YAMAHA GENOS 2 - Demo & Review
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
- Demo and review of the new YAMAHA GENOS2 ARRANGER WORKSTATION KEYBOARD.
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Great review - thanks Woody! So tempted....
Excellent review Woody!
I have been waiting for this video thanks Woody.😊
great, hope it met your expections!
@WoodyPianoShack it did it thanks these videos like this really help see through all the marketing hype to see if it's really worth upgrading or just keep what you have.
Excellent video. Thank you for this.
🎉happy NEW Year, Woody🎉
Your evaluation of the Genos 2 is right on”
I own one too.
And I ❤ love it ‘
I’m overwhelmed at trying to learn how to operate it’😂
haha, take it one step at a time, perhaps a new feature or two every week, there's a lot to absorb! have fun and congrats.
I always enjoy your videos Woody and this is the best one so far this year🥸. Looking forward to more keyboard fun in 2024!
haha, yes, i guess that's something! :)
Thanks for an honest review.
Happy New Year Woody! 🎉❤
hey there zoe, same to you to!
YES!! The registrations can be implemented while the styles are running, and if you wish to keep the same tempo, you can store each one with the same tempo. This means when you are creating styles, you are not limited to 4 variations, 4 fills, 6 into/endings. You can have 40 variations and fills...and so on....
I have found on arrangers than you can use an 88 weighted keyboard and one MIDI cable to the arranger and set it up one time and all the splits will function with the controller. Arranger work best in a 2 tier stand with a full weighted 88 below and the Genos2 on top. Giving you the opportunity to play piano with the 88 and other instruments with the Genos2 keyboard.
good call, thanks for the insight
I thought your first demo was good and this wrap up feels very sincere, great information too, thank you. I have had a quick tinkle on one at our local music shop and the big impression I was left with wasn’t the sound quality which I would agree is great but the huge expanse of plastic.
Happy New Year!!!. This video reasures my opinion on GENOS 1 vs GENOS 2 (i.e. no big deal). Thanks!!!
Great and honest review Woody. I won't be expecting to see you playing in the lounge of our local Hilton or Ramada anytime soon.
if only I could! would love that. thanks for the comment!
Duel!!! Wow. That’s epic!
what a great track!
Happy new year with the best for you and your family❤
hey thanks, right back to you!
Sounds awesome
Hi Woody, Thank you very much, well done
Awsome...thanks....
the auto power off made me laugh - great video again...
It's not the piano that matters here it's how hilarious and funny this guy is thumbs up 👍
well thank you indeed! 👍
For those who wonder why this instrument miss this or that (sound, function etc), I just have to point out that Yamaha has also a lot of other types of keyboards.
If the musician likes more to play the piano will prefer to buy a piano or a digital piano and not a Genos or a PSR-SX.
If he likes to create sounds and stuff, then a synthesizer is more suitable for him.
If he wants to compose, then a midi keyboard and a DAW would be a good idea.
But if he likes to play a keyboard with the accompaniment function that is able to do many other things too(not everything) then Genos or something from the PSR series is the appropriate one if he likes how a Yamaha is sounding and according to the money he can afford to pay.
fully agree
Top model love it
Hey , I will go to Japan 🇯🇵 to buy Yamaha , and create album 💿 and albums . Can’t beat it for the price . Thanks for great demo . 👍
Is it just me, or does this guy sound like Peter Drury? All that's missing is a bit of poetic flair (we all know the goosebumps we get when Drury commentate 😁). Love your video anyway.
Great description and sound/features demos.
That’s quite a bit for a synth, though this keyboard is definitely a way to “get up and running” with just a few pieces of gear.
Take it to a mall, bistro or coffee shop and make a few bucks and enjoy playing. Seems like a great choice for giant band sound in a self-contained all inclusive package.
Yamaha very rarely disappoints.
Ps-you have a wonderful music room!
just borrowing the lounge when nobody else is home!
Hi Woody , would you recommend this keyboard to a beginner. I would like to get one to start learning on.
I am from Uruguay so my English is not very good. Scuse me for this. I am a Genos 1 owner and I have been watching a lot of revíews about Genos 2
I have really to say clearly that your review is the best one! You are very clear and I agree 100% with your crítics. I think Genos is an Excellent arranger and Yamaha need to improve all the problems you noticed because the price is so high!
I really think Yamaha should be very generous with you because the high quality of your Job, your honesty and the lot of followers you have.
I Will be very happy if you can get a Genos 2 to use it forever! And we Will continue watching your insights to learn to use Genos 2 in the best Watch.
Cheers! Happy new 2024!
Daniel, from Uruguay
thank you daniel, awesome to get a message from uruguay! your english is superb... yes, would very much like to keep the G2 and so happy that you found the video useful, cheers!
Looking forward to this rewiew! I really like to listen to Woody, he's so onest, so relaxed and enthusiastic in his talking, my absolute favorite regarding keyboard rewiews! I also have to admit my fascination for Yamaha workstations, and I'm still have a lot of pleasant time in front of my old 775, despite my age, goin' for 77 years. But please; May I ask a question regarding the bass arrangements on the Yamaha's: In almost every arrangement / style, even in the Genos 2, they are notoriously lacking a real "walking" bass? I also have an old Technichs G100 to compare with, which do the job far better than the Yamaha's!? What am I doing wrong?
thanks for the comment and kind words. really great question about the walking bass because it makes me wonder how any keyboard can achieve this. a real bassist "walks up" or "walks down" to the next chord, but an arranger doesn't know what chord is coming next!! it can never do a good job like a real bassist. i will put this to the test next time i am in front of the keyboard.
I like your hair! It’s cool.
too kind... ok i'll let it grow even more! soon i'll be like bobeats
Thank you for your reviews and videos about Genos2. Really love that and learned a lot. Is this keyboard made in China?
i don't see the sticker so not 100 sure, but yes probably.
Hi Woody, a wonderful and very fair review, as always. I totally agree on the lack of good Hammond organ sounds! Need to keep the YC (or a Nord Electro) for that purpose. However, two things were missing in your review: the FM synthesis: do you like it? Is it worth the update? I know, you are an FM fan. And second, I love the chord looper very much. It is so handy to keep the hands free when playing along. You could have mentioned this glorious feature.
thanks for confirming and mentioning the few omissions. I never found myself hunting down the FM sounds, but they are sprinkled all over the instruments, but was planning a separate vid about it. Same goes for the chord looper and style creator both of which deserve their own vid at some time. cheers :)
I've been playing Keyboards for a while now and I will admit I'm not that great at it but I had thought of going up to a Genos 2. Until I saw the price tag of them that is. I thought I found a good deal for $4,500 but that was for a 2nd hand Genos V1. I eventually found out that to get a new G2 here in Australia the starting price is $7000. They are such a great unit but just too expensive. Even a family member who is a professional musician can't afford one. I don't think I will be upgrading from my PSR keyboard anytime soon.
today i produced a video advising on cheaper yet very viable alternatives to G2, so hopefully I got you covered, stay tuned!
