Features

• Exclusive "DJ" function to modify sound
• General MIDI makes for great sound
• 61 Piano-size keys with 100 songs built-in
• Yamaha PA3C power adapter is included
• A special port on each speaker adds a powerful impact to bass sound reproduction

Reviews (5)

This keyboard's a toy
I beg to differ with the previous reviews. Before I go on, let me state for the record that I have been playing classical piano for over 15 years, and I bought this keyboard for jamming and multitrack recording (both midi/audio).

First, for those who are confused with the entry level Yamaha portable keyboards, the PSR-175AD is almost exactly the same as the PSR-175 and the PSR-172. The only difference is that the PSR-172 is much more widely available than the 175s. That said, let's analyze the more important features:

Keys: You get what you pay for. 61-keys is quite all right for beginners and for those who want to do some basic multitrack recording. Better players should go for a bigger keyboard, unless you don't mind using the transpose feature. However, I gave this keyboard a low rating because the keys are not truly touch-sensitive. These keys are not sensitive to the amount of force you exert on them -- the volume for each key remains the same regardless of the amount of force you exert on it. Instead, the keys are only sensitive to the length of time that they are depressed (this should have been called a portable organ instead). By playing on this keyboard, you will never be able to develop a feel for a real piano which requires varying amounts of force applied to different keys. Thus I would not recommend this keyboard for serious beginning piano players because it only hurts your musical foundation.

As for the other features, the sound patches are adequate for most users and are rather standardized in similar entry-level keyboards. I have no complaints because most of the main instruments are there and sound decent enough (piano, organs, guitars,wind, drums,etc). There is also an automated drum synthesizer that's been preprogrammed to different music genres (e.g. soul, rock, jazz, blues, etc).

Regarding size and weight, this is a small and light keyboard and I have no trouble carrying it around to jamming sessions.

On a final note, I recommend shelling out a little more (about $50) for the PSR-273, another 61-keyboard which is just one step higher and offers touch response keys that feel and react more like a real piano. A touch response key produces a louder sound when you strike it harder, vice-versa. Further, the PSR-273 is only slightly larger and heavier.

Hope this review helps. =)

Great Product
Beforing buying this, I went personally to a Best Buy store and compared it with the Casio keyboard.The store person recommended this one for the beginners like me.It has been just one week, and I think this keyboard is very good for the beginners.Though I am having tough time understanding the learning material, I was following some online free lessons on the internet, and so far it has been great.I am still exploring all the features of this piano and they seem to be endless.I strongly recommend buying this from Amazon.com, because they are giving this with the power adaptor which is a must I think, and also even with the Free Shipping option, I got in just 2 days.

Great sound
I bought this keyboard on sale at Wal-Mart for about $90 after tax, as a Christmas present for my boyfriend.I was a little nervous about not being able to listen to it beforehand, but boy it sounds great!The Portable Grand feature is especially nice with a sound very similar to a real piano.It has many other features too, including many other instrument sounds, backbeats, and a built-in tutorial program complete with book of sheet music for 100 (short) songs.One very nice thing is that it comes with a power adapter so that you can start playing right away... I noticed some of the other keyboards did not include this.
My boyfriend is really enjoying this keyboard and has taught himself 4 of the songs from the book in just the last two months (playing two-handed), with no previous musical training!His sister was so impressed when she heard it that she went out and ordered the same model from Amazon for herself.I think the other reviewers are right that this would have cost a lot more money a few years ago.It has a ton of great features and is really a fantastic keyboard for the price.

excellent keyboard
this is the keyboard i own because of technology advances youre getting a keyboard that woulda cost around 500 in the 80s for 100 the sound quality is suberb the piano the organ all sound like worldclass expensive keyboards it has 100 built in songs(mostly classical) and 100 sounds from flutes to harps to banjo u name it it has them all it also has an oboard drum machine and hundreds of various styles of music i use it when i play guitar u can have a whole band going on and record your guitar on top of it so its great to have around to create ideas or live performance its loud with good clarity and bass and has outputs for a keyboard amp if u plan on taking it to a gig overall i woulda paid 300 for this quality great sounding keyboard and its only 109 with adapter! the other reviewers right in the store this keyboards the same price without the adapter they charge 1999 for so if u buy this get it off amazon o and the box makes a nice keyboard stand until u can get a real one

Great keyboard.. Includes power cord unlike other sellers
I bought this keyboard elswhere. Wish I had bought it here. Amazon includes the power cord. Great keyboard, great sound. The Grand Piano feature is the best! ... Read more

Product Description

This 61 keys keyboard is perfect for beginners and students or anyone who doesnt havespace for a grand piano.It comes with advanced features like Rising/Descending tone function, Single and fingered chord/ auto-base-chord/syn. Also includes features such as Vibrato, sustain, fill in, base effect. The LED digital displays relate number. Includes external speaker, AC Power, Double channel output. Large Scale Integration. Includes Users manual. Stand sold separately. Specifications: 935 x 355 x 125 mm; Weight: 5.0 Kg; Tone Area: C2 - C7; Output Power: 4 W ... Read more

Features

• 61 Standar Keys
• 20 Timbres, 20 Rhythms, 8 Percussions
• Rhythm Programming and playback/record/playback
• 32 Stage Tempo Speed/ 16 Stage Volume Adjustable
• 8 Demonstration Songs

Product Description

The Yamaha 88-Key Touch-Sensitive Piano-Style Light-Weight Keyboard is the absolute top of the line in the Portable Grand series. It has an attractive, easy-to-use panel and a wealth of features such as high resolution stereo piano sample; SmartMedia storage; USB computer connectivity; a large bitmapped LCD screen capable of displaying notation and lyrics for songs; 6-track sequencer that is designed for the utmost simplicity; Yamaha Education Suite system; and much more. Also includes a matching wood grain keyboard stand, sustain pedal, and ac power adapter. Imported. ... Read more

Features

• Separate woofers and tweeters deliver sounds with clarity and precision for more lifelike instrument voices
• General MIDI and Yamaha XGlite makes for great sound
• 88 light-weighted, piano-style touch-sensitive keys with 100 songs built-in
• Yamaha power adapter is included
• Enhances sound quality with sophisticated digital effects like Harmony, Reverb, and Chorus

Reviews (10)

Good
This is a great keyboard but is nothing compared to a grand piano. Everything that the keyboard offers is great but learning how to play on a keyboard is entirely different form playing the piano. The keys feel nothing the same and the sound does not have that surround sound like a real piano does. If I had the choice between a keyboard and a piano I would choose a piano, even though the keyboard is fun to play around with the different sounds.

everything i need
This keyboard goes above and beyond what I would expect and need out of an instrument in this price range.I took lessons pretty seriously for 8 years growing up, but it's been a while and this is perfect to get me right back into it.It will take me a year to fully explore all of the voice/computer capabilities, but what's most important to me right now is the simple piano function.There are several piano voices to choose from, and the standard "live grand" one is simply beautiful.The pedal's a must, and the sturdy stand is another much-appreciated feature.I have no problem with the keys not being weighted; I can still get a wide range of dynamics (and it makes flourishes even a bit easier!).This is the best large purchase I've made in a very long time.My only regret is that my keyboard is sucking all of my time from my other activities!

Simply a Great Buy
Since other reviewers have pretty much covered the product's pros and cons, let me just add one thing for those who are concerned about the keyboard not being weighed.

