PSRS900 » yamaha

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.

(more…)

Is It Possible To Create Cool “New Age” Sounds On The Piano Without Knowing A Thing About Music?

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:49:00 +0000

I’ll admit that for many years as a piano teacher I didn’t think so.

But in the last couple years I made a discovery about creating pleasant sounds on the piano that I never would have believed during my earlier piano teaching career.

I recall a physician friend asking me if I had any kind of course he could take that didn’t involve learning to read music or music theory or any of the traditional materials.

He had purchased a beautiful Yamaha grand for his daughter to take lessons on when she was growing up, but now she was married and moved away, so he had this grand piano in his living room with no one to play it. He was much too busy in his career to take traditional piano lessons;he just wanted to “doodle” after work in the evening and relax after a stress-filled day at the hospital.

Unfortunately, I told him “no, I don’t have anything like that available, sorry!” and that was the end of that story.

But a few months later another student had heard a “new age” pianist somewhere, and loved the sounds he produced so much that they wanted to do the same, and asked me how in the world he got those sounds. They weren’t really songs but more like the sounds of nature and running water and nature in bloom.

I have taught piano for 30 years and I’m a firm believer in learning to read music, understand music, and really master the keyboard. I’m no fan of mindless “shortcuts” because I know in the long run they just don’t work because you’ve got to have understanding.

But I also know now that there are many people like my doctor friend that would love to be able to make their own “pleasant sounds” on the piano just for their own satisfaction, relaxation, and amusement. They know full well that they will never be full-blown piano players, but still, they would like to sit down now and then and just make some sounds on the keyboard that sound good, feel good, and give satisfaction to them and/or their family.

I should have understood that earlier, because as I think back to my own youth, I recall my Dad sitting down at our old upright piano for a half-hour on a Saturday night and playing some kind of chording pattern that absolutely delighted my Mom and my big brother and I. I guess you know that if I could call him back from Heaven and have him play that again for me, I wouldn’t trade the entire London Symphony for that half-hour.

There is a style of music that is quite popular these days known as “new age” music. It tries to capture the sounds of nature such as water flowing, birds, wind, and that kind of thing. It is very descriptive music, and very relaxing. It’s fun to play, too, because there are really no “wrong answers”; anything that sounds nice and pleasant is “right”.

After trying for several months to create some of these sounds on the piano, I was delighted to discover that there are some very simple finger patterns that can create some wonderful impressionistic sounds using patterns that can be repeated in various places on the keyboard and in various ways.

And so for those people who just want to make some nice sounds on the piano (or keyboard or synthesizer, it doesn’t matter what kind of keyboard) I discovered some 15 different sound patterns that anyone can duplicate. I named some of them:

Cascading waterfalls
Wind in the forest
Rainbow after storm
Oriental gardens
Stroll in a meadow
Peaceful morning
Playful kittens
Gentle waves
and 7 others.

After I discovered each sound pattern, I then linked those sound patterns together in various ways so that anyone can create their own song, their own creative improvisation that expresses the feelings they want to express.

I guess an old doctor friend who just wanted to make some pleasant sounds on his grand piano can teach and old dog piano teachers like me a few tricks after all!

