Keyboard Reviews

In general this is a fun, high-quality product. It is certainly easier to learn a piece of music by having the keys that you need to play lit up for you instead of trying to read sheet music. Great value for the dollar and the sound quality of the digital instruments and speakers is comparable to other keyboards in this price range. Really great product for beginners and intermediates who want to learn to play the piano but have trouble reading sheet music or are in need of lots of repitition of left or right hand parts in order to master a piece.

However, there are a few criticisms:

The keys light up at the end of the keys, which is where your fingertips would normally be, so it is more difficult (but still fairly easy) to tell which keys are lit because your fingertip covers the light. Maybe if the light was 1-2 inches from the edge of the key it would be better.

The keyboard has a function where it lights the first note of a piece, and then after you play that note, it lights up the next note, and then you play that, and it lights the next, and so on. This is great for learning the notes, since the keyboard guides you and you control the pace of the piece, since the next note is not shown until you played the previous note. However, the keyboard only lights up one hand at a time with this teaching function. It does not light up both hand parts simultaneously. So the only way to practice with both hands simultaneously is to have the keyboard play the piece in real time, in which case it is very difficult to follow the notes, even when you slow down the tempo. Plus, it seems that you can only use this function with the pieces that are already pre-supplied on the keyboard. It doesn't seem to work for midi pieces downloaded from the internet.

Also, the ability to import midi pieces from a computer to the lk-73 keyboard via a MIDI cable seems to me to be overrated. I haven't been able to figure out how to make the lk-73 record a midi piece from the computer connected to it. Even if I could, apparently the keyboard will only record two pieces total. It also has a total memory of only 5,200 notes, which is not much, maybe about as much as two Chopin preludes (I haven't calculated exactly). The keyboard also will not retain recorded pieces in memory if the power has been cut off. It also does not seem possible to use the teaching function described above with pieces downloaded from the internet. I haven't figured out how to do this and the instruction manual doesn't say anything about it.

However, you can hook up your computer to the keyboard so that you can play a midi piece from the computer to the keyboard in real time, so that the notes in both hands light up on the keyboard. It seems easier to learn a piece this way instead of learning it from reading sheet music. However, even when the tempo is slowed down greatly this is still not nearly as easy as if the keyboard just lit the first key, then had you play it, then lit the next only after you played the previous one, and not
only showed the left and right parts by themselves, but also showed both parts together in this teaching mode.

I agree with the review above regarding the problem with the transition to two-handed play using this keyboard. I spent a lot of time practicing two-handed songs one hand at a time and I couldn't figure out how to begin playing both hands at the same time. I've since figured it out and can now play both Beethoven's Pathetique (#76 on keyboard) and Chopin's Chanson (#82 on keyboard). It took around two months of practice in my spare time to learn each of the two songs (4 months total) and I have never had any piano lessons. Here's how:

Spend a few days or a week -- depending on how much experience you have with music in general -- playing the entire piece one hand at a time. You may have to just listen to the piece sometimes to get a feel for it.

Once you are thoroughly familiar with the song, memorize how to play the just the first measure in your right hand (using "Step 2", right hand). Be sure to pay attention to the fingering guide on screen -- it'll make things a lot easier in the long run if you are playing the correct fingerings and doing the correct sustains, not just blindly following the key lighting. Then switch it "Step 2", left hand, and play the right hand from memory while watching the keyboard to play the left hand as well. The keyboard will also be playing the right hand, but will not advance unless the left-hand keys have been hit correctly. If you hit left-handed keys without playing the corresponding right-hand part, you'll hear it being played anyway -- and know that you didn't do it right. You can then go back and try again. It usually just takes a few minutes until you get it right through trial and error -- but definitely longer if it is a really difficult measure. If you take a look at the sheet music to see when the left and hand keys are playing relative to each other, it often makes it easier to learn the measure.

Once you have really learned the measure, learn the next one and a so on. To make learning easier, I continue to practice in "Step 2", left hand mode even after I have learned to play the entire song, and then wean myself off the the left-hand lighted guide only after I have the song down cold. At a certain point you know the left-hand part just by feel and you only need to learn where to jump to in parts where the left hand moves a long way on the keyboard.

