Yamaha DGX230AD 76 Key Portable Grand with power Review

Aside from it now being affordable (I bought it when it first came out at around $900), this is a high quality digital piano.The sound is utterly incredible, clear cut and crisp.Basic operation is simple, the weighted keys match those of actual piano keys...the feel is all there.This is perfect for those fluid in their craft, going from in studio to performing in shows.It is fairly heavy, requires 2 people to transport.It is well made, can take serious rough wear and tear from moving and constant use.

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Product Description:
The Yamaha DGX-630 offers an affordable, feature-packed portable keyboard that boasts an authentic grand piano-like touch: heavy in the low end, feathery light in the highs, and amazingly responsive throughout. It also includes USB MIDI and USB to Device for removable storage, along with a high resolution Live! Grand stereo sample, song recorder, score and lyric display. The USB facilitates easy transfer with a PC or Macintosh computer for use with many optional software packages that can score, arrange, and sequence your music. Can't play a keyboard instrument? Yamaha Education Suite helps you get started. With nearly 500 voices and built-in stereo speakers, the Yamaha DGX-230/AD is truly a grand keyboard music instrument that you and your family will enjoy.Pitch bend wheel to add smooth pitch variations to notes playedVoices - 116 panel voices + 12 drum/SFX kits + 361 XGlite voices, Polyphony -32, DUAL and SPLIT modesStyles - 160 Preset Styles + External files, Style Control -ACMP ON/OFF, SYNC STOP, SYNC START, START/STOP, INTRO/ENDING/rit., MAIN/AUTO FILL, Fingering -Multi Finger, Full Keyboard, Style VolumeMusic Database -300 + External filesEducation Feature -Dictionary, Lesson 1-3, Repeat & LearnRegistration Memory -8 banks x 2 typesEffects - Reverb -9 types, Chorus -4 types, Harmony -26 types30 Preset Songs + 5 User Songs + Accessory CD-ROM with 70 moreAuxiliary jacks -PHONES/OUTPUT, DC IN 12V, USB, SUSTAINAmplifier -6 Watts per channel to two 2-way on-board speakers -12cm x 2 + 3cm x 2Power Supply - Adaptor -PA-150 (included) or an equivalent recommended by Yamaha, Batteries -SixDsize, R20P (LR20) or equivalent batteries (optional) Unit Dimensions (W x D x H) -1,178 x 412 x 137 mm (46-3/8 x 16-1/4 x 5-3/8); Weight -8.3kg (18 lbs. 5 oz.) (not including batteries)Supplied Accessories - Music Rest, Accessory CD-ROM, Owner's Manu

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Casio CTK2000 61 Key Personal Keyboard with MP3/iPod Connection Review

After looking at several reviews and product informatiom of various priced keyboards, and wanting to stay in budget , we decided to purchase this one for our son for Christmas. He is 12 and a budding musician, he absolutely LOVES this keyboard. The only downfall is it did not come with it's own AC adapter, which may be common but would have been nice to know to have on hand Christmas morning (it takes a lot of batteries). Other than that it shipped super fast, great packing, good prduct, we are very pleased!

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Product Description:
The Casio CTK2000 is ideal for beginners, children, adults, everyone!And it's loaded with features like a USB port to connect to your computer, plus 48-note polyphony so you are always in control.The CTK2000 keyboard features a 61-key full-size keyboard with MP3/iPod connectivity, an LCD display, and a 3 Step Lesson learning system.The CTK2000 allows you to select up to 400 tones that now include a world music library.There are also 150 versatile rhythms to help add plenty of life to all your keyboard performances.The CTK2000 comes with a total of 110 built-in tunes.You can play back built-in tunes for your own listening pleasure, or you can use them for practice or even sing-alongs.

