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**Guest** · 05-19-2008, 04:13 AM

Re: Yamaha hs7. El25 or kawai sr3?

I had an EL25 and now got an EL50 and HS-8. The HS7 is better then the EL25, but if you can find an HS8 go for that. It is better then the HS7. The HS8 has touch and aftertouch on all keyboards and pedals also. If you go to You Tube and type in electone hs8 you will see some great videos.

There is only one problem with the HS and upper EL series is for the beginner they can be harder to get great sounds from, but in the right hands can preform very well. The HS-8 would be one of the better and most programmable organs they made, but will really need an MDR disk recorder to make use of them. I would also think the kawai would be the same.



I know Andy would be the one to ask about the Kawai but there does seem quite a few here are not keen on Yamaha but the Electone has a hugh following, just go to YouTube and look at the EL group there.

IIf you want to hear different organs visit you tube, you may even find Kawai demos or people playing them. 



It would really boil down to what tones etc you prefer. If you ever get the chance try then out. But since these are older models don't expect them to sound as good as a modern EL. I do find the lower EL series very limited on the voices etc compared to the HS series. The HS8 was the top model and used by many in concerts and music exams till the EL90 and later Electones replaced the HS8. The HS8, in the right hands can sound still even today impressive.

There is an HS users group 

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/hsowners/

The big advantage of the electone is it has a hugh following and parts are still availiable

**andyg** · 05-19-2008, 05:42 AM

Re: Yamaha hs7. El25 or kawai sr3?

The Electone has a big following for sure, you don't get to #1 without selling a lot of product! That alone ensures the user base, user groups etc and yes, the HS series has a lot of fans. Alas, I'm not one. I have two problems with the HS series. 

1) It uses, for the most part, FM tone generation. That type of generation is known to beOK for some sounds and not for others, and to be really effective it needs to be the 'full-on' version with as many 'operators' as possible, like the DX series synths that spawned the technology in the first place. Most of the smaller HS series don't have many operators and I don't find some of the voices that good.If you have the time and the expertise to reprogramme the HS voices, that's a different matter, but it's beyond all bar the experts. One of the reasons that the HS8 outdoes the smaller models is that it has more operators for its FM sounds and has a few AWM (sampled) sounds as well.

2) I don't like the way that the organ sounds took such a back seat in the HS, HX and US1. I dislike having 'Organ 1', 'Organ 2' and so on instead of individual pitches. A lot of people felt the same way, hence their re-appearance on the EL range. Kawai were, at one point, thinking about doing the same thing and I was one of the ones speaking up very strongly against the idea. We kept individual flutes.

Having said that, and they are purely personal opinions, there's no doubt that the HS organs are very flexible and offered a lot for the money! The EL series was better voiced, easier to use and had more in the way of real organ sounds, especially when you got to organs like the EL70/90. In the UK we also got the AR series, much more again in the way of organ and a more traditional appearance. That EL25 is rather lower in the range than an HS7, by the way. You'd have to compare the HS7 with the EL70 and the HS8 with the EL90.

You know, I wonder if we aren't going about this the wrong way. You mentioned in your other postthat the girls are learning some classical music, folk songs etc. Do you mean classical organ, in which surely you'd be better off trying to find a console model, even if it's a bit older or not quite as popular. You'll know that organs are selling for very little these days or being given away. It's dependent on where you are but there are bargains to be found. There was a full console 3-manual Kawai SR7 on eBay a few days ago for $750, and over here in the UK we've seen organs like the SR6 sell for less than the equivalent of $100.

Yes, it's always nice to have an instrument that's like your teacher's, but it's not always possible. It's one reason why I teach people on their own instruments. Most of them have instruments rather bigger and better than mine. Maybe it's worth having a really good think about the exact type of music that's going to be played and the features that are 1) must have 2) ought to have this and 3) don't care because it's not going to be used.

Post back with some more details and let's see if we can't find the perfect match for your needs. It may be a Yamaha, maybe not. One thing I will be is honest with you, you can count on that!

Andy

**Guest** · 05-19-2008, 06:48 AM

Re: Yamaha hs7. El25 or kawai sr3?

Thanks all for sharing with me a bit of your knowledge
I'll clarify a few points.
Were I live the availability of organs is not like in UK or the US for that matter, neither the prices. (Asking price hs7 = 730$, hs8, somone asked me for 2300$!)
I have no idea if the sr5/6/7 were imported at all.
I'm trying to make a decision based on specs (and general quality) since I don't know enough to do otherwise (all my daughters seem to say is the voice quality and rhythms are not that good on our viscount)
As I like making decisions that differ from common perception. Also the hs7 (which seems like the better Yamaha) is slightly expensive. My question remains, reading the spec sheet of the hs7 and the kawai sr3, which has more voices? Which has more rhythms? And what about the subjective voice quality? And which would you get!
Hs7 manual = http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/emi/english/ele/HS8E.PDF
Sr3 manual = http://www.kawaius-tsd.com/OM/ORGANS/SR3SR4.pdf

**andyg** · 05-19-2008, 09:11 AM

Re: Yamaha hs7. El25 or kawai sr3?

You don't say what country you're in, so I don't know what $ you mean, so I can't comment on the prices, but 2300 anything for an HS8 seems high!

HS7 is a bigger organ than the SR3. It has longer manuals and more pedals, as well as having more voices, especially if you dive into the roller menu to see what sounds you can apply to the 'dotted' buttons.

As for voicing quality, that's really down to the individual ear but I will tell you that theSR3 organ flutes will beat those on the Yamaha hands down. We voiced them to be 'American' quality, and they are. Solo's on the SR3 are on a par with the HS, but maybe not the percussions. Therhythms one the SR3 are fewer and simpler, but sound better to my ears.

All things considered, I'd probably go for the HS7, as it's nearer to what your girls' teacher has and they obviously like that sound. Liking the soundwill matter, as you could have a bigger (and even better) organ, but if you personally didn't like the sound it made, you'd eventually hate it and have to change again.

Andy

**Guest** · 05-19-2008, 11:07 AM

Re: Yamaha hs7. El25 or kawai sr3?

Yes as andy said 2300 is far to high for an HS7. In New Zealand I got an HS8 for $600 NZ even with disk drive. Personally if you can you would be better off if you can get the HS8. It is quite a bit better then the HS7.

Trouble is many people still are trying to sell organs for a lot more then they are worth. Just don't rush it. Research the prices and if you have an idea as to how much you should pay can tell the person.



This is what I did for my HS8, so got it for $600. If you can and want an HS, then you would accually enjoy an HS8 more. I also have an EL50 which I still am keeping. The sounds are better of course, but the HS8 has a lot more voices and has more bang for your money, more layers of sound so sounds more impressive. So both have there advantages and disadvanages. I love the multi menu on the HS series. I find with my EL50 I have to press a lot more buttons to get what I want.

**Guest** · 05-19-2008, 11:24 PM

Re: Yamaha hs7. El25 or kawai sr3?

Thanks a lot, you guys are great help and a real international set!
Maybe I'll contact the seller of the hs7 again in a week and see about the price. In the meantime maybe something additional will come up
Btw, I was referring to USA $.

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Yamaha hs7. El25 or kawai sr3?

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