Yamaha EZ-250i Portatone Lighted Musical Keyboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We got this keyboard just before Christmas 2003. Due to the pace of daily life, I haven't gotten too deeply into it. But since it has been several months and no one else has reviewed it, I'll start the ball rolling. The reason why I purchased THIS keyboard because it has a touch sensitive (velocity) and lighted keyboard. The only other model that fit this description was the Casio LK-55. I just thought the Yamaha sounded a bit better and was made a bit better. It is also more expensive. The sounds are quite good. There is an XG lite implementation as well as the standard General Midi soundset. The lighted keys make it easy to learn.
I have been too busy to hook it up to my computer yet to try out the downloading of General Midi sequences, but I am looking forward to it. The supplied USB cable is too short unless your keyboard is right up against your computer.
I was disappointed to find out that the only MIDI implementation is through a USB interface. There are no midi in and out jacks, so I couldn't hook this up directly to my other MIDI keyboard.
I'd love for Yamaha to come out with a version that had regular Midi jacks, pitch and mod wheels and an audio input (with reverb) for sing alongs. I'd pay double the price for those additions. For what you pay, I'd say you get your money's worth and then some.
UPDATE DECEMBER 2004
We've now had this keyboard about a year. Since my initial review, I've solved the computer problems that kept me from loading the software that came with the computer. (The problem was in my computer, and not in the Yamaha keyboard.)
I love the sound-filer software. This software allows you to load general midi files from the computer to the keyboard. The built-in flash memory on the keyboard will hold about 10 new songs, give or take. You can remove them and replace them at will with the songfiler software. Once loaded into the Ez-250i, the sequences play back just as the built-in songs do, lights and all, but with one exception, you can choose which instrument sounds are assigned to the left and right hand regions of the keyboard. This allows you to learn any of the orchestral parts of the song, and to see any of the parts assigned to the lighted area of the keyboard.
The software also allows you to use the EZ-250i as a midi slave instrument to play back sequences played by your computer's midi player or sequencer. This means the EZ-250i will play back any of the midi files you have stored on the computer without having those files actually loaded into the flash memory of the EZ-250i. In my experience, most songs sound better played by the Yamaha keyboard than the computer's Microsoft general midi instruments.
I'm not that thrilled with the Konami game that came with the computer. It seems like a Japanese home market game that doesn't translate well to American audiences. My kids aren't even that interested in it. I had no problems getting it going though.
Since my earlier review, I've explored the depths of the sound engine. There is a lot of synthesis horsepower under the surface. There is dynamic digital filtering on the voices, something you don't see on el-cheapo keyboards. In addition, the keyboard can split and layer voices, giving you up to four distinct sounds playable from the keyboard at any given time. The sound engine responds well over midi to pitch-bend and even portamento (gliding from note to note). It's a shame there's no pitch-bend wheel or portamento switch for live playing.
Since my earlier review, Casio has come out with a new lighted keyboard, the LK-90TV, that competes directly with the Yamaha EZ-250i. I haven't seen this personally, but it has some interesting features. It has a TV output to display Karaoke lyrics from sounds loaded by the user. It also accepts smartmedia cards for user-loaded sounds, though, as I understand it, this is a read-only slot. In other words, you can't load the card with sounds while hooked up to your keyboard. The card must be loaded from a reader attached to the computer. Though I haven't heard it live, it appears the sound-engine is the same as the LK-55, which, to my ears, sounded distinctly inferior to the Yamaha's.
In summary, a year after my purchase, I'm happy with my purchase, and I'd make the same choice today. I think Yamaha should add the lighted keyboard feature to its upmarket products, including keyboards with microphone inputs, pitch & mod wheels and sound editing features.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha EZ-250i Portatone Lighted Musical Keyboard

