8/07/2011

Yamaha EZ-200 61 Full-Sized Touch Sensitive Lighted Keyboard Bundle: Includes Professional Headphones, Keyboard Stand, and Power Supply Review

Yamaha EZ-200 61 Full-Sized Touch Sensitive Lighted Keyboard Bundle: Includes Professional Headphones, Keyboard Stand, and Power Supply
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Now, I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about buying a keyboard via the Internet, as I have never owned one beforehand. However, I wanted to learn how to play the piano and had heard that this was a good one to start with from several different piano teachers. Wow, this is quite the bargain. The keyboard comes with a stand, headphones (in case you don't want to run off all of your family and friends as you're learning to play), and also a power adapter. I was surprised to find out that the keyboard does not normally come with these features, (as they are traditionally sold separately), but this package comes with all of these features!
The keyboard comes with about 100 built-in songs, (a part of the Yamaha Educational Suite), which you can learn to play along with. (Personally, I have found it easier to buy the Bastien learning series books, as the songs that are included with this keyboard are in small print. This is just my experience, but since I am teaching myself to play, I have found these starter books to be a wonderful guide for an absolute beginner. I am already starting to play songs that I never dreamed possible! Wow, so cool...)
One thing that I really like about this keyboard is that it's piano voice sounds just like a high-quality grand piano. Best of all, the keyboard is very simple to use -- and not complicated.
One thing that I am disappointed in is that it does not come with a USB connection. Instead, I had to buy a MIDI-connector for $40 dollars, so I could connect it to my Mac. I wanted to record my playing, but quickly discovered that Apple's Garageband couldn't seem to work with it. Yes, I have read the instruction manual and followed its directions step-by-step, but still no results. Garageband claims that its connected, but no results.
Overall, this is a great keyboard for getting started. If you are hoping to record your music, you might want to check into a more expensive Yamaha model with a USB connector.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha EZ-200 61 Full-Sized Touch Sensitive Lighted Keyboard Bundle: Includes Professional Headphones, Keyboard Stand, and Power Supply

Never played piano or keyboard before? The EZ-200 lighted keyboard from Yamaha will have you playing songs from the very first day. Just call up a song from the 100 songs built-in to the keyboard, select if you'd like to play the left or right hand part and hit "Start". The keyboard will light up the key that you're supposed to play, and in fact, the song will actually stop and wait for you to find the correct key! All of the tools you need are found in the keyboard, including how to play chords. This bundle includes everything else you need, as well--a keyboard stand, headphones, and a power supply.

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 EZ-200 keyboard responds like an acoustic piano.
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 EZ-200 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: Helps you learn to play The EZ-200 has 100 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. In addition, the correct fingering is indicated in the LCD display.
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.

Computer Connectivity: General MIDI (GM) and XGlite compatible The music pathway to your computer and the Internet is MIDI. It's the way that keyboards communicate with computers. And because the EZ-200 is both General MIDI (GM) and XGlite compatible, you have access to thousands of MIDI song files on the Internet.
367 Voices and the One-Touch Setting The EZ-200 has 367 Voices for you to choose from. For example, there are pianos, electric pianos, harpsichord, guitars, drums, bass, violins, brass and synthesizer voices. Pretty much every instrument in the orchestra is at your fingertips. And if you don't know which sound goes with what style of music, the keyboard can select an appropriate sound for you using the convenient One-Touch Setting.
Sound Quality: Real stereo (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.
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 EZ-200 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.
Reverb 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 EZ-200 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; a first in this price range.
Metronome Just what the teacher ordered! A fully adjustable metronome is just a button push away.
Strike up the Band!--Keyboard Styles In addition to the 100 songs found in the EZ-200, there are 100 Styles that allow you to play any song you like. 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 EZ-200 will follow you through a piece of music, providing all of the drums, bass, piano, guitar, horn and string parts for you. With this instrument, you can make great sounding music with little more than 2 fingers, however as you learn to play, the EZ-200 will adapt to your new skills and automatically switch between single finger mode and fingered mode where you play all the notes of the chord.
Connectivity The EZ-200 features MIDI In/Out, Sustain Pedal jack and a Headphone jack for private practice.
Don't forget your Survival Kit! Designed to provide you with everything you need to get started. Kit includes a two-year extended warranty, power adaptor, foot switch on models that require it, stereo headphones, bonus coupons and a DVD-ROM. Look for it at a dealer near you.
What's in the Box Yamaha EZ200 Keyboard, Professional Headphones, Keyboard Stand, Power Supply, Music Rest, Owner's Manual, Song Book

Buy NowGet 53% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha EZ-200 61 Full-Sized Touch Sensitive Lighted Keyboard Bundle: Includes Professional Headphones, Keyboard Stand, and Power Supply

Read More...

