All Posts by Jaime Echagüe

Digital Piano Yamaha PSR S770 Full Review. Is It Worth it?

Today we’re going to talk about the Yamaha PSR S770 professional keyboard. The S PSR Series keyboards are electronic keyboards designed for the live show and keyboard player who needs a wide variety of professional sounds and the ability to make electronic music as a live DJ too.

​Note: the Yamaha PSR S775 has been released, which is the new model. We update the purchase links and compare them below. And now you have our new review of the Yamaha PSR S775 available.​​​

In the S series of the PSR, we have this model that we are dealing with and another higher range model, the Yamaha PSR S970 (now there is the new model Yamaha PSR S975, which we compared in the review of PSR S970 before linked). Although they’re both very similar. The cost of the S970 is higher. They are differentiated by the number of sounds they bring and that has more memory and processing capacity.

Where to Buy the Yamaha PSR S770 (now PSR S775)?

Amazon

  • Free Shipping and the possibility of shipping in one day with Amazon Premium.
  • Full Guarantee but they are no experts in music equipment
  • A leader in fast shipments.
  • The price change a lot daily.
  • The best option in USA and worldwide

Thomann

  • Free Shipping
  • Full warranty. If you have any problems, they take care of everything.
  • 100% reliable payment.
  • A leader in trouble-free shipping.
  • Best Price
  • Best Reputation: They are the leading online store in Europe and have the best catalog and information.

The Yamaha PSR S770 has 1346 high-quality sounds and 360 accompaniment styles. It also brings a great variety of drum sounds and very well sampled rhythms.

This series of keyboards stands out because it has perfectly recorded sounds from other instruments. And with the elements, you have to modulate and modify the sound signal you can do almost anything with them and live. Even guitar bending. It has a keyboard with 61 sensitive keys, but no weighted keys. With a good touch, there is no sensation of plastic keys.

Like the PSR S970, the PSR S770 has 128 polyphony notes which are the number of notes that can sound at the same time. This is important because it is not only the notes that you play but also the accompaniments that sound at the same time also consume those notes.

It has Yamaha Master Compressor and Master EQ that allows you to modify sounds, equalize them and save them in memory tracks to be used at any time.

It can be recorded and sung by the microphone and stored on a flash drive on the fly. Very powerful. Their specifications in summary are:

  • 61 touch-sensitive keys
  • 1346 sounds from different instruments.
  • 360 styles and accompaniments.
  • 128 notes of polyphony (good quantity)
  • Compatible with GM2/GS sounds
  • Micro/guitar input
  • DJ Styles and Sounds
  • Real-time controllers for direct
  • Arpeggio function
  • 280 MB internal storage expansion
  • DSP
  • Multi Pads Audio Link
  • Very large color display.
  • Audio player and recorder (WAV and MP3)
  • Modulation and pitch bend wheels
  • Very powerful integrated 15 W speaker system.
  • Dimensions: 1002 x 437 x 148mm (W x H x D)
  • Includes power supply
  • Weight: 11,1Kg

I’m sure you’ll be interested in…

DJ Features

It has many accompaniments to create electronic music and most importantly. It has many controls to modify the sounds in real-time. Thought for a live show. It has a modulator wheel and pitch bend. Next to the keys, it has configurable white buttons (pads) where you can store sounds created or adapted by you from those that come to you. So you have quick access to them.

pads-yamaha-psr-s770

“Cambiar sonido” means “change sound”

It has advanced arpeggio functions, so you can store entire melodic phrases in one key.

You almost have a mixer built into your keyboard. You have many controls to modify the sound wave and create your own sounds. It also has a microphone input for you to create your own human voices with different filters.

It has a very powerful color interface that is like having a computer built into the keyboard. It also has monitor output if we want to work on a larger screen.

interfaz-a-color yamaha psr s770

You can record sounds as is logical in the most popular formats on the market. It’s the base of this keyboard. It also has a USB input to work directly from your mixes stored on your flash drive. You can do all this on a live set.

Connectivity and speakers

The connectivity is very good. It has headphone output and stereo line output so you can connect your keyboard to any PA or mixer without the need to amplify the signal with an injection box.

