Why Arranger Keyboards are Different! - NEW Yamaha Genos II

[@WoodyPianoShack]

shoutout from the Dux, that made my week! cheers Jack. fun to watch you and the crew having a laugh with it, that's what it's about, thanks for the invite, even better, get Martin in, he's not far away, he helped design it and few people play it better :)

[@Robin_S78]

Woody, the people want you and Jack in 1 video…creme de la creme 🎉

[@alienzardsketter.9076]

Yea help design the Genos also ...no more free N fo from this aliien ,,,

[@sophiebride-gq8fn]

Yes that right Woody Piano Shack no more problem this is an fantastic keyboard ever made !

[@lucasbi]

I am just sitting with my own Genos 2 and I am mind blown! These sounds are amazing! I just can’t stop play! 😅

[@jazzzman1000]

Mind "blown" 😎

[@MaverickM1]

Mine arrives in one hour... GLS is on the way. I am pretty excited. Switching from Tyros2 so it will be one giant leap for a man....

[@eamfos]

I started playing music with Arranger Keyboards and i learned a lot of things.I still got a Technics KN-3000. Now i m into sythesizers but i still use sounds from the arranger. This Yamaha is nice...

[@roycemurgatroyd7963]

Haha I still have my kn1000

[@eamfos]

@@roycemurgatroyd7963and i guess we intend to keep them...😉

[@dynoroad]

I never understood these keyboards, that is, until I played one. These things are hilarious and have a way of making practice feel less like a chore and more like an awesome time.

[@SuperBriansmoke]

There are a load of very excited retired-ex-home-organ owners salivating at this video.

[@tibeklucio3418]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@simonhampson5082]

@@tibeklucio3418 That will be me - now with my very own Genos 2!

[@geoffwebber8272]

Jack, don't think your gig with James Arthur is in jeopardy, but.... if you ever wanted a cruise ship job, then this is the beast for you!!!

[@simonhampson5082]

Upright piano - Baldwin home organ - (A Casio portable keyboard - not memorable) then various pub/club/church organs - Yamaha PSR 70 (later with DX 27 along for the MIDI ride) (They earned me some good money) - Roland E-70 (gigged around the UK with a covers band then gigged with a dance band)- Yamaha Tyros 1 (some solo functions and then gigged with a funky souly rocky covers band) Retired from public performing then into - Tyros 5 for a short time and now - Genos 2. That will be 1977 to present day! Still loving music that I played on my PSR 70 all those years ago!

[@EdgyNumber1]

Benn Jordan was surprised how much he loved the arranger concept!

[@mrdavies7894]

Things have come a long way since my old PSR-21. 😂 Really nice impacting the “arranger” concept, Jack!

[@paulsecomb7605]

Yeah! Get Woody in. Heaps fun!

[@philfisher8962]

Hello Jack... You said that the top ones have "got down to Korg and Yamaha..." But there are at least 3 others and some of these are even more expensive too: Bohm, Wersi and Ketron.

[@nucleardwarf1218]

The finest piece of comedy demo I have seen! Excellent Jack, made me laugh out loud.

[@KyleBevis-u7j]

If you were doing song writing sessions, theatre arrangements, tv scores, weddings (and you can actually sing) the Genos would be perfect!

[@rrod6738]

If budget is a concern, try the PSR -sx900... the baby genos. I have one and all i can say is Yamaha is the master of all arranger keyboards.

[@ZorbaTheDutch]

And even more affordable, the SX700.

[@caleb5780]

Apparently, korg is better, and a better price

[@cinepost]

@@caleb5780in what way, please explain

[@caleb5780]

@@cinepost I don't remember.

[@lycancatt4248]

loving that arrangers are still going somewhat strong! really fun pieces but sadly as everything seems to be, touchscreens now! as a blind person i'd have to get hands on to know if i could even use it.

[@matthewwhitaker4849]

I agree. There are plenty of buttons though. That’s cool.

