Yamaha Keyboards

Design

The Yamaha YPT260 has 61 keys, and weighs 8 pounds, 13 ounces. It has an LCD display, and can be powered with the included AC adapter, or with 6 AA batteries.

Sound

The Yamaha YPT260 tones are generated with Advanced Wave Memory (AWM) stereo sampling. AWM sampling uses high-quality recording and filtering technology to make tones that are expressive, nuanced, and authentic to the source instrument sound.

Amplification boosts

Built-in amplification boosts tones from the onboard 12 cm speakers and produces good quality and loudness when playing the keyboard.

Polyphony

32 max polyphony isn't a very high number, but many entry-level digital keyboards don't have polyphony capabilities at all, so it's nice to see in the YPT260.

Instrument voices

It has 384 instrument voices and 16 drum and SFX sounds. It also has 9 types of reverb, 5 types of chorus, and 130 preset accompaniment styles.

Master EQ​

Master EQ has 6 styles of customization, so you have greater control over the sound quality. It also has 3 types of ultra-wide stereo, panel sustain, and multi-finger capability, along with style controls to adjust sync start and stop, intro/endings, auto fill-in, etc. Transpose and tuning functions allow you to adjust the tone of the instrument.

Tuning functions

Transpose and tuning functions allow you to adjust the tone of the instrument.

One-touch setting

One-touch setting allows you to either use the 4 preset settings, or customize your own voice, style, and effect settings and restore them with the push of a button. Or, use the “Portable Grand” button to have the sound and style of a grand piano at a touch.

Learning functions

The YPT260 comes with 112 preset songs with 12 chord study songs.

Yamaha Education Suite

The Yamaha Education Suite provides practice and exercises for one hand at a time, or both hands together. When learning, use the onboard song library to interactively advance your piano playing. The song playback will adjust to your playing tempo, and the song will pause and wait for you to play the right chord before it goes on, making it easy to learn and play along with the included songs. The downloadable song book includes the sheet music for the included songs, so you can learn to read music while you play.

Duo function

It has a built-in metronome, and a duo function allows you to split the keyboard in half, with two middle C keys. This allows two players to sit beside each other and play simultaneously, and is great for teachers and students.

Connectivity

The AUX IN port on the Yamaha YPT260 allows you to connect your own device and hear your favorite music through the instrument speakers, so you can play along with any song you like. It also has a headphone jack, and a jack for a sustain pedal.

Design

The Yamaha PSR-EW300 SA keyboard weighs less than 14 lbs. without batteries. The ability to play with AC or with battery power helps the portability of this keyboard, which can be easily taken outdoors to play, travel with a family, or go to and from practice.

Sound

The Yamaha PSR-EW300 SA is driven by the famous Yamaha AWM stereo sampling sound engine. It's not Yamaha's best grand piano sound, but is an excellent sound engine that makes Yamaha beginner keyboards preferred by experts.

76 touch-responsive keys

It has 76 touch-responsive keys, which play with louder volume depending on how hard the keys are pressed, just like an acoustic piano.

LCD display

The onboard buttons and menus are clearly labeled, the backlit LCD screen is easy to read as it guides you through settings, functions, or piano lessons.

Includes

It comes with the necessary power supply, and a slim, adjustable, x-style keyboard stand, so you can begin playing right out of the box.

Instrument voices

It comes with a whopping 574 total instrument voices, with 197 panel voices, 18 drums and effects, 20 arpeggio, and 339 XGlite voices for a huge range of sound capabilities.

Built-in

Built-in arpeggio and a number of arpeggio styles and options adds even more capabilities for musical styles and sounds.

Functions

It has duo, split, and keyboard functions, so you can share the keyboard with another player, or produce multiple instrument voices with every touch.

One-touch setting

Registration buttons, one-touch setting, and grand piano button allow you to not only customize your settings as you prefer, but quickly store and save them, or immediately return to the factory default with grand piano.

