Digital Piano Keyboards

Casio has been one of the leading manufacturers of pianos over the years and also has been one of the most favourite choices of many users across the globe. This has been the trend because of the ability of the keyboards from Casio to retroflex the musical notes even digitally. If you have a slight peek into the keyboard market, you will find that there are so many varieties of digital pianos available for kinds of users and also for practice at all levels.  Of all those, the ones from Casio are slightly ahead in terms of usability and also the technology used, so that, at the end of the day it becomes easy for the user to play the keyboard. One such product from Casio is the CDP 100 88, which was released recently. But having said that, is that an ideal possession for all. Read the review to find out more about this new digital piano from Casio.

Design:

Everyone loves to have a very sleek and attractive piano which is a very good player at the same time. Well, that is exactly what the Casio CDP-100 is all about; Sleek and attractive, and it will be an ideal piano for you to have for regular practice at home. The overall design of the Casio CDP-100 Digital Piano is simple and at the same time, it also looks pretty classy. Just like most of the keyboards in the present day market, this one has also got 88 soft touch keys. These keys are also specially designed, and this means that, you do not need to prod the keys for playing good sounds. Just a feather touch is enough. The arrangement of the keys is also pretty neat and in a manner that makes it easy to use even for the novice. With Dimensions as (W x H x D) 52-1/8″ x 10-15/16″ x 5-3/16″ and Weight: 26 lb, the Casio CDP-100 is one of the lightest and also very comfortable pianos ever. This is what the music lovers and especially the professional players would want from their keyboard.

Features:

Of course, the main duty of a piano is to deliver musical sounds. But of late, many features are being introduced into almost all the pianos in the market in order to attract the general public. But, some of them are only purely attractions rather than utilities. Hence, it is a must that you be careful before actually deciding over the pianos basing on the features that they boast about. Hence, here we are, giving you all the relevant details of the features that are seen on the Casio CDP 100 88.

Soft Touch Action:

This is the best feature of all regarding the Casio CDP 100 88 Key Digital Piano. Its soft keys, which are known as graded keys with soft touch action, give you an excellent graded feel while you are interfacing the keyboard. There are three levels of touch sensitivity and the sounds that come out also differ basing on the force with which the keys are pressed. This can turn out to be a very good idea because the musicians today are longing for fast chords and clearly it takes lesser time when the keys need less stress. This allows the musicians to play better and also faster and they can also create new beautiful musical chords. The three levels of sensitivity mean that the touch resistance offered by the keys of the Casio CDP-100 Piano Keboard differs from key to key as we move from the left to the right of the keyboard. The levels are namely Low Medium and High. The right most keys have low sensitivity and as we move to the left, the sensitivity of the keys gradually increases. This is indeed a very good idea basing on the fact that most of the musicians are right handed and they feel better when their piano works in this fashion.

Built in Songs:

There are 74 built-in songs in the Casio CDP 100 88  note piano. This helps you in first playing the songs beforehand and notice the way the piano plays different chords so that you can gain knowledge about how the chords can be played and the songs can be composed thereafter. This is a fine feature and it helps the novice users a lot in teaching them very good lessons. One can learn self lessons using this very feature from Casio.

Miscellaneous Features:

The HL sound source is one of the newly introduced features of Casio, which is seen on the CDP-100 88. This must really help you in giving better sound quality and also nice acoustics so that each and every chord will be distinct from the others and hence you get a very nice musical effect. The 5 tones and the 8 Digital effects are an opportunity for you to make more and more chords. There is also a stand provided along with the piano and the height of this stand can be varied. This can be a very useful feature as people are of different heights. The headphone jack connector is pretty useful so that others are not disturbed when you are playing the keyboard. Everything else is just good enough. But it would have been really better if there was a facility for PC connection, so that you could save the tunes composed in the form of MIDI files on your computer and they can be played again in the future. But nevertheless, it has been a good deal of features that the Casio CDP has included in it.

Performance:

Even though there are quite a good number of features, the CDP 100 light weight Digital Piano keyboard must still pass the tests and prove to the world that it is here to play music but not to just show off. Here are the different performance details of this new piano from Casio that are discussed after sufficient testing of the various parts and functionalities.

Sound:

The sound clarity must be very good for any piano in consideration without any exceptions. The CDP 100 has to be best piano from Casio till date and hence it must have very good sound producing mechanism. The keyboard plays very pleasant sounds which are near to CD quality. Another special ability of this piano is that it can produce a wide range of sounds when the settings are changed a little so that there is ample scope for you to make different notes and chords. Overall, the sounds that came from the piano were good and particularly after looking at the luring price tag of the piano.

