Be Careful Playing Outside With Genos

[gerarde]

I had made a cardboard shield to cover the screen on three sides if I had to play outside and thought that would work.
Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I played outside at a Fair from 3PM to 7Pm.
I was under a 10 foot by 10 foot canopy.
It was sunny all 3 days.
Even with the cardboard cover I made, it was very difficult to see the screen.
I used playlists which were very faint to see.
The main screen was no better.
When it got a little cloudy, I could see it much better.
I played the same fair last year with my PSR S970 and did not have a problem.

Gerard

[keynote]

Your best bet is to use a canopy or other type of shaded covering to block the sun from hitting the Genos LCD screen. Super Twist is a technology that is viewable in direct sunlight but it might be too costly to use in larger displays. I agree the Genos LCD screen is extremely hard to see in direct sunlight. Perhaps Genos "2" will correct the anomaly? That would certainly be a worthy upgrade of real interest to gigging musicians. As it stands now Yamaha probably doesn't have a way to improve the situation with a software update so our best hope is Genos "2" if indeed Yamaha implements a solution on its second generation flagship.

Mike

[gerarde]

Mike,
I did use a canopy and was totally in the shade.
Bit it was so bright out, it still interfered with the Genos screen.

Gerard

[Lee Batchelor]

I've had a device with a contrast adjustment function that actually worked. I forget which device it was! I'm not sure if such a software upgrade is possible with the Genos.

On that note, I too played an outdoor job one week ago. It was for a private party on a house deck. We were in the direct sun - no cover. Before setting up, I told the band leader I won't play in direct sun because the keyboard display would be basically unusable (not to mention having my hide baked off). The party host immediately brought a large, floor-standing umbrella up to the deck and provided me with shade. I could read the display but not as well as indoors. I got by though.

Years ago, I provided background instrumentals for an outdoor wedding for about 20 minutes. I set up my PSR3000, did my sound check and waited to start. I was in direct sunlight and didn't think much of it. After spending some time in the shade before playing, I went back one more time to make sure everything worked and was horrified to discover my display had gone completely white!! There was time left before the wedding, so I moved my PSR3000 into the air conditioning for about 20 minutes. The display came back, but I was so afraid it was fried!! Moral: refuse to play in direct sun. It's unhealthy and dangerous to gear.

[Kaarlo von Freymann]

Hi Everyone,

I am waiting for  the "official" answer that you are all wrong. The Genos is the best keyboard ever Amen. e.g.  none has ever been better in any respect.  Take it or leave it.

That said my experience with any type of electronic displays is  that they do not work well in all out-door conditions. Neither hot and sunny nor well below freezing point.   As a manufacturer of military target drones we have to use lap top computers with  big displays on shooting ranges.  Fortunately army tents are made of thick cloth so  inside it is hard to say whether the sun is shining or not. We can do the adjustments to the drone electronics basically in darkness. Outside it is often impossible.
The  FUTABA transmitters  also have touch screens. As we cannot control the drones from inside a tent  -  I know a US  drone pilot may sit in an air-conditioned house in Texas while he is piloting a drone in Afghanistan  - we cannot avoid to operate the transmitters in bright sunlight  and it  occurs you cannot read their display and they may  even turn dark. 

So contrary to other problems with the Genos, on this point I would want to defend YAMAHA.   With the technology available when Genos was developed there probably were no touch screen available  that would work much better  outdoors than the one Genos has.  If there were http://www.futaba.com/  would have used them. And we should not expect YAMAHA to be able to fix this problem with an update.

Cheers

Kaarlo

[gerarde]

Kaarlo,

I am in total agreement that "the Genos is the best keyboard ever".
I do not play outside very often.
I was only comparing playing the Genos outside and the PSR S970 outside.
If I was to play outside more with the Genos, I would make a better screen to shield it from the sun more.

Gerard

[Lee Batchelor]

Having already replied, I had to play for two hours outside in the glaring sun yesterday - no choice. Ontario is very hot and humid this time of year, contrary to the thoughts that a lot of my American friends have, that we are snow bound 24/7/365 (LOL) . (In the summer of 2016, a large number of Canadians actually traveled south to Florida and Aruba where it was "cooler".) But I digress...

The display was basically useless. I had to place my large brim hat over the display between songs to do the setups. Oddly enough, the Slider and Knob displays was perfectly readable with a wee bit of effort.

[Geria]

I have my PSR S950 connected to a small TV. Would that work if one plays outdoors with a Genos? 

Gerry

[Kaarlo von Freymann]

I have my PSR S950 connected to a small TV. Would that work if one plays outdoors with a Genos? 

Gerry

Hi Gerry,

I  believe if your TV  when connected to the PSR 950  is bright enough in sun lite  it will work with the Genos also.  I think a lot of us here would be very interested to know what kind of hook up you have been using. Please post some details.

Hopefully someone else can give you advice based on actual experience.  Strangely my Genos hooks up to a  PC
(I am am not referring to using the screen, just the back up as per manual) but my Tyros is not recognized by the same PC.

Cheers

Kaarlo

[pjd]

Ontario is very hot and humid this time of year, ...

True that! I've sweated my way through the Stratford Festival (Shakespeare and more!) several years.

Thanks for sharing your experiences outdoor with Genos. I've got an outdoor gig coming up in September.

