Showing posts with label yamaha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yamaha. Show all posts

Casio 61-Key Portable Keyboard with Stand - Black (CTK720STAD) Review

Casio 61-Key Portable Keyboard with Stand - Black (CTK720STAD)Now, it's been ages since I have had a keybaord or piano around the house. I wanted to get myself back into the swing of things again so I thought I would low-ball it on the price and just get something to get the creative juices flowing again. Well, you get what you paid for.

The CTK-720 arrived today perfectly fine (sans a few nasty dings in the box, the unit was unscathed). I set it up, hooked it up to my own speaker system to make sure it would have the chance to produce a nice clean sound. Boy, not even my speakers could help it.

Beyond the fact that this is definitely a "Beginners" keyboard in the way that just about any instrument other than "piano" sounds like a midi file circa 1980s there is an odd issue. As a 5-octave keyboard you would want to be able to move around, but there's something odd in the mid octaves on the CTK-720.

Bear in mind, before this I had owned Korgs and Rolands, 88 weighted piano key styles. So I may be a bit spoiled. But for the first time in my life I have heard an electronic keyboard that actually needs to be tuned. The mid-range octaves on the CTK-270 produce a warble when the key is first pressed. Much like a piano that has the cord ever so slightly out of tune.

Unfortunately, my tuning key does little to help me with am electronic keyboard. It's a shame, if it weren't for the dodgy "tones" and the mysterious out-of-tune mid-range keys it would have been a nice keyboard to start out on all over again.

I will give it two stars just because it's still functional. I may just be a bit too discerning at this point.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio 61-Key Portable Keyboard with Stand - Black (CTK720STAD)

Product Description:
Portable, MIDI Interface, Volume Control Slider. It has 61 keys and has 242 tones with a 100 demo songs

Buy cheap Casio 61-Key Portable Keyboard with Stand - Black (CTK720STAD) now

Yamaha YPT210 61 Key Personal Keyboard (Dent & Scratch) Review

Yamaha YPT210 61 Key Personal KeyboardUntill few weeks back I was an absolute 'monkey with a piano', I decided to take some lessons and my teacher recommended me a Yamaha with a metronome. I grabbed this one from a local Circuit City and I've been quite pleased with it since then.

Pros:
- Nicely priced
- Keys feel good when pressed (doesn't feel like cheap plastic)
- Built in metronome (you need it if you are new to piano/keyboard)
- Decent display that can display the musical notations as you play along
- Great learning features with lots of inbuilt songs (keys are displayed on the screen as you play along - works at your speed and can be split into either right or left hand or both - nice way to learn)
- Around 370 built in voices
- 61 keys (enough to start practicing with)
- DVD included which tells about basics of this piano (features of this piano NOT how to play)
- Light weight if you want to carry it around
- Input for sustain pedal (need to buy it separately)
--Overall nicely designed with other features)

Cons:
- Doesn't sound like piano but then I'm just learning
- You cannot control loudness/softness, I mean in a piano if you strike a key softly the sound produced will be different from when you strike the same key hard (loud), in this Yamaha there is no such distinction, sound produced is always the same irrespective of the way key is pressed (this should not matter much to a beginners)
- Power adapter not included, you need to buy it separately
- Notes(music) for inbuilt songs are not included, it would have been very nice if you can have them - makes practicing easier.

Overall, this is a nice keyboard for beginners but as you practice along and you are serious about learning you will outlive its usability and may need to upgrade to higher model or a piano :-).... but if are a beginner like me look no further.

Also, if you are serious about learning piano try this book:
'Alfred Basic Adult Piano Course Level 1" with CD.....great book for beginners.. good luck

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha YPT210 61 Key Personal Keyboard (Dent & Scratch)

Product Description:
The YPT-210 features 375 natural sounding voices, including Stereo Grand Piano, 361 XGlite voices, 12 drum kits and a sound effect kit. The YPT-210 also has 100 accompaniment styles and 102 built-in songs. Use the Portable Grand button to instantly call up an authentic stereo grand piano sound. The instrument also has a rich Reverb effect that adds concert-hall ambience to any performance. The Yamaha Education Suite (YES) feature makes learning and practicing music more fun than ever before. Some keyboards have two speakers but aren't stereo. Don't be fooled. Just because a keyboard has two speakers doesn't mean that it's truly stereo with two separate amplifiers. All Yamaha Portable Keyboards feature stereo-sampling technology. It has 32 notes of polyphony and will play back 16 different parts or sounds at once (16-part multi timbrel); enough for the most demanding needs. The music pathway to your computer and the Internet is MIDI. It's the way that keyboards communicate with computers. And because the YPT-210 is both General MIDI (GM) and XGlite compatible, you have access to thousands of MIDI song files on the Internet. It's the way to begin and play a musical instrument and a grand way to learn piano without occupying lots of space. Jack for optional Sustain pedal Auto Accompaniment features MIDI in/out Jack for optional headphone Dimensions - Width 37-1/4 x Depth 13-2/3 x Height 4-1/3 (945mm x 348mm x 110mm) Weight - 9 pounds, 11 ounces

Buy cheap Yamaha YPT210 61 Key Personal Keyboard (Dent & Scratch) now Get 16% OFF

Yamaha PA150 Portable Keyboard Power Adapter Review

Yamaha PA150 Portable Keyboard Power AdapterWe lost our adapter for my dx505 keyboard. Bought this as a replacement. Works great! And, it is small than the original!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha PA150 Portable Keyboard Power Adapter

Product Description:
Don't gamble with your musical instrument. Use only a genuine Yamaha power adapter. The PA150 adapter replaces the PA5D and is environmentally friendly by reducing the power when the musical instrument is turned off; saving you money! Plug it in and play your instrument without having to worry how long the batteries will last. The PA150 is designed to eliminate your constant need for fresh batteries by using efficient AC operation.

Buy cheap Yamaha PA150 Portable Keyboard Power Adapter now Get 37% OFF

88-KEY Portable Educational Keyboard Review

88-KEY Portable Educational KeyboardGreat value, and a marked improvement over the old 500 and 505 models.The speakers produce a richer sound tone, and the display window is much clearer and easier to read.Additional features over the 505 include one-touch "auto-accompaniment", where you can try different background rhythms to your recorded notes (jazz, rock, salsa, etc) at a single touch of a button.There are a few more voices to choose from, and the "sweet" sounds are more realistic than on the old models.The unit looks better as a whole, being a sleek silver instead of a dull plastic beige.Also, the controls are a lot more "touch friendly", especially the selection "spin wheel" that lets you choose features much faster than the older models did.

Connectivity is much simpler than on the 500, requiring only a simple USB cord instead of a special MIDI cord.

The one downside of this keyboard is that a USB drive is the only portable media compatible with this unit, and unfortunately they place the plug-in port in the back, which make it somewhat difficult to reach over and plug the drive in while you're trying to play and select.Because of this, I take away a star, and hope that in their next model, Yamaha will put the USB port somewhere in FRONT where it's easy to reach and plug the drive.

I actually recommend this unit over the DGX 620 (Yamaha's highest available model at the time of this review).All features are exactly the same on the two models, except the keys in the 620 are weighted to as close to a real piano as you'll get.Yamaha calls them 'Graded Hammer Standard' keys.

The 520 does not have the GHS keys, but the trade-off (besides a considerably lower cost than the 620) is a lot of weight...the 620 unit as a whole weighs 19 lbs more than the 520 unit.So if you're a traveling musician like me and have to load and unload your keyboard all the time carrying your instrument to your gigs, you're actually much better off with the 520.Get the 620 only if you want a more realistic feel and don't want to move the keyboard a lot.

Overall, an excellent instrument...and if you have any of the older models, I highly recommend an upgrade!

