Topic: PSR SX900

[new-to-900]

I own a Lowrey Prestige Organ and I love its wonderful sound. It's got heart and soul with every setting, rhythm style and preset.
I also have a Yamaha PSR SX900 which I bought about 2 months ago and, compared to the Lowrey, I feel the sound of the SX900 is weak and whiney...sorry to say. What kind of Global settings or adjustments can I make to bring some heart and soul into my Yamaha?

[ton37]

Hi, welcome to this forum. You do have 2 very different keyboards at your disposal. You might want to try something out with the SX900's EQ settings. That can sometimes lead to the desired result that you want. Just use the search function? To get you started on the equalizer settings, have a look at this topic: https://www.psrtutorial.com/forum/index.php/topic,52172.0.html
Have fun with your keyboards 

[mikf]

Are you playing them both through the same speaker system?
Comparing the Lowrey and the SX through their own onboard speakers, would not be a fair comparison. The onboard speakers in the SX might be convenient, but they can’t compare to the large inbuilt quality speakers in a home organ.
Does the Lowrey have an aux input that would let you play the SX thru the Lowrey? That would be a fairer comparison.
Mike

[Roger Brenizer]

Hi New-to-900,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for becoming a member.  I’m sure you'll learn a lot about your PSR-SX900 keyboard here on our forum and will experience many pleasurable hours playing it.

You’ll want to be sure to visit the Home page and check out some of the tutorials you will find links to there.  The following link will take you to the Home page of the website:

https://psrtutorial.com/

Should you later decide to become a supporting member, which will include lifetime membership, other forum boards will become available to you, as well as a wealth of additional musical knowledge; however, there is absolutely no obligation to do so.  You may also use the following link to discover the full benefit of becoming a Supporting Member of the PSR Tutorial.

https://www.psrtutorial.com/forum/index.php/topic,15536.0.html

You’ll also gain access to an Excel Song Index database, made available to supporting members by our good friend, Peter (XeeniX) and maintained by another good friend, Runner4Fun, which presently contains 107,570 song titles in 2,810 indexed books.  This index is updated often.

In lieu of making a donation only, you may also order any of the websites resources, which can be found at the following link:

https://psrtutorial.com/cdrom/productsum.html

Joe Waters updated “Supporting the PSR Tutorial”, on August 27, 2017, which can be found here:

https://psrtutorial.com/cdrom/index.html

We’re so glad you've decided to become a member and very happy you've decided to become a part of this great forum family.  If you have any questions, then please just ask.  Many of our members are always very willing to help you.

[Stewart Girlock]

I've owned some of the largest and most costly organs made at the time. I've even hauled some of them out to play gigs or left leave them in place at a fine restaurant or club. My choice for the 900 is either headphones or a 1,000 watt amp and a set of Bose passive speakers I still keep around. (Our neighbors LOVE me) But even at that, I find the onboard sound of the Yamaha SX900 quite good. This is coming from a guy who has played a Technics KN7000 for the last 20 years. A keyboard that arguably had the best onboard sound of anything ever manufactured.

If you're "first off" an organist, I'd suggest an expression pedal and a set of MIDI organ pedals. (I have both) After that, get used to the touch sensitivity of the keyboard and just what is possible with that feature once you are used to working with it.  The 900 doesn't have after-touch but I've seen guys (I constantly watch keyboard artists online) who can use the velocity sensitive keyboard and available parameters to mimic even the "second touch" of a Theatre Pipe Organ. The Yamaha "Free Play" styles even has me thinking about how much I actually need pedals. It's one of the most surprising and best features I've found on my 900.

I have had several Organs. A Technics FN3 and a 3 manual Kawai and a Roland Atelier. A Gulbransen, a Wurlitzer (my first) and a Lowery Royale sitting in storage I have yet to play with. But, I did play a Lowery in a supper club for years. Lowery has always had their own sound. A very thick, very syrupy, very stringy voicing. It's unmistakable and there isn't another organ out there that has such an identifiable sound. Lowery and most other organs produced were made to emulate an ORGAN while the Theatre organ was made to negate the need for a band. (Musicians)  The instruments made today are designed to nearly duplicate the real thing, an orchestra, or a band, or a combo, or a........ and some even do a good job of duplicating an organ trying to duplicate a ..... (you see where I'm going).

Just keep your eye out here and other places. There are guys with the capability to coax that "Lowery Sound" out of your SX900. Maybe someone already has and will help out.  While your waiting, don't give up on yourself. Learn as much as you can about your 900. Do whatever to it (short of a screwdriver and a bottle of superglue) .. I doubt you can wear it out or even hurt it and no matter how bad you mess the settings up, you can bring it back to new with the last key on the keyboard and the power switch. My own modus operandi is to DOWNLOAD everything out there. I have a few 32 gig usb drives full of stuff. (thousands of files) it's like panning for gold and gives you the same feeling when you find something you really LOVE. It also makes me appreciate the guys out there who really know what they're doing. (Forgive me girls I'm an old man)

I'm in my 70's I'm one of the most nostalgic individuals out there. I love Theatre Organs and if there was one anywhere near me I'd be there every time there was a performance. I'm just very thankful I lasted long enough to have an instrument I can tuck under my arm, walk into a club, a hall or even an auditorium, add enough amplification and entertain with whatever I am able to come up with. (Which in my case are the songs most people who enjoyed that music are too far underground to hear a note of it lol). But I enjoy it . I don't even care if I'm playing with 2 fingers and every automatic button pressed. I've gotten very lazy but I have absolutely nothing to prove.  As long as I bring a smile to a face or take someone to a place or time in their life they nearly forgot. I always explain to people. I don't call myself a professional or even a musician. "I just play for my own Amazement!"

Thanks for reading, and thank you to my old friend Ivan, who's enthusiasm got me back into a whole new era of enjoyment of a skill I nearly let pass me by. Let's all make a real effort to get in touch with someone you may not have seen in years.

Best wishes to everyone here and hats off to all of you who work so hard to keep things going. You're marvelous.   

[ekurburski]

Welcome to the forum.