Would the Yamaha PSR-E403 be a good first board? I'm looking for something in the $200-$350 price range, something easy to learn on, and something I can have fun with and be creative with. I will primarily use it to jam around with classic rock songs with my brother and just to learn and have fun. Also, I'm very ignorant when it comes to keyboards, and I don't know if a 61-key or 76-key would be better for me. Feel free to recommend anything. Thanks for your time.

The PSRE-403 will be a great first board for you. It is extremely versatile and a lot of fun. It contains some realistic voices (instrument sounds) and plenty of styles to play along with. You need to go check one out at your local music store (Sam Ash, Guitar Center, Best Buy, etc.) It also goes under the YPT400 model no. If you do a search here on this site, you can find more posts of mine in which I've given more detail about this incredibly affordable board. It is THE bang for the buck board out there with a price tag under $200. And for that price, you can use it for starters and then move on to something more elaborate as your abilities grow.

Another possibility - at $300- is the Casio WK3100 which has 76 keys and even more versatility. You have to check it out. The voices are quite good but the styles are more simplistic (not as polished). However you can tweak, create, and save voices and even add new voices from their website. Either one of these boards would be fabulous beginner, even intermediate boards.

Best regards,
Tim

[This message has been edited by CoasterTim (edited 08-16-2006).]

Thanks a ton for your help. I've been scouring over different sites and so forth the last couple of days and so far you have been the most helpful. Now maybe another question you can help me with.

The Yamaha Education Suite featured on boards like the PSR-E403 seemed like an attractive feature to me, but considering I have never learned how to play I don't know how convient the on-board teacher would be or if it is even any good. Like I said I want to teach myself, and I'll be doing it in a dorm room with my keyboard, a laptop, and any book I might buy, so I guess the question here is how good is the Y.E.S. on the Yamaha boards and does something like the Casio board you mentioned have a similar better/worse system?

Sorry if that's a bunch of jumbled up nonsense, but once again thanks for your help.

I think both for the long run and short term, that you will be best off with the Yamaha. Casio is good for what it is, but it stops at a certain point. There is no Casio Tyros 2 or Clavinova and I doubt that there ever will be.

While I haven't seen the current Yamaha teaching program I would be quite certain that it would be good. I have been in music my entire life and in music retail and teaching over 30 years. I would suggest to any new student of mine to get the Yamaha E403.

One other point. A lot of people use Yamaha instruments of all types professionally. I can't think of one person using a Casio in the same situation.

Best
Scott
http://ScottLMusic.com

Thanks a bunch Scott. I think this is my last question...for now. What would be the advantage/disadvantage to purchasing a 61-key keyboard instead of a 76-key keyboard. I don't really know the difference, I assume more keys means a wider spectrum of sounds available to me, but being a beginner would I be able to notice?

The Y.E.S. can be very helpful in getting you started in learning to play. (It's not going to turn you into a pro player all by itself, but it can help you get a good start, along with other materials you may pick up from other sources.) It has 3 levels of lessons, each a bit more challenging. It allows you to work with each hand seperately and then together. It has a 'waiting' feature which waits for you to play the correct note and it features a 'minus one' mode, which allows you to play the melody line in place of the one included on the MIDI track. You can vary the tempo to suit your ability. Plus as you learn by playing any of the built-in songs or songs you downloaded from the internet, it even will grade your performance. Also included in the software is the Digital Music Notebook - a multimedia internet service that "enables you to preview, purchase, download and print learn-to-play music books and chart-topping music sheets."
All this plus great sounds in an attractive keyboard for under $200. Deciding on this board is (IMHO) a no-brainer!

Go get one! (No, I'm not a salesman, just a fan!)
Tim

76 or 88 keys, for that matter will give you a broader fuller spectrum of sound. But I don't think it will make a lot of difference in your case. Another thing to keep in mind, callmebobdylan, that whether you go with a 61 or 76 key model, it is NOT going to feel like a real piano. The keys will feel springy like a synth. If you want to seriously learn to play piano, you will need to spend hundreds more dollars for an 88 key keyboard with hammer-action keys. If you just want to learn enough to know an A from a C-sharp and play melody lines and chords, then 61 keys with synth action will do. 76 keys are not absolutely important in this case. Others here may have a differing opinion, and I respect them for it, but this is how I see it from my point of view.

Tim

[This message has been edited by CoasterTim (edited 08-16-2006).]

At this time 61 keys is certainly more than enough to learn to play well. If after awhile you progress to where you are playing more advanced music and you start running out of keys then you can always get 76 or 88 keys. That would probably take a quite awhile and a lot of advanced hobbyists and pros alike are very comfortable playing 61 keys. As a general rule of thumb in the music business it is pretty much an accepted idea that no one needs 88 keys unless they are playing heavy classical music or something along those lines.

