Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
What does PSR stand for?
What is tyros?
What is the difference between the two types?
What is tyros?
What is the difference between the two types?
Curious names and numbers
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The following isn't guaranteed to be 100% correct, but as I understand it:
"PSR" stands for "PortaSound Regular."
"PSS" (which is sometimes seen among older used instruments) stands for "PortaSound Small."
"Regular" and "Small" refer to the sizes of the keys-- PSR models have regular-sized keys, whereas PSS models have miniature keys.
Older PSR models were usually just "PSR" followed by a number, but newer models are divided into the PSR-E and PSR-S lines.
The "E" in "PSR-E" stands for "Entry-level," but could also be read as "Educational," as the PSR-E models have the "Y.E.S." or "Yamaha Education Suite" feature.
The "S" in "PSR-S" stands for "Stage," as the PSR-S models are considered to be suitable for professional musicians.
PSR-S models have an implementation of XG, whereas PSR-E models have an implementation of XGlite.
"XG" stands for "eXtended General MIDI," Yamaha's extension of "GM" or "General MIDI."
("GM2" or "General MIDI Level 2" came later, hence GM is now also sometimes referred to as "GM1" or "General MIDI Level 1.")
"XGlite" is a "lite" version of "XG"-- it doesn't include all of the XG voices, and also omits some of the XG sound parameters and effects.
There are also several "localized" PSR models which use other letters, including-- but not limited to-- the following:
The "A" in "PSR-A" stands for "Arabic" or "Arabian."
The "B" in "PSR-B" stands for "Brazil" or "Brazilian."
The "I" in "PSR-I" stands for "India" or "Indian."
The "R" in "PSR-R" stands for "Russia" or "Russian."
The "VN" in "PSR-VN" stands for "VietNam" or "VietNamese."
The Portasound keyboards are/were also referred to as Portatone keyboards.
"YPT" stands for "Yamaha PortaTone."
The YPT models are equivalent to PSR-E models-- they generally share the same manuals-- e.g., the YPT-200 is equivalent to the PSR-E203.
A couple of the other Yamaha lines are as follows:
"DGX" apparently stands for "Digital Grand XG"-- although these models actually have an implementation of XGlite.
"YPG" stands for "Yamaha Portable Grand."
These are equivalent to each other-- they generally share the same manuals.
The DGX and YPG models differ from the PSR models in the number of keys-- the PSRs have 61 keys, whereas the DGX and YPG models have 76 or 88 keys.
The DGX and YPG models also differ from Yamaha's digital pianos-- their voices aren't as high-quality, but they have a lot more voices than the digital pianos.
The Tyros is essentially the ultimate or deluxe version of a PSR-S, as evidenced by their prices, number of voices, features, and capabilities.
The name "Tyros" may or may not be related to "tyrant," which is from the Greek "tyrannos," meaning "lord, master, sovereign, absolute ruler."
In any case, the name seems to imply that the Tyros is Yamaha's "most powerful" workstation keyboard.
"PSR" stands for "PortaSound Regular."
"PSS" (which is sometimes seen among older used instruments) stands for "PortaSound Small."
"Regular" and "Small" refer to the sizes of the keys-- PSR models have regular-sized keys, whereas PSS models have miniature keys.
Older PSR models were usually just "PSR" followed by a number, but newer models are divided into the PSR-E and PSR-S lines.
The "E" in "PSR-E" stands for "Entry-level," but could also be read as "Educational," as the PSR-E models have the "Y.E.S." or "Yamaha Education Suite" feature.
The "S" in "PSR-S" stands for "Stage," as the PSR-S models are considered to be suitable for professional musicians.
PSR-S models have an implementation of XG, whereas PSR-E models have an implementation of XGlite.
"XG" stands for "eXtended General MIDI," Yamaha's extension of "GM" or "General MIDI."
("GM2" or "General MIDI Level 2" came later, hence GM is now also sometimes referred to as "GM1" or "General MIDI Level 1.")
"XGlite" is a "lite" version of "XG"-- it doesn't include all of the XG voices, and also omits some of the XG sound parameters and effects.
There are also several "localized" PSR models which use other letters, including-- but not limited to-- the following:
The "A" in "PSR-A" stands for "Arabic" or "Arabian."
The "B" in "PSR-B" stands for "Brazil" or "Brazilian."
The "I" in "PSR-I" stands for "India" or "Indian."
The "R" in "PSR-R" stands for "Russia" or "Russian."
The "VN" in "PSR-VN" stands for "VietNam" or "VietNamese."
The Portasound keyboards are/were also referred to as Portatone keyboards.
"YPT" stands for "Yamaha PortaTone."
The YPT models are equivalent to PSR-E models-- they generally share the same manuals-- e.g., the YPT-200 is equivalent to the PSR-E203.
A couple of the other Yamaha lines are as follows:
"DGX" apparently stands for "Digital Grand XG"-- although these models actually have an implementation of XGlite.
