The Review I've Been Waiting For......Mine!!!

[rattley]

Greetings friends!

I have spent 3 weeks setting up my Genos2. I finally got the sound out of my speakers I have been looking for. For now.......The heck with YEM!  The heck with StyleMaker!  The heck with 3rd party styles!  The heck with making my old stuff work!

Tonight I tried something novel. I just played Genos2.  And played and played and played!!   It was pure pleasure. Having played Genos1 last night I just cannot understand those who say Genos1 and 2 are the same. Call it dynamics or whatever, the Genos2 just blows Genos1 out of the water. The punch of the sound quality. Those tiny sonic nuances I mentioned before. The volumes of the mix. The stereo effect clearly is more defined.......it's more than just left and right channels. I think that is one part of why Genos2 sounds so much more live. The brand new styles show off all of this. They are noticeably more dynamic and real.  Yamaha may have redone the older styles, changing instruments, adding effects, ect. and they are good, but I can tell by listening which styles were made exclusively for Genos2. It has been said here before.......what I am telling you is meaningless personal opinion. You have to play this instrument in person and then and only then will you see the light!  I think it also is important to audition Genos or any other instrument in a good environment. Try and play it wherever Genos2's home is going to be.

Good Golly Santa!   Christmas is right around the corner.  I played silent night tonight using every waltz style I could find. Some interesting results but every style, old or new, sounded better than Genos1. Now if I only can find a style for Grandma Got Runned Over by a Reindeer!!!!!!!  It will be a great Genos Christmas after all!!    Ho Ho Ho!!      -charley

[ton37]

Thnx. for your review. That's exactly what the strength of the G2 is; the sound! In another post I referred to pay attention to the sound details:  For example, you could pay attention to: the correct balance and volume between the various instruments, clearly distinguishable instruments, shrill or warm, the purity of the voices, the sound of percussion instruments, the panning, the spatial effect, etc. etc

Maybe not for the common passengers, listeners or public. They listen to it with 'other ears', but for the (home) Yammie player with 'trained ears' these sound details lead to a legal 'WOW'
Happy keyboarding 

[JohnS (Ugawoga)]

Well Ton 37 ,you are right there as it is all to do with how you set things up.
I made Elo's Telephone Line from a midi to style and it came out 100%
All i wanted was the beginning as the rest was over loud and did not match what i had in mind.
I loaded the style into Style Magic and set about making all Mains and fills to the right volume levels  and added the right amount of reverb and chorus. So now now i am happy with the whole style from Midi to Stylemaker.
It just takes a little time to make all of the settings but wow, it is worth it.
It takes a little time to get sounds exactly how you want them, but once in the groove all becomes clear.
I got the piano's how i want them, but the strings were a little more harder work.
For the main chorus of telephone line the strings can sound toppy at the higher ends.
As soon as the choice of Strings, are grouped, the volumes adjusted, a little EQ  and most important of all, detune the right 1,2 and 3 sections so as not to have them masking each other, then all is set.
All great for getting that choppy Elo string sound with a bit of go in it but still sounding sweet.
This new Genos 2  demands that you delve deeper and it is worth the effort.
The Genos 2 Registrations from Genos 1 registrations need some upgrading, but using Style Magic makes the work a lot easier to get all of your volumes etc spot on so everything that to play is in the same ballpark for levels.
All The Best
John

[Danny1972]

Some interesting results but every style, old or new, sounded better than Genos1.

Hey Charley,

I agree with you as I found this too. I still use styles from even the PSR8000/9000 days and they sound great, especially after replacing the drums with the new kits, it's like having a new style, the possibilities of mixing and matching are endless.

[jayfield]

Well said Charlie!
Indeed this board's sound is a marked jump up in fidelity.
Throw a little compression on for added kick as well.
Im luvin my Genos 2!!!

