Yamaha introduces KX USB Keyboard Studios

Yamaha has introduced its KX Series of USB MIDI Studio keyboards, not only featuring a high-quality keyboard but also designed to integrate with Steinberg DAW products.

Available in four flavours: the KX8 with eight octaves, the KX25 with two, the KX49 with four, and the KX61 with five.

They all feature high-quality Yamaha keyboard action, and come with a whole range of functions for both performance and controlling soft synths and sequencers, including:

• Four assignable control knobs
• dedicated performance controls
• built-in arpeggio function which can be played back by the included HALion One softsynth
• Includes Cubase AI music production software

Yamaha

My First Keyboard: Buying a child’s first electronic keyboard instrument

I believe that the buyers’ guide I wrote a couple of years ago still stands as a good introduction to buying a keyboard instrument

However, in this feature I want to look specifically at buying a child their first “serious” electronic keyboard. (If your child isn’t quite ready for this kind of keyboard yet, why not read ten toy pianos your child will love)

My Story

Every child is different, but let me tell you a little of my musical upbringing as it will give you a better idea of where I’m coming from, and hopefully give you some ideas on the way forward for your child / potential musical genius.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a home with an acoustic upright piano, which I started playing and picking out tunes on from a very young age (say 3 or 4). I think from this my parents realised that I had musical aptitude/talent, and I began taking classical-based piano lessons from around age 5.

I enjoyed this, and was incredibly blessed to have access to the piano (it’s probably why I love the acoustic piano, or as near as I can get to it, to this day). However, from the age of about 12, after seeing someone on stage playing some amazing synth lines and creating sound textures, I wanted to get into electronic music.

My parents agreed, and bought a fairly entry-level keyboard. However, it was enough to get me started in trying out new sounds, rhythms, and even doing some basic sequencing work on my computer.

The point to this is that, whether or not your child shows some interest and aptitude for music, and in particular a keyboard, it’s worth starting with a basic set up and building on that, rather than splashing out on an all-singing, all-dancing keyboard, digital piano, or even an acoustic piano, only for it to be a costly mistake.

Don’t force them – see the interest

I fell in love with keyboard instruments because that’s what was around, but I wasn’t forced to play.

Fashions come and go. Guitars are cool, and many kids want to play them. Don’t force them to play one type of instrument they’re really not interested in. Having said that, if they show interest in a piano (I’ve seen a great many children who love to try to play things on the keyboard, and it’s (arguably) an easier instrument to begin learning/experimenting on than the guitar, especially for small fingers) then go for it.

Make it fun

Though you may pay a bit extra, or sacrifice a bit of sound quality, by getting a keyboard with plenty of functions on, it will make it fun for your child to play, experiment, and learn about music.

If they really get a taste for playing seriously, and when they’re a bit older, they’ll probably find out what kind of things they want their keyboard to do. In fact, if they’re anything like me, they’ll be down at the local music shop every Saturday eyeing up the next model, getting the specifications and the price, and working out how to introduce the concept of a new keyboard to you.

In reality, even today’s relatively inexpensive keyboards do absolutely amazing things, and sound fantastic.

Which manufacturers are best?

While this is a rather subjective question, my personal believe is that Yamaha make some of the best sounding, feature-rich, value-for-money electronic keyboards around. (View a range of Yamaha Keyboards on zZounds and Amazon.)

Casio also make decent enough keyboards, though for some reason they’ve always had a bit of a rough ride in the reputation stakes (at least, they were always joked about – maybe it’s because Casio makes calculators, I don’t know). (View a range of Casio Keyboards on zZounds and Amazon.)

Other manufacturers include Roland, Korg and M-Audio (links go to ranges on zZounds), but they tend to lean towards semi-professional and professional musical instruments and recording equipment.

Some features to look out for

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of features that can be found on modern electronic keyboards, with a brief explanation. Generally, the more features you have, the more expensive the keyboard. However, even quite basic keyboards have a large number of features.

• Number of keys

  Most home keyboards come with either 49 keys (4 octaves) or 61 keys (5 octaves). More keys equals more room for playing, or for splitting the keyboard between accompaniment and melody.

• Type of keys

  Most home keyboards use thin plastic keys with a very light touch. This doesn’t mean they’re not durable, but they’re not heavy or hard to depress like the keys of a piano.

• Touch sensitivity

  This determines whether hitting a key harder produces a louder and/or different sound. A lot of home keyboards do have some kind of touch sensitivity built in, though very cheap ones are “fixed velocity”.

