Genos2 may be going back...

[pax-eterna]

Having come from Korg, I am finding the biggest difference is if you want to play it pretty much as the maker intended the Genos is fine, however if you need to work the keyboard to your own way of playing, the Genos2 is quite a good way behind the "open-ness" of the PA series.

The Genos2 is way too difficult and time consuming to set stuff up other than simply play "out of the box" pre-programmed songs and styles. The whole registration, One Touch and Playlist operations are simply too awkward.

Will keep trying to figure it while awaiting a sale/return, but I think it will take too much time to set to my way.

[KurtAgain]

Long-time Yamaha players have the same experience when they (have to) play on a Korg arranger. Only the other way around.

Kurt

[Amwilburn]

Yup, agree with Kurt... most people who've owned a Yamaha previously find the PA series OS considerably trickier to navigate; however, in an ironic twist, because the Pa5x uses a completely different chipset than all its predecessors, even longtime Korg owners find it difficult to navigate *except* for people who just want to play the 400 (or 445 with os 1.31) styles out of the box, nothing else (not loading in samples, or new styles, etc).. then the PA5x is pretty easy to navigate. But still not easier than G2. In fact, most will put up with the Korg's harder to use OS because it is *physically* more solidly built (and frankly looks nicer).  One of my buddies has PA900, PA1000, spent an entire weekend here trying out the Pa5x and found it too confusing and refunded his preorder deposit (he'd put his money down for PA5x88 more than a year before it finally launched).

But it's definitely not easier to use :p (and as for which one sounds better, in a nutshell:
G2 better upright pianos, PA5x better grands
G2 more acoustic sounding drums, better (by a lot) for orchestral, jazz, latin, big band & country. PA5x more processed but also much punchier drums, a *lot* better for Hard rock, hip hop, electronic dance, hard funk.
G2 A ton of new bass options (including S.Art2 Basses for the first time). You know what, it's easiest to just break it down by genre:
80's stuff: both really good, but the G2 has the edge for 80's pop due to DX7, PA5x has the edge for 80's rock due to punchier drums and electric bass.
Orchestral: G2 by a mile. Significantly beyond G1 or PA5x
Latin: G2, but G1 latin not bad. Pa5x pretty weak on that front
FunK: Pa5x beefier drums and bass, G2 a *lot* more natural. Almost a tie, slight edge to PA5x
Hip Hop/Dance/Trance: Beefier drums of Pa5x wins, but the DX7 on the G2 makes it kind of close
Country: G2. By a country mile; Pa5x country styles are pretty weak imo
Modern pop & rock: both good, but now the PA5x by a wide margin, due to the punchier drums and bass, especially metal/rock.


I also find it really weird that the PA5x doesn't have a visual metronome of any sort (All Yamahas have blinking lights and an on screen metronome )

Also Pa5x for grit, slight blues guitars are better, but for screaming rock leads, G1/G2 all the way. (ironic because the PA5x puts a pro grade multifx stomp box built in specifically for the guitar input!)
Synths: yes having the DX7 is huge in the G2, but the synths on Pa5x are already really good. Both quite a bit head of G1.

But you should go try them at the store, to see how you like navigating them. I assume Tom Lee Tsim Tsa Tsui would have both the G2 and PA5x on display; we do, and we're only the 2nd largest Tom Lee branch store globally. TTT headquarters is the largest.

But if you're stuck in any way, you should just ask your salesperson for help?

Mark

[pax-eterna]

Thanks. I already have the Genos2....I think a big area of difference is Registrations -v- OTS. Been checking the data list and it seems what is saved to a OTS and a Registration is a bit of a "mish-mash".

I like to start as I plan to finish in setting up keyboards, so I am trying to find the best way to start setting the Genos2 up, but it is not very intuitive outside of simply playing factory data using the panel buttons.

I pretty much always play in full keyboard mode, however when playing some solo instruments, it (full keyboard) is obviously not suitable, so I am not sure whether to use OTS or Registrations, for example. another is how to set octaves for keyboard (right hand) parts and it seems I cannot do that with a registration, but I can in a OTS for the right hand voices?? This is a bit unclear also.

There are a few more things I also do which is play manual bass to achieve small combo sorts of setups, mostly with jazz, but also with a couple of other genres. So I need to sort the best way to do that as well.

[pax-eterna]

Another (probable) negative is there is only one insert effect available for a sound! Yes there are more you can add in the Mixer, but on a per sound basis (to save as a user sound) there is only one - that I can see anyway.

Even the $750 Studiologic Numa Compact has two insert efx!! They are not all that good, but you have two, as well as the master efx.

[Bill]

another is how to set octaves for keyboard (right hand) parts and it seems I cannot do that with a registration, but I can in a OTS for the right hand voices?? This is a bit unclear also.

Registration are simply saving how you have setup the keyboard. In other words a snap shot.  Hence what ever you can do with OTS you can do with a Registration, plus lots more that you cannot achieve with Style OTS.

[pax-eterna]

Which leads to another question....is it possible to somehow create and store OTS settings outside of styles/playlist/registration anywhere on the G2? I can see no location for them on either user memory or USB. And no way to create/edit on the menu items screens.

[KurtAgain]

...is it possible to somehow create and store OTS settings outside of styles/.../registration...?

No.

OTS-like settings can only be saved in styles and in registrations.

Many (most?) Yamaha players are of the opinion that only registrations are the right way. And only one song per registration bank.

Kurt

[Fred Smith]

Thanks. I already have the Genos2....I think a big area of difference is Registrations -v- OTS. Been checking the data list and it seems what is saved to a OTS and a Registration is a bit of a "mish-mash".

I like to start as I plan to finish in setting up keyboards, so I am trying to find the best way to start setting the Genos2 up, but it is not very intuitive outside of simply playing factory data using the panel buttons.

I pretty much always play in full keyboard mode, however when playing some solo instruments, it (full keyboard) is obviously not suitable, so I am not sure whether to use OTS or Registrations, for example. another is how to set octaves for keyboard (right hand) parts and it seems I cannot do that with a registration, but I can in a OTS for the right hand voices?? This is a bit unclear also.

There are a few more things I also do which is play manual bass to achieve small combo sorts of setups, mostly with jazz, but also with a couple of other genres. So I need to sort the best way to do that as well.

If you're going full keyboard, use registrations.

You can memorize any voice setting in a registration. Just press the Voice button to see the popular settings. There are more in Voice Edit.

Easiest way to do a voice octave is to set keyboard harmony to Octave.

Cheers,
Fred

[pax-eterna]

...is it possible to somehow create and store OTS settings outside of styles/.../registration...?

No.

OTS-like settings can only be saved in styles and in registrations.

Many (most?) Yamaha players are of the opinion that only registrations are the right way. And only one song per registration bank.

Kurt

Oky doky, thanks - is there any sort of digital registration editor?