Speakers:

Any keyboard must have very good acoustics for it to become a hit in the market today. Well, the Casio CDP-100 MIDI Piano Keyboard has got a solid sound system that complements the wonderful keyboard of it about which we have already discussed. There are two 6 x 12 cm speakers on either sides of the Casio CDP 100 88 piano. This obviously gives you a stereo sound effect. The acoustics of the keyboard are also so very arranged that the sound quality reaches the optimum level when the user is seated in front of the piano. This does not mean that the sounds are unidirectional. But anyways, a great effort is put in by Casio in producing beautiful sounds from the CDP 10088.

Distinct Sounds:

As we have already seen, the piano is capable of producing different sounds that comply with the force that is applied on the keys while playing. It looks amazing when you see the variety of sounds that it can play. The chords sound very nice and sweet when played gently and they get louder when the pressure on the keys is increased gradually. All these distinct sounds add up to give you a very pleasant music if played properly.

Battery Life:

The Casio CDP 100 completely runs on batteries and these batteries can be charged from to time using the adapter provided by Casio along with the keyboard. You can charge the batteries from time to time using the adapter provided by Casio along with the piano. The piano consumes about 18 Watts of power on an average at 12 V, talking about normal use. This power rating is pretty much on the lower side and this means that you can have hours of musical sessions with the Casio CDP 100 88 and it also does not cost you much.

Warranty:

The Casio CDP 100 88 comes with an international warranty of one year from the original date of purchase. This means that the piano can be repaired in any country. The piano also comes with a 90 days return policy.

Verdict:

The Casio CDP 100 88 is a very good choice for almost any person who is in search of good quality piano. Particularly, if you are a beginner and you need to learn a lot of lessons all by yourself then this one would be a great option for you. It is also not that pricey and for the quality of music that it delivers, it can be afforded without any second thought.

Check Latest Digital Pianos, Roland Piano Keyboard Reviews in this website.

Casio CDP-100 Digital Piano - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Casio
Model Name	CDP 100
Dimensions (H x W x D)	132.3 x 27.8 x 13.2 cm
Weight	26 lbs
Keyboard	88 keys
Display	Yes
Touch Response	Touch
Transpose	1 octave (F# to C to F)
Pitch Bend	Yes
Tuning	A4 = 440.0Hz ±50 cents (adjustable)
Polyphony	32 notes, maximum
Midi	16 multi-timbre receive
Tones	5 layered
Digital effects	Reverb (4 types), Chorus (4 types)
Rhythms	120
Built-in Tunes	5
Demo Songs	74
Front-panel Percussions	8
Adjustable volume	Yes
Single Finger / Fingered Chord	Yes
Pedal	Standard Jack
Connectivity	Speaker Output (L/R) Headphone Jack
Power	12 - 18 W
Package contents	88 Keys Keyboard Stand Power Adaptor Stereo Headset Pedal Manual
Warranty	1 year

Yamaha is a leading manufacturer of pianos and has been the preferred choice of many users because they have been able to replicate music even in a digital form. They have several digital pianos to suit the various needs of customers.  One of their products, the Yamaha NP-30 represents a newer range of pianos. The piano designed to offer quality, value and portability has 76 graded soft touch keys and includes stereo sampled piano voices. Featuring grade soft touch for medium resistance, it is ideal for aspiring pianists who suffer repetitive stress disorders. But is it good for those who do not suffer from those disorders, read on to find out.

Design:

Simple yet Sleek:
The design of the NP30 Digital Piano is simple and classy. It has a design that replicates a traditional acoustic keyboard. It has 76 graded soft touch keys compared to 88 that a standard keyboard has. The keys are neatly arranged and are easy to use. The keys are 140mm long versus 145mm and an octave span is 163mm versus 165mm making them marginally smaller than the conventional keys.  They get lighter to the touch, and as one gets to the higher key replicating the feel of an acoustic device. The device is made up of plastic and might not feel like a real acoustic device, but it is a great combination of a good design and high quality material. The NP30 is available in piano black, but is also available in silver with the model being named NP30S.

Light and Compact:
The Yamana NP 30 Piano is 49 inches long but amazingly light. Thanks to the physical aspects of Graded soft touch action, the weight of the piano has come down to 6.5kg that is lower than the NP 70 – Yamaha’s lightest digital piano. Thus it is highly portable and that is something professional musicians on the move would want.