[Dutchman]

I wholeheartedly agree with all that's been said.
Although my Genos 2 will arrive next month I was able to try it this whole afternoon with the Genos 1 right beside it for comparison.
I bought my Genos 1 at the same store two years ago and the guy there took all the time with me to look at the new additions and compare the two.
He also offered me a very good deal since my G1 is only two years old.

What I immediately noticed was the clarity and distinct notice of the different voices in the styles.
The new reverb adds so much more atmosphere to the sound of it all.
Some of the new voices like the nylon guitar just blew me away.
There's just to much I could mention here.

I was sceptical at first, due to the low quality of YouTube streams, and knew I couldn't make a good judgment until I heard it in real life.
I was anctious about the difference between G1 and G2 being worth the extra money but now that I had the chance of properly comparing the two I was convinced that it is definitely worth it, at least to me.
The new exterior is nice, the tilted displays, the leds, etc. but it all comes down to the sound quality in my opinion.
Of course an instrument is just as good as the one playing it but a good sounding instrument helps a lot.

The Genos 1 is a fine keyboard, one of the best in my opinion but the Genos 2 is truly a great improvement and I can't wait to get it next month.

[rattley]

Greeting!!

Today I was playing my older stuff on Genos2.  It sound better than ever.  Only a few styles that had missing voices. Probably came from a previous pack. Everything is usable. The songs I made sounded great too. Thank you Mr Yamaha for maintaining backwards compatibility. 

I was specifically trying to find my favorite Christmas styles. I put together several Gems disks years ago and they were posted here. I finally found Gems 14, the last disk from the series. I think these were all modified when I had a PSR3000. One style made me giggle when I saw it.  Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer!!!  In America it is either loved or loathed. Is it that way on the other side of the pond? Perhaps even unknown there?  I'm sharing this style with anyone who wants it. Consider it a small token of appreciation.  I hope it makes you smile too!

https://ln5.sync.com/dl/103af55e0/gerw88st-njjvitiw-d5mwbag5-ayqbmpqq

Remember I did nothing to it since it was modified. I never expected Genos2 to make it sound as good as it is. Tip:  Don't hold down the left hand chords. Just a quick press and release is what works. Otherwise the right hand volumes drop out. I'm not sure what setting will correct this.  Maybe a full Genos2 upgrade of it is in order. Thank you all.........and to all a good nite!  -charley

[Amwilburn]

Exactly Charley; I wasn't expecting much until I opened our display Genos 2 and put it side by side with Genos 1. WOW.

Mark

[rattley]

Greetings,

As impractical as it can be for most that is the best way for comparison. YouTube doesn't do it any justice. Live is Live!!  -charley

[Dutchman]

Greetings,

As impractical as it can be for most that is the best way for comparison. YouTube doesn't do it any justice. Live is Live!!  -charley

Exactly, there's a post here with a G1 vs G2 comparison video showing the difference between a lot of styles for about an hour.
It could be me but I didn't hear much difference at all and I have a good sound system hooked up to my TV.

The difference became clear when I actually compared the two I real life, YouTube didn't come even close to what I heard in the store.
Due to the YouTube videos I used to be quite sceptical about the G2 and I knew I had to hear it in real life to be able to make a fair judgment, I'm glad I did.
Next month my G2 will arrive and I'm very much looking forward to it.

[Oxford1035]

Exactly, there's a post here with a G1 vs G2 comparison video showing the difference between a lot of styles for about an hour.
It could be me but I didn't hear much difference at all and I have a good sound system hooked up to my TV.

The difference became clear when I actually compared the two I real life, YouTube didn't come even close to what I heard in the store.
Due to the YouTube videos I used to be quite sceptical about the G2 and I knew I had to hear it in real life to be able to make a fair judgment, I'm glad I did.
Next month my G2 will arrive and I'm very much looking forward to it.

l'm glad l'm not the only one that thought that about that comparison. l listened to about 5 minutes of it and switched it off as they all sounded the same. Haing my own Geons 2 now, l know that isn't the case, so agree you need to hear it live.

