PSRS900 » Keyboards

Yamaha PSRS900 61 Key Arranger Workstation

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:15:21 +0000

Yamaha PSRS900 61 Key Arranger WorkstationContinues the Yamaha tradition of producing top-notch arranger keyboards, reproducing instruments so authentically, you will feel as if you are playing the real thing. With 891 instrumental voices, it offers the player a huge sonic palette. Features such as Vocal Harmony and the powerful Bass-Reflex make the PSR-S900 an incredible live performance tool, and the impressive sounds make it perfect for studio work as well.Click on the picture to the left to see a very large picture of the awesome s900!Accompaniment styles powered by MegaVoicesSuper Articulation Voices for ultra-realistic instrument soundsUSB Audio RecorderLAN Port for Internet Direct Connection accessVocal Harmony & Video Out for more funKeyboard/Polyphony61 regular-sized touch sensitive keys and 128-note polyphony.Super ArticulationIntroducing a completely fine level of sonic realism and musical expressiveness. The remarkably authentic Voices feature the unique p (more…)

Yamaha YPT220 61 Key Personal Keyboard with AC Adapter, Deluxe Keyboard Stand and Professional Headphones

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:40:14 +0000

You’re never more than a button push away from the most realistic piano sound in portable keyboards today. One press of the Portable Grand button resets the entire keyboard to a stereo-sampled piano – perfect for when it’s time to practice. Yamaha is known around the world for the quality of our acoustic pianos and this attention to detail is evident as you enjoy the warmth and clarity of the YPT-220 Portable Grand piano. And of course, the keyboard includes a Sustain Pedal jack on the back for practicing and playing piano pieces. The package comes bundled with professional closed-cup headphones, a single braced X-style keyboard stand, and a power supply.

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Casio SP-3R Sustain Pedal for Casio Keyboards

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:38:41 +0000

Genuine Casio sustain pedal makes for more expressive playing and works with most model Casio keyboards.

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Nostalgia and the Wisdom of the Late Adapter

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:37:15 +0000

Even though I work every day at a product design firm, I know there’s more to life than just television screens, insanely elaborate booths, and strange sounding products — not that’s there’s anything wrong with that. And, while we’re mindful of all the strong criticism of the event coming from a green perspective, that’s not what we’re talking about today.In our line of work, we are not ones ones to stand athwart innovation and yell “stop!,” or even “slow down!” What we are saying is that, with all the changes and new devices coming across the transom, it’s useful to consider why so many people are nostalgic for older technology and hesitant to embrace the newfangled. Richard Ziade’s online article, “Looking Forward to the Past: The Longing For And Inevitable Return Of The Analog Experience” and his thoughtful closing words got us thinking. To wit:”We should be wary of what we assume to be conveniences that people want and at the costs of providing them. It turns out that making the cake from scratch is way more fun than tearing open a plastic wrapper because there are good things to take away from that experience. As we define our value and design around it, we should be as sensitive to what people don’t want as to what we’re certain they do want. It serves us well to respect that delicate balance.”Some of us (well, the guy actually writing this post) got even more thoughtful when Ziade commented parenthetically that the post was written on a steampunk keyboard — a new idea to writer guy but one long in coming. Basically Jake von Slatt of Steampunk Workship has spent hours stripping away the usual sleek trappings of a computer keyboard and replaced them with the supposedly clunkier accoutrements of an antique manual typewriter.To some, there might be something truly nonsensical about taking considerable trouble and expense to turn an advanced product into a facsimile of a less advanced one — but then ask any writer, particular one who worked in a newsroom (or, in writer-guy’s case, a high school journalism class) and who learned to write on a manual typewriter. There was something about the satisfying clickety-clack of a manual that told the world know that work was getting done. Now, we can type and serenely listen to music in digital stereo, but those those old manual typewriters — and even those newfangled electric models — made a music of their own.No wonder there are writers — plugged in writers aged well under fifty, it turns out — who simply prefer writing their drafts on manual typewriters and an entire web business devoted to keeping them supplied. It turns out that, for all the immense convenience and flexibility that computers offer writers, the older technologies offer something that the new one misses out on.