Features:

Graded Soft Touch Action:
The biggest feature of the NP 30 is not the light weight of the keyboard but the weightless feeling in the keyboard action. With a lighter touch than Yamaha’s graded hammer standard or graded hammer effect bed, it still manages to have an excellent graded feel. The Graded Soft touch provides medium resistance in the left hand that gets lighter as one moves up the keyboard allowing easier and faster passages with the right hand. It provides the stiff resistance one would expect and one could not help but like it.  For low impact playing, this semi weighted action is ideal for people suffering from arthritis and stress disorders. One can adjust the touch response from fixed for no response to hard for sensitivity with soft and medium in between.

Vocal performer:
The NP-30 Piano Keyboard has a selection of 10 voices that cover most of the sounds one would expect from a keyboard. You get 2 Grand pianos, 2 organs, 2 electric pianos, 2 harpsichords, a vibraphone and a strings setting. The sound engine has a 32 note polyphony, which works well, thanks to the Advanced Wave Memory technology (AWM) that has managed to capture the overall range of sound from an instrument and replicates it, accurately enough to make it sound natural.  Try playing the NP 30 softly and it would produce a soft tone and play it hard, the tone is bright and loud. We also noticed that the keys were very even and responsive.

Dual Voice and Metronome:
A feature we liked on the Yamaha NP 30 is the dual voice feature that allows one to play two voices at the same time. We tried playing the piano and string together and it happened easily. The keyboard also has a built in metronome making it perfect for practice. One could also use a metronome in different time signatures such as ¾ waltz, 4/4 rock and 6/8 jazz. One can set the temp directly using a numeric pad. If the piano says the temp needs to be 72bpm, you can set it, and you would know how fast it has to be played.

Other features:
Yamaha NP 30 also features layering of the sounds and MIDI. The NP 30 has nine more built in sounds apart from the stereo piano sound. The MIDI lets one connect the digital piano to a computer giving a scope for creating different types of music.

Performance:

Sound:
The NP-30 Keyboard has a clean and pleasant sound. It produces a lot of sounds that are distinct from each other. The sounds were good enough considering the price tag and we did not expect such clarity from this budget baby.

Speakers:
When we played the NP 30, we thought the sound was not very strong. We thought that it was perhaps due to us standing over it and we pulled over a keyboard bench and sat down and everything sounded much better. The speakers were designed with an oval type cone to project the sweet spot towards the ears when seated. Marvellous use of acoustics and bravo Yamaha!

Distinct Sounds:
The Grand Piano 1 was amazing. It sounded like the piano on the Yamaha P series of digital pianos. It has a very nice sound when played softly and gets louder when played with more passion. The second piano is a bit brighter. The Electric Pianos are typical Yamaha ones. They sound well and respond to velocity switching. When it comes to organs, one sounds like a reed organ and the other a church organ. The Harpsichords sound pretty nice and so were the strings and vibes.

Battery Life:

The Yamaha NP 30 runs on six AA batteries and has a battery life of 30 days on light usage (~ 1 hour a day). It could be lesser if used more. There is an optional power adapter available that one could use to power the keyboard.

Warranty:

The Yamaha NP 30 is covered by a warranty of 3 years on service and labour. The Yamaha Rock Solid Reliance Warranty ensures years of trouble free music making.

Verdict:

If you are a beginner and just started learning the piano and do not want complicate composers or worthless features, the NP 30 is a solid choice. It offers great sounds and a great feel at an amazingly low price without any needless extras. Features such as built in sounds and 2 layer contrast also help in experimenting.  If performance is your criteria and you will not want to loosen the strings of your purse, the NP 30 provides everything you need and nothing you do not.

Check other Portable Keyboards, Yamaha Keyboard Reviews, Specs in this website.

Yamaha NP30 Piano Keyboard - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Yamaha
Model Name	Yamaha NP 30
Model Number	NP 30
Dimensions (H x W x D)	49 x 4 x 10.2 inches
Weight	12lbs
Finishes available	NP30: Piano Black NP 30S: Silver
Keyboard	Graded soft touch
Number of keys	76 keys
Keyboard touch sensitivity	Hard, Medium, Soft, Fixed
Tone Generating Technology	AWM Stereo Sampling
No of preset voices	10
Polyphony	32notes (max)
Voices	2 Grand Pianos 2 E-Pianos 2 Harpsichords 2 organs Vibes, Strings, Dual Voice with layer volume adjustment
Digital effects	Reverb, Chorus
Demonstration	Yes
Music Reset	Yes
Metronome	Yes
Tempo Range	32 to 280
Transpose	-6 to 0, 0 to +6
Tuning	Yes
Speaker Type	2 x 6 Watt amplifier 4.7 x 2.3” speakers
MIDI	Yes
Connections	Headphones x 1 Stereo Out MIDI In MIDI Out Power Adaptor DC IN 12V Sustain Pedal
Amplifiers	6W x 2
Power Supply	Adaptor (PA-5D/PA-150), or batteries (Six “AA” size, LR6 or equivalent batteries)
Power Consumption	20W
Highlight features	Graded Soft Touch Keyboard Slim, Light and Compact Keyboard Advanced Wave Memory Stereo Sampling Built-in Stereo Speaker System Piano Preset Songs
Warranty	Three years