Yep gotta love our aussie exchange rate :(
I agree with you about the multi-pad editing. I wish there were a way to quantize them, for example. About adding effects to a multi-pad like the echo - maybe you could add reverb to a hand-clap in the voice editor, save that as a user sound, and then use that sound when recording the multi-pad.
thx for confirming that it is not just me, even the multlpad loop length is unquantized, forcing you to edit the event midi data just so it will loop correctly. it is possible by editing the midi event data, but incredibly tedious. it seems to be a feature that you're not really supposed to use.
I only use arrangers as one part of my 17 synth studio, so it has to work well with others. After using arrangers for creative use for 15 years now, and searching for a studio pattern sequencer to fill in when both my hands and feet are playing instruments, I have gone through 6 arrangers. I am currently using the Roland E-A7 a $1630.00 US cost which has most of what I need. Easy to build styles from a blank program (easy for me, been doing this for 10 years now). No limitations on the notes played in the style (any 12 notes). Has MIDI output of all 8 tracks of the styles to export to other synths. MIDI output of the 4 keyboard player tracks too. live control of all the levels of the 12 tracks. Six phrase pads to add to the style are also very easy to program. Can program a style with 1 to 136 measures of any time/key signature and can include chord progressions if you wish; that is the equivalent of a 2176 note step sequencer, just a bit longer than the 16 to 64 others offer :)
Editing of instruments are split between some fully editable (deep subtractive) and others light editing like on the Genos2. Effects quality is the weakest link and there is only one stereo output this makes this keyboard difficult to sound good, but not impossible. I have an Electribe handling some of the drum parts and three analog synths adding to the flavor of live play. To be very creative in a synth studio it takes at least a dozen keyboards/ of analog and digital, plus a sampler and groove box. Without vocals in my music sound design is as important as the song score and orchestration.
I still think synth studios using only 16-64 step sequencers are really missing out not buying one of the better arrangers (+$2000) from Korg, Roland or Yamaha. I listen to a lot of synth music and will now immediately turn off a song if there is a repeating one measure sequence, even a 4 measure may get turned off.
(Been performing solo acoustic piano for 56 years. Sound design and orchestrating and recording synth songs is experimental only been doing this since 1987).
Not my kind of thing but I can see where it fits into the marketplace… and I did enjoy seeing you enjoy it! 😂
Woody, I think it might be interesting to do a video exploring the Genos 2 a more general workstation - that is to say, to use the styles and sounds to make original compositions? I mean, it can clearly do it, and if anything I view the styles provided as suggestions, rather than conclusions. They don't have to be song-specific as you imply in this video - rather, they are palettes; small complimentary sound and beat collections, but freed from their inspiration they can become anything. 'Desert Adventure' is a perfect example. Absolutely no reason why a style like that couldn't be wrangled into something quite ambient, chill. This is the hidden beauty of arranger keyboards, imo. Personally, I find working with styles inspirational (and a boon to creativity). But it can be a tricky artistic negotiation, especially when the quality of the styles is so so high, thus so insistent. Etc.
thanks for the suggestion, i have touched on that topic many times in the past, how to edit the styles to meke them "your own" and adapt them for different songs.
Are you allowed to use the styles for arranging your own compositions to be released as songs?
Hi Woody, very nice explanation for the Genos 2. Actually you can record your own pattern using Style Creator (Some sort like a Hack), but pain in the back side to program it. And i realy wish they having a firmware update for SX series (I really need the USB audio interface, BADLY!). Yamaha if you see this comment please make it happen.
thanks for that! you can't add usb audio in firmware as it needs special hardware chips!
Ce nouveau Genos 2 possède un très bon esprit sonore, mais malheureusement il manque encore des catégories où les sonorités ne sont pas encore à la hauteur, notamment la catégorie ''Accordéons'' qui sert énormément pour beaucoup de musiciens dans le monde, ces accordéons n'ont pas une qualité dite ''pros'', les timbres ne sonnent pas encore réels et certaines sonorités ont une jouabilité moindre, car certains styles comme le musette demande une certaine rapidité. Il est mieux d'importer de plus belles sonorités d'accordéons même di l'on use de la mémoire interne. Très Bonne continuation musicale et vive la musique 🎹.
thank you, to me they sound great, but it's much more interesting and relevant to hear what an accordion expert thinks!
@@WoodyPianoShackthanks you very much and Happy New Year 2024.🎹 Theret Jean-Luc.
The Samples of the Rhodes and Wurlitzer are good on the Genos2 , it neads a lot of tweaking to get them to get to youre taste , ( i can compare them with my YC61 and the clean samples are the same in base) btw , Nice review 👍🏻🎹😎
This the first official “Get Woody a Genos 2” donation. I expect all Shackers to pitch in with a similar or greater thank you gift!
you're amazing, we are off to a good start, thanks! :)
@@WoodyPianoShackwish I could make this the first post so everyone would read it!
I use VPS Avenger Plug in which is pretty contemporary sounding by comparison. Of course you need a controller and computer to use it. And with all of the expansion pack sounds purchased it comes to about the same price as this Yamaha. Then you have to add the computer, sequencer app, audio interface, etc... So Yamaha has something here.
Hi Woody! Thank you so much for an honest review! It was enthusiastic as always but ultimately, with both feet firmly on the ground.
I am not a pro musician so I don’t think I would be the right person to own an instrument like the Genos 2. However, I do own a PSR-SX900 which I absolutely love. My decision on buying it was partly based on the video series you did on this instrument so I know you know this instrument rather well. With that in mind, I was meaning to ask you what you think of the PSR-SX900 now that you have had the pleasure of owning a Genos 2 for a while? Are they even comparable and would you agree that the -SX900 offers plenty for a lot less?
I am also surprised to hear your assessment of the organ and EP voices found in the Genos 2 and that they do not live up to your expectations. I must say, I find that surprising because you’ve said something similar about the PSR-SX900 when you did ‘Ten fast thoughts’ and now with Genos 2, which has a genuine FM engine, I was expecting you to be pleased with the EP voices. You’ve even made a reference to the CK series, stating it too has better organ and EP voices than the Genos 2.
Because I already own a PSR-SX900 and am in love with it - it’s been a dream of mine to own a top PSR model ever since I was a teen - and am also fascinated by the CK series, would buying a CK61 (or a CK88) and using it alongside the PSR-SX900 mean having better organ and EP voices and shall we say comparably good ‘other’ voices (drums, synths, guitars, saxophones) than owning just a Genos 2?