Even scribblers…well, typers, who have longer ago decided they would give up major bodily organs before parting with their computers, retain vestigial links to their long-gone typewriters. As author Jonathon Lethem wrote in a piece surveying writers’ preferred computer fonts:

Before computers, I wrote three novels on a typewriter, and there can never be anything but 12-point Courier (double-spaced) forever: I write on an eternal Selectric of the mind. I can even hear the rattle of the metal ball against the sheet of paper, I swear.Still, the computer offers so many conveniences and new tools to writers that it was all but impossible to resist, even back when clunky old WordStar was the standard. The moment the first word processors came on the scene, enormous numbers of us, eager to ditch the slow inconvenience of correcting ribbons and liquid paper, switched over almost immediately. Loyalty and nostalgia was one thing, but this new technology was just too powerful.”But not all new technologies are, and that’s the rub. That’s why most people are waiting out the current home video wars between HD DVD and Blu-Ray. Regular old DVDs are still such a recent advance — and so much of an improvement over VHS tapes — that the novelty hasn’t really worn off yet and we’re still quite pleased. While we might see the improved resolution of the new technology, we’re not going to go to any excessive expense or inconvenience only to find we’ve saddled ourselves with obsolete technology when we’re perfectly happy with the one we’ve got already.”So it is with newfangled cell phones — a lot of us are still getting used to the very concept of a phone not using a land line and and don’t see much appeal in watching movies on it (way, way, way too small), or texting (what’s wrong with old-fashioned e-mail?), or the like. Many do, of course, but the point is that not all consumers think the same and there are vast audiences out there that designers and engineers may not be properly addressing.Don’t call them luddites, call them deliberate. To get them, you’re going to have come up with a product that truly make sense, that’s all.

Rocket Piano Lessons

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:53:33 +0000

Playing the piano is one of my greatest dreams. Many people have always said this but they seem to have some problems in reaching their dreams. What usually hinders an individual from learning the piano is the lack of money and time. However in this modern era, both these problems are now solved. Those individuals now have the opportunity to reach their goals because of the advancement in technology. Primarily, the keyboards nowadays just sound as great as their costly counterparts in which the digital music has made its wonders some years earlier. Just for a $100, one can already grab a good keyboard.
Secondly, piano lessons are now easily accessed on the internet concurrently instead of having it individually to a private piano teacher. It is very convenient for you since you can download it fast and presto, you can use the piano lessons right away. The cost of taking piano lessons via the internet is cost effective than that of the private piano lessons.
Without having to hurt the budget, Rocket Piano is definitely the greatest pick for people who aspire to learn piano. You will still find it hard to know if the piano instructions you’ll get are of good quality even if you spend tons of money. Ruth Searle, a great and popular pianist is the one who made the entire program a success. The lessons are presented in many video and audio clips and they are demonstrated in a clear manner, and you can easily see the finger exercises easily. Rock, pop, jazz, gospel, classical or blues – these are the types of music that Rocket Piano will teach you. In this manner, you’ll have a versatile playing style and you’ll be a better pianist. Players of all levels – from beginner to advance players will benefit from this lesson.
These lessons are not just the typical ones you used to have. Enjoyment, fun, relaxation, stress relief – you’ll have all of these if you avail Rocket Piano Lesson. Ruth Searle is such a great genius to realize all of those piano needs. Many hours of practice on scales, arpeggios and drills as well as dedication is needed for you to become a top piano player. I’ve managed to know all this since I have been through it as well. But to play piano for enjoyment, you don’t need that several hours of practice each day.
I never have regrets for being trained in a traditional manner, but I was never given a chance to just play piano enjoyably. I am required to have the sheet music to play except when I already memorized the piece. It is not bad though, but it is not always helpful. The most pleasurable and happy experience of all is when everyone just assemble around the piano and listen or joyfully sing along the piano music. Piano playing by ear is always the thing I aim to learn most. With Rocket Piano, this is made possible. So come now and learn piano in a fresh and different approach. Piano lessons have never been this exciting!

Casio AD-5 AC Adapter for Casio Keyboards

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:45:42 +0000

The Casio AD5 lets you save the batteries for when you’re away from home!The AD5 plugs you into endless hours of playing, not to mention saves you a bundle on batteries. This high quality adapter is designed specifically for your Casio keyboard. Input: AC120VThe AD5 Works with the Following ModelsCTK-431CTK-451CTK-471CTK-481CTK-491CTK-495CTK-496CTK-520LCTK-531CTK-533CTK-540CTK-541CTK-551CTK-555LCTK-560CTK-560LCTK-571CTK-573CTK-574CTK-591CTK-593CTK-611CTK-620LCTK-631CTK-651CTK-671CTK-691CTK-700CTK-731CTK-800CTK-900LD-50LK-30LK-33LK-40LK-42LK-43LK-45LK-50LK-55LK-73LK-90TVLK-94TV

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A General Review Of Sound Designing Products

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:49:52 +0000

The latest software and hardware of sound designing has turned out to be progressively more developed over the past few of decades. It has become trouble-free for sound designers to rapidly search for and make the appropriate sound for whatever production that they are performing whether its music, video games, or other types of multimedia. This topic will be primarily for music.