Recording at Home Using a Computer or Hard Disc Recorder

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:03:46 +0000

Probably the first thing you want to think about before you start spending any money on getting a home recording facility together is, why do I want to record at home?
You probably already know the reason, but the clearer you are about this the better your results will be.
Do you want to just pick up your guitar on a whim and record the latest idea that’s passing by? Do you intend to record an album in its entirety at home and release it? Do you want to make podcasts to broadcast on the web? Do you want to ‘flesh out’ your musical ideas to get an idea of how the final product might sound. All are valid reasons for having your own home recording setup. Each one also suggests a particular amount of money you will need to spend to get the result you desire, and the amount of effort you need to expend making it happen.
What you will need.
From a basic standpoint you will need some way to record your performance or ideas – this could be into a Personal Computer[PC] or mac or onto a stand alone recorder. You’ll also need someway of getting the performance into the recording medium – whether that be via microphone or a piano keyboard. You will also need to find some way to ‘deliver’ your product – via mp3 mix/cd or podcast. All factors to consider as you set up you home studio.
What is best; Computer recording or stand alone?
I will confess that in my opinion and experience, the simplest and most effective way to record anything at home is with a stand alone recorder. Several years ago I recorded an entire album using Fostex DMT8, 8 tracks to do the lot- including backing vocals guitars and eveything. To those of you unfamiliar with what I mean by stand alone recorder then have a look at units from Fostex, Yamaha, Roland and others. In general they have a built in hard drive or media card which records data that you produce as a result of recording yourself. This can be as simple as engaging a ‘record’ button and playing or singing. There’s no fuss involved with this. Some of them also allow you to burn a CD at the end of the process so you can amaze your friends! There can be disadvantages as I will discuss later, but depending on your final aims as discussed earlier, you will make allowances for any shortcomings.
Recording onto a pc or Mac takes us into a more complex word, so if you’re not computer savy, or prepared to enagage in a long and sometimes frustrating journey I’d go with the stand alone unit.
Why is it more difficult to record into a PC?
Recoding into a PC has a minimum of 3 steps:
Input device-microphone/keyboard/turntable
Sound card-converts your ‘real world’ sound into computer language.
Recording software-does the job of ‘capturing’ your performance.
Once you have got your recording chain set up then it ‘can’ be as easy as using a stand alone unit, but to get to that point you have to deal with a number of factors-the #1 bugbear of most home computer recording nuts is a friendly tike called ‘latency’ .
Latency: ‘ something that is revealed later’.
For those not in the know, latency can be compared to hearing your voice echoing back from a canyon, heloooo-hellllllloooo. There is a gap between when you yell and when you hear your voice returned. If you plug in a microphone and set up your recording software and say the ubiquitous ‘hello’ you will get a similar effect!
Unless you invest in a super high end recording system such as ‘Pro Tools HD’, then this is something you need to work with as a home computer recording afficionado.
The reason we encounter latency is that the computer needs time to convert the analogue [physcal sounds via electrcity] into digital data; ones and noughts. With a good sound card this can take between 7 and 15 milliseconds [ yep that's 15 thousandenths of a second] and then about the same number of milliseconds to convert it from a digital signal back into an electrical analogue sytem that we can usefully use to hear the sound coming out of the computer. Bare in mind that our ear ‘notices’ a sound as an echo at around the 50 millisecond mark [ more on this later] – so if we have a sound card with 25millisecond [ms] input delay and 25 ms output delay then our ear wil perceive it as an echo- not much good to play along with as we will be out of time.
That’s pretty useless you might shriek, so how do people manage to do all this computer recording stuff at home? A-ha. Those clever people who make sound cards m-audio, Presonus, Yamaha etc have done something very clever, they instigated a process called ‘direct monitoring’.
Direct monitoring allows us to hear the incoming sound at its source- straight after you have plugged it in- instead of through the computer where you will pick up a substantive delay. You can still listen ‘though the computer’ if you choose, but in my experience it’s pretty distracting especially with large latency times. The other thing that your clever software program/soundcard combo will do is to record your new track in time with the others by making allowances for the current latency times.
In summary; For ease of use and less technology hassles get a stand alone hard disk recorder. For more complex productions consider getting a computer/soundcard/software combo, but be prepared for a sharp learning curve.

Houston Piano Company â the Easy Way to Get the Piano of your Dreams!

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 12:01:29 +0000

The piano holds a very special place in the hearts of all. The piano is widely used in western music for solo performance, chamber music, and accompaniment. It is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal. Although not portable and often expensive, the piano’s versatility and ubiquity has made it among the most familiar of musical instruments.

The piano is significant in Western classical music, jazz, film, television, and most other complex western musical genres. It has also found its way into popular music for the masses. Since a large number of composers are proficient pianists â and because the piano keyboard offers an easy means of complex melodic and harmonic interplay â the piano is often used as a tool for composition.

Modern pianos come in two basic configurations â the grand piano and the upright piano. Both types are popular with piano enthusiasts the world over. Pianos were, and still are, popular instruments for private household ownership, especially among the middle and upper classes. A large number of people, who may find it difficult to afford a fully-owned piano for them, can hire one at nominal charges. Locating a good deal on a used piano can also make oneâs dream of owning a piano come true, without breaking the bank. There is no dearth of resources on the Internet to help you locate such deals, or even buy a new one.

One such place is Houston Piano Company. Houston piano company buys, sells, trades and rents new and used pianos, both acoustic and digital. They specialize in first rate, new and used pianos of the most popular brands. Doing business with Houston piano company is a sheer pleasure. Their friendly professional staff has well over 100 cumulative years of experience in the piano business. Whatâs more, they also offer tuning, repair, moving and delivery services as well as piano lessons in their exclusive school of music.