These days, quite a number of manufacturers have found place in the international market in the field of musical instruments. Most of these well known brands manufacture digital pianos. But, most of these leading brands fail to actually manufacture a digital piano which would be more than sufficient for the musicians and truly give them the feel of the instrument. Thus, with low satisfaction level and less scope to explore and exploit the instrument, the users think it is just a waste of money when it comes to buying digital pianos. The digital pianos are basically a substitute for the acoustic pianos, and most digital pianos prevalent in the market these days do not have the actual feel, sound quality or the touch of that of an acoustic piano, thus failing in its basic criteria to qualify as a proper digital piano. Moreover, these digital pianos often fail to captivate the nuances which are very important and inevitable part of an acoustic piano which makes it what it is. And this is where the Yamaha Clavinovas series of digital pianos make their mark. With the presence of two extensively unique feature of Advance Wave Memory or AWM and Graded Hammer Effect or GHM, these pianos are a landmark range in its league. This range makes Yamaha and their range of digital pianos very impressive and appealing to the users. And the Yamaha CLP-220 digital piano deserves a mention here as it is basic but yet worthy to qualify as one of the best digital pianos in the international market.

Design & Ergonomics:

The Yamaha Clavinovas CLP-220 digital piano has a classy and elegant look. This entry level piano is worth adoring by its looks as well as its features. This instrument has a set of 88 graded hammer keys which are sensitive and are available in four different touch formats, namely, hard, medium, soft and fixed. The Yamaha CLP-220 has a dark rosewood finish and has a sliding key cover in the cabinet. This instrument is available is three other colours – mahogany, polished ebony and cherry. Thus users have quite a variety to select from according to their fancy and décor.  It also features three pedals, allocated for three various functions of sound modulations. The three pedals can be used to manipulate or add to the sound effect with a damper, sostenuto or a softer note. With a height of 82.2 cm, a width of 140.8 cm and a depth of 42.4 cm, the Yamaha CLP-220 digital piano is of the regular generalised size and has an average weight of 45kg.

Features:

Not only is the Yamaha CLP-220 digital piano great in its appearance and looks, but is also well loaded with various features, effects and sound modulations. This highly popular instrument is powered by a sound engine by Yamaha, namely the Advanced Wave Memory sound engine or AWM, which is present in more or less all the latest models of Yamaha CLP series. Other than this, the Yamaha CLP-220 digital piano has an internal memory or storage capacity of 352 KB. The instrument also sports two headphone jacks for private practice and has dual speakers for loud practice which are of size 12 cm x 6 cm. Moreover, there is a MIDI input and output port. Overall this instrument is not only a piece of sheer elegance and an eye candy but is also well accustomed for professional usage and has enough features to make it a noteworthy name in the list of digital pianos which are available in the international market.

Sound Quality:

The Yamaha Clavinova series is quite well known for its out of the league sound quality and the CLP-220 model stands out as a unique digital piano in its league with a few additional appealing features. The Yamaha CLP-220 digital piano not only fulfils the criteria of a digital piano, that is, it not only works as the best substitute for an acoustic piano but also tempts the users with its outstanding quality of sound. Moreover this instrument offers the users a number of interesting stereo piano samples. This sports a number of unique effects and samples like that of acoustic pianos, harpsichords, vibraphones, church organs, electric pianos and string ensemble to name a few.

The Song Recorder:

The CPL 220 has a special feature of recording. This feature can be used by users to record various performances of compositions. There is a record button on board which enables or disables the recording function. Pressing this button will make the instrument start recording and then when the user has recorded whatever he had to, he can again press the recording button (REC) which will cease recording. This feature is also known as one-click recording. A play button is also located near the REC button. Pressing this after a recording would play back the recorded segment or song and pressing it again would stop play back.