A great starter and advanced instrument, Yamaha's EZ-250i touch-sensitive keyboard features the Yamaha Educational Suite and lighted keys to help you learn, and quality sound topped by a stereo-sampled piano voice with dynamic filtering--technology previously reserved for much more expensive, professional keyboards. In addition, you'll find that playing piano is fast and easy with Yamaha's Portable Grand function. One dedicated button brings up a great sounding piano, stunningly rich and authentic in its sound and exceptionally responsive to your playing touch.The 32-note polyphonic EZ-250i comes equipped with 480 voices that include all the sounds of the orchestra, synthesizer patches, 10 drum kits, and 2 sound-effects kits. It is both General MIDI (GM) and XG Lite voices, making it compatible with pretty much every MIDI file available anywhere.The EZ-250i also has many state-of-the-art features to make connecting as quick and easy as possible. These features include a dedicated PC button, which takes a snapshot of your MIDI settings so you can instantly return to them at the press of a button, and a USB port for transferring song data to and from your computer. In addition, the USB port acts as a MIDI interface, freeing you from having to purchase other MIDI peripherals like cables and adapters.Once you're done practicing, challenge yourself to a multi-level game against the computer using Konami Keyboard Mania software (PC only). Post your scores online and see and how well others are doing. And without even knowing it, you'll still be learning to play music. The software challenges you to find notes on the keyboard before they disappear from the computer screen. There are different levels and different tasks, such as practicing your timing as the notes drop or finding the actual pitch of the notes. In addition, there are variations that stop and wait for you to find the notes before continuing. You can choose any tracks of the music that you like (even the drum track) and load in new General MIDI songs that you download online with your computer.And no matter what your level of playing, you'll appreciate being able to build combinations of your favorite sounds. Pressing the "split" button divides the keyboard into 2 parts, allowing you to have 2 different sounds on the keyboard at the same time, such as piano on the right and bass on the left. "Layer" mode allows you to combine 2 sounds across the keyboard range. For example, you could layer piano and strings and play both sounds at the same time. With 480 voices to choose from, the combinations are only limited by your imagination. The EZ-250i comes with 80 built-in songs. But if you've never played before, where do you start?The Yamaha Education Suite, a set of music training functions. Seven types of lessons are included, as well as a convenient chord dictionary. You get 3 keyboard lessons for each hand, timing mode (you can play the melody or chord by pressing any key using the correct timing), waiting mode (playback pauses until you find and play the correct chord or melody note; keys illuminate to guide you to the correct notes), minus-one mode (mute the left-hand, right-hand, or both parts of a song and play along nonstop). Lesson grading monitors your progress as you practice each lesson, and the chord dictionary shows you how to play chords by lighting the keys.The EZ-250i comes with 100 built-in styles--it's like having a built-in band. Call up your favorite style of music like rock, big band, or country, press a chord or play single-finger mode, and the 250i will follow you through a piece of music, providing all of the drums, bass, piano, guitar, horn, and string parts.What's in the Box Keyboard, music rest, song book, CD-ROM, USB cable, a user's manual, and warranty information. Batteries and PA-C3 power supply not included.

Click here for more information about Yamaha EZ-250i Portatone Lighted Musical Keyboard

Read More...

On Stage KS8191 Double Braced X Style Keyboard Stand Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It was very easy to assemble. It is a little wide for the Casio PX-130 88-Key Digital Stage Piano. Folds up easily for transport or storage. The adjustable height is great using the keyboard a different heights.
Since the height adjustment knob is only on one leg, on carpet it seems to be higher on one side than the other. On the lowest setting, the pin didn't lock in completely and the stand collapsed with the keyboard falling to the floor. I wish the height adjustment was on both legs and the spring in the pin was stronger.


Click Here to see more reviews about: On Stage KS8191 Double Braced X Style Keyboard Stand

Get 35% OFF

Click here for more information about On Stage KS8191 Double Braced X Style Keyboard Stand

Read More...

Casio CTK-591 Full-Size 61 Key Keyboard with Song Memory Recording Feature Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I recently have decided to learn to play the keyboard. As a complete beginner I decided I wouls begin with a keyboard as opposed to a piano to learn, and possibly move up as I gained experience. I must say, after recently purchasing this instrument I am thoroughly pleased.
Upon receiving this, which is the entry level, or lowest priced Casio model to feature btouch sensitive keys, I found there to be to defects in the way that the keyboard functions, and it is free of the low volume problems that are apparant in yamaha's entry level touch sensitive model.
I also learned that, however, the buyer should beware. Not only does this product arrive without an AC power adapter, but it also lacks a sustain pedal, which is essential to anyone who plan to use this keyboard to play at least intermediate music.
The model numbers for the adapter and the sustain pedal are located in the owner's manuel, in case you do decide to purchase this otherwise problem free product. But buyer beware however, that the price listed above is not the final one. Add on approximately, as I know from experience, about 15 dollars for the adapter, and 20 dollars for the "optional" sustain pedal, plus taxes.
Overall, however, besides the additional costs, I have found this product to be of plaesing quality and have no other quibbs about it. The keyboard only possesses 61 keys, however, 27 short of a full 88 key keyboard found on high level digital pianos and acoustic pianos, being 5 octaves plus one key. If 61 keys is not enough, I recommend you look elsewhere.
I may sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not. Some positive features that this keyboard does possess include 100 built in tunes, 50 classical and 50 dubbed "sing along". Examples include Mozart's fantastic "Turkish March", all the way down to "Tne Entertainer", and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". In addtion, an easy to use three step lesson system and stereo controls round out this entry level touch sensitive keyboard.
For the beginner, I do recommend this product, but beware the extra fees.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio CTK-591 Full-Size 61 Key Keyboard with Song Memory Recording Feature

Click here for more information about Casio CTK-591 Full-Size 61 Key Keyboard with Song Memory Recording Feature

Read More...