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Yamaha P155 Contemporary Piano with Mahogany Top Board, Black Review

After a year owning the Yamaha YPG 235 (still love it), I decided to move up to something more substantial, with weighted keys. My first gut reaction was a Kawai or Yamaha Clarinova, but the cost was a bit high, and I didn't like the fact that it was not portable. I wanted the features without the cost (typical consumer). So I looked at the P155.
This keyboard comes with 4-level AWS sampling, 128 polyphonic and GH effect (Yamaha's best) weighted hammers. The features are in line with mid-level Clarinovas. Yamaha did a great job reproducing there top of the line grand piano, trouncing the YPG-235 and the YPG-635. There are subtle sound effects from a real piano reproduced, making the whole experience very realistic.
The keys are extremely accurate, but somewhat heavy. The change over from the graded-tough YPG 235 to a super weighted keyboard took about 5 days. The advantage is being able toplay on a real piano without the fatigue, now that the muscle in my hands have bulked up.
This machine has real MIDI ports, 12 Watt speakers, 1/4" plug connectors for an amp, and up to (2) headphones. It has a USB port for storing songs onto ONLY. You cannot use this port for anything but storage (like a USB pen drive). The unit will format your "drive" to Windows FAT, but it is writable-readable on MAC/LInux . You will need a MIDI to USB adapter if you want to play on your computer.
Overall, I feel (as a novice still) that I took the right course, buying the YPG-235 and now the P-155. The P-155 is truly a mid-level professional stage piano, at a very fair price. The quantity of samples (instruments) is not as much as the YPG-235, but the trade-off is a really superior instrument.

Made in Japan. (Ok, Made in USA would be better....but it's a Japanese piano company)

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Product Description:
Whether you're practicing at home, playing with the band, or doing alive solo performance, the P155 series offers professional quality sound with our legendary touch. Thanks to top-shelf Yamaha digital piano technologies, musicians don't have to choose between portability and piano quality- the quality you expect from a company that's been building world-class acoustic pianos for over a century.

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

This keyboard has exceeded my expectations.It is not a toy - it sounds great & is a delight to play.

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Product Description:
If you're looking for a reasonably priced piano replacement, look no further than the DGX-230. It is the music student or professional musicians answer to I need more keys! and many music teachers encourage new students to get a keyboard that will grow with their needs. It features 76 non-weighted keys that not only look like piano keys but have a Graded Soft Touch (GST) action with different levels of resistance, making it easier for a budding musician to move to an acoustic or digital piano.The DGX-230 delivers on its piano theme with a special mode of fingering called Full Keyboard Mode. This allows the player to play the keyboard like a piano; for example a chord with the right hand and bass notes with the left. When using the accompaniment feature, the virtual band will follow these chords. Traditional portable keyboards normally require you to chord on the left side of the keyboard, in the bass section, which is foreign to most piano players. The DGX-230 is also capable of this mode, for those who prefer it.The DGX230 has 30 built-in songs plus 70 more on included CD-ROM for you to learn to play using the Yamaha Education Suite. The songs are separated into left and right hand parts, providing 7 levels of lessons plus a convenient chord dictionary.Imagine capturing your childs first performance or writing and recording your own songs. With the DGX-230, you have the equivalent of a built-in multi-track recorder to record one or multiple instrument parts at a time and assign each part to a different track. Six tracks are provided to accommodate sophisticated melodies, chord accompaniment and rhythm parts.The DGX-230 comes with 30 built-in songs plus 70 more on an included CD-ROM and an interactive lesson system, divided into left and right hand parts, for learning them. In addition, you have the ability to connect to a computer via USB, download more songs from the Internet into the internal Flash ROM (PC only), and use all of the Yamaha Education Suite features to help you learn to play them. Yamaha makes it easy to get connected with the new PC button. Now, instead of wading through function menus and fighting through a maze of selections, one button is your expressway to music on the web and your computer. In addition, once connected, you can play your songs into the computer (PC and Mac), edit them if necessary, and e-mail them to your friends and family. And with General MIDI (GM) and XGlite compatibility, song data always plays back with the correct sounds.Master EQ: Tailor your sound Five different master equalizer (EQ) settings are provided to give you the best possible sound when listening through different reproduction systems—the instruments internal speakers, headphones, or an external speaker system. You're in control.

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Yamaha P140 88-Key Digital Piano (Black) Review

I recently did an exhaustive review of the digital piano world as I am trying to teach my children to play the piano.Accoustic pianos are not a choice due to the size, weight, cost, and tuning requirements.I love the idea of a piano that is always in tune (and can move if we move), but I wanted to be sure I was teaching my kids in a way that they could easily play a grand piano if presented with one.The biggest concern is muscle memory, and making sure their fingers are used to the feel of a real key.

