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S90 for a pianist?


gonkypete

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I'm a piano player since I was a kid but haven't owned an instrument since i left momma&poppa some 9 years ago. I'm still a reasonably good player though, having kept it up when passing a keyboard, playing other instruments etc.

 

Now I'm FINALLY READY after some 20 years of dreams to get a real instrument... Ideally I would get a good acoustic but that wouldn't work with my apartment and I want to be able to haul it around. Besides, when playing in a band I may want a few good other sounds (like Rhodes, Hammonds, pads...) and mixing options.

 

So I'm seriously considering Yamaha S90. I've tried the P250 which is A LOT better from the piano sound and feeling point of view. But the weight. And limited sounds and editing. By just playing the S90 in the store (www.andreassonmusik.se) I thought that the action is OK and that I can do without gradual.

 

I agree with others in the forum that the 3layer grand voice of the S90 has problems. Has anyone found a good remedy? I thought the Powergrand voice sounded better. Is there a dedicated pianist to tell me how he/she feels about the S90 as a piano in general?

 

And what do you fine Hammond, Rhodes and Wurli fans have to say on the S90 versions?

 

Your input will be appreciated!

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My main instrument is piano. I owned the S90 and was disappointed in the main triple strike piano, but thought the additional pianos were good.

 

I own the P250, and if the physical weight is a problem for you, I would recommend the P120. About half the weight, and really would seem to be your answer. Also about half the price of either the S90 or the P250. The P series are very expressive, and play and record extremely life like, and the action is closer to a grand piano.

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If you read the reviews here at harmony (keyboards/product review database/synths), someone explains how they edit the triple strike to their liking on the S90. I don't have one myself. I've seen a similar post elsewhere, probably Sninety.com

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I started out with just piano (a zillion years ago). I went digital with a P-80 but grew to dislike it's piano sound and really had problems with its Rhodes emulation. And the action was a little too heavy for me. I also needed more sounds for a funk band that I've joined. So I just traded it in for an S-90 - which I really love. The action is just a tiny bit lighter than the P-80 - and the Rhodes and other synth sounds are superb. The piano is one of the best, but I do think the P-120 and 250 are a little better. With the S-90, you can tweak the sounds a little to suit your taste, and there is a piano plug-board. I don't own that PLG card - but the consensus is that, while it does offer other piano options, the waveforms are limited in size and quality. It all comes down to your personal taste. For a little more info, you could check in at Sninety.com and read what the forum members are saying.

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Well, if you want a synth with a good piano sound, the s90 would be for you. The action is not graded, so it's weighted evenly across all 88 keys.

 

If you want superb piano performance, the Yamaha p series(p120,p60,p90.....) is the choice.

 

But really, you should go try them out yourself to see which is right for you.:cool:

 

****Very Important!- Also, the s90 comes with a damper pedal but it is NOT half dampering, which means the s90 pedal has 2 positions: on and off. no matter how far you press it down. The p series(except for the p80,p60.p200) has the half dampering pedal, which is absolutely superb and is what you want if your a pianist.:cool:

 

p120dUdE

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P250 has the best piano sound of the Yamahas.

 

It's a matter of opinion between the P120 and the S90 Triple Strike as to which has the better piano sound. Each has it's weaknesses.

 

The P120 and the S90 both trump the piano sounds in the P90 which lacks some clarity and detail, and the P60 with its mere single strike samples.

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if you didn't have to much quarrel with the feel and could "live" with edited to taste piano sound, look at what else you get with the S90. It would open the door to other sonic exploration I'm sure you would enjoy. You can coax some pretty cool timbres out of that kit.

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OK fellas, that's it!

 

I'm getting me an S90! :) Played the P90, 120 and 250 today as well, but the S90 has so many inspiring sounds and possibillities. And I'm getting AKG headphones - probably K271 that I liked but I'm going to compare to 240 because I heard distortion on medium volume with the 3layer700 voice, playing bass notes. :confused:

 

I'll also consider active speakers since I don't want to hurt my vintage Braun Hifi (CSV 60/1 valve amp & L710 speakers).

 

After that I'll just have to start thinking about how to raise funds for a complete new computer setup - the can I'm using to type this is P133 Win95 and it's not going to do much good for me or the S90 :(

 

It's just all these things I want to buy all the time! :D

 

Many thanks for helping out!

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Congratulations. While I like the P series pianos better than the S90, as pointed out, there are tons of incredible sounds to work with...You'll get lost in the S90 if you're looking to explore..

 

I also have the AKG 271 headphones, and they're the best I've owned.

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