"YPG" stands for "Yamaha Portable Grand."
These are equivalent to each other-- they generally share the same manuals.
The DGX and YPG models differ from the PSR models in the number of keys-- the PSRs have 61 keys, whereas the DGX and YPG models have 76 or 88 keys.
The DGX and YPG models also differ from Yamaha's digital pianos-- their voices aren't as high-quality, but they have a lot more voices than the digital pianos.
The Tyros is essentially the ultimate or deluxe version of a PSR-S, as evidenced by their prices, number of voices, features, and capabilities.
The name "Tyros" may or may not be related to "tyrant," which is from the Greek "tyrannos," meaning "lord, master, sovereign, absolute ruler."
In any case, the name seems to imply that the Tyros is Yamaha's "most powerful" workstation keyboard.
Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
I did not expect such an informed and comprehensive reply. That all make sense to me now. I had no idea about any of it. I really appreciate your effort seagtgruff. Thanks indeed.
I recently just upgraded from a psr 295 to psr s650. Looks like i made the right choice. I an just a part time self motivated back room nutter who plays to himself. The tyros are probably more suited for professional muso's. I know the digital pianos have weighted keys are more suited to pianists rather than keyboardist.
I love this forum
I recently just upgraded from a psr 295 to psr s650. Looks like i made the right choice. I an just a part time self motivated back room nutter who plays to himself. The tyros are probably more suited for professional muso's. I know the digital pianos have weighted keys are more suited to pianists rather than keyboardist.
I love this forum
A big thank you is in order Rayblewit for starting this thread. Thank you SeaGtGruff for such a nice detailed answer to the many combinations which Yamaha have established over the years.
I am a little late in reading the thread but I am a recent newbie and have many things to learn. Jim.
I am a little late in reading the thread but I am a recent newbie and have many things to learn. Jim.
Fred Coulter
Collector of ancient keyboards
Pianists are keyboardists. In the old days, keyboardists started as pianists.
(OK, not the real old days, when they started on organs because there were no other keyboards available. Or the middle old days when they started on clavichords.)
Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
Fred,
I am not sure that I agree with you. I personally know one or two "piano players" who loathe playing the keyboard because of the light keys for one thing and another thing the sustain pedal on the piano is bulky and heavy. Keyboards don't often have a sustain pedal and if they do it is flimsy and plastic. I am a keyboardist but never a pianist.
I am not sure that I agree with you. I personally know one or two "piano players" who loathe playing the keyboard because of the light keys for one thing and another thing the sustain pedal on the piano is bulky and heavy. Keyboards don't often have a sustain pedal and if they do it is flimsy and plastic. I am a keyboardist but never a pianist.
Fred Coulter
Collector of ancient keyboards
I have a much broader definition of keyboardist. Pianists are keyboardists. Organists are keyboardists. Synth players are keyboardists. Arranger players are keyboardists. Hurdy gurdy players are keyboardists. Accordion players are keyboardists. Clavichord players are keyboardists. Harpsichord players are keyboardists. (I'm sure I missed a few.)
If there's a musical keyboard and it makes music, then the person playing it is a keyboardist.
At least for me.
If there's a musical keyboard and it makes music, then the person playing it is a keyboardist.
At least for me.
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i like this definition.
Will anyone ever call them selves a fretboardist If they can play guitar, banjo and fretted instruments.
Fretboardist or Fretboarder.
Surfboardist or Surfboarder.
Decisions Decisions. giggle.
Surfboardist or Surfboarder.
Decisions Decisions. giggle.
Fred Coulter
Collector of ancient keyboards
Hey Ray, I get where you're coming from.
I'm not going to weigh into this debate which is essentially one of nomenclature, but there definitely is a big difference between playing a fully-weighted piano keyboard and a synth-action keyboard.
Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
Hey Fred,
Technically you are probably correct. A pianist is technically a keyboardist.
However, you are being pedantic here. I was originally speaking in practical terms.
Anyway, even so a pianist may well be a keyboardist. But a keyboardist is not necessarily a pianist!
I am a keyboardist and I can tell you frankly, I cannot play a piano!
Thanks CowboyNQ for your input. That is exactly my point.
Technically you are probably correct. A pianist is technically a keyboardist.
However, you are being pedantic here. I was originally speaking in practical terms.
Anyway, even so a pianist may well be a keyboardist. But a keyboardist is not necessarily a pianist!
I am a keyboardist and I can tell you frankly, I cannot play a piano!
Thanks CowboyNQ for your input. That is exactly my point.
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Just wait until someone asks whether or not a synthesizer is a keyboard instrument.
Won't that be fun! Get your "some are, some aren't" answer ready Michael. I'll gracefully bow out of any future silly debating at this point.Just wait until someone asks whether or not a synthesizer is a keyboard instrument.
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Well, my answer is that it is-- except when it isn't.