Topic: Using PSR SX700 in your Band/Group

[Zundap]

Hello all.
Just wondering if anyone uses their SX700 or other Arranger, in their band/group?
How did it work out for you?.
K.

[BogdanH]

hello K.
I don't play in a band. But I have talked to few keyboard player in local bands and of course, I also pay attention on keyboards when I see some local band playing. And here's my opinion based on what I can observe...

Typical local band would consist of drummer, bass player, guitarist, keyboard and singer. When playing in a band, keyboard doesn't have a leading role and so arranger features become less important. And also, nobody cares if keyboard has Stradivari violin or Yamaha CFX piano sound... because quitarist also doesn't play on $5000 Gibson 

All what matters for keyboard player is decent sound of instruments that are needed in music genre that the band plays. It probably depends on country/region, but here where I live, that would be organ in first place and then few voices for short solos (sax, etc.). As for the rest, price and weight matters -keep in mind that also a lot of other stuff needs to be transported.
From what I just said, I can often see portable keyboards being used in local bands (PSR-E473, PA-300 and alike).

To summarize: I see no reason why SX700 couldn't be used.

Bogdan

[chuckeys123]

I have a sx900, previously a 770. It is more than capable in a band setting. Problem is bands are guitar-centric...songs that revolve around guitar, and keys are relegated to fill, and if lucky an occasional solo. We can do so much more. I believe that an experienced arranger keyboardist, coupled with a great voice is a path few have taken, and allows one to explore all the great material bands dont do. Here is an example, where only my my p125 and psr sx770 were used. Compare this to any other conventional guitar strumming duo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DosMeaWB9WY

[mikf]

Of course, some will argue that a synth provides more, or that an arranger used this way would be not using all of the other arranger capabilities. So if that is all you are doing, maybe an arranger is not first choice, but if that’s what you already have, it’s way more than adequate.
But I agree that a two person set up, great vocalist and great arranger player, is very commercial. And if the player and great vocalist are the same person, even more commercial.
Mike

[EB5AGV]

Hello all.
Just wondering if anyone uses their SX700 or other Arranger, in their band/group?
How did it work out for you?.
K.

I play keys on a pop/rock band. I own a Genos 1, two Montage 6 (Black for gigs & White for studio) and a MODX6+

Guess which keyboard has NEVER left home? 

[mikf]

Chuck
Loved your video, very professional.
Think the line up will reflect the kind of music the band covers, guitar based works for rock covers, but your keyboard based is ideal for a wide range of music, everything from soft rock to Sinatra. Ideal for weddings, night clubs, cocktail parties, hotel dinner dances …but no doubt to carry this off, both of you have to be highly competent musician and vocalist, because the music is more sophisticated, more complex, than many bands tackle, and you clearly are at that level.
Takes me back to my own band days, similar to you, except it was pre arranger and I had to have a bass player and drummer. But I drove all the musical arrangements  from the keyboard, and like you had a first class front ‘man’. And I have no doubt I would have had an identical set up to you in todays timeframe, right down to the digital piano controller keyboard. Then you can also drop into very jazz trio type arrangements of old standards as a contrast.
Mike

[J. Larry]

In my case, the SX 900 is “the band”.  Add a great woodwind player (sax, flute, clarinet) plus female vocalist.  Easily covers the “soft rock to Sinatra”, plus a little country and latin material.

[pjd]

Of course, some will argue that a synth provides more, or that an arranger used this way would be not using all of the other arranger capabilities. So if that is all you are doing, maybe an arranger is not first choice, but if that’s what you already have, it’s way more than adequate.

Agreed. I play MODX in a band setting and don't use all of its features.    Yamaha's mid- to upper-level arrangers are comparable in sound quality to the synths.

The main issue is setting up for band use as a "typical" contributing keyboard player. That means choice of voices/effects and selecting same via registrations. Then there is the overall issue of keeping the auto-accompaniment out of the way. Don't want to trigger a foxtrot while playing "Uptown Funk". 

Hope this comment helps -- pj

BTW, welcome to the Forum!

[Bluewire8]

My situation is a little different in that I record "background tracks" on my SX700 and then play piano with them live and sing during church. My only other band member is an acoustic guitar. It works great, but since I record for playback, I really wish I had gotten the SX900 with the chord looper. It would make my life so much easier.

Caroline

[Nino1]

Hello All,

Does anybody know why some packages are not being installed on SX900 even tho Yamaha lists them as compatible with SX900 ?
See photo attached.
Thanks.

[BogdanH]

hello Nino and welcome to the forum,

Did you created this pack, or you got it from somewhere?
If you created this pack, then make sure that you are using correct instrument info (n27) file in YEM -it must be n27 file of your keyboard.

Bogdan

[Gleston]

I play in a cover Pink Floyd band here in Brasil, and use the old PSR-S970.  In the begininng the others members of the band keep asking me to change keyboard , but then with lots of work done at home, I could prepare the keyboard to work with the band .

But I have to use features that I did not use at home playing.