I have two young sons who have been taking piano lessons for less than a year. As usual for anyone taking piano lessons, my boys get to use a real piano during their lesson sessions, while practicing at home using the Yamaha keyboard. Now, they both gave their first public recital playing a grand piano this past January, and I'd say that they made mefeel one proud daddy.

While I'd agree that going from piano to keyboard is probably easier than the other way around, as long as the student does not exclusively rely on the keyboard, you will not find any issue with adaptability.

I consider myself an extremely careful consumer, and this product is one of those that I'd rate a "perfect buy." Since I had no idea whether my boys would love playing or discontinue after awhile, I didn't want to spend thousands of dollars on a real piano. Well, even though I can tell that my boys will continue for years judging by their interest and talent level, this Yamaha keyboard is so good that, even if I invest in a real piano right now, we won't let the keyboard collect dusts.

By the way, when it's time for my boys to practice violin, I use the Yamaha's metronome to accompany their practice. It's such a versatile instrument that I simply cannot praise it enough. (And I have YET to play around with its PC connectivity!!)

Very Awesome For My Purposes
So I'm 19 living in a dorm room on campus. I figured the Clavinova was way too steep on my pockets. I played piano once upon a time, but never took lesssons really. I was attracted to the price of this keyboard and the fact that it was actually full-size. Being sick and tired of my 61-key keyboard, I figured I'd go seek out shopping for a better one and one that is full size.

I don't know digital pianos too well but from experience I've noticed that Yamaha and Roland were pretty formidable with their products. I wouldn't have given a second look to the other brands. I've tried this product out at a store some time ago several times before actually thinking about buying it. I thought it was very nice for a consumer based instrument.

After reading reviews and what not, I was determined then that I would put serious thought into buying it. One minute later I was already pulling out my card to pay for this online. After receiving the product, I was faced with an even bigger burden... carrying it back across campus to my dorm room.

So the package was pretty big. Makes for a good workout if you plan on carrying it back to your home. The contents were packed nicely. The stand was very easy to setup too. Being a computer freak, I have the keyboard sitting next to my computer. The whole USB interface was another thing that turned me on about the keyboard. Little did i know how great it would become when I actually connected it to my computer. The software was easy to use. I can transfer MIDI files to the keyboard via USB and store them on little memory cards.

The thing boasts about how you can take midi files and have them display the sheet music on the LCD screen. I thought that was nifty and all, but I would never use that feature. I'd rather have a software included that'll put the midi file on sheet music ready to be printed.

The "Digital Music Notebook" is a very awesome utility in my opinion. I found it to be so good that I'd place my computer monitor on where my sheet music would go on the keyboard whenever I'm using it with my keyboard (thank goodness it isn't CRT!). So you can use this notebook software to buy/download sheet music digitally. I thought it was pretty lame that you can only print it once (I understand a good few digital sheet vendors do it this way too). Nonetheless, after buying the sheet music, you can view it through the software and have it blow up on your monitor so you can see it full size. You can also make the software play the sheet music (it'll play through your computer or you can configure it to play through the keyboard). A cool thing about it is that you can turn on the learning mode through that software and it'll control your keyboard for it (i.e. there's a learning mode where the song'll play and wait for you to hit the right keys before moving on.) It'll display what keys you need to hit through the software and show you what key's you hit. I thought this whole digital notebook software interface thing was very well done. I thought that the USB interface was solely used for transferring MIDI files.

Though I'm not too much of a piano purist, I think the default piano sound is very nice. This thing holds like over 400 different types of sounds (instruments, voices, sound effects). To be honest, I would rather have them spent more time on perfecting the piano sound, eliminate all other preset voices/styles/songs on the keyboard, and just have it play that one piano sound.

Now, some of the gripes I have with the keyboard.

The sustain pedal isn't all too great. It works fine, but it doesn't really have the feel I'd like it to have. I'm not too whiny about it though to make me want to buy a sustain pedal they sell separately that's made to look like a real piano pedal. The pedal that comes with the keyboard serves its purpose though. If I knew this before buying the keyboard, I would've still bought it anyway.

The piano keys are not weighted. Looking at the picture, one can see that the keys are "fully" shaped like a piano rather than have spaces underneath the keys that the low-end keyboards have. I kinda accidently assumed that it was weighted because of the way they looked. This was back before I test drove it at a store. Playing on a keyboard is much different than playing on a piano. It'll be easier to adjust to a keyboard from a piano than vice versa. If anything, this is probably its biggest weakness in my opinion, but I guess to keep a piano at this price with such a feature wouldn't be too possible.

Overall, I think this digital keyboard is great. Travelling with it isn't bad either if you wish to travel with it. The keyboard has inspired me to practice the instrument more versus the 61-key instrumental junk I had before.

If you're a college student who enjoys playing the piano. I'd recommend this keyboard if you have the room in your dorm. This keyboard is worthy enough for enduring hours and hours of practicing songs and worthy enough if you want to seranade to a special someone or perform for a group (travel friendly once you have the keyboard bag, especially since you won't need to necessarily carry an amplifier with you since speakers are built-in or you can plug one in if you wanted to). It has a 32-note polyphony, but I don't think I'd even go that far. It's nice to know that you have that sort of leaway.

If you're a parent who has a kid growing up and you want them to learn piano, I probably wouldn't recommend this keyboard because of a lack of weighted keys. At that point, I think it would be more advantageous to invest in a Yamaha Cavinova, a Roland Digital Keyboard, or simply a real piano.

This has probably been the best consumer based keyboard I've used. If I were to get a new keyboard in the future, It'll be ranged between $1500-2000. I probably wouldn't be one who'd jump to buy the DGX-506 (if it were to hypothetically come out). For the price range, I couldn't imagine another keyboard that can compete with the DGX-505.

Great piano sound!
This is the best keyboard I have ever played so far... Worth every cent! ... Read more

Product Description

This Yamaha 61-key touch-sensitive keyboard is wonderful for people that want to learn to play music. Yamaha has beefed up their Education Suite found on previous models with a new version, Version IV. In addition to the standard left- and right-hand lessons, Version IV includes Your Tempo and Repeat and Learn modes. The keyboard comes with 30 pre-loaded songs; flash ROM internal storage for adding more; and 70 additional selections on an included CD-ROM. Simply connect the keyboard to your computer via the USB connector and transfer songs to the keyboard for learning or listening. Includes music rest; accessory CD-ROM; song book and user's manual. Imported. 5-3/4Hx15-1/4Wx37-1/2L". ... Read more

Features

• Enhances sound quality with sophisticated digital effects like Harmony, Reverb, and Chorus
• General MIDI and Yamaha XGlite makes for great sound
• 61 touch-sensitive keys with 100 songs built-in
• Yamaha power adapter is included
• Separate woofers and tweeters deliver sounds with clarity and precision for more lifelike instrument voices

Reviews (5)

Great Value for Money
[Please note that this product is currently 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! :)

Great for those trying to learn piano
PROS:
-Extremely lightweight for its size
-Comes with power supply (unlike many other keyboards an amazon.com) and _adjustable height_ stand
-Instruction manual is very well done, and includes music theory (e.g. how to form almost any type of chord)

CONS:
-LCD Display is small; you'll need good eyesight
-The stand that comes with it is not too sturdy; once I decided on the right height for it, I had to reinforce it by wrapping an old piece of speaker wire around the hub a few times. (Hey, it worked!)
-Doesn't come with a USB cable

Although the songbook included is aimed at beginners (with less than, say, a year of piano experience), it's a great piano for anyone trying to learn chord-based playing. You can enter virtually any chord (such as F#m7b5) and the display will indicate what keys you must press to play it. This is very helpful when playing through a fake book and you come across a chord you don't know how to play. (NOTE: As you're playing, the display shows the bass and treble clef indication of every key you play, but does not name the actual chord you're playing (e.g. "Bm7") unless you have the ACMP activated.)

