Cheaper Alternatives to GENOS2
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- čas přidán 12. 01. 2024
- For those of you that can't stretch to the price of the new YAMAHA GENOS 2 ARRANGER WORKSTATION KEYBOARD, let's discuss some more affordable , but still excellent alternatives!
MY GENOS 2 VIDEO PLAYLIST
► • YAMAHA GENOS 2 DEMO & ...
MORE WOODY PIANO SHACK
► woodypianoshack.com
OPTIONS DISCUSSED
► Used YAMAHA GENOS 1
► Used or new YAMAHA PSR-SX900, SX700, SX600
► Used YAMAHA TYROS
► Korg Pa SERIES
► Used YAMAHA PSR-S975, S970, S700, S910 and more!
► KORG i3
#genos2 #yamahagenos2 #arrangerkeyboard - Hudba
Thank you! ... Just a few additional notes: The SX700/900 do not have aftertouch (The Genos does) ... the less expensive SX600 can layer only two upper voices (the SX700 can layer 3 voices) so it does not have some of the 3-layer richer sounds of its more expensive SX700/900 ... the SX series does not have the Genos Revo drums with the Round Robin playstyle ... As an SX700 owner, I can notice a clear difference with the Genos style demos I heard. The Genos keybed is higher quality than the SX series keybed.
great post and thanks for clarifying, I could not go into detailed comparisons for each and every alternative, or we would be here for hours, but I appreciate you chiming in with some meat on the bone.
Tout dépend de ce que vous jouez avec votre clavier, l'important est d'obtenir les styles et sonorités à sa convenance. Il y a le YEM pour importer de nouveaux kits de batterie plus ''pros'' et de nouvelles sonorités. Bonne continuation à vous.
@
Merci ! But what is a “YEL”?
hello
My name is; Reuben
I am in India
I like music very much But I couldn't buy even a musical instrument because I didn't have enough income so I couldn't buy it
Please do whatever you can to help I have
yamaha genos 1
I humbly ask God to help me to buy it.
Thank you
Amen praise the lord
I am working but I am not able to manage the salary as I am the only one in the family That is why
@@camilleotrakjij'ai rectifié ''le YEM''🎹👍
I have a psr 9000 and it still sounds GREAT .
so do I. This one does dangle that carrot so to speak....
PSR9000 sounds even better IMHO: there is a purity to the sounds that you lose in the latter yamaha keyboards , likely due to overprocessing things to OTT levels- the guitars especailly sound too "digital" tather than "analogue". Also the newer PSR's (PSR-s9XX, PSR-SX7XX) LARGELY replicate the 9000 so you can actually recreate most of the new stuff on the older keyboard: I use a 9000pro which additionally accepts PLG boards like MOTIFs, saves me a lot of money already.
I love how you speak your mind. You have done the time, put the work in, and your experience is very valuable to us. It's great to see the new stuff and hear what can be done with it from a guy that knows what he is doing. Personally, I just got a Hydrasynth Explorer alongside a Maschine MK3 both used, to play about with and I'm enjoying the learning process. What a hobby this will turn out to be!
thanks for the motivating comment, and congrats on your pickups, nice combo!
I have the SX600 for church performances but I also own a Genos. The SX600 from Yamaha is amazing value (relatively speaking). The key action is probably its weakest point but you get used to it and it is quite responsive. Sounds quality wise I was knocked out at just how good the sound is on the SX600. It doesn't have a touch screen but the tactile button experience is actually welcome sometimes and so far I haven't hit any roadblocks using it to replicate what I did on Genos. The sequencer is great for recording up to 16 tracks, but it does lack editing (although I prefer to resort to a DAW for that). I still love my Genos 1, I can't really justify the cost of a Genos 2 given the relatively small differences over the original model. I also own a MODX so FM isn't a deal breaker for me. Thanks for putting arrangers in the limelight with your latest series of videos, especialy as so often they are dismissed as toys and not serious instruments.
great tp get some insights from owner of G1 and SX600, very valuable for our community, thanks
I also own a sx 600 , its a great keyboard. I also use it in church. The weakest feature is the key action , but I really love all the other things.
Hi Woody, always nice to watch your videos! Your points about good musicians with cheap instruments and poor musicians with expensive instruments are spot on. I have a Korg PA 1000 at home and a Yamaha DGX 670 in my office. The first paid €2,700 in 2021 and the second €900 in 2023 (today €780...). They have different qualities, the Korg has more styles, more sounds, more customization possibilities but.... today if I have to choose where to put my fingers I choose the latter! The weighted keyboard is the best thing you need to learn to play, the 88 keys are a pleasure for piano melodies, it should have the "engine" of the psr-sx 600 therefore a good engine, it is well amplified and as often happens to me, I have yet to discover 80% of its features. In short, if I have to be realistic, I learned more and better on a keyboard that costs much less than the one I had chosen to look for a useless shortcut.... the result is that I will put the flagship up for sale to dedicate myself completely to my DGX. Thanks for your videos. your advice and for the sympathy!
Thank you for your usual high quality episode, cheers.
the psr-sx700/900 ought to be the most favourable budget alternative
I agree because it has a lot from Genos and great sound quality.
Thanks Woody, a really helpful and informative video :)
Thanks Woody great informative video and honest.😊 You have just saved me 1750 pounds here in the Uk, i was gonna get the psrsx 900 but am staying with my psrsx 600 now, like you point out its still a great instrument. Im gonna just practice more, which costs nothing. Your brilliant mate.😊😊
smart move, well done for resisting the GAS, hope to join you with a 600 one day!