8/06/2011

Yamaha YPG-235 76-Key Portable Grand Piano Premium Pack Review

Yamaha YPG-235 76-Key Portable Grand Piano Premium Pack
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I received this keyboard on 2/2/11. As always, I was impressed with how quickly I received my order from Amazon.com. However, within minutes of setting up the keyboard, I noticed that two keys on the right side of the keyboard didn't work. One key simply didn't work AT ALL, and one key seemed to have a short and would only play after pressing it like 3 or 4 times in a row. Amazon is making it easy to return/exchange this keyboard, so I'm hopeful that the replacement is decent. However, after this experience and reading other reviews online of this exact problem, I am very concerned about the build quality of this keyboard, despite having heard good things over the years about Yamaha.
I'll update this review after I receive the replacement in a week or so. Hopefully I won't have to switch to another brand, but Casio maybe the next one I look at (need to keep this purchase affordable).
UPDATE: I received a replacement keyboard in record time: less than 2 days! I was at first bummed that I wouldn't be able to test the new keyboard over the weekend, but Amazon got the replacement out immediately and it was here early Friday afternoon (I had only submitted the return early Wednesday evening). Amazon did create some confusion, however, by on the one hand telling me that UPS would be picking up the defective keyboard from my house, and then e-mailing me a label and instructions for dropping the keyboard off at a local UPS center. Then UPS added to the confusion when I called to confirm the pick-up at my house: they said that one hadn't been arranged. So then I bring the keyboard to a UPS center, and then find a UPS pick-up attempt label on my door. Whatever...I got the defective keyboard to UPS and back to Amazon.
As for the keyboard: it sounds great. I've only just begun to play around with it, but the keys feel good, and the variety of quality sounds is incredible. I'll be combining this keyboard with Ableton Live Intro to create music. I spent several hours after receiving the keyboard testing the keys (I was concerned after the defective unit) and checking out the various functions. I haven't even scratched the surface yet, but I am giving the keyboard a decent rating. I'll report back if my opinion changes over time.
The headphones that were included with this package deal are ABSOLUTE GARBAGE. It's not worth my time to return them, especially since I already went through the hassle of returning the entire first keyboard package. The right channel of the headphones didn't work AT ALL right out of the package. These no-name, god-awful headphones are already in the trash. I ordered the package to get the power adapter and the stand anyway, so it's not a big lose. Still, you don't like to feel ripped off in any way.
The stand that came with this package is quite sturdy. It certainly isn't anything fancy, but it was easy to put together and it seems strong enough to last years.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha YPG-235 76-Key Portable Grand Piano Premium Pack



Buy NowGet 62% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha YPG-235 76-Key Portable Grand Piano Premium Pack

Read More...

8/05/2011

Yamaha PKBB1 Single Braced Adjustable X-Style Keyboard Bench Review

Yamaha PKBB1 Single Braced Adjustable X-Style Keyboard Bench
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
First of all, the PKBB1MM is the same model as the PKBB1. In fact, the box for this bench leaves off the MM suffix. So, it would seem that the same bench is being sold twice on Amazon, for two different prices. Go for whichever is cheaper.
Now, as far as the bench goes, it's not bad, especially for the price. Raising and lowering could be easier--as is, it involves unscrewing a knob, pulling out a bolt, holding a bunch of washers in place, and screwing the knob back into the bolt at the desired height. Not as horrible as it sounds, but could be annoying if you're taking this bench to a gig. If you're using it in your home, however, you'll probably just leave it in one position anyway.
The other downfall of this bench is that its highest setting is not all that high. I'm six feet tall, have a digital piano with the keys positioned at exactly the height of a regular grand piano, and honestly, the bench makes me feel a little short. Two or three inches more height would be perfect.
The upsides are: 1) the cushion is quite comfortable, even for extended playing; it feels almost like visco-elastic foam. 2) The bench is reasonably sturdy and well-built, considering the small size and the low cost.
Overall, I'd recommend this bench for home use, but only because it is dramatically cheaper than anything else in its class.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha PKBB1 Single Braced Adjustable X-Style Keyboard Bench