Casio LK-90TV 61-Key Lighted Keyboard with Karaoke Function Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My kids got this for Xmas and its very cool. Comes with 100 songs and you can download more with your computer and pipe them over via USB or on a Smart Media card. The keys light up on the programmed songs to help you along and an LCD display tells your tempo and what fingers you should be using on which keys.
If you have kids that play piano, its very nice that they can now practice somewhere and be quiet or use headphones.
It's a little intimidating with all its buttons and features, but otherwise a very nice piece of equipment. Comes with a power adapter and microphone. Consider getting a keyboard stand and bench so you can put it wherever you want since it is portable (compared to a piano). In its most basic form, you just plug in the power, turn it on and start playing.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio LK-90TV 61-Key Lighted Keyboard with Karaoke Function

Common knowledge says that if you don't practice diligently and master technique, you can't play a musical instrument. Casio, however, thinks otherwise, which is why it developed the LK-90TV lighted keyboard, which connects to users' TVs to guide them through lesson plans while individual keys light up to direct them to the proper notes. The keyboard employs a comprehensive three-step lesson system, which lets people learn as they play and grades their progress after each tutorial. The keyboard's complement of 61 illuminated keys also means folks will learn on a full keyboard, and the 100 pre-recorded songs gives them plenty of choices for accompaniment. Budding Elton Johns will appreciate the sing-along function, which lets people karaoke their way through 65 classics, with the option of loading more songs when connected to a computer through the USB interface. The karaoke option displays song lyrics across people's TV screens while they play, so both keyboard players and guests can harmonize their way through a host of favorites.
The LK-90TV owes its impressive sound to its HL dual-element sound chip, which delivers rich, crisp tones. The setup also offers an extensive repertoire of 128 general MIDI timbres, 128 tones, and eight drum sets, letting users experiment with a variety of beats and sounds. The advanced MIDI interface makes it easy to add other tones as well, all of which store via the SmartMedia medium. Additional features include an assignable pedal jack with sustain, soft, and rhythm start/stop options; 120 rhythm patterns; transpose and tuning controls; and a practice phase switch. Now stop messing around with ineffective keyboard lesson plans and get to work.

Click here for more information about Casio LK-90TV 61-Key Lighted Keyboard with Karaoke Function

Read More...

Yamaha PSR-295MS Portable 61-Key Touch-Sensitive Electronic Keyboard with Adapter and Stand Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)[This review holds for Yamaha PSR-295. Please note that this product is currently available from Amazon under two packagings: PSR-295AD (includes adapter) and PSR-295MS (includes adapter and stand).]
I got this full-length keyboard at a great price of $190 with included adapter and keyboard. Both accessories are a must, since this thing is huge.
The product shipped in two days (from PA to MD) with free shipping. I was delighted to find a helpful instructional DVD in the package to get started with the basics, so I didn't have to go through the manual, except for detailed and advanced features.
Also included was a Song Book, with staff music for some popular songs. It's great for someone who knows how to read music - I'm still learning to. There's also software to transfer music between PC and keyboard.
"Portable Grand" is just a one-touch button option to set the keyboard to Grand Piano mode. Of course, this cannot be expected to sound as great or realistic as a high-end digital piano or an expensive wooden one. However, the touch sensitive feature makes it as realistic as possible.
Here are the features I liked:
* Display shows notes and chords being played in three ways - staff notation, note name (ex. E# m7 aug etc.), and graphical (actual keys on a diagram).
* Truly Touch (Force) Sensitive Keys (can be toggled on/off).
* 487 Voices (incl. ~360 XGLite voices).
* 136 Accompaniment Styles to play along.
* Built-in songs which can be practised using Yamaha Education Suite. (Buil-in feature).
* Jog Dial to move between voice/style/song numbers.
* Flash memory to record your songs.
* Direct USB connection (MIDI-USB connecter cable *not* required - that cable would cost around $40).
* Software to transfer songs and voices between PC and keyboard.
* Truly stero output (not just two speakers).
* Phono/Line-Out socket.
* Sustain pedal socket (pedal not included).
Here are some things I didn't like:
* USB cable not included. ($7 extra from Amazon).
* Volume sometime seems a little low. But then, you can always pass output through amps if you really need it that loud.
* No mic or line-in socket.
* Phono out uses 1/4 inch pin. Had to buy a 1/8 to 1/4 converter from RadioShack.
* LCD display is highly "directional", visible only when looking at a particular angle. This is not much of a problem when playing sitting. However, if playing standing, this may be a little inconvenient.
* No sustain toggle switch. If you don't have a sustain pedal, turning sustain on/off manually takes a couple of steps.
Overall, at under $190, free shipping and included adapter and stand, this is a great buy for beginners as well as advanced users.
I had a Yamaha PSS-11 long back. It was a good beginner keyboard but it soon outgrew me, since you couldn't play it with two hands. Overall, I like Yamaha quality and find their keyboards much more professional than Casio ones (maybe I'm wrong). Of course, "real" professionals would use KORG, but that'll be upwards of $1000! :)


Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha PSR-295MS Portable 61-Key Touch-Sensitive Electronic Keyboard with Adapter and Stand

Click here for more information about Yamaha PSR-295MS Portable 61-Key Touch-Sensitive Electronic Keyboard with Adapter and Stand

Read More...

