Should I upgrade from PSR-S770 to PSR-SX700

[triton]

Looking for all your inputs if I should consider upgrading from PSR-S770 to PSR-SX700

I am completely satisfied with my S770 except for the keybed which I feel cheap and low quality.

I also have all the Indian styles from the expansion packs and not sure if they will work on the SX700. Any suggestions?

Thank you!!

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Current: Yamaha PSR-80, Yamaha PSR-S770, Korg Triton61, Korg X50, Roland F-140R, M-Audio Controllers
Sold: Yamaha PSR-550B, Korg M50, Yamaha MO6, Yamaha Motif ES6, Yamaha Motif XF6, Korg Kronos 2

[beykock]

Try the SX 700 when it is available.Take all the time you need.
The best way to compare both arrangers and to make your decision, I guess.

In the SX 700, being the successor of the S775, there are many new features added and improved, no doubt.

Good luck !
Babette

[ton37]

Hi @Triton, at first welcome to this fantastic forum.
As an respond on your statement/question: you wrote that you are 'completely satisfied with the S770'! And not without any reason, because it is a great KB! OK, the keybed is a little noisy/feels a little 'cheap', but maybe you get used to it and try to live with that. So stick with that KB and enjoy it as you do now and use all those styles you have collected! Maybe later, but that's up to you ....
Happy keyboarding ...

[Toril S]

The keybed is not improved, so I would stick to my old keyboard if you are completely satisfied with it.

[overover]

The keybed is not improved, so I would stick to my old keyboard if you are completely satisfied with it.

Hi Toril S,

I did not have an SX700 or SX900 "under my fingers" yet. But YAMAHA says, the keybed has been improved significantly:

New Keyboard Action - FSB Keyboard
Yamaha Keyboard PSR PSR-SX900 PSR-SX700

The new FSB Keyboard offers remarkable playability thanks to its heavier initial key resistance and greater key travel.
The refined keyboard structure, with an adjusted fulcrum, allows you to play comfortably even on the backs of the keys
whilst upgraded components suppress horizontal key movement.

Best regards,
Chris

[Toril S]

Then I stand corrected, Chris! That is great news! I love my S975, but the keybed is not good. Luckily accordion was my main instrument before I began playing keyboard, not piano.

[gogo]

New Keyboard Action - FSB Keyboard
Yamaha Keyboard PSR PSR-SX900 PSR-SX700

The new FSB Keyboard offers remarkable playability thanks to its heavier initial key resistance and greater key travel.
The refined keyboard structure, with an adjusted fulcrum, allows you to play comfortably even on the backs of the keys
whilst upgraded components suppress horizontal key movement

Typical marketing speech. I've read about the "indiscernible from a real instrument" piano sound on the DGX-305 and learned not to buy anything based on the marketing material.

Additionally, there are people on piano forums who ask which digital piano action is better - and probably make buying decisions based on the replies.

In my opinion, the s-770 is a fantastic keyboard in every way, I still enjoy working with it. In direct specs comparison with the sx-700, the new keyboard offer a few new voices, a few new styles. Would I upgrade based on specs? No. Not too much different. As long as I can buy expansion packs for the s-770 I'm good. But I play at home. For the gigging musician the specs-sheet probably offers enough upgrades to justify the purchase even before they have played one.

[Joe H]

Frank from Audio Works in the US will test the key-bed and let us know if the SX900 keys are really better than previous PSR models.  I'm waiting for his response.

Joe H

[beykock]

Hi Triton :

I think Chris is right. The quality of the SX700 keybed has been improved if Yamaha say so. 

The SX700 has additional features like e.g. a touch screen, perhaps more internal memory, maybe improved sound quality etc.
See specs.

To ask other members whether you should upgrade or not ... 😦
A difficult question to be answered by others, IMO.

Only you can answer that question.
All depends on your PERSONAL needs.

Cheers,

Babette

[EileenL]

Yes the key bed has been improved according to most reports so the best way is to try it for yourself when available.

[pjd]

I'm glad that Yamaha is paying attention to the keybed, even if it is only marketing. Yamaha invests quite heavily in keybed design for its piano action products -- synths and arrangers should be no different.

Unfortunately, over the years, they have taken cost out of synth/arranger products, assuming that any old soft action with rubber contacts is good enough. It isn't, especially on products where musicians are likely to play acoustic/electric piano, i.e., arrangers.

All the best -- pj

[Toril S]

The keybed of my old PSR 2100 is actually better than that of my 975. That irks me!

[triton]

Thank you all for your response. I am looking forward to try it and then make a decision.

I was excited when the MODX was introduced. Went to Guitar Center to check it out and was disappointed with the keybed of the MODX6.

My 12 year old Korg X50 has a better keybed than then S770.

I wish Yamaha does something about the keybed for the medium range keyboards 

[Keyboard Master]

Thank you all for your response. I am looking forward to try it and then make a decision.

I was excited when the MODX was introduced. Went to Guitar Center to check it out and was disappointed with the keybed of the MODX6.

My 12 year old Korg X50 has a better keybed than then S770.

I wish Yamaha does something about the keybed for the medium range keyboards 

I agree Too. the Keybed should have been improved a long time ago at least for the s770/970 but as for Upgrading think about featurs like setting the backround picture like you can on the s770 not sre id it is possible to do it on the sx700 imo i would say yes go agead since you would then be able to layer 3 right voices and have a joystick vs the two wheels. But it's up to you whatever feels good.

[Amwilburn]

the sx700 is a vastly superior sound library compared to the s770 (it's the same basically as an s970/s975, but with triple layers and mega voice guitar arpeggiators; s770/s970/s975 only have regular guitar arps), but no audio styles from the s970/s975, and a smaller 400mb sample space (and the s970/s975 speakers are better)

as for the keybed: Yes, it's a new improved keybed, *but* a lot of people complain about the extra noise, especially on the black keys. Will it bother you? It doesn't bother me, but it bothers some (actually I've only had *one* customer who upgraded from s770/970 to sx700/sx900 who complained about the extra noise.) But the new black keys are extra "clacky"; it can be remedied with some grease as mentioned elsewhere on this site.

But best to try the keyboard yourself. But you definitely won't be disappointed with the sound.

And as Keyboard Master just pointed out, you have better control of pitch bend with a joystick vs 2 wheels (but the downsides are it's trickier to transport, and I miss having a mod wheel. Ideally I'd love a joystick *and* a mod wheel for cross fade/analog control; but an expression pedal could handle those as well)

Mark