As we said before it has an input for USB flash drive and micro. But it also has a USB MIDI to host output so that you can connect it, for example, to a music sheet editing program or a music production program such as Cubase.

In addition, you can connect a guitar and that this one sounds by the speakers of the keyboard. Which are very powerful so you can go and play with this keyboard without the need for extra amplification in small restaurants. They are 2 x 15 W, very powerful.

It has an input for the sustain pedal but it doesn’t come included.

Apart from this is a very portable keyboard that only weighs 11.1 kg. Batteries not supported, power supply included.

Here’s a summary of the connections:

  • Micro/guitar input
  • Headphones
  • MIDI input/output
  • USB to Host
  • USB to device
  • Auxiliary input
  • Line output L/L+R, R
  • Sustain pedal

Yamaha PSR S770 vs Yamaha PSR S775

In dimensions and weight, they are exactly the same but the PSR S775 brings some improvements at the same price as its previous model:

  • It has more voices as the new model brings 930 sounds compared to the 830 of the PSR S770. It also features 50 Drum/SFX kit sounds compared to 36 in the previous one.
  • More expansion possibilities. Now 280 MB compared to 160 MB before.
  • More “preset styles”, from the 360 of before to the 460 of now.
  • The audio recorder can display the letters in .mpr3 format if the file has this information (Lyrics Display Function).

Evidently, if you buy it new the safest thing you will choose is the Yamaha PSR S975. Don’t forget to take a look at our review of the Yamaha PSR S975 where we also compared it to other keyboards that have come out in 2018.

Yamaha PSR S770 vs Yamaha PSR S970

Mainly the differences are in the number of sounds, memory, and price. The 770 has 1346 sounds compared to 1510 of the PSR S970. And it has 360 accompaniments compared to the 450 styles + 40 audio styles of the S970.

On the other hand, the Yamaha PSR S770 has an expansion slot of 160 MB compared to the 512 MB slot of the S970). This allows you to do a lot more with the PSR S970.

It is necessary to say that none of them has a sustain pedal, and for the price, it would not be bad to bring it. Nor do they have a Hammer Action keyboard. But sensitivity and tact are good.

The Yamaha PSR S970 has many more possibilities but costs almost 700 euros more on average. If you have the money it’s worth it, but if you don’t start with the Yamaha PSR S770 it’s worth it for any live level. And if you want to later or sell second-hand and buy the top model. That’s a good option.

The idea of both keyboards is more or less the same. And that’s why they share Yamaha video, in which they explain the possibilities that exist with the two keyboards and tell you the differences between them. But more or less the ones we’ve told you. Here it goes and more down of the video we have left you the best option of purchase that we have detected.

Where to Buy Yamaha PSR S770 and Yamaha PSR S775

In the USA, Canada, etc the best option is Amazon. In Europe, the best option is without doubt Thomann. It is the store with the best reputation and being online you can get the best price. They have great offers, plus they give you a full warranty and free shipping. Here are the direct links:

If you want a keyboard that is more piano with 88 keys and a Hammer Action keyboard we recommend our selection of portable piano keyboard. And here are some other links that may be of interest to you if you are looking for this model:

On the other hand on the official website, you have a lot of tutorials to start managing their functions that sometimes people don’t see.

 

For a similar price you have the following pianos and keyboards:

 

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Digital Piano Yamaha PSR S970 Full Review – Is it a good choice?

The Yamaha PSR S970 keyboard is the most powerful of the Yamaha PSR professional S Series keyboards. It aims to provide you with great resources for live music in any style of music and comes specially equipped to create electronic music.

​Note: We have released the new version S975, below we tell you the differences and update the section where to buy because S970 is already out of print. In addition, we already have a complete review of the published Yamaha PSR S975.​​​

These types of professional keyboards are ideal for creating professional live music with an extensive amount of sounds that sound very real. This is where the difference is with other electronic keyboards and where the quality is noticeable.

The Yamaha PSR S970 has sounds of electronic music and other musical instruments. These sounds are well sampled in a way that gives the impression that they are real and also you can modify the sound wave with the wheel controls on the left side so that you can simulate, for example, effects with the sound of the guitar. And they give the pego, not as in lower quality keyboards that sound a bit like “false instruments”.