There’s a diversity of products that’s suitable to design sound. You have the potential of constructing new sounds with either sound editing gear or sound developing software. But, what selection of sound designing items would be the best possible item to get? There are many factors to take into consideration when attempting to get your hands on the most adequate product to add with your studio. It’s probably the number of qualities. Or, it may likely be the simplicity and reputation of the equipment. And for a number of people, it could be the price tag that decide what they are able to get. Here are some details about sound editing keyboards and sound designing software.

Most keyboards are able to be used alone and consist of all the devices, editing gear, and multi-samples that can be used to construct any music or sound on your hardware. A few pieces of hardware workstations like keyboards typically carry lots of instruments with a large array of combis and pre-sets to take advantage of. These sounds incorporate a sizeable amount of conventional and fresh audio instruments from pianos, organs, and bass to a generous mixture of drum kits. In addition, they have analog sounds like synths, pads, FX, and electronic percussions. The drum loops that’s added, whether traditional or analog can be quite large. The sounds in a lot of hardware may be so ingenious that they could make your undertaking amazingly easy as you are designing your sounds in the fashion that was planned or creating your own customized pre-sets.

The things included in many sound designing workstations generally contain oscillators and effects engines that can be applied to adjust or create any collection of sounds. You could link up to sixteen instruments and modify them using the sound designing tools to shape totally new sounds or the reconstruction of those original sounds. A good deal of keyboards may have a large library of arpegiators that are useful to add a touch of pizzazz to your creations. You may perhaps be able to recreate alternate versions of these patterns too.

The only dilemma with keyboards is it can be expensive to some degree to obtain, mainly when buying the top or latest brand. An excellent workstation might have a value between $1500 to $3600.

If you have a desire for full amount of control in the music you are modifying, sound designing software is in all probability a good pick. Sound designing software may comprise a bit more qualities and choices than a good number of keyboards. Some are adequate enough to be utilized as a stand alone system. Others can be a nice consolidation with any digital/analog studio combination.

With sound creating software, you could choose a set of traditional patterns, unite them in up to 16 channels at a time, then use a varied collection of effects to them to “cook up” distinctive radical sounds. You could then employ oscillators and tuning to condense the audio and give them ominous flowing signals. There’s also a conglomeration of modulation waveform selections and other devices to create a range of effects to the original sound or multi-sample that you dreamed up. The other effects that you can put into action is flanger, phasers, chorus, reverbs, and analog filters.

The bank of instruments you will get with sound creating software is rather analogous to keyboard workstations, but with a larger file. Several of these plug-ins can hold the capacity of up to several different keyboard workstations in one great bundle. The section of instruments you will get with sound creating software is synths, bass, keyboard, leads, pads, horns and so on. The set of multi-samples may be made up of an enormous amount of audio that you can use as templates to formulate “one of a kind” patterns.

A lot of sound designing software have editing or mixing tools, except they are particularly for shaping and mixing the structure and ambience of your newly made sounds. It’s more effective to utilize the mixing tools of your main recording program to get a wholesome mix for your entire song.

Both keyboard workstations and sound designing software are fine programs to use for creating sound. Keyboards give you the benefit of having pre-sets that make it easy to create new sounds swiftly. They are capable of being very good MIDI controllers too. But, if you require unlimited control of what you are doing for your song that is low-cost, sound designing software could be the better option.

These are the instruments that would be important to effectively manage your sound designing software. You will need a reliable MIDI controller that is USB compatible or a USB MIDI adaptor for your conventional MIDI keyboard. And of course, it is vital that you have a computer with lots of memory space to contain the large library of instruments and sounds included in the sound designing software. An MPC, Akai, or other similar types of MIDI pad machines is optional, especially for the many drum kits that sound designing software could have. Your mini studio also call for an adaptable DAW like Sonar, Ableton, or Reason to unite all of your programs. And finally…….your proficiency as a designer, beat maker, or a producer. Apply your artistry and take a little time to explore and enjoy the dynamic music-creating tool that your computer will become after putting in your preferred sound designing software.

Consumer Reports – Laptops

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 15:23:03 +0000

Laptops account for about 25 percent of sales. It’s not hard to understand why. Small screens and cramped keyboards have been replaced by bigger, crisper displays and more usable key layouts. Processors have caught up in speed, and innovative new processors provide some real advantages. Fast CD and DVD recording drives are common, as are ample hard drives. And a growing interest in wireless computing plays to the laptop’s main strength: its portability. A laptop is the most convenient way to take full advantage of the growing availability of high-speed wireless Internet access at airports, schools, hotels, and even restaurants and coffee shops.

