PSRS900 » Ketron Audya

How To Buy A Keyboard (Part 2)

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:24:34 +0000

In this article, I will discuss what keyboard features you should expect for your money.
The actual keyboard is the thing to look at next. That is the keys that make up the keyboard. Most keyboards in our price range have 61 full size keys to make up the keyboard, some of the lower price ones maybe 49 full size keys, as a beginner this is not a problem because even with the 49-note keyboard you won’t need to play all the keys. Make sure however that the keys are full size and not half size. Even if you have young children that want to play. There is absolutely no advantage in choosing half size keys over full size keys. Full size keys are approximately the same size keys as piano keys and are also referred to as standard keys.
Also some keyboards have a “touch sensitive keyboard” this means the harder you press the keys the louder the sound this is a great feature and can create expressive music however, for young children, they may not be able to press the keys hard enough to produce a respectable sound. Therefore, it would be advisable to check that the “touch sensitivity” can be turned off or adjusted.
Next, sounds and rhythms. Keyboards in this price range should have at least 128 sounds. These sounds are known as a “General MIDI” sound set. Most new keyboards made today of any price will include a “General MIDI” set of sounds and so it has become very easy and cheap for manufacturers to include these sounds.
The rhythm section should contain a minimum of 20 different rhythms and many keyboards in this price range contain a great deal more. Normally when using the rhythm section or drum machine as it is sometimes called it is used in conjunction with an “auto chord” feature. This means when you play a left hand chord, the computer inside recognises the chord being played and adds a bass line and maybe a rhythm guitar and possibly a brass section, which results in a great sound and makes the whole learning/playing experience a lot more interesting.
The “auto chord” feature is called different names on different keyboards, such as “fingered chord” or “magic chord”. There is also a feature sometimes referred to as “single finger chord” or “easy chord”. This feature is utterly useless if you want to learn to play the keyboard properly but it is included on most if not all keyboards and is a great selling point used by sales staff quite legitimately to create the initial interest in a keyboard. You can use this feature to show family and friends what a great player you are and simply switch back to “auto chord” to learn to play the keyboard properly.
Finally make sure the sound you are listening to is coming from the keyboards own speakers. Keyboards are sometimes connected to amplifiers, which can make then sound better. Make sure you know what your keyboard sounds like from its own speakers before taking it home.

How To Buy A Keyboard (Part 1)

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:02:38 +0000

You want to learn to play a keyboard or maybe your partner or your children want to learn and you need to buy a keyboard but where do you start.
If you follow my recommendations, buying your first keyboard will be an easier experience. Prices for keyboards range from about 100 to 5000 pounds or more. In this article, we will deal with keyboards that are more than adequate for beginners. As a beginner, there is no point in spending thousands of pounds on a keyboard because you will not be able to use the more advanced features that are included on these keyboards because you can’t play yet.
Before you go and buy your keyboard, you should consider that the keyboard you buy is going to be the first of many or the first and last keyboard you ever buy.
So the first thing you need to think about is budget. For a beginners keyboard I would personally not spend more than 500 pounds but would be looking in 100 to 300 pound range. Obviously, you need to set your own budget within this range. When you have set your budget, you need to decide where you are going to buy your keyboard.
I would defiantly recommend buying a keyboard from a music shop. I know you can find cheaper keyboards on the internet from various mail order companies and eBay but there are many advantages to buying from your local music shop. The first advantage being that you can hear and see the keyboard you are about to buy. Also generally, the sales staff in these shops know what they are talking about and can play the instruments and show you how they work. Many music shops can also offer keyboard lessons and provide sheet music, tuition books and song books to get you started.
When choosing your keyboard, it’s important you like the look of it and like the sound of it. There are various manufacturers to choose from, the main ones being Yamaha, Casio and Roland. Many musicians have there own preferences as to which make they prefer, including myself, however, I would urge you to make your own mind up, after all you have got to look at it and listen to it.
So to recap:
Set your budget. This should be between 100 and 300 pounds.
Buy from your local music shop so you can see and hear a keyboard before you buy.
Make sure you like what you see and hear. Imagine what the keyboard of your choice will look like in your own home and listen to the sound of the keyboard from its own speakers and not from a connected amplifier.
In part two I will tell you what keyboard features you should expect for your money and maybe some features you don’t need.

How to Buy a Keyboard (part 3)

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:11:20 +0000

In this article, I will discuss keyboard features that are not essential but can ease the learning process and operation of your keyboard.

The first feature you might find useful is the use of memory buttons. These normally range from four memory buttons to eight buttons, in your price range. The memory button remembers the complete set up of the keyboard, which might include the sound you are using plus the rhythm and speed and volumes of each part. This is especially useful if you have spent hours setting up your keyboard and you want to save your settings. There’s nothing worse than trying to find that perfect setting again, when you could have saved it.

Also some keyboards will have a floppy drive which can save the entire settings of the keyboard including memory buttons just in case there is a power cut or your memory buttons get wiped, again not essential, but useful.

The next feature is reverb. This setting on a keyboard can dramatically transform the sound of any instrument sound on your keyboard. An example of natural reverb can be found in a church or a large hall or an underground cavern. If you have visited any of these places then you know the sound created is echo like. Of course, it is very difficult to describe the sound difference when adding reverb but again this is another advantage to visiting a music shop where you can actually listen to the keyboard sounds.

The difference between reverb and no reverb is quite dramatic. If you haven’t heard the difference it is unlikely you will miss it but be warned once you have heard the difference between reverb and no reverb you will want reverb on your keyboard.

