Yamaha PSR - anybody use them for recording?

jfrog

jfrog

uber-nerd
I've looked at the Yamaha PSR's - like the -293 - down at my local guitar center. For $200 they seem like they have a really good pallete of sounds, and most of them seem quite realistic. I see that Musicians Friend has the -273 for about $157.

Anybody use these? How are they for recording?

I'm basically looking for something to add additional instrumentation to my recordings (throw in some trumpets, strings, or whatever)
 
Hey jfrog...I don't know if the follow will qualify as an answer to your questions but...
I have a PSR-540 (it cost around $350-$400 new about 5 years ago...it is sort of a mid-level PSR, having a 16-track sequencer and a disk-drive)...If this was the only keyboard I had to use I would not feel deprived. I do have a mid-90's pro-level Roland XP-50 synth which is my primary keyboard now for building songs from "scratch" but I have experimented with using the PSR's auto-accompaniments to make songs...some would call this technique lame-sounding or cheating but I am not a purist - I like to be open to creating things in a varity of ways.

So for what it worth here is a song that was recorded on a Yamaha MT-50 4-track cassette recorder using the PSR-540 (on track 1)...the bass, drums, banjo, and probably a few other instrument sounds are been "lead" by pressing a few keys with my left hand...I played the harmonica sound seperatly with my right hand...One of my friends sang the vocals (track 2), his son played the guitar (track 3), and I added a back-up vocal (track 4)............I would have gotten a better stereo image if I could have used two tracks for the PSR-540...

the song is called "Fire in the Dumpster"
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/5/twangermusic.htm
 
Thanks for the reply....

First of all, let me say that a song called "Fire in the Dumpster" is one I have to listen to....

Having said that, and listened to it - good song! The vocalist reminds me of John Anderson I think his name is - the Country singer, not the guy from "Yes"

Anyway...

I'm not sure how the -540 compares to the cheaper ones I mentioned, but dollar-wise anyway $350-400 five years ago may compare to $200 today...
 
I wouldn't bet my life on it but I highly suspect that the sound quality on the PSR-273 is about the same as the PSR-540, (like I said the addition of a 16-track sequencer and disk-drive on the PSR-540 had a lot to do with the bigger price tag...maybe the onboard speakers on the 540 might be better also, but that wouldn't be a factor if you are recording via the output jack(s))...repeating advice that others have written here: you could play as many keyboards as you can get your hands on (in music stores etc.) and get an ear for whats available at what price and determine what is pleasing to you...If you just want to get something without a lot of research and hassle (there are good older "pro-level" keyboards on ebay for $400-$700) I think the PSR-273 would do okay for you.
 
The ones I've played have had pretty impressive sounds...at least what it sounds like coming through the speakers. One reason for my original question is that on another thread somewhere in this forum, someone said they thought the PSR (29-something) was kind of noisy when recording. I wondered if anyone else had this experience and in general if people that had them were satisfied.
 
I think the piano sound from most of the '90s forward PSR keyboards is very useable. The clavi is okay, too. Most everything else is pretty nasty, but if the piano is what you're looking for, and you're not worried about weighted keys it'll fit the bill. They're not the quietest keyboard in the world, either.
 
Yeah i use the PSR640 in my set up and its does everything i want it to do really. The only thing i would change, is making it have weighted keys, but i suppose its what your used to..
 
jfrog said:
The ones I've played have had pretty impressive sounds...at least what it sounds like coming through the speakers. One reason for my original question is that on another thread somewhere in this forum, someone said they thought the PSR (29-something) was kind of noisy when recording. I wondered if anyone else had this experience and in general if people that had them were satisfied.
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I have noticed that if I turn up any of my keyboards all the way (while not playing any notes) that there is an "atmospheric" sound (I guess you could call it "hum" or "hiss" also)...I've never worried about it since I have other issues that weigh more heavily in importance to me at this point (like coming up with good song ideas and good performances worth recording)...I guess I am more of a songwriter than a recording engineer...

You could take some enclosed headphones with you when you check out keyboards, listen for noise at normal volumes, listen for noise at max volume when not playing any notes, etc....this might give you an idea of the amount of noise to expect from the instrument...just an idea.

Also some here have commented that the Yamaha DGX series of keyboards are better sounding than the entry-level PSR keyboards...you might want to check those out.
 
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mawtangent said:
You could take some enclosed headphones with you when you check out keyboards, listen for noise at normal volumes, listen for noise at max volume when not playing any notes, etc....this might give you an idea of the amount of noise to expect from the instrument...just an idea..
Click to expand...

that's a good idea.

mawtangent said:
Also some here have commented that the Yamaha DGX series of keyboards are better sounding than the entry-level PSR keyboards...you might want to check those out.
Click to expand...

I'd read that somewhere also...it might be worth checking out.
 
Psr 540

I Bought The PSR 540 about 10 - 12 years ago when they first came out, and have used it in many concerts. I also use it to record music for the kids to practice. At the time I bought it, I thought they were the best sounds of a mid-range keyboard. The keys are light (not neccessarily a bonus in my case). There are some issues with hissing, but I just run it through a stronger amp, or lower the level and mix it in louder. The cds I make are ok for what I use, but I'm not recording for a living. The sequencing on it is tricky to figure out at first (or maybe just because it was my first time with sequencing all those years ago), but it's fairly user-friendly. I even used it on an island for a solo gig (no electricity- decent battery life). I'm getting a newer professional keyboard, and won't be trading or selling this one, because I know I'll still use it.
 
I used a PSR-510 for years as a supplement to my synth rack, even now as my synth rack is now the supplement to my softsynths and sampler libraries. I got my Roland, I got my E-mu, but sometimes what I really want is number 72 Ens. Strings 1 on the old Yamaha... :D
 
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