@@WoodyPianoShackНе забудьте звернути увагу на те, що на відміну від SX700/900, - SX600 має вбудований USB MIDI audio interface. Про це мало говорять в різних оглядах але, дана опція - великий + , підключаєш SX600 без додаткових кабелів, тільки через USB MIDI audio, до комп'ютера і маєш прямий доступ до звуків різних інструментів. Ліва рука грає акомпанемент, а права любий звук VST. Це - SUPER .
I'm in love with my roland bk9, still sounds great and have all i need for my gigs.
Thank you so much for answering many of the questions I had with regards to the Genos2. Based on your comments I am now looking forward to upgrading my very old PSR 3000 to a more affordable sx 900. sure i would love to have a Genos 2 but since I am but a stay at home guy who simply plays for MY pleasure, i will more than likely go for the sx 900. Many thanks for your videos that helped me make a smarter choice. P.S. My wife loves your hair...lol
haha. thank your wife for her much needed encouragement! the sx900 is a blast, have fun if you get one! the 3000 is quite a classic well regarded arranger I hear.
You will be happy with the sx900 watch my latest video
Great video Woody, one of the reasons why i didn't buy a Tyros (apart from the cost ) was that it sounded so much like the PSR range of which I had a fairly basic model at the time.
I totally agree with you over the matter of learning and practice being the best route, I am ashamed to admit that I struggle to find the necessary commitment.
Thank you for making these videos as there is MUCH interest in new innovative, keyboard workstations. I’ve owned a PSR2000 for over 20 years And made a nice professional income, playing light, jazz, bossa nova, and pop standards for dinners with it. The moment you add a saxophone, harmonica, electric guitar, flute, or anything of the such the keyboard instantly turns into full of cheese but that’s OK, I just never use those instruments and I always omitted the snare drum and replaced that with a brush hit. Great keyboard that generates income in cocktail and dinner settings, especially with the great feature of harmony button, which makes you sound even better than you really are. It astonishes me that these keyboards for thousands of dollars are not much better than my PSR 2000. These new keyboards asking for up to $6000 have almost as much cheese as my PSR 2000 which is quite ridiculous. Very sad that I cannot make a sound decision to upgrade an over 20-year-old device. Yamaha, you can do better. Please I am begging you.
yeah, i think you make a great point, it's been a steady path of evolution rather than anything truly revolutionary!
Good video, nice comparisons. Thanks.
The Genos 2 has really a lot of new features, sounds, styles.
For me the PSR-S970 is still great.
Possibly I'll go for the new mid-class PSRs in a couple of years.
really enjoyed my 970 and watching my old footage surprised how good it still sounds, i like your plan!
Great video Woody, I think I'll get the i3, playing the I3 makes you look younger in videos! I've had a Yamaha psrew410 for some time and love it.
that's the secret to the i3! the i3 does lack some buttons for real fluid performances though, if you are used to yamaha, check carefully.
Great video, Woody. Nothing at all vulgar about discussing the prices of these amazing beasts. Cost (particularly comparative cost) is going to be at the forefront of most potential buyers' minds. Korg's PA5X seems to me a very attractive proposition, and I'd love to see you put one of those bad boys through its paces.
good point on the comparative costs, and yes, hope to feature some of the contenders in not to distant future
That's great to hear - and thanks for shining a light on the (to me fascinating) arranger keyboard scene. You take it seriously, but always with a light touch!
Nice video don't worry about talking about prices it needed to be done to bring people to their senses. I had the top PSR-SX 900 for a while then they brought out the new one with the chord looper. In the end I decided I did not play mine enough so I sold that and my Motif 7, I was trying to play piano on it, and bought a Roland digital 88 key piano instead which I am quite happy with. Must admit I sometime miss not playing a arranger anymore but I could not play the kind of stuff you play anyway. Chris.
I really don't mind such out of league comparisons. Actually they're quite welcome. One of my favorite vids on YT is a comparison of sounds between Nord Stage 3 and Yamaha PSR (home range keyboard from +10 years ago). It's played really beautifully. I really enjoy hearing professionals playing on simple instruments and bring out the best nuances from these.
Also there's other video comparing accompaniments across the range of Yamaha arrangers. I can't remember exactly but it was something like F52 vs SX600 vs Genos 1.
Even if you would take out the Genos 2 talk, you have a few valid points. To answer one of them (would a new keyboard improve my skills), no, i don't bought the Genos 2 because i wanted to be a better player (then i should have bought more free time to practice). But i saw a live demo from Peter Baartmans, and also i played on it in the shop. For me, my Yamaha workstation journey started with the Tyros 4, witch i will never sell because my parents bought it for me, and 3 years back, my mother passed away. So not only i still love the sound and playing on the Tyros 4, it holds a more special memory to me for me. It also made my previous channel (witch has been hacked, and Google/CZcams can't be bothered to bring it back to me) grow like crazy, because like you said, the Tyros keyboards still sound amazing, and have most of the possibilities that the new arangers have. And not everyone has the need to tweak sounds. I do love tweaking the options i have, but i have lots of music friends that just love using the default sounds/ots.
The reason i love this video was because of you, i also heard the Korg i3, witch has fantastic styles and sound specially for the price you pay. I don't know how the keyboard feels to play itself, as i did played a few Yamaha PSR S keyboards, and missed that feel of what (at that time) my Tyros 4 had, but otherwise, i loved how they sound very similair to the big flagship keyboard workstations.
A few friends i also meet at keyboard meetings have the Korg PA5X, and with tweaking, it also sounds amazing, but some sounds (like the panflute) i just love how they feel and play on the Yamaha keyboards (no difference for me between the T4 or G1/G2) so the demo of "The lonely shepperd" could not touch me because for my liking, the panflute sounded to flat and with less feeling. This had nothing to do with the person doing the demo, as he had more skills than i have, but more so with how it sounded and felt for me.