The transposition function is convenient--if you only know how to play in one key, you can play along with any other musician playing the same song in a different key. The pitch-tuning function is also nice (in case you're playing along side a slightly out-of-tune instrument and want to match its sound).

All in all there are well enough features to justify the price; you'll save 22 bucks in shipping by buying it from Amazon, and mine arrived one day after they shipped it out!

NOTE: This piano doesn't come with a sustain petal (as another reviewer indicated), but has a jack for one if you decide to buy one separately.

Yamaha's best value in a portable keyboard
The PSR295 was introduced in 2004. It has the same tone generator as the PSR275 with more focus on style (rhythm patterns) than in memory songs .The PSR295 is the entry level in Yamaha's intermediate line of portable keyboards, the PSR275 is at the high end of their entry level keyboards, so if you're just learning to play you might consider the PSR275.

The PSR295 is Yamaha's best value, for around $200 you get over 400 instruments, including a full GM set and Yamaha's XGLite instruments. A six channel sequencer allows for recording of your own songs and a USB port and MIDI USB bridge driver makes connecting the PSR295 to any computer a snap (the USB MIDI driver is especially great if you want to connect the PSR295 to a laptop for MIDI file downloading or connecting to PC sequencing software such as Sonar Cakewalk, Cubase, etc...).

Also I suggest you check out the Casio CTK691. The CTK691 features more on board memory for songs and more instruments (voices), however it lacks the sound quality of the Yamaha PSR295 , those who say otherwise are comparing the sound of the speakers (the speaker system in the CTK691 is a bit better), hook the two up to earphones or an amp and the PSR295 shines. Both offer a GM set, but only the PSR295 offers Yamaha's XGLite (there are quite a few MIDI files floating around that utilize XG) so don't be fooled by the CTK691 apparent more voices, the 400+ available on the PSR295 are better quality. The CTK691 features a standard MIDI port, to connect it to a PC or laptop you're going to be out$20-$40 for an adapter, worse yet if your sound card doesn't havea gameport you'll could be out $60+ for a MIDI card/cable. Yamaha has the right idea by providing USB and a MIDI bridge on top of USB, surprisingly it has very low latency when used as a MIDI Controller (using Cakewalk Sonar), the PC mode button makes it easy to tt configure the keyboard with popular MIDI setups and makes using an external sequencer extreemly easy.

My only compliant with the PSR295 is that they didn't include a standard MIDI IN/OUT port along with the USB. Although I was impressed by the low latency of the USB MIDI driver, it would have been nice to be able to use the keyboard with E-MU 0404 or M-Audio Audiophile 2496. Some of the new budget end "pro" audio cards include excellent MIDI I/O which this keyboard will be unable to take advantage of. Still if I had to pick between USB MIDI and standard MIDI, for a portable keyboard USB is much more practicle

Poor piano sound
The piano sound is dire on this keyboard.

It's muffled, and sounds more like a synth trying to sound like a guitar on a couple of notes.

I returned mine for refund and bought a Casio CTK-691.

Perfect for Begginers
It does all what it says on the official website and am very happy with the overall quality of the product. If you have a computer studio setup you can use the USB connection provided to create top quality music. And its design is great too.

Other feautures include-
3 touch sensitivity settings
built in flash memory
you can import midis from the pc to the keyboards memory and learn
Sustain pedal

The only drawback is the lack of aftertouch and average sounds apart from the piano and a few others. But if you are using the computer to create sounds this makes it a non issue. ... Read more

Features

• Enhances sound quality with sophisticated digital effects like Harmony, Reverb, and Chorus
• General MIDI and Yamaha XGlite make for great sound
• 61 touch-sensitive keys with 100 songs built-in
• Yamaha power adapter and keyboard stand included
• Separate woofers and tweeters deliver sounds with clarity and precision for more lifelike instrument voices

Reviews (2)

Great Value for Money
[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! :)

"Portable Grand" feature is not as advertized
In addition to a myriad of musical sounds, this keyboard has the "Portable Grand" button, which was the reason I bought it.Yamaha claims this keyboard produces a "stunningly real and authentic piano sound."Not so.It still sounds like like a cheap electronic keyboard.I was very disappointed and had to pack it up and return it to Amazon.

If you are looking for a keyboard with almost endless musical sounds, tempos, and computer features, this is a good buy; but be advised it will not sound like a piano.

Kona ... Read more

Product Description

This Casio compact electronic sing-along keyboard is good fun for the entire family. Features 61 full-size keys with 100 pre-programmed songs; MIDI for great sound; headphone and microphone jacks; 100 preset tones and rhythms; auto accompaniment; integrated speakers; 12 polyphony maximum; musical information system display; on-screen icons; song controller; and more. Imported. ... Read more

Features

• Headphone jack for private listening and microphone jack to sing along with the song
• 100 preset tones and 100 rhythms
• Auto Accompaniment to give a deeper sound to your songs
• 61 keys with 100-tune song bank
• MIDI makes for great sound

Reviews (4)

Good for Kids
Very nice keyboard for the price.Great for kids, (12 and under).Its a little odd that it doesn't come with a power adapter, and I haven't been able to find his mysterious sustain pedal, but it's a nice keyboard anyway.

Should have included adapter
This keyboard is fun and sounds pretty decent, however Christmas morning was a little disappointing because we had to run out and get more batteries, since we were one battery short.Also, the adapter power suppy was not included and is just about necessary since the keyboard zaps battery power in about 4 hours.Now I can't find the adapter any where. Big bummer.

BUYER BEWARE - NO SERVICE
Please be wary - Casio has the worst customer service I've ever seen from any company.First they told me a turnaround time for a repair is 5-10 business days.Then they told me that was from when they log it in.Well, it took 3 weeks to log it in.Now they tell me it's 10-15 business days from when it's logged in.If your product never needs warranty repair, then see the other reviews on the product itself.But if it ever needs repair, figure on at least 1-2 months before ever seeing your product again.And forget about getting any kind of straight answers from them - it's a different story every time and they won't let you speak to a supervisor or return calls.Good-luck.

A good buy for begginers.
When I first purchased this product I was ready to open it up and start playing, however, it doesn't come with an AC Adapter(it takes a 9 volt ac adapter) and it doesn't include batteries (as with most electronics nowadays). Although I fortunately had an adapter that fit the keyboard I didn't realise that until after I had already gone out and bought the required six AA batteries required to power the keyboard.

Apart from my power-supply fiasco, once I did get the product working I was surprised at how unrealistic the piano and a lot of the other sounds .. sounded. Another draw back about this keyboard is that it doesn't include the midi in/out cables used to connect to a computer or another midi device, however if you're just wanting to play and don't have any interest in using the keyboard in conjunction with a computer, then this product is great.