The PKBB1 offers lasting comfort and a reputation as one of Yamaha's top-selling benches. Its ultra-thick padding and extra-wide single seat assures the utmost comfort for hours of music enjoyment.

With a definitive black finish and a soft padded seat, this bench is fully adjustable for individual comfort and folds up for your traveling convenience. Height is adjustable from 17.5 to 19.5 inches.

Recommended for use with any portable keyboard or synthesizer.
What's in the Box Yamaha PKBB1 Keyboard Bench

Buy NowGet 39% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha PKBB1 Single Braced Adjustable X-Style Keyboard Bench

Read More...

8/04/2011

Casio PX830 Privia Digital Piano, Black Review

Casio PX830 Privia Digital Piano, Black
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I bought this for my daughter who's learning piano and yearning for a "real" one. This sounds and feels like a grand. The parts were packaged and padded securely. It arrived safe and sound even though there was a rip and a hole in the box.
Took me a while to put everything together. The instructions were detailed enough, but it was not in the first page of the manual, so you have to look for it, and read everything first before you start. During assembly, I found that most screws on the piano body were not sufficiently fastened, a few were almost ready to fall out! That didn't incite any confidence in its assembly work. And, the unit did not have a sticker with serial number, nor was one on the box! Can't explain why.
But overall, it plays well, sounds good. And let's hope it doesn't break down! If not for the issues above I would have given it a five stars.
A couple more things. The black wood was faux wood particle board, and looked cheap. I couldn't tell from the photos, and had expected gloss black (like a real piano). Also, even with the lid/cover down, the keys are still exposed on the front side. Instead of having a narrow folding board to cover the front side (again, like many real pianos), it gives you a little stopper to put in the middle so the cover board won't warp. I have to say, this can only make it look "cheap". Not sure if I was expecting too much.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio PX830 Privia Digital Piano, Black



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Casio PX830 Privia Digital Piano, Black

Read More...

8/03/2011

Korg SP170 88 Key Digital Piano, Black Review

Korg SP170 88 Key Digital Piano, Black
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I debated between this, the SP250, Yamaha P85, and the Casio PX-130/330. After trying the Casios and not liking to sound of them, and deciding that the SP250 was a bit expensive and heavy, I had a hard time deciding between the SP170 and P85. Both are excellent and have similar features. The SP170 is a little cheaper and looks a bit sleaker. The P85 has a couple extra functions (like layering and a metronome). I chose the SP170 and have been very happy with my decision. All 10 voices sound great, the speakers are plenty loud, and the keys feel very good, like a real piano. I bought mine online in a "bundle" and am very satisfied with all components.
There are no buttons on the keyboard (just a volume and on/off switch on the back). I was worried that changes voices would be a pain, and while it is slightly awkward, it really is not a big deal. I just wish there was a way to tell if reverb and chorus were on or off.
An excellent digital piano for the price!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Korg SP170 88 Key Digital Piano, Black



Buy NowGet 25% OFF

Click here for more information about Korg SP170 88 Key Digital Piano, Black

Read More...

8/02/2011

Casio CS-67 Keyboard Stand for PX130 and PX330 Review

Casio CS-67 Keyboard Stand for PX130 and PX330
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This stand works well for the PX130 and is reasonably attractive when set up. But, for the price, I expected more.
Specifically, I have three issues with this stand. First, the stand tips easily unless the anti-tipping metal brackets are installed at the bottom, which seems like more of a cheesy band-aid on a design flaw than a good solution to this problem. Second, the piano does not sit in the stand in a way where it can easily be removed but is actually bolted in, limiting its portability. Third, the appearance and quality of the build, while fine, is not far from Ikea furniture, which is less than I expected for the price.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio CS-67 Keyboard Stand for PX130 and PX330



Buy NowGet 35% OFF

Click here for more information about Casio CS-67 Keyboard Stand for PX130 and PX330

Read More...

