Yamaha Genos2

Yamaha Genos2 is here and it is amazing. A serious step up from the Genos1 - Here are the main features - Check out our staff review for our honest opinion

• FSX keyboard, with 76 keys incl. touch response and improved aftertouch
• A total of 1,990 Voices and 75 Drum/SFX Kits
• Additional FM tone generator
• 384-note max. polyphony (128 for Preset AWM Voices + 128 for Expansion AWM Voices + 128 for FM Voices)
• In all, 800 Styles (720 Pro, 69 Session, 11 Free Play)
• New Ambient Drums
• New Style Dynamics Control
• New 9 inch (800 x 480 dots) TFT Color Wide VGA touch screen LCD - anti-reflecton and twice bright as Genos
• VA Sub-LCD (LIVE CONTROL View) with Light/Dark Mode
• LED indicators have been implemented to Control Knobs and Slider
• Assignable: Joystick, 6 knobs with LED, 9 slider with LED, 9 buttons
• Enhanced Effect Power: REVelation Reverb from Steinberg, Insertion Effect Bypass in Drum Setup, New Multiband Comp to Insertion Effect
• 4 EQ types for external speakers (HS7, HS8,STAGEPAS 600, STAGEPAS 1k mkII)
• Chord looper function
• Bluetooth audio
• USB Audio Interface
• HDMI Output

Standard Yamaha Warranty is 2 years which is pretty good. However Genos2 will be covered by an additional 3 years giving a total of 5 years warranty. You must remember to register within 6 months to qualify.

Yamaha Genos2 introduces REVelation Reverb

In Arranger Workstations, reverb is used on Voices, Styles, MIDI Songs, Multi-Pads and the Mic Input, which is why introducing REVelation Reverb from Steinberg has such a big impact on the sound of Genos2. REVelation is extremely high resolution, resulting in a transparent, natural sound.

Yamaha Genos2 has more than 1900 voices and 800 styles

With over 1900 of the highest quality voices and 800 Styles with One Touch Settings covering a vast array of musical genres, you will immediately be inspired to play your favourite songs or even create new musical ideas and compositions. Over 200 Styles are brand new images, with all existing Styles being fully upgraded to use new voices and effects.

Style Dynamic Control

This feature has been around for years and years. Yamaha have made it more accessable with better programming.

For the first time in an Arranger Workstation the energy and dynamics of all Styles, including User Styles, can be adjusted using a simple Live controller. Whether you want your backing band to play at a soft pianissimo level, a hard fortissimo level or anything in between, the choice is now yours.

Yamaha Genos2 now has Ambient Drums

Drums are the backbone of any rhythm section. With the new Ambient Drums and using a single Live controller, you can choose anything between a punchy, dry, direct drum sound to a more distant, reflective, ambient room sound, providing endless possibilities for your Style playback.

Yamaha have incorporated a dedicated FM synthesis tone generator into Genos2

Genos2 features a dual engine tone generator with, not only AWM technology, but now also FM synthesis. FM has a rich, dynamic sound and powered Yamaha's legendary DX7, an instrument which defined the sound of the 1980s.

Yamaha have improved the controllers on Genos2

This actually quite a big improvement. The knobs and sliders are a convenient way to control many aspects of your performance. Genos2's updated Live Control surface now has LEDs to indicate, at a glance, the position of controls, which now also include a 'catch' function, reducing the risk of unintended operation during performance

More on Genos2 voices

With over 1900 of the highest quality voices and 800 Styles with One Touch Settings covering a vast array of musical genres, you will immediately be inspired to play your favourite songs or even create new musical ideas and compositions. Over 200 Styles are brand new, with all existing Styles being fully upgraded to use new voices and effects, including FM tone generation and the ability to use Ambient Drums and Style Dynamics control. The result is a highend professional production.

and the Genos2 pianos

One of the most important sounds for any keyboard player is the Piano, so Yamaha have not only added new Pianos, but also reprocessed existing Pianos to a much higher quality. The CFX, being Yamaha's flagship grand piano, now has more dynamic layers, 88 keys sampling and double length samples compared to its predecessor. In addition, you can choose from a Character Grand, which is a German 1980s well played-in piano, giving a more edgy yet rounded sound, perfect for Pop and Jazz music. The U1 Upright being Yamaha's top end Upright piano has been tuned to provide a contemporary flavour for modern Pop songs. If it's a more cinematic sound you're looking for, you can try the rich melancholy sound of the new Felt Piano.

Super Articulation 2

SA2 voices remain cutting edge in terms of their playability and realism, providing articulations and legato joins unparalleled in any hardware keyboard instrument. There are even more to choose from in Genos2, covering not only the full orchestral palette but also more ethnic flavours such as Duduk, Shakuhachi and Celtic Flute perfect for Movie scores.

Improvements to Playlist

Genos2 has a Brighter Better Touch Screen than Genos1

The angle of the screen is greater and the brightness has been increased. The Genos2 touchscreen also employs anti glare technology. There is an option to change between light and dark modes. These 4 factors mean you'll be able to see the information on the screen easily in almost all enviroments.

Vocal Harmony

You can easily apply various Vocal Harmony presets to your voice which can enhance your singing experience by adding several harmony parts and effects. Whether you want to sing as a standard duet, jazzy quartet or a big choir, the choice is yours. In addition, you can be creative with the Synth Vocoder wherby you can manipulate synthesized sounds just by singing into the mic. The mic will pick up the characteristics from you voice, such as the formation of vowels, and feed that information to the Synth Vocoder shaping the synth voices. Vocal Harmony gives the performer a wide range of vocal expression and possibilities which can be enjoyed at home or on stage

Chord Looper

The new panel buttons provide quick access to recording and playing back chord sequences in realtime. Whether you wish to free up your left hand to play full piano, build up sections of a song or pratice a difficult piece of music, the Chord Looper enables you to store up to 8 chord sequences in each bank for easy access during your performance. You can create an unlimited number of banks with your own chord progressions, or choose from a range of built-in presets.

Bluetooth Audio

With your Bluetooth device connected wirelessly to Genos2, you enjoy to play along with your favourite songs or even record everything you hear, using the onboard audio recorder.

Midi song to style

The magic begins by dragging and dropping your MIDI file into the application. In Easy mode, the conversion to a Style is automatic. Simply save the result and play the Style on your Arranger Workstation. In Edit mode you can personalise how your Style is created. For example, choose which tracks from the MIDI file should be used in your Style. Specify which regions of the MIDI file are used to make each of the style sections, or even revoice and remix to craft your perfect Style.

HDMI Port

Connect a screen to your Genos2 and have all the information big. You can mirror the main screen or use it for score or lyrics

USB Audio Interface

Great for sharing your performance with your friends or for high quality music production: The new USB Audio Interface allows for studioquality audio to be recorded using any DAW or the Rec'n'Share app with just a single USB cable. If you want to take a video of your performance and share it on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, Rec'n'Share is the way to go. Connect the Genos2 to your smart device, and record both video and audio at the same time to complete your video.