Keep up the good work, i love your video's, and it's nice to hear your opinion on the toppics you mentioned. As long as we keep having fun with the hobby, as this is most important. For me it's not a match like who's the better player, just what you love to do with your free time.
Kind regards, Ronald.
P.s. I don't mind the price difference. I come from the Netherlands (Dutch) and in Euro's the Genos 2 cost around 4.900,- Euro. with trade in between 2.000 and 2.800 for a used Genos. I did not see the price the shop will sell them for, so i guess between 2.500 and 3.200 Euro?
brilliant comment ronald, love it, thnks!
Thank you so much for echoing my thoughts... I enjoyed viewing the video. The bottom line is:a) It doesn't depend on the price of the keyboard; it all depends on how we handle any keyboard. b) We get what we 'pay for'!!! So instead of cribbing, we must delve deep into the keyboards that we own making sure we don't fall into those 'traps'!
could not agree more!
Hi Woody! A great video and exactly the type the manufacturers like the least! You are man of integrity - Well Done Sir!
You know, thanks in no small part to your fine presentation, I bought a new PSR-SX900. It sounds wonderful and I am absolutely in love with it. I only wish I had more time to play it. It’s funny because twenty years ago, I would have known all its features by heart. The problem is, twenty years there was no way I or my parents could afford such an instrument. I am also sure that right at this very moment some kid is looking at one of these through the window of a music store, thinking how it would be to have one. That kid was me twenty years ago and now that I own one, I don’t have the time to play it!
The point I’m trying to make is this - even if I couldn’t have afforded the -SX900, with the amount of free time that I have, an -SX600 would have been more than enough for me. It does not matter if you own something expensive if you don’t have the time to learn how to use it to its fullest.
Also, you are very correct on the pricing - the PSR-SX900 was 1900 € two years ago - a really hefty chunk of cash - but now it’s 2200 €. The successor will cost more because the top PSR models have always come at exactly half the price of the high-end Tyros, at least over here in Southeast Europe.
In one of your previous replies to my comment, you mentioned how the PSR-SX900 can get you very lose to the music you can make on the Genos 2. That’s great, of course, but at the same time, you managed to squeeze an awful lot out of the Korg i3, more than I thought possible.
The thing that struck me the most however was what you said about the PSR-S970 in that same reply - that you were rewatching your older videos and found the instrument still sounds fantastic and that it is all you really need! I guess, that’s the ultimate Woody recommendation then!!
Cheers mate!
s970 sx900, 600 whatever! learn the instrument, practice and you can make equally great music on them all! congrats on your 900 and thanks for the great comment.
@@WoodyPianoShack Hi Woody! Thank you for the congratulations! It’s always a pleasure getting a reply from you mate. Cheers!
You do such a great job. Recently got a Genos 1 and traded in my Yamaha DGX 670. I loved my DGX. Hope Yamaha let's you keep the Genos 2, Sir.
tbanks and congrats on your G1! maybe doesn't even make sense for my to keep and own keyboards, as there ia always new stuff coming in for review and don't have room or time for it all!
In December I upgraded from my trusty S970 to the Genos 2, £4000 as a price match, no trade in [speakers extra].
South-East England based.
My 1st flagship arranger, & as I'm 72 probably my final expensive keyboard.
I'm very happy with the deal I got as a loyal customer of over 25 years, & overjoyed with my new instrument.
glad to hear that and massive congrats!
I have the s970 and even though I like it wish I could afford the genos 2. You did well . Enjoy .
I have to say, I was very impressed with that Korg i3. I’d love if you could get some of the other Korg arrangers, as well as their EK-50 entertainer series. And then does the Genos 2 do vocal harmonizer things? I think the Pa5x does.
Your comments in one of the other Genos 2 videos about these being fun with the family have my interest piqued just a little.
Thanks for the quality content as always!
thanks for the nice comment, yeah will definitely do my best to cover some korg arrangers.
You sir are tremendously talented and I love each one of your videos. Personally i would enjoy nothing more than to see a video of yours where you do a live review of the newest Ketron arranger keyboard, called Event. It is remarkable and a bit superior to Genos 2 in some ways, such as the strings, the drums and the Hammond organ sounds. Again thanks for all your great videos!
thank you for the nice comment, and yes the ketron is on my radar, not about to drop that kind of money on it though just for purposes of making a video, but if ketron happen to read this...
Great video Woody as always. You can’t go wrong with any of the keyboards you mentioned. Roland still make the EA-7 which is a cut down BK-9 aimed at the oriental market, I have one and they are fun. The Ketron Event is excellent (I have it too) but very difficult to get hold of & also can cost as much as a G2. I think the Korg Pa700 is the best value for money.
Already looking forward to you next video 👍 all the best to you, from the UK 😊
thank you for the recommendations, after doing some more research the Pa1000 also looks interesting, and if I am not mistaken it's purple! take my money!
@@WoodyPianoShack it's not purple, it's a dark 'brick red.' 😝😂
@@WoodyPianoShack and I think the Pa1000 is the cheapest Arranger keyboard with Aftertouch.
Yes Woody so true...I still have my psr 975 and have some great tacks with it as well as some very fruitfull gigs. Ive even purchased a 400 dollar psr 473 for sessions. Still use my old CP4 for all my solo work. Im still not convinced that the price point of the greatest stuff will help things better. An old american saying cant fix stupid, so there it is. If you still enjoy writing, playing and am inspired by what you have keep what you have. Thank You so much for your shares through the years, Love your inspiration.
Love your Channel and this very inspiring video! I have to better my skills for sure, but in the meantime I have to dust off my Casio CT-1000V. Yeah, it is not the same level of technology but it does the same job.