[@Iisakki3000]

Surely not the best for the blind, but I mean these things pack in so much stuff that a touch screen is basically a must at this point 😅 the older ones without are still awesome though, maybe you could be happy with one of those? I know I would. Maybe something like the Yamaha psr-2000?

[@Psty786]

How the F did you type this then?

[@lycancatt4248]

@@Psty786 a program on my pc converts text to speech and allows me to do most anything without looking at a screen

[@ron-almog]

I totally agree: its a shame that all this fun and goodness is prohibitively expensive, and in reality only available for either true professionals, or plainly rich people.

[@amusic9825]

Yeah, I think Yamaha should focus on making entry and mid level keyboards better, rather than making prohibitively overpriced samplers with special arpeggios called as "styles" that caters only for Elon Musk, Zuckerberg etc.

[@danieldougan269]

They have the PSR-SX700 and 900 as scaled down versions of this that are still powerful for less money. They're probably good enough for 90% of users. My DGX-650 is an arranger keyboard in many ways, and it has 88 weighted keys. The new version, the DGX-670, still sells for well under US$1000. Can it do all the things the Genos can? No, not even close. But it might be sophisticated enough for you if you only play as a hobby.

[@amusic9825]

@danieldougan269 They should improve their PSRE. It's been decades since the invention of the keyboard, while their entry-level keyboards are still extremely shitty.

[@Wagoo]

If I ever feel my life is not complete without spending 6 months of the year on a cruise ship, bewitching a different tipsy GILF into my cabin every night - then I will buy a Genos 2 If I ever get past my hatred of wedding cake, and fancy free food and a regular eyeful of nubile bridesmaids - then I will buy a Genos 2 If I ever get hired by Joysound and develop a terrible need to make karaoke backing tracks - then I will buy a Genos 2 If I ever win the Gloucester cheese chasing championships and need an expensive stand to place my prize wheel upon - then I will buy a Genos 2 I've suffered through this already. My first synth was a Yamaha PSS-170 and I later got a PSR-300. Baffled why I couldn't make the synth sounds I was hearing and loving with them.. or any new sounds for that matter. This is simply an evolution of the same thing. A walled garden, with bricks made of cheddar What to buy, what to buy? This or a Montage M8x? They weigh in at about the same price - such a tricky decision! The hilarious part is they've put the FM-X engine in the Genos 2. It can play 8 op FM patches and 6 op FM patches from the Yamaha DX7, of which tens of thousands are available. Does Yamaha give you any control over this or let you import patches into any of this? No, of course not! There's a paltry few banks of FM patches in there, and no doubt a few more will trickle out from Yamaha with time Having said all that the Genos 2 does bring me joy in one way - every time I hear it cranking out an apocalyptic rendition of a classic song I can't stop laughing. Maybe I'll buy a Genos 2 and start making movie soundtracks for the Burmese film industry Cheers for the effort though, Jack - having Woody across for a Genos 2 cheesefest would indeed be hilarious 🧀

[@cinepost]

Right, stick to the fat thankless sexless hags, endless supply of them. You'll never be lonely.

[@fizgak]

This thing is what people have been waiting for FOREVER! The technology is finally here to to build an arranger with sounds and features near enough to pro quality to sound amazing! Yamaha, take my money!! 😂

[@moogy77]

I had the Pa5x twice, and both times I loved the sounds and the action, but, I kept running into the same issues. The tilt screen does not close flush. I even cut my hand when moving it. Where the buttons are located, I just couldn't get with. Genos locations of the pads, registrations and others as well are make more sense. The way the buttons are lite are better. Also every button is flanked by protective ridges to protect from accidental hitting. LED's on all knobs and sliders, and nice sliders.

[@jeffreyreid6981]

We love you Jack in America. Keep doing what you doing Peace.

[@Tomtycoon]

I love my PSR SX-700, they call it the mini Genos. But I almost only see old people play them...

[@jonasaras]

It reminds me of when I worked at a piano and organ store in the Glendale Galleria when I was a teenager

[@johnscott4693]

We could be in Gran Canaria, lights dimming, cocktails on the table ... 😂😂😂

[@stephenmorgan5100]

Great video. Can you plug a 88 key board controller into it so it feels more like a piano, just to have best of both worlds?