Click Here to see more reviews about: 88-KEY Portable Educational Keyboard

Product Description:
Learning to play piano is easier. Say yes to this DGX520. Yamaha DGX520 is the portable grand that the family can explore music on and grow with. This 88-key lightly weighted action product includes state of the art enhancements like USB MIDI for computer connectivity, USB TO DEVICE for connecting USB storage devices, and an amazing educational suite that will get you up and playing immediately. Performance assistant technology is a feature from Yamaha that guarantees that you can't play a wrong melody note or chord. Select a song, press the Performance Assistant button Chord Mode and play the keyboard - any notes you like. Every note you play will fit the music! If you move up the keyboard, the pitch goes up. If you move down, the pitch goes down. Play a perfect arpeggio, or play chords in time with the music, or really "go for it" and play a solo. As long as performance assistant is "on", you're "on".
The DGX520 has 30 built-in songs, plus 70 more on an included CD-ROM, for you to learn to play using the Yamaha Education Suite. The songs are separated into left and right hand parts, providing 7 levels of lessons plus a convenient chord dictionary.
You can change the "feel", or arrangement, of songs by simply pressing the Easy Song Arranger button, allowing you to re-mix any MIDI file. For example, you can try your favorite song with a Rock feel, Hip Hop, then Jazz. It's fast, powerful and one-button simple.
This DGX520 has more features than an acoustic piano. It takes less space and offers accurate sounds. It's easy and fun to learn. Easy Song Arranger allows you to play back songs in 150 unique accompaniment styles On-Board Sequencer records 5 songs, 6 tracks Large Full-Dot Matrix LCD display allows easy viewing of music score and lyrics Flash Rom for downloading songs from the internet Matching Stand included Includes AC Adapter and Foot Pedal Matching piano bench optional P

Buy cheap 88-KEY Portable Educational Keyboard now Get 25% OFF

Yamaha DGX230AD 76 Key Portable Grand with power Review

Yamaha DGX230AD 76 Key Portable Grand with powerAside from it now being affordable (I bought it when it first came out at around $900), this is a high quality digital piano.The sound is utterly incredible, clear cut and crisp.Basic operation is simple, the weighted keys match those of actual piano keys...the feel is all there.This is perfect for those fluid in their craft, going from in studio to performing in shows.It is fairly heavy, requires 2 people to transport.It is well made, can take serious rough wear and tear from moving and constant use.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha DGX230AD 76 Key Portable Grand with power

Product Description:
The Yamaha DGX-630 offers an affordable, feature-packed portable keyboard that boasts an authentic grand piano-like touch: heavy in the low end, feathery light in the highs, and amazingly responsive throughout. It also includes USB MIDI and USB to Device for removable storage, along with a high resolution Live! Grand stereo sample, song recorder, score and lyric display. The USB facilitates easy transfer with a PC or Macintosh computer for use with many optional software packages that can score, arrange, and sequence your music. Can't play a keyboard instrument? Yamaha Education Suite helps you get started. With nearly 500 voices and built-in stereo speakers, the Yamaha DGX-230/AD is truly a grand keyboard music instrument that you and your family will enjoy.Pitch bend wheel to add smooth pitch variations to notes playedVoices - 116 panel voices + 12 drum/SFX kits + 361 XGlite voices, Polyphony -32, DUAL and SPLIT modesStyles - 160 Preset Styles + External files, Style Control -ACMP ON/OFF, SYNC STOP, SYNC START, START/STOP, INTRO/ENDING/rit., MAIN/AUTO FILL, Fingering -Multi Finger, Full Keyboard, Style VolumeMusic Database -300 + External filesEducation Feature -Dictionary, Lesson 1-3, Repeat & LearnRegistration Memory -8 banks x 2 typesEffects - Reverb -9 types, Chorus -4 types, Harmony -26 types30 Preset Songs + 5 User Songs + Accessory CD-ROM with 70 moreAuxiliary jacks -PHONES/OUTPUT, DC IN 12V, USB, SUSTAINAmplifier -6 Watts per channel to two 2-way on-board speakers -12cm x 2 + 3cm x 2Power Supply - Adaptor -PA-150 (included) or an equivalent recommended by Yamaha, Batteries -SixDsize, R20P (LR20) or equivalent batteries (optional) Unit Dimensions (W x D x H) -1,178 x 412 x 137 mm (46-3/8 x 16-1/4 x 5-3/8); Weight -8.3kg (18 lbs. 5 oz.) (not including batteries)Supplied Accessories - Music Rest, Accessory CD-ROM, Owner's Manu

Buy cheap Yamaha DGX230AD 76 Key Portable Grand with power now

Yamaha DGX-530 Keyboard, 88 Full-Sized Lightly Weighted Piano Style Keys Review

Yamaha DGX-530 Keyboard, 88 Full-Sized Lightly Weighted Piano Style KeysTried this instrument out in the store and could not figure out what the difference was between this one and the 520 I previously reviewed on amazon.Sound qualities, voices, layout, display, and software all seemed identical to me to the 520.Finally, after a direct inquiry to Yamaha, I was told that the only difference between this model and the 520 was that the 530 contained 10 more rhythm sequences.

So, if you're one of those who would use this instrument heavily for recording and composition, and just could never find the right rhythmic background, you can try this one and see if one of their ten extra sequences works for you.

If you're like me, however, who use the keyboard mostly for performance purposes and only occasional composition and recording, it really isn't worth upgrading.If you're diligent enough and have the software (pretty much any layered music recording sequence will do; I happen to use Cakewalk 4), you can make and save your own rhythms anyway on either keyboard.

For a more detailed review of other features this keyboard has, check my review out on the DGX-520...aside from the extra rhythms, it's exactly the same.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha DGX-530 Keyboard, 88 Full-Sized Lightly Weighted Piano Style Keys

Product Description:
Yamaha's DGX530 Portable Grand Piano features 88 piano-style keys with Graded Soft Touch, a matching stand, a sustain pedal, USB storage, backlit LCD displays, notation and lyrics, and plenty more.


An 88-key keyboard with piano-centric features. Click to enlarge.
Matching stand included.
Brilliant, easy-to-navigate LCD.
Built-in stereo two-way speakers with bass ports.
Piano-Centric Features
The Yamaha Portable Grand, DGX530 has an easy to use panel, a wealth of piano-centric features including 88 piano-style keys, Graded Soft Touch (GST) action with different levels of resistance, and high-resolution stereo piano samples. Included are an attractive matching stand and sustain pedal.
USB Connectivity
The DGX530 has 2 USB ports on the back, each with a different use. "USB TO HOST" is plug-and-play connection for recording and playing back MIDI files, as well as transferring data to and from your computer.
"USB TO DEVICE" is for connecting peripheral USB storage devices such as hard drives or portable thumb drives. You can save user songs and settings, or transfer song data downloaded from the Internet to the instrument, where it can be used with the performance assistant and Yamaha Education Suite features.
Lyric, Chord and Notation Display
Have you ever played a song and wondered what it would look like as sheet music? The DGX530 can display the score to a song whether it comes from the Internet, the internal selections those you record yourself. Pages scroll automatically when a song is played back--no more page turning! For singers, the screen also displays chords and lyrics to XF compatible songs.
Easy to Use
The DGX530 is a breeze to use. Dive right in with convenient tools and features:

    Expandable Music Database: Complete keyboard setups by song title. The keyboard selects an appropriate voice for the right hand melody, the correct musical style and the correct tempo. Simply call up a song title and start playing.
    One Touch Setting (OTS): Provides you with a recommended voice with effects for each Style. For example, on a jazz style OTS might be piano, for a Latin style it might be acoustic guitar, or for a rock style it might be a guitar with overdrive.
    Registration Memory: Set the keyboard up just the way you like and take a digital snapshot for instant recall. Load and save up to 16 Registrations to User memory. The Registration buttons are conveniently located just above the keyboard.
    Performance Assistant Technology: Performance assistant technology is a feature from Yamaha that guarantees that you can't play a wrong melody note or chord. Here's how it works. Select a song, press the Performance Assistant button Chord Mode and play the keyboard--any notes you like. Every note you play will fit the music!

