61-KEY Portable Keyboard with Touch-sensitive Keys Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently purchased a Yamaha YPT-400 keyboard (retail), and the first thing I noted after opening the box was that it didn't come with a power-adapter. I was disappointed about this.
After gathering up some batteries and playing with it for a while, I did find it to have good sound quality for the price, and I also liked the two control-knobs (that is, sound-wise, but I don't like their feel). The playability is overall - pretty good (though the keys aren't weighted, but that's understandable for the price).
A couple of days after I got the keyboard, my USB cables came in so that I could hook it up to the computers... But then I learned the truth, and that's that it's not USB-MIDI class-compliant, meaning that you have to use their proprietary drivers. The problem is that their drivers are not just simple drivers - and have a license-agreement which I find unacceptable. This is very upsetting to me, especially being that using it with my computers was an essential goal. I will now need to purchase something that is USB-MIDI class-compliant - when I can afford it.
To sum it up: Had I known, I wouldn't have bought it.

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Performance assistant technology is a feature from Yamaha that guarantees that you can't play a wrong melody note or chord. There are many tools in this keyboard that make it easy to be a power user from the first day you own the keyboard. The keyboard selects an appropriate voice for the right hand melody, the correct musical style and the correct tempo. One Touch Setting (OTS) provides you with a recommended voice with effects for each style. Set the keyboard up just the way you like and take a digital snapshot by memorizing it to one of the Registration buttons. Load and save up to 16 Registrations to User memory. The Registration buttons are conveniently located just above the keyboard. You can change the arrangement of songs by simply pressing the Easy Song Arranger button, allowing you to re-mix any MIDI file. The YPT-400 comes with 30 built-in songs plus 70 more on an included CD-ROM and an interactive lesson system, divided into left and right hand parts, for learning them. The songs are separated into left and right hand parts, providing 7 levels of lessons plus a convenient chord dictionary. Performance Assistant -Allows you to play along with any built-in song regardless of your level of ability Easy Song Arranger -Allows you to play back songs in 150 unique accompaniment styles Music Database -Sets up over 250 songs On-Board Sequencer -Records 5 Songs / 6 Tracks 2-Way Speaker System with a Bass Boost System Flash ROM -Download songs from the Internet, Store up to 99 songs (max) PC Connectivity -USB MIDI Songs 30 + 70 on CD-ROM + 5 user songs Polyphony -32-note max 135 Auto Accompaniment Styles Variations Intro, Main A/B, Ending, Fill-in x 2Interface -USB MIDI In/Out, USB Song Transfer Auxiliary Jack Phones, DC in, footswitch 12 cm x 2 + 3 cm x 2 Speakers, 3W + 3W Amplifier Dimensions -Width 37.5 x Depth 15.25 x Height 5.75 inch (952 x 388 x 146 mm)

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