8/01/2011

Casio PX-330 88 Key Digital Stage Piano with Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action Review

Casio PX-330 88 Key Digital Stage Piano with Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I am a professional jazz pianist of some 30+ years. I recently bought this keyboard as a much needed gigging and practicing piano that was light weight, had built in speakers, 88 note key weighted action and a good piano sound. You will find all of this and more in the PX-330. I don't think there is any other keyboard currently being manufactured that provides all these features at this low a price point.
Pros:
- great weighted action... a bit mushy but one can certainly adapt to it easily.
- good piano sound, but not without its faults (see below) It reminds me of the sound of the Kurzweil pianos.
- auto arranger with tons of grooves for practicing and jamming.
- good selection of song style presets... it even has "Giant Steps" for all you jazz pianists to practice on. Any tempo, Any key.
- some interesting world beat grooves are included along with standard pop, rock, latin, etc. grooves
- weighs only 25 lbs... this is one of the best features of all!
- skinny... easy to carry
- built in speakers lead to instant gratification when turning on the keyboard and playing. You just sit down and play. No muss, no fuss.
- good contruction. Uses alot of plastic. Not as good as Roland or Yamaha but good enough
- pitch bend wheel is a surprise bonus
- nice LCD display is a big improvement over previous models
- line inputs let you bring in a submix from an mp3 player, iPod, or mixer
- two separate 1/8" mini stereo headphone outs
- good for education and dual playing... the keyboard can be split into duet mode each playing the same sound
- the auto harmony feature is very good and alot of fun to play around with. (dual voice, three voice, etc.)
- memory card slot for saving your patches and performances
- excellent price and value for the money
Cons:
- piano sound is good but suffers from too fast a decay in the middle register. It's difficult to make a melody "sing" or play in a smooth legato style. This decay problem would be fine in pop or rock music, but for solo jazz and classical it is a definite flaw. It is not so noticeable when playing with a rhythm section.
- there is no way to adjust the volume of the primary piano sound when using splits or accompaniments. You can decrease/increase the accompaniment, but cannot increase the main voice independently.
- there is no way to adjust the reverb wet/dry depth. I find this particularly irritating, since certain styles of music require more reverb. Access to a heavier reverb would also help cover over some of the flaws in the piano sound. However, you can adjust the reverb wet/dry depth on the individual accompaniment parts. Why they didn't include this feature on the main sound is a mystery to me.
- labeling of buttons is too dark and hard to see, especially in dim lighting
- buttons lack tactile "feel", are shallow, and can easily be missed in the heat of a performance. Combine this with hard to see labels and you have a recipe for disaster. However, most of the buttons do have LED lights which helps in seeing what is engaged.
- unit comes with a cheap sustain pad/switch which easily flips over when playing. For serious playing you will need to buy a separate sustain pedal. Or use gaffe tape.
- the polarity of the pedal is reversed and cannot be changed internally like many other keyboards. This forces you to buy Casio's pedal unit. A work around is to buy a sustain pedal with a polarity switch, or a regular sustain pedal which you can adapt reversing the polarity of the wires.
- the unit supports half-pedaling which is great, but only if you buy the Casio pedal board.
- the much ballyhooed "acoustic resonance" feature is barely discernible and for all intents and purposes contributes nothing to the piano sound.
- multiple button and combination button pushes can easily make for confusion. You will need to sit down and really learn this keyboard to effectively use its features esp. during performance.
- some of the auto accompaniment parts are pretty cheesy, and with a few exceptions the non-piano sounds are just so-so.
- at maximum volume there is some distortion in the piano sound coming out of the built in speakers.
- when using split keyboard mode, the sustain pedal sustains both zones... If you are playing bass with your left hand, it will sustain when you pedal for the piano sound. Not good.
- Flimsy 1/4" jacks will not last in the long run.
I do not mean do denigrate this product by listing all the cons... overall, it's an excellent low priced piano packed with features not found in other brands that cost more. I just wish I could get comfortable with the fast decay in the middle register, and have more control over the effects. The sustain on the lower split is an oversight that should be corrected.
I have Synthogy Ivory on my laptop, and on more important gigs I use the PX-330 as a controller for the Ivory piano. I bring the output of the Ivory back into the line inputs. Now that's a righteous piano sound! Nevertheless, I am happy I bought this keyboard and am sure it will serve me well as I continue to make music.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio PX-330 88 Key Digital Stage Piano with Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action

