Yamaha Tyros 2: Installing a Hard Disk Drive

To cite the Yamaha Tyros 2 User Manual: "By installing an optional hard disk drive to the Tyros 2, you can vastly expand the data storage capacity — letting you use the hard disk recording function to create l large library of your important data."

I found the prospect of using a normal standard computer hard disk drive (HDD) in the Yamaha Tyros 2 very refreshing. It simplifies things tremendously; imagine you have to order a HDD at your music store as original part, wait for it to arrive for ages, pay a premium price, what is a commodity (and therefore cheap) in the personal computer space.

I had a spare new notebook HDD fitting the basic specifications to be suitable for the Tyros 2:

• 2.5 inch
• 10 GB (less than the 137 GB maximum supported)
• IDE-compatible
• HDD thickness 9.5 mm, less than the 12.7 mm max.
• ATA-5 (Enhanced) IDE Interface with Ultra-DMA 66

I have listed the Specifications of the HDD I have installed at the end of this article. The List of Compatible HDDs can be found on its own page together with additional information about maximum HDD size, etc.

HDD Installation to the Yamaha Tyros 2

The user manual covers the basic steps on page 221–222. My description is based on my own successful installation of the HDD, and I may added the odd information you may find useful. The installation is a straight forward, 8-step process for someone who has installed add-on components in a personal computer. In case technical stuff is not your forte, I suggest enlisting the help of someone who has some technical knowledge.

This installation guide works under the assumption that you want to install a new (hence, unpartitioned) HDD, that has not been used before, be it in another (compatible) keyboard or personal computer.

Quick Installation

The following is the quick installation description for the experienced. (See detailed description further below.)

1. Remove cross-head (No. 2) screws from the metal cover next to the front rubber foot on the bottom of the keyboard.
2. Remove the single screw from the HDD cradle and remove the cradle.
3. Attach the HDD to the underside of the cradle, with the HDD' ATA pins facing the side with the "single screw hole" (see step 2.) Do not completely tighten the screws yet; leave 'em half a turn loose.
4. Put the cradle back into its spot, and slide the cradle (with the HDD) towards the single screw, making sure the 40-pin ATA interface connector fits correctly into its counterpart.
5. Now tighten the four HDD screws and secure the cradle with the single screw and close the cover with its four screws.
6. Reconnect the keyboard and check, whether the HDD is visible to the system.

Detailed Installation Steps

Please read the safety instructions (warning and caution) in your Yamaha Owner's Manual on pages 221 and 222.

Make sure you have a HDD, a crosshead screw driver number 2 and the four HDD screws supplied with your keyboard (mine came with the manual pack).

Step 1: Preparation

The HDD bay is located at the underside of the keyboard. Therefore it is best to disconnect the keyboard from power and any other devices; turn it upside down on a soft, non-scratching surface, such as a couch or bed.

Step 2: Removing the HDD Cover

There are only two user-accessible bays / covers on the underside of the Yamaha Tyros 2. One is for the memory expansion, the other for the HDD. Locate the HDD bay on the underside of the keyboard, near a robber foot in one of the corners. See image to the right.

Remove the four screws and place these next to the keyboard. If you place the screws on the keyboard, rest assured they will fall into a spot where they hardly or never come out again. This could result in permanent electrical damage to your keyboard.

Feel the air slits. Notice the smooth edges. This is the top side. Remove the cover. There is a notch on the small side facing front of the keyboard allowing lifting the cover with a fingernail or flathead screw driver.

Step 3: Removing the HDD cradle

The black-coated, metal HDD cradle (see image) is secured with one screw. Remove this screw, and place it next to the keyboard. It has the same measurements like the four cover screws. As such it does not matter how you reapply the screws later on.

Notice the groove in the plastic mould of the HDD bay? You will later — upon assembly — set the cradle onto the bay close to the rubber foot, and slide the cradle with HDD towards the connector; But not now.

Take note of how the cradle sits in the bay. Remove the cradle by lifting it from the bay.

