Yamaha PSR-S550

Exelent sound creation
The S550 also work with most styles.However not all styles can be used.
5 Octaves and full USB midi,Exelent usable for example with reason 4
The only drawback is when you play on the keyboard,the sended data thad recieve in reason program have an little delay.
I recoments to set the volume on the keyboard on zero.
Afteral you do not need anny sound created by the PSR-S550
As the sounds wil be used in reason itself.

The styles can be edited,aranged,and use alot of FX,like chorus reverb and setera.
The Sequencer get an great update from the 500
and have 16 tracks now.
Also step,part recording is possible easely.

UTILIZATION

This keyboard is easy to use.
Many settings are alraidy programmed,so you can start right away.
I also got no trouble to connect the keyboard via usb on the computer.
Also drivers are avviable for windows 7 32 and 64 bit.

The keaboard have an upgrade in the sound modules to,where there are some nice sounds in it.
Piano is good,but could sound abit better.
the S550 have stereo 2X 12 watt.
good but it could use abit more power.
However for the prise it sound great.
and putting it on an external amplifier,sound realy great.



OVERALL OPINION

Value for monye is super,It is an great keyboard for the monye.
The qality of the sound are high.Only the build in speakers could do better,and this is exatly where the PSR-S550 fall short.
You can here with some sounds,Thad use alot of lowtones the clipping of the internal speakers.
when played at max volume,however it only accure with meaby 3 sounds.
The power is great but the basses are on the low site.
My friend have the S900 and the sound of the speakers are alot better.more powerfull and more bass,however this keyboard cost double to.
An solution is for importend work is to use external speakers,or the headphone.

Wil I buy the same keaboard,afcours,It is an exelent midrange keaboard at an low prise.
There are better keayboard,but not for 730 $

61-key arranger keyboard
5 octaves

DSP 239
26 Mode of harmony effects

Has a jack, a SUSTAIN jack, two USB, nothing else.

800 pre-recorded sounds non-editable, high quality, with a dual mode, and a LEFT. Adding styles, and sounds as possible with the USB ports + a style editor.

Sequencer unofficial BUT possibility of using the RECORD mode in a band, or with 16 Tracks, as a simple sequencer.

UTILIZATION

Very user friendly (everything is broken in a logical easy to understand)

Manual clear and more than enough, generous examples.

Unfortunately, no way to edit the sounds, or edit the ONE TOUCH SETTING!

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 4 years, this is my first keyboard, I learned many things with it with my PSR-S550 that I more or less turned away from classical piano to see what these machines extremely attractive for a kid of 10 years could do.

Today, I have an analog modeling synthesizer, the M-AUDIO Venom, my father gave me a sequencer, the Akai MPC2500, and I think I can say that I discovered the sound world of electronic instruments with him .

I highly recommend it for beginners or those who try. Amateur and pro, go your way!

Warning! The connection is rather limited for an instrument in this price: If there are two USB ports, there is no revenge in MIDI, so no possibility to connect to the USB devices prior to bypassing an external interface. There is no modulation wheel. No sound control in real time rather than when the lowest model in the range, the PSR E413 has two knobs assignable. As for the modeling of organs flutes, it is restricted to S 710 and S910.
The effects can be cumulative (+ chorus + reverb or echo tremolo or trill, for example) But there is a DSP chip when the S710 and S910 there are four!
Nearly 800 sounds with 11 sweet, 16 cool, 13 live and 11 regional. Its direct competitor, the Korg PA 50, provides that no 600.
The tenor sax is really beautiful, breath tenor too. I liked the acoustic guitars and rhythmic. The drum kits and sound effects are realistic and properly configured.
The bowed strings (strings) does not agree with me: to make classical or film music with that, no, it is not possible! It sounds too "fake." A pinch of tekno, why not ...
The effects are numerous (35 different reverbs for example), Diversified (237 just for the DSP) and successful. But to set or change their destination, the operation is not simple or intuitive.
The 12-watt sound system really is not ridiculous though Korg offers the same price of 15 Watt.



UTILIZATION

The sounds are accessible by category (brass, guitars etc..) From the control panel, then by instrument via the control panel: it's so easy. The same for the 176 styles. Their variations are also accessible on the control panel.
The 9 tracks, however, is not intuitive and there is not, to my knowledge, section or mode sequencer where tempo, measure number, runways, instrument, pan and volume appear at the same time. It is necessary to resort to the manual - it should be stressed - is neither clear nor complete. It is necessary to complete it, visit the website of YAMAHA, and there, for example, we finally have the full list of sounds, styles and effects ... finally!
As for the routing effects on the sequencer, it is theoretically possible but really mysterious ...
About the sequencer, it is theoretically - again! - By 16 runs but actually 9 tracks as the 9th track is accompaniment area accounting for 8 tracks!

OVERALL OPINION

For 750 Euros, the limits of this instrument are too disabling. PA 50SD for the same price is much better: it offers real-time controls, a double 16-track sequencer actually provided to enjoy the sounds of the Triton. Or better to settle for PSR E413 though its sounds are less numerous (482) and less convincing. It seems shocking to have to pay 500 dollars more to achieve the quality of the PSR S710, the model just above the s550.
Personally I would choose instead the PA 50SD for the same amount, or if we prefer YAMAHA, then buy the model above.