This method really works and I recommend this keyboard to anyone who would like to quickly learn complex two-handed classical pieces without knowing how to read music. Everyone is shocked that I am suddenly able to play difficult classical pieces that would normally require 5-10 years of piano lessons.

I am a mother of 4 ranging in age from 4 years to 14. I have piano experience (as I took piano and organ lessons from age 7 until college). I wanted something that would peak my girls interest rather than me teaching them and it being a battle. I think I have done it. All 4 love it!!! My 8 year old as learned half of the right hand of "Fur Elise". I got her the "Usborne Piano Course Book" one and two. I have helped her and she has also done several lessons on her own. She is half way through the book in 3 weeks. We are already playing a duet from the book together. My 14 year old isn't has also learned the entire right hand of "Fur Elise" by herself (it is quite long) and is now working on the left hand. The lighting of the keys allow the kids to memorize the songs on their own. The 14 year old is quite challenged by it (as I hoped she would be). The 4 year old is on it as much as I allow her to be. This has been a great product for us!!! I have been nothing but pleased.

This keyboard is a fantastic keyboard if you're going to quality sound. I use it for composing music and have it hooked up to my computer. The speaker system is fantastic, but it doesn't come with a stand, doesn't have reverberation settings, and doesn't have a diskette drive (although it does have the location for one). The keys are a bit tight, but most of the instrument sounds are realistic. It also does not include a stand or sustain pedal. If you're looking for something for composition purposes, this is a great deal. If you're looking for something to have around to learn to play the keyboard, look for something a bit cheaper and possibly even smaller. This doesn't transport easily.

I've had this keyboard for almost a year. And i love it. It has just about any instrument you could need, and a synthesiser to make your own sounds. Its good for professionals, intermediate, or beginners. I havent used it as a midi instrument yet, but you can connect it to your computer w/ a midi interface. The keyboard is also very easy to use, but has many features. One feature I found very useful is the transpose buttons, which let you change the key of the keyboard without having to figure out the notes. Overall this is a great keyboard, and at a reasonable price. Of course since it has 76 keys, it is a bit heavier, and bigger than the 61 keys. So, if you plan to move this thing around a lot, I suggest getting a case for it.

The sound quality is great and the touch sensitive keys work well. 76 keys is just enough keys to not run out. There are lots of great features on this machine too. The lcd screen shows what keys you are playing and the notes on a staff--it really helps for those learning to play. Definitely a great buy. Try the WK1630 if you want a silver one.

I am very pleased with the quality and layout of this board. Prior to purchasing I read less than favorable results on the sound quality. My unit sounds great through the speakers and even better through headphones or amplified. This should not be a limiting factor on your decision. The 76 keys are great, the sounds are exceptional. While there are drum tracks and every percussion sound imaginable, I would prefer to have a drum kit built in to add greater flexibility. Most of the music and sound databases are from the 40's - 60's, old time favorites, etc. Would prefer to have something with more modern appeal. You can download and upload from disk so maybe this is the go round. Too early to tell. Great unit at a great price. Highly recommended.

Designed for beginners and professionals alike, the DGX-300 combines musical technicality with an outstanding price of under $500. This unit with 76 keys, has more than enough for the complex player, yet offers built-in learning programs for the beginning hobbyist. I love my DGX-300, and I love it's amazing rich piano sound. I was worried at first when I began shopping for a keyboard. I wanted something that wouldn't sound like a fake plastic paino. This machine actually senses your stress on the keys, and sounds exactly like a concert grand. It's absolutely amazing. I was also very impressed with the sound quality, as it was also amazing. The speaker reviews should not at all be a factor in the purchase of this unit. For this price, and the Yamaha name, you're not going to find an instrument as great as this.

Someday I will be a master player... These keyboards are just amazing! I love to play with these! There hundrends of special options ans sounds. Beginner can learn easily to play with Yamaha keyboards because you can use teaching program and see on the blue screen, which key you are touching. There are five memory places that you can make your own songs and save them. If you are bored to play normal piano sound, you'll try other sounds for exemple harpcicord, bass, heavy quitar, gun, dog barking or helicopter tunes. There are many vital buttons: metronome(choose your own personal playing speed), touch-sensitive( you can play quiet and loud because your hands will control how hard you press the keys) and pc-portable( you can make music with computer and make your own remixes) Yamaha keyboards are a great choose to buy if you are planning to start a new hobby!

