Yamaha EX5R

[jefzoneaol.com]

Hi there. Anyone familiar with the EX5R? I have the opportunity to buy a used one, but not sure of the worth. Seller says it's hard to learn to use.

I'm curious re: user feedback

[Max Ventura]

I am a dealer and I know it, although I've used it little. The whole series EX from Yamaha did not achieve what was in Yamaha's intentions. Theoretically, it can do A LOT of stuff, and it's got a lot of xcellent sounds plus professional sequencing, but is VERY difficult to use and does not help you in any way: it has NO realtime controls that you can use (the ones it has are as good as nothing), extremely crowded screens and functions, extremely cryptic menus and messy internal architecture. That said, it remains that if the price is really good, it's still a very powerful and great sounding synth/workstation to buy.

[Dave Bryce]

I have an EX5R. I like it a lot, actually; however, I am not using very many of the bells and whistles in it. Basically, I just use it as a synthesizer module, because I really like a lot of the sounds in the thing. The interface is not the easiest nor the most intuitive thing with which I've ever dealt, but it ain't the most cryptic, either. It's basically just another Yamaha menu-driven UI - I haven't had to use the manual very much at all to navigate around the programming architecture.

 

I must say, though, that the combination of different synth technologies in the instrument gives it a broad, unique and sonically interesting palette of sounds from which to choose (man, do I sound like a marketing guy or what? http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif ). I really do find it to be a nice complement to the other synths in my studio.

 

I have definitely avoided the sample play feature, though...got my Kurz for that. Plus, I haven't used onboard sequencers in anything for years, so I can't really tell you anything about that, either.

 

If the price is right, I'd say go for it.

 

dB

[Max Ventura]

Dave, at this point you could have got the Yamaha CS6-R instead, which has all the sounds and features the EX5-R has minus the sequencer (and a smaller sampler); and it's a LOT easier to use and more modern in architecture. You have to expand it with a couple of sound engine cards, though, to get the same power of the EX5, although you can choose what synth engines you wanna put in (Virtual Analog, FM/DX-7, Piano module, XG module, Vocoding module, et al.).

[Dave Bryce]

Originally posted by argomax:

Dave, at this point you could have got the Yamaha CS6-R instead, which has all the sounds and features the EX5-R has minus the sequencer (and a smaller sampler)

 

No doubt; however,I didn't just get the EX5R - I've had it since right after they came out, which was way before the CS6R. Plus, I got the EX5R for what can only be classified as a screaming deal, so I don't feel so bad. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

dB

[jefzoneaol.com]

Thanks for the reply's. The manual appears to be from 1992..Could it be that old? What is the unit worth today? Can anybody tell me what it cost new?

[murph]

I'm in agreement with everyone else; the EX5 and EX5R had awesome sounds... what you can do with the modeled wind instruments with a breath controller was amazing! Some of the best and most natural sounding out there! Don't try to use the sequece or sampling capabilities... you may hurt yourself, and Yamaha doesn't claim any liability. If you get it at a comfortable price, you'll love it!

[KnightShow]

the EX series keyboards have some awesome sounds, if you know how to tweak the machine. of course, these aren't sounds you can't get from another instrument and/or sampler. in my opinion, the price is too high for this instrument.

[Guest]

Originally posted by KnightShow:

the EX series keyboards have some awesome sounds, if you know how to tweak the machine. of course, these aren't sounds you can't get from another instrument and/or sampler. in my opinion, the price is too high for this instrument.

 

I do disagree with this a bit. I played with the EX5 when it was out and really dug its modeled brass sounds. I had a bit of trouble finding them and found that the knobs didn't control the most useful parameters, but I thought the modeled trumpet sounded better than that on the Z1. However the Z1 (Korg) is much easier to use, and they're selling them rather cheap nowadays.. I have not played a VL-70 so I can't compare it to that, but those are basically the only 3 things you can compare its modeling sounds to, not just several other sounds from other modules on the market.

 

To clarify, though: what's most annoying about the EX's OS is the way it allocates DSP. It's difficult to understand how many voice blocks or effect blocks you can use at one time, you have to refer to a complicated algorithm list. I agree that the CS6R is probably a better choice, due to improved user interface and implementation, although I haven't heard the CS to know how good it sounds.