zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound:
The Yamaha YPG-535 has a wonderful library of sounds, voices and tones. Exceptional voice styles for any type of music that you can dream up. We basically use ours for recording purposes and use it primarily for background tracks. The Grand Piano is especially warm and full in sound. When not running into our recording system, we run it through either an amp or the PA system and WOW. It's certainly not a Motif or anything close, but it does suit our recording needs admirably. One tip that we use is to run the output cable into a Korg Monotron (using appropriate adapters) and then into our amp or PA and while it does not turn the YPG into a MiniMoog, it does create some great sounds by using the Korg's various filters-it has allowed us to perform songs like Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein", while not 100% accurate to the song we can get a close enough approximation that no one can really notice the difference when playing live.
Feature:
Ours came with the wood (particle board) stand (don't let your dogs whiz on the base) and it came with the sustain pedal. Sadly, we did not purchase ours from zZounds but from a chain-store operation (competitor) that does promote that they offer "best buys" but regular price for this item from them is a hundred dollars more than zZounds-so when we bought ours "ON SALE" we actually paid zZound's everyday price. Live and learn.
Ease of Use:
This is a very playable keyboard with good sound/tone. As mentioned above there are numerous ways that you can get very creative with the Yamaha keyboards. There is a fairly easy learning curve and I recommend that everyone take the time to learn it in order to get the full potential from this instrument. As stated, this keyboard works great for building backing tracks for recording along with our own instruments (guitars,bass etc) and vocals. Whether doing cover songs or our own creations, this has done the job well.
Quality:
The Yamaha YPG 535 is pleasing to look at and seems well built/manufactured. It is made of plastic so I wouldn't want to drop it and don't think it would hold up well "on the road" but for studio (home or professional) work or for just home use I believe that,concievably, it should last forever (or at the least outlast me)
Value:
I'm sure that the YPG 535 is well worth the going price, I only question whether or not the YPG 235 would have satisfied our needs equally well at half the price, or even less
Manufacturer Support:
I really can't speak to support because we have never used it or needed it. I would assume that support would be good based on the Yamaha name alone. We've had no issues with the Yamaha YPG 535. We've owned and used it for 3 years now.
The Wow Factor:
I don't have a shoe fetish, or an instrument fetish (or any other kind of fetish that I know of)and really don't consider my instruments as "sexy" or having "sex appeal". We strive and hope that our "music" provides that type of feeling. I'd have to say that this is simply a practical addition to our "setup".
Overall:
We would most likely keep this product and look to adding to it, actually looking toward the addition of a full fledged synthesizer as budget permits. If our YPG 535 were lost or stolen, i'm not sure that I would re-buy the same thing. I might consider a Yamaha YPG 235 and use the savings toward a synth, but the odds are that I would replace it with a Roland Gaia SH-01 or a Moog Phatty Stage II. While the YPG 535 does sound very nice, it's really more of a "learner's" or "beginner's" type of keyboard and a lot of it's cost and processing power is spent in the educational aspect of this keyboard. Had I known that much of it prior to purchase, I probably would have made a different choice. At the time I purchased this instrument, the Roland Gaia was not yet available, so I probably would have chosen the MMO, a Novation or maybe even a MicroKorg XL. But I definitely would have gone into someplace with a showroom where I could actually test drive the product before I buy and then gone to the internet to purchase the best deal.
15 of 15 people
(100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound:
The Live! Grand Piano is about as realistic a sound as you can get. The panel sustain and the sustain pedal are two distinct, yet practical effects. Though there are nearly Five hundred other great voices, personally I am in love with the Sweet! Soprano saxophone.. Looks like Kenny G is out of a job. It has instruments that I had never heard of, never thought existed, and never thought that anyone would actually be able to play. Awesome.
Feature:
So.. I actually have the YPG525.. which is virtually the same thing.. so.. The survival kit is extremely useful. Sustain pedal = rad. There's also a cloth to place over your keys when you're not face-melting (and when you are face-melting, it can be used a cape..(yes, like a super hero)). Pitch Bender with adjustable range for all you techno freaks out there. I would suggest buying a USB Flash Drive for it if you intend to record on the User Song feature. Though each song has 5 tracks (and an accompaniment track which is virtually useless because the styles and easy song arranger sound so generic), With only 5 songs, space fills up quickly for the creative soul. The Effect Banks can be invaluable if you are playing a song with multiple instruments involved. Built-in metronome (of course). The only thing I really wish that it could do would be to change time signatures in a recording without having to go to another track. The hammerlock keys provide a good transition for anyone preparing to move from the traditional button-push keyboard to the full on Grand Piano.
Ease of Use:
I've had two keyboards before this one, and I must admit that this is definitely the best yet. Although I knew the basic principles of User Song recording before, I'm sure with a little time in the manual, one could easily learn how to successfully use the instrument. I still haven't been able to download music from the net due to the fact that you have to pay for it (of course).
Quality:
It looks very state of the art. Dust doesn't even gather well on it. It's quite a large board with 88 keys and due to that, I have banged it on walls and door frames lugging it around, but it just keeps on trucking. I wouldn't be surprised if I dropped it and it still worked.