The next feature to look for is a recording facility. Recorders are built in to keyboard, they don’t use tape, they use memory chips to record actions made on a keyboard such as playing a piece of music. These recorders are referred to as music sequencers and can create very complex almost orchestral pieces of music although the features on a sequencer at your price range will be limited.

As a beginner you will not get a lot of use from this feature however, it can be used as a teaching aid, for example a teacher can play a section of music in to the sequencer and the pupil can then listen and practice the sequence of music as many times as is needed. If this feature is pushing your budget, then I would say you don’t need it. The choice is yours.

Finally, most keyboards made today have two or three “MIDI” connections; these can normally be found on the back of the keyboard and look like five pin din sockets and are marked up as MIDI In, MIDI Out and MIDI Through. MIDI stands for “musical instrument digital interface” As a beginner you will not use these connections. These connections enable your keyboard to play and be played by other keyboards. They can also connect to a computer and music can be played and created using MIDI and computer programs.

MIDI is a complex subject and if you wish to learn more about this subject, you can search the internet where you will find lots of information about MIDI. So if your keyboard does not have MIDI connections, its does not matter, if your keyboard does have MIDI connections it still doesn’t matter.

In part four I will discuss optional extras, which for some people could be necessary extras. Also information about keyboard lessons.

You can read the first and second article at Mikes Music Room.

How to Buy a Keyboard (part 4)

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:45:05 +0000

In this article, I will discuss those optional extras are they optional or do you actually need them. If you want to read previous articles in this series start with How to buy a keyboard (Part1) at Mikes Music Room.

Having read this series of articles you have set your budget, you have seen and listened to your keyboard in the flesh, you have the features you want on your keyboard, so that’s it, your ready to start learning. Right? Not quite.

Now you need to deal with the dreaded optional extra. I do not have a problem with optional extras as long as that’s what they are and not necessary. An essential part of a keyboard is the power supply. Most keyboards in your price range use a plug in power supply and because some of these keyboards can be powered by batteries as well, some manufactures will charge you for the power supply and call it an optional extra. In my opinion, this is very sneaky and very naughty. Before you agree to buy a keyboard make sure the power supply is included in the price. My opinion on this is that if it is a deal breaker so be it. Power supplies can cost about £25.00 and this money can be used for other items you will need.

The next item you will need is a keyboard stand unless you want to place your keyboard on the dining table or the floor (not recommended). Normally you would leave the keyboard in the same place, so it is useful to have a stand. These can cost from £25.00 to £50.00 and I would recommend an adjustable height stand rather than a static stand. I would defiantly barter to get a stand thrown in with the price of the keyboard; it’s always worth a try. This of course should not be a deal breaker as the stand is an extra.

The above items especially the first one are important. Other less important items include a keyboard bench to sit on, not essential if you have chairs at home and an adjustable keyboard stand. A volume pedal and sustain pedal, which are connected to the back of the keyboard, normally using a jack plug. These will be rarely used. Headphones can be useful for your family’s sanity during the early learning months.

Finally, the last item on my list is of course optional but I recommend you make it essential, and that’s keyboard lessons. Many music shops will offer a free keyboard lesson to get you started. These lessons are normally thirty-minute lessons and after your free lesson will cost between £10.00 and £20.00 per lesson. You will also need to buy music for your lessons, which again can cost £10.00 to £20.00 but this music should last from six to twelve months depending on how fast you can learn.

I hope this series of articles has given you sufficient information to buy a keyboard and start learning. If your unsure about keyboard lessons then try out my Lesson 1 e-book at Mikes Music Room, which will get you started and you can download it immediately.

Yamaha Electone Organ Versus Yamaha Arranger Keyboard

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:26:13 +0000

Over the past ten years or so, electric organ sales have slumped to all time low. Yet the arranger keyboard market continues to flourish, especially with keyboards such as the Yamaha Tyros, Korg PA-2X Pro and the Roland G70. In my opinion, the organ is much more playable as a live instrument, and using bass pedals, you can play the organ without any drum machine or automatic chords and get a fantastic sound.

The keyboard on the other hand would sound thin, definitely lacking without auto chord/bass. Of course, arranger keyboards are considerably cheaper than new organs and take up less room. This has created a new generation of keyboard players, some of which could never afford the hefty cost of an organ.

So is this the end for the electric organ. So how do organ manufacturers address this problem? Well they were and still are designed to be a piece of furniture. Great big lumps of wood, which appeal to the older generation, which is why they have the reputation of being an older person’s musical instrument. This need to be changed so they appeal to all generations. The next major change has to be the hefty cost. A top of the range electric arranger keyboard such as the Roland G70 would cost between two to three thousands pounds. The top of the range Roland Atelier organ will cost you in the region of twenty thousand pounds new.

This change may have already started with new models from Yamaha with the Yamaha D-Deck organ and the top of the range Yamaha Electone Stagea. Both are portable and very modern looking. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information on these models unless you read Japanese. Yamaha have decided there is no organ market in the UK, Europe or the USA. So if you want one of these models you will have to import it yourself.

At the time of writing this, even these new modern looking organs are now out of date. As far as I am aware the Yamaha Stagea electone organ and Yamaha D-Deck organ do not have the “Super Articulation” that is available on the Yamaha Tyros 2 arranger keyboard. There are also a lot of brand new features on the latest crop of arranger keyboards, which include Roland G70, Korg PA 800 and the Ketron Audya, the latter, still a prototype.

So if you want an electric organ set up. You might be better of buying two arranger keyboards and a pedal board. It would be considerably cheaper than importing the Yamaha Stagea and you would be assured of the latest sounds and technological advancements.