Yamaha Education Suite: Helps you learn to play
The DGX530 has 30 built-in songs (plus 70 more on the included CD-ROM) for you to learn to play using the Yamaha Education Suite. The songs are separated into left and right hand parts, providing 7 levels of lessons plus a convenient chord dictionary.

    Three keyboard lessons for each hand:


      Waiting Mode--Stops the playback of a song until you find the correct note and then continues.
      Your Tempo Mode--Learn to play the correct notes with the correct timing. Song playback tempo will vary to match the speed you are playing at. The song will slow down when you play wrong notes, so you can learn at your own pace.
      Minus One Mode--Here's where you can perfect your technique. The song will play at the normal tempo, minus the part you have chosen to play. Play along while listening to the song.


    Lesson Grading--Monitors your progress as you practice each lesson and gives you a grade.
    Repeat and Learn--The song location will move back four measures from the point at which you pressed the button, and playback will begin after a one measure count-in. This section will repeat allowing you to practice until perfect!
    Chord Dictionary--Shows you how to play chords and tells you which chords you are playing by displaying the notes and chord names on the LCD screen.

6-Track Sequencer
With the DGX530, you have the equivalent of a built-in multi-track recorder. Record one or multiple instrument parts at a time and assign each part to a different track. Six tracks are provided to accommodate sophisticated melodies, chord accompaniment and rhythm parts.
Quality Sound
The DGX530 sounds as good as it plays. A two-way speaker system with separate woofers and tweeters delivers clear and lifelike instrument voices. Bass Boost ports add deeper low-end impact, and true stereo sound adds spatial depth and realism.
Realistic Sounding Voices
The DGX530 comes equipped with 127 panel voices, 12 drum/SFX kits, plus 361 XGlite voices. Dual and Split modes allow you to combine sounds.
Full Keyboard Mode
The DGX530 delivers on its piano theme with a special mode of fingering called Full Keyboard Mode. This allows the player to play the keyboard like a piano; for example a chord with the right hand and bass notes with the left. When using the accompaniment feature, the virtual band will follow these chords. Traditional portable keyboards normally require you to chord on the left side of the keyboard, in the bass section, which is foreign to most piano players. The DGX530 is also capable of this mode, for those who prefer it.
Digital Music Notebook
Digital Music Notebook is a multimedia Internet service that enables you to preview, purchase, download and print learn-to-play music books and chart-topping sheet music. From scales to chords to your favorite riffs, Digital Music Notebook is jam-packed with all the secrets you need to master your instrument. Add accompaniments, record and mix yourself, sing karaoke with friends, learn new techniques while having a blast--Digital Music Notebook delivers everything you need to bring music alive! And it's included with the DGX530.
What's in the Box
DGX530 Keyboard, Music Rest, Owner's Manual, Accessory CD-ROM, Keyboard Stand, Footswitch FC5, Power Adapter

Buy cheap Yamaha DGX-530 Keyboard, 88 Full-Sized Lightly Weighted Piano Style Keys now Get 39% OFF

Kurzweil SP-76 Stage Piano Review

Kurzweil SP-76 Stage Piano[Since posting this review, I see that Kurzweil has come out with the SP2 and SP3.Both pianos now allow for splits and layering, the SP2 with 64 (double those of the SP76) and the SP3 with 512 voices.The only problem is that it's now difficult for an average consumer to distinguish between the SP and PC series.In fact, the SP2 and SP3 look rather gaudy to me compared to the cleaner lines of the PC1, 2, or 3.All the same, the SP2 is still comparatively light and easy to program and hence can be recommended as a player's (as opposed to programmer's) axe.Sill one complaint: you have to wonder if these designers have ever heard a jazz trio--Nat Cole, Monty Alexander, Oscar Peterson, the 3 Sounds--for whom the walking bass plus ride cymbal sound are the very essence of "swing"(what's that?).A performance instrument should have those areas covered before the toys and whistles, the effects, the drum machines, the Take 6 examples, the reverb, the RMI electric piano, and every other clever device that, basically, has nothing to do with jazz, with swing, with music is thrown into the electronic circuitry.]

I've gone through twenty different keyboards and ten brands and am currently on my third SP-76 (one was stolen).It's a trifle inflated right now (it's gone down as low as $500, but that's when the American dollar still had some value).It's the most practical solution for the modern keyboard player (and pianist), the least expensive electric piano that still carries some respectability (don't bring a Casio or low-end Yamaha on a gig).Best of all, I can play a downtown job, walk a block to the hotel with keyboard gig bag over one shoulder (lightweight stand inside) and a small but powerful cube amp in one hand in a single trip (by comparison, I see other guys rolling coffins with Roland RD700s and making 2-3 trips), then repeating the whole process at the end of the night.The SP76 is a life-saver.

I'm more of a "pianist" than a "keyboard" player, but you soon force yourself to get used to unweighted keys in exchange for the lightness, and you rarely miss the 12 subtracted notes. The SP76 piano sounds as good as any but falls considerably short of the long-gone Kurzweil K-1000.

Don't be confused by the descriptions of any pianos in the SP series.You can't split and layer sounds without an external module, the keyboard requires time and patience to MIDI, and the 32 onboard sounds are not always adequate (why no vibes?).Still if I lost another keyboard, I'd have to replace it instantly with this one or stop accepting any more one-nighters.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kurzweil SP-76 Stage Piano

Product Description:
The new SP Series Stage Pianos are the performance keyboards you've been waiting for. Well-constructed and affordable, these stage pianos have everything you need. The SP Series comes in lightweight 76- and 88-key semi-weighted action models (SP76 and SP88), plus an 88-note fully weighted action model (SP88X). The Stage Pianos have the award-winning Kurzweil sounds and transmit on 2 user-selectable, independent MIDI channels. Put your music on stage with this new model of performance piano from Kurzweil, the leader in sound technology.

Buy cheap Kurzweil SP-76 Stage Piano now

Yamaha CP50 - 88-Key Stage Piano, Black Review

Yamaha CP50 - 88-Key Stage Piano, Blackgreat action, similar to the motif xs. If this keyboard has only one sound, I would wish for the YAMAHA S6 piano, but it did not include the s6. Disappointed. The CP5 with wooden keys has even much better action and might have the s6 sound.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha CP50 - 88-Key Stage Piano, Black

Product Description:
Yamaha's CP50 electronic piano takes the core sounds and technology of the CP1, while it's flexibility and portability make it perfect for the working pro on the go. The CP50 adds a wide range of sounds to the CP1. Clavs, organs, strings and more make the Yamaha CP50 perfect for church, school, and live situations where everything needs to be performed on one keyboard. The Yamaha stage piano features not only Virtual Circuit Modeling effects, but also many effects taken from Yamaha's Motif XS line of Synthesizers. The CP50 piano has a graded hammer action and a lightweight, portable keyboard design.

Buy cheap Yamaha CP50 - 88-Key Stage Piano, Black now Get 23% OFF

Yamaha CP300 Stage Piano Review

Yamaha CP300 Stage PianoGood piano sound, plays like a real piano, has good choir sound, the string sounds could be better, especially when blending with the piano. And then there are all the MIDI sounds that I didn't realize came with it, and I still haven't gotten to the bottom of all the features.

