New Yamaha Portable Keyboards - Music Marketplace - Brief Article

American Music Teacher, August-Sept, 2003

Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Portable Keyboards, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; (714) 522-9011; info@yamaha.com; www.yamaha.com. EZ150, $259.95; EZ250i, $459.95.

Yamaha Corporation of America, Portable Keyboards, introduces its EZ150 and EZ250i portable keyboards.

The EZ150 features sixty-one piano-sized keys and a selection of some of the best voices available today--including 100 realistic instrument voices, 100 accompaniment styles and four multipads for sound effects and fills. Embedded under the keys are lights that operate as a guide to prompt the user to play the correct note. The built-in Yamaha Education Suite (YES II) teaching system counts down the beat and offers feedback, contains a chord directory, more than 100 songs to learn and seven lesson modes.

Using the MIDI IN/OUT connections, users can take lessons on a computer or the Internet.

The EZ250i contains many of the features of the EZ150, including guide lights, Multi-fingering Auto Accompaniment and YES II. Sonic quality is enhanced with 480 instrument voices and 100 accompaniment styles. There is additional touch sensitivity and one-touch Portable Grand function. All functions may be viewed via an easy-to-read backlit LCD display.

It has general MIDI compatibility and a selection of Internet-oriented features--a USB connection and a PC button for quick and easy online connection. Another key feature is the ability to download additional songs into FLASH memory. The new USB capability and PC button are the perfect complement to the Konami Piano Mania software package that will be bundled with every Yamaha EZ250i--an industry first.

Both the EZ250i and EZ150 can be utilized through headphones or through the two-way stereo speakers with bass ports and bass boost system.

For more information contact Yamaha.