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If you’ve ever sat down at one of Yamaha’s newer arranger keyboards and thought, “That sounds brilliant… but I miss the softer strings from the older models” – then this is for you.
I’ve had quite a few customers over the years say the same thing.
The newer Yamaha string sounds – especially on models like the Yamaha PSR-SX900, Yamaha PSR-SX920, Yamaha PSR-SX720, Yamaha Genos and Yamaha Genos 2 – are incredibly realistic.
In truth, Yamaha have done a superb job. The strings are more detailed, more lifelike, and much closer to what a real orchestra sounds like.
But that realism can also mean they sound slightly sharper or more “edgy” than the smoother, silkier string sounds many of us grew used to on older Yamaha keyboards.
And that’s what got me experimenting.
On the modern Yamaha keyboards, a lot of people don’t realise there’s still a treasure trove of older sounds tucked away inside.
If you go into your voice settings and dig into the Legacy voices, you can still find some of those lovely older Yamaha string sounds – including the classic Allegro Strings that featured on earlier Tyros models.
They’ve got a softer edge to them.
A bit more warmth.
A little more of that familiar “fuzzy” cushion that sits beautifully behind your playing.
So what I started doing was blending the best of both worlds.
I layered Yamaha’s newer Seattle Strings with some of the older Legacy voices, then adjusted octaves to spread the sound out more naturally.
One of the simplest but most effective tricks was dropping one of the layered string parts down by an octave.
It’s amazing what that does.
Suddenly, instead of everything sitting in the same register and fighting for space, the sound opens up.
It becomes fuller. Richer. More emotional.
That’s the sort of thing Yamaha gives you the tools to do – but sometimes you just need someone to point you in the right direction.
As a thank you to everyone who watches our videos and supports what we do, I’ve put together a free Smooth Strings Pack giveaway.
This includes 8 carefully created registration buttons for SX models, and 10 registrations for Genos models.
Each one has been designed to give you a warmer, more lush string sound straight away, without having to spend hours digging through menus.
Some are soft and cinematic.
Some are bigger and more orchestral.
Some use Yamaha’s excellent Free Play styles, which let you create a lovely backing atmosphere without needing to lock into a strict rhythm.
Others make use of Yamaha’s Harmony / Arpeggio features, so you can get huge sounding melodies just by playing single notes with your right hand.
The whole idea is to help you sit down and enjoy playing – and hopefully feel inspired.
Because that’s what these instruments should be about.
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These free Smooth Strings registrations are genuinely useful… but they are only a tiny glimpse of what’s possible.
In truth, they represent just a very small percentage of what’s included in our full Bonus Content Packs.
These packs are something we’ve spent years refining.
They’re designed to save you time, unlock hidden potential in your keyboard, and give you access to sounds, styles, setups and shortcuts that most owners never even discover.
If you enjoy what I’ve done with these string sounds, just imagine what the full package can do for your keyboard.
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If you’d like the free Smooth Strings registrations, just pop us an email to sales@epianos.co.uk and we’ll send them over to you!
And if downloading files feels like a hassle, we can even pop them onto a USB stick and post it out to you.
But if you’re serious about getting the very best from your Yamaha keyboard, I’d strongly recommend looking at the full Bonus Pack.
The free strings are lovely but they’re just scratching the surface.
If you’d like to know more, or you’d like us to help you choose the right pack for your keyboard, give us a ring on 01295 266788 – we’re always happy to help.
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