With a low internal memory of 352 KB, users can record just one song on the CLP-220 Black Colour digital piano, or as a matter of fact can save a composition which has a maximum length of 11,000 notes. But the MIDI input and output helps users to use the on board MIDI interface which can be utilised to transmitting compositions or sequences for saving and editing to a device like computer or laptop. Thus, the song recording feature along with the other essential components are very simple to use and very easy to understand. Thus, this instrument is user friendly to a great extent and not only in terms of usage and handling convenience but also by its add on features.

The GH Keyboard:

The GH keyboard or the Graded Hammer keyboard is another speciality of the CLP-220 88 key Piano. This progressive hammer action keyboard which comprises of 88 grade weighted keys is based on a weighed mechanism. This implies that, like that in a Grand Piano, the keys in this digital piano also grow heavier gradually as it descends from top to bottom. Generally, digital pianos use oil dampers or more often springs to bring up and stimulate the feel of an acoustic piano. But, in this digital piano, it is all about mechanical linkage and weights which gives the graded hammer keyboard an outstandingly impressive feel and realism.

Polyphony:

Polyphonic sound is at its best in the CLP-220 digital piano. This very impressive instrument has 64 note polyphony. This means, that at the same time, a musician or any other user can play up to 64 notes at that very moment. And to help and assist this highly unique feature to work as desired, a sustain pedal is provided, which when depressed, the notes which are held start moving up towards the count of 64. Thus polyphony at its best in the Yamaha CLP-220 allows the user to compose even better and much more harmonious sequences.

Reverb:

The digital reverb is a feature sported by the Yamaha CLP-220 digital piano, helps it produce realistic rich sound like that of an actual grand piano. With the help of AWM or Advanced Wave Memory, which is a sophisticated stereo sampling mode of generating tone, and with the assist of the 88 key Graded Hammer (GH) keyboard, the CLP-220 can match up the sound quality and texture of the Grand piano along with the golden notes and detailed resonance like that of the actual piano. This digital piano produces full nuances like that of an acoustic piano. And this is brought about by the 64 note polyphony, the three attached foot pedals, a 1 button song recorder and MIDI input/output terminals. Thus, with this model of Yamaha digital piano, users and budding musicians can not only play around with different sound effects, play various preset samples, but also record their own compositions and create a whole new world for their inspirations and aspirations.

Wide Range of Instrument Voices:

The Yamaha CLP-220 digital piano sports a wide range of sampled instrument sounds. Users can find this feature very interesting and helpful as these stereo sampled sounds add to the realism and sound tones of the instrument, and users can enjoy fondling with all these various instrument sounds to find the perfect one for their sequence. The wide range of preset stereo samples include

• Two varieties of Grand Piano
• Two varieties of Electric Piano
• Two varieties of Church Organs
• Two varieties of Harpsichord
• Vibraphone
• Strings

The Special Features Overview:

The Yamaha CLP-220 digital piano is a powerhouse of added features. This adds an extra edge to its performance, as well as its popularity amongst the masses. Other than all the special and unique add-ons already mentioned, this digital piano also offers its users a choice from a range of four various reverbs. These are – Room, two modes for hall and a stage reverb. Moreover, a user can alter or manipulate the depth of each along with the wet or dry mix. And this feature is applicable to not only live playing, but it can also be imposed on pre recorded segments or compositions. For example, a user can set any of the reverb modes and can also set a depth or mix for the same according to their own will. This can be done and redone any number of times. Thus, this feature helps users to have their composition sound the exact way that they want it too and also can try out various other reverbs and modes.

To top it all, the Yamaha CLP-220 digital piano sports a very unique dual voice mode. With the help of this mode, users can combine, that is users can set any two voice modes from the wide range of voice selection which is available. Not only that, the individual settings for these voice modes can also be manipulated and controlled according to the users will. The volume and the octave for both the voices can be set externally and a metronome can be used by musicians to keep a sequence on beat. Other than this, a piano touch mode is also present which helps in adjusting the sensitivity of the keys, a mode called transpose mode, which is helpful in tuning the piano to another instrument or digital player for collaboration. On top of it, two headphone jacks are present along with MIDI input and output connection ports for sync between the digital piano and home computer.

Assembling the Package:

The package has a dismantled piano which can be easily assembled with the help of an instruction manual which is provided along with the package. The only part that the user has to assemble is the casing and the cabinet because the keyboard and the other electronics are fixed in from the very beginning. The screws and screw holes are neat and no gluing is required as well. To attach the base to the keyboard and other fixings, a complimentary screw driver is also provided.

In the Box:

Other than the dismantled Yamaha CLP-220 digital piano, the package also includes a matching adjustable headphones and an extra headphone hanger. A colour matched height adjustable piano tool is also included in the package and users also get a complimentary song book – “50 greats for the Piano”, which the users can consult to for learning or for live playing.