I like the way the often-used functions are laid out as buttons, that is a good design and a good implementation.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha CP300 Stage Piano

Product Description:
Like all fine instruments, the CP 300 simply begs to be played. Sit down with one, and the instrument becomes an extension of your hands and your musical imagination. The authentic piano voices and rich expressiveness come alive at your touch, and the sound is big enough to blast through a full band onstage - yet nuanced enough to work magic in an intimate club.Yamaha's extensive experience in crafting fine acoustic pianos helps us in creating the ultimate digital pianos. Our advanced Graded Hammer Effect (GHE) action gives all keys an authentic resistance that increases from the top register to the lower - just as on an actual acoustic piano. Which means that you can naturally pound out thunderous low notes with your left hand and let the fingers on your right dance and fly with the high notes.In crafting the authentic sound of the CP series, we used meticulously recorded stereo samples of top-quality instruments, taken at various playing strengths, and included subtle elements such as String Resonance, Stereo Sustain, and even Key-Off Samples that capture the felt dampers muting the piano strings - providing the most authentic sounding and finely nuanced acoustic piano voices possible.The CP stage pianos are also master keyboard controllers that give you full command of your gear. Play and control external tone generators. Assign different voices to different keyboard sections and create multi-textured layers of sound. Four instrument Zones on the CP300 with panel sliders, let you easily tweak the level of each instrument as you play. You can also freely reassign the sliders and wheels to control other sonic characteristics of your gear, such as sound attack, decay, brightness and filter cutoff.The CP300 features professional quality balanced XLR output connectors. These give you the cleanest, clearest noise-free signal - both for serious recording in the studio, and playing onstage where long unbalanced cables may compromise your sound.

Buy cheap Yamaha CP300 Stage Piano now Get 31% OFF

88-Key Piano With Bench And Stand Review

88-Key Piano With Bench And StandThe Yamaha Digital Piano is a smaller piano than the traditional spinet piano and is perfect to sit along a wall in your office or another room without taking up much room.The sound is beautiful and the key action has the feel of a regular piano.This same piano was featured at a local piano dealer of Yamaha pianos for $1850 in the Charlotte NC area and we were able to get the very same piano for slightly over $1000.It is wonderful for a piano student because the piano records and the student can play back their song and hear where any mistakes were made.I highly recommend this piano.We love it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: 88-Key Piano With Bench And Stand

Product Description:
Perfect for beginning students and experienced players alike, the YDP-131 Digital Piano delivers authentic piano sound with exceptionally natural response. With 6 different instrument Voices that utilize the AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) stereo sampling tone generation, and featuring an expressive GHS (Graded Hammer Standard) keyboard, this instrument is a joy to play, practice and perform on. It also features 64-note polyphony, three foot pedals and a built in speaker system. Dual voice capability lets you play two different instrument sounds at the same time, while a 1-track song recorder allows you to capture your original musical ideas and performances.
Just like high-grade digital pianos, the YDP-131 uses Yamaha's renowned AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) tone generation technology and Stereo Sampling. When you play a key, what you hear is a "sample", or digital recording, of the same note on a high quality concert grand piano. Applying the know-how gleaned from over 100 years of crafting fine acoustic pianos, Yamaha created the highly acclaimed GH (Graded Hammer effect) keyboard. Unlike conventional digital piano keyboards that use springs or dampers to simulate piano feel, the GH keyboard uses weights and mechanical linkages to provide a new level of realism. You'll notice the difference it makes as soon as you start playing. Classically beautiful woodgrain body, with sliding key cover to protect the keyboard from dust, matches any decor perfectly. What's more, the YDP-131 is lightweight so it's easy to move. Best of all, it's maintenance-free: there's no need for expensive, periodic tuning or other special maintenance.Dual mode allows the mixing of two soundsBuilt-in one track recording systemDigital reverbAdjustable MetronomePiano music library including the 50 Greats for Piano music bookDamper, soft and sustain pedals MIDI In/Out/Thru

Buy cheap 88-Key Piano With Bench And Stand now

Kurzweil SP2XS 88-Key Stage Piano With Speakers and Stand Review

Kurzweil SP2XS 88-Key Stage Piano With Speakers and StandNow that all Kurzweil's can be layered and split, their glaring weakness is all the more conspicuous.The company, in my opinion, makes the best digital pianos--in terms of sound, versatility, and keyboard "feel"--but with the most convoluted, incoherent, least helpful instructions.Guaranteed to lead to many all-nighters for musicians just trying to "set up" the keyboard for the next day's gig, which may not have a bass player or drummer.

If you have q friend, or a knowledgeable techie/gear-head who works cheap, by all means hire him.The manual, as usual, looks like it's been written by a committee.After talking about the most "powerful" dimension of the keyboard as its adaptiveness to set-ups, it fails to explain or illustrate how to construct sounds in the favored "set-up," or "500," mode rather than the more limiting "performance" mode.It gives no directions or helpful illustrations on how the user might be able to use one of the factory set-ups (all of them unusable) as a "template" to help the user with the creation of his own more practical set-ups.It doesn't explain how to transpose a good acoustic bass sound up an octave into a playable range without having all of the notes in the treble, or right hand, also transposed, except into an unplayable range.It provides a paragraph on doing a "hard reset," so that the player can get rid of all the monstrosities he's created and start afresh--unfortunately the manual fails to provide the vital information that before the "reset" button will activate the instructions permitting a hard reset, the user must first depress the "Global" button.(By accident, and several hours later, I finally stumbled upon it.)

Whether the reader finds it merely curious or confounding, the manual will introduce and begin to discuss some of the specifics of splitting, layering, set-up programs, etc.Then in a late section of the book, the reader finds a paragraph stating that the instrument is capable of "layering and splitting, which means adding on another sound or dividing the keyboard into two or more zones so that different sounds can be played, a feature that can often be convenient for a musician, especially one who is playing in a show" (!!!).In other words, the paragraph sounds as though the authors are unaware that anything preceded it.Instead of specific instructions, we're given a reductive introduction that sounds like it belongs in the ad sheet!I's in details like this where Kurzweil seems determined to cut the corners, in the process cutting the frustrated user to shreds.

I could say that this latest Kurzweil gives me more problems when, during the middle of a fast-moving passage in the middle of a tune, I attempt to go from one program to another.Often the button doesn't register my quick press, the light blinks back at me when it should have changed--but for all I know I've programmed it wrong.The same goes for the sustain pedal.It's the slipperiest pedal I have yet to encounter on an electric keyboard.At one time, Roland marketed a pedal with a heel flap, which made eminent sense and was quite effective (enough reason to get rid of it in this inscrutable market).The bottom surface of this Kurzweil pedal is less abrasive than Kurzweil pedals I've had with my K1000, PC2, or PC1se, squirting across a linoleum floor like a hocky puck repeatedly over the course of a 4-hour job (might as well have been 40).Maybe that's the way they like them in Minnesota.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kurzweil SP2XS 88-Key Stage Piano With Speakers and Stand

Product Description:
The Best...The SP2X delivers the legendary Kurzweil sound, with all of its detail and refinement, in a digital stage piano which is both professional and easy to use. Using the next generation of Kurzweil technology, the SP2X provides some of the be...

