Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Why Yamaha PSR-SX900 is $2200

Yeah, but with an arranger you have quick access to many aspects of the arrangement at your fingertips without having to interface with a computer. 4 parts, 4 fills, 3 intros, 3 endings, 1 break, 1/2 fills - I don't know if a Motif can load the same style files, but maybe it can.

MOTIF arpeggios have the exact same naming! Fill-in-A/B main-A/B etc. Isn't it ridiculous? It is only limitted to 4 parts (instruments)! Except there are no names for the buttons, you just use F1-5 for whatever you want. You load the arpeggio file (main-a or fill-a) into any of the buttons you want.

The concept of naming these buttons to A,B,C etc is just a meaningless gimmick designed for rookies. May be I prefer all of my buttons in a different order. Should I follow Yamaha's silly flow?

Casio has a much better envision for a modern arranger too bad they suck in executing it:



There is absolutely zero difference between my PSR-740 and SX-900 in functionality. And heck, you couldn't layer more than 2 voices until PSR-SX series. At least in Korg you could do it from the beginning.

As a matter of fact, after Yamaha PSR9000 Pro, Yamaha trimmied many of its buttons and functions in Tyros! Yamaha just recently decided to put few of them back after 2 decade and call it new features! Adding few more effects and better samples.

Is there compression and side-chain in Genos? Do we have guitar mode in Genos? To me, the price tag of Genos and PSR series is like a big joke.

This is abusing and exploiting the costumers' lack of knowledge in a broad day light.

Besides the arranger functions (which I understand you are not impressed by, but that's subjective), here are some other advantages of the PSR over the MODX:
* 252 Super Articulation voices
* Organ Flutes (better organ implementation)
* 4 GB internal storage
* built in speakers
* assignable outs
* trigger pads
* I believe it also has a step-up action

Of course, the MODX also has a bunch of things not on the PSR, too.

Personally, like you, I think Korg's PA1000 has the edge over the Yamaha. But when looking at total value, it doesn't make sense to compare new products to used. To stay in business, companies must make profit on new models, whereas used models are usually sold at a loss (to someone). New products are not designed to compete with used models, they compete with other new models.

There is a really, really simple solution to your problem of not liking arranger keyboards or of the Yamaha ones being overpriced.

Don't buy one.

I consider the majority of digital keyboards on the market to be toys with whizzy tech features, but not serious instruments. If I don't see some musical value in an instrument without use of an owner's manual in the first few minutes after turning it on, I just move on and don't give it another look.

I'm not considering bying a PSR-SX so it's not my problem. It's a question!

Super Articulation 1 (SA1) is just a gimmiky name and it has existed in MOTIF series since Yamaha came up with 2 layers in voices.

You can't even edit waveforms in thr ROM! At least in the PA series you can do it. To me the PSR series are not serious instruments but Korg doesn't give me the same feeling.

Although Yamaha has never addressed the portamento/legato issues in AWM2, MODX is far better than PSR series sonically and that's what matters!

An instrument's first purpose is to sound decent not to play styles.

Hi everyone.

I have had a Genos + a MODX7, and I can tell you something relative to why these boards - and SX900 yes - are so expensive. Mainly because of the quality and definition of sound. When I had the Genos I thought I woudnt need all those styles (waltz, country, dance, ballroom, etc,) for I mainly enjoy making electronic music. But I noticed at the time, right away, the pristine sound quality the Genos had (32 bit audio definition). I eventually sold the Genos for financial reasons (regreatably), but never really forgot its sound quality...

Plus: the simplicity of layering 3 sounds at once. Plus: the "usuability" of most of the sounds if you want to create original songs, which is directly realated to being able to compose. When you want to compose you dont want to use hyper-complex sounds, but simple and distinct sounds that you can actually "play". And this takes me to the synth I bought after selling the Genos: MODX7. A super quality synth (soundwise), but with two big drawbacks: 1- most, and I mean really most of the sounds are super complex, full of special effects and simply not ususable if you want to compose a song. 2- The sequencer is the most complicated thing I have used since the Korg Kronos sequencer.

And this takes me back again to the Genos / PSR SX-900: the sequencer - it is by far the most easy to use and intuitive sequencer I have ever used on all the synths I have had. Theres only 16 tracks, but who needs more than 16 tracks to compose a song after all? No-one, unless you need to write a song like Infected Mushroom, who uses almost 300 tracks in each song (!).

So I am aiming of buying a SX-900 simply because its impossible for me to own a Genos again (twice the cost), and because the sound quality is pretty high on these new PSR SX keyboards.

Well said, and sensibly written. I own a Genos and a Montage and it is lots easier for me to play the Genos than the Montage. Of course, my playing level is not too advanced, nor my Montage knowledge is depth. The Genos is more forgiving and user friendly

Montage can be used as a very capable arranger. One needs to learn how to operate it:



The PS-X samples are inferior compared to MODX series. That's why I said why PS-X series is so expensive. The fact that there are some "styles" should't increase the price that significantly.

This is kind of like saying it makes no sense to buy an expensive meal at a restaurant, because you can make something similar yourself for a lot less money. Well yes, you can... but first you have to spend a whole lot of time learning how to cook.

The arrangers have all the work done for you... a tremendous range of styles, all clearly selectable by name, with the associated sub-parts instantly available (e.g. intro/ending/chorus/fills), all from controls that are logically grouped and labelled for their specific arranger functions. There would be a lot of learning and effort to do what this guy has done (which is why he can sell his packs... which still don't give you the breadth of styles or ease of operation that an arranger gives you).

I agree with you anotherscott. arrangers and synthesizers are aimed for different people which are not seeking the same goal (excepted making music). It is not because we prefer a kind of instrument that the other has no worth.

Not at all. It makes sense if you have the right mindset.

The correct example is to compare McDonald's with a chef's special in a fancy restaurant.


Simplified machine = simple and boring performance.