The warehouse facility of Houston piano company has been associated with the arts for many years. Several movies have been produced on their sound stage. Many a professional artist has recorded in their sound studio, first under the name Mercury Studios, and then as Houston Production Studios. Today, acting classes, cinematography classes and actors round tables regularly meet on the premises.

Houston piano company is a great place to find the piano of your dreams. If you are working on a tight budget and cannot afford a new piano, the friendly staff can help you locate just the right deal on a used piano in excellent condition. These guys really understand piano and you will benefit immensely from their expertise and experience in this area.

The motto of Houston piano company is: âYou can pay for the very high rent and fancy chandeliers of our competitors or you can visit our Heights warehouse showroom for a terrific value and friendly professional service on a great new piano or used piano.â These words speak volumes about their confidence in dealing in pianos and also in the quality of their service. Just call or email their friendly and knowledgeable associates with your piano questions and requirements. Houston piano company is committed to help you find the right piano for your playing pleasure!

Beginners Can Learn to Play the Piano Online

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 08:51:37 +0000

You can start learning to play the piano right now, if you have an internet connection. Expensive pianos and ongoing piano lessons are no longer the norm. Anybody that has an interest in learning to play the piano can make a start thanks to the World Wide Web.If you want to get some inspiration, then watch a good pianist at work or keyboard player, there are plenty of videos available on youtube to inspire you. When a pianist plays the piano well, the listener can be drawn in to a very different world created by the expressiveness of the performer. Learning skills in general can be improved when learning to play the piano and children can benefit from this at school. Piano lessons can also help to have a better understanding of science and mathematics.
It doesn’t have to be expensivePiano lessons are now available to the masses not least because of the technological advancements of electric pianos and keyboards. Not too many years ago, if you wanted to learn how to play the piano your only option would be to buy an expensive piano. It’s easy to learn to play the piano online these days, and you can buy a used keyboard for next to nothing. You don’t have to spend a fortune when you are just starting to learn the piano or keyboard. An expensive piano is not going to make a lot of difference to a beginner.Improve your hand eye coordinationWhen you read sheet music, eye to hand coordination comes in to play and this process will improve dramatically the more you practice. You may be surprised at how fast this improvement will be.Choose your own practice timeWhen you take piano lessons with a teacher, you will normally attend once a week at the same time on the same day. If you learn to play the piano using a piano software course then you can choose your day and time of day when you have lessons. You can learn in the morning, afternoon or evening. You don’t have to wait for a particular day to have your piano lesson. Everybody has busy and quiet times so do more when you’re quite and take a break when you are busy. So if you don’t want to be tied to a teacher, online piano lessons is the way to go.It’s already been mentioned that to learn to play the piano properly you need a piano and piano lessons. There is also a third crucial requirement when learning to play the piano and that is you. Even though the process is considerably easier than it was you still have to practice. A piano, piano lessons and practice equals a great piano player.

Black and White Piano Keys on a Portable Electronic Keyboard

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 03:35:25 +0000

The first thing you need to learn before playing the piano is the piano notes. What are they called? A regular piano keyboard has 88 keys on it including the black notes. The first notes to learn are the white notes, but how do go about memorizing the names of all those white notes.There are many different sizes of keyboards. Sixty-one and seventy-six note keyboards are standard for electronic keyboards, and pianos are traditionally eighty-eight notes. No matter what the size of keyboard there are only seven white notes to learn. Black notes are associated to the white notes and are known as sharps and flats.So, firstly let’s learn the seven note names. They are C, D, E, F, G, A and B. Wherever on the piano you play you will be using one of these notes names. You will see that from C to G is alphabetical, the reason I haven’t started with A is because when you start learning to play the piano you will be using C as one of the first notes you ever play and it will also be a very important note and will help you relate to the other notes particularly on sheet music.Now you know the notes, your next step is to find them on a piano. The easiest way to do this is to look at the piano keyboard, if you don’t have a keyboard, find a picture of one on the internet. Now, just look at the keyboard carefully and you will see sets of two black notes and sets of three black notes. Look at a set of two black notes first. Starting with the black note on the left, notice a white note to its immediate left this note is called C, the white note to its immediate right is called D, and this is also between the two black notes. Finally, the white note to the right of the second black note is called E. So all the notes in this section of two black notes starting at the left are called C, D and E. Depending on the size of your keyboard you will see up to eight sets of two black notes together, these are the same and also use our three notes C, D and E. The only difference between the sets is the pitch of the notes. On the far left of the keyboard, notes will sound lower in pitch and to the right, notes will sound higher.The next shape you are looking for is three black notes together and these notes are surrounded by four white notes. Starting from the left again these notes are called F, G, A and B. That’s it; you have learned all the white notes on a keyboard. The two black note and three note shapes are repeated on the whole keyboard and so are the notes. With a little bit of practice you should be able to find any note on the piano. Just remember that every two black note shapes are surrounded by C, D and E, and every three note shape is surrounded by F, G, A and B.