[@OptimaMrL]

I come from the days of using CASIO CT/X, YAMAHA PSRs. So this makes me smile 🤩

[@YotamPiano]

Awesome reivew as always Jack. I am a fan of the Yamaha soundset and the Genos looks like a lot of fun

[@The_Doc_Rocks]

It's not just down to Korg and Yamaha - don't forget the Ketron Event...! It's excellent.

[@cinepost]

Good job to giving Woody some love! This is the big daddy arranger of the day. A broad review of arrangers would be fun. You should get Woody to do a demo of all the new popular arrangers. Terrific idea!

[@ManuelHernandez-bg8bl]

I really loved your Genos 2 unbox/intro/demo. What 2 chords were you playing on A Boxing Legend? I don't think it was right for Rocky but it was really cool sounding riff! My guess is "Em" to "A", I can't wait to get a Genos 2.

[@Initial_Gain]

I have met with a major flaw with the Genos 2. There is no seamless transition when changing between Style Variations and also, more grave, Voices. This is evident when you try and change from a Registration to another. For example if in Registration 1 I use 1 voice whilst Registration 2 uses 3 voices, when I change from Reg2 to Reg1 whilst still am playing a key on the right hand (Right1+Right2+Right3), the note of that key becomes loud and you have to release it for it to go silent. This is very annoying to hear and is not acceptable. It is a bit difficult for me to explain without showing you by a video clip or otherwise. My Roland E-80 I purchased 16 years ago doesn't do this and is seamless when both changing Styles and also Voices and thus Registrations. I'm suspecting this could be corrected by a future update of the OS. I would like to hear some comments about this issue especially from those who bought a Genos 2 before I try to contact Yamaha. Thank you

[@cinepost]

I am guessing they can't fix it.

[@sophiebride-gq8fn]

This is an amazing keyboard ever !

[@mrtelechi]

Fantastic review, very honest. Love the outro too.

[@robd1365]

Some of the styles remind of the PSR 340 I had as a kid, ultimate cheesiness but awesome none the less. Now that keyboard sells for crazy money, guess that’s retro for you. This piece of kit is the closest you could get to playing the keys in a decent sized band with all its arrangements, Yamaha have smashed it out of the park with this instrument.

[@colinpyle9270]

That’s amazing, but out of curiosity, does anybody record songs how I do? I delete all preset patterns, make the beat the length of a verse (A) chorus (B) bridge (C) etc, and bypass the key setting. I then program every part myself. I do this using the PSR-9000 PRO. I guess this is equally possible using this much more epic keyboard (?).

[@gustavogutierrez5482]

I’ve had several Yamaha psr arrangers over time. Now I’ve got a psr s770. I edit the styles, including the fills and endings when I write a song and make the arrangement. Sometimes I leave a part or two but nothing with a riff or noticeable melody. Other times I leave the parts of the style, record the song and then change them according to the song. Then on top I add the rest of the instruments.

[@colinpyle9270]

@@gustavogutierrez5482 Ah, I’m not the only one. The trouble is I created so many tunes that the amount of data stored seemed to cause the bank to crash and I lost the lot. I try and record a song as soon as it is created now. I should use the song recording facility but that seems much more long winded.

[@papkenzenian9586]

great video!🤩! in my opinion Korg pa1000 is the best portable arranger keyboard

[@sharingmatters]

Mike Patrick is the best person to maximise the potential of this beast. And with his affection to Yamaha it will be magic. Cant wait.

[@malekec11]

I can tell this video took 20 takes per shot. Jack couldn’t stop laughing at this keyboard. This video has so many edits and I can still see Jack trying to hold back his laughter. I’d love to see him compare this keyboard to a Nord.

[@danieldougan269]

The Montage and the Genos should mate. It would not be hard for Yamaha to make one keyboard to rule them all...synthesizer and arranger.