Thanks a million! Cheers!
thx cor the commetnt, and congrats on your SX900! that gets you very close to the music you can make on this g2 i think! it's much more about the musician than the gear anyway. the FM eps on G2 are great, it's vintage rhodes that felt like it was the same old samples from a decade ago. you know, i was watching some of my PSR S970 demos and that old keyboard sounded REALLY GREAT! I quite fancy finding another... it does what I need.
@@WoodyPianoShack Thanks so much for replying, Woody! Also, thank you for the congrats on buying a PSR-SX900! Iti s such a lovely instrument.
But wow, coming from you, that's high praise for the PSR-S970 indeed! I know you dislike touch-interfaces so that's probably a part of the reason you miss the -S970. The other part is, of course, its sound and let's face it, your demonstration of Jan's Dance Pack on the -S970 is where I heard some of the tightest, solid dance rhythms I have ever heard in a live performance!
But I must say, the first video on the PSR-SX900, the performance at the end of the video, was just superb. You have a knack for demonstrating what an instrument can do. It isn't just the playing, mind you, the track you composed was so catchy and tuneful. Just brilliant!
OK, now I understand what you meant when you said the EPs don't sound that great.
But please tell me one more thing - you've made a reference to the CK-series. Do you really feel like the CK has more realistic organs and vintage EPs? I know that CK isn't exactly a Nord Electro but it also costs a lot less than the Nord and it is an instrument I admire immensely. I watched your videos on the CK and was amazed at the apparent simplicity of use and I think it might make for a beautiful combination with the PSR-SX900. Can you please say a few words about this?
Cheers mate!
I love my Yamaha gear but i have the Korg Kross 2 which I believe is considered an arranger keyboard and it does similar things.
i wouldn't consider the kross an arranger, more like a synth workstation. great board no matter what we call it!
Thanks again for the heads up..one of your videos..the orgen was held up by a cool looking bar that seemed go go past it up ward..as the paino looks like it's floating...where can I get one ...cheers...😀👍🖖
this may have been k&m spider, see my review video of it for more info.
For using a synced tempo loop with multipad in style I suggest you to convert your Audio Wave into Rx2 files, you’ll need recycle ;) works good 👍 at tempo! 😊
thanks, interesting workaround!
Yeah 👍
@8:44 Oxygene (Jarre) ... actually: @8:50 Cockett's Theme (Jan Hammer) ^_^
yeah, we all know that, :)but haven't recorded my oxygen cover yet!
The multi Pad has its own insert effect but its common for all 4 pads. but you can add general chorus and reverb too .. also common for all 4 pads.
It would be nice to see the pads expanded to at least 16 in a Genos 3. This is where the Pa5X has an advantage. But again, it might not be everyone that needs this feature.
There is imense posibilities in the instrument tho for changing how th "Preset" sounds sound when you play a style or song. You can not change the insert effect "type" when it plays but you can insert cc messages in the style or song to change eg. The "drive" in one of the Amp sims or other multi effect types edits and on the fly change a clean guitar or a synth sound to an agressive lead sound. You just have to go a bit deeper in the edits. All those 28 insert Effect processors is quite a powerfull way of making up for the not too great sound design posibilities on the raw samples or FM sounds if used creatively.
And yes an onboard Pitch shifter for syncronizing pad samples automaticly to either style or midi/Audio songs would be nice too. And its a bit of a shame this isn't in cause the instrument can still import audio styles from the T5 so they DO have a Pitch shifting hidden in there, even Audio Styles was dropped again with the Genos. Ive imported some of them and they do work and still sound great, but if you were to have 800 Audio styles build into the machine they would have to seriosly update the onboard memory and usable User memory which is nomally more than enough for the typical use case of most users. But the way Yamaha arrangers work, many features actually work either only or best by having user samples, styles and registrations on an USB stick plugged into the first available usb port. It's a bit of perculiary design way seen from an IT pow, but it's how Yamaha keyboards have worked for decades.
it's really weird, on the mixer tab for the MPs, everything is greyed out, well actually the controls are missing. thanks for jumping in with the advice anyway, and the thoughtful and insightful comment
The functioning of the arranger keyboard is different from that of the synthesizer. Yamaha arrangers can produce up to 24 sound tracks simultaneously (16 MIDI, 4 keyboard and 4 multi pads), so all sound and effect settings must be made at the beginning of the song. Any change throughout the performance can cause small interruptions in the sound, but this has improved a lot with each update and there are techniques to avoid this. Genos is made to be practical and powerful, but it is not a replacement for a professional synthesizer or organ. Regarding the price, I prefer to wait for the SX900 update, which will certainly come with many Genos 2 improvements for a much lower price. Or, depending on the user, the Genos 2 could be a good option as the only working keyboard.
if you are talking about the SST, that is only something that is needed for the 3 right hand voices. i agree, will be interesting to see the trickle down of the tech and styles to a future PSR.
Yes, can't do it all, no keyboard can. I use an arranger because of the powerful pattern sequencer that can be MIDI sent to synthesizers.
Does the DX7 effect all the voices or just piano,or are they sounds on their own?
Chaz
Great video Woody, really enjoyed this as well as all your videos. Agree with nearly everything you said. Have you not tried the Korg Pa5x yet? Personally (and it's my opinion), but I think it's a better and more professional arranger keyboard and possibly the best arranger at the moment. I own all the top arranger keyboard (Genos2, Pa5x & Ketron Event), and I think the Korg Pa5x is still the top one. Would be great if you could get hold of one and make a demo of the Pa5x :) All the best to you and look forward to more of you arranger playing / review videos :)
thanks! i have a video coming soon where we at least discuss it, shortly after release korg offered me a loaner but I didn't have the bandwidth, perhaps time to revisit that! i would love to try and compare one. feature wise it seems killer, but I don't quite hear the same realism in the voices and styles?
@@WoodyPianoShack Hi Woody, I think maybe the realism aspect may be subjective but it is true that some of the sounds are better on the Yamaha (eg guitars), but I think all the sounds you said are weak in the Genos2 sound great in the Korg. Also, I prefer the styles of the Korg, to me they sound more modren & realistic (especially the Dance, Pops & Latin), and because there's not so many song specific styles as Yamaha you can have many more styles useable since many of the styles are generic. Also something that doesn't seem to get mentioned a lot and that's Latin, I think Yamaha still continue to sound weak in this area, to me the Latin styles don't sound authentic whereas the on the Korg they do sound much more realistic. But going back to this review of the Genos2, a lot of what you found that could be improved has already been covered on the Pa5x, and maybe even on the Pa4x previous to it (another great keyboard). No doubt they are both excellent arrangers but very different which is why I wanted both so that I have it all covered :)
PS, sorry i wanted to mention, there were a couple of things you could have mentioned in your review and that's Yamaha never increased the memory size and still being at 3gb, they also decreased the size of the storage from 50gb to 15gb, which I think is also a very strange move, they both should have been increased surely!!!. Also the lack of a MicroSD slot is bad too, this could have been so handy to have, every single electronic gadget nowadays (including my toaster lol) has a MicroSD slot !