The SX900 is a great choice and the Genos 2 styles all work and sound great in that model keyboard. In fact the styles sound fantastic even in my old PSR-S950 keyboard.
As someone mentioned , regarding Roland Arrangers there is the EA-5. There are also its predecessors the Bk-3,Bk-5 and Flagship Bk-9. I would say that another advantage the Yamaha PSR series and Tyros has over Genos is they still have physical buttons for selecting styles and sounds. With buttons it’s less steps than getting to them from the screen and more user friendly for people with eyesight difficulties.
Roland came out with their awesome FP-E50 Arranger which I plan to get, and a Yamaha CK61 to complete my keyboard rig.
Bought a Tyros 5-76 key used about 3 1/2 years ago. Like new with the 500 gig hard drive. Had the serial number checked for manufacturing date and was built the last week of production of that instrument before the Genos came out. Only paid about $3000.00 for it. Three things about it that you have to love. Tilt screen, semi-weighted keys, made in Japan not china like the Genos and the most ergonomically designed arrenger keyboard Yamaha ever made. Everything is right were it belongs for easy access without having to stretch to get to it while playing. I'm 75 yrs. old and my Tyros will be with me until the end and then to my Daughter. Life is great. God Bless.
Interesting to think that limitations often encourage creativity and with that in mind your little jams on the I3 sounded great.
thanks, agreed on first point!
Very good video and suggestions Woody.
The i3 seems versatile, comprehensive and affordable - approx £450 new, or even less.
yeah it's a lot of fun, it lacks a lot of the features andhands on controls, but is fun and sounds good, with practice you can achieve good results!
All instruments are superb when you play on it👍
so kind of you to say so, wow!
@20:29 spot on /good point.. I used to hanker for the latest Yamaha flagships, reached a MOTIF XF ownership,. but realised actually my stuff done on my older aged gear - from PSR 6700 -9000s to PSS 780 and sw1k card - seems to be far more "original" and "authentic" rather than generic, such that I basically use newer keyboards only to recreate it!! You ended up more creative due to real hard work to do in the first place (check 80's music compared to today's).
Hello, My Tyros4 has a solid state 250Gb hard disk not a spinning disk. My SX700 has a 32Gb plug & Stay USB in a 2 port hub which is big enough for all that I do. The other removable USB port is for general exchange between my kbd and computer. Your assessments of the keyboards are very well put. No Genos for me. 🙂Kind regards Dennis.
Great review Woddy as always..
You should also consider to make a big review of Ketron Event model Workstation.
Would be great for the channel.
Many Greetings from 🇵🇹
Keep the good work on.
thanks for the suggestion, i have no opportunity to get one of those, sadly.
Thanks Woody. Love watching you this vid. Eventhough I am not interested in getting an arranger I do agree with the practice thing. I recently was debating upgrading my yamaha p515 for a kawai CA701 but I though that the money I would have to spend on the upgrade, about £2000 would be better spend on lessons. And to to be honest the p515 is perfectly fine for me, it has served me well the last 3 years and I will keep it until it breaks. Again to be honest, the reality for me was I needed the lessons more than the upgrade. Cheers
515 is superb, good enough for very advanced players I would think, so smart decision by you. good luck!
Thanks Woody. I don't think its vulgar to talk money, it's very important. Another reason I didn't upgrade was the kawai dealer was only offering me £400 p/x for my p515 for the CA 701. I thought f##k that!
Thank you for being the voice of candor on this subject! 'Amen' on the point that buying a more expensive keyboard will not be your ticket to becoming an overnight sensation. My approach over the years, has been to buy a new arranger keyboard only after l've exhausted the bells, whistles, and capabilities of the old one(s). Otherwise, you may quickly feel overwhelmed. I really like your reference to the PSR series of keyboards. They are much more affordable, and give you a world of styles and instrument options.
Finally, l think you have to ask yourself if the caliber of your playing ability merits owning a $6K keyboard. You may well be able to afford it, but you don't need a Steinway to play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'!
haha, enjoyed your last point, it's sad but true.
based on your videos and reviews... i purchased a psr - sx700 i compared the features vs cost between that model and the 900. and looked at the korg models.. the korgs seemed more powerful.. but much less user friendly.... what was inspiring is your comments about who these keyboards are for.. they are for non professional musicians who want to have fun and entertain friends and family.. or even worship players
yep, i second all that, and congrats on your 700, have a blast!
Good all round advice Woody
Nice video, it is wat it is the different prices, I am going to buy the yamaha csp-150 digitale piano because I want to play jazz piano and the other features with the smart piano app is just for fun... and for a gig is it another drive to making people suprised like uh 😮 a piano wit all that amazing futures .. this wil be from a another angle to making people interested.. I think😊
Je n'achète que des milieux de gamme comme le PsrSx 900, qui une fois amélioré avec de nouveaux drums kits et sonorités diverses , sonne très bien et même parfois mieux que les genos non modifiés.beaucoup de musiciens utilisent les haut df gamme sans apporter aucunes modifications. Une très bonne continuation musicale à vous et vive la musique 🎹.
Have you ever taken a look at the Casio MZ-X500. That arranger keyboard had some great sounds and features. It had hex layers, presets that have up to 6 layers. You can make your own styles, and you can swap out sounds in the pre-existing styles if you like. It has pads like the Roland Fantom synths that can playback samples, phrases, and arpeggios. Unfortunately, I believe that they are no longer being manufactured, but since you mentioned buying used to save money, one of those might fit the bill. Fun video.
