I personally have a PSS-790 that my parents bought new around May/June 1991. Back in the 90s the PSS-790 was at the time a brilliant keyboard to start out with and got me into music production from a very age as I used to connect my keyboards to a 4 track cassette recorder although the 5 track song memory meant my recordings would be slightly better as there was a bit less bouncing involved. Back in the day I even used some of my backing tracks I did on my Yamaha Porta- Sound and Casio keyboards in school recitals although this would never be acceptable in this day and age. As I wore down all the buttons on my PSS-790, last year I replaced it with a PSS-680 but even back in the 90s I thought some instruments sounded better on my PSS-280 like Pick bass and pan flute.
I've got good memories too from my PSS 480, I was about 12 years old or so. I agree the PSS keyboards brought a lot of us in the music prod, it was affordable and of top of that, if you had an Atari ST (both were midi compatible), or a multi track recorder like yours, it was even possible to make good things. The PSS 280 was FM, that's why some sounds were better or different. Recently I've got a PSS 51, it's got a 8 track recorder with punch in/out possibilities, but, oh well, what did Yamaha have on their mind when they chose to not include a pan control mode ?? So basically every tracks are placed in the center :( Anyway, it's still very enjoyable.
@@mythaimusic39 I have 2 PSS-790s now, one of the buttons finally stopped working so I bought another PSS-790 off EBay. I'm still hoping to eventually get a PSS-380 or PSS-790 which is basically the PSS-280 plug a digital synthesizer.
Still there is a dramatic improvement with the SQ16, it is a lot better sounding, it's got a DSP effect and the styles are not the "cut down" version they are on the PSS 51. As I've got both of them at home, I can tell you the difference is huge. It's got mint sequencer options too, it's even very very good. You can't really put it in the same bag as with the other keyboards you mentioned .. But I can't comment on the PSS-790 styles, I've just got the 590 ...
@@mythaimusic39 I'm not talking about sound quality and DSP, comparing with PSS-790/590 yes the SQ16 has better voices (not in every compartment anyway), a digital processor that shares reverb and modulation effects (the older PSR-5700/6700 had two separate effect units), doubled polyphony (although divided in two banks with different voices and 28 notse each-weird thing). What I mean is the style structure. PSS-790 and 590 (I guess they are identical) styles were less standardized (eg. less based on arrangements of real hits), more original and the harmonization between different type of chords (M,m,7) more accurate, where the SQ16 (I owned one for long time, but never liked a lot) had some misbehavior giving not pleasing chordal harmonies especially with minor chords. In my opinion the real flagship Yamaha of that time were PSR-6700 and then the 5700. Voices are way better than PSR-SQ16, the DSP is way better, styles are ridiculosly few but way better too offering an unique Interactive mode that continuously adapt the arrangement to whatever you play. What I loved about the SQ16 was the workstation/arranger concept , built all around the sequencer tracks, but thats all.
@@musk771 The 6700 was not completely the flagship at this time, at least I don't think there was one like there were after with the PSR 7000/8000/9000 ... Like you said the 6700 was better with sounds and even styles (right in the box), but the sequencer was limited, there were just a few styles and it was not possible to fully make new ones. The SQ16 is pure gold in this field. You've got tones of styles (and the rhythm patterns which are good), they're less well than those on the 6700, but you can very easily make new ones with the existing materials. As you know, you could take any tracks from any styles and make your new styles, this is a feature that was not present in most keyboards, even years after. I'd said the real flagship would have been a combination of the 6700 with the SQ16. But Yamaha was probably too greedy to deliver everything in the same box ... :)
@@mythaimusic39 These keyboards are from different years. Yamaha had every year a flagship model, plus or minus packed with the best technologies of the time. From a 1984 PS-6100 (over any other competitor), then with the PSR-6300 (more similar to a small single manual Electone organ than a keyboard because of multiple voice sections and FM generators, solo lead slide, full accompaniment programmer with step recording, multi track on board sequencer-yes I love this keyboard) then with a FM synth-oriented fully programmable DSR-2000, the 1989 PSR-4500 and 4600 (less professional features in flavour of increased number of voices/rhythm patterns, some of them very beautiful; both lovely and particular). In 1991 they launched PSR-6700 the world first 76 note home keyboard , abandoned FM voice generation in flavour of AWM sampling and introducing the innovative Interactive