The Yamaha PSR-E383 is the keyboard you buy when you are done messing around with entry level gear and ready for something that actually responds to how you play. The touch sensitive keys make a real difference. Play soft and it sounds soft. Dig in and it pushes back. That dynamic response is what separates this from cheaper boards and it is what starts building real technique in your hands.

Six hundred and fifty voices sounds like a marketing number until you start digging through them. The AWM tone generation is the same technology Yamaha uses in their professional keyboards, so the acoustic piano sounds like a piano, the organ breathes, and the strings have actual movement to them. You can layer two voices together or split the keyboard so you are playing bass on the left and melody on the right. Two hundred and sixty accompaniment styles give you a full band behind you for practice, songwriting, or solo performance.

The USB connection does double duty as both a MIDI controller and an audio interface, which means you can plug straight into GarageBand, Ableton, Logic, or FL Studio and start recording without buying anything else. That is a genuinely useful feature at this price point. If you are a student, a songwriter, or someone who wants to start producing, this keyboard gets you there without a complicated setup.

The built in lesson system with 125 songs and the Yamaha Education Suite is solid for self teaching. The keyboard waits for you to find the right note, shows you what to play on the LCD, and tracks your timing. The Chord Dictionary walks you through over 1,000 chord fingerings on screen. Teachers will appreciate Duo Mode, which splits the keyboard into two identical zones so you and a student can play side by side.

At 9.7 pounds it goes anywhere. Lessons, rehearsals, a friend's house, a small gig. Runs on AC power or six AA batteries if you need to go completely untethered.

Specs

• Keys: 61 touch sensitive velocity sensitive organ style
• Tone Generation: AWM Advanced Wave Memory
• Polyphony: 48 notes
• Voices: 650 including 20 drum and SFX kits and 480 XGlite voices
• Styles: 260 accompaniment styles
• Built In Songs: 125
• Effects: Reverb 9 types, Chorus 5 types, Master EQ 6 presets, Ultra Wide Stereo
• Connectivity: USB to Host MIDI and Audio Interface, 2 headphone outputs, AUX In stereo mini, sustain pedal input
• Speakers: 2.5W x 2 stereo
• Display: Backlit LCD with notation display
• Dimensions: 37 inches W x 13.6 inches D x 4.6 inches H
• Weight: 9.7 lbs
• Power: AC adapter included or 6 AA batteries optional
• Included: Power adapter, music rest, owner's manual
• SKU: PSR-E383

Available at The Pied Piper Music Store. Free shipping continental US or in store pickup at our Charleston WV and New Albany Ohio locations near Columbus.