[@lazaruslaser]

Nope , Nope , and Nope... Had a Yamaha Motif which I used for Years.. Worst Piano and Organ.. Period. Ended up getting a Kurzweil to fill the Piano Gap.. and a Korg CX-3 Organ. After Searching For Years I Walked into a Guitar Center and Heard Someone playing One of the Best Pianos I had Ever heard.. After listening to the Organ and Synth Sounds I was Sold !!! By the way I owned a Hammond B3 and Leslie , and went to the Portable XK -3 with a Motion Sound rotating speaker..So I know what the Hammond sound is.. So the Bottom Line is this.. One of the Greatest Pianos.. I Personally like the Organ better than a XK 3.. while being spot on to a B3.. the Leslie Simulation is phenomenal (with a few programming adjustments) One of the best Synths .... and do not get me started on the Mellotron samples... FX in spades and 6 splits.. Yikes 40 lbs and Racing Red... My Winning Keyboard is a Nord Stage 3 73 Compact.. Absolutely Love it..

[@connor_flanigan]

these are $5699 here in the states - exact same price as Nord's top of the line stage 4 88 key. and these arranger keyboards are something like they'd sell at Circuit Shack.

[@christiansanden8005]

Peter Baartmans is the one who make that thing swinging, the only one, that guy is a incredible pianist and works for Yamaha! ❤❤❤

[@spikerwlan]

Wonderfully explained the review is very helpful

[@lesclark830]

Want one ! ( big Yamaha fan boy T3 )

[@spikerwlan]

Well, I just started at the lowest entry level arranger keyboards and keeping the most of of the next levels aside because they are technological advancements in the industry by yamaha Corporation, but let me tell you friends I am overwhelmed beyond comprehension because with the sx600 I am able to find so many new sounds plus also customize it to my liking, Only one thing yamaha should have made the piano more articulate and should have more in the designated sounds group I first saw the previous model which was played by the jazz instrumental group Casiopea live in Tokyo they were again mind blowing

[@cinepost]

Still loving the sx600? Tempted to move up a little?

[@PaulM-gj4ni]

Would like to hear some sound demos vs genos 1

[@jeffreyreid6981]

They should’ve made it an 88 version

[@MJamesIII]

I want to see a Nord Stage 4 vs Yamaha MONTAGE M8x so bad….

[@benhaim2098]

Bro! I’ll tell you this there is no comparison because I tried nord stage 4 over YC 61 and was shocked to see that YC is better sound quality and texture

[@MJamesIII]

@@benhaim2098 I'm an owner of the Montage M8x and I'm tired of the Nord fanboys. I wish I had a Nord Stage 4 to compare them teach other.

[@dougie6897]

You can’t underestimate the power of arranger keyboards in the world of education…. Nothing is more immediate with instant gratification with a class full of kids… Ps I’ve been teaching non stop since 1994 but as you say Jack I wish Pro Arranger keyboards were much more affordable…. this is Nord Stage 4 money, that’s crazy!

[@andesneko]

PSR series is there for the budget.

[@andesneko]

PSR.

[@nonchai]

MULTIPADS arent new - theyre in GENOS1 and its cheaper variants - PSR SX 900 etc too -

[@downpatmusic]

Certainly a nice to look at keyboard and UI there. Keyboard version of Avenger VPS plug but geared more to traditional styles. I'd be interested to seeing how customized you can get with it, otherwise everyone's arrangements shout, "This has been a production by Genos ll".

[@mrdavies7894]

40 years ago: PSR-21. And I still survived!

[@duggepoguisaac5926]

Truly beast, ☠️🔥🫡

[@nikooplayer]

Jack, you should invite Peter Baartmans to review it

[@KerteszHuba]

I don't know man... The arranger keys are very strange instruments to me. They always remind me of typical Eastern European cheap wedding musicians who try to play every style with terribly bad tone culture and very artificial sounds. Not to mention that they accept gigs so cheaply that because of this, live cover bands are not really paid much anymore..

