In this article we compare two entry-level mini keyboards: the Yamaha PSS-F30 and the Casio SA-81.
Types of Instrument
Both the Yamaha PSS-F30 and Casio SA-81 are entry-level keyboards, primarily aimed at very beginner musicians and children.
Instrument Age
The Yamaha PSS-F30 was launched in 2021, the Casio SA-81 in 2023. That’s a difference of two years, which suggests the underlying technology could be fairly similar. Both instruments are still fairly new.
Keyboard Type
Both instruments have miniature size keys, which are great for smaller hands but don’t provide the same tactile experience as a digital or acoustic piano.
Number of Keys
The Yamaha PSS-F30 has 37 keys (three octaves) while the Casio SA-81 has 44 (three-and-a-half octaves).
Weight of Keys
Both instruments have synth/organ style keys, which means they are extremely light to the touch.
Home keyboards primarily have synth/organ style keys as they are cheaper to manufacture and may be easier to play by beginning and young players.
How to choose the best keyboard size and weight
Touch Sensitivity and Aftertouch
Neither instrument has touch sensitivity or aftertouch.
Very cheap and old home keyboards don’t have any kind of touch sensitivity, meaning you can’t vary the loudness or timbre of the notes being played depending on how hard you press the keys. Newer and better instruments often have touch sensitive keys. Aftertouch is only an option on advanced, high end models.
Polyphony
The two instruments you are comparing both have 32 notes of polyphony.
The polyphony of home keyboards varies enormously based on age and price. Very early models had much reduced polyphony, often in single figures, whereas newer models, and those with more advanced features and a higher price tag, have far more polyphony, often in the high double digits or even above 100.
Number of Sounds
The Casio SA-81 has 100 and the Yamaha PSS-F30 has 117 sounds.
Home keyboards often benefit from a wide variety of real world sounds, though it is worth bearing in mind that fewer sounds of high quality is often more desirable to many sounds of poor quality.
Tutorials and Learning
Neither keyboard has onboard tutorials or learning, although the Casio model does have a small display which shows basic information.
Some home keyboards feature basic learning and tutorial features including displaying chords and notes, having built-in songs, and other learning tools.
Price
The Casio SA-81 is $60 (Amazon | Reverb) and the Yamaha PSS-F30 is $99.
Both are nice little entry-level keyboards which will provide a fun introduction to music making but won’t break the bank.
Check out the history of Yamaha’s PSS range of keyboards or Casio’s SA range.