The new Casio Privia PX-330 redefines the digital piano category with unprecedented sound quality and performance in a sleek package that is supremely portable. Featuring all new grand piano samples and a new Tri-Sensor 88-note scaled hammer action keyboard and weighing only 26 lbs., the Casio Privia PX-330 is versatile enough for any home, studio or stage.

Realism, Expression and Dynamics The grand piano sounds in the PX-330 delivers an unprecedented level of realism and expression. Four dynamic layers of stereo piano samples are integrated with Casio's proprietary Linear Morphing System, for a grand piano sound with seamless transitions and a superior dynamic range. For added realism, the PX-330 simulates the sound of the open strings when the dampers are raised by the pedal using Acoustic Resonance DSP. The PX-330 also has 128-note polyphony, enough horsepower for the most demanding musical passages and the ability to layer sounds and use the damper pedal without worry of dropped notes. The result is a grand piano experience that is unsurpassed at any price.
Truly Expressive Touch The Privia PX-330 features a new Tri-Sensor 88-note scaled hammer action keyboard. Casio's superior engineering has resulted in an authentic piano touch that captures every detail and nuance of your performance. This scaled hammer action provides the weight, feel and resistance of a piano without sacrificing the portability of the instrument.
Performance, Studio or Stage The superior keyboard action, piano sound and built-in USB MIDI interface make the PX-330 the perfect instrument to integrate into your studio. When you're ready to take the PX-330 to a gig, the built-in registration memory allows you to instantly recall splits, layers and combinations of sounds. The PX-330 also has 1/4-inch outputs for great live sound from your amp or the house's PA system.
16-Track Recorder, Pitchbend Wheel and Much More While it's easy to connect the PX-330 to your computer, you can easily create and compose music using internal 16 track recorder. Utilizing the PX-330's 250 on-board sounds and 180 rhythms you can record up to 16 tracks. Accepting SD memory, you can save your songs and take them with you or load standard MIDI files that you've downloaded from the web. With these flexible tools you can capture moments of creativity and remember song ideas. It also works great as a practice tool. A built-in metronome and optional accompaniment mean you can practice in-time and later listen back to what you just played. A pitchbend wheel gives you full expression for 250 tones. You can even plug in other instruments or an MP3 player into the keyboard and hear it through the internal speakers and headphones.
Professional, Versatile and Portable Design Whether you're at home, working on a studio or out on stage, the PX-330 was created to tackle it all, making it a valuable investment. With its light weight, you can easily take the PX-330 from home, to rehearsals, to the gig and back with no worries. It connects effortlessly to your computer via USB and connects just as easily to a live mixer for use on stage. The Casio PX-330 is now the indisputable leader in the digital piano arena.
8 Digital Effects Add a little more depth and variation to the built-in tones with 4 reverb and 4 chorus effects, along with brilliance and acoustic resonance settings.
Duet Function The new duet functions allows teachers and pupils to play parallel to each other. The PX-120 can be divided into two keyboard areas, which can be transposed individually.
Two Headphone Connections The PX-330 features two headphone connections, ideal for the duet function.
Stereo Line In/Out Connect to a PA system or studio equipment, or connect other sound sources with the line inputs.
Powerful Speaker System The PX-330 features built-in speakers, with 2 x 8 Watts of output power, to fill a room with sound.
3-Pedal Unit Support With the optional SP-30, the PX-320 has up to three pedals with half-damper effect. This "half-damper" effect simulates a "half-pedaled" damper pedal.
What's in the Box Privia PX-330 Keyboard, AC Adapter, Music Stand, User's Manual

Buy NowGet 22% OFF

Click here for more information about Casio PX-330 88 Key Digital Stage Piano with Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action

Read More...