I really like the Yamaha EZ30! It makes it fun to learn how to play the paino. I also bought a book to learn how to play. I started with the book first, slowly playing things like "Jingle Bells" and "Tom Dooley".

After a couple hours with the book, I was looking through the songs included on the EZ30. One of them was the Peanuts theme, which I've always wanted to learn.

I couldn't believe how easy it was to play with the help of Yamaha's YES3 technology. After only 15-30 minutes I was able to keep up a decent tempo and it sounded great with all the background music.

If you've ever dreamed of learning to play the paino like I did, order this product and start playing --you'll love it!

The EZ30 is without a doubt the best keyboard choice whether
you're a beginner or an experienced player. Benefits for
the beginning player include the guidelights, which allow
you to play any of the programmed songs right out of the
box, which is highly gratifying; and the YES 3 system.

The YES 3 teaching system is the real deal. FINALLY a
sorely needed training tool - using both hands together.
YES 2 and most other keyboard brands teach right hand
and left hand parts, and leave it to the student to
put them together. That's horrendously frustrating.
This keyboard teaches right hand, left hand, and then
both hands together, which makes this teaching system
complete and very easy.

Other keyboards I tried prior to this purchases were the
PSR280 and the Casio Magic Light Keyboard. The Casio is
fun and easy, but the quality of the sounds (voices) are
not good. It sounds like squeezing a goat. The piano
voice is fine though, and the keyboard is fun, but not

for anyone with the need for seriously clean/true sounds.
The Casio also only teaches RH/LH, but not both together.

The PSR280 is a fine keyboard, but not for a beginner.
The tiny LCD display will not be of any help, unless you
enjoy being frustrated. The YES 2 system is difficult, and
again only teaches RH/LH, but not both together.
If you're an experienced player, you'll find the sound quality
to be superior, as the Yamaha can be depended on for that.

The EZ30 guidelights can be turned off easily, if you
don't need them or want them on. It is also Midi
compatible, which opens the world to you regarding
choices of songs you want to add. You will need to
purchase a cable and software seperately, but having
done so, ANY midi song can then be played on the EZ30
and will light up for you as well. What more can you
ask? It really has it all.

For the more experienced player, there are a large
variety of voices and options available to be able to
compose to your hearts delight, giving your creativity
free reign. It does have a build in mixer/recorder,
and other memory functions.

In short, this keyboard can be as easy as pie for a
beginner, or as sophisticated as the user needs it to be.
The sound quality is excellent. It comes with a music
book and the AC adapter. You simply can't go wrong with
this keyboard.

Amazing keyboard from Yamaha. I have always wanted to play the piano and now with this, I just follow the lights and I'm actually playing the 100 demo songs. And I can download my favorite MIDI songs from the NET and the lights work with them 2. This keyboard also has 600+ other musical instrument voices to use and I'm now thinking of going out to a local lounge and make some extra $$$ on the weekends. LOL! And I just discovered the 6 track recording studio feature included in the keyboard so I can record my tunes. Excellent keyboard for a beginner like me and for someone that has played for years!!!

Both my wife and I were looking for an entry level keyboard. After spending some time on the Internet and stores, we finally nailed down our choice to this one for its excellent price and features. There was a little goof up with the One Click method, and Amazon shipped it over priority mail instead of the free shipping. But when we sent them an e-mail they refunded the shipping cost.

The product so far has performed up to our expectation. Although we are yet to experiment on the advanced features like downloading songs, the basic functionality works just fine. There are plenty of preloaded rythms to select for the song you would like to play. Also there are practice songs (didn't help much to us as we play Indian music). The only poor thing about this model I guess is the speaker. It should have been more powerful perhaps. And also note that it doesn't come with the AC adapter. So better you order that one too.