Preset Songs

With 154 preset songs and 165 preset styles, it has everything you need to learn and play nearly any type of music. It has a large range of reverb, chorus, harmony, and EQ settings for customizing your sound, and 48 levels of polyphony allow for complex, overlapping, nuanced music.

Yamaha Education Suite

The included Yamaha Education System has a number of capabilities to help new piano players learn and grow. With the downloaded song book, you can read music and play along with the onboard songs in the keyboard. It has easy, step-by-step lessons and practice, along with “touch tutor” lessons for learning dynamic expression. The education system will also track and grade your lessons as you progress.

Transpose and tuning functions

Transpose and tuning functions allow you to adjust the instrument to your preference, particularly when playing along with other instruments or vocalists.

Features

A library of 165 musical styles and style controls, including auto fill and other options, allows you to explore any music style you choose.

Melody Suppressor feature

The Melody Suppressor feature can suppress the vocals on tracks when they are played through the keyboard, allowing you to play or sing along without competition.

Automatically power off

When the Yamaha PSR-EW300 SA is idle for a while, it will automatically power off, saving your battery life or energy costs.

Connectivity

The Yamaha PSR-EW300 SA has headphone and pedal jacks, as well as AUX IN to connect a music player, and USB to host for connection to computers and mobile devices.

Design

The  Yamaha YDP103R Arius Series Digital Console Piano comes in a handsome console with the real wood look of a piece of furniture, and a matching bench, for a stylish accent in your home.

Sound

It has a library of 10 piano voices, allowing you to change the entire sound of the instrument on demand. Built-in voices include grand piano, electric piano, organ, harpsichord, vibraphone, and strings.

88 keys

The 88-key keyboard is full size and fully weighted. Graded hammer standard key weight technology has a heavier touch on the low end of the keyboard, and a lighter feel in the high notes, just like the feel of an acoustic piano. Practicing with standard size, correctly weighted keys builds proper finger technique that translates easily to an acoustic piano.

Touch sensitivity

Touch sensitivity can be adjusted for hard, medium, or soft playing, or touch sensitivity can be disabled altogether.

Polyphony

Polyphony is an indication of the instrument's ability to play multiple sounds at once. While a maximum of 64 is an ample quantity for most needs, some voices use 4 or more elements at once, and that's before you begin sustaining and layering in complex sounds. When the polyphony is exceeded, some sounds may decay prematurely or even cut off abruptly, so it's a good idea to not exceed maximum polyphony capabilities.

Matte finish

The matte black keys on the Yamaha YDP103R are treated with a matte finish so they do not get slippery during extended play. 

Reverb​

It also has 4 levels of reverb and chorus effects, including Room, Hall1, Hall2, and Stage reverb settings.

Transpose function

The transpose function allows you to control and adjust semitones, and is perfect for accompanying a vocalist.

Advanced Wave Memory (AWM)

Advanced Wave Memory (AWM) sampling is Yamaha's classic sound engine. Sound is captured with two pairs of microphones, for left and right waveforms that give deeper, richer, and more spacious sound.

Dual mode

Dual mode allows you to layer sounds together, such as piano and strings, and play two instruments at once with every touch of the keys.

None tuning

Unlike an acoustic piano, the Yamaha YDP103R never needs tuning, but you can still use the fine tuning feature to adjust the pitch of the entire instrument. This ability is useful when you play along with other musicians or pre-recorded music from your own song library.

Duo function

The Yamaha YDP103R's Duo function splits the keyboard in half, so two players can each have a 44 key keyboard and their own middle C. This is perfect for piano lessons, allowing teacher and student to sit side-by-side play at the same time, mirroring hand motions and positions, and use the built-in metronome function to keep time.

USB out

USB out allows you to connect the YDP103R to your computer or mobile device for recording and playback using compatible apps, so you can also use your favorite software to edit, mix, and share your songs.

