5/14/2012

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

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


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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.


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5/13/2012

Korg CA-30 Chromatic Tuner Review

Korg CA-30 Chromatic Tuner
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This is a very fine tuner that allows you to tune any instrument, electronic or acoustical, "spot on." For the price I really didn't expect such a nice product. However, after reading about two minutes of instruction, I was accurately tuning my mandolin and guitar. It is very intuitive to use, is battery operated which makes it useful for on the road, and has has such practical features as auto turn off after non-use for 20 minutes so you don't kill your batteries should you forget to turn it off.

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High accuracy and superb functionality have made Korg chromatic tuners the worldwide favorite. And now, the new Korg CA-30 joins the best-selling CA series of tuners. With even more features, like a pitch reference tone and marks for pure major thirds and minor thirds, the CA-30 digital tuner packs basic functionality and convenient tuning functions into ultra-compact bodies.

Wide Range of Pitch Detection This compact chromatic tuner supports a broad range of C1 (32.70 Hz)-C8 (4186.01 Hz), allowing speedy and high-precision tuning of wind, string, keyboard, and other instruments. This hand held tuner is ideal for tuning even low-register notes containing numerous overtones that are often difficult to tune. A high-sensitivity microphone is built-in to this chromatic tuner, allowing easy and accurate tuning of acoustic instruments such as ukuleles. A separately sold CM-100 contact microphone can also be used to send the vibrations directly to the tuner for even more accurate tuning.
Ultra-compact body with a "Tilt Slit" Although the CA-30 is small, thin, and light, don't let its pocket-sized body fool you. The CA-30 chromatic tuner packs the functionality needed for tuning a wide range of instruments. From studio to stage, tuning is easy and convenient. The back of the unit includes a unique arc-shaped "tilt slit" that lets you insert a plastic card for use as a handy stand.
High-precision LCD Meter The meter section uses an LCD needle, combining the accuracy of an LCD with the easy visibility of a needle, and providing a stable display. Additional visual feedback is provided by LEDs that indicate pitch deviation.
Sound Out In addition to visual tuning via meter, the Korg CA-30 can play reference pitches from its internal speaker (Sound Out) for tuning by ear. Each press of the Sound switch will cycle through the A4-Bb4 notes, commonly used for tuning wind instruments. Alternatively, you can hold down the Sound switch to change the cycle to the semitone intervals from C4 through C5 (one octave), allowing reference pitches for any instrument to be sounded quickly.
Adjustable Calibration The Calibration function (410-480 Hz) of this chromatic tuner supports a wide range of standard pitches, and can be adjusted in 1 Hz steps for accurate and flexible tuning to any song or key. Thanks to the Memory Backup function, the Calibration and reference pitch are remembered even when the power is turned off. (However, these settings will be initialized when the batteries are replaced.)
Auto Power Off Function The power will turn off automatically if the unit is left powered-on for 20 minutes without performing any operation, avoiding unnecessary battery consumption.
Approximately 100 hours of Continuous Use Low-power consumption design allows an amazing 100 hours (approximate) of continuous battery life (A4 continuous input, meter mode, zinc-carbon batteries).
Three Year Warranty Korg tuners and metronomes purchased from a Korg USA authorized dealer now have a three year warranty.
What's in the Box CA-30 Tuner, Owner's Manual, Two AAA Batteries

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5/12/2012

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

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


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5/11/2012

Yamaha PSR-295 Portatone 61-Key Touch-Sensitive Musical Keyboard Review

Yamaha PSR-295 Portatone 61-Key Touch-Sensitive Musical Keyboard
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
[Please note that this product is available from Amazon under three packagings: PSR-295 (no adapter) PSR-295AD (includes adapter) and PSR-295MS (includes adapter and stand). I bought the PSR-295MS package.]
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! :)


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5/10/2012

Spectrum AIL435 54 Note Keyboard Pack Review

Spectrum AIL435 54 Note Keyboard Pack
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
No stars for this keyboard (I gave it one because you have to fill out that line). Adult beginner? The keys are slightly less than full size and too small for you. Children? Doubtful. To make matters worse, the keys have a very spongey feel when pressed. It all adds up to discomfort when learning. As you go up the keyboard (to the right), the upper keys have greater volume than the lower keys, it therefore becomes difficult to hear the left hand. And it doesn't sound good anyway, not even close.If you want an excellent beginners keyboard at a comparable price, see my review on this one:
49-KEY Electronic Keyboard by Sinbon Electronics. (the one with the round speaker ports)

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5/09/2012

Korg microKorg XL Analog Modeling Synthesizer with Vocoder (black) Review

Korg microKorg XL Analog Modeling Synthesizer with Vocoder (black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The MicroKorg XL is really a MicroKorg in name only. Whereas the original MicroKorg shared a synth engine with the MS-2000, this one uses the engine found in the R3 and Radius. This is not necessarily a bad thing as those are fine sounding synths, but you'd be better of with a synth like the R3 (which is about $100 more). Although the MicroKorg XL has a cool, faux-vintage look, the construction of the board is pretty shoddy and I doubt it would be good for carting away to gigs or traveling with. It's made from rather cheap, weak feeling plastic unlike the far sturdier R3 or original MicroKorg. Also, while the sound editing is arguably better than the oddball matrix on the original MicroKorg, it pales when compared to the easy editing on a R3. Basically, this is not a bad board soundwise, but you'd be better off saving $100 with an original MicroKorg or putting in an extra $100 for an R3. The MicroKorg XL is not a happy medium, and makes compromises that do not benefit the synth user.

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5/08/2012

Elegance 61-Key Full Size Electronic Keyboard Review

Elegance 61-Key Full Size Electronic Keyboard
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
If you're looking for a deal, look elsewhere. I just began taking a piano class about a month ago, and I was looking for a keyboard to practice with. I ordered this expecting decent quality, but this keyboard couldn't sound any worse. It's not worth the price at all. My roommate bought a Yamaha that's easily worth the $110. I don't know if other reviewers got a better quality product, but this is definitely NOT in the same league as a Yamaha (as another reviewer says). If you're considering buying a keyboard that you're going to use for more than a week or a month, buy something else. I wouldn't buy this for my little brother. I've never taken a music class in my life and even I could tell the sound was off. If you do decide to buy this, you're taking a pretty big risk of being disappointed.

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