Yamaha's PSR340AD is jam-packed with features, like a built-in sequencer, a disk drive on which original songs can be saved, 100 accompaniments (on an included floppy disk), and more than 200 voices. The voice bank on the PSR340AD contains 100 panel voices, 10 drum kits, and 128 General MIDI voices. The inclusion of the General MIDI voices means that the PSR340AD will correctly play General MIDI files (a standard of most of the MIDI files in educational software and of those available on the Internet). Add an accompaniment to the voice that you are already playing and suddenly you are controlling a whole music ensemble. The keyboard also has a dual mode, in which two voices can be combined, and a split mode, in which one voice can be assigned to the upper half of the keyboard and another voice to the lower half. You can set some effects for the voices such as eight types of reverb, four types of chorus, and 26 types of harmony. The PSR340AD can, of course, be connected to a computer via MIDI cables (sold separately), which can record musical performances from the keyboard and then play them back using the synthesizer's instrument voices. The sequencer allows you to record an original song. It works very much like a multi-track cassette recorder; you can first record one instrument, say a bass, then you can add another instrument like a guitar while listening to your first track. If the guitar track is not quite right, then you can record it again without changing the bass part. This sequencer allows you to record music in real time or record it in step time, the virtual equivalent of writing parts down on paper.
The best feature of the PSR340AD is the built-in floppy drive. The drive accepts standard 3.5-inch computer floppy disks. Disks can contain MIDI files downloaded from the Internet or purchased from Yamaha, Yamaha created accompaniments, and user composed songs.
A couple of tools on the PSR340AD will help you play chords on your own. If you can play the root of the chord, the "Smart" tool will play the rest. The "EZ Chord" tool allows you to program a series of chords-then you just have to play one key to trigger each of the chords. If you decide that you are ready to learn how chords are constructed, you can use the "Dictionary" tool, which will map out the parts of the chord on the staff display.
On the whole we liked the PSR340AD, but the keys are a bit flimsy-you definitely do not want to play them too hard. Two hundred and thirty-eight voices seem like a lot, but if you are a serious MIDI musician, you will be yearning for more. For the price though, the PSR340AD is a fantastic buy. Items such as built-in speakers, a headphone jack, and a jack for a foot sustain pedal are also included. The keyboard can be powered either by an AC adapter or batteries, and it can also be connected to a stereo or amplifier. With a weight of just a little over 17 pounds, the PSR340AD is easily portable. --Chris Fresolone Pros:
- Built-in sequencer
- Built-in floppy drive
- General MIDI compatible
- Touch sensitive keys
- Useful chord tools
- Many features included for the price
Cons:
- Only 238 voices
- Keys are a little flimsy