The Centrino technology that’s central to Intel’s newest laptop processors has wireless capability built in, and delivers commendably-long battery life. The thinnest laptops on the market are less than an inch thick and weigh just 2 to 5 pounds. To get these light, sleek models, however, you’ll have to pay a premium and make a few sacrifices.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE

Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq (now owned by HP), IBM, Sony, and Toshiba are the leading Windows laptop brands. Macintosh laptops are made by Apple. Laptops can be grouped into several basic configurations:

Budget models. These have slower processors and lower screen quality than others, but are suitable for routine office work and home software. Price range: $800 or less.

Workhorse models. These have faster processors and more built-in devices, so there’s less need for external attachments. They’re not lightweight or battery-efficient enough for frequent travelers. Price range: $1,000 and up.

Slim-and-light models. These are for travelers. They can be less than an inch thick and weigh as little as 2 or 3 pounds. They generally require an external drive to read DVDs or burn CDs. Price range: $1,500 and up.

Tablet-style. These sit in your hands like a clipboard and have handwriting-recognition software. Some convert to a “normal” laptop with a keyboard. Price range: $1,800 and up.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

A diskette drive is becoming a rarity in all computers. As an alternative, you can use a USB memory drive (about $20 and up), which fits on a keychain and holds as much data as numerous diskettes. Or you can save files on a writeable CD or camera memory card. Most laptops have slots that can read one or more types of memory cards.

Windows laptops generally have a 1.5- to 3.5-GHz processor. Pentium 4 processors have the higher speed ratings; the new Pentium M and Celeron M processors have a slower rated speed but actually perform on a par with other processors. Macintosh Power PC processors are measured on a different basis altogether. In short, the different types of processors make direct speed comparisons difficult. It doesn’t pay to try because any type of processor is likely to deliver all the speed you’ll need.

Laptops come with a 40- to 160-gigabyte hard drive and 256 megabytes or more of random access memory (RAM) and can be upgraded to 1 gigabyte or more.

Today’s laptops use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. In Consumer Reports tests, batteries provided 2 to 5 hours of continuous use when running office applications. (Laptops go into sleep mode when used intermittently, extending the time between charges.) You can extend battery life somewhat by dimming the display as you work and by removing PC cards and turning off wireless devices when they aren’t needed. Playing a DVD movie uses more battery power than usual, but any laptop should be able to play a movie through to the end.

A laptop’s keyboard can be quite different from that of a desktop computer. The keys themselves may be full-sized (generally only lightweight models pare them down), but they may not feel as solid. Some laptops have extra buttons to expedite your access to e-mail or a Web browser or to control DVD playback. You can attach an external keyboard, which you may find easier to use.

A 14- to 15-inch display, measured diagonally, should suit most people. A few larger models have a 16- or 17-inch display. A resolution of 1,400×1,050 (SXGA+) pixels (picture elements) or more is better than 1,024×768 (XGA) for viewing the fine detail in photographs or video, but may shrink objects on the screen. You can use settings in Windows to make them larger. Many models are now offered with a display that has a “glossy” surface instead of a dull one. Those look better in bright ambient light, as long as you avoid direct reflections.

Most laptops use a small touch-sensitive pad in place of a mouse–you slide your finger across the pad to move the cursor. You can also program the pad to respond to a “tap” as a “click,” or to scroll as you sweep your index finger along the pad’s right edge. An alternative pointing system uses a pencil-eraser-sized joystick in the middle of the keyboard. You can attach an external mouse or trackball if you prefer.

Laptops include at least one PC-card slot for expansion. You might add a wireless network card or a digital-camera memory-card reader, for example, if those are not built in. Many laptops offer a connection for a docking station, a $100 or $200 base that makes it easy to connect an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, or phone line. Most laptops let you attach these devices anyway, without the docking station. At least two USB ports, for easy hookup of, say, a printer, digital camera, or scanner, is standard. A wired network (Ethernet) port is common, as is a FireWire port for digital-video transfer. Many models have a standard or optional internal wireless-network (“Wi-Fi”) adapter. The infrared port found on a few models can be used to synchronize data wirelessly between the computer and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

Laptops typically come with less software than desktop computers, although almost all are bundled with a basic home-office suite (such as Microsoft Works) and a personal-finance program. The small speakers built into laptops often sound tinny, with little bass. Headphones or external speakers deliver much better sound.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Decide if a laptop is right for you. If you’re on a very tight budget and aren’t cramped for space, a desktop computer may still be OK. Otherwise, consider a laptop.

