or whatever they are called) in the Genos that automatically change in response to your playing…

The DGX intrigues me, I’ve wanted an 88 piano action for a long time. But I think I might wait a generation or two, for more parity with the SX/Genos soundset, and Yamaha to make a bunch more of those styles that respond to just your playing. I think that’s probably the feature I most want, and there aren’t enough of them yet to keep things from getting repetitive if you used them almost exclusively.

And add in the SX/Genos chord sequencer, it’s a no-brained for a decent pianist. Play the head once, turn on the chord sequencer, solo your brains out! Sounds like a damn good time! 🎹😎
Posted by: Gunnar Jonny

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/12/21 09:56 AM

The CVP styles play reasonable good without much, or no edit at all on Genos, so maybe the DGX does as well? 🤔
I thougt maybe many of the styles at DGX is more designed to accomp a pianoplayer, a bit 'lighter' backing than Genos and PSX, and maybe different intros and endings as well.
Would be nice to explore the preset styleset if posible to copy to a USB pen and zip it up.... 🎵🎹🎵
Posted by: Diki

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/12/21 10:34 AM

Backwards compatibility is rarely an issue, it’s going the other way, from the more advanced, newer arranger to the older or less advanced one that often presents problems.

If it is possible to copy the DGX styles to a stick and play them in the Genos, I would expect the normal ones to play fine, but the Pianist styles rely on technology the Genos doesn’t have, the ability to switch between Variations depending on what appears to be either velocity, or possibly note density in how you are playing, and also maybe thinning out the number of Parts playing in response to you as well.

I haven’t seen one yet, so I haven’t yet had an opportunity to pick apart the system Yamaha use, but I do know there’s nothing in the Genos that can do this automatically. Sure, you can use buttons and foot switches to achieve some of this, but not without you having to stop playing and go press stuff, which kind of defeats the whole point of the feature… You just keep playing like a pianist (both hands busy!) and the arranger figures out what you need.

The good news might be, if this system is well received there’s a chance that Yamaha might update the Genos/SX OS to include it, or include it on the next generation, and piano playing arranger players could rejoice without having to lug around a pretty oversized 88… 😎🎹
Posted by: Harold123

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/12/21 10:37 AM

Good Information here...keep it coming without trashing the DGX. I'm very close to pur-----. I also like the New Kawai ES-920 a bunch stunning Kawai Pianos. I would love one of everything! Harold
Posted by: Diki

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/12/21 10:47 AM

As long as you have a crew of roadies, Harold! 😂🎹
Posted by: groovyband.live

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/12/21 10:55 AM

I have just checked the Data List (quickly from my mobile phone). It seems to me that the sound generator is the usual Yamaha XG (we all know from 3 decades), with features more or less aligned with late PSR S arrangers. The DSPs are those of the newer PSR SX 700 (5 inserts).

This means that it *should* be perfectly compatible with our software (www.groovyband.live), possibly with only very minor sound substitutions.

In practice you could transform your DGX into a full featured arranger workstation (way more advanced than your Genos) with 906 styles built-in.

The demo is free, and should work both on your Genos and DGX 670.

If you would like to try, it would be an interesting comparison: 4k€ vs 800€!

Let us know!!
Posted by: guitpic1

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/12/21 11:02 AM

The styles on my DGX are actually pretty good but no where near the number and sophistication of my Genos.

That said, styles are a much lower priority for me on my DGX as opposed to my Genos where style playing is a main function of the keyboard.

I bought the DGX to practice piano and have the piano hammered action. …even subscribed to Flowkey to help in that regard.

If I ever went out to play in public again I most likely would use the Genos as the DGX is a good 20lbs heavier.

😊
Posted by: guitpic1

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/12/21 11:07 AM

Harold,

Re: ES920. I was and still am very interested in this keyboard. But it’s almost impossible to find one for sale.

That said, even if I could find an ES920 for sale, I don’t know that I would buy it as I really am meeting all my needs now with my DGX.
Posted by: Harold123

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/13/21 07:11 PM

I dream too much! Last I looked Sam Ash had them in stock, But You have a Great DGX-670...Enjoy
Posted by: Gunnar Jonny

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/14/21 01:52 AM

Originally Posted By guitpic1
The styles on my DGX are actually pretty good but no where near the number and sophistication of my Genos.


That's why it would be great to try out the DGX preset styles at Genos.
Those styles are probably created less sophisticated to play more realistic when 'try act like a pianoplayer'. 😊

keys
Posted by: guitpic1

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/14/21 05:49 AM

Originally Posted By Gunnar Jonny
Originally Posted By guitpic1
The styles on my DGX are actually pretty good but no where near the number and sophistication of my Genos.


That's why it would be great to try out the DGX preset styles at Genos.
Those styles are probably created less sophisticated to play more realistic when 'try act like a pianoplayer'. 😊

keys


Good point
Posted by: guitpic1

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 08/14/21 12:17 PM

I do continue to be impressed with this piano….

Excellent sound and playability. If it wasn’t so heavy, it might work well as a gigging keyboard.
Posted by: Graham UK

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 11/08/21 05:19 AM

I tried the DGX670 for a couple of weeks. Yamaha have changed the OS on DGX670 compared to the way Yamaha keyboards work so even with simple options like style editing you have to go through the MENU every time.
If I wanted to alter the volume of style parts I could only change the style volume completely although the owners manual states style editing is normal upto the Yamaha standard...Perhaps I was missing something.
Style editing can only be saved as a Registration and not as a user style ?.

Can we have feedback from DGX670 owners please or perhaps DGX owners don't do any editing ?.

Finally the positive things are PRICE & LOOKS & SOUNDS are good.

Appreciate your comments.
Posted by: Diki

Re: New Yamaha DGX670 owner - 11/08/21 01:42 PM

Can anyone point me to a decent demo of the interactive ‘Pianist’ styles from the DGX670? I’ve found a bunch that seem to be normal styles, but I’d like to hear exactly how well the Pianist styles interpret normal full piano playing and what exactly triggers the variation changes and fills etc..

The whole idea of completely hands free accompaniment control (other than just playing!) seems to be the gold standard for a proper pianist.