Buy cheap Kurzweil SP2XS 88-Key Stage Piano With Speakers and Stand now Get 17% OFF

Yamaha WB2 Padded Wooden Bench for the Yamaha DGX505 and DGX620, Natural Finish Review

Yamaha WB2 Padded Wooden Bench for the Yamaha DGX505 and DGX620, Natural FinishI am disappointed in the bench as the wood color does not match the stand color for the Yamaha keyboard.There is quite a bit of red in bench wood color and no red in the stand color.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha WB2 Padded Wooden Bench for the Yamaha DGX505 and DGX620, Natural Finish

Product Description:
Stay comfortable and relaxed while playing your digital keyboard with this Yamaha WB2 bench. Specifically designed to match the DGX505 keyboard but appropriate for a variety of digital and acoustic pianos, the bench is furnished with a thick padded seat and a strategic air vent in the cushion. Combined, the padding and vent support your bottom over long periods while protecting the seat filling from wear and tear. The bench is tough and attractive, too, thanks to its light-grain wood finish and sturdy wooden legs. In fact, its elegant design looks great in everything from Victorian to modern living rooms. It's a particularly good choice for users who value both comfort and portability, as it measures only 22.5 by 19 by 13.75 inches (W x H x D).
The bench comes disassembled but comes together quickly and easily thanks to the included four bolts and assembly tool.
What's in the Box
Bench, four bolts, assembly tool, user's manual.

Buy cheap Yamaha WB2 Padded Wooden Bench for the Yamaha DGX505 and DGX620, Natural Finish now Get 45% OFF

Yamaha PSR-E413 61-Key Digital Keyboard Review

Yamaha PSR-E413 61-Key Digital KeyboardThe PSR-E413 is Yamaha's next addition to their portable keyboard line. It was designed with the new musician in mind, and includes numerous learning tools (the Yamaha Education Suite being the most prominently featured) and "cheater" features (Yamaha Performance Assistance Technology let's you hit the wrong key and still sound correct). Unlike many other beginner level keyboards, however, the PSR-E413 has numerous features that will allow new musicians to grow into semi-professionals without having to buy a new instrument - 504 voices (instruments the keyboard can sound like), 100 arpeggio types, 165 preset styles, 30 preset songs, a pitch-bending wheel, and 5 song/6 track recording. Other common features such as "touch sense" (the keys can sound louder or softer depending on how hard they are pressed), a USB port, sustaining pedal port, and a headphone/output port are also present.

What all of that boils down to is simply this: the E413 is fun to play and sounds great. The price is generally within the acceptable realm for beginners, and the features make it something even those at a semi-professional level would like to play (though, in all honesty, most professionals are going to want a less portable 76+ key unit). After going to numerous music stores and online sources, this model ended up being the best fit for my budget and needs - I highly recommend it.

I have two complaints with the PSR-E413 as packaged. The first is that the music stand (which easily slides into two slots on the top-back of the unit) is made of cheap plastic, and looks like it will break easily. The second is that a number of additional items are needed to fully enjoy this instrument. The first thing you'll need is a plug-in power adapter (I was shocked that the keyboard didn't come with one) unless you want to spend hundreds of dollars on batteries. Next, you'll probably want a keyboard stand (a decent folding one costs anywhere from $20 - $60). An AB-type USB cable is necessary to connect the instrument to your computer and fully realize its potential. After that, a dust cover and case might also interest you. Finally, headphones and a foot switch/pedal should be considered, especially if you like being creative and don't live alone. Yamaha offers a few of these items in a special set called the Survival Kit B (it includes the power adapter, foot switch, headphones, and an extended warranty), but I don't recommend it, as the headphones and pedal it contains are of inferior quality.

Note: This model replaced the PSR-E403 as of May 2008. The two are extremely similar, with the E413 containing a few upgrades (165 vs. 155 styles; 100 arpeggio functions vs 50; etc..). The feel and most of the features of the two, however, are almost the same.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha PSR-E413 61-Key Digital Keyboard

Product Description:
The Yamaha PSRE413 61 Key Digital Keyboard expands the capabilities of one of Yamaha's most popular PSR lines. The PSRE413 includes features for every playing level such as the Yamaha portable grand and Yamaha education suite. An on-board arpeggiator includes 100 different patterns along with 20 different arpeggio voices. A full set of real-time controls gives you easy access to all of the capabilities of the PSRE413. A USB port is also included so you can download songs for learning from the internet. If you want to write your own songs, the PSRE413 also features a 6-track sequencer so you can layer your own tracks.

Buy cheap Yamaha PSR-E413 61-Key Digital Keyboard now Get 37% OFF

Yamaha P155 Contemporary Piano with Mahogany Top Board, Black Review

Yamaha P155 Contemporary Piano with Mahogany Top Board, BlackAfter a year owning the Yamaha YPG 235 (still love it), I decided to move up to something more substantial, with weighted keys. My first gut reaction was a Kawai or Yamaha Clarinova, but the cost was a bit high, and I didn't like the fact that it was not portable. I wanted the features without the cost (typical consumer). So I looked at the P155.
This keyboard comes with 4-level AWS sampling, 128 polyphonic and GH effect (Yamaha's best) weighted hammers. The features are in line with mid-level Clarinovas. Yamaha did a great job reproducing there top of the line grand piano, trouncing the YPG-235 and the YPG-635. There are subtle sound effects from a real piano reproduced, making the whole experience very realistic.
The keys are extremely accurate, but somewhat heavy. The change over from the graded-tough YPG 235 to a super weighted keyboard took about 5 days. The advantage is being able toplay on a real piano without the fatigue, now that the muscle in my hands have bulked up.
This machine has real MIDI ports, 12 Watt speakers, 1/4" plug connectors for an amp, and up to (2) headphones. It has a USB port for storing songs onto ONLY. You cannot use this port for anything but storage (like a USB pen drive). The unit will format your "drive" to Windows FAT, but it is writable-readable on MAC/LInux . You will need a MIDI to USB adapter if you want to play on your computer.
Overall, I feel (as a novice still) that I took the right course, buying the YPG-235 and now the P-155. The P-155 is truly a mid-level professional stage piano, at a very fair price. The quantity of samples (instruments) is not as much as the YPG-235, but the trade-off is a really superior instrument.

Made in Japan. (Ok, Made in USA would be better....but it's a Japanese piano company)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha P155 Contemporary Piano with Mahogany Top Board, Black

Product Description:
Whether you're practicing at home, playing with the band, or doing alive solo performance, the P155 series offers professional quality sound with our legendary touch. Thanks to top-shelf Yamaha digital piano technologies, musicians don't have to choose between portability and piano quality- the quality you expect from a company that's been building world-class acoustic pianos for over a century.

Buy cheap Yamaha P155 Contemporary Piano with Mahogany Top Board, Black now Get 29% OFF

Yamaha P155B Contemporary Piano with Ebony Top Board, Black Review

Yamaha P155B Contemporary Piano with Ebony Top Board, BlackDont expect a big difference in sound quality over the P-140 or you will be dissapointed.At most there may be an ever so slight increase in micro-dynamic expressiveness on softer, subtle passages (maybe that's the 4th layer?), but dont expect anything to jump out at you.I mean subtle! Not much difference in the decay versus the P-140.About the same. I owned them both.The action is heavy and responsive on the P-155 (same as P-140) which I like and the features are an improvement over the P-140.Given how inexpensive and small digital memory has become, it would be nice if Yamaha could give us a DP with a natural sounding decay instead of a looped one. On a real piano the harmonic overtones decay faster than lower fundementals.This sonic reality has not been incorporated into this instrument unfortunately.The P-155 does sound resampled, just not enough to show a really audible difference from the P-140. At soft levels its pretty good but at mezzo forte or louder decay is unnatural, like the P-140.Sound quality via the built-in speakers is the same as P-140. Dynamic range and volume is a little better because of greater wattage but thats about it. Speakers and frequency range are unchanged.Unlike P-140 you can choose brightness levels in between Bright, Normal and Mellow for a total of 5, not 3 choices which is nice.If you can get one for $1,000 or less its worth it but I wouldn't spend 1200 on it over the P-140, unless you need the new features.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha P155B Contemporary Piano with Ebony Top Board, Black

Product Description:
Whether you're practicing at home, playing with the band, or doing alive solo performance, the P155 series offers professional quality sound with our legendary touch. Thanks to top-shelf Yamaha digital piano technologies, musicians don't have to choose between portability and piano quality- the quality you expect from a company that's been building world-class acoustic pianos for over a century.