Slim piano

The Yamaha YDP103R doesn't have a built-in screen, which helps keep the slim, acoustic look of the piano, but would otherwise make it necessary to refer often to the manual in order to access and customize many settings. However, using the digital connective capabilities of the piano along with the Yamaha Digital Piano Controller app, all those functions can be accessed, controlled, and customized using your iPad or iPhone with touchscreen ease.

Piano Diary apps

The Yamaha YDP103R also doesn't have onboard memory for recording or playback of your songs, so you can use the My Music Recorder and/or the Piano Diary apps to record, playback, store, and share your music as you progress.

Visual Performer app

The Visual Performer app “listens” to your music and creates mesmerizing animations based on the notes and tempo of your playing, adding a mini light show to your piano performances.

Auto shut off

The Yamaha YDP103R will automatically shut off after a period of inactivity, in order to conserve power. You can adjust this feature or disable it if you prefer.

Design

The Yamaha EZ-220 keyboard is compact and portable, weighing less than 10 pounds

Sound

The EZ-220 keyboard uses high-quality Yamaha Advanced Wave Memory (AWM) stereo sampling. AWM sampling uses high-quality recording and filtering technology to make tones that are expressive, nuanced, and authentic to the source instrument sound.

Touch sensitivity

The lighted keyboard is touch-sensitive, which is an excellent feature. And the lights can also be turned off when you don't need them anymore.

Battery Power

The ability to use battery power makes it even more convenient for travel or playing outdoors.

Music rest

It comes with a music rest that can hold sheet music or an iPad, and has a special mount to hold an iPad securely in place, so that you can use the touchscreen features without risking moving or dropping the tablet.

Instrument voices

It has 392 instrument voices and 13 drum and SFX sounds. It also has 9 types of reverb, and 100 preset accompaniment styles.

Adjustable style sync

You can adjust accompaniment style sync, intro, ending, auto-fill, etc. One Touch Setting lets you use Yamaha preset settings, or store your own preferences and retrieve them with the press of a button.

Tuning functions

Transpose and tuning functions let you customize the tone of your instrument as needed.

Grand piano sound

There is also a dedicated Grand Piano button, that adjusts all settings to reproduce the sound of a grand piano from the EZ-220.

Connectivity

The Yamaha EZ-220 61-Lighted Key Portable Keyboard has ports for a sustain pedal, headphones, and a USB port for connecting directly to digital devices. It also connects wirelessly to an iPad running the dedicated Yamaha EZ-220 apps, but uses a dedicated private connection between the iPad and the keyboard, rather than using standard Bluetooth or WIFI connectivity.

Learning functions

It comes with 100 preset songs and 1 demo song to help speed learning, and has a built-in customizable metronome. The Yamaha Education Suite is built in to the keyboard, and uses the LCD screen to help you practice with either hand, or both hands, giving simple, effective lessons without requiring an app or internet connection.

Bundle

This bundle includes a keyboard stand, AC adapter, and a pair of headphones. The stand and headphones aren't the highest quality, but are certainly functional enough for a beginner, and it's nice to get the entire set in a single package.

Features

32 max polyphony isn't a very high number, and more advanced players will want a greater capacity, but many entry-level digital keyboards don't have polyphony capabilities at all.

There are several iPad apps that are bundled with the Yamaha EZ-220 61-Lighted Key Portable Keyboard Package.

Apps

Page Turner

This is a digital songbook for the preset songs included with the keyboard. It helps you learn to read music, and advances the pages automatically as you play along.

Visual Performer

This app creates custom visualizations based on the pitch and velocity of your piano playing, creating visual effects and imagery to go along with your music.

Note Star

Note Star adds touchscreen and interactive capabilities to traditional sheet music, taking advantage of new technologies to enhance the experience.

Piano Diary

This app allows you to track and record your piano performances. Recordings are stored in the cloud, where they can be replayed anytime, anywhere, and easily shared with others. It's a great way to track your progress as a player.