Yamaha PSRD1 61-Note Dance and Techno Portable Electronic Keyboard Review

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(More customer reviews)Why is it that musical critics who are accustomed to using $5,000.00 workstations frequently give the cheap, portable keyboard, the Yamaha PSR-D1 DJX, such rave reviews? Perhaps it is because underneath its tasteless, plasticy exterior looks lies so much uniqueness and potential for both the informal home hobbyist and the serious recording professional. In this price range, one would probably expect a "family" keyboard that entails multitudes of z-grade patches as well as limited effects and little or no MIDI implementation. However, the majority of the presets are deep, complex, and, most important of all, modern sounding. More amazing is that the sounds can actually be edited and implemented into serious recordings since the DSP, reverb, chorus, and arpeggiator effects are quite effective and innovative for a budget keyboard such as this. The MIDI functions of the DJX are also numerous, though it may be tricky for the typical user to program them into sequences at their fullest potential. Still, this keyboard is very unique and is one of the best keyboards, in any price range, for use in dance-techno styles. Overall, its value and its features makes it one of the few keyboards that is certain to please both the curious hobbyist as well as the recording professional.

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The Yamaha PSRD1 Dance and Techno Keyboard is a 61-key portable keyboard with many advanced features for creating techno and dance tracks. It's your one-stop groove station--complete with a built-in sampler and real-time control knobs. Sample your own parts (from a microphone or CD player), then play them from the keyboard. You can use the knobs, pitch bend wheel, and ribbon controller to change the sound. Simple-to-use editing controls let you fine-tune your samples and even loop them.
The Yamaha PSRD1 features 100 patterns to groove with, 15 drum kits, and 283 voices including hits, scratches, break beats, loops, and human voice samples (with 128 general MIDI voices). It is MIDI-compatible, so you can use this keyboard in conjunction with your PC for even greater variety and control.
Powered by either six D batteries or a Yamaha PA6 power adapter (not included), and weighing only 15 pounds, the Yamaha PSRD1 can go anywhere. This keyboard comes with a one-year manufacturer's warranty.

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Casio CTK7000 61 Key Portable Keyboard Review

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(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.

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Yamaha DGX230 76 Full-Sized Piano Style Keys, 489 Instrument Voices Review

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(More customer reviews)I now own two these. One I leave at my band's practice site, the other I keep at home and then take with me for performances. At $200 there's no sense hauling the practice instrument back and forth. Of course, it's not a professional keyboard and will rate sneers from real keyboardists. But for my purposes providing chording and some embellishments for a couple of local bands, it works just fine . . . especially great sound for the "rock organ" setting . . . and I also use the violin voice for country songs and the various saxophone voices on occasion. I have no idea about the other features of the keyboard as a learning device . . . but for an inexpensive, good-sounding, sturdy and dependable keyboard, it's great.

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

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(More customer reviews)I 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 for a 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.

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Yamaha NP30 Portable Grand Piano Review

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(More customer reviews)Before detailed remarks, here is my reference point. Having been spoiled with playing real pianos (I should say "acoustic", for PC :), I wanted a keyboard just to enjoy some classical music on my own, at my amateur level. I wanted it to be like a piano (in how it feels and sounds) but small and inexpensive.
PROS:
PORTABILITY - especially for an (almost) full-size keyboard. I really didn't want another piece of furniture. NP30 just lies on the table, which (to my own surprise) ended up as the deciding factor for me. YMMV.
SOUND. All the voices (including grand piano, organ, harpsichord) are well done and beautiful. (But see "CONS" below.)
KEY WEIGHTING. NP30's keys are something like "semi-weighted" and "touch sensitive" (but consult the official specs on this) and somewhat easy to press. But see "CONS" below. BTW I researched this "weighted" topic quite a bit and tried several options, but my practical conclusion is this. If you care about the feel, go more high-end or get the real thing (an acoustic piano, that is). Otherwise you will likely get used to what you have, even though it isn't perfect.
SIMPLICITY. The controls are few and quite intuitive.
PRICE. It's all relative, of course, but compared to other full-size keyboards out there, it's among the cheapest - $300 at Best Buys. (And that's without any sale discounds - Best Buys felt kinda thin on sales to me.)
CONS:
KEY WEIGHTING. While offering you an approximation of an acoustic piano's feel, NP30's keys are not quite there. First, they are hard to press if you place your fingers far from the edge of the key (i.e. towards the back of the keyboard) - I have never noticed this on an acoustic. Second, in some cases when I press several keys at once, NP30 doesn't sense one or two of them, whereas an acoustic piano would. I have to re-adjust the pressure to get NP30 to play them.
SOUND. While individual sounds are beautiful, their combinations may not parallel the richness of an acoustic piano's. This is probably because there is no is no resonating effect between the various strings. (Which is quite understandable at this price level.)
FEATURES (missing). The ones I cared about: additional voices (NP30 only got 10) and the 12 keys for the full-size 88-key keyboard. Again, it's all about a trade-off against portability and price.
ACCESSORIES (missing). Power adapter and the sustain pedal are not included, and Best Buys charges $25-30+ for each. This is a RIP-OFF, people. For power, look around; maybe you have a compatible one already (12V, 1500 mA, negative is outside) - or use rechargeable batteries. And maybe you are fine without the pedal (I am still to answer that question for myself).


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