  The advantage of touch sensitivity is that it gives the ability to play with greater expression.

• Sounds

  Most keyboards come with a wide array of sounds, including real world acoustic and electric sounds, synthetic sounds, and sound effects.

  Check the acoustic piano sounds if this is important – Yamaha in particular put a decent enough grand piano sound even on basic models though it will never sound as good as their thousands-of-dollars Clavinova.

  Some acoustic sounds may not be great (horns in particular usually sound awful, guitars are often dubious) but may serve as a good introduction to making music. Strings are usually fairly good, and synth/sound effects are fun.

• Pitch bend/modulation

  A lot of home keyboards have a pitch bend wheel, usually located to the left of the keyboard. This allows notes to be “bent” up and down in pitch.

  Some have modulation, which changes the colour or effect of a particular sound, though this is less common on entry-level keyboards.

• Sustain pedal

  Many home keyboards have a jack input for adding a sustain pedal, used to hold the sound of played notes. Not all do. Some come with a pedal, others it’s an optional extra. Worth having particularly when playing piano sounds.

• Polyphony

  Polyphony measures how many sounds the keyboard can play at one time. The higher the polyphony, the less risk of notes being cut off, and also the more detailed accompaniments can be played. Every note of every sound, including those being sustained, counts towards polyphony. 32 is a decent entry-level value to look for. [Read more about polyphony]

• Drum Pads

  Some keyboards come with extra drum finger pads, located above the keys. They’re fun for playing or sequencing rhythm.

• Auto-Accompaniment

  Most home keyboards have at least some kind of automatic accompaniment. This usually includes drums, bass, guitar, or other accompaniment instruments.

  Some have different patterns for song intros, outros, bridge, verse, chorus, etc.

  Others allow you to record your own accompaniments, though this is usually on more expensive instruments.

  Often seen just as a bit of fun, they can be quite useful for developing an initial appreciation of rhythm, and playing with other instrumentalists, even though they’re all pre-recorded and can be rather “staid”.

• Interactive Learning

  Many keyboards now come with some kind of built in learning system which can teach beginning players how to play notes and chords.

  Though this adds to the cost, it can be useful for getting kids to learn the basics without having to pay for tuition, which could be expensive and wasted.

• Recording/Sequencing

  Some home keyboards offer basic recording of notes, accompaniment, and so on. Sequencing (recording multiple tracks and being able to edit notes) tend to be found only on more expensive keyboards, though it is often possible to connect cheaper keyboards to a PC or Mac via MIDI or USB, and use computer software to record and edit music.

• MIDI/USB connection to computer/other instruments

  Most keyboards have MIDI connectors. MIDI is a well-established standard for connecting musical instruments to each other, and to PCs.

  Some newer keyboards also have USB interfaces, allowing direct connection to a PC or Mac.

  This can be great for using music software, updating sounds, downloading material from the Internet to play on the keyboard, and more.

  Possibly not essential for a young child, but does open up more possibilities.

Buy new or second-hand?

My personal preference would be to buy new, even if you buy a slightly older “end of line” model at a discount. Though keyboards can last a long time, you’ll get the best technology and pristine equipment by buying new. [Find a new keyboard]

If buying second-hand, be very sure what you’re getting and paying for. If possible, check the instrument out for yourself. Ensure all the keys and buttons work, and there’s no damage to the casing. Remember that these instruments depreciate in value quickly, so don’t be tricked into paying significant money for a keyboard, even one that’s just a year or two old.

Try before you buy

Though you often get the best deals on the Internet, it really is worth checking out a selection of keyboards at a local music store so that you can hear them, play with their features, and decide which one you like best.

What’s around now?

Bearing in mind that music technology advances very quickly, here are some of the latest, entry-level keyboards available (November 2010). All are available for under $200 (some under $100):

Yamaha YPT220 61-Key Portable Keyboard

The YPT-220 features 375 natural sounding voices, including Stereo Grand Piano, 361 XGlite voices, 12 drum kits and a sound effect kit. The YPT-220 also has 100 accompaniment styles and 102 built-in songs. Use the Portable Grand button to instantly call up an authentic stereo grand piano sound. The instrument also has a rich Reverb effect that adds concert-hall ambience to any performance. The Yamaha Education Suite feature makes learning and practicing music more fun than ever before.