Accompaniment. Styles was fully programmable for each of the 8 tracks, intro, fill and ending. Plus 8 track sequancer with good editing capabilities. and integrated floppy drive. It was the flagship instrument, created to compete with Roland E-70. Later with introduction of many home models, but anyway advanced for the time (PSR-400/500) they attempted to combine together these home keyboards with a 16 tracks programmable sequencer, and the SQ16 came up. I think it was more like an experiment than a real flagship keyboard. It was called home workstation. The result was very good , simple user interface, easy to use and fully programmable. But the top of the line was anyway reserved to the PSR-5700, an improved 6700 with 61 keys. The AWM tone generator was of better quality, better samples, derived from the SY line synthesizers and Electone organs (have you ever listened a 1991 Electone EL-90? Not the PSR but Electone was the real flagship arrangers of that time in my opinion-big nostalgia again)- Then the PSR-6000 added more styles and a big display to the 5700 features. in 1995 the PSR-7000 was the game changer, introduced to the modern workstation with deep editing of voices, styles and sequencer and integrates also a mini-Electone organ with the drawbar organ section. Then is a recent story
Yep, you nail it, the SQ16 was quite an experiment, but for the sequencing possibilities, it was a very good one. I don't have any SY (I always wanted to get a 77), but I read the SQ16 shares both drum sounds and the DSP effects with the SY77 ... but anyway nobody ever said they were good on the SY77. As for the 6700, it only has got 36 styles (clearly a Roland competitor, you're right, both companies being greedy with the number of styles). But the main problem is that you cannot create or change any of the intro, fill ins and ending patterns. It just feels weird. I know it was Yamaha's flagship, but I don't really see it as one. As I said before, a real flagship should have been a combination of both the 6700 with the SQ16. The SQ16 sequencing features to create new styles from scratch or from existing styles were just perfect. The 6700 comes with vastly improved sounds and effects, but how in the world can you design such a keyboard and not have the intro,fill ins and ending edited ??? That's just another Yamaha weird choice. What about the Kawai Z1000 ? I can't get it at a reasonable price and every YT videos for this model has bad audio quality. It looks very attractive on the paper (6 variations ?!?), I wish I can listen to it to get an idea.
I personally have a PSS-790 that my parents bought new around May/June 1991.
Back in the 90s the PSS-790 was at the time a brilliant keyboard to start out with
and got me into music production from a very age as I used to connect my
keyboards to a 4 track cassette recorder although the 5 track song memory meant
my recordings would be slightly better as there was a bit less bouncing involved.
Back in the day I even used some of my backing tracks I did on my Yamaha Porta-
Sound and Casio keyboards in school recitals although this would never be acceptable
in this day and age. As I wore down all the buttons on my PSS-790, last year I replaced
it with a PSS-680 but even back in the 90s I thought some instruments sounded better
on my PSS-280 like Pick bass and pan flute.
I've got good memories too from my PSS 480, I was about 12 years old or so. I agree the PSS keyboards brought a lot of us in the music prod, it was affordable and of top of that, if you had an Atari ST (both were midi compatible), or a multi track recorder like yours, it was even possible to make good things. The PSS 280 was FM, that's why some sounds were better or different. Recently I've got a PSS 51, it's got a 8 track recorder with punch in/out possibilities, but, oh well, what did Yamaha have on their mind when they chose to not include a pan control mode ?? So basically every tracks are placed in the center :( Anyway, it's still very enjoyable.
@@mythaimusic39 I have 2 PSS-790s now, one of the buttons finally stopped working so I bought another PSS-790 off EBay.
I'm still hoping to eventually get a PSS-380 or PSS-790 which is basically the PSS-280 plug a digital synthesizer.
Really nice mini keyboard
Really have a lot of fun when I use it
Thanks you so much
I had PSS680 in 90th
I have this keyboard ,Its fabolous
CASIO CTK-7200 / WK 7600 All 260 Styles
Can you introduce more styles?
Where is part 2of Korg i40M?
Hey what battery u use in it? 😅
I have a PSS-790, these music styles were better than the following PSS-51 and all the PSR-400/500/SQ16 lienup.
Still there is a dramatic improvement with the SQ16, it is a lot better sounding, it's got a DSP effect and the styles are not the "cut down" version they are on the PSS 51. As I've got both of them at home, I can tell you the difference is huge. It's got mint sequencer options too, it's even very very good. You can't really put it in the same bag as with the other keyboards you mentioned .. But I can't comment on the PSS-790 styles, I've just got the 590 ...