One thing that I found to be the case with pretty much every Yamaha keyboard/synth/arranger is the drums. They drums sound kind of weak. They lack punch and volume (not loudness but size), they sound kind of like toy drums. This has been true since I've first heard the Yamaha XG synths back in the late 90s early 2000s and it's still the same thing 25 years later with their top tier arrangers.
Maybe they should record a kit from a fellow Japanese company called Tama instead of their own brand kit.
ein tolles Review! bitte machen Sie ein Video über KORG Pa 5X Arranger. Danke
U must be able to set effects to ur multipad tracks via the main effects processor. As I can remember , they usually go under track 12-16.
there's something weird going on, those controls are missing in the mixer MP page. not really explained in manual either. i'm thinking it's a feature most arranger players don't care about, but I'm coming more from a producer, synth player angle.
@@WoodyPianoShack Thats a suprise, those options were there under the Mixing console for track 12-16 in older Yamaha arrangers. May be this new OS has changed them. Arranger OS r typically wider and where as synthesizer OS is v deep. This enable us to quickly change a parameter while performing rather than creating most f them as a pre baked product. Anyway I enjoyed ur contents. Thanks.
Very good review. Thanks Woody. I love my Genos 2, but I also don’t understand why some « Cons » you mentioned and which I totally agree, didn’t been fixed by Yamaha since many years. In the past, I owned Tyros 3-5, and these missing features were already existing (ie lack of SST, lack of FX in multipads, etc).
It’s not like if Yamaha would not know how to do it as you already mentioned, they do that on other flagship Yamaha synth….
Why don’t replicate what they are already doing great on other products. For the price of that Genos 2, we really expect the best.
Finally, I hope you’ll find an agreement with Yamaha to keep that fantastic keyboard in your leaving room for the pleasure of your family (and yourself as well)!
Cheers
Serge
UNBELIEEEVABLE Yamaha didnt make the USB Audio outpouts multichannel instead of mere stereo.
thanks serge, great comment, i fully agree. they can fix these things, but I'm guessing the typical target consumers for this product don't care about this stuff. on the last point we will have to negotiate, i would love to keep it around as my main board. ;)
yes, that is a baffling omission, it must be because most genos owners never even use a DAW so it was cut out.
As a kid, I learned several styles on a GX1 at the old music school. I’d have been totally happy to have a Genos to practice on, at a fraction of the cost of a GX1. 🎉
Happy new year from Houston! (It sounds like Hues-ton.) 😊
OMG! you are one of the few lucky ones!
And totally oblivious to the privilege. 🤪
Oh wowee! I learned on ekectones. Bit cheaper.
Interesting thing about keyboard player who unfortunately recently deceased , I had noticed he was using a korg Kronos and the montage .. he was playing on a regional cover band called beyond purple so they do very well and feature guitarist Jimi Bell who was recruited by Ozzie and auditioned and played with Joan Jett , so he dropped the montage for the GENOS because he doubled some of the guitar sounds and the genos beat the Kronos and montage at it according to him and the band was happy with it .. and you seem to be saying these sounds used are around psr Yamaha level so it’s conflicting reports
i'm not surprised at all, the G2 guitar sounds acoustic and electric are second to none on hardware, only vst sample libraries do better.
One thing about arrangers is that they inspire a particular style of playing that is left hand block chords and right hand melodies. After using arrangers I've found that full range chord recognition can produce very harmonically satisfying results. Playing style might still need to change a bit to accommodate the software but you end up sounding more like you, than the style programmer.
BTW, i think most guys my age would spent 5x the cost of that rig to have a head of hair like that. Just sayin'
hahaha, that's funny, yeah i'm blessed I guess. good points, i'm curious to experiment with full keyboard chord recog.
Yes for example I have a very budget-friendly AKX10 and I'm working on Hot Tears by Leif Vollebekk. Using a style called fusion shuffle In full range mode. Lots of chunky 9ths in the lower range. So left is playing intervals with the correct bass note on the bottom of the inversion. Switching that up sometimes sounds okay or maybe by dropping a fifth so the bass still playing the same mode.
It's almost the same as it would be on the piano.
I would suggest checking out Alois Muller's channel. He plays Korg and Yamaha keyboards, including the top of the line of each. An arranger keyboard needs to have at least three notes to recognize a backing chord change, but the way Alois plays, he can put in the three notes and then plays additional one of two note 'accompaniment patterns' over those three or four note chords. He also plays full keyboard chord scanning, which means those three notes can come from anywhere on the keyboard. I truly enjoy watching his videos, and while I don't speak German, the CC on CZcams isn't that bad at translating what he's saying in real time.
We hope a live compare between pa5x and genos 2 and also Ketron Event 🎉
yeah, korg did offer me a 5X but at the time I was too busy, might have to bring that up again.
@@WoodyPianoShack most certainly, if you can get a PA5X, you should reach out to them. Get the 76 or 88 key version.
Try the gunslinger beat.
Strange about the organs since Yamaha has the tech - remember the old electones? Looks like a fun instrument to play all in all and would probably transfer well to semi professional settings.
it is. with some effort you might be able to tweak them for better result, there is some kind of "organ flutes" drawbar model, rotary sim is not YC standard, I even found some organ presets that instantly jump from slow to fast speed without any acceleration. i will have a deeper dive into the organ section at some point, but at this price expectations are very high, and why not just throw in the CK engine, for example, which is very decent.
There are more than a few styles that can be changed a bit to make them more generic. I love the way how you honestly show the songs with most of the default o.t.s. settings, but the fun starts when you dive into the EQ, filters, ADSR, REVOreverb (or however the new reverb is called), and the other two effects like how far the mic is from the drumkit, and the one that changes the midi velocity the instruments are being played on. It may be a more small change, but combine this within your registrations (witch where there allready on the first Tyros keyboard) and you have a powerfull tool to make the song and performance sound more different than the default settings of the keyboard. Why buy a expensive workstation if you are not going to "work with it"? The reason why Yamaha does not built in a full complete synthesizer is otherwise they make their own product (synthesizers) no longer neccecary (don't know if i spelled that correct, i am Dutch)
I quietly follow you for a long time now, ever cince i saw your first video about how to play a arranger keyboard on your own Yamaha. But after this review i felt the need to reply, as some things in the review made me clear that you did not yet completely dove into the o.s. from the keyboard. For instance, i found out that the harmony effect that you can use on the right hand, the volume adjustment of the ai generated tones somehow can't be made softer compared to the note you play yourself, even tough there IS a slider for it (If you press Direct Access and Harmony/Appegio, you can go to this setting). But otherwise, the rest of all the effects and other things you can use, do work, and make the keyboard sound even more impressive.