I got to try that in a store and it does look powerful, easy to use and affordable. The sound quality does sound like a "Casio" tho and the styles don't transition smoothly between variations unlike Yamaha.
thanks for the recommendation, but no have never seen or tried the casio arrangers.
@@WoodyPianoShack Its once in a blue moon casio produce arrangers sadly, when they do, the are only on sale for a limited time. One very old one is the Casio MZ 2000. which would be around the days of PSR9000 ( before the tyros 1)
@@WoodyPianoShack The MZ-X500 had a lot of programmability with a 16 track midi sequencer, pattern recorder, hex layer programs, sampling, and the ability to make your own styles from midi files. The current Casio arrangers don't seem to have a much flexibility. Thanks for the reply. I enjoy your content.
@@v3xman I have only seen demos on CZcams and have never seen one live. Thanks for the info and the reply.
A Korg Triton with its dual arps and appreciating not arranger can still thrash today....and for £300...£400 or virtual for even less. Great keybed. Saying that when it comes to buying toys money can come in form of credit.
Gr8 video and information.. Thanks! Just a small note: if possible, please do use an 'unbranded' stand while setting up a keyboard. Yamaha and Roland.. do they match? 🤭🤗🙃
well spotted, I generally hate branding and large logos for these reasons, but good luck finding a decent unbranded stand!
Hi Woody, you mentioned the SX600, I'd love to hear you demo that as I've just bought one and would like to hear what you can do on it! I have to say, I'm very impressed with it!
I
happy to hear that, congrats, nothing planned, but keeping my eyes open for one
Thank you sir. Great ideas.
Thanks Woody, would be interesting hearing productions done with these machines. 😅
See / hear you soon 🏋♀️🎵🤸♀️🤞
thank you ron, always keeping an eye out for new/used
gear to buy!
Consider also digital piano arrangers (88 key): Yamaha P-S500 or DGX 670, Korg XE20, Casio PX-S3100 ... also the Medeli AKX10 which is a clone of the SX700 at half the price.
The Medeli AKX10 is NOT "a clone of the SX700 at half the price" - not even close.
I meant that it was meant to be ... the hardware is a step above the SX700 (Which I used for 4 years). But I agree that the quality of the voices and the styles is inferior to Yamaha's @@gb3496
The Medeli is a generic Kurzweil, not Yamaha - you get the hardware of the Kurz, but lesser (IMO) sounds and patterns.
Please don't spread misinformation. Medeli is Hongkong based company. Manufacturer of so called OEM keyboards that any company can licence (various no-name brands, Roland's and Kurzweil's home arrangers). If there's a "Kurzweil" or "Roland" based on the generic you're probably going to find the exact model from Medeli for 50$ less. They also sale instruments with their own Brand. They also manufacture K6 keybed for mid range Kurzweil's pianos (the same construction as Medeli SP-4200) however they have Kurzweil's software onboard (i.e. Kurzweil SP6 piano). As for Medeli vs Yamaha - Medeli lost in the past court rulings against Yamaha for the infringement of Yamaha's databank.
Please do some research and use reason when picking your keyboard/future piano to know what is genuine product made by the brand and what is rebrand of OEM or cheaper but lesser rip-off. Usually the comments on the forums or below videos will tell you, in case of rebrands will give you exact oem model.
@@dwsel I only mentioned the Medeli AKX10 because it has a very similar layout and set of features (plus a few more) compared to my Yamaha SX700 … I did not comment on the company that makes it or on the quality of the sounds
Good work Woody - nice Pads 🖖
Very good Video Woody 👍👈🎶🎵 Happy Weekend ! Warm Greetings from Germany 🕊️🎹🐯
hey there, and same to you, thanks
Great, very great review for consumers 👏👏👏👏👏while the sx900 has more styles in the PSR series, it has fewer voices than the previous psr’s….Yamaha is #1 in all series, the other brands are in a competing race to last place. Yamaha is the best out of the box to play compared to the last place knob and slides movers. You are perfectly right about the player’s ability. Then there is the player and the technology knowledge of the instrument.
You keep coming back to the PSR-S970. So, clearly that’s your favorite and the best one to get. Good choice.
yep, that is a firm favorite of mine, good observation, wouldn't mind picking up the very latest of that line, the 975.
@@WoodyPianoShack a few years ago, and after watching ALL your massively entertaining and talented videos on the 970, I bought the 975. and I love it.
Technics did some great arrangers, even though they are 20 years old, still great to have a bit of fun with, maybe a great board as an 1st arranger?
i loved the technics arrangers of the 90s, i remember ordering a demo CD that was a cover of the entire tubular bells album!
Had a used Yamaha QS300 long time ago and it was sort of a synthesizer/arranger kinda thing and it was Dance orientated. Liked it and sold it after few years getting my pennies back 😅
Recently bought a cheap as chips Korg EK-50. Good fun and comparable to a PSR-473, though both have (dis)advantages over another.
Do own synths but having everything in one box is good fun at times (EK-50 has line input so I can run my Boss Dual Cube guitar amp into it mimmicking a Fender Tweed with a Blues Driver overdrive and phaser built in). Both EK-50 as Boss Dual Cube are standalone (batteries) if desired 😊
ex50 is same as my i3 i do believe, yeah lot of fun for the money
@@WoodyPianoShack The i3 is nice as well yet I wanted built in speakers. The full size keys as the great ergonomics/UI made me decide on the EK50 instead of PSR-473 (great if connected to a computer, nice keyboard as well).