@@mythaimusic39 I'm not talking about sound quality and DSP, comparing with PSS-790/590 yes the SQ16 has better voices (not in every compartment anyway), a digital processor that shares reverb and modulation effects (the older PSR-5700/6700 had two separate effect units), doubled polyphony (although divided in two banks with different voices and 28 notse each-weird thing). What I mean is the style structure. PSS-790 and 590 (I guess they are identical) styles were less standardized (eg. less based on arrangements of real hits), more original and the harmonization between different type of chords (M,m,7) more accurate, where the SQ16 (I owned one for long time, but never liked a lot) had some misbehavior giving not pleasing chordal harmonies especially with minor chords. In my opinion the real flagship Yamaha of that time were PSR-6700 and then the 5700. Voices are way better than PSR-SQ16, the DSP is way better, styles are ridiculosly few but way better too offering an unique Interactive mode that continuously adapt the arrangement to whatever you play. What I loved about the SQ16 was the workstation/arranger concept , built all around the sequencer tracks, but thats all.
@@musk771 The 6700 was not completely the flagship at this time, at least I don't think there was one like there were after with the PSR 7000/8000/9000 ...
Like you said the 6700 was better with sounds and even styles (right in the box), but the sequencer was limited, there were just a few styles and it was not possible to fully make new ones. The SQ16 is pure gold in this field. You've got tones of styles (and the rhythm patterns which are good), they're less well than those on the 6700, but you can very easily make new ones with the existing materials. As you know, you could take any tracks from any styles and make your new styles, this is a feature that was not present in most keyboards, even years after.
I'd said the real flagship would have been a combination of the 6700 with the SQ16. But Yamaha was probably too greedy to deliver everything in the same box ... :)
@@mythaimusic39 These keyboards are from different years. Yamaha had every year a flagship model, plus or minus packed with the best technologies of the time. From a 1984 PS-6100 (over any other competitor), then with the PSR-6300 (more similar to a small single manual Electone organ than a keyboard because of multiple voice sections and FM generators, solo lead slide, full accompaniment programmer with step recording, multi track on board sequencer-yes I love this keyboard) then with a FM synth-oriented fully programmable DSR-2000, the 1989 PSR-4500 and 4600 (less professional features in flavour of increased number of voices/rhythm patterns, some of them very beautiful; both lovely and particular). In 1991 they launched PSR-6700 the world first 76 note home keyboard , abandoned FM voice generation in flavour of AWM sampling and introducing the innovative Interactive Accompaniment. Styles was fully programmable for each of the 8 tracks, intro, fill and ending. Plus 8 track sequancer with good editing capabilities. and integrated floppy drive. It was the flagship instrument, created to compete with Roland E-70. Later with introduction of many home models, but anyway advanced for the time (PSR-400/500) they attempted to combine together these home keyboards with a 16 tracks programmable sequencer, and the SQ16 came up. I think it was more like an experiment than a real flagship keyboard. It was called home workstation. The result was very good , simple user interface, easy to use and fully programmable. But the top of the line was anyway reserved to the PSR-5700, an improved 6700 with 61 keys. The AWM tone generator was of better quality, better samples, derived from the SY line synthesizers and Electone organs (have you ever listened a 1991 Electone EL-90? Not the PSR but Electone was the real flagship arrangers of that time in my opinion-big nostalgia again)- Then the PSR-6000 added more styles and a big display to the 5700 features. in 1995 the PSR-7000 was the game changer, introduced to the modern workstation with deep editing of voices, styles and sequencer and integrates also a mini-Electone organ with the drawbar organ section. Then is a recent story
Yep, you nail it, the SQ16 was quite an experiment, but for the sequencing possibilities, it was a very good one. I don't have any SY (I always wanted to get a 77), but I read the SQ16 shares both drum sounds and the DSP effects with the SY77 ... but anyway nobody ever said they were good on the SY77.
As for the 6700, it only has got 36 styles (clearly a Roland competitor, you're right, both companies being greedy with the number of styles). But the main problem is that you cannot create or change any of the intro, fill ins and ending patterns. It just feels weird. I know it was Yamaha's flagship, but I don't really see it as one. As I said before, a real flagship should have been a combination of both the 6700 with the SQ16. The SQ16 sequencing features to create new styles from scratch or from existing styles were just perfect. The 6700 comes with vastly improved sounds and effects, but how in the world can you design such a keyboard and not have the intro,fill ins and ending edited ??? That's just another Yamaha weird choice.
What about the Kawai Z1000 ? I can't get it at a reasonable price and every YT videos for this model has bad audio quality. It looks very attractive on the paper (6 variations ?!?), I wish I can listen to it to get an idea.
This keyboard is available