Windows vs. Macintosh. Many people choose Windows because it’s what they’ve always used. Apple’s iBook will suit you if you’re interested in photo editing, music, video, and other multimedia applications. Apple computers are also less susceptible to most viruses and spyware than Windows-based computers. The Apple PowerBook is relatively expensive as laptops go, however.

Buy à la carte. Dell and Gateway pioneered the notion that every computer can be tailored to an individual buyer’s needs, much like choosing the options for a car. This configure-to-order model is now common practice for laptops as well as desktops.

You can also purchase a preconfigured computer off the shelf. (You can do the same online if you opt for the default choices of equipment the manufacturer offers.) That’s fine if you don’t have very strict requirements for how a laptop is outfitted or if you want to take advantage of an attractive sale.

Configure-to-order menus show you all the options and let you see how a change in one affects the overall price. You may decide to use a less-expensive processor, for example, but spend more for wireless capability or better graphics. Configure-to-order will often give you choices you won’t get if you buy off the shelf. And configure-to-order means less chance of overlooking important details.

Downplay the processor speed. Speed is no longer the be-all of personal computers. For years, processors have delivered all the speed most people need. That’s still very much the case. Spend the money on more memory instead. A Pentium 4 processor with a speed of 2.4 GHz and a Pentium M at 1.4 GHz earned the same speed score in our tests. The different types of chips now on the market make direct speed comparisons difficult.

Look closely at warranties and insurance. Get the longest manufacturer’s warranty you can afford; many offer one or two years above the basic one-year warranty, for a price. If you intend to travel a lot, buy screen insurance from the manufacturer. If you take full advantage of the manufacturer’s warranty and insurance, you won’t need an extended warranty from the retailer.

For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

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M-Audio Music Stand for Select M-Audio Keyboards

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 14:21:34 +0000

The M-Audio Music Stand is designed for select M-Audio keyboards including KeyRig 49, KeyStudio, KeyStudio49i, ProKeys Sono 61, and ProKeys Sono 88. The stylish black metal frame is augmented by a clip on plastic shelf to support sheet music, lyrics and clipboard notes—the perfect accessory for sight readers and songwriters.

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All You Need To Know About Synthesizers

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 12:37:06 +0000

Synthesizers are sound modifying and reproducing units. They can be either installed on a computer system or be physical like the classical synthesizers produced by Yamaha. Synthesizers help in modifying music to make it better, reproduce voice or analyze and come up with a completely different thing all together from the original.

There are 2 basic kinds of synthesizers: analog and digital. Many synthesis methods however exist which apply to both the above types of synthesizers. All these methods tend to be mathematically related for example, frequency modulation and phase modulation.
Some of these types are Subtractive synthesis, Additive synthesis, granular synthesis and wavetable synthesis.

The first true electronic musical synthesizer was invented by Relish Gray in 1876. While working at his telephone invention, Gray discovered that he could control sound from a self vibrating electromagnetic circuit and in doing so invented a basic single note oscillator. After this, synthesizers were controlled by early electronic analog computers and old electronic musical instruments. In 1950, RCA produced experimental devices to synthesize both voice and music. The giant Mark II Music Synthesizer could however synthesize only when it was programmed for a musical or voice performance.

Most modern synthesizers are however digital in nature. They are controlled by what is known as a digital signal processor or DSP. Some digital synthesizers are software that can modify sound using our daily computer machines.

The earliest digital synthesis was performed by software installed on huge main frame computers. Today, various complicated software exist that use the DSP technique to give you a taste of the real thing. They can even reproduce the classical analog synthesizers.

So how are synthesizers used? Well, in many ways. As modern technology evolved, uses have been found for synthesizers. Today synthesis is used to produce high quality music, movies and even voice packages. Groups as early as the Beatles used synthesis techniques in their work. They were followed by the hugely popular Pink Floyd.

Synthesizers are today used also to produce human simulated speech for call centers and multinational companies. People with visual impairments use this technology through a text to speech software that gives them access to modern computers making them independent. Dictation software like the Dragon naturally speaking also uses speech synthesis.

So how do synthesizers reproduce human voice? Voice synthesis is a fascinating topic. A recorded sample of a human voice can be modified so that it is completely different from the original. The sample can be used to generate codes that can be fed into a computer system to give it a voice. In movies, voice modification is done through digital synthesizers to give new and astounding speech to sci fi characters.

Synthesizers are a part of us today. They help us in every aspect of our lives. Starting from your washing machine to the latest robotics every one uses some form of synthesis with the help of digital synthesizing software. Musical instruments can be reproduced on your personal computer allowing you to become the next great artist without even learning to play. They can simulate and reproduce human voice allowing for great software like screen readers, speech recognition and other new and amazing packages.