Yamaha S90ES's successor

Has the Yamaha S90ES's successor been announced or is any annoucement expected at the future NAMM? I've settled on the S90ES but want to make sure the model would have a decent lifespan before something better comes out of Yamaha's factory. Talking from experience...I've made a lot of costly purchases only to have [insert brand here] release a better (and sometime cheaper) model within a couple of months. I want to make I don't have bad timing again.

The only way to protect yourself from that is to never buy a keyboard.

If it was worth it when you bought it, why would it not be worth it later?

I don't see how they could improve on it for under $2k.

What do you mean "decent lifespan"? just because something more powerful is released doesn't automatically make everything that came before it rubbish, and nobody's FORCING you to waste yet MORE of your money upgrading.

If you like the S90 ES now, you won't like it any less when the S90 XS is released, and it certainly won't magically become a worse keyboard overnight.

Looking at Yamaha's recent history..... I'd say there will be a S90XS somewhere in 2008/2009...... (but it won't be cheaper)

but hey, what do I know?

(I've always said people only need 88 keys to show off anyway)

It has nothing to do with the intrinsic value of the product, but with return on investment. If nothing new and of similar price is to come out within a couple of months, I can just wait for that and get a better ROI. Technological obsolescence is a known fact you can't elude, but I can help it a bit by timing my purchase right, then I will. Makes sense to me. That's buying smart. Moreover the PLG card technology is being abandonned by Yamaha so if a soon-to-be-released model is going to exploit a new format with better samples that the S90ES won't be able to use, it's all the more worthy to wait for a few extra months.

Don't count on it until at least NAMM 2008 or maybe the following year. The S90ES has been out for just over a year. I expect they may do an S90XS, but that will trail the Motif XS line by at least 1-2 years. The S90ES did not come out until nearly 2 years after the Motif ES.

I am still using a Yamaha S90 Classic and loving it. I could never find enough in the S90ES to warrant an upgrade. I sincerely do not know how you could go wrong with an S90ES and Yamaha won't be replacing it in a few months.

Regards,

Eric

Heck, I still have my S80

Don't get caught up in model improvements. Just use what you like. Your proficiency with it will improve which will make it easier to get your ideas out.

Also, you don't know if the S90 XS (if that's what it will be called) will have some "issues" right off the bat. Didn't the S90ES have a recall right after it came out?

I got my S90ES a few months ago and it's awesome. I wanted to wait to see what issues might pop up before I sprang for one. I'm not into being cutting edge. I like using stuff I know I can depend on, even at the risk of not having "the latest and greatest."

Maximum longevity would occur if you purchased the product when it first came out.

Here is a listing of all of Yamaha's Press Releases posted at HC:

http://news.harmony-central.com/General/headlines.html?manufacturer=Yamaha

Product Announcements

March, 2001 -- Motif 6, 7, 8

July, 2002 -- S90

July, 2003 -- Motif ES 6, 7, 8

July, 2005 -- S90ES

Jan., 2007 -- Motif XS 6, 7, 8

S90 -- 14 months after the Motif

S90ES -- 24 months after the Motif ES, 3 years after the S90

S90XS?? -- July 2008, January 2009??

Me too. Really, the only thing that's gotten added in later versions is more rom sounds. Later versions also lost the assignable knobs tho.

My S80 still plays just as good as when I got it.

I think you will still get a good ROI if you buy an S90ES now. It's still going to sound great 5 years from now. Don't worry about "keepin up with the Jones". There will always be new models.

Mike T.

Going by that and this:

http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/SNAMM99/Yamaha/S80.html

July 1999 = S80

July 2002 = S90

July 2005 = S90ES

so to stay consistent it looks like July 2008 = S90XS.

Every 3 years. Much too often for me, but hey, people want new stuff to get excited about.

From a stricly aesthetic point of view, I'd like them to call it the X90 and ditch the ugly script logo.

I kind of hope goes a different direction on the next S keyboard. I love my S90-ES and have no plans to part with it. But I would like to see more jazz and classical stuff in the next round.

I am not getting rid of my Motif ES8. In fact I intend to max it out with MLAN and two extra PLG boards. It will be a powerful instrument for years to come. I don't mind the small screen since I will be doing everything production in Sonar or Cubase.

Whatever happened to using what you have to its full potential to just make music?

Seriously, buy what you think sounds good and move on...

I own a Motif 6 and did not feel the need to jump to an ES and certainly will not be buying an XS anytime soon.

Do you actually make money by performing? I don't see why you would care about ROI if this was just a hobby. Its like you don't realize you can never win when it comes to technology/electronics. Ever heard of Moore's Law?

+1!!

The keyboard fairy left my S90ES on the doorstep today. I can't see myself replacing it within 5 years, probably longer than that.

ordered my S90ES yesterday. can't wait can't wait can't wait. that piano, man. nothing like it in its price range IMHO. i was thinking the same thing, this thing is getting a little long in the tooth in terms of synth model announcement life, but i had to move now and there was none better for my use (75% piano, everything else is goodies, no seq wanted, no sampling needed).

of course now that i've said it/ordered it the S90XS will be announced tomorrow.

Cool I got to get one. I wonder what I could get for mine? I mean I have all the orginal packaging and software?

If you are looking to sell your S90 Classic, they are still fetching in the $900-$1100 range on eBay. Seems like the S90ES is coming way down in price these days...I've seen a few selling for $1300-$1500 range. I've been hanging onto my S90 Classic because it fits me like a glove and there are a few logistical tradeoffs I do not really want to make in order to trade up to the S90ES (new case, different loading situation in the vehicle, reprogramming tasks, etc.)

I still think the original S90 is a winner and could be viewed as a timeless instrument...the S90ES is incrementally better and I'm sure the S90XS would be that much better too whenever it is released. But once you get comfortable with the S90 and have it all tweaked the way you need it, I cannot readily convince myself that I need anything to replace it.

Yeah the S90- ES is going down in price. I was checking completed listings on my E-bay account. I would need a new case because of the 5 inch difference. What have you heard about the S-90 XS?

I have the exact same problem with the S90ES being too big for my heavy flight case that would cost about $450 to make a new one And my gear vehicle is a nice fit for my S90 in the case and I would need to be very creative to make the S90ES fit in a longer case.

As for the S90XS, see mildbill's comments above - it seems the S keyboards have been coming out in 3 year increments, which would put the S90XS in summer 2008, if they decide to make it.

July 1999 = S80

July 2002 = S90

July 2005 = S90ES

so to stay consistent it looks like July 2008 = S90XS.