Pros:
affordable price
61 full sized keys
long battery life
lots of built in songs to learn
comes with a music stand and ~100 songs to play

Cons:
doesn't come with midi in/out cables
doesn't come with power adapter
certain tones sound horribly unlike the instrument stated (~30 in all of 100 total)

So if you're looking for something affordable, lightweight and easy to use, this is the perfect keyboard for you. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Unique among keyboards, the Yamaha PSR275-AD offers a backlit LCD capable of displaying musical notes, chord information and various functions, a touch-sensitive keyboard that responds like a piano, General MIDI (GM) compatibility for playing songs, XGlite technology that offers a huge selection of voices and even greater MIDI song-file compatibility, and even a PC Button for easy computer connectivity.

The PSR275-AD delivers 32 notes of polyphony--that is, it can sound up to 32 notes at one time--enough for the most demanding needs. If you're buying a keyboard with piano sound 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. Yamaha's "Touch Response" is designed to make the keyboard respond like an acoustic piano.

The PSR275-AD features a stereo-sampled piano voice and dynamic filtering--technology previously reserved for much more expensive, professional keyboards. A single dedicated button brings up a great-sounding piano, rich and authentic in its sound and exceptionally responsive to your playing and sets up the keyboard to play as a piano in full-keyboard mode. Further, a wealth of special piano-only "Pianist" styles--like Piano Ballad or Stride, for example--provide professional-sounding piano accompaniment that changes chords automatically as you do, while you play a piano melody on top.

Portable keyboards are compact and light enough to fit just about anywhere--including next to your computer. If you're planning on connecting your keyboard to your computer, you'll be happy to know that the PSR275-AD is GM (General MIDI System Level 1) compatible. This means the keyboard will accurately reproduce any GM music files that you download into your computer--and almost all music files on the Internet are GM-compatible. It also has a large selection of XGlite voices, offering even greater compatibility with both third party and Yamaha XG software.

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. All Yamaha keyboards have a special MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) port on the back that let you connect your keyboard to a computer (your computer requires a MIDI Interface like the Yamaha UX16 and music software). 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) compatibility, song data always plays back with the correct sounds.

The PSR275-AD comes with 100 built-in songs and a physical song book. But if you've never played before, where do you start? If learning to play music is important to you, the Yamaha Education Suite II, a useful set of music-training functions, greatly simplifies learning music. A special 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.

The PSR275-AD comes with 100 built-in styles, waiting for you to play along with. Call up your favorite style of music (like Rock, Big Band, or Country), press a chord or play "single finger" mode, and the PSR275-AD will follow you through a piece of music, providing all the drums, bass, piano, guitar, horn, and string parts for you.

A special port on each of the keyboard's two speakers adds dramatic impact to bass reproduction. Digital signal processing (DSP) enhances sound quality with sophisticated digital effects like harmony, reverb, and chorus.

What's in the Box
Keyboard, music rest, song book, AC power adapter, and a user's manual. ... Read more

Features

• 100 Songs Built-in, Backlit Display
• Yamaha PA3C Power Adapter Included
• Replaces Yamaha PSR-225
• 61 Full Size Touch Sensitive Keys for Expressive Playing
• Makes Playing Easier and More Fun for Novices

Reviews (10)

More than enough for beginers.
I got this as a Christmas Present and I have been playing on it since then. The grand piano sounds very real, and touch sensitivity is a cool feature. It also comes with programs that can teach you how to play. It comes with 100 different styles of songs (classical, country, pop). I bought midi cables as accessories so I can hook it up with my computer and it works great. I recommend it.

Excellent value.
For the money, you won't do much better.A wealth of features for the price, and good sound for a beginner.However, do NOT let UPS ship this thing if you've got alternatives.They beat the you-know-what out of the shipping carton.I was lucky that it was well-packed.

Excellent choice for an starter keyboard or...
I received this keyboard as a gift, on top of just sounding better than the Casio models in this price range, the tone generator features 32-note polyphony (up to 32 tones can be sounded at once by the tone generator), casios comparitive model can do around 24.

The PSR275 lives up to being a solid keyboard for someone just learning to play by providing the capability of turning any song in it's memory into a lesson (the song slows down and the keyboard waits for you to play along), it has a good set of 100 songs to playback/listen to. A good number of drum styles and auto acompanyment. Standard MIDI IN/OUT for sequencing using a PC , etc...

The only negative here is that you don't get on board sequencer (you can't record anything) also the keyboard has no internal memory for adding additional songs. This was a big negative for me and why I ultimately returned the PSR275 for the PSR295. If you want all the features of the PSR275 with the additional benefit of being able to do multi channel/track sequencing of songs (recording) and the ability to download MIDIs into the keyboard, the PSR295 is your best bet. PSR295 currently retails for about $50.00 more, but I have actually seen it for less than the PSR275 (supply and demand I suppose).

The PSR295 comes with fewer songs in memory out of the box, but it comes with a CD-ROM full of songs a USB port (can easily connect to a laptop or desktop PC) and a USB MIDI driver (which works great with Cakewalk Sonar, Cubase, etc...) and software to boot. For that reason I give the PSR275 *** and the PSR295 *****

Nice sound and features
"pros like me" would know that a full piano is 88 keys, not 81. Generally keyboards come in 61, 76 or 88 keys. 61 is more than ample for a beginner keyboard in this pricerange.

the sounds are nice, but not fantastic. for the price range they blow away the similar casios, especially for piano.

if you are looking for an entry level keyboard this is your best bet.

Amazing Value for Beginners!
I purchased the Yamaha PSR275 with AC Adapter and Portable Stand at a major membership retailer for $140 on a whim, thinking that I would like to learn to play some music. I am awestruck by the features and value...it's perfect for a neophyte such as myself.

100 built in songs to learn to play along with (and you can download others from the internet), 100 styles of one-touch backup music, and 480 voices...from a real classical guitar to an actual choir to a car wreck or a machine gun. The drum kit voices turn each key into a different drum or percussion instrament. And by activating the Portable Grand button I can made my $140 keyboard sound like a grand piano.

I bought the keyboard thinking I would utilize its ability to connect to a PC and purchase some piano learning software, but the built-in learning suite will keep me busy for a long time! Last night I learned to play the right-hand part of "Greensleeves" in just a couple of hours. Fun and rewarding! The LCD display showed me which notes to play, both on the musical scale and on an idiot-proof keyboard map. Now I will learn to play the left hand part, then finally put the two parts together.

I can either play chords with one finger, or if I want to do the "real thing" the chord dictionary shows me how to play any chord, and the chord name flashes if I am playing it correctly.

Granted, if you think you are a rock star, this may not be the keyboard for you. But did you really expect to sound like Elton John for a hundred and fifty bucks? And yes, it only has 61 keys rather than the full 81. Did you not notice that when you purchased it? Hello! The volume of the keyboard can be increased by connecting it to some portable speakers or your home stereo. Seriously, for the price I don't understand what people are complaining about! I am totally impressed.

My six-year old granddaughter is over this morning and in less than an hour she has learned to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She has a piano at home and had never learned to play anything yet! She's stoked!

I'm going to buy headphones, a sustain pedal, a cable to connect to my PC, and a cord to play through my home stereo. This is totally fun! ... Read more

Features

• 32-note polyphonic
• Make multi-track recordings using the integrated 6-track song record system
• Go techno or chill out with the sophisticated DJ function
• An exceptional Piano timbre balances perfectly with shimmering strings, for a wonderful orchestral aura
• Backlit LCD screen

Reviews (3)

Certainly good enough!
OK, I haven't tried the Casios that some rave about, but I do know this...the keyboard does offer an adequate volume level (particularly how I play). If you want more volume: 1-Try turning the touch response off. 2-Go into the function menu and turn the M.Volume control UP. I'm certain that the naysayers didn't read into the manual. I admit that there's not a ton of additional sound, but it's set at "104" from the factory and can go to "127" if you choose to. That's because Yamaha has given the unit some "play" so you can raise or lower the sound to match other built-in settings. Also when a "song" is playing there's extra sounds like bass, cymbal etc., so how much can you expect of 12watts, total? 3-Go to radio shack, get the right adapter and plug it in to you stereo (or I've read about some adding inexpensive PC speakers for $30-$60). One or all of the above will do the trick.

