Yamaha PSRE413 61-Key Digital Keyboard

zZounds' Take on Yamaha PSRE413

For beginner piano students and composition students, the reasons for getting a digital piano are obvious: portability and affordability. The problem is choosing a piano that's right for you. With its combination of amazing sounds, fun extra playing features, and inclusion of the powerful Yamaha Educational Suite, the Yamaha PSRE413 is a strong contender for anyone's first digital piano. It's the instrument that'll help you get better, faster.

When Playing Is Fun, Learning Is, Too!
When practice feels like a chore, what's the point of playing? Yamaha understands this, so they've packed the PSRE413 full of amazing sounds and a few extra performance features that'll have you playing your instrument, not just practicing on it. Every Yamaha digital piano boasts the incredible Yamaha Portable Grand. One button press brings up the amazing, stereo-sampled sound of a real grand piano, with all the dynamic range and power of one of Yamaha's $250,000 instruments. And the PSRE413 recreates this sound beautifully with its powerful built-in stereo speakers. In fact, these speakers make all of the PSRE413's hundreds of different instrument voices sound great, from orchestral strings and woodwind to electric guitar and fat synthesizer sounds. Upping the fun factor are the included arpeggiator function (for instant electronica grooves) and the pitch wheel--an interactive controller usually found only on more expensive instruments. This digital piano is a blast to play, and there's no more effective secret to your student--or yourself--to stick with the piano and learn, fast.

What Is The Yamaha Educational Suite?
In short, it's the next best thing to having your own private piano tutor who's on-call 24/7. The Yamaha Education Suite--or Y.E.S.--guides you through lessons that will progressively improve your playing and sight-reading skills. Simply load up one of the YPG235's 30 internal songs (another 70 are included on CD-ROM) and the on-screen piano graphic shows you which notes to play. Next, choose one of the lesson modes: "Wait Mode" stops song playback until you play the correct note; "Your Tempo Mode" slows playback down when you play incorrect notes, so you can learn at your own pace but start to get a feel for rhythm; "Minus One Mode" plays a song with one part removed, so that you can play along with the other elements of the music. Think of it as piano karaoke, except you choose what part to play. These three modes follow a natural progression, each building on an ability mastered in the previous mode, and each lesson has seven levels of increasing difficulty to push those abilities even further. An automatic grading function provides you with honest feedback on your playing. No apples for the teacher here, just the hard, satisfying truth! There's even a chord dictionary for familiarizing yourself with common chord voicings and intervals. Even if you're planning on eventually studying with a teacher, the Y.E.S. will give you a huge head start and distinct learning advantage, making your private lessons that much more rewarding.

Access An Infinite Library Of Music
Once you're comfortable with sight reading, you're going to want to play as many different pieces of music as you can find. The YPG235 can help you there, too. A USB input connects the keyboard to your computer, and from there, the Internet. Any song saved in the popular MIDI format can be downloaded to the YPG235, with real-time feedback displayed on the graphical keyboard. Your Yamaha can even play back the file hands-free so you can hear it before you play it yourself. Having trouble finding a particular song? Load up Yamaha's Digital Music Notebook, an online service that lets you download transcriptions of the most popular music of today, as well as additional lesson books. Load the songs directly onto your YPG235, or use your computer to print them out as sheet music. The Yamaha YPG235 is your portal to a whole world of interactive, musical entertainment!

Six-Track Recorder: Compose Your Own Music
The ability to sight-read notation will have you understanding music in a whole new way, so it'll only be a matter of time before you'll want to start writing your own. For the budding Bachs, Beethovens, or Sufjans out there, the YPG235 has a six-track sequencer built right in. Record a chord progression, than layer melody, counter melody, harmony, or whatever you like on top. Experiment with combining different instrument sounds in one song--the YPG235 has over 361 beautiful sounds to select from, including organs, woodwinds, strings, even drum and guitar sounds are at your disposal. Save your favorite work by uploading to your computer via the YPG235's USB port.

Yamaha's digital pianos have inspired millions of budding musicians, and the Yamaha PSRE413 sports all the features that make Yamaha digital piano great--with a few fun extras, to boot. There's a reason so many players stick with the Yamaha brand as they become professionals, and the proof is in the PSRE413.

Manufacturer's Description for Yamaha PSRE413 61-Key Digital Keyboard

The Yamaha PSRE413 61 Key Digital Keyboard expands the capabilities of one of Yamaha's most popular PSR lines. The PSRE413 includes features for every playing level such as the Yamaha portable grand and Yamaha education suite. An on-board arpeggiator includes 100 different patterns along with 20 different arpeggio voices. A full set of real-time controls gives you easy access to all of the capabilities of the PSRE413. A USB port is also included so you can download songs for learning from the internet. If you want to write your own songs, the PSRE413 also features a 6-track sequencer so you can layer your own tracks.

Features
Real time control using two Control Knobs and Pitch Bend wheel

100 different Arpeggiator patterns: cool sounds and grooves

USB and Flash ROM: download songs for learning from the Internet

6-track sequencer allows you to record your own music

2-way stereo speaker system with bass ports for fuller sound

Performance Assistant guarantees a rewarding music experience

Yamaha XGlite/GM voices plus Sweet!, Cool!, Split and Dual voice

Easy Song Arranger: re-mix MIDI files and play it your way

Interactive Lessons: Your Tempo mode helps you learn to play

Import new music Styles and save to flash memory via PC zZounds is an authorized dealer of Yamaha products.

Keyboard: 61 Full-size keys with Touch Response

Display: Backlit LCD

Voices: 509 GM and XGlite Compatible

Dual/Split: Yes/Yes

Polyphony: 32 Notes

Featured Voices: 5 Sweet, 3 Cool

Music Database: 300 Song titles

Songs: 30 Internal/70 CD-ROM + 5 User

Y.E.S. / Lessons: Interactive Lessons

Styles: 165 + User (SFF)

Style Sections: Intro/Ending + A/B + Fill x 2

Sequencer: 6 Track / 5 Songs / 10,000 Notes

PC Button: Yes

MIDI: USB Slave

Storage Device: 373KB Flash ROM+Dynamic RAM

Effects: 9 Reverb / 4 Chorus / 5 EQ

Harmony: 26 Types

In/Out Jacks: Headphone / Sustain

Speakers: 12cm x 2 / 3cm x 2

Amplifier: 2.5W + 2.5W

Power Supply: PA-130 (optional) or 6 AA Batteries

Included Accessories: CD-ROM, Manual, Songbook, Music Rest

Dimensions: 38.1 x 16 x 6 inches