Hi,
haven't actually seen one as yet, but it certainly sounds like good value for money .
Tim also mentioned the YPT 400, but looking at the specs, it doesn't appear to load user styles?? wheras the E403 does. Personally I wouldn't consider a keyboard that can't load user styles, because you may get tired of only using the onboard styles.

Unless you plan on playing it as a piano, 61 notes should be more than enough.
One good thing is, it midi's to a computer via usb therefor opening up all sorts of possibilities.

If you eventually outgrow it, you always have the option of using it as a controller keyboard for softsynths /arrangers.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by callmebobdylan:
[B]

Rikki,

Actually the PSR-E403 and the YPT-400 are identical keyboards with identical features. The manual for my PSR-E403 is also the manual for the YPT-400. Both models #'s are on the cover and the manual refers to both of them all the way through, including the spec list in the back. It is confusing why the same keyboard is given 2 different no's. I'm sure Yamaha has a good reason. (They're just not telling us!)

Tim

[This message has been edited by CoasterTim (edited 08-17-2006).]

Sounds great guys. I don't think ya'll could have been any more helpful. I'm convinced now to buy this board as soon as I can find it somewhere in Knoxville, or just order one online if I can't. I'm sure after I actually get the board and start learning to play from scratch I'll be back here a lot with more questions everyday, so get ready . Thanks again everyone.

There's one (YPT-400) IN STOCK at the Best Buy in Knoxville. $199

Tim

Hi Tim,
I was getting my info from the Yammie website http://tinyurl.com/ohf47
The YPT 400 only mentions 135 styles wheras E403 mentions 155 & 1 user style.

Then I came across this site http://music.yamaha.com/products/specifications.html?productId=1213
So tad confusing.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by CoasterTim:
[b]Rikki,



[This message has been edited by rikkisbears (edited 08-17-2006).]

Hi Tim

If your manual states that everything is the same for both keyboards for all options and doesn't state that this or that is only on such and such model then, I suppose the reason they YPT and PSR-E versions are for different outlets. One is probably for music stores and the other for big chain stores like Best Buy.

Hi Scott,
how bizzare if they are actually identical.
What amazed me was I read two conflicting lots of specifications on the YPT. Both on Yamaha websites. One said it has 135 styles the other 155 plus a user style.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Scott Langholff:
[B]Hi Tim

Hey Tim

Wondering if you can mute parts of styles. Like if you had a big band style and wanted to mute the horn background and just keep the rhythm section. If so, can that be saved that way. And then if you can do that I suppose you can save a registration or 2 with it? How many styles/registrations can be saved?

Thanx
Scott

Scott,

Unfortunately, this board has some limitations. You cannot alter styles in any way, except by choosing variation A or B (B always being more busy)plus you only have one intro and one ending.

You can turn the channels on and off in a MIDI file. There are 5 buttons in the sequencer section that control this feature. You cannot re-assign voices, except for what they call the 'song melody voice'. So whatever happens to be on track 2 can be reassigned. This is where the low price tag takes its toll, but hey, what do you want for pocket change I'm still amazed at what they DO include on this board.

As far as registrations go...you can save up to 16 presets (eight banks of 2 ea.) You can save Style settings, Voice settings, Effect settings, Arp settings, Harmony settings...along with transpose, pitch bend range, and knob assign.

Hope I've answered your questions adequately.

Best regards,
Tim

Thanx Tim

Hi Tim,
are you positive you only get 1 intro & ending??
I thought my dgx only had the one, but then discovered I sometimes had 2 , depending on whether I started the intro from vari a or b . ie the style would default automatically
to vari a i'd get vari a intro, if going directly to vari b, I'd get a vari b intro.
I only discovered it by accident when playing round with some user styles.
Be great if there was actually a second intro lurking in the back ground.

best wishes
Rikki
[QUOTE]Originally posted by CoasterTy to a or b.im:
[B]Scott,

Unfortunately, this board has some limitations. You cannot alter styles in any way, except by choosing variation A or B (B always being more busy)plus you only have one intro and one ending.

Rikki,

So far, that's all I've found on this little beast - one intro, one ending, two variations, two fills. I should mention that you get a somewhat different intro and ending when playing in a minor key...just like other keyboards.

I hate to admit with all the talk lately about the merits of the 3000, I'm really beginning to miss mine.

Until the 3100...
Tim

Hang in there Tim,

I know what you mean though, in many ways I'm still regretting having sold my KN7, we sometimes sell em' & regret it afterwards.

If you need something to keep your mind occupied, midi the little beast to your computer and get OMB software. A lot of the psr styles ( ones without megavoices)should work reasonably well with the e403 as soundsource.
Something different to try . haa haa.

Personally I've been tied up with soundfonts & BIAB software.
Instead of having 2 or 3 top end arrangers to keep me occupied, currently I'm happy playing round with a piece of software & a bunch of free soundfonts. My poor sd1 is currently sitting in the corner collecting dust.. Go figure.

best wishes
Rikki