Roland makes some of the top-of-the-line pianos, but they also come with a high cost.I am sure the sound might be a bit better, but I could not justify the expense.I tried out some of the higher-end Yamaha pianos, and while I was impressed, still was shocked at the cost.The P85 was the lowest cost Yamaha piano I tried that seemed it could be good for teaching.It sounded nice, feature the weighted keys with "graded hammer standard" (GHS), and was reasonably portable.However, I felt the P85 keys were a little hard to push with a little too much return.I had a higher-end Yamaha nearby (non-portable) and found the keys much better.The store also had a grand piano, and the higher-end Yamaha was much closer than the P85.

With a little research, I discovered that the high-end Yamaha pianos (the ones that cost $2k and up) use "graded hammer effect" (GHE), a step up from GHS.The P-140 was the least expensive piano to support GHE.It also has 64 note polyphony, 14 voices with 3 tonal varieties, and support for a sustain pedal (you only need 1 pedal for most playing).

What are the downsides to the P-140?Some other digital pianos have far more voices, more recording capability, and louder speakers.I think the built-in speakers on the P-140 are rather pathetic.But they are good enough for practice.

When I bought the P-140, the P-155 was being introduced.It has essentially replaced the P-140.Better speakers, 128 note polyphony, and more features, but essentially the same piano.I found a seller who was looking to liquidate his P-140's for a good price (with a free stand as well), and I decided the P-155 was not worth the extra cost.If my kids really start playing seriously, I may invest in a Roland, but for now, the P-140 makes sure they don't learn bad habits.My number one criteria was realistic action, and the least expensive way to get into the higher end GHE is the P-140.

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Product Description:
The Ideal Fusion of Rich, Expressive Sound and Exceptional Style As the newest member of Yamaha's P series line, the P-140 delivers incredible sound performance at an incredibly sound price. Featuring Yamaha's highly acclaimed Graded Hammer Effect keyboard as well as realistic piano and instrumental voices, the P-140 offers both the authentic feel of an acoustic piano and the advanced features of today's digitals. Whether you are an accomplished or aspiring musician, the P-140 has the simple operation and superior style you need to showcase your abilities.

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Casio CTK-3000 61 Key, Touch Sensitive Personal Keyboard with MP3 Connection and World Music Library Review

This keyboard is a great keyboard for the money! If you want the one that comes with the stand and headphones, order this - http://www.amazon.com/Casio-CTK3000-Keyboard-Professional-Headphones/dp/Casio CTK3000 Premium Pack with Power Supply, Keyboard Stand and Professional Closed Cup Stereo Headphones/ref=pd_ts_MI_25?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments. The review above appearently did not read the discription as I did and I got the other one with the accessories. Mine came with the accessories and stated it in the product discription, you got to read to know what your getting not just look at pictures. As I said, great beyboard.

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Product Description:
The Casio CTK-3000 is an affordable instrument with a 61 Key Piano Style Touch Sensitive Keyboard, 400 total onboard Tones, 150 Rhythms and Digital Effects. Packed with great features such as Casio's famous Step-up Lesson System, audio inputs for a MP3 player, USB port for MIDI implementation and a pitch wheel for additional expression over sounds. All this makes CTK-3000 more realistic and expressive than ever before at this price range.