Often I play in small venues with a reliable PA system, so even price it's important for me, the i3 seems to meet all my needs, prioritizing portability over built-in speakers or fancy features. However, last December, I had the chance to listen a mall entertainer using the Genos 1 and it blew me away! Certainly, Yamaha's flagship keyboards have a sound quality that is superior in many aspects. In fact despite having a couple of mid-range Roland and Korg synths in my studio, for capturing that vintage DX7 vibe without breaking the bank or dig 'an almost archeological endeveaour' for a fully functional real DX7; my old, cheap, and bulky PSRE remains as my go-to choice.
yes, g1 is super impressive in the right hands. i3 sounds good but a little limited in the front panel controls for easy performances tbh.
I'm saving up money to buy one of these or a genos 1 They're very expensive but i really like the instrument the pastic does not bother me all that much a lot of keyboards made of plastic are still around after 30 years and still work.
Thank you Woody! Really interesting! What would you say about a comparison between the Genos2 and the KORG i3, maybe just comparing similar things like simliar styles? Of course the i3 has less features, so just comparing all the arranger features the i3 has, how good or bad they are against the Genos2?
thx for the suggest, still toying with the idea of that video, but the result might just be that i make the i3 sound bad in comparison, or make the g2 seem overpriced, and i don't really want to drag either instrument through the dirt, they are both great in their own right...
I still need to figure out my MODX8. It sounds good to me, but I love seeing where things are going.
oh yeah, that thing keep you busy and a lot of enjoyment for years.
The MODX is a very different beast for a different kind of user... more of a baby Montage than a baby Genos.
You should definitely check out the Korg PA-5X. The PA stands for Professional Arranger. They are designed for real musicians rather than play at home amateurs. I have owned a PA-4X since it was first released. It is still a great keyboard. The PA-5X with 88key Weighted Piano keyboard will be on my future shopping list. 😊
Keep the 4x the 5x will do your head in ! Wanted it so to work with the 88 but it’s not intuitive it’ll take 6 months to get around it I gave up ! All the work for a little increase in quality. Primarily the main thing for me was shift audio isn’t tv helicon and it’s not good. Maybe in a years time if they keep working on it but fir now no thanks!
See my article above
iäm working on it, thanks for the suggestion
Hi Woody great video just one question what’s the make of monitor you have attached to the keyboard ?
no idea, these are ancient vga monitors, years ago.
Hi Woody. Great review, and thank you! My own situation is that I'm from the era of psr 3000 ! I have 2 of them. I found them great, and have done hundreds of one man gigs on them, and have hundreds of registrations and songs saved on them. However, like all children (I'm 65 !) I like the new shiny object, and I'm returning to gigs after a long absence, I will treat myself to a new upgrade.
It will be either PSR sx600/700/or 900. Do you remember the 3000? Could you advise whether the 600 or 700 would be enough of an improvement / upgrade? There is a big jump in price up to the 900. I would be grateful if you can help, thanks again for your great videos!
no, i have never played the 3000. can you find a used genos 1, there should be plenty of trade-ins in the music stores? that is what i would recommend over the SX series. i don't have hands-on on the 600 or 700. i don't know if you can import your 3000 regs.
OMG ! 5'50'' fantastic chillout arrangement with a pad sound. LOVE IT !
So great ! what is the title of this song please ? , I don't remember
... and I would love listening your entire version of this song Woody
you will have to dig out some of my old psr vids, although i am republishing some of the old performances so stay tuned, so glad you liked it
I've GOT it ! 🙏
czcams.com/video/H28vIxZxZZ8/video.htmlsi=IIxlsJrdFx0qtWM9
🎹😄
I think the Genos2 will mostly go to gigging musicians who like the backup band and home hobbyists who are not that skilled with the keyboard but can play a melody and chords. I doubt today any movie score writers are using it with all the software orchestra's available, and in the box (computer) is a simple way to work on multiple projects and mixes. I love using an arranger that I create the style from a blank to fit the song and add that to my many other synths and instruments. I keep hoping they will all make the style creators extremely versatile and complex for composers out there.
well said, fully agree, thx for the comment
I got myself a sx900 after weighing up everything. It’s plenty for me. I’ve just slapped it on a 2 tier keyboard stand. Top tier holds a Waldorf STVC string machine and vocoder. The solo sounds on it cut through nice whilst I’m playing chords on the sx900 with left hand and I switch back to the right hand sounds on sx900 at will. Yes I reckon there is no replacement as practice and lessons as it will all help to get the best out of whatever keyboard you got. 5k on a genos 2. Nah.
I still think we should all kick in $2 to help Woody buy a Genos2. Let’s go!
you rock! just a couple more bucks to go... seriously, you are a cool guy!
@@WoodyPianoShackthey say it takes at least six tries to get a sale on a cold call…. We shall see how long it takes. I am good for a couple more tries….
One other recommendation, I think, would be the DGX-670, what Yamaha calls the “Portable Grand”. Like the PSR-SX600, it is an arranger but unlike the -600 (and the rest of the PSR range), it is a piano-focused keyboard, with 88 weighted keys and GHS (Graded Hammer Standard) keyboard and an excellent piano sound that’s better than any PSR model. It’s big and a bit heavy and might not be ideal for carrying around but for home playing, I think it is a compelling offering. The beautiful part about it is that it seems to “marry” both arranger and digital piano instrument categories in a single instrument and it doesn’t cost too much either. It is about 900 € but I’ve seen it for as low as 800 € which is really excellent for all the amazing things it can do!
yeah, that's a product line that has not interested me personally, so passed me by, but I agree a good contender and they look pretty good value. best of all worlds
Right! I have the dgx 670 and it is the best of both worlds. Good value.
As I’ve said in comments before, I have a Tyros 4 and apart from a couple of features such as the chord looper, I’ve not been tempted to upgrade, the sounds are fantastic, you can load your own samples (I have a few key Mellotron samples loaded in mine), create your own styles or otherwise mould it to your tastes. I’m not going to spend thousands just to get some small incremental improvements, and as you say, a lot of it is down to the player and not the hardware per se.