Where to Buy Yamaha PSR S975?

Amazon

  • Free Shipping and the possibility of shipping in one day with Amazon Premium.
  • Full Guarantee but they are no experts in music equipment
  • A leader in fast shipments.
  • The price change a lot daily.
  • The best option in USA and worldwide

Thomann

  • Free Shipping
  • Full warranty. If you have any problems, they take care of everything.
  • 100% reliable payment.
  • A leader in trouble-free shipping.
  • Best Price
  • Best Reputation: They are the leading online store in Europe and have the best catalog and information.

​It has 61 keys with 4 sensitivities and a pleasant touch (not plastic), but it does not have Hammer Action so it is not a keyboard designed for practicing and learning piano. It is designed to create live music with a wide variety of sounds and effects. So it’s advisable for people who already have a certain level of piano. If you are learning piano from 0 it is equally rare that you are thinking about this keyboard.

Features

It’s got 1510 different sounds. These include sounds from perfectly sampled musical instruments and a wide variety of DJ sounds.

It has 128 polyphony notes that are more than enough to play everything you need. The polyphony is the number of notes that can sound at the same time and is also consumed with accompaniments.

It’s a very usable keyboard because it has two-wheel controls on the left. The modulator and the pitch bend allow you to play a lot with the sounds and the sound wave. Also right next to the keyboard has pads or buttons to quickly change the style, all this is very configurable.

modulador-y-pads-yamaha-psr-s970

“Cambiar sonido” means “Change sound”

The Yamaha Master Compressor and Master EQ allow you to modify sounds, equalize them and save them with the settings you want. Useful for guitar sounds and the like.

It’s got 450 accompaniments you can play on. All of them with real sounds that will make you look like a real band. And they’re not flat styles, but you have various kinds of introductions, silences. Brutal orchestra accompaniment, it’s good, it doesn’t get crappy like many non-professional keyboards. It is also ideal for playing soundtracks and plays.

It also comes with drumset accompaniments with a totally real sound. You have everything from bossa nova to rock, funk… Their “audio styles” have perfectly configured sounds and the right accompaniment to sound like bossa nova and whatever. All very usable and designed for live performances.

I’m sure you’ll be interested in…

DJ Features

You have already seen that it brings possibilities to vary the sounds, modulation and so on, but you also have possibilities to acquire memory extensions for the dj and to create electronic music on the spot. Apart from the modulation wheels and picth bend brings many real time controls on the left side mainly.

It has very powerful arpeggio functions that can be configured on the keyboard to play with the right hand and many accompaniment styles for electronic music. These can be edited and modified. You can control all the variables of the sound as if a dj table were treated and has even retrigger.

In the pad keys next to the keyboard you can configure all kinds of shortcuts and sounds. Also human voices sampled with real sound. But it also has a recording function and supports micro, you can record your entire session on the fly. You can also put a mix on a USB flash drive and play and work on it live.

It has a Harmony Vocal system with which you can create your own voices using your mic.

COLOR SCREEN

You have a powerful color screen that’s like a built-in music production program. Here you can intuitively manage several MIDI recording tracks and save them on one flash drive.

Connectivity and speakers

It also has USB MIDI to host to connect directly to the computer. It also has a stereo line and headphones output so you can connect it to any PA or mixer without the need for an injection box to boost the signal.

You can also connect it to a larger display screen.

It has guitar input so that you can also play this one through the speakers of the keyboard, which are very powerful. It has 2 speakers of 15W each. This means that you can play in a small restaurant without the need for extra amplification and you can even plug the guitar into the keyboard. This is great because the keyboard only weighs 11.6 kg.

On the other hand also has line output (very important to play live without having to expand the power of the signal with an injection box) and everything you may need:

  • Micro/guitar input
  • Headphones
  • RGB output
  • MIDI input/output
  • USB to Host
  • USB to device
  • Auxiliary input
  • Line output L/L+R, R
  • Sustain pedal (not included)

Conclusion

If we put a but and is that although it has sustain pedal input does not bring it included. And for the price, it would be nice if you brought him the truth.

It is a professional keyboard and meets expectations. It doesn’t have a Hammer Action keyboard, that’s for sure. But touch has quite a few sensibilities and we like it.