[@S91761]

I have performed with arranger keyboards for years. Me and my wife, she is a singer. We play everything. From latin, jazz, Caribbean music, funk, and everything else. I charge almost the same as a 5 piece band because of my performance. People pay for it. When they ask for a trio with a percussion. I play the bass on the keyboard myself. That's the thing I love about those keyboards. It's the creativity that it allows. It's a different story when you see older people play these keyboards, though.

[@zoewilliam1727]

Bro can invite Martin Harris from Yamaha he specialised in this

[@cbolt4492]

Nice playing 3:00

[@MarkGardner66Bonnie]

First and foremost... Jack, I sure appreciate what you bring to the table and especially with boards where you can play piano...Dude loved your stuff on this board. I wish it was a little less expensive as I could see adding one to the stable...and I might just get a used original Genos to do just that... thank you Sir!

[@tyresedhurrkay5669]

Can you use a microphone 🎤 and what delay and reverbs you have?

[@matildafernando1875]

Please bring Martin Harris, he is a genius on arranger workstations. Highly recommend

[@markoconnell804]

Tried gunslinger awesome awesome awesome style

[@evolopterus]

Are the sounds the same as the Montage? Any sense in having both?

[@gges1605]

Believe me you're not alone wishing that keyboard was more affordable its amazing but its expensive.

[@nigel.a.v.909]

Both, Yamaha and KORG have got more affordable versions of these arrangers. Similar to what the modx is to the montage. The SX900 and the PA1000. I myself own a 7 year old psr-s970, which could be considered the smaller brother to the Tyros.

[@johnscott4693]

Same price as the latest Nord? Really? £4,500 !!! 😮 FFS I'll pass on this one. £2k too much...

[@DaraM73]

Rhubarb & Custard for the win

[@tonyrapa-tonyrapa]

I finally get what an arranger keyboard is now - best explanation (demo) that I've seen. So, I'm thinking weddings, parties, get togethers, etc. And Jack is spot on - every house should have one... endless fun!

[@sharingmatters]

Exactly. I finally got the concept.

[@nonchai]

You forgot to mention the GENOS2 has the FM engine inside it now - like MONTAGE

[@manuellayburr382]

Are there any keyboards where you can modify/specify the tempo by tapping it out on a footswitch?

[@ZappaBlues]

Wurly in the background?

[@danaoldenburg4772]

Wow! -Always been a Korg/Kurzweil Guy; Yamaha always sounded a bit thin to me… But ever since the Motif series, I’ve taken more notice of them!✌🏻😎🎹🌴🌞

[@tibeklucio3418]

How can I order. I will be DG in December so I need one .

De belles choses dans ce nouveau Genos 2, personnellement je m'amuse aussi bien avec un simple PsrSx900 sur-vitaminé 🎹. Une très bonne continuation musicale à tous et à toutes et vive la musique 🎹.

[@The.Foolosopher]

Can you use these in accrual songs? Like that you publish?

[@just_curi0us]

No patch remain?

[@Sam-ss2lo]

Is the backing track function available as a software solution for Windows? I want to output it to my DAW? Or is there another backing track solution I should consider?

[@cinepost]

Band in a box.

[@Sam-ss2lo]

@@cinepostthanks. yeah I have looked into it in the past but it looks like it's not as simple. I'll have do a deep dive.

[@pp90djask2idjk]

the sound does not have the expected dynamics. do you agree?

[@theallmightyanalog]

Awesome

[@The.Foolosopher]

Does it have Christmas music?

[@tordana]

This keyboard is so damn cool, and way too damn expensive. lol

[@786itube]

Love Jack though keyboard is a bit cheesy

[@isitreallyisitreally1756]

Inspiring stuff , very expensive but if it’s what you want / need for a job / gig it’s perfect , nice playing too , and yes a more affordable version please ?

[@tibeklucio3418]

How many keys ? Can I carry that around.

[@e-conrecords4665]

This was the funniest video in ages 😂

[@jerryKJose]

Nice video, but needs a lot of work in pre-onboard mix. Otherwise, anyone can easily find its straight from an arranger .. especially when it is a Yamaha arranger

[@kenzgbr]

It’s a >£3k cheese machine! I get it - but I ain’t gonna get it!