Casio CTK-5000-STAD 61-Key Digital Music Keyboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)we just got this a few days ago, and are very happy with it. The sound is very realistic for piano, and the action feels good. We were using an older borrowed keyboard, and were pleasantly surprised at the playablility and sound quality.
we bought from JR, because at the time it was slightly cheaper than Amazon, even with shipping, but the price has gone up.
This keyboard came with a stand, probably a $20 value, which is a bonus. It shows it in the picture, but not in the product description. We just had to get a bench and we were set.
We've just started exploring the settings. The first we adjusted was the touch sensitivity, which makes it louder the harder (technically, the faster) you hit the key, like a real piano. It has 3 setting choices: off, 1, and 2, with 2 being most sensitive. On 2 there is a pretty wide range of volume with key stroke, from very quiet on up, mimicking a real piano; not just quiet and loud.
Its still new to us, but we are very pleased with what we got for the money.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio CTK-5000-STAD 61-Key Digital Music Keyboard

Click here for more information about Casio CTK-5000-STAD 61-Key Digital Music Keyboard

Read More...

Yamaha MM6 Music Synthesizer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)i love this keyboard. its very portable. it has all the input and output options. the noises are very cool and i love it. to see this in action and me playing it: [...]

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha MM6 Music Synthesizer

Get 14% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha MM6 Music Synthesizer

Read More...

Yamaha PSR260AD 61-Note Touch-Sensitive Portable Electronic Keyboard with AC Adapter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The PSR 260 is a sophisticated and easy to play keyboard. For its excellent price you will get a keyboard that is portable and versatile, with realistic sounds and 100 voices, among them; piano, grand piano,church organ, accordion, soft guitar, wood bass, strings, marimba, french horn, clarinet, flute, pan flute, violin, sax, banjo and many more. The PSR 260 has also 100 songs either for listening or for use or play with the Yamaha Education Suite. MIDI terminals allow interfacing with other MIDI terminals and a featured touch response lets you control the volume of the voices with your playing strength just as on an acoustic piano. A truly portable instrument this keyboard weights only 12 lbs and is less than one meter long. It comes with a song book, owner's manual and it has a large multifunction LCD backlight display, stereo speakers and auxiliary jacks. A great keyboard to enter into the fascinating world of music.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha PSR260AD 61-Note Touch-Sensitive Portable Electronic Keyboard with AC Adapter

The Yamaha PSR-260AD will encourage your hidden musical talent. In addition to a five-octave touch-response keyboard, it features the Yamaha Education Suite 2 music teaching function, bass ports, and a new DJ mode.With touch-sensitive keys, you'll have control over volume and tone. A large backlit LCD with icons and characters provides all indication for settings, and the standard MIDI interface is all you'll need to hook up to a computer or other peripherals.
It features 100 instrument voices, 100 accompaniment styles and 100 built-in songs. In addition, the Yamaha PSR-260AD includes 100 songs in a songbook for the beginning keyboard player. If you need to practice without disturbing others, a headphone jack is available, and a sustain pedal jack will enhance your control of sound.
Other useful features for encouraging creativity include four multipads with 10 banks of musical phrases, a multifingering auto-accompaniment, and a DJ button with special dance voices.
At only 11.7 pounds, the Yamaha PSR-260AD is easily portable. It operates with an included adapter.

Click here for more information about Yamaha PSR260AD 61-Note Touch-Sensitive Portable Electronic Keyboard with AC Adapter

Read More...

Casio CTK7000 61 Key Portable Keyboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have both the ctk 7000 and the wk-7500 and they each are worth more than the price. Casio has made a vast improvement on the key bed settings. The annoying click of the keys that plagued earlier models is gone.The keyboars is beautiful to look at. The layout of the switches, buttons and drawbars is very funtional and comprehensive. I did like the blue screen on the ctk 5000 but the well lit screen on the newer models is still pleasant to the eyes as arethe blue lights that indicate the instrument nd rhythym choices.
As I said with the wk 7500, the 7000 is not geared towards novice players in that there are no teaching tools of the 'how to play the piano' variety provided. Earlier Casio models have the play along features for beginners so if that's where you are at, try the Lk series. This is a serious workstation. With 16 tracks for recording per song, you can create incredible pieces for performances or personal satisfaction. An sd card (not included) allows you to save your creations for future use, though you can save up to six songs on the keyboard.The tone editor let's you modify any sound to the point where you can creat an jnfinite number of new sounds. The rhythym editor allows you to modify beats and rhythyms and to also create your own beats and rhythyms. The tones are incredibly realistic, rivalling boards that cause three times as much, and as I previously stated, you can edit what you don't like. The keys are touch sensitive but you canturn off the sensitivity for the entire keyboard or adjust the sensitivity for the individual tones. You can record sounds from outside sources and up to 10 minutes. You cannot change the sounds but you can use them in your compositions.On top of this you get a functioning drawbar organ that puts the organs of many high end boards to shame. This keyboard has 48 note polyphony.
The keyboard connects to the internet with a USB cord. There is however no midi connection with another key board. If you have an IPad, you can connect it to the keyboard to run Appss such as Garage band etc... If you are a serious artist, don't let the price of this board fool you. You get more than you pay for.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio CTK7000 61 Key Portable Keyboard