Kind regards,

Russ

[rattley]

Happy New Year Friends!!

I have been so pleased going thru the onboard styles on Genos2. Last night I was "auditioning" all the Oldies styles. I experienced something somebody else mentioned in a previous post. There were several styles that were just plain intoxifying!  I just sat frozen for a bit listening to the intros. It was like the actual song was playing and did not sound like a style. It's all already been said. You must experience this instrument in person to really hear the improved audio qualities. If you're not mesmerized like I was you may want to check your pulse.  Genos2 is alive!!!!!  my best.  -charley

[rattley]

Hello Again!

I start auditioning some more styles on Genos2 tonight. I got a message that said I filled the favorites menu.  I'm only half way thru all the styles and I labeled 100 of them as favorites. I'm not sure but there is a message there. I have NEVER filled up the favorites list before. I never knew that only 100 styles can be labeled favorites. Like I said before.......some of these styles totally wow me. Did Yamaha ever think nobody would need more than 100 favorites memory slots?  It will be tough deciding which favorites can't be favorites anymore. My first worry for 2024!!!  Gotta love it!!    -charley

[ton37]

@Rattley, instead of favs you can make a separate 'Fav'-playlist from only the styles you like. You can add a short description if you want. Then yoi can go on to 2500 

[adrianed]

Will registrations from T5 work well on Genos 2 ?
I have spent many hours putting together registrations, I can't go through all that again, 700 plus of them
Adrian

[EileenL]

Yes they will work OK and probably sound a lot better. If you have used on board styles with your registrations they may pick up a different version but will work.

[Amwilburn]

Will registrations from T5 work well on Genos 2 ?
I have spent many hours putting together registrations, I can't go through all that again, 700 plus of them
Adrian

In short, they'll work fine with little to no effort, *especially* if you stick to built in styles (as when the G2 loads up the new version, it'll automatically select the new effects/reverb). But to take advantage of the improved sounds of the G2, that'll take some time, particularly if you use custom styles.

Mark

[adrianed]

Eileen and Mark,
I rarely use built in styles, they sound too noisy, also I don't like the choice of voices included in them so mostly in my registrations the styles are bought, borrowed or just found hence my constant effort to dive through heaps of collections and save the best
Adrian

[Amwilburn]

Well, then Adrian, you'll face the same dilemma as myself and several others: you can get your registrations to load up on the G2 effortlessly, but for the most part, they will sound exactly the same as before if you primarily use custom styes.

So you could either

-take the time to retweak all your custom styles, and then use YRM to reassign the styles (for your T5 versions, YRM hasn't been coded to recognize G2 registrations yet)
- Go through step by step and re-register everywhere that you want to take advantage of new styles; the most slow and time consuming but nobody says you *have* to change every registration step; maybe some sound perfect to you as they are. Also, the only way to put some of those new sounds for your main voices as well.
-Live with the old registrations sounding exactly the same as they did on the previous board, and just make new registrations on the G2 for new songs.

Mark

[EileenL]

Hi Adrian,
There are some lovely styles on Genos2. You say they are to noisy but you can adjust this easily. If you don't like a certain voice then just mute it or change the voice. Both easy to do. It would be a shame to miss out on so many really nice styles.

[mikf]

Adrian, just a thought, but if styles seem too noisy is it maybe because you're not picking the right style for your song/arrangement. Or is it really not too noisy, but actually just too busy? Many of the styles are way too busy for my taste, even variation 1 which is usually the most basic.
The very elaborate style arrangements, with all sorts of 'phrases' and amazing intros and endings, that Yamaha provides are an initial novelty. But you often get past that. There is huge choice of built in styles, and it's very easy to mute tracks and save the style that way in a more basic arrangement. I do it all the time. It's often easier than searching huge external file collections for the perfect style.
Mike

[adrianed]

Yes Mike, I should have said too busy, that is what I meant
Adrian

[adrianed]

Thankyou Eileen,
I meant too busy, i must do more work, not playing, every time I sit to do some adjustments I finish up playing songs there is much to do
Adrian

[mikf]

No Adrian, you have your priorities right
Mike

[EileenL]

That is why these keyboards are so good because you can make them your own to do what you want any time.