Alternative to a Piano – 88 Key Keyboard!

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:54:27 +0000

Why should anybody look for a keyboard with 88 keys? On first instance, the obvious reason that comes out is that one may not be able to afford a piano with the traditional looks – be it acoustic or digital. Cost, and to some extent the fact that it needs more space are the primary reasons for someone choosing a keyboard which has 88 keys. Somebody who has started to learn keyboards on 61 keys, and is inclined to go to the advanced level, will need a keyboard with 88 keys. Whatever is the style of music that you want to learn – classical, jazz, blues, etc. you will need 88 keys to play the advanced pieces. But moving to a digital piano is a costlier option than may be getting your 61-key exchanged for a keyboard which has 88 keys, if budget is of high consideration. If you add the advantage of portability to it, it seems even more rational to go in for that since you can even take it along with you if you need to perform. If you are worried about what sort of keys these keyboards will have, then relax. You get keyboards that have graded hammer action as well, similar to that on acoustic grand pianos. So the touch and feel of your keyboard is not going to change. You also have the option of attaching sustain pedals to these keyboards. There are a lot of manufacturers out there who make music keyboards that have more than 61 keys. You can explore Yamaha, Roland, and Korg keyboards if you are looking for 88 key keyboards.

Purchasing Used Electronic Pianos

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 00:36:24 +0000

Electronic pianos are keyboard instruments are designed so they can simulate the timbre of an acoustic piano by using an electronic circuit. Pianos were widely used musical instruments in the old days. Almost every house had a piano. Pianos were the most popular musical instruments all through the 18th century and even after that. It was as late as the 20th century that the use of the electronic pianos came into existence. Electronic pianos were widely used and now, there are many used electronic pianos available for sale. The best part of the electronic piano is that they do not require tuning. The traditional pianos had to be tuned from time to time so that the sound quality remained the best.Used electronic pianos do not have to be tuned and hence they can be used as is. The used electronic pianos will be available in all the shops that sell musical instruments. But before you buy used electronic pianos make sure that you know what you want, like size, colour, weighted keys. Just do a bit of homework first. If you feel that you are a beginner and do not know much about pianos then it will always be better to take somebody with you who will be able to identify a used electronic piano as a good one. The advantage of buying used electronic pianos is that you do not have to pay the original price and you can save a lot of money.Beginners can start with a used electronic piano, and later, when you become an expert you can always get a new piano for yourself. You can also find used electronic pianos on the internet; there are many websites that will give great offers on used pianos. Just use the same kind of common sense you would on the high street and you could well pick up an incredible deal, and there’s a lot out there, you just have to find them.

The Advantages Of Electronic Pianos Over Acoustic Upright Pianos

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:07:32 +0000

Many years ago, almost every household used to have an upright piano. People took music lessons with a piano teacher. These pianos took a lot of space and had to be tuned from time to time, otherwise they would sound horrible. Today there are a lots of electronic pianos, which do not have this kind of problem and are also quite cost effective. A big advantage of choosing an electronic piano is that they are not expensive. They also do not require tuning and as they weigh less they can be moved easily from place to place. You can even buy a piano that will match your furniture at home.Before you buy one, you need to consider a few thing things. The first thing you need to check is whether it actually sounds like a piano. Also, check out the other sounds other than the piano sound. Many of these keyboards include sounds of different musical instruments as well so check them out. There are some models that will also provide drum sounds. The next thing you need to look for is that whether the piano has weighted keys. These weighted keys will make your electronic piano sound and feel real. If your child is learning to play then the option of weighted keys is a really a necessary one.Most electronic pianos have a midi sequencer onboard. The sequencer will help you record whatever you play. This will help you when you are composing and playing back music pieces. You can play tracks you have recorded later whenever you need it. The next thing to look for is whether the instrument has a built in sound system or whether you have to connect speakers to it to hear the sound. The final thing you need to look for is whether it as an 88 note keyboard. Acoustic upright pianos always have 88 notes. Sometimes, low priced instruments have fewer notes. Popular sizes are 49 note, 61 note and 76 note keyboards.