An affordable, full-featured portable keyboard. Click to enlarge.
Standard-Size Keys with Touch Response
The CTK-3000 features 61 standard-size keys and two sensitivity levels for a more piano-like experience, along with 48-note polyphony (24-note for certain tones).
400 Built-In Tones
Find just the right sound with 400 built-in tones, and select from ten different reverb settings to add depth.
USB Port
For many musicians, the computer has become a music-making center. Connect the CTK-3000 to a computer using a USB cable and exchange MIDI data between the two devices. Send play data from the keyboard to music software running on yourcomputer, or send MIDI data from your computer to the keyboard for playback.
Built-In Sampling
You can use the CTK-3000 to sample a sound from a portable audio player or other device, and then play the sound with keyboard keys. For example, you could sample the bark of your dog and then use the sound in a melody, or grab passages from a CD. The sampling feature is a fun way to create new sounds.
Note: Samples are not stored permanently. Turning off power will cause any sampled sound data on the keyboard to be deleted.
Internal speakers and battery-powering option for full portability. Click to enlarge.
View full control diagram. Click to enlarge.
110 Built-In Songs With Step Up Lessons
The CTK-3000 comes with a bank of songs for your learning and enjoyment, from classics like "Greensleeves" or "Auld Lang Syne" to holiday tunes like "Jingle Bells."
To master a song, it is best to break it up into shorter parts (phrases), master the phrases, and then put everything together. The CTK-3000 features a "Step Up Lesson" feature that helps you to do just that. The built-in songs are pre-divided into phrases to help you master keyboard play. Step Up Lesson takes you through practice of the right hand part, left hand part, and both hand parts for each phrase of a song. Master all of the phrases and you master the song.
Music Challenge Keyboard Game
Music Challenge is a game that measures your reaction speed as you press keys in response to on-screen keyboard indicators and fingering guide indications.
Auto Accompaniment
Simply specify a chord and the keyboard automatically produces the matching rhythm, bass, and chord patters. One-touch fill-ins make accompaniments sound interesting and natural. 150 built in auto-accompaniment rhythm patterns.
Transpose Function
An easy operation instantly changes the key of the keyboard.
Audio Input
Play along with MP3 or CD players or other devices by plugging them into the stereo mini input jack.
Battery or AC Power
Power the CTK-3000 with six AA-sized batteries (approximately four hours of continuous operation with alkaline batteries) or purchase the AD-5 AC adapter separately to power from your electrical outlets. Built-in speakers make the keyboard entirely portable.
An Auto Power Off feature turns off the device six minutes after the last key is touched, helping you save batteries.
What's in the Box
CTK-3000 Keyboard, Music Stand, Song Book, Safety Precautions, Appendix, Warranty

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Casio PX-800 Privia Digital Piano with Weighted Scaled Hammer Action Keys Review

Casio PX800 Privia Digital Piano with Weighted Scaled Hammer Action Keys

My wife and I own a large Steinway grand piano and a small harpsichord in our living room. We bought this digital piano as a replacement of our old MIDI keyboard and for nighttime practice.

Casio PX800 has an excellent speaker set and a realistic keyboard. Although its tuning isn't perfect (like any acoustic piano and harpsichord), it produces a great sound. As a piano with a full size keyboard and three pedals, its footprint is surprisingly, and pleasantly, small.

Its USB-MIDI functionality is also fantastic and extremely easy to use. Thanks to ferland.francois, this Casio keyboard is now Mac compatible. (Casio supports Windows only.)

Not only does this piano function as a great stand-alone musical instrument with an ample set of features and realistic touch, but also it works as an excellent input device for Apple's GarageBand.

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Product Description:
The PX-800 takes digital piano sound quality to a new level. Grand piano sound and feel in an elegant integrated stand with built-in SD card slot and expanded song memory. State of the artsampling engineering provides the most advanced acoustic piano sound in a digital piano. The stylish PX-800 is sure to fit in any décor.


The PX-800 takes digital piano sound quality to a new level.Click to enlarge.
88 full-size, weighted scaled hammer-action keys,
The stylish PX-800 is sure to fit in any décor.
Realistic Piano Sound and Feel
With stereo sampled pianos and an advanced filter that ensures notes change and decay naturally, along with 128-note polyphony so no notes are cut off, the PX-800 delivers a realistic and natural piano sound.
Touch-sensitive keys mean the sound source responds to how much pressure is applied to the keyboard, providing you with the means to shape and color your performances with everything from booming fortissimos to delicate pianissimos.
Finally, the custom wooden stand with damper and soft/sostenuto pedals gives you a more piano-like elegance, to suit any room in your home.
Powerful Audio
With a built-in, two-way 40-watt speaker system, the PX-800 delivers room-filling sound.
162 Built-In Tones
Pianos aren't the only sounds included. Find just the right sound with 162 built-in tones. You can layer two different tones (such as piano and strings) or split the keyboard down the middle for an ensemble approach.
On-Board Effects
Select from four reverb and four chorus effects to add depth and shimmer to your performance. The PX-800 also features an Acoustic Resonance effect, which reproduces the harmonic resonance within a grand piano.
In addition, each tone is preset with its own DSP effect, such as the rotary speaker effect on the drawbar organ tone.
Song Library
60 songs are included, along with 10 user songs. You can turn off the right or left hand part for easy learning.
Real-Time Recording
Record two tracks of performance for instant playback. You can record up to five songs, approximately 50,000 notes total.
The included SD card slot lets you add to that recording time.
Two Headphone Connections
The PX-800 features two headphone connections, ideal for the duet function.
Stereo Line Out
Connect to a PA system or studio equipment using the stereo line inputs.
What's in the Box
Privia PX-575 Keyboard, AC Adaptor, Music Stand, User's Manual