[rattley]

Greetings!!

It's almost been a whole month since I gave my first review of Genos2. It is still a love affair in progress. I have never looked so forward each day to my "keyboard time" each evening. I am still so immersed in playing the onboard styles that I haven't even thought of making new styles.  It's still a project high on my list. I am disappointed though. That midi to style program Yamaha released when Genos2 came out was supposed to be a Godsend. I expected so many new styles to be shared by now. I played around with that program the first few weeks and was disappointed in the results. No offense to those who made some styles with it but, but have any really exceptional styles been achieved?  Is this really the Godsend it was cracked up to be? If I have made anything that I felt was worth posting I would have done so.

There are a few that have done an extremely good job converting the Genos2 styles. But I am talking about new style construction, not revisions. I need to get my nose back on the grindstone and make some success stories. I'm not looking for easy...........but maybe a little easier!!  -charley

[pedro_pedroc]

Hello, Charley.

Well, I haven't tried any programs to create styles or convert midi to styles, I just use the style creator. What's the reason for only using the style creator? Well, when I started modifying styles to small changes for my own use, I realize and learned much more things than a simple transcription of midi tracks. You can program the style to do what you want to do, not just an automated thing that you can't even understand.

Creating a style is not just program tracks or transfer midi tracks inside a style. It's much more than that. You have to choose the right voice (among thousands), set the effects, reverb, chorus, pan, equalization, and so many other things a program can't do it. You can choose if the track will change pitch or retrigger when the chord changes. You can set if the track harmony will be on 5th minor or 3rd augmented. You need to plan How to structure the style, what will be mainA, how will be the endings, and a dozens other things I can't explain here. You can also program your style to play bass chords for you, if you don't want to play a G/D chord. You have to have a good ear, a good feeling. A computer program doesn't have them... and I'm a computer engineer. I also love programs and I can develop them in a lot of programming languages.

Creating a style from scratch maybe is the hardest thing you can do in your arranger. Because it's not only about music, it's about music and know how to program the style, set up the sounds, and much much much more. But it is possible, and it's a big pleasure.

I'm not writing this to scare people about create styles. I'm writing to tell you every minute you spend inside style creator worths, and worths a lot. Go trying to create your styles right now. Maybe you can't do it today, but in some more tries, you could start creating good styles... I have three tutorials at my YouTube channel to help you start - yes, you need so many hours to do it. I'm an enthusiast of creating styles. It's a big pleasure to see the result after hours spent creating them... and a much more pleasure to play one song and know that everything you listen, every note, all voices, all fill-ins, everything is your creation. I can't explain this feeling with words.

And more, you can be midi dependent... this is not good. A midi never will sound better than your own programming with your keyboard features and your ear/feeling.

I invite you to go to my YouTube channel and listen to some songs with my own styles, created from scratch and just using the keyboard style creator. I'm sure you'll understand what I'm trying to tell you.

Just my personal thoughts. I'm just a style lover...

Best regards from Brazil,
Pedro Eleutério

[rattley]

Thanks for the reply Pedro.

I too have come to the conclusion that using the onboard style creator is the best way to create a style from scratch.  Last year I played around with a few style programs, but always ended up in front of the Genos when constructing them.  You really need to hear your instrument's own sounds.  SoftSynths and sound fonts and soundcards only give a hint on what a style might sound like. It makes sense to just do it on Genos2.

I've watched lots of YouTube tutorials, probably all 3 of yours. You are also correct about just doing it!  All this classroom time trying to learn so many things at once........... I really love it.  I just need a few positive results to fuel me further. Best wishes.  -charley