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Casio CTK7000 61 Key Portable Keyboard

Read More...

Casio WK-1800 76-Key Full-Size Musical Keyboard with Disk Drive Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I used my keyboard primarily for marching season, Its GREAT! its gotten wet in the rain, dropped, dented, And it still works like new :D

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio WK-1800 76-Key Full-Size Musical Keyboard with Disk Drive

Casio's portable WK-1800 76-KEY Full-Sized musical keyboard delivers realistic piano, organ, and synthesizer sounds, plus a huge library of built-in tones, rhythms, and effects settings. This powerful instrument features a sequencer and a mixer, for unmatched creative possibilities, plus powerful built-in speakers to take your performance to the next level. The WK-1800 keyboard is ideal for home studio use, open-mic performance, classroom applications, or simply for pure musical enjoyment.
The WK-1800 features 76 full-size keys with a pro-quality, touch-sensitive keyboard and has an incredible 232 tones and 10 different digital effects, including reverb, chorus, tremolo and others. Featuring over 130 different rhythm patterns, including new specially designed "piano" patterns, the WK-1800 will make you feel like you're surrounded by your own back-up band. The synthesizer function and song/pattern sequencer allows you to create and store your own sounds, so you can compose with tunes with endless creativity.
Although you can store information on your WK-1800, it also features an internal 3.5-inch floppy disk drive. Use the drive to load and save data for the song and pattern sequencer, registration memory, and synth parameters.

Click here for more information about Casio WK-1800 76-Key Full-Size Musical Keyboard with Disk Drive

Read More...

Alesis Fusion 8HD 88-Note Keyboard Workstation Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I personally like the keyboard action a lot though it may be light for some people...its not as spongy-light as a Korg Karma but its not as heavily weighted as a Kurzweil SP76. Velocity, release velocity and mono aftertouch are standard.
Some people have been asking how I like the Fusion's Piano and, more specifically, how it stacks up against the Korg and Yamaha offerings...
Well, It kind of depends on what you like personally.
Let me explain; the Piano on my Motif Rack was a brittle piece of crap to my ears. The piano on the Fusion is a lot more realistic. Personal taste varies on piano sounds quite a bit though - I've got an old Baldwin Acrosonic Spinet in the studio that I love!
I needed at least one "workstation" type keybord with realistic instrument sounds like piano, clav and strings in my studio. I started with a Korg Karma but its sounds were overhyped plus it had the absolute worst keyboard I have ever felt. Later I traded it out for a Yamaha Motif rack - besides its too-bright sound it had awful MIDI timing slop...I sold it to help fund the Fusion.
Through my ADAM monitors, the Fusion has a nicely flat, unhyped sound. In my opinion, the Fusion's patches sit in a mix a little nicer than Korg and Yamaha - I didn't have to compress and EQ them to get them to "play nice".
I'm playing the Fusion along with a Serge Modular, Nord Modular, Yamaha VL-1, E-mu Planet Earth, Waldorf MicrowaveXT and a DSI Polyevolver Keyboard and I tell you, the Fusion can certainly hold its own, even with a disparate bunch of "weird guys". LOL! It really has a unique voice of its own thats different enough to be a very welcome addition :)
The unique sound engines in the Fusion are just a blast to program and I love their sound...that's where I think it really shines, though Its obviously no slouch as a sampler either - now I can finally trash my old S2000.
It seems fairly solid. I'm not planning on gigging with it - if I was, I would certainly buy a decent case, but I would do that for any synth I planned on transporting ;) I haven't had any lockups or software crashes yet...I've been digging pretty hard and deep into the beast since I got it and it seems very reliable so far. This is a much more mature OS version though...If you're looking into a Fusion, make sure the most recent OS is loaded - some of the earlier ones were very buggy.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Alesis Fusion 8HD 88-Note Keyboard Workstation

Click here for more information about Alesis Fusion 8HD 88-Note Keyboard Workstation

Read More...