It's got a great range of voices. The piano sounds great as well as others like guitar, church organ, etc. There's 600 to choose from. I advise the 202 model which will include a sustain pedal, AC power adapter, some 'phones and an extended warranty.

fun and easy to learn
It is a beautiful product. I've loved it since i got it on the very first day. Eventhough i am a beginner, i can play the music with happiness all the time.

didn't expect this!
I have plyed piano professionally and have a degree in music.i have a very expensive Yamaha Clavinova (as well as a real piano)
i bought this thinking of it as a toy for my 22 year old who suddenly wants to play.it has a fabulous piano sound (better than the expensive triton).the built in piano lessons are really helpful.my favorite part is when i taught piano, i could never get kids to practice one hand at a time.this keyboard will play the left hand for you as you play the right and vice versa. my daughter loved that it would record and play back what she had just played.

i always discoraged parents from having their kids practice on keyboards but the touch of these keys is very realistic.i would recommend it to someone starting out in piano not wanting to make that huge investment until they were sure they would continue.

but, as a keyboard (not a tiny piano) there are enough sounds and gimics for a beginner in keyboards but not for someone who really is into all the synthesizer effects.

But, what is this?no power cord?and no sustain pedal.the pedal i can understand but no power cord - that is just too cheap.they should at least put a huge notice on the front of the box that you're going to have to buy one separately.

still, i was shocked at the quality considering the price. ... Read more

Product Description

For the serious music, start things off right with this Yamaha keyboard. It's larger than most, important for professionals and valuable for aspiring musicians. Features 76 touch-sensitive keys; 100 built-in songs; digital effects such as harmony, reverb, and chorus for enhanced sound quality; separate woofers and tweeters; general MIDI and Yamaha XGlite for great sound; large backlit LCD; Flash ROM that stores up to 99 songs; Yamaha Education Suite IV; and much more. Imported. 6Hx16-1/4Wx46-1/2L". ... Read more

Features

• Separate woofers and tweeters deliver sounds with clarity and precision for more lifelike instrument voices
• General MIDI and Yamaha XGlite makes for great sound
• 76 touch-sensitive keys with 100 songs built-in
• Yamaha power adapter is included
• Enhances sound quality with sophisticated digital effects like Harmony, Reverb, and Chorus

Reviews (5)

Wonderful sound, nice features
This keyboard seems to fall near the low end of Yamaha's middle series of electronic keyboards, judging by price and features.But it has everything I was looking for: large number of voices (400+), great sound, 76 keys, MIDI capability, USB interface.It also has teaching/learning tools, sequencing, styles/rhythms etc., but I wasn't as interested in those.The sound that comes out of this machine is wonderful.Even just the basic grand piano sound is terrific, and all the other instruments are incredibly realistic.The touch-sensitive keys are also a nice feature, and you can hook up an external sustain pedal (not included).

The previous reviewer who blasted this machine for having a long boot-up time and hissy sound is just plain wrong.This thing switches on and is ready to play instantly, and I haven't heard any kind of hiss, even at full volume.

This package came with a power adapter, which you would think is a given, but apparently is not in this product segment.It also came with a CD-ROM with software and drivers for the computer, and a DVD with some training videos.We've watched a couple and they're very easy to follow.The keyboard seems reasonably well built, but is also very light weight for its size so it should be easy to move around.I bought the Z-lock stand to go along with this also through amazon and it's a good fit.My only complaints are that some of the controls (like the jog dial and some of the pushbuttons) have a somewhat mushy feel that makes me wonder how they will hold up over time, and there doesn't appear to be a way to secure the keyboard to a stand.The piano keys themselves have a nice, springy feel with a decent amount of resistance that makes it easy to modulate the touch-sensitive response.

Best piano sound for the price!
AWESOME!!!I was looking for a keyboard to learn how to play piano on.The quality of the Piano sound was the most important feature to me. This keyboard has a grand piano feature that allows the grand piano sound at a touch of a button.Excellent piano sound.There is a lot of great features on the keyboard including a large lcd screen, chord dictionnary ,lesson mode great voices, midi and pc compatible with a standard ubs cable...just read the features of this keyboard.......there is so much more..i compared it to a casio and the sound of yamaha is much better!!!

This is perfect for anyone who is just learning how to play or is advanced it does have 76 keys which is very good if you want to learn piano. It also looks great with the keyboard stand LW15 which was design for the DGX keyboards. i also recommand this stand since it securely attaches the keyboard to the stand for more stability.

This keyboard is for me...the best quality for the price

Positively Awful
So I wasn't going to write a review, because I was always taught that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.But this stupid piano has just pushed me too far so I feel obliged to try to help other people and persuade them not to get this.

Well, to start off, I need to get this out of the way - it *does* sound nice.It has a variety of voices (none of which I use), and a few other neat features.

But any positive thing I can say about the piano is completely obscured by some very obvious problems.First problem is the biggest - every once in a while, maybe every 500 times you play a note, the volume comes out wrong - completely wrong.I play very softly, and I keep the volume low, but just once in a while, a note comes out at deafening volume - literally, quite louder than you could get by hitting the key with a hammer, loud enough to hurt your ears at make you jump in fact, as if the piano were suddenly at max volume, so it is clearly not that I accidently strike the key to hard - no matter how hard I strike a key afterwards, the volume doesn't come close to these random highs.It completely butchers the song and ruins my mood.

Second problem is that the speakers hiss occassionaly - not always, but once in a while.Same thing happens when I put in head phones - again, only once in a while, but enough to be irritating.

Next problems are more minor - "boot up" time - the piano takes 4-5 seconds to start up - if you hit the pedal in that time, the piano will act as if it is pressed for the rest of the time it is on - you have to turn it off and start over if you want the pedal to work regularly.I don't know if this is a "feature" or not - all I know is that it is extremely irritating to have to wait to play every time I sit down.

Last - keys don't have nearly enough resistance, doesn't feel like playing a real piano at all.

In conclusion - this shouldn't even be something you consider when you're shopping.It's not like this piano has some good features and is missing others - it's just a piece of junk that you will regret buying.I'm stuck with it because it's huge and would be way too expensive to ship back.The numerous problems I have suggest that this is not just one faulty unit, but rather that they all have these problems.This is extremely upsetting coming from Yamaha, whom I trusted.I'm a college student and don't exactly have disposable income, but I'm looking at plopping down another 500 dollars just to get a decent working piano because this one is almost unplayable.

Great piano, missing accessories.
I really enjoy this piano.It sounds almost real and it has over 100 voices.I got it at Costco and the manual, songbook and software cd were missing.I am done buying durable goods at Costco.I wonder what songs, voices, etc. I am missing?

