Expand HD on SX900

[Mendel]

Hi guys,


Im just wondering if there is a way to expand my voice capacity on my sx900, either by adding a external hd
or just replacing the on-board one with a much bigger one..


and if both of the above questions are no, then what can i do to maximize the space i have for expansion voices?




Thank you,
Mendel

[EileenL]

We have 1 Gb memory for expansion packs and this can not be extended in any way.
  We have four Gb user memory which you can use for registrations ,Styles, Midi Songs etc. Also have two USB ports. I use USB1 port for playlists song WAV files and anything else I want to save and only use USB2 for transferring things to keyboard or USB1.

[Mendel]

Is there any way to sacrifice some GB from the space designated for style and songs?

[overover]

Is there any way to sacrifice some GB from the space designated for style and songs?

Hi Mendel,

unfortunately no: On the SX900, the Expansion Memory (where the Wave data of Expansion Voices is stored) is 1 GB, and this memory can NOT be expanded. The only way to free some space is deselecting some unneeded Voices (or deselecting / deleting whole Packs) in the YEM. The Expansion Memory is a so called "NAND Flash" memory. This is a very fast memory, similar to the Flash ROM Moduls used on Tyros5. But on SX models and Genos this memory is built-in FIXED. The SX900 has a total of 2 GB of it, but the second GB is used for the Wave data of the PRESET Voices.

The User Memory (4 GB) is a completely different memory. It's a so called "eMMC" memory which is similar to the "SSD" (Solid State Disk) technology. The User Memory also can NOT be expanded (except by using a USB stick). The User Memory can be used for Styles, Registrations, Multi Pads, MIDI files, Audio files (.wav, .mp3), User Voice files (eg .vce) and Text files (.txt). The System Setup data is also stored in the User Memory.


Best regards,
Chris

[DCKeyboard]

Is it possible to pick and choose styles from a USB device and load it onto the keyboard? I'm into more styles and less voice lol. I like voices but rather play it from factory for me to allow it any shape or form.

[blackpool]

Yes DC
I loaded loads of style files to my 900 user drive, from usb and they take up little space..
I personally manage with the factory voices and so don't have any problems with storage space.. although it has always baffled me why storage could not be more generous... when some people might need more . when external USB use is unlimited ..
Keith

[Joe H]

... The User Memory (4 GB) is a completely different memory. It's a so called "eMMC" memory which is similar to the "SSD" (Solid State Disk) technology. The User Memory also can NOT be expanded (except by using a USB stick). The User Memory can be used for Styles, Registrations, Multi Pads, MIDI files, Audio files (.wav, .mp3), User Voice files (eg .vce) and Text files (.txt). The System Setup data is also stored in the User Memory.
Best regards,
Chris

It's too bad Yamaha didn't offer 4GB of expansion memory and just 1GB of User Memory.  That's seems to be more realistic to me! Why do we need so much memory for styles, registrations, Multi Pads and song files? These files are so small they could easily fit on a 1GB block of memory. We can use a USB drive for additional memory if needed.   The larger memory is needed for expansion packs which require far more memory because of the file size.

Joe H

[EileenL]

One Gb of memory will hold all Yamaha Packs and still leave some space. Now days the on board sounds are so good that a lot of us do not use so many sampled sounds any more anyway.

[Fred Smith]

It's too bad Yamaha didn't offer 4GB of expansion memory and just 1GB of User Memory.  That's seems to be more realistic to me! Why do we need so much memory for styles, registrations, Multi Pads and song files? These files are so small they could easily fit on a 1GB block of memory. We can use a USB drive for additional memory if needed.   The larger memory is needed for expansion packs which require far more memory because of the file size.

The problem is the price would have to go up, because expansion memory needs to be so much faster than user memory.

Why should all users have to pay more, when so few use it?

Cheers,
Fred

[Joe H]

The problem is the price would have to go up, because expansion memory needs to be so much faster than user memory.

Why should all users have to pay more, when so few use it?

Cheers,
Fred

Price increase ... not much; maybe a few dollars. (how about quoting us the difference in price for the different type of memory?)  I'm talking about switching the type memory around. More expansion memory and less User memory. (we can use a USB stick)

Few would use the additional memory... this is a bogus argument. None of us use all the features of our keyboards, yet we have to pay for them anyway. Even you have stated this argument in the past; so why argue the opposite now?

Joe H

[hans1966]

Hi Joe H. I totally agree with you. It would be great if the expansion memory was at least 4GB, and the user memory was 2GB, for edited voices, registers, own styles and multiple pads.

This increase in memory of the SX900 would be very good with a fimware update, just as they did with Genos. Hans

[blackpool]

One Gb of memory will hold all Yamaha Packs and still leave some space. Now days the on board sounds are so good that a lot of us do not use so many sampled sounds any more anyway.

Yes Eileen... i dont use any imported voices now ...  so I dont use much memory in user, even for loads of styles and regis,

I fully agree with others, Ok i dont personally need it - but many do ....why should there be a limit on storage, I imagine they dont like giving too much away.
It does seem odd to me when an inserted USB can store so much ... Ok maybe a different data format, but it cant be that much more expensive to supply 'inbuilt'   

I remember on my s670 it not having midi connections and the dealer put that down to price point, yet ironically midi sockets are on most silicone roll up pianos and the like which cost around £25.

[Joe H]

One Gb of memory will hold all Yamaha Packs and still leave some space. Now days the on board sounds are so good that a lot of us do not use so many sampled sounds any more anyway.

Yamaha don't cover all the bases so to speak. That's why they added expansion capability to include 3rd party developers. Personally, I don't use many of the on board sounds (styles, or Multi Pads for that matter). There are 3rd party packs that have very different sounds (as well styles and Multi Pads) than what's on our keyboards.   We all have our personal tastes, interests and how we use our arrangers.

Joe H

[Toril S]

I must agree here! Menory is not expensive these days, so it seems a bit old fashoned to let these outstanding mashines come with all these memory limits.

[EileenL]

For those of us who had Tyros5 we had to buy the flash memory board separately and then it was very expensive Around £200 for I Gb. Mutec came along with a 2Gb board and that was around £280 so not as cheap as you may think.

[Toril S]

I am thinking of upgrading my T5 with that menory module, but yes, it is expensive...