I save a few of the preset timbres with a different adjustments in the User memory. Many SFX ( speechs, animals sounds, ambience sounds, etc.)  I had to program the MULTIPADS  to play "mp3" files from a USB drive ,  splits to play organ in the left hand and sax in the right hand ( specially to play US AND THEM) , even the "fill" work that sometimes need to be done I was asked to use a pad sound with some "movement", so again I have to layer two sounds and make a search inside the instrument for some kind of pad sound that we usualy do not use ( itīs Pink Floyd by the way, so lots of strange sounds) , in the song ECHOES , I needed to use a sample of the sonar sfx , and play a Bright Piano sound and the Rotary Speaker DSP to get closer to the original sound. So basically I have to play along with a sample  and the others musicians  enters in the music as we go. Learn how to play Organ parts that Richard Wright created, etc.

I even use YEM to put a new timbre that I downloaded and use the sampler feature of this instrument!

But the most difficult part was to learn how to play with a band. Itīs very different from play with a style from a keyboard. They generally change tempo all the time and , used to a perfect timing machine, I had hard work to match their timing, they do not use sheet music (and I use) , so i had to memorize my parts.

But today itīs all fun, and now they "respect" my PSR-S970 and even call me "the keyboard magician" because the fidelity  of timbre and playing that I can achieve with a instrument that was descredit.

I love my PSR S970 ( many hours watching itīs screen)  and now every presentation that we play (8 to 10 a year) itīs a victory to me.

Sure a GENOS or PSR SX900 are better, but since 2018 I am making a young dream come true (I am 58 years now and began with a PSR-S900) , playing many songs that I love , preparing my style with the help from JOSOSOFT and MIDI, and this oportunity to play in a band wasnīt in my plans, but itīs was a challenge that I overcome. And this makes me happy. Someday maybe I will buy a GENOS ( 4 ou 5 !! - Iīm trying to win a lottery first), but I do not allow anyone say that Arrangers Keyboards are less instrument than any synthesizer (and I have also a Roland GAIA- I know what Iīm talking about).

And I also love all of you guys that , not knowing, also help me made my dreams and challanges come true. Thank you .

 Yamaha, keep creating arrangers keyboards and stretching the limits of what we can do with them.

Music itīs what drives me. And I think it is for everyone here.

If someone wants to see something , I attached to photos of me playing with the band

[Jeff_M]

I think an arranger is wasted in a band, because you'll never begin to use all its features.  All you need are piano, organ, electric piano, and perhaps some sort of guitar.  On the other hand, if you show up for a "jam" and the bass player and drummer don't, guess what'll happen?  The challenge is getting the rest of the jammers to play along with your computer.  They'll begin to stray off time-wise and don't realize that you can't (the reset/tap tempo switch does come in handy in these situations). 

[Gleston]

Jeff_M

Sure there are two sides in everything you do. There are challenges all the time. There were rehearsals that I have to use styles that I made to use when the drummer did not come. And it is hard to do with Pink Floyd songs , I can tell you that. And it was only drum and bass ....

In my post I said what I have to adjust in the PSR S970 to use it in a band.

Iīm aware that this product wasnīt made for bands.

I also play it at home , almost everyday.

I  just wanted to say that I was challenged, descredit in the beginning. Me and my PSR S970, but we were able to perform well in a band with the help of this forum.

 I think itīs important to show versatility with the features of the instrument you use.

[maarkr]

I've been in bands using keyboards like the Roland FA-06 and Casio PX-5S, as well as playing drums.  Since covid we couldn't find a vocalist so the rock band went away and now I do mostly keys for church.  I got frustrated with programming non-arranger keyboards so that is why I got an SX900 a couple of months ago.  Now my time is spent building styles for songs hoping to play out with a small group or solo.  Some songs I get started and move on, others I can get quite a bit built.  Learning what is included in styles, registrations and all the other elements have been a big learning curve.  I am glad, tho, that I got the SX900 bc I use the chord looper on most songs so I can build them and not deal with lh fingering right off.  Still a long way to go to come up with maybe 50 good songs, which is roughly what I need for playing out (4 sets of 12).  Rikki's songs are good, but between listening to those styles and built-in styles to figure out what to use in making songs... mind-boggling.  Baby steps for now, and learning how to create styles has also been challenging.  Thankful for the many resources available here to learn from.

[BogdanH]

Just wish to add something interesting related to this topic...
Yesterday I was at birthday party (about 50+ people) where "two-men-band" was in charge for music (both in their mid 30's). One of them was keyboard (and accordion) player and the other was playing diatonic accordion and horn. I mention that because we had a power outage for about an hour (imagine that at party!), however that didn't ruin the event: they both just grabbed accordions and party continued as if nothing happened 

Ah yes, keyboards... he played on two of them: PSR-1500 (2004!) and Tyros4 (2010).
I had a short chat with him and asked if he is maybe thinking about changing PSR-1500 for something more contemporary and he said: "Why would I do that? This one is still working and it doesn't limit my performance for my type of audience (all kind of private parties)".
-that's reasonable thinking.

I hope you find that interesting 
Bogdan