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Good for you. I totally support you in your efforts. I post my complaint about the lack of four-channel access from time to time in the hope that someone from Yamaha might read it and think it's a good idea. I don't see why they would want to limit the applicability of what otherwise seems to be a fine instrument. With the continued development of good software pianos, why buy a digital piano, even a good one like the AG, that does not allow for the exploitation of that technology.

The right way would be to have 4 AUX INs that get routed to the 4 channels, and maybe a mono switch to mix any of these AUX INs into all channels, in case the source is only stereo or mono.

Does this mean I'll be forced to buy four channel headphones?

And perhaps more importantly, four AUX OUTs, for recording purposes. Right now recording from the stereo OUTs produces disappointing results.

I haven't yet recorded using the L and R outs, but I assume I would hear the same information that gets sent to my headphones ...? What I hear in the headphones sounds excellent.

That's such a bummer.
I hope Yamaha fixes this in their next Avant Grand model.
It's like you had to re-adjust the seat every time you sit in your car.

They do have a couple of settings that are saved on the power cycle. But most of the rest are not. So it's not like they can't do it. It's almost like they chose not to do it. Why? I would like to know for the love of god!

I strongly recommend that you chaps write to Yamaha and ask them to add the settings saving to a future software update. As you say, some of the settings are saved, so I'm pretty sure it would be possible to save the others too.

Cheers,
James
x

They do have a couple of settings that are saved on the power cycle.

What settings are saved on the power cycle?




This added - the following settings are saved:

metronome volume
fine tuning of the pitch
character code
user song recorded to the instrument

Dave, the ones I know about are the metronome volume and the pitch. So you know more than me here.

Kawai James,

I took up on your suggestion and wrote to Yamaha, but I'm not holding my breath waiting to hear back from them. But it is a good suggestion so I did it just now.

I couldn't find my owner's manual and merely copied that information from Yamaha's online manual.

I also wouldn't hold my breath.

When I was three and wanted more cookies holding my breath didn't work either.

PS amazing how computers change the meaning of things!

One last question...
Are the N3 and N2 models the same in sound, that is to say only different externally?
(I have an apartment, so not much space and would have to go with the N2 when it becomes available here.)
Thanks!

As far as I know they both have the same exact set of sounds and basically the same sound system. You can read the slight differences at the web site. (See my signature.)

If you have a cat beware that the speakers have a cloth type covering. Cats seem to like that kind of stuff.

Thanks for the tip. I have a bird, and he loves that kind of stuff too, so I will pay attention.

If this is referring to the N2 then no comment because I've never seen an N2 in person. But if this is referring to the N3, then that's very interesting because my N3 has a hard cover on all speakers, not cloth.

While the N3 and N2 sound system are fairly close in terms of # of speakers and wattage, the layout of the speakers are very different, of course. But I think the N2 is a little bit better value for the money, just because the price difference is big enough but the N2 still has enough cool stuff on it to give it a better bang for the bucks.

I would mostly use it with headphones, which would put the N3 and N2 on the same level in terms of sound output.
The next issue once the AvantGrand becomes available here will also be to find really good headphones of course...
I should probably also keep my current DP because it has sounds like the organ that the N2 apparently doesn't have at the moment...

The cloth covering is just on the N2.

I would wait until the second generation of AvantGrand. It is still in the category of bleeding edge technology versus leading edge technology in terms of pricing and features/price value equation. In the next generation hopefully many of today's issues will be addressed such as ability to permanently save presets/prefs, contemporary sound engine with more of a modeling or natural decay approach, better sound with headphones, better connectivity, more voices, less sacrifice between playing experience of N2 vs N3, etc (and of course, hopefully a lower price).

One comment regarding playing with headphones and playing without headphones ...

It is easier to play the piano with headphones; there's a direct connection with the sound. When you play without the headphones I find it more difficult to play with the same ease. I find I have to work harder to achieve the same sound.

I know it's the same exact action and nothing has changed, but it is easier to play with headphones.

This is the same phenomena that happens with you change the patch on a keyboard and all of a sudden the keyboard responds differently. It is interesting when that happens and I have to sometimes remind myself that I'm playing the same exact keyboard and nothing in fact has changed.