SUPERB
EXCELLENT! Easy to use with SUPERB WONDERFUL SOUND.I would recommend YAMAHA DGX-205 to everyone who has a great interest in and love of Music. Easy computer set-up with the free software disks. Quick Start DVD Information Guide is a PLUS. It also came with FREE SPECIAL BONUS POWER ADAPTER.
You also can't beat FREE SHIPPING, NO TAX, and UNITED PARCEL SERVICE(UPS)STRONG PERSON who delivered it right to my FRONT DOOR (Fifth floor walk-up). Note: When I purchased this at AMAZON.COM 8/24/04, there were 3 in Stock. When I was browing at it again 8/27/04 there was 0 left(more on the way)in stock. I felt very lucky to have made the decison to make this Purchase for my family of 5 without hesitation. It was love at first glance.EXCELLENT! SUPERB! ... Read more

Product Description

The LK-45 ensures learning success and plenty of fun with its effective illuminated keys technology. You will find yourself making progress in record time thanks to the friendly help from the Voice Fingering Guide and the illuminated keys.61 lighting keys (on/off)12-note polyphony (max.)100 tones50 rhythmsMIDI (GM simulation, 5-channels)Lighting Guide System3-level lesson systemauto-accompaniment100 rehearsal songskey transpose and tuning controlLCD musical information systemtiming indicatorVoice Fingering-Guideadjustable microphone volumeterminals: mic in, headphones,sustain pedal in, MIDI in/outloudspeakers: 10 cm x 2; 2 x 2 Wpower supply: AD-5 or 6 AA-size batteries (both optional)song book and music stand included ... Read more

Features

• Musical information system (LCD) with timing indicator
• Light-up keys allow player to learn songs by following the illumination of the keys
• MIDI technology and 100 tones and 50 rhythm patterns built-in
• 61 full-size lighted keys and musical information system
• Two 10 cm speakers and headphone jack for private listening to your music

Reviews (1)

A good board for the $
My 10 year-old son wanted a keyboard for Christmas, there are about a billion choices out there. Since I have had Casio G-shock watches for many years, I thought what the HECK! Go with Casio. My son loves the board, the batteries last FOREVER...good thing since it doesn't come with an AC adapter. Recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

The first Yamaha 76-key Portable Keyboard with piano-size, box-style keys and a 3.5" floppy disk drive is the piano with fewer needs; needs less space, less money and less help moving. Features include Yamaha Education Suite Learning to play songs and chords, 610 instrument voices, 8MB Wave ROM that adds realism to voices and a chord dictionary. Imported. Total Dimensions: 6-3/4Hx47Wx16-3/4D. Weight: 22 lbs. ... Read more

Features

• Sequencer records up to 5 songs in 6 tracks
• Yamaha music tutor with lessons for beginners
• 76-note, touch-sensitive keyboard
• Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) input and output
• Music database with over 200 song styles, 610 instrument sounds

Reviews (4)

There's a lot here!
As a 30 plus year keyboard player, I'm a little amazed to say that THIS is my main axe!Tons of sounds, those wonderful piano style keys, lightweight.This is the one I haul around.Here are the negatives first:keys are slightly smaller than full-size.No modulation wheel or capability, you're pretty much stuck with the sounds you have.Positives:HUNDREDS of sounds, pads, great pianos, saxes, it will take months to go through them all.I love (no, NEED) the box-style piano keys.Display and ease of use are excellent..Briefly, this is not a professional synth, but a very good, amazingly versatile personal keyboard.I love this kid!

A great piano for an even greater price!
Designed for beginners and professionals alike, the DGX-300 combines musical technicality with an outstanding price of under $500. This unit with 76 keys, has more than enough for the complex player, yet offers built-in learning programs for the beginning hobbyist. I love my DGX-300, and I love it's amazing rich piano sound. I was worried at first when I began shopping for a keyboard. I wanted something that wouldn't sound like a fake plastic paino. This machine actually senses your stress on the keys, and sounds exactly like a concert grand. It's absolutely amazing. I was also very impressed with the sound quality, as it was also amazing. The speaker reviews should not at all be a factor in the purchase of this unit. For this price, and the Yamaha name, you're not going to find an instrument as great as this.

My key is on the board
Someday I will be a master player... These keyboards are just amazing! I love to play with these! There hundrends of special options ans sounds. Beginner can learn easily to play with Yamaha keyboards because you can use teaching program and see on the blue screen, which key you are touching. There are five memory places that you can make your own songs and save them. If you are bored to play normal piano sound, you'll try other sounds for exemple harpcicord, bass, heavy quitar, gun, dog barking or helicopter tunes. There are many vital buttons: metronome(choose your own personal playing speed), touch-sensitive( you can play quiet and loud because your hands will control how hard you press the keys) and pc-portable( you can make music with computer and make your own remixes) Yamaha keyboards are a great choose to buy if you are planning to start a new hobby!

Yamaha DGX300 for Home Use
I am very pleased with the quality and layout of this board. Prior to purchasing I read less than favorable results on the sound quality. My unit sounds great through the speakers and even better through headphones or amplified. This should not be a limiting factor on your decision. The 76 keys are great, the sounds are exceptional. While there are drum tracks and every percussion sound imaginable, I would prefer to have a drum kit built in to add greater flexibility. Most of the music and sound databases are from the 40's - 60's, old time favorites, etc. Would prefer to have something with more modern appeal. You can download and upload from disk so maybe this is the go round. Too early to tell. Great unit at a great price. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

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. ... Read more

Features

• 76 full size keys
• 32 note polyphonic
• 232 tones (128 General MIDI + 64 preset synth tones + 8 drum sets)
• Synthesizer function lets you create and store your own sounds
• 10 digital effects (Reverb, Chorus, Tremolo, Organ & more)

Product Description

Bring the term 'Tickling the Ivories' to new heights with this Yamaha 61-key piano-size lighted keyboard. Features touch-sensitive lighted keys; seven levels of lessons such as any key play, waiting mode, melody off, and more; grading function which evaluates playing ability; chord dictionary to learn chords; 80 built-in songs to learn; PC button for quick computer connections; built-in Flash ROM; plays any MIDI file; 480 instruments voices and 100 accompaniments; 2-speaker stereo system plus bass ports and bass boost system; and much more. Includes song book and music rest; USB cable; headphone jack for private practice and AC power adapter. Imported. 14-3/4Wx36-1/4Lx5-1/4H". ... Read more

Features

• 80 built-in songs to learn, organized by level of difficulty
• Includes portable grand sampling-- the most realistic piano sound available on any portable keyboard
• PC button for quick computer connections, USB for ease of connection
• 62 piano-sized touch sensitive keys
• Includes interactive software from Konami for musical skills training

Product Description

Get everything you want in this tidy little keyboard from Yamaha. Features 61 full-size, lighted keys; 7 levels of lessons; 100 built-in songs; Portable Grand, the most realistic piano sound available in a portable keyboard; MIDI in and out for computer connection; LED display; and more. Imported. 13-3/4Wx36-3/4Lx5D". ... Read more

Features

• 100 Built-in Songs to Learn
• Portable Grand - The Most Realistic Piano Sound Available in a Portable Keyboard
• MIDI In and Out for Computer Connectability
• 61 Piano Size Lighted Keys
• 7 Levels of Lessons

Reviews (1)

sounds good
This product looks good to me. I don't know if it actually is, but it sounds good. I like it because it has guide lamps and an ac adapter. It does not cost overly too much. I think this is a good product. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Yamaha EZ30 61-Key Portable Keyboard with guide lights has piano-size, touch-sensitive keys and allows you to learn to play with the help of the guide lights. The Yamaha EZ30 has 608 instrument sounds and 100 built-in songs to learn. The keyboard features general MIDI with in/out connectivity for your computer. This key feature means the EZ30 has the ability to download songs from the Internet into the keyboard's flash memory. The sonic quality of the EZ30 is enhanced with 32 notes of polyphony, two-way speakers, and bass ports.