All the best -- pj

[Geria]

Kaarlo,
When I complained to my son I had trouble staring at the small PSR screen for along time doing registrations etc., he gave me a 12" Sharp LED TV. On the PSR there is a TV output (Yellow mini 3/4") which I connected to the TV. Same cable one would use to connect the old VCR to the TV (Yes, I'm 81 and still have a VCR and tapes). I believe later Yamaha keyboards have AVG connections. Anyway it works great to see my keyboard LED screen greatly enlarged. See picture. Hope this helps.

Gerry

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[travlin-easy]

Because less than 1/10th of 1-percent of the world's arranger keyboard players perform outdoors, ALL manufacturers have chosen to ignore this problem. Yamaha's PSR-S series seems to have improved their displays, making them much easier to read outdoors, but because of the new touch screen technology, I don't believe this is available with supertwist.

I found the only work around was to construct a hood over the screen that looks like an air scoop on an old hot rod. I made mine of black construction paper and attached it with thin Velcro strips on three sides of the display to prevent any light leakage from the sides of the hood.

On very bright days, no arranger keyboard display will be bright enough to work with. Back when I did lots of poolside parties, I brought my own shelter, a 12 X 12-foot, folding gazebo with drop down curtains on three sides. This worked very well for me. It was dark green and made of relatively heavy canvas. It cost me about $200, but paid for itself the first time I used it.

All the best,

Gary


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[AlBags]

I think the Genos screen can be improved massively ..
Mainly in contrast .. and especially resolution.
Even the largest mobile phone screens would be far better in corresponding size.
I expect the cost was the only limitation when Yamaha sourced it.

[Kaarlo von Freymann]

I think the Genos screen can be improved massively ..  Mainly in contrast .. and especially resolution.
.....I expect the cost was the only limitation when Yamaha sourced it.

Hi AlBags,

I am sure you are right. Cost is what in the end dictates the manufacturers's choice.   

So if  travlin-easy is correct  that only one out of a thousand of the world's arranger keyboard  buyers perform outdoors it is obvious we will  not see a much better out door screen on Genos 2.   In Finland I would presume it is one out fifty, but even   2 % is negligible.

YAMAHA did change the color of the LEDs in the buttons on Tyros which for me being color blind was an important reason to buy the new model . Worldwide about  8 % of the male population are colorblind.

Cheers

Kaarlo

[AlBags]

Cheers Kaarlo!

Al

[jimlaing]

Hi - on a related note, I had 2 gigs recently in places that were fairly similar.  They were in places with fairly low ceilings (about 9'), lots of those big fluorescent lights all over the ceiling, and one switch that turned on/off ALL of those fluorescent lights at the same time.

So, I could not turn off the lights.  I had a hard time in both places with bright glare from the fluorescent lights.  I could see a "blurred" image of the actual fluorescent tubes on the touch screen.  I was able to sort of move my whole rig a bit to reduce how much of the light reflected, but since the screen cannot tilt (unlike Tyros), it was somewhat frustrating.  The ceilings had SO many of these fluorescent lights that almost no matter how I moved my rig, I saw part of one (or more) of those lights in the display.

Since these lights were overhead, I don't think a little "light shield" would have helped.  I'd almost need to have put a pieces of cardboard over the light on the ceiling!  Maybe I'll have to figure out how to make and bring such a light-stopper!  :-)

Luckily, I use Registrations heavily, and I don't have to adjust a lot on the screen anyway, during a typical gig.  I have an iPad also, for reading charts/music, but I can very easily tilt it to adjust for glare from lights etc.

Wondering if others have had this issue with indoor gigs and ceiling mounted lights?

-Jim

[zionip]

Wondering if others have had this issue with indoor gigs and ceiling mounted lights?

-Jim

Hi Jim,

I posted the following thread with photos about a US$6.95 (now US$11.13) iPad Air 2, iPad Air, 9.7" Tablet FPV Monitor Sunshade Sun Hood for DJI Phantom 3 Transmitter Remote Controller, which makes a perfect-fit shade for Genos screen against strong overhead lighting:
http://www.psrtutorial.com/forum/index.php/topic,44947.msg356487.html#msg356487

Thanks,
Paul

[jimlaing]

Hi!  That's an excellent hood - would be great for many Genos players, but unfortunately since I have a 2nd keyboard, and music rack, etc., it won't quite fit into my setup.  I appreciate the link though!

[photo below]
Jim


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[zionip]

Hi!  That's an excellent hood - would be great for many Genos players, but unfortunately since I have a 2nd keyboard, and music rack, etc., it won't quite fit into my setup.  I appreciate the link though!

[photo below]
Jim

Hi Jim,

Can you raise the height of the second tier of your A-frame keyboard stand so that your M-Audio Code49 MIDI controller can be about 7 inch above your Genos so the hood can fit in?  The second tier may then be a bit higher than what you feel comfortable with.

Thanks,
Paul

[jimlaing]

Hi - unfortunately, I think raising it 7", which means raising my music rack 7" too, would be more than I'd want to do for comfort in playing, and "appearance" to an audience (as it is now, I can "look over" the music rack if needed) .  . . good idea though that could work for some . . .

Thanks,
Jim

[JohnS (Ugawoga)]

Hi


You need these and all is solved

X-RAY SPECS

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