Was awesome, on Thursday i receive an e-mail saying that they shipped my daughters keyboard... on Saturday (same week) at 10:30 the Fedex car was at the door. My daughter wasnt at home and i decide to make a run to buy some batteries before she comes back, (i choose without AC Power because budget was tied), but on my way i saw a house having garage sell, then i stop to see if they have some eletronics or speakers, BUT, the best, i saw that PA3C adaptor from Yamaha that fits perfect for the keyboard... 1.50 USD, and i run back home to try...PERFECT!
We are having so much fun...as the others say, this is a home keyboard, don't expect something to explode your ears. I like in the way it is.
Awesome first experience.
Miriam

After i did alot of searching and researching of different keyboards in this price range, i found that amazons price and that the psr-290 was a perfect match! This keyboard is an awesome piece of hardware for the money.
I have bought mine having never played a piano or keyboard, so i really didn't know what to expect. After playing with mine for a week now, i must say that this baby is LOADED with tons of features. Best buy was offering this same keyboard for 199.00, so amazons price at 159.00 was totally awesome especially considering i used the FREE SHIPPING method. I ordered mine on a late thursday night and it was on my door step on monday morning!!! THAT WAS AWESOME INDEED!!! :)

As far as the keyboard goes, you simply can't beat the price and performance! My only beef was that amazon shipped it in the box that its packed in. I'm sure its because it so big, but i could tell that the box had been put through its paces, but nothing was damaged in the end. So all in all, i am VERY pleased with this keyboard!!!
If you are wanting this for a beginners keyboard, this baby will NOT leave you disappointed! GO FOR IT!!! hehehe

This is a typical IBM consumer-grade keyboard. IBM's consumer grade keyboards, including this one, are characterized by a moderate keypress force and a slightly higher than usual clickiness. The trigger pressure peak is satisfyingly abrupt (keys move hardly at all until depress force is reached), though as is typical with such keyboards the depress force does not diminish again past the trigger point.

Though not mentioned in the product description, this keyboard supports both USB and PS/2 interfaces.

The media-control keys work fine on Linux. The keycodes produced by the media and standby keys are the conventional ones.

I have had this keyboard for a while now. I have many other keyboards including a microsoft internet something keyboard and a logitech pro internet something keyboard.

This is not the most feature rich keyboard - there is not built in usb hub, no fancy contols for this and that (which you never use anyhow). in short none of the frills.

what it does have : a couple of programmable keys and the best feel of any keyboard i have used till date. the keys are just perfect. not too hard, not too soft, not too quiet and not too loud. it really makes a big difference to typing speed too.

if all you want is a well built keyboard - this is the one for you. if you want a keyboard that you can have answer your phone and clean the house at the press of a key (okay okay they're not quite that bad but some are loaded with so much junk nowadays), look elsewhere.

The first USB mouse that I connected to my Mac was the MS Explorer. You've seen it, the one with the evil red eye on the bottom. It's a very smooth mouse with a great look. I couldn't get all of my software to communicate with the MS Explorer mouse so I bought the iSweet.

Installed the mouse and was Oh So Happy with the performance. Finally, a mouse with all the buttons I want, with a pretty good feel and response to boot! However, the next time I attempted to wake up my Mac from sleep mode it hung on a gray screen. After some fiddling, I determined that I had an extension conflict between the MS Explore extensions and the iSweet extensions. I did my best to wipe out all the extensions but it ended up taking me several hours to work out the problem.

Who's fault was it? iSweet or Microsoft? Well I talked to the people at iSweet and was less than satisfied with their "tech support". I didn't even bother calling MS since I wasn't using their product anymore and it never really worked.

To summarize this extremely long-winded review, the iSweet mouse is great. I really like it. My only beefs are that it had some conflicts and the iSweet Techies where no help. Also, it is a bit light--I like my mice to have a bit more substance to them. All in all, I'm satisfied with this mouse. But did you see the new mouse Apple put out? You know the one with the matching evil red eye on the bottom.

This is a very good 3-button scroll wheel USB mouse. It's the old-fashioned rubber ball kind, but seems to require less frequent cleaning. Its shape is the same as the MacAlly optical mouse. I have one of each and have to say this old-fashioned mouse is slightly more reliable. I sometimes get strange results with the optical mouse, which is picky about your mouse pad or surface. In contrast, this one works perfectly on foam pads, formica, or wood tabletops and you get the physical feedback that is absent in the optical variety.

The Mac version of iSweetnet works fine on my Windows PC with no special software (also on OS X). The default acceleration and speed seem familiar. My biggest annoyance with mice is that some cause me to grip them tightly while trying to stop the mouse from giving too much movement when a very small (1-pixel) move is needed. The iSweetnet works well out-of-the-box for both very fine and rapid movements.

