Yamaha NP30 Portable Grand Digital Piano

Feature:
When I bought mine, it came with the X-Stand and AC adapter for $299.00 (the pedal did not though, which I bought seperately). Supposedly, in the past, it didn't. So if you're reading this, and zZounds does not have the deal, then prep yourself to shell another $50 or so for the stand and adapter (and the pedal +$15). As for the features on the NP-30: *Pros* -Does not contain the bells and whistles of other digital pianos, eliminating clutter and one-time-use-and-never-use-again features. It has 5 buttons, and a volume control, that's it. Simple and classy. -Velocity control, I believe 3 sensitivity (soft, medium, hard). -Weighted Keys, although the weighted feeling isn't enough to be effective, but it's there. Additionally, some people may not like this feature due to being use to having no weighted keys from their previous keyboards. -Comes with a built-in customizable metronome which makes things extremely convenient. -Has 76 keys, which is pretty much all most people need which also helps the size be a tad smaller. -Has MIDI IN/OUT, for recording purposes. (You'll need a USB-Midi Interface device to do so, usually goes for around $30.00) *Cons* -Does not contain the bells and whistles of other digital pianos. Some people may think it's too simple, and might find themself wanting some more fancy features. -Does not have Line IN/OUT (which is usually how you can obtain the best quality of sound). -Mentioned in Pros about the weighted keys, the weighted feeling isn't there that much. -Does not have a display screen, making it difficult to do some settings and to see if the change actually took place. It's like having a MP3 player with no display screen. It all depends on what you want. I initially thought having it be a simple unit was what I wanted. But it turns out, I kinda wish for more. Such as more high-quality sounding voices, beats, lighted keys, display screen, etc.

Quality:
This keyboard is friggin' LIGHT. It's 12 pounds, you can pick it up with 1 arm and not break a sweat. Also, being only 12 pounds and all, expect to have no trouble bringing this puppy around on the road. But don't be fooled by it's low weight. The device feels sturdy and well-made. Very smooth and classy little thing. I do have my share of complaints though. I'm not sure if it's worse on other digi piano's, but the thumping sound when you press the keys, are moderately loud. After you play on it for a week or two, it'll soon begin to become noticed to your ear, and it's rather annoying. The effect can be nullified though, by using closed headphones. Also, another thing about the keys.. is that they have this semi-springy feeling, and it's unnatural. But if you're a total beginner, you won't notice any of these key problems. And last but not least, I believe they could've made the unit much smaller (in length) if they had put the speakers on the top left/right portion of the device. Instead, it's on the direct left/right position of the device, placed before and after the keys.

Value:
Well this is my first digital keyboard, so I can't really comment on the value compared to other keyboards, but I can say that it's cheap compared to most and that it's the world famous named brand, Yamaha.

Desirability:
There's nothing too surprising about this unit in terms of looks. But it does deliver in being very classy. Simplicity is written all over it, and just like how, say, the original iPod has that simple, pure white look to it, I get the same impression from this unit (although it's black). And of course, the Yamaha tag on the center of unit =) Pure, simple, light, clean.

Sound:
Well since this keyboard is pretty much intended for use on the main voices in my opinion (grand piano 1 and 2), I gave it a rating of 8 for those two voices only. This is my first ever digital piano, and it's my first ever instrument related to piano. So from that perspective, both voices sound awesome. However, I do know how a quality, full-sized grand piano sounds, and the NP-30 of course, does not match up with it. But, if you're a beginner/intermediate player, and don't really have a keen sense of hearing, you probably can't tell much of a difference. Sound output on the speakers aren't that great when played on highest volume. It's flooded with too much bass, even when playing the higher treble notes. Versus the headphones I use (Sennheiser HD201 Closed-Back Headphones), it's much much better. As for the other voices included with this, don't expect much from them. It's really not the selling point of the NP-30 anyway. If you wanna learn piano, or have a fairly good keyboard that emulates piano without any other concerns, then you don't really need to look further.

Ease of Use:
There's really nothing to learn when using the NP-30. It's simple, clean and has minimal buttons. If you know how to get to use a computer to surf the web to read this review, then you'll know how to use the NP-30.

Support:
I am neutral with this, since I have not had to deal with any customer service yet. Just to note out, it's been a month since I've had this at the current time of writing this review and everything's working just fine. So, the 10 rating is just a placeholder.

Overall:
I expect to keep the NP-30 around for a long while. Since I am a beginner and all, this keyboard has more than enough for my needs. I also only play at home, so I don't need to travel with this. And I play moderately, 4-5 times a week, so I feel this is perfect for now. But if you're an advanced player, I'd only suggest this keyboard as a back-up, or one that's expendable. If I really wanted another keyboard, it would need to have the grand piano 1 and 2 voices from the NP-30 duplicated 100%, it would need a display screen so I could navigate through options and see changes take place more effectively, it would need Line IN/OUT, much better speakers, a more space-saving design, have a slew of high quality voices, have less thumping noise from key presses, have more of a natural touch to the keys, have 88 keys (even though I really don't need it, but we're talking about my dream keyboard), and also be around the same 12 pound weight of the NP-30. Now if my NP-30 had been stolen, and I had the option to buy another keyboard, I would. Even though I'm satisfied with the NP-30, this was my first ever keyboard, so I did learn a lot from purchasing this. I would try to find one that matches what I've stated in the previous paragraph since now I have an option to do so.

Feature:
The touch on the keyboard is "graded". While it's not a weighted action it responds as such and is a big upgrade from the syth feel. The keys become easier to press the higher the note, making it feel more like an acoustic piano. Layering of sounds, and the fact you can make one sound an octave higher than the other adds either lower or upper end to playing. A+

Quality:
Sleek, slim, and basic. Doesn't feel as cheap as it should for the price, but I wouldn't be too reckless with it. Feels pretty solid and like it will last a while as long as it's taken care of.

Value:
This is a no-brainer. A digital piano that weighs 12 pounds, has graded touch, great piano samples, and a few very useful features for 300..... A+

Desirability:
Very slender, slim, and light. No contrasting colors or parts that throw off the overall look of the piano. Basic, normal design.

Sound:
This is fairly simple keyboard with great piano samples. If you're looking for something basic, and not too expensive this is the keyboard for you. The fact you can layer with other sounds quickly and in the middle of a performance is a big bonus. Grand Piano 1 and 2 layered with strings sound amazing when played through an amp. Built in speakers are acceptable for practice, but not powerful enough for a live performance.

Ease of Use:
It doesn't get much easier than this. Take it out of the box, plug and play. Very simple use, and easy to modify sounds to set the mood for exactly the type of feel you are looking for. The weight of this keyboard is somewhat unreal. It can be picked up and transported with one hand. Given the action of the keys and the weight this is a great production on the part of Yamaha.

Support:
Haven't had any problems yet, but my experience with Yamaha in the past has always been positive.

Overall:
With the features, WEIGHT, action, and of course price this is a GREAT buy.