Casio CTK-2100 61-Key Portable Electronic Keyboard with USB

The Casio CTK-2100 offers pure playing pleasure with 61 piano-style touch keys. Discover the instrument’s numerous features: whether you want to dive into a colourful world of 150 rhythms, use the sampling function together with the new Voice Pads or connect a CD or MP3 player via the audio input so that you can play along to your favourite song on the keyboard – the Casio CTK-2100 provides a huge range of features and functions. And the step-up learning system makes it easy to hear the progress made in your playing skills.

Yamaha PSRE223 61-Key General MIDI Keyboard

Carefully designed to make playing and learning music fun and easy, the Yamaha PSRE223 keyboard is perfect for the beginner, but provides plenty of room for the novice player to grow.

Casio CTK-3000 61-Key Touch Sensitive Electronic Keyboard with USB

The Casio CTK-3000 employs Casio’s new AHL sound source technology, which enables the realistic reproduction of a wide range of tones from acoustic instruments like the piano and more. The maximum polyphony of 48 notes — an improvement from 32 notes — ensures that no sound drops out, even when playing complex parts with auto-accompaniment. These Casio keyboards also feature piano-style keys to satisfy more users.

Yamaha YPT320 61-Key Touch-Sensitive Portable Keyboard

The YPT-320 is a touch sensitive instrument that features 482 dynamic, authentic voices, with 361 XGlite voices, 12 drum kits and a sound effect kit. The YPT-320 also has 106 accompaniment styles and 102 built-in songs. Music database with 100 songs-for instantly setting entire instrument to match a desired music genre. Special two-track Easy Recording feature lets you record and save up to five of your original songs – great for composing and practice purposes.

Casio WK-200 76-Key Electronic Keyboard

The Casio WK-200 Electronic Keyboard offers great tones, sampling, and lessons in one great keyboard! This WK-200 is amazing! Casio is showing how much they can fit in to this keyboard while offering at a price that makes it impossible to turn down.

Other portable keyboards

Recommended Product: How your child can read music notes – easily and quickly

Yamaha introduces MM6 Music Synthesizer

Yamaha has introduced its MM6 Music Synthesizer, a younger cousin of the MOTIF series of instruments. It features high quality sounds, real-time control of sound, dynamic music creation tools including Authentic Pattern and Arpeggiator generators, performance memory, and versatile song recording.It’s a 61-note (5 octave), 32 note polyphony synth featuring Yamaha’s AWM2 sounds, 418 voices and 22 drum kits, 8 performance banks, a wide variety of effects, and 5 master equalizers.

The current specifications page doesn’t give much away about how versatile the MM6 is when controlling sounds, which, after all, is what you generally want a synth for. However, the “sales pitch” talks about tweaking sounds, by changing filter cutoff, resonance, EG attack and release, in real time, as well as a large number of built-in “jamming” rhythms, and 213 arpeggiators.

It sounds as if is an entry-level keyboard, and those serious about sound synthesis could be left disappointed. I may be wrong, but the rhythm sections sound more like glorified accompaniment sections found on many home keyboards. That’s not to knock the MM6 for what it is, but an observation.

Also, for those who like their additional touches on keyboards, the MM6 seems to have just initial touch sensitivity, but no aftertouch.

Tenori-on exclusively testing in the UK

It makes a change to see some cool piece of gadgetry being tested in the UK before it becomes available anywhere else.

The Tenori-on is just one such piece of kit. It’s a conceptual musical instrument, made up of 256 “playable” buttons in a 16×16 grid, plus five function keys on the left and right sides of it.

If you’re a musical purist who likes traditional instruments, then you might not get on too well with the Tenori-on. This “new digital musical instrument for the 21st century” has been designed by Toshio Iwai and Yamaha to “allow everyone to play music intuitively, creating a ‘visible music’ interface.”

The videos certainly look impressive. You’re unlikely to be playing Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, or even Michel-Jarre on this thing, but you could have a lot of fun and get some interesting, random, dance/trance like textures and rhythms from it.

The specifications state that it has 96 clocks note resolution, gate time of 10ms-9,990ms, ten octave range, 40-240bpm tempo, nine types of scales, six performance modes (Score, Random, Draw, Bounce, Push, Solo), 64 note polyphony, AWM2 tone generation with 239 normal voices and 14 percussion kits, and two effects processors.

It also features MIDI IN, to allow two Tenori-on instruments to be synced together (sounds like fun), plus MIDI OUT for controlling other instruments, or possibly even a lighting rig (even on a 16×16 mono-LED grid, the visual effects of notes being played is pretty cool).

There’s also a line out so you can beef up performances from the built-in 1-watt stereo speakers.

It will run on 6xAA batteries, giving up to five hours of play time, or an AC adaptor.

