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richard5498 « Good Except Clanky High C »
Published on 12/03/14 at 22:5761 Key Arranger Workstation
High end synth sounds, internal speakers,
AC Power in,
1/4" MIC input jack, AUX IN
L, R Audio OUT, MIDI, 2 Foot Pedals IN
USB to device, USB to host
pitch bend and modulation wheels,
solid, hefty 25lb 6oz
UTILIZATION
This workstation/arranger has many features which makes for a lot of capabilities like pre-loaded drum loops in many styles, 2 layers upper keyboard, play-in record your own songs, much more. So that makes it more time consuming to learn if you are a arranger/workstation novice. It's supplied with a clear manual at a elementary user level, and more depth findable at Yamaha web site.
I've used it only a couple of days, so many bells and whistles I've not learned, but it seems to have about everything, including high quality sounds* for all the instruments you could think of.
*But pay attention to my problem with high C and C# Grand Piano, and various other instruments.
OVERALL OPINION
But on my first S950 (before I returned it) middle Ab was dead. I returned it for a new one (no hassle at the dealer) but on my second S950, when playing it as a grand piano voice, I noticed that high C and C# did not resonate like its neighbor keys. The two tones sound like a dull plink (a choked off sound), that quits early, a bit damped. I believe each tone in the scale has 2 or more tone generators for this Yamaha product. For high C and C#, they must have a defective or poorly adjusted tone generator. It's a tone generator (or sampling) quality problem because if I transpose a few half steps, the key (white or black keys) will change according to the half steps transposed. Since the problem moves up or down the physical keyboard, the problem is not with the white and black keys or their contacts. I tried to return it, but dealer didn't hear the choked damping as I did. It's a bit subtle and not measurable, but it's extremely bothersome on such a highly-used melody keys as the C tone above middle C and its C# neighbor. We tried another keyboard in the store which had the same disease to a lesser extent (my opinion). The quibble is easily missed by many customers since they typically use it with a million things going on loudly at once, and this plink sound would not be noticed.
High end synth sounds, internal speakers,
AC Power in,
1/4" MIC input jack, AUX IN
L, R Audio OUT, MIDI, 2 Foot Pedals IN
USB to device, USB to host
pitch bend and modulation wheels,
solid, hefty 25lb 6oz
UTILIZATION
This workstation/arranger has many features which makes for a lot of capabilities like pre-loaded drum loops in many styles, 2 layers upper keyboard, play-in record your own songs, much more. So that makes it more time consuming to learn if you are a arranger/workstation novice. It's supplied with a clear manual at a elementary user level, and more depth findable at Yamaha web site.
I've used it only a couple of days, so many bells and whistles I've not learned, but it seems to have about everything, including high quality sounds* for all the instruments you could think of.
*But pay attention to my problem with high C and C# Grand Piano, and various other instruments.
OVERALL OPINION
But on my first S950 (before I returned it) middle Ab was dead. I returned it for a new one (no hassle at the dealer) but on my second S950, when playing it as a grand piano voice, I noticed that high C and C# did not resonate like its neighbor keys. The two tones sound like a dull plink (a choked off sound), that quits early, a bit damped. I believe each tone in the scale has 2 or more tone generators for this Yamaha product. For high C and C#, they must have a defective or poorly adjusted tone generator. It's a tone generator (or sampling) quality problem because if I transpose a few half steps, the key (white or black keys) will change according to the half steps transposed. Since the problem moves up or down the physical keyboard, the problem is not with the white and black keys or their contacts. I tried to return it, but dealer didn't hear the choked damping as I did. It's a bit subtle and not measurable, but it's extremely bothersome on such a highly-used melody keys as the C tone above middle C and its C# neighbor. We tried another keyboard in the store which had the same disease to a lesser extent (my opinion). The quibble is easily missed by many customers since they typically use it with a million things going on loudly at once, and this plink sound would not be noticed.