I was wondering, would you upgrade your current Yamaha for the Genos 2, or do you feel that the upgrade is not enough for the money you pay for it? I know you have to send this one back to Yamaha after your time with it is over, and i was wondering if after that, we still get content with the Genos 2 😀
hi thanks for the insightful comment, with your own review points! i don't have any yamaha arrangers, only a korg i3. i have a month or so to decide if I will purchase the G2.
@@WoodyPianoShack after seeing this video: YAMAHA PSR SX900 - How To Play Arranger Keyboard FOR DUMMIES, i thought this whas your own keyboard, so i guess you had this on loan too? It was still fun to see and hear that this keyboard made your family up and dance and stand around the keyboard. Most people seem to like complerte music more than just jamming on a synthesizer, but for the player this is completely different. I do also love synthesizers, but i am satisfied enough with all you can do and change on the keyboard workstations 🙂
@@musicmaniac1965keyboard yes i have loaned the SX900 and also bought a S970 to feature on the channel, both long gone.
Tyros 5 and especially Genos 1&2 are extremely capable keyboards....for live players OR making Any songs professionally for distribution on the market !!!! ... Let It Be Live performance or using them in studios...
Mix of flagship Arrangers and flagship synthesizers
I play keyboards for nearly 20 years... as well as arrangements and etc...
Aside from Styles, even those who have Kronos and Montage agree with that statement ... in their official and non official forums and CZcams channels... you can see for yourself... 👍
Woody, the price of Genos 2 in Sweden shouldn't be a big problem because the salaries in Sweden are good. But imagine here in Portugal where salaries are 3 times lower than in Sweden, the reality becomes very complicated.
very true. and then consider asian countries, india, indonesia where these boards are also desirable!
What do you think about FSX keyboard in the Yamaha Genos 2 , What can you compare it to? Is it similar to semi-weighted keyboards? What do you think about Initial Touch/Aftertouch function. Are you satisfied with the feel and touch of the keyboard?
very satisfied, this is yamaha's top of the line synth action keyboard, feels perfect to me in all ways.
@@WoodyPianoShack ❤
Do you still have your PSR Arranger? That one had a lot of good styles. How do they compare to the Genos 2 styles?
i do not have any psrs currently, but planning a video about this topic.
Which arranger is best for studio working, Korg Pa5X or Yamaha Genos2 ? By the way, Happy New Year!
i do not think you will find an answer to that question. i would say neither. get Native Instruments Komplete, some synths from U-he and a good controller :)
Define your requirement. When you say 'studio work', are you talking about putting together a song track by track, sound by sound? Either keyboard would allow you to do that, and depending on the sounds you wanted to use would determine which keyboard to use. But, I would agree with Woody, if you're putting together a song sound by sound, don't use an arranger. Use sample libraries and an inexpensive controller keyboard and a DAW. No need to spend thousands of dollars on stuff you aren't going to use.
If you aren't comfortable building accompaniment tracks, add Band In A Box to the mix to help you flesh out your backing tracks.
@@GaryMCurran One very god aranger for songwriter and via MIDI recorded on DAW (All tracks together from style sequencer) for editing to finish. Than recorded in DAW like audio tracks , track by track.
@@Demontage_Montage honestly, Band In A Box for your 'styles.' With over 3,000 Real Tracks and MIDI styles available, and the ability to drag them into a DAW, it really is unparalleled. But, it works differently than an arranger keyboard. You type out your chord progressions and then you press 'Play' and it will generate the accompaniment. One advantage to this over any arranger keyboard is that there are multiple patterns available in a well written style part (and PG Music writes good styles). So, you may get small, random variations from time to time, more like what a real musician would do. Next, if you have four bars of a C major chord, and then two bars of a F major chord, and then one bar of a G Major chord, BIAB (Band in A Box) will pick out a four bar pattern, then a two bar pattern and finally a one bar pattern instead of always using say an 8 bar pattern that is shortened to four, two or one bar in length.
BIAB has it's shortcomings as well in that you have to type stuff out, and can't enter it from a keyboard, but once you do it, it's very easy to go back and change it.
Once you have your backing tracks, you can drag and drop them into your DAW, and they're rendered there as audio and you can add your other tracks from your Keyboard or VSTs. BIAB also supports VSTis for it's MIDI styles as well, so if you're using a controller keyboard and VSTs, and you want to use the same sounds, you can.
BIAB is not an 'Arranger' thing, per se, but it does deliver backing tracks. Plus, through the 15th, the new package, BIAB 2024, is on special pricing. I would recommend the UltraPak.
If you're not sure about what Band In A Box is, check out this video on CZcams.
czcams.com/video/WYWnTJ0zJcc/video.html
Not to trying to steal the thunder away from the Genos 2, Woody. 😜😜
@@GaryMCurran Thanks for info
Great review! . I happen to own a PSR-SX-900 and was willing to move up to Genos2 *had* it included some of the features that sadly got ( again! ) omitted from this iteration of their flagship so-called "workstation" (massive hint....... its' NOT...) arranger.
Hi,the better choice now is the SX900, the baby Genos 1, in second hand, around 1400€, it's really interesting alternative...the touch is not really good but for privat party, you just need good rythm/bass and some big synth/brass so, that's do really well the job for more than 3X down the price of this Genos 2, who is good arranger but too many lacking features like Mr Woody sayed in this good review .
tend to agree. Only the acoustic pianos in 900 aren't that good compared to alternative e pianos etc @@samuelcharrier8164
Agreed - I saw nothing on Genos 2 that warranted me switching up. shame. @@samuelcharrier8164
Tyros 5 and especially Genos 1&2 are extremely capable keyboards....for live players OR making Any song professionally and for distribution on the market !!!! ... Let It Be Live performance or using them in studios...
Mix of flagship Arrangers and flagship synthesizers
I play keyboards for nearly 20 years... as well as arrangements and etc...
Aside from Styles, even those who have Kronos and Montage agree with that statement ... in their official and non official forums and CZcams channels... you can see for yourself... 👍
Those who have never tried Arrangers or think low of arrangers, especially this flagship arrangers, I suggest they just try it personally or at least throu some good CZcams channels with decent sound system...
I'm sure their opinions would change drastically very soon. 😉🙂
Plastic is good enough.
They added 2 lbs from Genos to Genos 2. Thankfully not the Straw that broke the Camel's back.
My Tyros 5 got too heavy. Looking forward to lighter.
Loved your playing! I'm gonna look for one of your performances.
yeah, maybe that is the words of wisdom actually, plastic is good enough. i guess it is tbf.
You need to get your hands on a Korg Pa5X (76 or 88-key) and compare these two - seriously.