Buy cheap Yamaha P155B Contemporary Piano with Ebony Top Board, Black now Get 29% OFF

Yamaha DGX-630 88 Full-Sized Keyboard with Weighted Action Review

Yamaha DGX-630 88 Full-Sized Keyboard with Weighted ActionI am a complete piano novice, but my next-door neighbor, who plays for a living and owns a Kurzweil came over, and after playing it a few minutes said, "If you don't mind my asking, how much did this cost?"His keyboard is a few years old, but he said that he likes the action on this better than his, and he found the sound excellent.

I'm writing this review because I had a few questions that I wished I knew the answers to, but could not find anywhere online before I bought this product sight unseen.

1. Question: How many degrees of loudness are there, depending on how hard you strike?

Answer: A lot.At least 8, but I suspect if my fingers were more dextrous and my ear better I could hear many more levels of touch sensitivity.In any case it sounds in this respect just like a piano to me.

2. Question: Does the timbre of the note change depending on how hard I strike the key?

Answer:Yes, and this effect depends on which keys you strike. In the low notes you hear a realistic sounding distortion when you slam down on the key.On the high notes you hear that hollow sound of the wood piano frame when you nail it.This latter effect was so realistic that I had to turn off the keyboard to be sure it wasn't something that was physically happening inside the box rather than a simulated effect.

Question:On a sustained note does the sound simply fade, or does the quality of the sound change in a natural sounding way as it fades out?

Answer: Again, it sounds just like a real piano to me in this regard.

This keyboard has a "graded hammer action" so that the weight of the keys at the top is lighter than the weight at the bottom. While they may have reproduced this effect accurately, it is almost indiscernable to me with the keyboard off.But with the keyboard on, the weight of the keys feels absolutely distinct from top to bottom because the "strings" at the top and bottom respond so differently.That is, the sound is so good that it tricks your brain into sensing that the keys have completely different weights.

I bought it in spite of the fact that I wasn't sure of the answers to these questions, and it is exactly what I had hoped for.It feels and sounds just like a piano to me, especially with good headphones, which allow me to practice scales in my living room without driving my family insane.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha DGX-630 88 Full-Sized Keyboard with Weighted Action

Product Description:
The new top of the range 88 keys Yamaha DGX-630 features a fully weighted 88-note Graded Hammer keyboard action, a new piano sound with 64-note polyphony and over 500 high quality sounds.

The 88-key Yamaha DGX-630 is a weighted graded hammer action portable keyboard. Upgrades from the previous model include 64-note polyphony, a beautiful matching stand and an optional three-pedal unit, along with additional DSP (Digital Signal Processing) effects that enable realistic sounding Distortion Guitar and Rotary Organ. The Yamaha DGX-630 also includes USB MIDI and USB to Device for removable storage, along with a high resolution Live! Grand stereo sample, song recorder, score and lyric display. The Yamaha DGX-630 offers an affordable, feature-packed portable keyboard. It also boasts an authentic grand piano-like touch: heavy in the low end, feathery light in the highs, and amazingly responsive throughout.

Yamaha Education System (YES) offers an easy, intuitive method of learning how to play a keyboard music instrument. Stand, AC Adapter, Foot Pedal, and Quick-Start DVD are included. USB connectivity for easy matchup to optional PC software complements. Yamaha DGX Series offers a high quality, moderately priced digital piano, but also a diverse feature set typically found on high-end professional synthesizer products. 88 Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) keysDual and split modesFC5 sustain pad, music rest and CD-ROM includedGM and XG-Lite compatibleHeadphone portLarge backlit (blue) LCD displayMulti-fingering mode and 'full' keyboard mode availableOptional 3-way pedal board available (model LP-7)Over 500 voices to select fromPitchbend wheelRegistration memories (2 x 8 banks)Reverb, Chorus, DSP and master EQ effectsSupplied with fixed-frame wooden stand and AC power adaptorSweet, Live and Cool voice technology USB connectivityYamaha Education Suite (Y.

Buy cheap Yamaha DGX-630 88 Full-Sized Keyboard with Weighted Action now Get 28% OFF

Casio CTK-3000 Premium Pack with Power Supply, Keyboard Stand and Professional Closed Cup Stereo Headphones Review

Casio CTK-3000 Premium Pack with Power Supply, Keyboard Stand and Professional Closed Cup Stereo HeadphonesI really don't think I could have found a better keyboard at the price of the Casio CTK3000.After much research, I decided on this keyboard because of the number of keys and the fact that it came with a stowaway stand, headphones and charger.For me, an adult who is just learning piano, it was essential for me to have headphones so I wasn't disturbing everyone in the house.The keyboard is really easy to use.I didn't even read any of the instructions.I just plugged it in and started practicing.

The stand is a little difficult to adjust and it doesn't attach as securely to the stand as I would like it to, but it's not unstable or anything.The keyboard sort of just sits on top of the stand.This is not a problem for an adult, but if you're looking at getting this keyboard fora child, then you may want to take that into account.This keyboard also works great on a regular table, as long as you have one that is at an appropriate height for practicing.I use the keyboard on the tabletop more than I use it on the stand, but I'm glad I have the stand for those times that I do need to use it.

The keyboard also comes with a little bar that you insert into the back of the keyboard to hold your sheet music or lesson book.There is a groove at the top center of the keyboard to prevent the sheet music/book from slipping.I found that the other reviews I read and the product description didn't note that the keyboard does have a space to hold music.Of course that may be something that is just standard on keyboards, but, as a piano novice, I was not aware of this.

Bottom line, I think this keyboard is excellent quality for the price and will last a beginner quite a while.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio CTK-3000 Premium Pack with Power Supply, Keyboard Stand and Professional Closed Cup Stereo Headphones

Product Description:
The Casio CTK-3000 is an affordable instrument with a 61 Key Piano Style Touch Sensitive Keyboard, 400 total onboard Tones, 150 Rhythms and Digital Effects. Packed with great features such as Casio's famous Step-up Lesson System, audio inputs for a MP3 player, USB port for MIDI implementation and a pitch wheel for additional expression over sounds. All this makes CTK-3000 more realistic and expressive than ever before at this price range.


Everything you need to get started.