Warranty:

A three year base warranty is provided by the manufacturer. Any faults in the piano within this period will be repaired or replaced.

Verdict:

The Yamaha CLP-220 digital piano of the Yamaha Clavinova series is a great substitute of the acoustic piano for home users of beginners. Not only it is the best in its sound quality and resemblance to the actual piano, but also it has a horde of extra benefits and is overloaded with added features. With the various reverbs, the choice from a range of around 10 instrument voices and recording and sync features make this digital piano a desire of many. And the low budget adds to it – the Yamaha CLP-220 is priced very low and costs almost similar to what an actual acoustic piano costs. Moreover, there is no such expense in tuning and maintenance of this instrument, and the security and dependability of the Yamaha Clavinova series is beyond comparison. Thus, this low priced classy looking digital piano which is a powerhouse of a lot of extra features is surely a noteworthy instrument and has a good priority in the international market, especially amidst the beginners and learners.

Yamaha CLP-220 Digital Piano - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Yamaha
Model Name	Yamaha CLP-220 digital piano
Model number	CLP-220
Dimensions (H X W X D) mm	822 x 1408 x 424 mm
Weight	45 kg
Number of keys	88
Keyboard Type	Graded Hammer (GH) Keyboard
Key Touch Sensitivity	Hard/Medium/Soft/Fixed
Tone Generating Technology	AWM Stereo Sampling
Number of Polyphony	64
Panel Language	English
Voices	10
Colour/Finish	Dark Rosewood/Mahogany/Cherry/Polished Ebony
Digital Effects	Reverb
Effect Functions	Dual/layers
Music Reset	Yes
Number of Pedals	Three
Pedal Functions	Damp, Soft, Sostenuto
Key Cover Style	Sliding
Interface	MIDI IN/OUT
Speakers	(12 cm x 6 cm) x 2
Amplifiers	20W x 2
Accessories included	Matching Headphone; Matching height adjustable tool; 50 greats for the Piano – Songbook; Headphone Hanger
Internal Memory	352 KB
Connectivity	Headphones x 2; MIDI In/Out
Preset Songs	50
Recording Feature	Yes; 1 song or 1 track
Recording Data Capacity	65 KB ( 11,000 notes ) for song
Metronome	Yes
Tempo Range	32 - 280
Transpose	-6 to 0 and 0 to +6
Tuning	Yes
Warranty	Three years extended warranty

If you are looking for a keyboard and are not sure regarding what your type would be, then we suggest you learn about the 5 power piano player types and discover what your type is. Assuming you know your type, you can use the information to match your keyboard to your playing style. One company that is well known in the manufacture of Digital Piano keyboards is Yamaha. The largest piano manufacturer with a piano keyboard building legacy has always been popular amongst consumers. Yamaha’s famous acoustic piano quality has been artfully applied to the Yamaha digital pianos and synthesizers offering budding musicians a pleasant musical experience.

The YPT-210 is the first keyboard in Yamaha’s long list of portable keyboards. Introduced in 2007, this has many features normally found on more expensive instruments.  The on board teaching system, the easy to read backlit LCD display screen and the Auto Accompaniment feature are some of its cool features. Packed with decent features and sounds, the keyboard is ideal for beginners to discover the joy of playing a keyboard.

Design:

Body:
The Yamaha YPT-210 Portable Keyboard has a large black body with a matte finishing. It has dimensions of (H x W x D) 945 x 348 x 110 mm. The keyboard has sixty one keys that are of graded soft touch keyboard type. They have a good resistance and a light body. On the upper left and right end of the piano’s face are the huge speakers. At the centre of the body is present the main panel, that has an easy to read LCD panel along with a lot of useful buttons.  The LCD is a monochrome display with a score display function and lyrics display function. It also tells you which note to play and when to play and which finger to use from each hand when both the hands are being used.

Connectivity:
The Yamaha YPT-210 Digital keyboard is computer compatible as well. The YPT-210 has a MIDI In / Out , a Sustain Pedal jack and a headphone jack that allows you to have private practice. With the Use of General MIDI, one can communicate with others keyboards, MIDI instruments and computers using their keyboard.  This means the XGlite compatible keyboard also has access to thousands of MIDI songs on the Internet as well. Considering that this is the pathway to the Internet, we are glad that they have decent connectivity provided on it.

Features:

Portable Grand:
Assuming you take piano lessons, the keyboard is a viable choice. There is a button on the keyboard that allows you to reset the whole keyboard to a stereo sampled piano. Yamaha’s skill in producing acoustic pianos is evident as one enjoys the warmth and clarity of the Portable Grand Piano. There is a Sustain pedal jack included as well that allows players to practice and play with the piano.