It’s worth watching the videos to get a taste for what this little beastie can do — I’m sure it’s just the tip of the iceberg, too.

Artists currently using the Tenori-On include Jim O’Rourke, Atom Heart, and Robert Lippok.

Unsurprisingly, stock has run out at present. If anyone at Yamaha fancies sending me a piece of kit to try out and review, I’d be more than happy to oblige. It’s not shipping outside the UK at present, either. It’s expected to retail at around US$1,200.

Yes, I WANT ONE.

Official website

Vintage: Yamaha CS-01 – “The Mini Mono”

For the tiny-fingered, space-challenged mono-synth lover, the vintage Yamaha CS-01 might need to be in your collection.

SynthMuseum says

It was obviously marketed to the young, first synth buyer, market. However, dispite it’s mini-sized keys, it has been since adopted by many professionals for it’s simple design, active sliders, and great sound.

Vintage Synth Explorer says:

The CS-01 may look simple or toy-like but it is still able to create cool little analog bass blips, bass lines and bass bubbles that are just perfect for today’s electronic musicians.

It was the last full-analog monosynth that Yamaha made before going digital.

They came in two colour combinations – grey with light grey lettering (pictured) or red (yes, even then) with grey lettering.

Probably its most notable feature was its breath (well, spit) controller input, as Yamaha tried to branch into ‘alternative controllers’. I’m not sure how elegant it looks to be spitting into your keyboard, controlling its VCA and VCF, and you certainly can’t sing at the same time (do synthesists sing?) -still, an interesting if underused feature.

According to Synth Heaven and Vintage Synth Explorer, this synth was played by: Barry Blue, Andy Cheetham, Chick Corea, Steve Gray, Michael Law, Adrian Lee, John Medeski, Icelandic 80′s jazzfunk band Mezzoforte, OMD, Dust Brothers, Underworld, Tim Simenon, Patrick Swayze.

Errr, hang on… Patrick Swayze?

Anyway…

Specifications

Synthesis type: Analog subtractive
Monophonic
Oscillators per voice: 1
Waveforms: sine, square, triangle, PWM, narrow square, noise
Controllers: breath control jack, pitch/mod wheels, LFO
Keyboard: 32 mini-keys
Audio: 1 out
No MIDI

Links

• Sonic State
• Synth Museum
• MiniOrgan demo
• Some fun bizarreness of limited relation to the CS-01

Discuss: the end of useful synthesizers from Yamaha?

Whilst I was surfing I found a page about the Yamaha CS series in which ‘David’ makes a closing statement:

Right around this time [early 80s] the GS-1 & GS-2 came out which lead to the CE-20, DX-1 (nice machine!), the DX-7 and therefore the end of useful synthesizers from Yamaha.

The end of useful synthesizers from Yamaha?

What do you make of that? That implies that not only was the DX-7 not a useful synth, but that all subsequent offerings also.

Leaving aside home keyboards—which are a perfectly legitimate offering in their own right, but not really synths—are Yamaha now just making glorified digital pianos?

Did the art of Yamaha synth-making die after the CS-20?

What do you think?

Vintage: Yamaha CE-20 – “the one before the DX7″

So which of these are you most familiar with?

Yamaha CE-20
or
Yamaha DX7

Yep, thought so.

Not a huge commercial success, the CE-20 came before the legendary DX-7:

• Introduced in 1982
• Price: US$1395
• Synthesis: FM (Frequency Modulation)
• Voices: 20 (Piccolo, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet 1, Trumpet 2, Trombone, Violin, Contrabass 1, Contrabass 2, Electric Bass 1, and Electric Bass 2, Brass*, Horn*, Organ*, Electric Piano*, Harpsichord*, and Strings*.
• All voices are monophonic (high-note priority) except those marked * above which are 8-note polyphonic.
• Keyboard: 4 octave, full-size, velocity and aftertouch sensitive.
• Jacks: Sustain and expression pedals, audio line and headphone out. No MIDI.
• Not programmable, but some editing of presets including vibrato, ‘tone initial’ and ‘tone after’ (for velocity and aftertouch sensitivity) and ‘slide’ for monophonic portamento timing.

Press Release

The original press release read:

The CE20 is another outstanding Yamaha keyboard that features FM tone generation technology. It offers 14 high-note-priority monophonic voices that are ideal for lead lines, and 6 8-note polyphonic voices for backing.

