Major leaps forward with PSR keyboards

[dlbeaty]

As I mentioned earlier, I have only experience with the early PSR-730. I have friends who have Portable piano models using styles with less features. I can tell there have been improvements in styles and voices even in them since they are newer.

I was wondering which years the PSR series has made the largest improvements in voice quality and styles. Other features like mic/guitar recording and harmonizing are less important to me. I am not a real keyboard player. I am song writing and recording for others in my home studio, so I am not even sure I can use the super articulation function of the more recent models.

On the other hand, good used older keyboards seem hard to find. I am just trying to broaden my options in the price range of $1000. or less. So far, the s770 is looking like a good option, if I can find one at a reasonable price. Thanks for any help.

Dan

[travlin-easy]

Dan, you would be well ahead of the game if you purchase a used S-950 or S-970 - both great keyboards with amazing features, especially for recording.

Good Luck,

Gary

[overover]

... I am just trying to broaden my options in the price range of $1000. or less. So far, the s770 is looking like a good option, if I can find one at a reasonable price. Thanks for any help.

Dan

Hi Dan,

I recommend you take an S970. Among other things, it has significantly more Voices (e.g. over twice the number of SuperArticulation! Voices than the S770). The S970 also has 512 MB of Expansion memory (the S770, on the other hand, only 160 MB, which is very little).

I would NOT go back to the S950/750 models (that came out in 2012) because they are about 3 years older than the S970/770 models (that came out in 2015). In addition, the S950/750 models are not yet YEM compatible, i.e. they still use the old Expansion Pack format ".YEP", which only allows one pack to be loaded at a time and has since been discontinued by Yamaha.


Best regards,
Chris

[mikf]

I think it is fair to say that there is always improvement between PSR models, but seldom massive differences from one model to the next. These changes might be incremental improvement in sound quality, look, feel etc. Seldom are these absolutely groundbreaking, model to model.  But these incremental changes add up, and over the span of a few generations can be quite significant. Also sometimes there are some new features introduced which did not exist at all on older models, like touch screen for example. If these individual features are important to you then you have to go to at least the model where they were first introduced.
If you have a psr730, then you will notice a difference going to a S970. It is an outdated model of course, so cannot be bought new, the latest model in this range being the SX 700 or 900. These have touch screen, but would both fall outside your budget. However decent used 970s should be available on your budget.
Mike

[dlbeaty]

I think it is fair to say that there is always improvement between PSR models, but seldom massive differences from one model to the next. These changes might be incremental improvement in sound quality, look, feel etc. Seldom are these absolutely groundbreaking, model to model.  But these incremental changes add up, and over the span of a few generations can be quite significant. Also sometimes there are some new features introduced which did not exist at all on older models, like touch screen for example. If these individual features are important to you then you have to go to at least the model where they were first introduced.
If you have a psr730, then you will notice a difference going to a S970. It is an outdated model of course, so cannot be bought new, the latest model in this range being the SX 700 or 900. These have touch screen, but would both fall outside your budget. However decent used 970s should be available on your budget.
Mike

So far I have found used s770's for around $1,000. S970's for $2,000(US) The SX900 is not much more than that with factory warrantee. Actually I prefer buttons to touch screens.

Sounds like patience is in order here. I will keep looking.

[mikf]

Not sure where you live but those prices seem high for used keyboards. Paying almost the same for a used 970 as a new SX would be insane. Often the first asking price for used keyboards is just unrealistic. Sweetwater had a used 970 advertised on their site for $1200 but offers considered. That is much more realistic.
'I much prefer buttons', was a common statement on this forum before the touch screen was widely introduced. There are a few who disagree, but I think its fair to say that the vast majority who changed now see the touchscreen as a big improvement and would never choose to go back to dumb buttons.
Mike

[Toril S]

Mike is right! I was one of those that Several times on the forum stated that buttons were much better than a touch screen. I had to eat my own words, touch screen is much better!

[dlbeaty]

Not sure where you live but those prices seem high for used keyboards. Paying almost the same for a used 970 as a new SX would be insane. Often the first asking price for used keyboards is just unrealistic. Sweetwater had a used 970 advertised on their site for $1200 but offers considered. That is much more realistic.
'I much prefer buttons', was a common statement on this forum before the touch screen was widely introduced. There are a few who disagree, but I think its fair to say that the vast majority who changed now see the touchscreen as a big improvement and would never choose to go back to dumb buttons.
Mike

I am in the US. The s970 I found on Reverb.com was supposed to be new for $2000. I did find a used s975 for $1570 + shipping and make an offer, and an s770 for 1050 + shipping that takes offers. A s770 just went for $1030 free shipping with stand and software that was supposed to be in pristine condition.

Regarding the buttons, maybe they are better, but I doubt I would be willing to pay more, all other things being equal. When looking at the sx700, it has the features that are important to me and might be a better deal than a used s970. The offer on Sweetwater was not bad however.