What is the great benefit to the chord looper. Is there an external box for that?
@@cinepost usually you’d have a style running for the chord looper, play in your chord sequence once and set it to loop, then you’ve got both hands free for say a solo using the pitch bend or to play another keyboard. A looper pedal would capture the audio of that but that’s not quite the same, with the chord looper you can vary the style on the fly, etc. it’s a useful thing to have!
@@PhilW222 so it’s sorta like having four hands!
@@PhilW222 I need to get a Yamaha arranger, my playing skills are limited. Would I do better without getting bored to just get an sx600 for a while, then upgrade to an SX900? What would you do?
@@cinepost I'd say it's more like it's covering your left hand which frees that up to do other things while the chord loop is playing, so maybe three hands would be more accurate 😉
Hey, Woody. I would love to see you do this but with cheaper Montage alternatives instead. I have been tempted by the MO / MOX / MOFX / MODX lines and wonder if the differences are meaningful. Manufacturers other than Yamaha are also worth consideration.
good shout out, thanks for the suggest, will def consider
Talking about money does not feel vulgar to me, nothing to apologize for. Thanks for the video.
Yeah, I think the "spending more money" trap can be a thing in terms of sound quality too. Have a Korg arranger myself but don't completely know at what price point the high quality sounds really kick in. But you can spend more and get a more "glorified" keyboard with no improvement in sound.
But you're right, spending more won't improve a person's talent!
For me ,the most important thing about keyboards is to study the piano teory and play the world repertoire!That is the reason because i don't drop my Casio CTK 3500 so early.
totally agree with that!
It would be nice, if you review the Yamaha PSR-EW425. I would be interested what you think about it.
thanks for the suggest, you are right i should really dip into the really affordable keyborads, would love to do it. i will keep my eyes open,
Have you ever checked out the Korg PA5.x. It seems a steal at £3500 if its as good or better then Genos. Quite heavy though due to metal casing.
bring on that solid weight, perfect for the studio or home. well, after G2 every other flagship keyboard looks like a steal so that is unexpected benefit!
Last week, got to play a Roland E09, which is limited but cute, and a Roland Jupiter 50, which is cool but not really worth $1.3K (used). The latest Yamaha offerings make more sense for the money.
The Korg Pa700 was fun to play but crashed on me mid performance.
Also saw a new Gibson Les Paul for $5K. Basically, lacquered wood with copper wires and brass ware go for as much as a Genos 2. 😂
ouch, that crash is not fun to read! yeah, a custom shop guitar is just crazy money, but in the same ballpark money-wise as these high end keyboards. one crammed with tech, the other wood and wires as you nicely put it! funny, i spent the day rewiring my electric guitar and bass! those cost usd200 each!
I'm very surprised, you didn't mention the psr ew425 which you have praised so highly...
I'm actually going to buy one from your recommendation..
you must be thinking of something else, i have never played one of those...?
@@WoodyPianoShack ooh, you're right. To many channels. But you should try it, it is an amazing thing considering the sound, spec and price. You will love it..
I like to make the styles myself using a DAW and computer keyboard to change the scenes, the using AUX in on the keyboard, then you have full 61 keys on the keyboard.
Ok have a word with me
you may want to look more to a chinese keyboard brand named medeli, their akx10 keyboard is priced at almost the same as the psr sx600 but it offers more like a full bang touchscreen and joystick bender. It usually branded as another brand like thomann and fame, even roland's current arrangers, the ex 50 or the ex 30 are based on medeli's keyboard, my guess is m361.
thanks, i have seen them around online, but not overly excited to try one tbh. i've heard other reviewers dismissing them.
Korg I3 is not bad but piano and overall sound just feel a bit dated. I think you should check out the Yamaha PSR EW425 or EW473. Better sounds, great speaker output and other great features. Eg USB Audio inerface, motion effect, sampler and looping.
Good information thanks. I,m using sx900. It's very user-friendly keyboard. I use 10 voice expansion packs also audio indian styles. Audio multipads. So I can can use full Accompaniment music. For live performances. If we get better updates for sx 900. Firmware updates it will useful for all users. Display layout must-have to improve because user bank column is at left upper side. It was very small size. To touch with finger its difficult so voice column size can reduce. And bank placement can change to right down side. It's my point of view. Yamaha always the best.🎉
good opinions, i agree the touch targets can become really tricky to hit when the screen is reduced in size. congrats on your sx
@WoodyPianoShack can we get display layout changes by firmware update. Is it possible or it should be done in next models
Woody, could you please help me resolve a dilemma for our small church? We're debating whether to purchase quality portable speakers instead of antique Behringers, or to invest in a Yamaha SX900 or a used Genos to improve our overall sound. We currently have an SX600, and I often spend hours tuning the styles to achieve an above-average sound. Thanks!
hi. get a pair of quality powered Yamaha active PA speakers, 12" woofers and put them up on stands!
I just got a SX900.... I'll probably have to wait for the Genos23....year 2065.
it's ok. you got plenty to keep u busy until then!
Please help me out with the name of the track at 6.45 to 7.00? Drawing a total blank although SO familiar!
Hello there, Woody, I think that maybe, Casio CTX 3000 or CTX 5000 or a Korg EK 50 should be a good Genos alternative. I don't know
Hi all, Last year I upgraded from Casio CTX 3000 to Yamaha PSR SX700. I had the Casio CTX-3000 for 3 years.
The Casio CTX-3000 is just 350 US$, at a different price level than a Yamaha PRS700 (1500 US$). So you could buy 16 times the Casio CTX-3000 for a Genos 2.