Hi Woody , you mentioned about 20 expansion packs for Genos 2 fee download, where to find them, can you send a link please
Thanks
you need to register your G2 in europe, or just go to PSR tutorial where there are direct download links for everything.
I got my first play of my fathers new Genos 2 and was able to compare it to my current personal choice of arranger, the Korg PA5x. Biggest difference was that I could just pick a style, choose one of the One touch settings and simple play. The choice of sounds and the whole balance of volumes are instantly playable on Genos. Where as, with my Korg, they simply aren't balanced. With the Korg I have to copy a factory style to a User style, so I can make changes and save them. Yamaha have clearly spent the time and focus ensuring all their styles and sound settings are instantly playable. Dare I suggest Korg have been very lazy and lacked focus. I think I will have to find the rather too many pennies and swap to Genos 2. (And I love cheese when it comes to this Genos 2)😉
that is very interesting to read, thank you!
My Korg Pa3x allows you to record audio while using styles.
that's cool, umm., that's kinda expected?
@@WoodyPianoShack I'm pretty sure the whole line does allow recording.
The sounds in Genos 2 knock most vst ( and many Kontakt sample libraries ) outta the water
dunno f i personally agree with that, but most certainly some of the best I have heard in a hardware keyboard!
@24:35 So... Sugar Walls is available in an expansion pack?
Sugar Walls?
Ah, Sugar Walls was the nasty song written by Prince for Sheena that was a hit back in its day in 1984. Probably not a good selection for retirement home sing-along!
Is there a built-in sampler/synthesizer in it?
no, not with ability to create or sculpt your own sounds anyway.
Would be great if you did a comparison with the Korg Pa5x
You can edit everything from the ground up
omg, can you imagine what a massive task that would be to compare those two beasts!
@@WoodyPianoShack but a lot of fun in the process.
Biggest difference between an Arranger keyboard and Workstation is that an Arranger is meant to be played. A Workstation is exactly what the word says it is.
that is an interesting point, but by your logic the arranger is meant to be "arranged"? :)
@@WoodyPianoShack it's supposed to be a backing band soooo..... yes? LOOOL. I've had both. and I love both but I have a lot more fun on a workstation than I do an arranger.
His banjo changed into a guitar over night.
heehee, next video, a mandolin!
I noticed that too.😊
Anyway if you might find out for me if this particular keyboard could come down in price? I love listening to you, I would appreciate if you could find out for me, I would like to get one of thesee😊😊
sorry but you must do your own shopping around and talking to dealers to get best local prices in your area.
does it have Ragtime charlton and marching band-styles or tyroliand styles
yes, they are all there, i have stumbled across them, a lot of fun
What's a good beginner keyboard affordable.
i made a video today about affordable alternatives to genos2, if that is whaat you want?
Pa5X??
This keyboard is very nice for what it can do. I bought the sx900 for 1000 USD, almost does the same thing, This one is 5000 USD, it does not add that much value - for me - to switch from SX900. Of course now the SX900 is 2000 USD. They have to sell at the price they feel is right to cover development and production costs. All I can do is complain and enjoy my SX900.
@10:31 "The first cut won't hurt at all!" That's a cool Duel style, but certainly specific to that song only. I wonder if you could forcibly use it to perform Dueling Banjos? Mmmm, unlikely I suppose.
i bet you could do DB! funnily enough, this is not a Duel style, it's something completely different but I worked with it to make it fit nad overdubbed some parts.
Impressive with the overdubbing - yes you nailed it - great job!
Hiya Woody. I have a few comments about this product. I am not subscribed to your channel, so I may not have the answer, but in the last two years, I've not seen any review of the Korg PAX series of arranger keyboards. Those are the top-of-the-line keyboards in the Arranger category from Korg. I wonder how you would think the current PA5X compares to the Genos 2.
The first thing that I want to talk about is 'Who is this keyboard aimed at?' It certainly is not aimed at a gigging musician who is part of a band, i.e., a keyboard player. I'm also being very broad-based here. I'm 'old school', or 'ancient school' if you will. I listen to and enjoy playing The Great American Songbook, music from the late 20s through the early 1970s. I also enjoy playing some Latin stuff, Getz/Gilberto, etc. I do not play the music that has been out in the last 40 years, for the most part, because to me, a lot of that is just noise that I don't need to hear. This is all MY point of view. So, even with that said, Genos is still aimed at and marketed towards me. I am not out there trying to make a buck playing gigs five nights a week. I want to sit down after work in the evening or on the weekend, and 'enjoy' producing music, and even recording it for my own enjoyment or the enjoyment of my friends. Also, I'm an American, and we don't have the same kind of music clubs where musicians get together and bring their keyboards and play for each other like they do in Europe and the UK. I don't know about 'Down Under' if that's a thing or not.
This keyboard, though, does work well for the single or duo who are doing pop charts and maybe some 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s songs as well, who are doing small dinner gigs or the opening lineup for a band that night. The sounds have gotten much better over the years, but this is still not designed for the keyboardist who is playing in a band. Stick with Yamaha's other synths for that.
Sounds: Based on everything I've heard not only from you but others, I'm not surprised that the Rhodes, Wurli, and Hammond sounds are lacking. Again, check out the PA5X for their organ emulation, which I think is much better than the Yamaha. One fault that I have a hard time with, and Yamaha should have done something about, was the Leslie emulation on the Genos 2. It was surprisingly bad on the Genos 1 and was not repaired. I'm sure you know how a Leslie sounds, speed up and slow-down times are different. My 18-year-old Korg PA800 does a far better simulation than Yamaha does, and I can even go in and control the speed-up or slow-down time of the drum and rotors. They probably put more into the FM synthesis engine in the Genos 2 because it's a 'feature', FM Synth engine versus sample playback, and lost the focus that not everyone uses a DX-7 synth for sounds, particularly for pre-1980 sounds.
Leigh Wilbraham also has commented on how poor the strings are, and how they aren't an improvement over Genos 1. He's had others agree with him, but I don't have the experiential knowledge to agree or disagree with him. However, he has stated that expansion packs are better.
Styles: With over 800 styles, it's nice to have that many to choose from, but again, listening to the music I listen to, I have to wonder what percentage of those styles are 'one-off' song styles or 'group styles'. Are there, say three styles, that cover an entire band's catalog of music? One thing that Leigh has mentioned several times is when he was demoing styles, he'd start the style and then go 'Oh, you all know what this is for.' Usually a song I didn't know, since I don't play modern pop music, but it was probably something I wouldn't be playing anyway. BUT, given that, for the single or duo who are out there trying to make a buck, that may be a really good thing if they are catering to a certain audience brought up listening to music 20-40 years ago (or newer) and are trying to recreate a specific sound. I'm willing to bet those expansion packs are almost song-specific for many of them. For the home player who wants to be able to play pop music for themselves or their friends and family, those styles may be a great thing in allowing them to easily play a specific song. However, that is not something a gigging musician in a band cares about since they're going to do covers their own way.