Casio CTK810 Keyboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Casio CTK810 Keyboard
This is a fine solid keyboard if you are looking to learn a couple of songs and have a good sound. Even if you want to get a keyboard for your kids, as well as a good item for amusement. It is equipped with several voices, functions, and a teaching method. It is Touch Sensitive, so you can express yourself fully and it has USB connectivity that other brand's similar models lack.
It's an excellent option for your first keyboard.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio CTK810 Keyboard

Click here for more information about Casio CTK810 Keyboard

Read More...

World Tour WTAD5 AD5 Casio Power Supply Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)this product works fine with my Casio keyboard, at a lower price than the Casio Brand. What's not to like?

Click Here to see more reviews about: World Tour WTAD5 AD5 Casio Power Supply

Get 29% OFF

Click here for more information about World Tour WTAD5 AD5 Casio Power Supply

Read More...

Casio CTK-573 61-Note Touch Sensitive Keyboard with Adapter and Song Books Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have had this keyboard for about six years. I grew up playing my parent's piano and I wanted something to play on until I got a piano of my own. For the price, this was PERFECT...once I added the sustain pedal. It will allow you to play many notes at once (polyphonics) and you can record 2 songs in the memory banks. It does have Midi ability to hook up the the computer but I have never tried that function out. The keys are touch sensitive, piano mode is realistic sounding and in perfect tune so that I can play along with YouTube songs, such as the Beatles Live performances. It has some fun sound effect options as well. I LOVE this keyboard and it has gotten me by quite nicely without having the real thing.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio CTK-573 61-Note Touch Sensitive Keyboard with Adapter and Song Books

Click here for more information about Casio CTK-573 61-Note Touch Sensitive Keyboard with Adapter and Song Books

Read More...

Casio WK-3000 Professional Series 76 Key Digital Recording Studio Styled Keyboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After having being away from playing music for almost three years, I was curious as to what would portable keyboards be up to. As it was my habit (having owned three previous Yamaha Portasound keyboards) I went for the latest release in Yamaha's portable lineup, only to be dissapointed at the lack of versatility and mostly at the lack of power in the keyboard's output. Since I am up for portability (not wanting or being able to hook it up to a whole bunch of external gear to make it sound good), this was a major deal breaker for me... for the first time in my life, I turned Yamaha down.
Then, I turned around (I literally turned around, since I was in a Sam Ash store!) and I glanced at this baby. "A Casio!" -I said to myself... Wasn't thrilled at the prospects, I must admit, because I remember Casio's cheesy-sounding tones of ole. It's almost like I wanted to forget them: oh, how much I hated the tones that the Casio keyboards came with. But I gave it a shot, and today I am happy that I did. This keyboard, even today, almost two months after I bought it, comes with far more options than I think I will ever come up with uses for!
It comes pre-loaded with far more high-quality tones than you will ever need, with a wide array of pianos, electric pianos and organs, opening the line-up. Are you a synthesis freak? No problem! You can play with a bunch of parameters within all the tones and save up as many as 100 of your newly created tones,. and if you want more, you can download more tones and rhythms from the Casio music or elsewhere in the Web, ad nauseam, since you can expand the memory with an standard SmartMedia card.
As for rhythms, there's plenty of those too (you can also make different drum kits play different rhythms than those they're programmed for, for an array of very interesting combinations), and you can save quite a few of your songs for playback, as well as keyboard configurations, or split the keyboard, or mix two sounds to be played, with awesome control over volume of each, etc. I mean, with the Casio WK-3000 Professional Series 76 Key Digital Recording Studio Styled Keyboard by Casio (now, THAT's one deserved mouthful) you really have it all.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio WK-3000 Professional Series 76 Key Digital Recording Studio Styled Keyboard

A total of three hundred advanced tones are programmed with DSP tones to make the Casio WK-3000 a rich and powerful sounding keyboard. Advanced tones like stereo piano and tremolo electric piano highlight some of the possibilities beyond the 516 standard tones. You'll also receive fifty realistic drawbar organ tones. If you want even more control over your tones, you can edit the parameters of preset tones and save up to a hundred original tones in user tone memory. Built-in flash memory lets you expand your selection of tones and rhythms by downloading data from the Casio music site, or from other sources. You can also store up to two hundred SMF format music files for playback. The keyboard comes with 140 rhythms. The backlit display shows chord names, tempo setting, keyboard information, and staff notation of notes played. The General MIDI tones of this keyboard let you connect to a personal computer to enjoy desktop music capabilities. This keyboard can be used as a desktop music input device or sound source. The keyboard runs on an AC adaptor or 6 D batteries which will power the keyboard for up to four hours.

Click here for more information about Casio WK-3000 Professional Series 76 Key Digital Recording Studio Styled Keyboard

Read More...

On Stage KDA7088G 88-note Electronic Keyboard Dust Cover Gray 40979 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Very good value for the money. The cover fit my Yahama perfectly. There is a little pouch on one side that is perfect for the keyboard's power adapter. For the price, the cover is a great value!