Here is my personal review on these models.
On the lower price range the Casio CTX-3000 is better, compared to the entry level Yamaha models like the PSR E-463. Within this price range the Casio has much better sounds and styles, but also much better perceived build quality for that money. Personally I used the Casio CTX-3000 to find out if playing a keyboard was something for me. I basically needed something with headphones, because the children got very tired of my daily practicing on the piano. It turned out it was addictive with the keyboard and I played daily.... The CTX-3000 has a lot of features, 4 variations per style, 4 layered voices, finger-on-bass etc. However its biggest problem is the operating system and small user community. The operating system is quite good for normal playing, but it is really bad for a bit more advanced features. The Casio has plenty styles, but after 3 years I had heard them all. The Casio player community is also very small compared to Yamaha. In the forums people were often asking for conversions of Yamaha styles. But few people could do this, and the result were typically mediocre. The Casio CTX-3000 still beats the Yamaha PSR SX700 on piano sounds, especially the electric pianos. The built-in synth sounds are kind of nicer than the Yamaha SX700. I can really recommend a Casio CTX-3000 if you are on a budget and want to try playing a keyboard like I did. It is a lot of fun for the money. Thanks to the Casio I got the hang of music.
The Yamaha PSR SX700 is at a completely different level than the Casio CTX-3000. For as home amateur player, the operating system and touch screen are killer features. Also the ability to play directly from USB drives make it so much easier to play with new styles, MIDI files and so on. No need for clumsy software to transfer files. I never have to read any manual, like in the Casio CTX-3000. The build-in styles are also better polished than the Casio styles. The keys feels better and I do not hear them while playing. I did not yet discover the countless possibilities and combinations that I can do with the PSR SX 700, still experimenting every day.
Some of you may think about the Medeli AX10 or other models. These keyboards may be good, but what is setting Yamaha apart from other brands is its large community of players. It is possible download thousands of styles from the Internet. Some are quite good. There are so many good tutorials and information channels on Yamaha, like Woody's great channel. Thanks to Woody I am do not feel bad about cheese. In fact I am a proud player of cheesy music.
Ketron Event seems to have a limited amount of incredible sounds/patterns, and then the rest seem to be not so good. But if you can put together a set out of the limited number of amazing ones, you could do better than any other hardware arranger keyboard. I'd call it "high ceiling, but low floor" for sounds and patterns. Yamaha and Korg have the most consistency and extra available pattern packs. The Roland with the 2 screens seems to have its niche, and that's it. The Medeli seems to be a generic Kurweil, but with weaker sounds and patterns. Casio arrangers seem to be all at the budget end, no? If there are fancy ones, I haven't seen or heard one.
yeah, should have mentioned casio, but not sure thinking about it now if they have any fancy high-end arrangers, just more toy-grade, i would be happy to be corrected.
Woody why not mention the superb new Korg PA5X, it’s pretty cool 😎
uber cool, i did mention it and am trying to get hold of one!
I would like to get external speakers for the sx900, what do you recommend...?
active pa speakers or active studio monitors,, depends on how you use them
Good work...maybe i should swap my Kross2 for the I3🤔
don't do that, you could swap it for 10 i3s, imagine that keyboard rack!
@@WoodyPianoShack Lol ok i wont ..
Woody, I wonder if you can upgrade the Genos1 internally to new standards?
definitely not, there are hardware and software upgrades, and yamaha won't be offering the software upgrades to G1, is my assumption.
I thought that. But they are offering a motherboard upgrade for the MODX boards to a p,us version. A place called Syntar in the USA is selling the boards for $300 USD. If one has knowledge enough to install correctly or have a tech that will do?@@WoodyPianoShack
Got a Casio MZX-500 arranger. It can import styles from Yamaha. I really don’t use the arranger stuff.
but remember the imported styles will sound junk of the casio is lacking the exact same sounds and effects of the original yamaha.
ROLAND E-A7 ("Expandable" keyboard- huge quality sound and rhytm library)
Who is the sportiv young guy you angaged to perform on the older models?
He looks a little bit similar as you ;-)
I'm bantering,
but I still like your fresh way of presentatations, which has not much changed with your age.
thanks for the comment, always up for some banter, cheers!
Can you create your own styles from a DAW, maybe you can if the keyboard as a sample feather.
you can create midi files in DAW and convert to styles, yes.
I can recommend a KETRON-EVENT X. Or a second hand Roland BK7M (a world’s best from Roland)!
I have the Medeli AKX-10 and am curious if that one will be covered as an option
i think this is a very niche product, as I have never heard of it, sorry, my bad i know!
@@WoodyPianoShack I’m surprised. It’s not that niche. It is made by ASM, the folks who make Hydrasynth, and borrows sounds from Yamaha under some agreement or at least that’s what I’ve heard. Works very much like the SX900 too and you can even convert Yamaha styles to it. Costs $700-$800 new.
I have this keyboard as well and got it for under a $1000 CDN. Yes you can convert Yamaha styles for it as well as Korg styles if you have the patience.
It's comparable to the SX 700.
@@kokopelli314 are there lots of Styles that already exist? That is the great thing about the Yamaha PSR keyboards, tons of styles. Do you wish you had a Yamaha?
That you can buy.
@@cinepost If it had all of the features that my medelli does and it were a little bit cheaper yeah I would trade it, just for the name
Thanks
ph wpw, no, thank YOU! glad you found the video useful.
The Ketron is about $3.5K and the BK7M around 1K
What about buying 200 yamaha pss480's? If you think about it thats 2400 note polyphony, 9600 keys and an accompaniment section with 800 parts.
well yeah! if you got the space, that would be quite fun!