Value:
I'll say that it's definitely worth the buy.
Manufacturer Support:
I had no need for support, but Yamaha sent a DVD detailing all of the aspects of the keyboard anyway! How's that for support?
The Wow Factor:
It does look pretty awesome. In a dark room with just the blue screen lit up. pretty inspirational. I also like the clicking wheel on the right... I don't know why. I just do.
Overall:
I've been quite thoroughly satisfied with this board. I would be pretty much lost without it. If you've been playing for a while and are looking to step up your game a bit, but you don't have the type of budget that allows you to buy a $1500 keyboard, then this is definitely for you. Intermediate players are probably best fit for this board, though anyone can use it. Wish it had more tracks, and the styles sound kind of outdated (which is to be expected when trying to define a genre in one pattern), but it makes up for those with the number of instruments, sound quality, and sheer beauty.
164 of 166 people
(98.8%) found this review helpful. Did you?
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound:
I am a true beginner to keyboard but i think the piano sounds on this one are very nice and the organ sounds as well the keys feel good and they respond well to change in touch they are not weighted but unless you are use to a regular piano it probably wont bother you there are a ton of other sounds on this keyboard as well perhaps someday i'll find a use for them there is a learning system on this keyboard that allows you to follow notes and play along the song will actually stop until you play the right notes however the screen is kind of small and could be difficult for some people to read also unless you can read music the tab doesnt tell you which notes to play first or which notes play together all in all this is a very nice full size 88 key board for a good price i would recommend it to anyone who is a beginner to intermediate player or some one who just wants a nice piano to play at home for there own amusement if your a gigging musician or plan on becoming one this probably isnt the keyboard for you although you can hook it up to an amp and it sounds great just my two cents.
Overall:
I expect to be satisfied with this keyboard for a long time depending on my personal growth as a musician if i every did upgrade i would probably upgrade to a board with sampling and true synthisizer features i would probably still buy another yamaha though the value still seems to me to beat the korg and roland boards
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound:
The sound is very good, however, the gtand piano sound is close but not equal to the sound of an actual grand piano. Perhaps it is my hearing, but I do not notice difference in the tones between the various types of grand piano. I really like the flexibility of the various instruments that can be created. However, just like any electronic instrument, the tone quality is not quite as full as the real instrument. It is well worth the purchase price and is very enjoyable to play.
Feature:
Included foot pedal. It is as useful as the foot pedal on the ral piano.
Ease of Use:
The manual is very clear. Due to the complex sounds this instument can and will produce, there is going to be a significant learning curve before one is capable of utilizing all of hte features. It will take a concentrated effort to utilize all of potentila this keyboard offers.
Quality:
The product appars to be extremely well made. There were no noticible defects on arrival and it was easy to assemble -- the instructions were very clear. I use it to learn and practise grand piano all of hte time, saving the older real grand for playing once I have mastered a piece. One of hte major reasons for purchasing this keyboard was to be able to continue studying and practicing while I am traveling in my motor home. It is a littel bulky, but manageble. I did not want anything less thatn a full 88 key keyboard.
Value:
YES!!!
Manufacturer Support:
I have not had any experience dealing with the company to date. The keyboard is functioning perfectly, so servie has not been required.
The Wow Factor:
The keyboard is very attractive and has good tone quality in itself. I have not had the opportunity to hook it up to external speakers so do not know if the tonal quality would be satisfactory if utilizing external speakers.
Overall:
I will use this keyboard until I wear it out. I liked the 88 key keyboard and the price was reasonable for this unti. I had two goals in purchasing this keyboard: 1. An instrument that could be used for learning and practice; 2. an instrument that I could use when traveling in my motor home. It has met both of these objectives with flying colors.
Sound:
so the sound is good,I have had it for I think 3 years. the only thing is after playing it for a couple of years (and playing at max volume) there can be a really, really small fuzz when hitting the base notes. but besides that it is really worth the investment for just playing at home. I can't afford one of those really expensive one's and settling with this is an understatement because it is really good. I would say this is a "home" product. not for anything else I don't think.
Feature:
the features are good. I don't like how the headphone jack is in the back. the wire bother's me when I'm playing and it is not long enough to come from the bottom.
Ease of Use:
I would say that it is very easy to use. I like how you can save sounds on it and you can record sounds on it. the sounds are good. I personally only play with the string sounds and pads and they are good for this keyboard.
Quality:
I can definatly depend on this product. I think I can have this keyboard for another 5 years and I already had it for 3.
Value:
I definatly think this product is worth every dime
The Wow Factor:
well it's plastic so you can only get so gorgeous with plastic. lol
Overall:
I will have this product for another 5 years until I change.
6 of 8 people
(75%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?
Questions? Our gear experts can help!
800-zZounds(800-996-8637)
Mention Reference
Number
L2T4VJ7 When You Call.
Toll Free En Español: 800-460-7976 m-f 1AM to
1AM EST
Follow zZounds on:
Customize Search Results for Your Location
A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.
A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.
enlarge