Orga Yamaha PSR 230 + suport (Full-Size Key MIDI Keyboard)

Features

Full Size Keys

61

Touch Sensitive

With on/off feature

AWM Voices

100

Music Cartridge Slot

Bonus cartridge included

Guide Lamps

Chord Memory

8 chord bank easy chord memory

LCD Display

Large display

Stereo

Polyphonic

28 note

Chorus Effect

Reverb

LDSP

Settings

4 - One touch settings per style

General MIDI

Dual Voice

Auto Harmony

5 types

Keyboard Split

Keyboard Percussion

Built-In Songs

20 With Music Minus One

 

Full Review: Yamaha PSR230 Portable Midi Keyboard

BASIC FEATURES

The Yamaha PSR-230 has 61 Full Size Keys, which are Touch Responsive just like a real Piano. Touch a key softly, you get a quiet sound, slam your fingers down on the keys and you get a loud response back (or you can turn off the touch response feature). The keys range from C1 to C6. You can set the keyboard at different octaves of a piano.
The keyboard features a number key-pad on the right side of the LCD screen, which allows you to “dial-in” what voice or style you want directly.
Also, the keyboard has a built-in Metronome so that you can learn timing. A small picture of a metronome pops up on he LCD screen, and a ticking sound begins. With the Tempo button, you can change the speed up or down. You can even speed up the tempo of the accompaniment style.

VOICES

Most starter keyboards only feature a few voices to choose from. But the PSR-230 features 99 voices to choose from (plus a drum kit). The voices aren’t just a bunch of cheesy sounding rip-offs. At the time, Yamaha used the latest technology called, Advanced Wave Memory (AWM for short). Yamaha took actual instruments and digitally recorded them. Everything from the standard Piano, to a Jazz Organ, to a Distorted Guitar and even a full Orchestra voice section.
You can also use two different voices at once, with the Dual Voice function. You can set the main Voice as a Piano, and then the background Voice can be a String Ensemble. It’s like you are in a concert, with a full orchestra backing you up.
Another thing you can do, is “split” the keyboard. This allows you to make the first half of the keyboard once instrument, and the other half a totally different one. So you can play the Piano and Accordion (or whatever you want) at the same time. And when you thought it was over, you can split the keyboard into thirds!

STYLES

Do you ever want to practice with some music in the background? Can’t find a drummer to jam with? Well there are 100 styles to choose from. Rock, Disco, Techno, Salsa etc. The Styles accompany you as you are playing. They provide some beat and rhythm to play along with. And they sound pretty life-like.

AUDIO

The Yamaha PSR-230 features full Stereo sound, there are two speakers, one on each side of the keyboard. There are options, which allow you to adjust how the echo and sustain fade from one side to the other.
Also the PSR-220 has a max polyphony of 28. This means that you can have up to 28 notes playing at the same time (in theory). More than the 28, some of them cut out, and are not heard.
The basic Piano voice uses 1 note, Steel Drums uses 2 notes, Distortion Guitar uses 2 notes, etc. The max any voice uses is 2 notes to generate the sound. So if you have the keyboard on Dual Voice Mode, The first voice is Piano which uses 1 note like I said and the background Voice, Strings uses 2 notes. So when you press a key down, you are actually using 3 notes.

VISUAL

The keyboard features an LCD screen in the center of the unit, approximately 2 inches x 2 ½ inches. This is where the vital information is displayed at. Like the Voice you are using, the various Voice Effects (reverb, echo, etc.), and more. To cycle through the menu, you use two buttons on the right side of the screen, and each section has a sub menu, which you use the two buttons on the left side to cycle through.
One benefit of the LCD screen, is that it shows the chords when you play them. Not sure what the name of a chord is, just view the screen.

MIDI COMPATIBLE

Probably the most important thing about this keyboard, is that it’s compatible with any General MIDI program. MIDI is the universal music file that allows you to use music on your websites, and on your computer, and other keyboards. It’s a set standard, that makes it so that you are compatible with everybody else. The MIDI voices expand the amount and types of instrument voices you use. With a total of 128 voices to choose from already (and more when using a sequencer, sampling software, synthesizer, etc), there are no limits to what you can do.

Almost every computer has a way to access MIDI files. And with this keyboard hooked up to your computer, you can compose your own music and save them on your computer. Many computers require you to have extra software installed so that you can sample and record.

The only thing you need to hook your computer up to the keyboard, is a MIDI Control Box (M-Audio) makes the best that I have seen. You hook it up between your computer and keyboard. Since most computer don’t have a MIDI Terminal, you need a control box to plug into your USB (or other ports).

COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER KEYBOARDS

The PSR-230 can be used with almost any keyboard or synthesizer that has MIDI Terminals. You can use a Tone Generator with the keyboard too.

OTHER DETAILS

It features a Cartridge Slot that allows you to but carts directly from Yamaha. This allows you to expand the amount of Voices you can use, more Styles of backgrounds to accompany you, and more Demos to listen and Jam with. It is a teaching tool as well. It features Guide Lamps above each key. They light up and tell you what key to press when you are learning to play a particular song. If you buy a cartridge, you can learn to play the song exactly how it is on the sheet music. You can set the keyboard up to go step by step through each chord, or you have the option of trying to keep up with the actual song too.

ACCESSORIES...

The most needed accessories is a foot pedal that allows you to control and sustain the volume. This pedal allows you to control and sustain in real time, like you would on a normal piano.
Also you can use headphones so that you are able to practice in peace and quiet, or you can plug in extra stereo speakers if you want to blast everyone out.

OVERALL

Overall, this is the best keyboard for starters (and beginning professionals). The instruction manual is easy to understand, the buttons are durable, keys are very responsive, compatibility with other instruments is amazing, loads of voices to choose from, etc. You can even do some basic recording with the keyboard. But to do major recording, it requires a computer and some software to do so.

DIMENSIONS & SPECS...

61 Touch-Responsive Full Size Keys
General MIDI Compatible

11 lbs aprox weight
37”W x 15”D x 5”H aprox
12 Watts power consumption

MIDI In terminal
MIDI Out terminal
Headphone/Aux Jack
Sustain Jack
DC IN 10 to 12V Jack
Cartridge Slot