With the advancement in technology, manufactures are now coming up with keyboards that are able to teach you how to play music. And such a good example is the Yamaha YPT260 keyboard, a 2017 upgrade of the famous YPT225 model. Yamaha is popular for manufacturing high-quality digital pianos, and the YPT260 is no different.
For around $100, the YPT260 combines quality, style, necessity, functionality, and durability. But is it right for you? Here is a detailed guide to everything that you need to know.
An Overview of Yamaha YPT260 Keyboard
Yamaha YPT260 Specs
- A 61-key beginner keyboard with 9 step lesson function and loads of onboard features
- Number of Built-in Tones: 400
- Number of Built-in Rhythms: 130
- Number of Built-in Songs: 112
- Polyphony: 32 notes
- Modes: Duo Mode
- Educational Features: Yamaha Education Suite with 9 Step Lesson Function, Onboard Learning System
- Connections: Aux input, a headphone jack,
- Speakers: 12 cm x 2
- Amplifiers: 2.5W x 2
- Weight: 7.3 lbs (3.3 kg)
- Dimensions: 37″ wide x 12-1/2″ deep x 4-3/16″ high
- Accessories: Music Rest, Power Supply, AC adapter, Owner’s manual
General Review of Yamaha YPT260 Keyboard
Considered as one of the best selling keyboards in the world today, the Yamaha YPT260 61-Key Portable Keyboard features a wild variety of functions and sounds. The premiere-entry level keyboard is famous for its great sound, ease of use, and how effortless and fun it makes to learn playing the piano.
Like most keyboard manufacturing companies, Yamaha has keyboard lessons commonly known as the Yamaha Education Suite. This amazing tool provides a 9-lesson learning plan, with step-by-step instructions. If you are a beginner, you can comfortably learn to play the instrument with ease.
Additionally, the keyboard is made up of the best materials such as the hard plastic cover, which ensures that internal chips and ports are well protected and can survive several drop tests in case of an accident. The buttons and knobs are also designed perfectly and spaced nicely.
Some buttons have a rubber coating, protecting them from debris and dust. The rubber also makes it easy to keep your fingers on the buttons. The other buttons are made of plastic, but clickable. On the other hand, the volume knob is made up of metal, providing the right resistance to increase or reduce the volume to your liking and it will not move when you are playing.
The Yamaha YPT260 Keyboard has an easy-to-understand layout, making it easy for you to remember where every function is. Every detail is laid out for you in numbered lists of voices, songs in song bank, and the screen is well lit, displaying every feature that is on.
- Includes the YPT 260 61 key portable keyboard and PA130 power adapter
- 400 voices, 130 auto accompaniment styles with backing tracks, and 112 onboard songs
- Note: This item does not advertise a USB connection
- Yamaha Education Suite with 9 step lesson function; Aux input allows you to play along with music from a phone, tablet or computer
- Record and playback using the recording function. Number of Polyphony (Max.): 32
Main Features of Yamaha YPT260 Keyboard
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Sound
The AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) stereo sampling, which generates the Yamaha YPT260 tones, uses the best recording and filtering technology. This ensures that the tones produced are nuanced, expressive, and authentic.
The Yamaha YPT260 Keyboard comes with an inbuilt amplification that boosts tones from the onboard 12cm speakers. This amazing feature produces high-quality loudness when you play the instrument.
One missing feature in many new keyboards is the polyphony. And although the 32 polyphony in the Yamaha YPT260 Keyboard is not that high, it is nice to see it since the musical texture allows you to enjoy the two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody
The Yamaha YPT260 Keyboard comes with 16 drums, 384 instrument voices, and SFX sounds. Apart from having 5 kinds of the chorus, it also has 130 preset accompaniment styles and 5 kinds of reverb.
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Tuning Functions
To help you change the tone, the keyboard has transpose and tuning functions. With transpose, you can determine the main voice and chord/bass accompaniment keys of your style of choice. As a result, you can easily match the pitch to other instruments or play in another key without having to change the fingering.
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Learning Functions
To help you learn easily and quickly, the keyboard has 112 present songs. It also comes with 12 chord study songs. So, whether you are practicing to play songs for an upcoming party or simply writing your next song, the chords will help you get the grips.
Like most keyboard manufacturing companies, Yamaha has keyboard lessons commonly known as the Yamaha Education Suite, or Y.E.S. This fantastic tool provides playing lessons for every hand, or both hands together, and the chord dictionary. You can also use the song library to gradually improve your playing skills.
Most importantly, the song playback feature adjusts to your tempo. As such, the song pauses and waits for you to play the right chord before resuming. This makes it possible to play along with the songs included in the keyboard. Additionally, the downloadable songbook has a music sheet, meaning you can simultaneously learn to read while playing.
Amazingly, the inbuilt metronome and the duo function make it possible to spilt the YPT260 into two, each half with the middle C key, allowing two individuals to play the keyboard at the same time. This is an important feature for students and teachers.
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Design
The Yamaha YPT260 keyboard weight is 8 pounds, 13 ounces, and has 61 keys. Apart from having an LCD (liquid-crystal display) display, you can also power it with the 6 AA batteries or an AC adapter.
With One-Touch Setting (OTS), which is a group of buttons, you can either use the preset settings, labeled 1, 2, 3, and 4, or create your own style, voice, and effect settings. You can restore these settings by simply pushing a button. Alternatively, for the keyboard to sound like a grand piano, you can use the dedicated Portable Grand button, which is the best setting to practice.
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Master Equalization (EQ)
The Master EQ in the Yamaha YPT260 Keyboard comes with 6 customization styles, which ensures that you can effectively control the quality of the sound.
Additionally, it has 3 ultra-wide stereotypes, several finger capability, style controls that allow you to synchronize the start and stop, panel sustain, intro/endings, and auto fill-in among others.
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Auxiliary Input
You can connect the keyboard to a number of devices such as computers, tablets, and phones among other gadgets that support it. As such, you can use important education apps from your tablet or phone. The YPT260 also integrates seamlessly with high-quality recording software on the computer.
Who Is the Keyboard For?
With the Yamaha Education Suite and other easy-to-use features, the YPT260 model is specifically designed for beginners. As a beginner, you can train yourself to play the portable piano even with no prior experience. You can learn to adjust the transpose chords with ease and enjoy the different sounds and backing tracks. Such features help you grow over time.
The Duo Mode also makes the keyboard ideal for teachers as they can give lessons, instruct, and illustrate. And although the Yamaha YPT260 Keyboard is perfect for beginners, it is also great for highly skilled and experienced players since it has exceptional features and is easy to play.
Yamaha YPT 260 Keyboard Piano Review
Overall Score: 7.5/10
Brilliant features
- Great keyboard piano for beginners with powerful educational features
- Recording and playback functions
- Control a variety of settings with a single touch
- Connect your computer or phone
- Portable and compact
- Split the keyboard into two
Watch out for
- The keys are not weighted
- No USB connectivity
Conclusion
As an upgrade of the popular YPT255 model, the Yamaha YPT260 61-Key Portable Keyboard is not only friendly to new users but also exciting, with new capabilities and options, for skilled players. It is a perfect keyboard, with enough room to grow from strength to strength, and explore the amazing world of playing the piano.