Do user styles always sound better in more expensive keyboards?

[fantasyvn]

Do user styles always sound better in more expensive keyboards?

I guess the answer is Yes, but I want to ask, to make sure I understand it correctly.

Soon I may have a chance to buy a new arranger. (I'm thinking of the PSR-SX 700, which meets my maximum budget).

Regarding user styles, provided they are made properly like those in PSR Tutorial Forum, will they always sound better in a more expensive keyboard? And it is not because some keyboards have better speakers, but because the 'chips' inside the keyboards are better?

Thank you

[Toril S]

Hello Fantasyvn. The answer is yes, and no! Some styles will sound just as they sounded on your old keyboard, others will need adjustments in volume and such to sound OK on your new keyboard so called "tweaking." Some may even lack some voices, because the new keyboard will not have these voices. If you look at the styles section here on PSR Tutorial you will see a lot of style conversions, for instance Tyros 5 styles converted for S950. Many members here are experts at adjusting styles so they can be used on other models! When you get your SX700, try out your old styles on it. If they don't sound as good as they did on your old keyboard, look for styles converted for the SX700, or adjust them yourself on the keyboard, or by using a computer program.
New models have better speakers, so most of the styles will sound better because of that. BUT many of us - me included- actually thought my old keyboard sounded better. It takes some time to adjust yourself to the new sounds of a new keyboard. All the best from Toril

[fantasyvn]

Thank you so much for your gracious advice.

I want to make quick recording on my keyboards, so that I can have the audio WAV files, rather than the Midi files. Therefore I hope that by buying a more expensive keyboard like the SX700, the sound will be better as I record the songs as WAV files.

But it seems the sounds on a new keyboard  may not always be better. I will visit a Yamaha store to test the user styles and listen to the sounds.

[Toril S]

That is a good idea! What keyboard do you have now?
If it doesn't have the ability to record in Vaw format, you can use an audio interface to record directly to your computer. I did that a lot when I had only my PSR 2100. The reslut was very good. You can use the free program Audacity to record to.
If budget allowa, I believe you will be very happy with the SX700. Let us know how it goes

[EileenL]

A WAV file can only record what your currant keyboard sounds like and will depend on how you set your style and voice volumes and effects to. Also if you want instruments panned as they would be in an orchestra.

[Toril S]

That is true.

[fantasyvn]

Thank you so much for all your kind replies so far.

While we are in this topic, may I ask a related question?

In the UK, I notice that some reputable shops would sell a Yamaha arranger with a cheaper price. The reason is it is "Product returns'. The product itself may be noted as 'Item in good condition'.

Is it advisable to buy such keyboards? As I said, these are all reputable, legitimate shops in the UK. But I wonder what is 'product returns' and whether we should buy them.

[panos]

"Product returns" means that a customer have bought recently a keyboard, he maybe used it for a month or longer, desided that he didn't like it that much for a reason and has returned it to the store and bought another model.
I have seen also some members of this forum returning their s975,Genos or SX for different reasons.

An SX cannot be older than a few months in any case.
Just check it's condition and ask for a full time guarantee from the dealer, the same as a new one.E.g 2 years(in E.U.) from the time you bought it.

[tomsixtwo]

Just check it's condition and ask for a full time guarantee from the dealer, the same as a new one.E.g 2 years(in E.U.) from the time you bought it.

Just for the record: UK will no longer be a member of the EU from midnight today. Unfortunately.

[pjd]

And it is not because some keyboards have better speakers, but because the 'chips' inside the keyboards are better?

Hello Fantasyvn --

I'd say it's because the higher end models have better software and content than better chips. The SX-700 uses the same SWP70 tone generator as Genos. (The SX700 has one, the Genos has two.)

The Genos provides more DSP effect types and Super Articulation 2 (SArt2) synthesis -- pretty much all software. The Genos has far more waveforms (samples), many of which are stereo. SArt2 requires and includes special waveforms to join notes together, etc. Revo drums (like 'em or hate 'em) require additional waveforms, too.

The situation is not too different from other software- and content-intensive electronic products.

Hope this helps -- pj