View other reviews for this product:
Septentrion « A small bombshell! »
Published on 10/19/14 at 07:43I won't repeat what has been said already. It's a modern, light, powerful, well-designed keyboard with everything you can expect and more.
I only regret the lack of aftertouch on the keyboard, even though the quality of the sounds make you long for it...
UTILIZATION
I've had plenty of synths, workstations, digital pianos...put this is my first arranger, my first PSR. I got it yesterday and I immediately understood its design. Rather smart menus (copy-paste works for everything), very clear functions, everything is easily accessible. And it has lots of practical details when you play, you can tell the years of know-how and user feedback. Well done!
OVERALL OPINION
I got it yesterday and I have hardly been away from it. It's a treat to play with it! The sound are a nice surprise: Much better than I expected!
I had an unfavorable prejudice against this type of keyboards, which I always imagine being played by aficionados on Sundays to entertain the family or by street musicians. But I was wrong. The sounds are terrific, sometimes better than those of a Motif or Kronos!! For example, it's the first time I find truly convincing and playable brass sounds... As for classic sounds (pianos, rhodes, organs, pads...) they are fine.
Guitars, sax, etc. benefit from the "super articulations" functions, which you can find almost anywhere nowadays, and which are nice for this type of sound.
128-voice polyphony and WAV audio player.
I feared the lightness of the keyboard, but I had one several days to test it and I can confirm that this keyboard is light but comfortable, very nice to play (it's obviously not the same as my Proméga3, but it isn't meant to be a piano imitation). Once again you can feel Yamaha's know-how (which I don't usually like much).
The styles... I think they are spectacular, amusing, inspiring, great to entertain yourself and play on your own. Everything is of very good taste and very playable. I have lots of fun triggering the different variants of an arrangement, making the song evolve in real time, etc.
The amplification: The built-in loudspeakers are of good quality and the sound acquires a nice coloration (a little like Bose), with a large enough stereo spatialization. It might not be powerful enough to play along with two or three musicians in a room (I just did that with a guitarist and a sax player, who BTW were stunned by the keyboard).
Connected to my monitoring system, the sound is very, very good. Precise, well-defined, very usable with a band, onstage (although I must confirm this).
And well, it's 22lbs... What a delight!!! I can take it anywhere with me, to rehearsals or to the countryside. And I wouldn't need anything else.
I was looking for something comprehensive, light, self-sufficient, that I could play with a band but also on my own to have fun.
I must admit that this PSR meets all conditions hands down. And for a very decent price, in my opinion.
I only regret the lack of aftertouch on the keyboard, even though the quality of the sounds make you long for it...
UTILIZATION
I've had plenty of synths, workstations, digital pianos...put this is my first arranger, my first PSR. I got it yesterday and I immediately understood its design. Rather smart menus (copy-paste works for everything), very clear functions, everything is easily accessible. And it has lots of practical details when you play, you can tell the years of know-how and user feedback. Well done!
OVERALL OPINION
I got it yesterday and I have hardly been away from it. It's a treat to play with it! The sound are a nice surprise: Much better than I expected!
I had an unfavorable prejudice against this type of keyboards, which I always imagine being played by aficionados on Sundays to entertain the family or by street musicians. But I was wrong. The sounds are terrific, sometimes better than those of a Motif or Kronos!! For example, it's the first time I find truly convincing and playable brass sounds... As for classic sounds (pianos, rhodes, organs, pads...) they are fine.
Guitars, sax, etc. benefit from the "super articulations" functions, which you can find almost anywhere nowadays, and which are nice for this type of sound.
128-voice polyphony and WAV audio player.
I feared the lightness of the keyboard, but I had one several days to test it and I can confirm that this keyboard is light but comfortable, very nice to play (it's obviously not the same as my Proméga3, but it isn't meant to be a piano imitation). Once again you can feel Yamaha's know-how (which I don't usually like much).
The styles... I think they are spectacular, amusing, inspiring, great to entertain yourself and play on your own. Everything is of very good taste and very playable. I have lots of fun triggering the different variants of an arrangement, making the song evolve in real time, etc.
The amplification: The built-in loudspeakers are of good quality and the sound acquires a nice coloration (a little like Bose), with a large enough stereo spatialization. It might not be powerful enough to play along with two or three musicians in a room (I just did that with a guitarist and a sax player, who BTW were stunned by the keyboard).
Connected to my monitoring system, the sound is very, very good. Precise, well-defined, very usable with a band, onstage (although I must confirm this).
And well, it's 22lbs... What a delight!!! I can take it anywhere with me, to rehearsals or to the countryside. And I wouldn't need anything else.
I was looking for something comprehensive, light, self-sufficient, that I could play with a band but also on my own to have fun.
I must admit that this PSR meets all conditions hands down. And for a very decent price, in my opinion.