Say Y.E.S!
The Yamaha Education Suite or Y.E.S is amongst the main features of the piano. The unique thing about Y.E.S is that it stands out from all other frustrating educational software we have had in the pianos. This software is user friendly and is easy to understand and helps users to learn songs and play them. The songs are separated into left and right hand parts and provide 7 levels of lessons along with a convenient chord dictionary. There are three keyboard lessons for each hand: lesson one enables you to listen and learn a melody or rhYPThm and lesson 2 is the timing mode which allows you to play a melody or chord by pressing a key using the right timing. Lesson 3 stops the playback of a song till you get the right note. There is Lesson grading included as well which monitors your progress in lessons 2 and 3 and gives you a grade. There is a chord dictionary included which shows how to play chords and tells you which chords are being played while the notes are displayed on the LED screen.

Sound Effect Kit:
Who ever thought playing the keyboard was dull? The YPT-210 Portable Piano Keyboard features the Sound Effect kit which allows the piano to produce a whole lot of sound effects such as Hip Hop beats.  All you need to do is to push the sound effect button and hold down a key with your right hand and there you go!

Real Stereo:
Some keyboards have 2 speakers which are not stereo.  Just because they have 2 speakers does not mean they have 2 separate amplifiers. Unlike those, the YPT-210 has actual stereo sampling technology.

XGlite:
The YPT also features a large selection of professional sound voices going by the name of XGlite. They have amazing sound quality and have 375 voices to choose from. They offer compatibility for both 3rd party and Yamaha XG software. Sounds from trumpets, harpsichords, organs, electrical pianos and even guitars are present in the keyboard.

32 Note Polyphony and 16 Part Multi-Timbrel:
The thing about electronic keyboards is that they make more sounds at a same time (that is termed polyphony) unlike ordinary keyboards which are capable of producing one sound at a time.  The more number of sounds one would want to produce at the same time more would be the memory needed because too little polyphony would cause dropouts in dense passages of music. Most keyboards in the price range of the YPT-210 have 12 note polyphony where as the YPT-210 has 32 note polyphony. Yes, the 32 note polyphony is capable of playing back 16 parts or sounds at once. That is more than enough for even the most demanding needs.

Auto Accompaniment Styles:
Apart from the 102 inbuilt songs which provide a backing hand as you play, there is also an “auto accompaniment” function provided on the YPT-210. This feature can be used by using only one finger of your left hand and adds a complete backing kind, in a style of your choice while you can add the melody with your right hand. Simply select a style from the 100 in built styles; there are different kinds of music which are covered from Classic to Rock.  The YPT-210 also has the ability to create a backup band (drums, bass etc.) and follow you through your song. Not only is this entertaining but fun to use as well.

Reverb Effect:
As a musician, there is always a need to create a sort of a reverberation effect for recorded or live music. The YPT-210 digital piano keyboard also features the reverb effect which tends to restore natural sounds, or enhance them or even create special effects.

Performance:

Good for Beginners:
If you have just started to learn how to play a keyboard, then the keyboard has a lot of interactive features as well as tutorials to coach you. There are a standard set of keys and a Music book as well which make the learning experience simpler.

Sound:
The Yamaha YPT-210 has a pleasant and clean sound. It is capable of producing a wide variety of sounds that are inherently distinct from each other. Though it was a digital keyboard, not once did we notice any sort of electronic touch to it, it was just too natural.

Speakers:
The Speakers were of decent quality and at maximum volume, the sound was strong.  Even the sound decay was pretty good. It was capable of replicating the length of a piano well.

The Package and Warranty:

Along with the main keyboard is provided a Music rest, an AC adaptor and an Instruction manual as well. There is a warranty of 2 years provided on the keyboard from the date of purchase.

Verdict:

If you are on a tight budget, the Yamaha YPT-210 is a great choice.  It is also a valid choice if you want to learn playing a keyboard. Considering that it not only offers value for money but a great set of features that are found on pricier keyboards, this is highly recommended. It would be a quick and effective way to learn the keyboard and is a worthwhile investment.