[@komalthecoolk]

The only problem with the amazing sounds of the arrangers are the cheesy 80's and 90's arrangements.

[@vito_keys]

Yeah, arranger keyboard are waaay too much focused on older "nostalgia" songs. That's a niche

[@McCludgie]

Yamaha knows their market

[@YannisAggelakos]

There are literally thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Yamaha Styles out there to choose from. And with the Genos you can make your own on the fly. It's easy

[@louiscornale5667]

Great job but how about wooly bully watch it now 😅

[@Beauc4652]

I've had mine about a month, and it is absolutely true- hard to master, because there's just so much that can be done. Really fun. And no, I didn't buy it because of thirst trap videos like this one. lol

[@bazzaf7641]

I have the Yamaha CVP 605, which is about 10 years old now and cost me over £4k new. It is very similar to this but in a piano cabinet. Because of its age it is not quite as sophisticated but does a similar job and has a great sound for its age. The latest Yamaha CVP range would probably have the same facilities as the Genos ll and sound equally great, but at twice the cost of the Genos. If I didn't have my CVP I would definitely be looking at one of these.

[@skriptico]

didnt know gordon ryan as a synthead :))

[@cnfuzz]

I think i'll get me coat , the brass still sounds as plastic like 30 years ago

[@anibalromero5391]

Bueno! Pero mejor en esa línea es el Ketron....revisar por favor

[@royhesselink-rh7ce]

Compare the previously GENOS, a lot are copy , cuz I have it, you can't here the differences with the previous 1

[@stayconsistentandhumble8463]

I’m still confused 😂. I have apps on my iPad that can do everything this overpriced keyboard can do. I guess I’m missing something. Great video as always Jack! Cheers!

[@starcam22]

Yes, probably it can. I try with Kurzweil Forte, Sampletank and OMB with Yamaha styles. It's just too much time to make things work, so I bought new PSR SX700 and just enjoy playing. I'm not so young anymore to spend couple of hours for one style, that actually won't work at the end :(

[@richierich1283]

Yamaha prs sx900 is half the price and great saxophone, trumpet and organ sounds. BUT STRINGS ARE WEAK NO BALLS .

[@cinepost]

@@richierich1283did they fix the strings in the SX920?

[@PianoMan-hx3ev]

Only Jack can make that thing not sound like a nursing home relic.

[@angelh1743]

The Irish Pop Ballad was very nice. Okay so I now understand what an arranger is vs a workstation. I just don't see the appeal for $6K music arranger keyboard. The price is over-kill. The concept feels more like a $2,500 to $3K keyboard. Especially where in a Workstation keyboard you can do a lot more. Workstation you have way more freedom with sequencers and arranging your own music, drums, etc. I'll choose a workstation everytime compare to the Genos 2.

[@stayconsistentandhumble8463]

Also, please have Mike Patrick review the Yamaha CK Stage piano. It’s a cheap Nord

[@nonchai]

I'm interested ( own in fact - the PSR SX 900 the cheaper GENOS 1 derivative ) in this arranger stuff- but NOT for one man cover gigs - but as a compositional tool - and it comes so close - and could be so much more - for top-down approaches to compising ( rather than the DAW one note at a time MIDI thing ) - but the CHORD LOOPER feature here doesnt allow editing the recorded progressions - a dan shame.

[@cinepost]

Did they fix any of your needs in the sx920?

[@nonchai]

@@cinepost no

[@cinepost]

@@nonchai does a different arranger work better for you?

[@nonchai]

@@cinepost Korg PA5x has a basic edit facility for its Chord Progression feature

[@jojomendoza6761]

Endgame stranger keyboard

[@GeorgeL909]

I'm really curious why it's so thick. I mean it's not like they gotta pack a 4090 in there with water cooling and fans and stuff. The thing is massive but can't be more powerful than a gaming laptop. I love the sounds, but you could fit an actual band in that chassis.