Click Here to see more reviews about: On Stage KDA7088G 88-note Electronic Keyboard Dust Cover Gray 40979

Get 19% OFF

Click here for more information about On Stage KDA7088G 88-note Electronic Keyboard Dust Cover Gray 40979

Read More...

Yamaha YPT-310 61 Full Size Touch Sensitive Keys with 500 Tones and 32-Note Polyphony Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Reviewers have a wide range of opinion regarding this keyboard, with some claiming it is terrific and others that it is awful. This note attempts to reconcile these different claims and help potential buyers make the best decision.
1.The YPT-310 is functionally identical to the earlier model YPT-300. The new model changes simply made the device more environmentally friendly ("greener").
2.The YPT-310 is not a piano. A piano doesn't need batteries or an adapter that plugs into an outlet. If you are willing to pay thousands of dollars, you can purchase a piano that produces wonderful sounds, and the key action has a good feel. On the other hand, pianos take up a lot of room. They need to be regularly tuned. They are sensitive to humidity and temperature. Eventually a piano will need to be repaired. The sound you create on a piano can bother your neighbors. In addition, pianos produce only one kind of sound, that which is generated by hammers striking strings. (Some people have done bizarre things to pianos, such as putting tacks into the hammers, but most of us are not going to make these modifications).
Pianists who have played a great deal of piano music, who have no interest in expanding their palette of musical tone color, or who have neither the time nor desire to learn about the controls on a modern synthesizer are unlikely to be happy with the YPT-310. On the other hand, someone who appreciates the tone color of different instruments and is willing to invest a small amount of time learning about synthesizers, will find that this keyboard opens up a whole new world of musical possibilities.
3.Sustain Pedal (foot pedal). The sustain pedal allows the sound to continue after you release a key. This is critically important; without a sustain pedal, you have only half an instrument. This keyboard does not come with a sustain pedal; you will have to purchase it separately. The pedal costs very little, and the cheapest one (about $15) can be glued to a piece of wood to keep it from moving around under foot.
Note: when you power up the YPT-310, the keyboard software "assumes" the foot pedal is not depressed. If the sustain stops when you press the foot pedal, that means you had it depressed when you turned on the keyboard.
4.Sound Quality. There are three ways to produce sounds from the keyboard. You can use the speakers that are part of the device; you can use the headphone jack and the analog signal available there to externally produce sound; or you can use the MIDI interface to have external equipment generate sound based on key press characteristics. The YPT-310 is capable of producing fabulous sounds as well as horrible sounds. The following notes give further details and make some specific suggestions on how to produce the more pleasing sounds.
5.Speakers and Headphones. The built-in speakers have very limited bass response; that is, the low frequency sounds (sounds with a low pitch) are weak. Ironically, some of the most beautiful sounds the YPT-310 can produce are in this low frequency range. The violin (instrument 53), flute (instrument 84), and Vibraphone (instrument 101) are examples of this. In order to hear these sounds, rather than the poor imitation coming from the built-in speakers, you will need headphones or the ability to connect the headphone output jack to a more capable sound system. If you want to listen to some of the beautiful sounds this instrument is capable of, check out the 30 second samples of the music found on the Time album at http://cdbaby.com/cd/peterbaum. The voices from the keyboard were sent via the headphone jack to a computer where they were mixed using multi-track software. Typical of professionally mastered CDs, post processing was performed on some of these tracks using software; for example, echo effects were sometime used and multiple tracks laid down to create ensembles. However, the instrumental voices heard on every single track were generated by this inexpensive keyboard. The quality of the 30 second samples isn't the best possible, since they are in MP3 format, but you will hear some amazing sounds if you are using headphones or a good speaker-driven sound system. The tracks on the CD itself sound better. More information about the YPT-310 voices used on each track of the CD can be found at http://mysite.verizon.net/aesir_research/Peter%20Baum%20-Time-%20Notes.htm).
6.Listening Environment. Your music listening environment can dramatically change how the music is perceived. For example, most cars are not good places to listen to music, especially if you don't use headphones. If you are composing music, your sonic environment can also influence the content of your compositions.
7."I Hate Synthesizers." There are some people who simply hate the sound of synthesizers; they often describe the sound as harsh, mechanical, or cold. In addition, there sometimes is an unnatural, high frequency component to the sound. I agree that some sounds from some synthesizers have these characteristics, and I will even agree that many of the sounds from the YPT-310 sound this way. However, I also found very pleasing sounds among its many voices. Even the sounds that are less than pleasing can be put to good use. I found that some voices, such as the bassoon, could be made warmer by using the built in dual voice function to add an accompanying string section. I also found other sounds that became important compositionally, even though they sounded cold as solo voices.
8.Finding Beautiful Sounds. Because of the way this synthesizer generates different notes based on a sound sample from a real acoustic instrument, the tone quality (sometimes called tone coloration or harmonics) can depend on the pitch of the note. This is also true of real acoustic instruments, the bassoon being a striking example. As I mentioned previously, the violin, vibraphone, and flute sound especially good in their low registers on this keyboard. The "Clavi," "Baritone Sax," and "Fretless Bass 4" voices do too. Some instruments sound best when played in a range that is higher than normal. For example, the Oud sounds like a sweet, tiny bell in its upper register. If you want to produce a variety of useful sounds, you have to be willing to explore the keyboard by sampling different voices in a variety of registers and other settings.
9.The Bottom Line. For around $150, this is an amazing instrument. It can be used to produce professional quality music, if its limitations are respected and its strengths taken advantage of.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha YPT-310 61 Full Size Touch Sensitive Keys with 500 Tones and 32-Note Polyphony