CTK-3000 Premium Pack

The Premium Pack bundles the CTK-3000 keyboard with a Yamaha power supply, keyboard stand and professional closed-cup stereo headphones.
Standard-Size Keys with Touch Response
The CTK-3000 features 61 standard-size keys and two sensitivity levels for a more piano-like experience, along with 48-note polyphony (24-note for certain tones).
400 Built-In Tones
Find just the right sound with 400 built-in tones, and select from ten different reverb settings to add depth.
USB Port
For many musicians, the computer has become a music-making center. Connect the CTK-3000 to a computer using a USB cable and exchange MIDI data between the two devices. Send play data from the keyboard to music software running on yourcomputer, or send MIDI data from your computer to the keyboard for playback.
Built-In Sampling
You can use the CTK-3000 to sample a sound from a portable audio player or other device, and then play the sound with keyboard keys. For example, you could sample the bark of your dog and then use the sound in a melody, or grab passages from a CD. The sampling feature is a fun way to create new sounds.
Note: Samples are not stored permanently. Turning off power will cause any sampled sound data on the keyboard to be deleted.
An affordable, full-featured portable keyboard. Click to enlarge.
Internal speakers and battery-powering option for full portability. Click to enlarge.
View full control diagram. Click to enlarge.
110 Built-In Songs With Step Up Lessons
The CTK-3000 comes with a bank of songs for your learning and enjoyment, from classics like "Greensleeves" or "Auld Lang Syne" to holiday tunes like "Jingle Bells."
To master a song, it is best to break it up into shorter parts (phrases), master the phrases, and then put everything together. The CTK-3000 features a "Step Up Lesson" feature that helps you to do just that. The built-in songs are pre-divided into phrases to help you master keyboard play. Step Up Lesson takes you through practice of the right hand part, left hand part, and both hand parts for each phrase of a song. Master all of the phrases and you master the song.
Music Challenge Keyboard Game
Music Challenge is a game that measures your reaction speed as you press keys in response to on-screen keyboard indicators and fingering guide indications.
Auto Accompaniment
Simply specify a chord and the keyboard automatically produces the matching rhythm, bass, and chord patters. One-touch fill-ins make accompaniments sound interesting and natural. 150 built in auto-accompaniment rhythm patterns.
Transpose Function
An easy operation instantly changes the key of the keyboard.
Audio Input
Play along with MP3 or CD players or other devices by plugging them into the stereo mini input jack.
Battery or AC Power
Power the CTK-3000 with six AA-sized batteries (approximately four hours of continuous operation with alkaline batteries) or purchase the AD-5 AC adapter separately to power from your electrical outlets. Built-in speakers make the keyboard entirely portable.
An Auto Power Off feature turns off the device six minutes after the last key is touched, helping you save batteries.
What's in the Box
CTK-3000 Keyboard, Music Stand, Song Book, Safety Precautions, Appendix, Warranty, Power Supply, Keyboard Stand and Headphones

Buy cheap Casio CTK-3000 Premium Pack with Power Supply, Keyboard Stand and Professional Closed Cup Stereo Headphones now Get 55% OFF

LP-350 Home Digital Piano Review

LP-350 Home Digital PianoSOUND AND FEATURES: 4.5 STARS

Let's get this out of the way--Korg designged an excellent sounding piano.You should compare this with the less expensive Yamaha Arius YDP-S31 if you want to make an apples to apples comparison.They are similar in features.I've little doubt that they are made from the same components somewhere in China.We don't plan on doing any producing on the piano, although we have entertained using the MIDI controller for some computer learning tools for our children.The only feature that I absolutely have to have is the volume control.It has one.

The sound of the piano is rich and authentic.I am not a piano player at all (I can, however, appreciate sound fidelity), but my wife is--she learned on an old acoustic and has played on dozens of different types and brands and understands the feel and sound of a good piano (and organ).She finds it more than acceptable in terms of simulating the playing of an acoustic piano.As my children learn to play, we are more than confident as their skills progress that they will be able to transition to the authentic acoustic pianos without having to relarn the weight, feel and sound of them.

DESIGN AND BUILD: 2.5 STARS

I assembled it myself in under 30 minutes.Piece of cake.I was mostly disappointed in the finish--I had assumed that it would be a glossy black- it is not.It's a matte black and silver, a thin easily chipped paint that covers medium density fiberboard.The frame isn't as sturdy as I would like it, and not as attractive as Korg makes it out to be.For a piano that is supposed to be a decorative accent that suits a particular lifestyle (read more expensive), I was expecting a higher quality build.

Which brings me to my other problem.The Hammer Weighted keys.When I assembled the piano and took the securing tape off of the cover, I noticed that the three top keys were out of kilter.I'm not talking the out of kilter you usually find on traditional string and hammer pianos, where the lighter keys offer a looser play, the keys were literally rattling around in the frame.I requested a replacement.OVERAL PURCHASING EXPERIENCE 1.5 STARS

The 1.5 Stars is for the inital sale there is no redeeming quality about the rest of my purchasing experience.The price is excellent. My biggest gripe, of course is that I still don't have the piano.After returning it to be replaced,the piano went on back order.It's been on backorder for a month and then the store (name redacted) will start shipping the pianos out.The first time they estimate they will receive the piano will be February 5, one month and two weeks since I requested a return, and almost three months since I initially ordered it.My family loved the piano for the one week that it stood in our home, but I have to say that I'm less than thrilled about the fact that I haven't been able to enjoy a piano that I paid almost a thousand dollars for due to the shoddy manufacturing process that caused me to send it back even before I had the chance to enjoy it.

TOTAL SATISFACTION: SOMEWHERE AROUND 3 STARS

The sound and features bring this back up to average.Without the excellent sound and feel of this piano, you would definitely be looking at another piano.The SP-250 seems to be this piano's sibling in terms of features.A little more work on the manufacturing process could go a long way.Who knows?Maybe the delays in the ordering are to increase the quality of the build for customers.I tend to doubt that, as the more rushed someone is to produce something, the more mistakes they usually make.

Click Here to see more reviews about: LP-350 Home Digital Piano

Product Description:
The LP-350 digital piano is pleasing to both the ears - and the eyes! At less than 11 inches deep, the modern slim-line styling is space-saving and efficient, and designed to visually complement nearly any living space. When not in use, the thoughtf...

Buy cheap LP-350 Home Digital Piano now

Yamaha CP33 Stage Piano Review

Yamaha CP33 Stage PianoNice upgrade from my Yamaha P90.

I purchaed this piano for the piano sound and feel.Any additional instruments or features that come with it are a bonus.The acoustic bass, strings and jazz organ sounds are done very well also.

While nothing replaces the feel of a real piano, this keyboard comes very, very close and the lighter touch on the higher keys really takes you there.

I only wish that the power transformer was inside of the piano instead of requiring a wall wart (transformer).

If you want a great piano sound and feel get this keyboard.If you want speakers to go with it as well as some more sounds, look into the CP300, but then you will need to add $1000, 30 more pounds and a deeper frame.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha CP33 Stage Piano

Product Description:
The CP33 is made for the serious musician on-the-go. Sit down with one, and the instrument becomes an extension of your hands and your musical imagination. The authentic piano voices and rich expressiveness come alive at your touch, and the sound is big enough to blast through a full band onstage - yet nuanced enough to work magic in an intimate club.Yamaha's extensive experience in crafting fine acoustic pianos helps us in creating the ultimate digital pianos. Our advanced Graded Hammer Effect (GHE) action gives all keys an authentic resistance that increases from the top register to the lower - just as on an actual acoustic piano. Which means that you can naturally pound out thunderous low notes with your left hand and let the fingers on your right dance and fly with the high notes.In crafting the authentic sound of the CP series, we used meticulously recorded stereo samples of top-quality instruments, taken at various playing strengths, and included subtle elements such as String Resonance, Stereo Sustain, and even Key-Off Samples that capture the felt dampers muting the piano strings - providing the most authentic sounding and finely nuanced acoustic piano voices possible.The CP stage pianos are also master keyboard controllers that give you full command of your gear. Play and control external tone generators. Assign different voices to different keyboard sections and create multi-textured layers of sound. Two instrument zones on the CP33 with panel sliders, let you easily tweak the level of each instrument as you play. You can also freely reassign the sliders and wheels to control other sonic characteristics of your gear, such as sound attack, decay, brightness and filter cutoff.At just under 40 lbs. the CP33 is a very compact and portable yet full size stage piano.

Buy cheap Yamaha CP33 Stage Piano now Get 33% OFF

Yamaha DGX-230 Keyboard Bundle, 76 Keys - Includes Professional Headphones, Keyboard Stand, and Power Supply Review

Yamaha DGX-230 Keyboard Bundle, 76 Keys - Includes Professional Headphones, Keyboard Stand, and Power SupplyI bought the yamaha keyboard for my wife for Christmas expecting
a middle of the road keyboard,We are both impressed with the quality,workmanship and endless features of this product for the price. We would recommend this to anyone from a beginner to an advanced player.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha DGX-230 Keyboard Bundle, 76 Keys - Includes Professional Headphones, Keyboard Stand, and Power Supply

Product Description:
If you're looking for a reasonably priced piano-style keyboard, look no further than the DGX230. It's great for veterans and students alike, with 76 non-weighted keys that not only look like piano keys but have a Graded Soft Touch (GST) action with different levels of resistance, making it easier for a budding musician to move to an acoustic or digital piano.


