Hello:

One thing about a fuller question like this: I would post things like this in the forum because everyone can see it and it may benefit others to see a response.

So, to answer your question, no: The XS cannot automatically switch to legato like the T2 in real time and no, it won't switch to different elements when playing different articulations--those are velocity or AF/FS controlled things. These are one of the differences between the instruments.

Now, personally I don't like voices switching between monophonic and polyphonic while playing--It always seems to behave exactly the way I don't want it to, and it is one reason why I'm not a very good Tyros 2 performer like some of the guys from Europe, who are amazing, or Mark Anderson, the Marketing Manager for PSR and Arranger Workstations at Yamaha US (who does and unforgettable rendition of "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire).

There is a vibe to the T2 and a vibe to the XS; One is designed for doing the live, killing one man band thing with great styles of music (T2) the other is really designed for music production/creation, sequencing, ensemble and solo playing (XS). For example, the XS performance record feature is something that the Tyros really doesn't do: You can record a performance with chord recognition and completely edit the parts that you don't want. T2 isn't really set up for that. Again, the concept behind both instruments is different.

With regard to your initial question, I certainly don't want to come off saying that automatic mono-to-poly playing isn't a cool feature; it just isn't my cup of tea. You CAN do that with the AF1/2 buttons on the XS, which to me is nicer simply because I sometimes feel out of control the other way. Again, subjective opinion here. I think it is just a difference in what feels comfortable as a player. Kind of like the difference between playing piano and playing B3 (and I'm not a great B3 player, either, but I certainly love guys who do it).

Blake Angelos
Product Specialist
Music Production
Yamaha Corporation of America