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Yamaha NP30 Portable Grand Piano Review

Before detailed remarks, here is my reference point.Having been spoiled with playing real pianos (I should say "acoustic", for PC :), I wanted a keyboard just to enjoy some classical music on my own, at my amateur level.I wanted it to be like a piano (in how it feels and sounds) but small and inexpensive.

PROS:

PORTABILITY - especially for an (almost) full-size keyboard.I really didn't want another piece of furniture.NP30 just lies on the table, which (to my own surprise) ended up as the deciding factor for me.YMMV.

SOUND.All the voices (including grand piano, organ, harpsichord) are well done and beautiful.(But see "CONS" below.)

KEY WEIGHTING.NP30's keys are something like "semi-weighted" and "touch sensitive" (but consult the official specs on this) and somewhat easy to press.But see "CONS" below.BTW I researched this "weighted" topic quite a bit and tried several options, but my practical conclusion is this.If you care about the feel, go more high-end or get the real thing (an acoustic piano, that is).Otherwise you will likely get used to what you have, even though it isn't perfect.

SIMPLICITY.The controls are few and quite intuitive.

PRICE.It's all relative, of course, but compared to other full-size keyboards out there, it's among the cheapest - $300 at Best Buys.(And that's without any sale discounds - Best Buys felt kinda thin on sales to me.)

CONS:

KEY WEIGHTING.While offering you an approximation of an acoustic piano's feel, NP30's keys are not quite there.First, they are hard to press if you place your fingers far from the edge of the key (i.e. towards the back of the keyboard) - I have never noticed this on an acoustic.Second, in some cases when I press several keys at once, NP30 doesn't sense one or two of them, whereas an acoustic piano would.I have to re-adjust the pressure to get NP30 to play them.

SOUND.While individual sounds are beautiful, their combinations may not parallel the richness of an acoustic piano's.This is probably because there is no is no resonating effect between the various strings.(Which is quite understandable at this price level.)

FEATURES (missing).The ones I cared about: additional voices (NP30 only got 10) and the 12 keys for the full-size 88-key keyboard.Again, it's all about a trade-off against portability and price.

ACCESSORIES (missing).Power adapter and the sustain pedal are not included, and Best Buys charges $25-30+ for each.This is a RIP-OFF, people.For power, look around; maybe you have a compatible one already (12V, 1500 mA, negative is outside) - or use rechargeable batteries.And maybe you are fine without the pedal (I am still to answer that question for myself).

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Product Description:
The Yamaha NP30 Portable Grand is an easy-to-carry piano that features Advanced Wave Memory stereo sampled piano sounds for incredible sound quality.A entirely new take on the digital piano, offering quality, value and portability with a lighter touch. Featuring 76 Graded Touch keys and stereo-sampled pianos. Also, 10 voices like Organs and Strings plus 32 notes of polyphony. Another great feature for the home recording artist is that it performs as a MIDI controller too. The built in speakers allow you to play it anywhere since it operates on six AA batteries.Ultra-Portable Digital PianoThe new NP-30 Portable Grand delivers Yamaha digital piano sound and simplicity in a new lightweight, compact design like nothing else you've seen... all at a price point you won't believe.Its super slim design and minimal weight of 12 pounds makes it the most compact performer in the digital piano family of instruments. And 6 AA batteries are all you need to power up and start playing immediately.Do you have questions about personal keyboards?Click on the image for product comparisons and FAQs!Graded Soft Touch Action - NEWBecause of its similarity to acoustic pianos, a graded action is one of the primary features sought by pianists in their digital instruments. While technically a non-weighted action, the new Graded Soft-Touch keyboard is the first of its kind bringing different levels of resistance without the extra

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