Step 4: Preliminary Mounting of the HDD to the cradle

Attach the HDD to the cradle as shown in the image — see how far the golden pins stick out over the cradle edge; this will determine where to put the screws in; only one set of four holes will lign up — by using the four screw supplied with the keyboard. Do not entirely tighten the four screws yet. Slightly tighten the screws and then loosen the screws by half a turn anti-clockwise. Why is that? The holes are a bit bigger than the screws, allowing the position of the HDD to be slightly adjusted to go effortless or rather without tension into the connector. More in the next step.

The HDD has usually a shiny, silvery side, which is the top side of the HDD. The underside of the HDD, features a green circuit board, as well as four or eight threaded holes for the screws to go into.

To put in words: the HDD is hanging upside down from the cradle's underside (in the position you have removed it in step 3. Once the keyboard is put back together the HDD is "sitting" the right way around in the keyboard (shiny, top side up).

Step 5: Returning the cradle and Tightening the HDD Screws

Have a look at the photo for a moment. See how the cradle is aligned, away from the connector side? The connector side is the side of the HDD with the golden pins sticking out (top end of photo).
Put the cradle with the attached HDD, upside down back into the bay, and away from the connector.

The cradle should now sit loose in the HDD bay (the plastic mould as part of the keyboard underside). Please note that four pins to the right of the connector (the image shows two, with two more in their shadow) will not go into the connector. In fact there is no connector opposite the pins. This is correct. These four pins are not being used.

Now slide the cradle towards the connector, making sure the pins find the corresponding holes in the connector. There is now a space between the cradle and the mould (on the small side of the bay where the rubber foot is) where you can get your finger in and press the cradle towards the connector. The pins disappear into the connector and cannot be seen anymore when the connection has been properly established.

Now affix the single screw that is holding the cradle in its place. Then tighten the four screws you left loose in the previous step. The HDD now sits snugly in its spot.

Step 6: Refit the HDD Cover

Place the cover — with its smooth side facing out — on the HDD bay. Reapply the four screws you put asside in step 2.

Step 7: Reconnect the Tyros and Test the HDD

Return the Yamaha Tyros 2 to its inherent location and reconnect the cables unplugged in step 1.

Step 8: Formatting the HDD

In order for the HDD to be usable in the Tyros 2, the HDD needs to be "made ready" (formatted). Switch on the Tyros 2. After it has come to life, press the Function button, then select the Utility display and select the Media tab.

In the top left part of the media display is the device list. It should now have at least one entry named "HDD1". Please note: the name could be different, e.g. HDD2 in case other HDDs are connected ot the Tyros 2. You could have an external USB HDD connected. Make sure — in case of multiple HDDs being present — to identify the correct HDD, before you proceed with the next step in this process to prevent formatting the wrong HDD.

If this is your first HDD, HDD1 in the device list is the one you have just installed.

Select "FORMAT" on the right of the display. And confirm the "Are you sure, all data will be deleted" message with YES.

You are now set-up to use your new HDD.

Feedback

Feel free to send me your feedback about how this description did work for you. Was it explained properly? Would you have liked to learn a bit more? Was information missing? Etc.

My HDD Specifications

IBM Travel Star 10 GB 2.5′ HDD; weight: 99 g

Technical Information

• 2.5-inch, 9.5-mm height MCC compliance
• 10,056 MB formatted capacity
• 512 bytes/sector
• No-ID recording format
• PRML data channel
• Enhanced ECC On The Fly
• Advanced GMR heads
• Load/unload head technology
• Enhanced IDE Interface with Ultra-DMA 66

Performance Specifications

• Interface: ATA-5 (enhanced IDE)
• Formatted capacity: 10 GB
• Rotational speed: 4200 rpm
• Number of disks/drive: 1
• Number of heads: 2
• Interface transfer rate: 66.6 MB/sec
• Data transfer rates: (buffer to/from media) 109 Mbits/sec; 203 Mbits/sec
• Average read seek time: 12 ms
• Average write seek time: 13 ms
• Latency (average): 5.5 ms

I wrote this article — wrapped in total excitement — 1 day after I purchased the Yamaha Tyros 2. It was only later that I realised someone else has done this way before me. Have a look at the  article William H. Grosse wrote on the  PSR Tutorial website.

Visitor's Comments

Entries are shown in the order of latest first.