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Yamaha YPT-210 Digital MIDI Keyboard - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Yamaha
Model Name	Yamaha YPT-210 Grand Piano Keyboard
Model number	YPG535
Dimensions (H X W X D) mm	945 x 348 x 110 mm
Weight	LCD
Display size	320 x 240 dots
Score and lyrics display function	Yes
Display language	English
Tone Generating Technology	AWM Stereo Sampling
Number of Polyphony	32
Yamaha Education Suite V5	Listen and Learn, Timing, Waiting, Chord Dictionary, Grading
Voices	375
Compatibility	GM and XGlite
Digital Effects	Reverb : 9 types
Auto Accompaniment Styles	100
Auto Accompaniment Controls	Accompaniment on/off, sync-start, start/stop, intro/ending, main A/B (auto fill)
Variations	Intro, Main x 2, Filling-in, Ending
Function Controls	Volume: Accompaniment, Song, Main Voice, Metronome. Other: Tuning, Transpose, Split Point, Main Voice Octave, Reverb Type & Depth, Panel Sustain, Local On/Off, External Clock, Initial Setup Send, Time Signature, Demo Cancel
Panel Controls	On/Off, Master Volume, Lesson R/L, Listen & Learn, Timing, Waiting, Chord Dictionary, Style Controls, Tap/Tempo, Function, Song Select, Style Select, Voice Select, Portable Grand, Sound Effect Kit, Reverb On/Off, Numeric Selector, Metronome, Demo
Interface	MIDI IN/OUT
Speakers	2
Rated Voltage	DC 10-12V
Accessories included	Music Rest AC Adapter YPT-210 Keyboard Song Book
Headstock	Bound
Humbuckers	3 Alnico Classic humbuckers
Hardware	Gold hardware
Warranty	Two years extended warranty

Dynasun by Confidence of Europe is basically a German based company that specialises in premium quality studio equipment, photo and video accessories like flashes, tripods, heads and accessories. However, they also have their range of musical instruments and in the following review; we will be seeing about the Dynasun Meike MK-933 Digital Piano Keyboard. This portable keyboard is the flagship model of the new series of instruments from Meike.

Design:

The Dynasun Meike MK-933 61 Keys Digital Piano Keyboard has a design that replicates a traditional acoustic keyboard. The main control panel has been neatly arranged and clearly labeled for easy use. The LCD display is very useful and gives the learner a clear idea of what the selection is. There are lot of styles available and the one touch setup of the keyboard makes the operation extremely easy. The combination of innovative design, high quality raw materials and skilled assembly assures that this instrument is of the highest quality.

Functions and feature:

If you have a closer look at the functions and features of the MK-933 digital Piano, it shows that they seem to be designed specifically for the learners. Meike has offered a very useful set of music training functionalities that makes learning music very easy. With forty built-in songs, you can have real fun playing and composing your innovations. MK-933 portable keyboard has a huge assortment of 136 built-in styles that cover all the genres of music that waits for you to play along with it. The whole set-up will give you the feel of having a built-in band. One of the most appreciable facts about this keyboard is that, it suites a wide range of styles; name it and the piano has got it. The style collection includes everybody’s favourites like Rock, Big Band, Gospel and Country. You can either press a chord or play single finger mode and the Meike will follow you through the piece of music by providing you with all of the drums, bass, piano, guitar, horn and string parts for you.

Verdict:

As far as the Dynasun Meike MK-933 keyboard is concerned, the company has stood by its motto to offer quality equipments at very affordable costs. This piano will be pleasing three people: your teacher, your interior decorator and your accountant too. We recommend the MK-933 61 Keys Digital Keyboard for the learners.

Check Latest, Best Selling Digital Pianos in this website.

Dynasun Meike MK-933 Portable Keyboard - Specification Details

Manufacturer	Dynasun
Model Name	Dynasun Meike MK-933 keyboard
Dimensions (H x W x D)	970 x 382 x 803 mm
Weight	27 Kg
Keyboard	61 keys
Display	LCD
Touch Response	Yes
Pitch Bend	Yes
Three Bank Registration	Yes
Timbres	136
Rhythms	128
Demo Songs	40
Front-panel Percussions	8
Adjustable volume	Yes
Master Volume Control	16 grade
Level Tempo Control	64
Rhythm Volume Control	8 grade
Chord Volume Control	8 grade
Single Finger / Fingered Chord	Yes
Chord Mats	6
Chord Timbre	Yes
Sync Function	Yes
Fill-In Function, Intro and Ending	Yes
Rhythm Programming	Yes
Record & Playback	Yes
Features	Vibratio Sustain Transpose Dual Timbres Metronome Keyboard Split Features One-Key Function
Connectivity	Speaker Output (L/R) Headphone Jack
Power	DC 12V, 500mA (AC Adaptor)
Package contents	61 Keys Keyboard MEIKE MK933 Stand Power Adaptor CE-Norm Stereo Headset Pedal Manual