We leave you a video that if you have read the post you will understand perfectly even if it is in English and then at the end of the post the best purchase option we have purchased. What in this case is Thomann (now we link you the PSR S975 because the other is out of print) or Amazon

Yamaha PSR S770 vs Yamaha PSR S970

In the video, the name you the Yamaha PSR S770 and explain the difference. Basically the PSR970 has more memory and more styles and sounds. This allows you to work better with it and make more combinations. It has more processing capacity. This keyboard has several expansion modules that allow you to go further.

If you’re on a tight budget look at the Yamaha PSR S770 (now the Yamaha PSR S775), which is still a professional choice at a great price. The truth is that both are fairly balanced in performance and price.

Yamaha PSR S970 vs Yamaha PSRS975

As we’ve told you above there is now the new version of the Yamaha PSR S970 which is the Yamaha PSR S 975 and brings the following improvements:

  • 91 new high-quality sounds and 14 Drum/SFX Kits
  • Memory expansion slot increased from 512 MB to 768 MB
  • More accompaniments because you now have 523 compared to the previous 450.
  • In the audio recorder now brings the function Lyrics Display Function (only in mp3). That serves to show the letters of your subjects in the display if that information comes in the file.

Basically more sounds and accompaniments come which is appreciated. Although the PSR S970 is a musical machine to make live music. We leave you again the link to our new review on the PSR S975.

Where to Buy Yamaha PSR S975 (old PSR S970)

As it is an electronic keyboard, you can buy it online perfectly. It is important that the store gives you a full warranty and does not leave you hanging. The most reliable in the USA, Canada is Amazon but in Europe Thomann is the best option. Here’s the direct link:

Another interesting post:

For a similar price you have the following pianos and keyboards:

 

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Digital Piano Casio CTK1300 Full Review. Is it worth it?

The Casio CTK 1300 is a beginner Casio electronic music  keyboard. You have to take into account what you can use it for and not before you buy it. At the end of this article you will have it clear and we will give you more options.

It is an electronic keyboard with 61 keys with a price under 100 Euros and several sounds and effects.

In general these cheap keyboards are just for fun but can be useful if you want to try chords while you compose with your guitar or other instrument. For example if you are with a saxophone and want to hear how a chord sounds while composing or practicing.

You have to bear in mind that it is not good for learning to play the piano and we do not recommend it to see if you like to play the piano. Your experience won’t be the right one, and that can discourage you.

A lot of people buy these keyboards thinking that they are good to learn. That is not a good option. It’s only good for playing or testing chords like we said.

I’m sure you’ll be interested in…

If you want to learn piano the minimum is that your electronic keyboard has a touch-sensitive keyboard, the possibility of connecting a sustain pedal that allows the note to sound even if you stop pressing the key and MIDI connection to connect the computer to music editing programs.

We strongly recommend that you take a look at our guide with the cheapest and best electronic keyboards at the moment. Mainly takes a look at the Casio CTK 3500 and the Yamaha PSR E363 that come more or less at the same price and have much more.

We will now enumerate the features of this keyboard:

  • 12 voice-Polyphony which are the number of notes that can sound at one time. Accompaniment included.
  • 100 different sounds and 100 accompaniments that are not bad at all for that price.
  • Headphone output for quiet playing.
  • Three 2W speakers.
  • Weight 3,3kg.
  • Works with power supply (not included) or batteries.

Where to buy the Casio CTK 1300?

Amazon

  • Free Shipping and possibility of shipping in one day with Amazon Premium.
  • Full Guarantee but they are no experts in music equipment
  • Leader in fast shipments.
  • Price that change a lot daily.
  • The best option in USA and worldwide

How light you can take it with you to rehearse with someone who plays an instrument that doesn’t sound strong like a guitar. It’s pretty portable, though.

If you already have it can be useful or if you sell it second-hand cheap but what I said. You have a spectacular leap in quality and performance for 50 euros more in the post we have linked you before. Besides, if you don’t come with the power suppply, you have to buy it.

If you decide to buy it we leave you a video that shows the different sounds at your disposal and below the best purchase option that exists in the market for this keyboard.

For a similar price you have the following pianos and keyboards:

 

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