One other thing that I'm surprised that Yamaha does not do is 'Chord Variations.' Korg pioneered this back with the original i3 Interactive Arranger way back in 1993. On the Genos, use the Intro and whatever variation you choose and play a C major chord. After it's done, play a C minor chord. The intros will sound the same. That's not the way it is on a Korg keyboard, the intros will be completely different. In fact, Korg uses six chord variations for its accompaniment tracks. They are major, minor sixth, seventh, diminished, and augmented. Not all styles implement all six variations, depending on the needs of the style. Intros and endings have only two variations, one for major, sixth, and seventh chords and one for minor, augmented, and diminished chords. But, depending on the style and the chord played, you get a more musical accompaniment because it's not always playing the same pattern for any given style variation. (Note the difference between chord variation and style variation, a chord variation is within one style variation, and may be any of the six types listed above. There will be different chord variations, which are usually more instruments or more complex patterns as you move up through the Style variations) Yamaha does not give you this option.
Audio and MIDI recorders: I guess I'm surprised that you didn't know that accompaniment patterns would be transferred as MIDI data to a DAW. My Korgs have done that since the first one I owned, a Korg ix3000, way back in the day (1997). As to audio tracks, I don't have any experience with storing multiple audio tracks in my keyboard, so when I want to move them over to a DAW, I have already transferred all of the MIDI tracks, and I solo a MIDI track and then just record the audio from it to the DAW. Kind of a pain if you need to record 16 5-minute-long tracks, but I don't know of any Arranger keyboard that can do that. Granted that some of Yamaha's very basic entry-level keyboards have a chord sequencer that allows you to record the chord progression, and I don't know if you can send that data via MIDI as multiple tracks or not.
One of the other things, you talked about a looper, and again, the basic difference between an Arranger and a Workstation is that the Arranger really doesn't expect a person to put together a loop, they expect a person to use the onboard styles, and to use the chord sequencer. As to the MIDI Templates, yeah, I've run into that on my Korg, and it's a pain. Also, I've never dealt with two sets of MIDI ports, so not sure what to tell you there.
I can't speak to the Multi-Pads, but the Korg PA5X has sixteen of them if you like that concept. To me, for my type of music, they're worthless, although on the Korg the buttons can be configured to turn on and off certain accompaniment parts, which is probably what I would use them for.
I do like the 10 registration buttons and the foot-operated registration switching, though. I think that's pretty awesome.
End of Part 1
Part 2
Ambient Drums and Style Dynamics: Yeah, okay, so you can move your drums around forward and backward in the mix (individual drums) and not done with reverb. I don't know that *I* would have any use for that, I don't think I would. Style Dynamics is nothing more than altering the velocity data for all the style parts at the same time. So, 0-127 (unless they've capped the upper and lower ends). Depending on the samples of the instruments and what kind of velocity switching they might have or what samples they use for different velocities is what you get from that. I might see where it could be used if you have a singer and you want to backing tracks lowered while the melody or pads you're playing in the right hand keep the same velocity/volume.
The Digital connectivity for audio we've already discussed, although it would give you a nice 'down and dirty' sort of feel if you're looking to make a quick recording of what you're working on. But, for moving it to a DAW, you're going to need to mute all the tracks and solo the ones you want to record. Again, this doesn't really fall into what a pro is going to be doing with their keyboard.
Keybed: I've not had the opportunity to play it, but Yamaha has almost always had a nice keybed and action, but I'm not surprised. What I would like to see is something like the Korg PA5X-88 which is a weighted Fatar action keybed, in addition to the 76 and 61 key synth actions keybeds (also by Fatar, I think).
Build Quality: I am in agreement with you. For a $6,000 USD keyboard (by the time you get the keyboard, speaker system, pedals, and stand), yeah, metal would be better. The Korg PA3X and following have been metal chassis and for the Genos, they should be, too. I think the Ketron Event is also aluminum for the chassis.
As to the User Interface, I haven't had the opportunity to play with it. In my current setup, I have a music light, and it reflects badly off my screen on my PA800, which is why I like the tiltable screens for the new Korg, but if the antireflective tech on their screen is as good as some say it is, I'm happy with how the screen is. It's the CONTENT of the screen that I think is missing information. Again, even on my 18-year-old Korg, it shows me a general idea of what the four STS, or Single Touch Settings (Korg's version of the OTS) have for each one of them, and then what each of the four available parts are for each STS/OTS. This new Yamaha doesn't give me that information, so I have no idea what the OTS is before I press it, and only then will I find out that 'No, I don't want that harmonica!'
As to the Real Time Controls. Yup, all very well and good, and I've commented elsewhere that Yamaha needs an option of 'Catch' or 'Jump', and you not be limited by 'Catch' when you're trying to make a small change without having to go all over the place.
Then we get down to the 'Sticker Shock.' Actually, I'm not really at all surprised at what this is costing. Back when I bought my PA800, in 2007 or 2008, it cost me $3,200 or so, and that was with a 'manufacturer's discount' from Guitar Center Pro because I was employed by a company that provided products to them. So, even 15 or 16 years ago, the price was actually more. Today, the PA800 would be replaced by the PA1000 and that's about $800 less than what I paid for my keyboard. So, there is so much more in today's keyboards compared to what was available 15-18 years ago at a lower relative cost.
A Yamaha Clavinova CVP-805, which is the entry-level for the 800 series is $8,600, and the CVP-905 is over $9,100. So, $5,700 plus extras doesn't really seem that far out of line. Of course, Clavinova is also a piece of furniture, has built-in amplification and speakers, and does not have all the features of the Genos, but is actually based on the Genos 1. So, to me, the price is 'fair', but still out of my price range.
Anyway, my whole thought is 'the Arranger Keyboard is not designed for a gigging musician who is part of a band and who is playing synth-heavy parts.' It IS for the single-player or duo setup, but mostly, it's for the advanced home player who wants to have fun, impress their friends, make recordings of themselves to give to others, and to just enjoy making music. When you look at it in that regard, it's actually quite a good product.
thank you for your review as well, this will be a useful resource. to answer a few specific questions, have never seen or tried a Korg PA so other than saying that it is a worthy contendor to G2, I don't know. The keyboard is primarily used by amateur musicians playing at home, judging from forum posts and comments on youtube. The next type of users is solo and duo musicians playing live, for which it is an excellent board. the velocities of the style dynamices are not 0-127 but capped.
i agree, a keyboard like this is not designed for playing in a band, you could use it like that, but it would be a huge waste of money to pay a large premium for auto-accomp that wyou won't be using in a band. arrangers have always been very expensive compared to synths!