If you're looking for a reasonably priced piano-style keyboard, look no further than the DGX230. Click to enlarge.
2-Way Speaker System
Separate woofers and tweeters deliver sounds in crystal-clear stereo, for more lifelike instrument voices.
Bass Boost System
A special port on each speaker adds a impact to low-ed reproduction.
Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
Enhance sound quality with sophisticated digital effects like Harmony, Reverb & Chorus.
Advanced Wave Memory (AWM)
Yamaha Advanced Wave Memory technology delivers amazingly realistic sound.
Full Keyboard Mode
The DGX230 delivers on its piano theme with a special mode of fingering called Full Keyboard Mode. This allows the player to play the keyboard like a piano; for example a chord with the right hand and bass notes with the left. When using the accompaniment feature, the virtual band will follow these chords. Traditional portable keyboards normally require you to chord on the left side of the keyboard, in the bass section, which is foreign to most piano players. The DGX230 is also capable of this mode, for those who prefer it.
Learn to play using the Yamaha Education Suite.
Interface with your computer and DAW with USB connectivity.
Easy and intuitive controls.
Built-in stereo speakers.
Yamaha Education Suite
The DGX230 has 30 built-in songs plus 70 more on included CD-ROM for you to learn to play using the Yamaha Education Suite. The songs are separated into left and right hand parts, providing 7 levels of lessons plus a convenient chord dictionary.
Learning features are plenty. Waiting Mode stops the song until you find the right note, Your Tempo Mode matches the song's tempo to your playing speed, and Minus One Mode plays the song without your chosen part, so you can play along.
The DGX230 will monitor your progress, giving you grades for each lesson. A Chord Dictionary is also included, displaying notes and chord names on-screen.
6-Track Sequencer
Imagine capturing your child's first performance or writing and recording your own songs. With the DGX230, you have the equivalent of a built-in multi-track recorder to record one or multiple instrument parts at a time and assign each part to a different track. Six tracks are provided to accommodate sophisticated melodies, chord accompaniment and rhythm parts.
Computer Connectivity: USB and Flash ROM
The DGX230 comes with 30 built-in songs plus 70 more on an included CD-ROM and an interactive lesson system, divided into left and right hand parts, for learning them. In addition, you have the ability to connect to a computer via USB, download more songs from the Internet into the internal Flash ROM (PC only), and use all of the Yamaha Education Suitefeatures to help you learn to play them. Yamaha makes it easy to get connected with the new PC button. Now, instead of wading through function menus and fighting through a maze of selections, one button is your expressway to music on the web and your computer. In addition, once connected, you can play your songs into the computer (PC and Mac), edit them if necessary, and e-mail them to your friends and family. And with General MIDI (GM) and XGlite compatibility, song data always plays back with the correct sounds.
Digital Music Notebook
Digital Music Notebook is a multimedia internet service that enables you to preview, purchase, download and print learn-to-play music books and chart-topping sheet music. From scales to chords to your favorite riffs, Digital Music Notebook is jam-packed with all the secrets you need to master your instrument. Add accompaniments, record and mix yourself, sing karaoke with friends, learn new techniques while having a blast--Digital Music Notebook delivers everything you need to bring music alive! And it's included with the DGX230.
Ease of Operation
There are many tools in the keyboard that make it easy to be a power user from the first day you own the keyboard.

    Expandable Music Database: Complete keyboard setups by song title. The keyboard selects an appropriate voice for the right hand melody, the correct musical style and the correct tempo. Simply call up a song title and start playing.
    One Touch Setting (OTS): Provides you with a recommended voice with effects for each style. For example, on a jazz style OTS might be piano, for a Latin style it might be acoustic guitar and for a rock style it might be a guitar with overdrive etc.
    Registration Memory: Set the keyboard up just the way you like and take a digital snapshot by memorizing it to one of the Registration buttons. Load and save up to 16 Registrations to User memory. The Registration buttons are conveniently located just above the keyboard.
    Performance Assistant Technology: Performance assistant technology is a feature from Yamaha that guarantees that you can't play a wrong note or chord. Here's how it works. Select a song, press the Performance Assistant button and play the keyboard--any notes you like. Every note you play will fit the music. If you move up the keyboard, the pitch goes up. If you move down, the pitch goes down. Play a perfect arpeggio, or play chords in time with the music, or really "go for it" and play a solo. As long as performance assistant is "on," you're "on." In addition to working with any of the internal songs with chords, this feature also works with XF MIDI files.

Master EQ: Tailor Your Sound
Five different master equalizer (EQ) settings are provided to give you the best possible sound when listening through different reproduction systems-the instrument's internal speakers, headphones, or an external speaker system. You're in control.
Easy Song Arranger
You can change the "feel," or arrangement, of songs by simply pressing the Easy Song Arranger button, allowing you to re-mix any MIDI file. For example, you can try your favorite song with a Rock feel, Hip Hop, then Jazz. It's fast, powerful and one-button simple.
Realistic Sounding Voices
The DGX230 comes equipped with 116 panel voices, 12 drum/SFX kits plus 361 XGlite voices. Included in this selection is stereo-sampled Piano, a selection of special voices including brass, woodwinds, electric pianos, organs and more.
2 Note Polyphony and 16 Part Multi Timbrel
In electronic keyboards, the more sounds made at the same time--polyphony--the more memory is needed. Obviously, more is always better, because too little polyphony can cause dropouts in dense passages of music. The DGX230 has 32 notes of polyphony and will play back 16 different parts or sounds at once (16-part multi timbrel); enough for the most demanding needs.
Digital Effects
Yamaha has long been a world leader in digital signal processing technology. In fact, Yamaha professional audio products are found in most professional recording studios around the world. The DGX230 takes full advantage of this know-how, giving you an extensive range of nine, top-quality reverb effects that simulate playing in everything from a small room to a large spacious concert hall and four chorus effects that add richness to electric pianos and guitars in particular. You'll also find 26 types of Harmony effects for your melody part.
Metronome
Just what the teacher ordered! A fully adjustable metronome is just a button push away.
Auto Accompaniment Styles
In addition to the 100 songs mentioned above, the DGX230 also has auto accompaniment styles that "follow" your playing. Simply select a style of music from the 160 built-in styles (example Rock) and start playing. The DGX230 will create a backup band (bass, drums, strings, guitar etc.) and "follow" you through the song. You can play your songs and try different genres of music. And if you can't find the right style for your song, you can go to www.yamahamusicsoft.com, preview from the selection, purchase and transfer it to your keyboard (PC only).
Portable Grand: Industry's best piano
You're never more than a button push away from the most realistic piano sound in portable keyboards today. One press of the Portable Grand button resets the entire keyboard to a stereo-sampled piano--perfect for when it's time to practice. Yamaha is known around the world for the quality of our acoustic pianos and this attention to detail is evident as you enjoy the warmth and clarity of the DGX230 Portable Grand piano. And of course, the keyboard includes a Sustain Pedal jack on the back for practicing and playing piano pieces.
Connectivity
The DGX230 features USB MIDI, Sustain Pedal jack and a Headphone jack for private practice.
What's in the Box
DGX230 Keyboard, Music Rest, Accessory CD-ROM, User's Manual

Buy cheap Yamaha DGX-230 Keyboard Bundle, 76 Keys - Includes Professional Headphones, Keyboard Stand, and Power Supply now Get 45% OFF