Yamaha YPT-200 Portable Keyboard with Portable Grand Function (no AC Adapter)

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Today's Bonus:

• No AC Adapter included in this package
• Portable Grand Piano for the Realism of a Stereo Grand Piano
• Large Backlit LCD Display Shows Musical Staff and Chords.
• Stereo Speakers, Bass Ports and Bass Boost System Provide Great Sound Quality
• 61 standard keys

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I am very happy with this purchase; Some added features would have made this product a fabulous buy though.

cons:

a) The LCD display is not backlit and has a small viewing area. It is extremely difficult to read it.

b) The keyboard body has notations for each key, but is engraved on the body, and it being the same body color, it is impossible to read those notations even in the day light.

c)It cannot record your voice. It is important if you want to compose and transmit through midi.

d) In the learning section, it would have been helpful if there was a 'slow' playback function too.

Pros:

a) Light weight

b) Grand piano is an excellent feature. Very good for piano learners, until they buy full size piano of their own.

c) Great features.

d) YESS learning suite is simply fabulous.

This model is far better than casio 496, which I was planning to buy earlier.

Great purchase...I like it.

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Casio and Radio Shack also force you to buy an adapter for their keyboards so there is no way to avoid it but to buy a much more expensive keyboard or buy Sharper Image. But don't do that because Sharper Image's keyboard is awful, just awful. This keyboard doesn't have as many voices and styles as it's big brother the 300 but it does sound as nice. It also sounds better then the Casio $99 keyboard. I tested them all out at the store where they were on display and the Yamaha 300 and 200 had equal quality with the piano voice and beat out the Casio hands down. They also beat out the more expensive Casios. Plus, music stores that sell nothing but instruments carry only one brand, yup, Yamaha. At least the music stores here in Maryland.

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As for some other users mine was advertised (on eBay) as having touch-sensitive keys. Unfortunately, the YPT-200 does not (I only found this out after receiving it)... it's the next higher model, the YPT-300, that does. I was sorely disappointed by that, because no touch-sensitive keys means no expressive playing whatsoever. Just imagine every single note being the same volume and intensity throughout a song and understand what I mean (monotonous).

Going hand-in-hand with that is key feel. This keyboard (perhaps most keyboards without hammer action) felt very plasticky/springy, not like a real piano at all. Of course not being touch-sensitive just added to my disorientation. I haven't tried the YPT-300 with touch-sensitive keys but it's my suspicion that it is well worth the extra $.

Another thing I was very unimpressed with was the Yamaha Education Suite. It flashes notes on a tiny LCD screen while playing a song to you. Then somehow you are supposed to learn how to play it back to it. There were a couple of nice songs built into the keyboard that I'd have loved to learn, but gave up in frustration after several days. It would have been much better if 1) instead of notes flashing on the tiny LCD screen, have individual LEDs above each key that would light up when a song was being played by the keyboard, and 2) if sheetmusic for the songs the keyboard tries to teach you was included. Ultimately I think a beginner could learn how to play songs much quicker by spending a little bit of time learning how to read sheetmusic than by relying on the Yamaha Education system.

In conclusion, don't think of the Yamaha Education suite as anything of value, and the lack of touch-sensitive keys should make one seriously think twice about even considering this keyboard for anything but child's play.

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-If you are buying this keyboard for the sound quality, don't. At least for the model I have the sound quality is poor, (like a speaker mounted in a tin can). Sounds more like a toy model even with headphones. True for the grand function too.

-The keyboard was advertised as touch sensitive, mine was not.

-This is good enough for a beginner, or for messing around on which is why I am keeping it.

-I recommend buy a re-furb since you are not going to gain anything sound quality wise by buying new.

I have not really tested the product yet, BECAUSE there is no power adapter included. It needs to be ordered separately. You need to order the Yamaha PA3C or PA3B Power Adapter (unless you already have one of course [haha]). Both of these are mentioned on the box as possible adapters. If you read the description on Amazon's site carefully you will find that it only mentions the PA3B, which is not available via amazon. However, the PA3C is possible to order, so get it as well in case you are considering this product. Just figured that all potential buyers should be aware of the issue. The lack of an adapter was not clearly emphasized (it is in the fine print)in the product description. Hmmm! I was not very happy at the moment I realized it.......