@@WoodyPianoShack I had asked, I think, if you've ever heard of Alois Müller. He's German and does a lot of work with the Korg PA5X, PA4X and PA1000 series keyboards, as well as the Genos and Genos 2 (and previously, some of the Yamaha PSR-series keyboards). He's got a great new video out for the Genos 2, whic you might appreciate watching. Only about 6 minutes long.
czcams.com/video/bMOT1CbikVs/video.html
Looking a bit George Lucas with the beard and hair, but no disaster by any means!
SST is a bit of a shame; Yamaha departments don't seem to talk to one another and swap advances, which could benefit the workstation and arranger departments tremendously.
These top-range instruments have always been over-the-top expensive, and they're not brought a lot. They are show horses, not meant for commercial profit.
I think these newer toughened plastic body's have become more prevalent among instrument makers---I think it comes down to cost of production and the fact that these newer plastics are much more resistant to damage than plastic casings have been in previous decades.
There is no excuse for Yamaha not to include top notch sounds in the Genos i.e., their top CFX sample from the Avant Grand, their top e-pianos and organs etc., so I agree with you on that. Again, it seems that different departments in Yamaha are just not cooperating in the design and execution of instrument design.
well, said sir, fully agree with you. apparently must be some collab, since the FM engine somehow made it over!
Anyway if I could get this one you are using. The places around where I live are saying too much for me in price. Would they have speakers that would come with the keyboard ? I used play Lowrey organ and give concerts only where I live. I would love to have a pricelist too. I alive in W. Hartford, Conn., 45 Higjland St. 60119
i cannot advise you on your local prices, but no speakers are included
I think as we live with this thing, and conceivably try to make more of it than it is; memory will prove to be in short supply. In a $6k machine, memory should be a non-issue.
Nice work, hair is fine, good sounds. Just one small gripe . . whoever is doing your editing, quick audio fade outs, instead of crash outs, would not be difficult. hope you don't mind small gripes.
thanks for the feedback, you think i hire an editor! no it is just me! you are right, in fact i used to fade audio tracks in and out, but nowadays I don't care about it, more trouble than it is worth imho. those transitions are a complete pain to edit. cheers
What Software do you use? I can train you very quickly on Premiere . no cost . . .@@WoodyPianoShack
what do you think that a month has passed since the appearance of Genos 2 and the price has dropped by 500 dollars ?
quite possible yes. price fluctuations all the time due to supply & demand. currency conversion fluctuations, interest rates, dealer and distributor margins and many factors!
@@WoodyPianoShack I understand that this price drop has nothing to do with the fact that many Yamaha customers had much higher expectations from Genos 2 and now the bubble is starting to break? Do you think that it is only a marketing that is not influenced by the market, (I mean the users) but only by external factors?
@@adinek28 i heard that g2 is selling very well, but we will never know. i see prices of music tech fluctuating widely here in sweden as economy and currency rates are very volatile.
Sx900 is great enough for me
im gonna bring up a topic and then promise to finish talking about it later in a real in person conversation to see if people will talk to me longer
haha, yeah good luck. actually nothing to do with "cliffhangers" just trying to finish one train of thought before starting another...
61-key genos 2 Expected?
i've heard nothing about that
The Hammond organ sounds are what prevented me buying it- shockingly bad… not altered in years and horribly thin. Agree with the Rhodes piano too
Price is a huge barrier when compared to the Korg Pa5X - which also addresses some of the Genos 2's shortcomings whilst also being made of metal, not plastic and being a cool £1000 cheaper. I want to love it, but it needed to be a much better instrument for the money it's costing.
it's funny, after knowing the G2 price, everything else seems really cheap in comparison, Montage M, Roland fantom, Pa5x, cheap as chips!
@@WoodyPianoShack Yep. I had Tyros for a few years (and always Yamaha back as long as I can think) - moved to the Pa4X when it came out via the Kronos (I was playing keys in a band but realised I missed the "one man band" of the arrangers, so swapped it for the 4X) - now the 4X is for sale, but I don't want to sell my kidneys, so I'll be going 5X!! Happy new year by the way!!
@@NiddNetworks I have a retailer here in the states who has an PA5X-88 'B-Stock', meaning it was a demo unit. Got a couple of scratches on the end plate. Under $4,000USD. If I wasn't unemployed at the moment, I'd find a way to buy it.
I'm quite surprised, that these arranger keyboards cost such much (5~6k$) especially if you consider build quality, while you can buy real synth, for example Jupiter-x for half of price.
oh yeah, it's very puzzing, but nothing new, flagship arrangers have always been more expensive than flagship (workstation) synths.
Exactly as you say, too many styles that you will never use, and then there the song specific styles that only make sense if you play the particular song. Sure, some of them come in handy but I really prefer more generic styles. That's another reason I stopped buying arrangers! Oh, and the auto power off is easy to disable, first setting I do in all my instruments.
16:07 oh no! what have you done :D
Concerning Mind-Boggliness, the Roland RA50 has two MIDI in, Input1 for Playing And the Arrager, Input 2 for being used as a sound module. And it sends all the playing over MIDI as well. It is funny to watch someone recognize the greatness of that concept, only about 35 years later in a GENOS :)
i have had a few keyboards over the years which offer pairs of midi ports and it always brings more pain than joy imho :)
Hi Woody, first of all … a happy 2024 ! Nice overview, The Genos … what can I say … don’t get me wrong but there’s a lot of cheese in the house 🧀 😊… you can have a lo of fun … for those who don’t want to spend many hours making backing tracks. I’m wondering how many audio outputs are available on this instrument because a keyboard in this price range must have the possibility to separate some parts to a mixer (playing live) … should be.
Yes the MIDI configuration can be painful. The RA50 MIDI routing is surprisingly flexible, and the UI is rolandish. But I still think that for arrangers, the two-port option is quite interesting. Use one pair for the computer. The other goes for other input devices like Octapads, Keytars, Organ pedals, or Footswitches. The other out can even drive another drum machine. The flexibility is great, but don't change a running setup, or it will be indeed painful.
@@WoodyPianoShack
I’m really surprised that transmits all style data through midi im sure someone will use this to port the styles to another brand like Korg.
Organ is extremely important to arranger (one man band) guys, if not the primary sound they've always used,.....going all the way back to the 70's.
Why yamaha didn't make the organ a priority is very strange.
it is, especially when the YC and CK are so good. i can only assume they have done the market research and the target consumers don't care about it.
@@WoodyPianoShack The other thing is product separation/diversity (or whatever it's called). Yamaha probably thinks that the type of buyer that chooses the Genos, can afford/justify also buying a YC.
Dear Woody please make review about Pa5x I am so confused between those two arrangers… heart says Genos2 but brain says Korg Pa5x
Are styles in both same high -class? are there huge differences in styles and sounds? I already sold my kidney so please help me decide😜😁😁🇵🇱