The EZ30 can help turn you into a skilled musician with nine levels of lessons. The guide lights help you learn right- and left-hand parts and brings both hands together with special lesson plans. The EZ30 gives lesson feedback with a grading function that evaluates your playing. In no time your fingers will be dancing across the keys and before you know it, you'll be playing Beethoven sonatas, impressing your friends and family. ... Read more

Features

• 100 Song library + Built-In Flash ROM Allows Download of New Songs Into Keyboard (requires Internet connection)
• Y.E.S. 3 includes 9 Levels of Lessons and has a virtual talking tutor
• 61 Piano-Size, Touch Sensitive Keys with Guide Lights (learn to play with the help of Guide Lights)
• 608 Instrument Voices (Panel + XG)
• 100 Accompaniment Styles

Amazon.com Product Description

Work out your musical fingers on 61 piano-size touch sensitive keys with the Yamaha PSR280AD portable electronic keyboard. It features bass ports for upgraded sound quality and two-way stereo speakers. You can test your creativity with 238 instrument voices and 100 accompaniment styles, along with a DJ button for instant access to special dance voices.

Beginner and intermediate keyboard players will enjoy the Yamaha Education Suite, featuring lessons and grading. This keyboard includes 100 built-in songs to learn to play and a song book. For private practice, a headphone jack is provided. The PSR280AD also features a five-song, six-track sequencer for recording original songs. You can embellish using multifingering auto-accompaniment, DSP, chorus, and reverb effects. With 10 drum kits and 32-note polyphony, the PSR280AD provides the flexibility and basics you need in a keyboard.

It includes a music rest and a Yamaha PA3B power adapter. Alternately, it uses six D-cell batteries. Weighing only 19.5 pounds, this keyboard will travel easily. ... Read more

Features

• 256 total instrument voices and styles
• DJ Mode with programmed game to improve rhythm
• 61-note, touch-sensitive keyboard
• Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) input and output
• 6-track, 5-song recorder for playback and recording your creations

Reviews (5)

And I don't even like instuments.
For some reason, I have this keyboard in my room, when I don't even play it. But the first few weeks I had, I discovered a great amount of stuff on it.

-DJ- you can play around with lots of voices and maybe even pretend you're a DJ!

-Touch- I don't really like this option, but I know that many people do because they like the feel of the grand piano.

-YES!- What that is is a program that helps you play 100 different songs with the help of the LCD display.

-Voices- Tons of voices, most of them sounding lifelike. There are even sound effects, like applause, helicopter, and the ocean.

-Recording- Record anything you want, and store 5 songs. You can easily record over anything.

-Metrophone- With the metrophone, you can set the beat of the song your playing to learn to play steadily.

-Volume- The volume ain't no button. You can manually set it to precisely anything, like a good home stereo.

-MIDI- Get yourself a MIDI cable and connect it to your pc. You can send your songs to the computer.

-Harmony- There are many touches you can add to the voices, like a large or small room and many others.

-Styles- Not the best styles in the world, but play your songs to a background tune.

This is an incredible keyboard especially for beginners, but not too much for pros. I suggest getting a more expensive model for pros, but they know what they're doing.

from the piano player
I've had a casio CTK-541 and a yamaha psr260, but this is the one i wanted all along. I liked it because of its song recorder, sound effects, voices, etc.... When i got it, i couldn't wait to go home and try it out. It sounded so real that it felt like i was on stage. The yamaha education suite 2 helped me learn all 100 songs. This keyboard is worth 100 times more than its price

not included
We bought the psr280 at another store.They didn't mention that we needed an adaptor.They did however tell us about the headphones we wanted, and then sold us the wrong set.

Best Gift Ever
I haven't slept for days. This is a great keyboard for the money! More voices, songs, and styles than one needs. The voices sound almost pro-quality. Keep in mind what the other reviewer wrote - you need to buy the adapter if it is notthe AD model.

More features than you can make sense of
A very good basic keyboard with lots of strange features beyond the traditional 100 rhythms and 100 instruments. The most interesting is a piano training course, but it to date has been too complex to figure out. After trying out lots of others in this <($) price range, this seems to be the best quality for the money.

Good features:

- Very close to full sized keys

- Excellent basic sounds. The piano sounds like a piano.

- Basic features are easy to use.

Gripes:

- Instructions are not complete enough given the volume of features

- If you buy this at most other stores (which I did), they foolishly don't include an AC adaptor. The Amazon version (280AD) does. ... Read more

Product Description

This Yamaha keyboard is the first model in the Portable Grand series to offer high-capacity SmartMedia storage (128MB max.), opening the door to instant access to the hundreds of songs that your record or download. Features 76 piano-type touch-sensitive keys; 100 built-in songs; separate woofers and tweeters that deliver sound with clarity and precision for more lifelike instrument voices; general MIDI and Yamaha XGlite for great sound; large backlit bitmapped LCD that displays lyrics and score; Yamaha Education Suite; USB song transfer; and much more. Imported. 6-3/4Hx16-1/4Wx46-1/2L". ... Read more

Features

• Separate woofers and tweeters deliver sounds with clarity and precision for more lifelike instrument voices
• General MIDI and Yamaha XGlite makes for great sound
• 76 piano-type touch-sensitive keys with 100 songs built-in
• Yamaha power adapter is included
• Enhances sound quality with sophisticated digital effects like Harmony, Reverb, and Chorus

Reviews (1)

Beginner friendly, but great for the hobbyist, too.
Ifyou've never played the piano before, this will help you on your way. Notice I do not say it will show you how, which it does to an extant, but I believe that the best way to learn piano is to start from the beginning, which this unit does not do. It has 30 songs built-in along with 70 on the supplied CD-Rom, which will not do you any good without both a computer and either a smart media card or a $50 MIDI cable. The learning features will only allow you to learn the music installed on the system, so if there's not a song there, and you cannot download it from the internet, you're going to have to learn how to read music. With several hundredvoices, including around 75 sound effects, there's plenty to play with here. It is sturdy enough that I feel comfortable allowing my children to play on it - with close supervision, of course. The software it comes with to view the music is not too bad, but I've found better - Solera for one. The ability to download songs and play them right away is very nice, and at only $4.95 a piece, it's rather affordable. All in all, a might fine piece of work from Yamaha. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

With over 700 voices, 32 notes of polyphony, a 16-track sequencer, 3.5-inch disk drive, "To Host" port, and stereo two-way sound system, the Yamaha PSR550AD is packed full of features for amateur musicians and beginners alike. It includes an "EZ Navigator" feature and large, backlit, multicolor LCD display. This function tells the user which buttons to push next, based on what he or she is trying to accomplish.

The PSR550AD contains a 3.5-inch disk drive for loading additional software and saving work. The disk drive allows users to write, arrange, and store songs while recording at the touch of a button. If you enjoy downloading songs or MIDI files from the Internet, the PSR550AD will play back your files. In addition, the 16-track sequencer provides recording and editing capabilities for the budding rock star.