This mouse is smaller than most, which was my first impression when I took it out of the box. When you click, the two buttons don't go very far, but seem to make more noise than is necessary. A diskette of drivers comes for Win 9x, and is very good, with all sorts of different tweaks and improvements for the mouse. A good value, if you need a mouse on a budget.

wow this is quite possibly the best mouse for gaming !!!!! i have those sick mad skrills when i pwn up that cs!!!

...for the money, especially in a time when an extra mouse is a must. It's easy to install, basically no time wasted to look for drivers. If you know how to plug it in, the computer recognizes it right away. So, if you want to be on the safe side and have a less sophisticated mouse as backup, this is the one to get.

So far, I really like this cordless keyboard/mouse combo. It was a little bit of a pain to set up (I had to install the software first before connecting) but so far, so good. In case anyone was wondering, the mouse is not an optical mouse, but it moves smoothly on my mousepad. If you're not looking to spend a lot on a cordless keyboard/mouse combo, this would be worth getting-another fine Logitech product!

This is a good set for those looking for a regular keyboard or mouse, but those who are looking for a tool for playing games might want to look for a cordless optical mouse. Also it is recomended to buy the ergonomic keyboards for those who spend lots of time on the computer typing.

The keys are very comfortable to press. The Insert, Delete, etc are in the correct standard position which I have become used to over many years unlike the Microsoft wireless keyboards.
Also, the function keys function as they should by default, unlike the confusing Microsoft wireless keyboards.
If you don't have the latest drivers then you can download them to allow the extra buttons to perform your own keystroke combinations. Drivers for the extra buttons work on Windows 98 and up, unlike the Microsoft one that only work on Windows 2000 and up.
Basically I returned the Microsoft and got the Logitech instead and am very glad I did.

I got this cordless keyboard and mouse at the same time as I bought my Compaq laptop, which uses Windows XP. I immediately fell in love with the cordless keyboard and especially the mouse. The mouse works from any direction and you can even place the mouse behind your back and click and it still works.

A cordless keyboard and mouse are not connected to your computer, but you do have to connect the receiver to your computer (to receive the signal from the mouse and keyboard.) I was concerned that since I could not place the receiver in the same line of sight (or same plane) as my mouse and keyboard, that it would not work. But this was not a problem. The keyboard and mouse will work from just about anywhere in the room.

There is one BIG ANNOYANCE with this product, though. At least once a day, the mouse and keyboard just freeze up. Fortunately, with a laptop, you can use the laptop's keyboard as a backup while you save your work and try to straighten things out. Although the cordless mouse and KB have reset buttons, they don't correct this problem. The only way to fix it is to do a cold re-boot, which can take about 5 minutes. I was quite disappointed that after 6 months of using this product, that Logitech still has not listed any downloads on their website to fix this problem.

While I still like this product, I'm afraid that someday I'll just get so frustrated when it freezes up that I'll just trash it. If you have Windows XP, be warned.

...At first i was skeptical in purchasing a cordless keyboard system. My keyboard was old, and some of the keys were sticking, so i thought i would give it a try. I have a few other Logitech brand items that I am happy with, so when I saw this keyboard, i thought I would try it...WOWOWOW!! Am I happy I did!! It is very easy to set up and install, and the battery life is wonderful!! I have owned this product for over 3 months and have just recently installed a new mouse battery, which is great with 3 kids always using it! The mouse and keyboard are very precise! No lagging, or dragging with the mouse...It is very acurate!
..I am so happy with this I just purchased another one as a Christmas gift for a friend!..I would highly recommend this product! No tangled or "too short" cords & cables, and the range is a really good ten feet!!..not to mention the price! which I thought to very good for the value of the product!!

I have owned one of these sets for over a year and cannot say enough about them. The mouse and keyboard are the ultimate in convience and adaptability. I have changed the batteries in the mouse once and not at all in the keyboard and I use them both everyday. I also find the use range to be greater than 6 feet and have been 8 to 10 feet away from the base and have not had any trouble with either unit. I am running Window's ME and have also run W95 with the same results. Due to space restrictions my monitor sits on a angle on my desk and being able to move the mouse and keyboard without any restrictions or tangling of wires is great. This is a great product and I could never see going back to a wired mouse or keyboard.