All the keyboards in this guide also feature a headphones output for those all-important silent practice sessions. The majority of the instruments featured here have built-in speakers, so don’t need to be plugged into an amp or one of the best PA speakers in order for you to hear what you’re playing. Previously the preserve of Yamaha’s higher-end keyboards, the technology has now started to trickle down into some of the less-expensive models. These might include string squeaks on an acoustic guitar voice, or the sound of a saxophone player taking a breath between notes. Super Articulation is Yamaha’s term for a sampled sound that emulates the behaviour of a real instrument by including certain nuances you’d expect to hear. Some keyboards offer 76-key versions for the more advanced player, while other, smaller ’boards sport only 37 mini-keys for a more-portable or kid-friendly solution. Most will be velocity-sensitive, allowing for dynamic expression according to how hard or softly you play the keys. Most of the keyboards on our list have 61 keys, offering a five-octave span that’s wide enough to play with both hands. Modern keyboards can offer hundreds of styles, some of them pretty sophisticated and current-sounding. StylesĪ style is a set of backing instruments and ready-made parts that play along with you as you hold down a note or chord with your left hand – so the more styles a keyboard has, the more choice you’ll have as to how your backing band plays. Just bear in mind that quantity isn’t always a measure of quality – it’s better to have fewer usable voices than hundreds you’ll never bother with. Find out more about how we test.Īrranger keyboards usually come with a wide selection of voices (sounds), enabling you to reproduce practically any instrument you can think of, from acoustic guitars to zithers. MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. It also reintroduced this writer’s 90-year-old mum to the joys of playing the piano! There are too many great features to list here, but we were especially sold on the keyboard’s built-in audio/MIDI interface and 38 digital signal processors.Ī special mention goes to the Piaggero NP-12 for delivering that satisfying Yamaha digital piano tone in such a classy portable package. It really is an excellent instrument and should give you years of learning, composing and playing pleasure. Best Yamaha keyboards: Our top picksĬhoosing a favourite from such a broad range of beginner keyboards was always going to be a challenge, but in the end we plumped for the Yamaha PSR-E373, as it sits firmly in the sweet spot for breadth of features, quality of sound and value for money. This rules out professional stage keyboards like the new CP88, digital pianos such as the P-125, Yamaha’s well-established range of synthesizers, including the MODX and the Motif, synth workstations like the Montage range, and also the wallet-busting Genos arranger keyboard. The sheer number of Yamaha keyboards can be overwhelming for those thinking of making a purchase, so we’ve narrowed our focus down to the company’s beginner-friendly arranger keyboards (to find out what’s meant by an arranger keyboard, click on the buying advice tab above).
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