Yamaha has included a "To Host" port for serial connection, for direct connection to a PC or Macintosh. Stereo two-way speakers with bass ports provide a dynamic sound system. If you need to practice in privacy or you don't want to disturb your neighbors, a headphone jack allows you to connect your favorite pair of headphones. The PSR550AD also includes a sustain pedal jack, assignable to 10 different functions.

It operates with an included Yamaha PA6 power adapter or six optional D batteries. Yamaha provides a one-year limited warranty on parts and labor. ... Read more

Features

• 699 authentic instrument voices
• 61 piano-sized, touch-sensitive keys
• 3.5-inch floppy disk drive reads MIDI files
• 16-track recording plus editing features
• Download songs off Internet to play on keyboard

Reviews (2)

YOU CAN STOP LOOKING NOW
Hunting high and low? Losing a tad bit of sleep? Wondering if your musicianship will suffer if this machine sucks? Oh brave heart put away your Internet Browser and write that novel, poem, or short story you've always wanted to. I was like you, fret this and fret that...what if the yea sayers are full of it? What if the nay sayers are too? Put simply there is no better deal for the money. I've done what your probably doing: all the worrying and comparative shopping with pure verve and I STILL feel a bit ashamed of myself for the amount the amount of time I spent looking. But its been seven heavenly months with my 550 and I anticipate many years to come before I have pounded this one into the ground and have to buy the very same model again. (Its even tough enough to abuse a little.) If they never improved upon this model then life would be just wonderful. For the money it is utterly complete in itself, the rest is up to your skill. If you are a passionate musician on a budget then you have found a home. I still look at my Baby (yes thats what I call it) and shake my head in wonder at how inexpensive, hell dirt cheap, it is. Most people think it costs at least a $1000 or $1500. I remember worrying about keyboard expressiveness and sound quality being my two peeves along with recording ability. I can shamelessly say to you that the 550 has all three in spades. The headphone jack is superb! I put a big pair of sony digital's on sometimes and man...whoa! Some people complain about its not loud enough. Pah! I have entertained a medium to large sized living room crowd of about 15. And it has a limiter that keeps all your dynamic range but doesn't allow you to blow the speakers. Lets see..anything else...oh! Forget the DGX boards...not enough substance. Alright thats about enough of me. Peace.

A VERY Incredible Keyboard!
I researched keyboards for over a month before purchasing the Yamaha PSR-550.Needless to say, it is more than anything I learned while researching keyboards, and much more than I ever had hoped for!It has more capabilities than the above-average person could ever use.The price is well below that of what it should be, considering all that the keyboard can create.The only limits it has are those of the musician using it.I have connected it to my computer, and it performs perfectly.I recommend purchasing XGworks software to go along with the keyboard as well.The keyboard is fairly easy to learn (take your time, there are a gazillion combinations of controls and capabilities), very easy to set up, and time consuming to walk away from (it is so much fun to use that you loose track of time).Two words.....BUY IT! ... Read more

Product Description

3 1/2 disc drive plays and records songs in standard MIDI file format76 piano-size touch sensitive keys32 note polyphonyPortable Grand mode for authentic Grand piano soundBuilt-in song sequencer records up to 5 songs with 6 tracks eachYamaha Education Suite teaches timing note reading chordsDigital Signal Processing Advanced Wave Memory technology200 song title music database610 instrument sounds 135 accompaniment styles2-way stereo speakers with bass boost systemHeadphone and sustain pedal jacksOriginal Dealer Cost: $379.99Shipping package dimensions: 20x10.5x50 (len x wid x dep) ... Read more

Features

• Digital Signal Processing and Advanced Wave Memory; 1-year warranty
• 76-key touch-sensitive keyboard with 3.5-inch floppy disk drive
• Integrated 6-track recording system for multitrack home recordings
• Floppy drive includes ability to read and write Standard MIDI Files (SMF)
• 135 built-in styles; sophisticated DJ function

Reviews (3)

Yamaha DGX300
Considering the price of this keyboard, it is of very good quality. It sounds 80% like a real piano and feels 70% like the real one (the keys are still a little too light).And like many have reviewed this keyboard, I also feel the sound is not "loud" enough.I have to turn the volumn close to max in order to have a decent volumn with or without headphone (btw, if you turn off the touch function then the keyboard will be louder but it will be mono-tone).However, it is still a wonderful keyboard in this price range.I am glad that I got it.If you don't mind spending a bit more money (~$500), the Casio 88-key ones sounds and feels better than the Yamaha ones.

A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY PRESENT!
Hey, guess what? My mother's gonna bring me this keyboard on my birthday on November 15th. It has a total of 200 songs, 5 user songs, 135 accompaniments, and more. The manual is multilingual, but you can access the English version and the Spanish version on www.yamaha.com. So come on and check it out! Oh yeah!

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo doubt this is the best keyboard, or should I call it "Digital Piano", that YAMAHA's ever made. It's incredible how it sounds, so you'd like to check out the audio samples on YAMAHA's page, www.yamaha.com

COME ON!

Tremendous Instrument
I've owned several Yamaha Clavinova's over the years & have liked their playability, sound & quality. Though no digital piano in any price range can sound like an accoutic piano, most come close.

What interested me in the Yamaha DGX500 was the educational software included since I'd been away from the piano for several years. Plus having 88 keys to play Jazz was also an added bonus. ....

Once assembled, I turned on the instrument & amazed at the sound from a digital piano ... It has a beautiful blue LCD display that indicates both treble & bass clef & also shows all the keys on the piano so when you play you can instantly see where each key is & what note you are playing. Also included are over 200 songs (complete w/sheet music) that can be easily learned via the display. The educational software makes learning (or re-learning) music fun since it can teach you right hand-left hand techiques,timing, etc.

All in all this instrument is well worth the money even if you pay retail ...P>If you are an inspiring student or someone like me who took a hiatus from playing, take a serious look at this piano before choosing a more expensive instrument. ... Read more

Product Description

Yamaha PSR 1000, Startling Performance & Remarkable Versatility. Turn on Your Creative Imagination With the PSR1000 keyboard you'll feel your musical creativity start to flow the moment you turn on the keyboard. That's because this keyboard contains well over seven hundred song-inspiring sounds that are so full and expressive, you'll swear you're playing the real thing.Beautiful grand pianos, rich acoustic instruments, sparkling synthesizers and more. When a melody comes to mind, the PSR1000 keyboard is ready to follow with a fully arranged accompaniment. Incredible Music Styles The PSR1000 keyboard contains a wealth of fully arranged music styles, including specially designed Pianist Styles, to backup your musical performance. Yamaha style makers around the world have been working very hard to create some wonderful new styles for the release of the PSR1000 keyboard. Each style has 3 Intros, Main A/B/C/D variations, and 3 Endings, as well as four fill-in patterns for added musical expression. You can change the instrument part settings of any music style, or even create your own custom styles Built-in Floppy Disk Drive The PSR-1000 is equipped with a floppy disk drive that allows you to play back MIDI song data in a variety of formatsincluding SMF 0 and format 1, DOC, XG, and Disklavier formatsand gives you the benefit of unlimited storage for your original musical compositions. The PSR-1000 also features Quick start On/Off (MIDI files play immediately after touching Start button) and Chain Play On/Off (advances to next song and starts playing). ... Read more

Features

• 61 touch sensitive keys Large back-lit LCD
• 728 authentic instrument voices 170 accompaniment styles
• Lyric display on LCD 16-track sequencer with extensive editing capabilities
• Floppy disk drive Powerful recording function with step editor
• Mixing console with easy editing Sound creator