The monophonic voices are PICCOLO, FLUTE, OBOE, CLARINET, SAXOPHONE, TRUMPET 1 (classical trumpet voice), TRUMPET 2 (jazz tone), TROMBONE, VIOLIN, CONTRABASS 1 (bowed), CONTRABASS 2 (pizicato), ELEC TRIC BASS 1 (mellow), and ELECTRIC BASS 2 (funky).

The polyphonic voices feature BRASS, HORN, ORGAN, ELECTRIC PIANO, HARPSICHORD and STRINGS. All these voices are generated by the Yamaha FM tone generator system, and therefore have a remarkably “acoustic” feel. The CE20 has all the same touch response features as the CE25, so you have dynamic control with initial touch response, attack-dependent tonal variation with TONE INITIAL, and tonal varia tion according to key pressure with TONE AFTER. Vibrato can be applied via the after touch response function as well as independently with VIBRATO SPEED, DEPTH and DELAY controls. Also like the CE25 the CE20 has a PRESET selector which activates pre-programmed touch response sensitivity and vibrato parame ters for each individual voice. The CE20 additionally features a SLIDE CONTROL function that can be used with all the monophomic voices. With this function turned on, you first use a slide control wheel at the left of the keyboard to adjust the length of a portamento-like slide between each note played. The unique feature of this effect is that a slide occurs only when a second note is
played before releasing the first, thus allowing both pitch bend and portamento effects to be introduced through keyboard technique alone.

Overall, the CE20 offers tremendous versatility and expressive capability with surprising economy.

Vintage: Yamaha TG500 sound module

My first serious synth purchase was the Yamaha TG500 sound module. Although it cheated somewhat, it was heralded as the world’s first 64-note polyphonic synth, and used Yamaha’s Advanced Wave Modulation (AWM) sampling technology.

Of course, I already had a keyboard to control it – I think it was a Yamaha home keyboard. Hardly a master keyboard, and unable to control such deliciousness as aftertouch or modulation, but still enough to get me playing with the amazing on board sounds.

I particularly remember that it had the best acoustic pianos I’d ever heard on a synth, some great strings, and some really bizarre sound effects including a hyena on steroids, and some speaker-killing bass rumbles.

Programming it was a bit of a pain, with it only having twelve buttons to play with. I never did expand it with more memory or ROM cards, but even so it has served me well. It is still my primary piano and strings sound on the road, and I still have the desire to work out what extra things it can do – I am sure there are still things I haven’t done with it in its 15 years with me.

Main Specifications

• Synthesis type: AWM2
• Polyphony: 64 (2 x 32 poly sound generators, called (originally) A and B)
• Multi-timbral: 16 channels
• Effects: 2 units with 90 different effects
• Oscillators per voice: 1-4
• Drum kits: 6
• Sample ROM: 8Mb
• Patches: 384
• Performances (collections of patches): 252
• Audio Outs: 6
• Upgrade options: 2 slots for data cards, 2 for wave cards, up to 1Mb expansion RAM.

Many original and second-hand users have said that this is still a top-notch module – the AWM2 sound technology is still used by Yamaha today. Editing can be a pain (unless you can find a decent computer-based editor) but is definitely worth it.

Resources and Interesting Info

• Here are some useful user reviews at Harmony Central.
• Vintage Synth has written this article:
  

  The TG-500 is basically a box-o-sounds. It is based on Yamaha’s SY-85 (1992) and doubles the polyphony but loses the sequencer and most of the buttons and controls for real-time and patch editing. You can go with just the stock sounds, their sound quality is excellent, using AWM2 (Advanced Wave Memory), Yamaha’s synth-engine of choice since the days of FM-synthesis. You can also add external ROM cards for many more sounds in various styles. Despite the lack of controls, the TG-500 has edit capabilities as extensive as the SY-85, and is easiest to program using an external or software based editor.

  The TG-500 was a great and economical way to get Yamaha’s AWM2 style sounds, but may seem limited today.

• Kid Nepro has a list of sound patches for the SY-85 / TG500
• A small TG500 Discussion Group on Yahoo!Groups.
• SoundQuest’s SY85 and TG500 Editor/Librarian for Windows and Mac OS 9/X

Yamaha CS80 detailed info website

A really useful site covering the Yamaha CS80 synthesizer, with information on panel controls, presets, and performance controls.

Found via DVDBorn

Yamaha S90ES NAMM video demonstrates piano sound

SonicState have captured a video showcasing the superb piano sound found on the Yamaha S90ES controller keyboard.

Phil demonstrates playing technique including half-pedalling. Worth a listen.

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