Yamaha's 61-key YPT-310 is a great way to get started with keyboard/piano playing, featuring 61 touch-sensitive keys, 482 voices, a music database and stereo speakers. Plenty of fun sounds and an advanced set of helpful learning tools built into the instrument, letting you teach yourself how to play and perform.

Expressive Touch Like a Piano If you're buying a keyboard having piano in mind, you'll want Yamaha's Touch Response feature. On an acoustic piano, striking a key harder will produce a louder sound, striking it softer will produce a softer sound. With Yamaha's "Touch Response" the YPT-310 keyboard responds like an acoustic piano.
Backlit LCD Screen Since you spend a lot of the time at your keyboard looking at the LCD display screen, you might as well get one that's easy to see--like the backlit LCD in the YPT-310.
Portable Grand: One Press to an Amazing Stereo Grand Voice 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 YPT-310 Portable Grand piano. And of course, the keyboard includes a Sustain Pedal jack on the back for practicing and playing piano pieces.
Yamaha Education Suite (Y.E.S.): Learn How To Play Now! The YPT-310 has 102 built-in songs 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:
Lesson One--Listen & learn the melody or rhythm of a selected song
Lesson Two--Timing mode allows you to play the melody or chord by pressing any key using the correct timing
Lesson Three--Waiting mode stops the playback of a song until you find the correct note and then continues
Lesson Grading--monitors your progress as you practice each lessons two and three and gives you a grade.
Chord Dictionary--shows you how to play chords and tells you which chords you are playing by displaying the notes and chord name on the LCD screen.

Sound Effect Kit: Have Some Fun! If your student doesn't think playing keyboard is cool, wait 'til he hears this keyboard! Get the world of Hip Hop and all the hottest sound effects in your Yamaha keyboard. Push the Sound Effect button, hold down a key with your right hand, and you're groovin'!
Sound Quality: Real Stereo with Bass Ports (Not Just 2 Speakers) 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.
Bass Ports--Port on each speaker that adds a powerful impact to bass sound reproduction
Stereo (Not just 2 Speakers)--We all know that stereo sound adds realistic character and spatial depth. But how can you tell if the portable keyboard you're looking to purchase is stereo or not? With Yamaha, the answer is simple. All Yamaha Portable Keyboards are true stereo.

32 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. Some keyboards at this price point have only 12-note polyphony. The YPT-310 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.
106 Accompaniment styles and the One Touch Setting The YPT-310 comes with 106 built-in styles, waiting for you to play along with. It's just like having a built-in band. Call up your favorite style of music like Rock, Big Band or Country, press a chord or play Single Finger mode, and the YPT-310 will follow you through a piece of music, providing all of the drums, bass, piano, guitar, horn and string parts for you. And to make it easy and fun, when you select one of the styles, the One Touch Setting function will automatically configure keyboard parameters, such as voice selection and digital effects, to match that selected music style. In addition, you can transfer new Styles into the Flash ROM in the keyboard. Selections can be found at www.yamahamusicsoft.com.
482 General MIDI (GM) and XGLite Voices The YPT-310 has a large selection of professional sounding voices called XGlite. Only Yamaha's best keyboards have the capacity to support and reproduce Yamaha's XGlite voices. The result is amazing sound quality and almost 500 voices for you to choose from, offering even greater compatibility with both 3rd party and Yamaha XG software. For a look at some of the GM/XG music titles available from Yamaha, check out www.yamahamusicsoft.com.
Computer Connectivity and Flash ROM The YPT-310 comes with 102 built-in songs 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, download more songs from the Internet into the internal Flash ROM, and use all of the Yamaha Education Suite V5 features 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. You can connect to the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) port on the back with an optional USB-MIDI Interface like the Yamaha UX16. Once connected, you can play your songs into the computer, 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.
9 Digital Reverb Plus 4 Chorus 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 YPT-310 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.
What's in the Box YPT-310 Keyboard, Music Rest, Owner's Manual

Click here for more information about Yamaha YPT-310 61 Full Size Touch Sensitive Keys with 500 Tones and 32-Note Polyphony

Read More...