Without first hand experience on any of these models it is hard to make a decision, especially at these prices and as a hobby!

Dan

[Toril S]

I have an S975. amd am very happy with it, but it is now an outdated model. However, that happens before you know it these days You buy a new gadget, and BOOM, next thing you know something even better came out and you start thinking of getting the new thing

[Pino]

Toril, I agree but with the SX we have everything including enough memory for few extra samples if we need,(975 has768mb) the keyboard is so compact including onboard speakers and the Bluetooth is great.

SX-900/2 will have a more fine-tuned OS especially the menus and some problems around the touch screen but I have to say that if we cannot make some top notch music from the SX then time to give up.

I hope the SX will do me for the next 5 years unless something big comes out, I can't see what can be Improved or what new features, maybe an app to directly connect our keyboards to a style & midi sequencer on an iPad will be good and I hope that we won't have to but another new keyboard to get it to work.

But, for now, let's make music. 🎹

Pino

[EileenL]

The SX700 and 900 have the best of both worlds because they have booth buttons and a touch screen.
  The screen works very well too.

[dlbeaty]

Not sure where you live but those prices seem high for used keyboards. Paying almost the same for a used 970 as a new SX would be insane. Often the first asking price for used keyboards is just unrealistic. Sweetwater had a used 970 advertised on their site for $1200 but offers considered. That is much more realistic.
'I much prefer buttons', was a common statement on this forum before the touch screen was widely introduced. There are a few who disagree, but I think its fair to say that the vast majority who changed now see the touchscreen as a big improvement and would never choose to go back to dumb buttons.
Mike

Mike, regarding the touch screen, are the individual voices in each style always visible? I like that the voices on my PSR730 can be muted individually and during a performance. As far as buttons go, I prefer that the tempo, transposition, and tracks are on the main panel for quick access. Other menus I know need to be on pages.

Dan

[mikf]

I assume you are talking about the mixer where you can see the style voices. You can of course have that on the touch screen. And the  touch screen does not eliminate panel buttons like transposition. They are all still there but can be accessed as well on the screen. Basically the screen is not an 'instead of' feature, it's an 'as well as ' feature.
Mike

[dlbeaty]

Not sure where you live but those prices seem high for used keyboards. Paying almost the same for a used 970 as a new SX would be insane. Often the first asking price for used keyboards is just unrealistic. Sweetwater had a used 970 advertised on their site for $1200 but offers considered. That is much more realistic.
Mike

Mike,

While I have not been looking for very long, I have seen 3 s770's go for just over $1,000. That suggests to me that a used s970 might go for more than $1200 these days. Not much on Ebay, but I did find a s975 for $1570 +shipping.

Could it be possible that the Covid-19 has encouraged owners to hold on to their equipment, and at the same time the demand is going up because people like me are finding more time to use arranger keyboards for creative purposes?  If that is the case, it might be wise to wait a little longer and keep looking.

Dan

[Toril S]

I believe Dan is right.

[mikf]

The dealers are mostly closed so no-one will be trading in.
Mike

[dlbeaty]

The dealers are mostly closed so no-one will be trading in.
Mike

Guitar Center is open today with limited admission. The holiday is usually a day to get big sales and coupons. All they are offering is free financing. Anyway, we want to get out and look around. I can look at the current models for now. Eventually if they offer a 15% coupon that would bring the sx700 and sx900 almost down to what people are asking for s series models.

Dan

[Toril S]

I wouldn't count on it. Prices are going up rather than down, at least in my country.

[dlbeaty]

I wouldn't count on it. Prices are going up rather than down, at least in my country.

New models are likely to go up, I understand that. I suppose used prices might also rise with them. I was thinking in terms of the Covid-19 situation. As things open up, more people might upgrade and more used keyboards might become available.

With my two expensive hobbies, music and photography, I have to be careful! 

[Toril S]

Understandable😀

[dlbeaty]

Hi Dan,

I recommend you take an S970. Among other things, it has significantly more Voices (e.g. over twice the number of SuperArticulation! Voices than the S770). The S970 also has 512 MB of Expansion memory (the S770, on the other hand, only 160 MB, which is very little).


Best regards,
Chris

One of the options that the s970 has is audio styles. Not available on the s770 or the SX700. Can they be added? The additional styles and memory are also helping me to consider additional expense of the used s970. 

[DerekA]

Audio Styles can *not* be added to S770 or SX700.

Personally, I don't think it's a great loss. The audio styles are not really that much better to my ears anyway. Plus the drum parts don't record to MIDI, only to audio recording.

I've also noticed that prices are going up considerably, Genos is generally advertised about £400 more today than last autumn.

[mikf]

Although dealers are mostly closed by Covid, so I imagine was manufacturing, so my guess is that has removed excessive arrangers keyboards from the market and pushed the price up. I think that will change in the future as companies rev up post Covid.
Mike