Yamaha DGX 640 88 Key Digital Piano Walnut

Comments about Yamaha DGX 640 88 Key Digital Piano:

We were looking around for a keyboard so we could add our daughter to our family band. This keyboard has really great key action, better than anything we tried in stores in a similar price range. Only the high end electric pianos had similar or better keys.

Lots of sounds, rhythms, learning aids, etc. Basic use is super simple but advanced setup takes a lot of learning and the manual could be a little more complete.

Can highly recommend this keyboard.

Comments about Yamaha DGX 640 88 Key Digital Piano:

Very nice keyboard, everything works great. Exceptional with the LP7 foot pedals. CON: Way to heavy, it took two ups guys to carry in.

Comments about Yamaha DGX 640 88 Key Digital Piano:

The sound is very realistic and the keys respond well to touch. I couldn't be happier with the customer service I received throughout the ordering process from product selection all the way through delivery and setup.

Comments about Yamaha DGX 640 88 Key Digital Piano:

I am a trained musician and am not satisfied with most electronic keyboards because of their unrealistic key action and sound. Some of them are simply toys. This keyboard, although not perfect, impressed me immediately with its key response and full sound, especially from its own speakers. As some reviewers have indicated, many of the included voices are simply childish, but the number of great, usable sounds is quite extensive.

I recommend purchasing the optional stand with three pedals. It's easy to assemble and provides a sturdy base.

I generally plug my DGX-640 into our church's sound system, but the internal speakers are quite adequate for personal use. The DGX-640 even has internal menu items allowing me to optimize the tone for internal speakers or external amplification. I would like to be able to hear the internal sound even when I run a line to an external amp from the headphone jack. It would be nice to have a separate headphone jack on the front.

One of the above reviews says that MIDI is not included. Indeed, there are no legacy-style MIDI IN/OUT/THRU ports, but MIDI is enabled through a single USB port. I use my keyboard to record multi-track soundtracks for our church, using the internal 6-track recorder and/or USB MIDI with my computer's Sonar software.

PRO: Too inexpensive to pass up with the quality of action and sound. Nice MIDI implementation (USB Std to USB D).

CON: Difficult to electronically transpose on the fly. Internal speakers are bypassed when output port is occupied. Somewhat heavy, if portability is an issue. Headphone jack doubles as line out; need a separate HP jack on front.

Comments about Yamaha DGX 640 88 Key Digital Piano:

The Yamaha DGX 640 is a great instrument. I love the selection of sounds and the easy use. It is a great addition to my studio.

Comments about Yamaha DGX 640 88 Key Digital Piano:

I already own a Baldwin upright piano, and was looking for another instrument for my kids to practice using headphones so that they wouldn't disturb my teaching or pracitce. I was also looking for something which could be portable, since my family is at a summer music festival for a good part of the summer. The Yamaha DGX 640 was a good buy. It is fun to play, and is very much like a real piano in the way of touch. My kids are practicing more because of the teaching program, and it is fun to experiment with all of the gizmos and sounds. There are plenty of ways to easily change the sound of the piano, and over 500 different types of instrument sounds. Some of the sounds are stupid, like dogs barking and people laughing, but there are some legitimate clavichord, harpsichord, and several pianos sounds from which to choose.

On the plus side, the keyboard is very similar to a real piano. I also purchased the 3 pedal unit, and I recommend it.

Here are the negatives:
The teaching program, while fun, is not really all that useful. There are no fingerings, and the pieces tend to be really dumbed down or next to impossible to play. The pieces are not organized to promote gradual improvement.
I found it too difficult to connect the keyboard to my computer and to download other "songs." After a few hours, I just gave up.
The pedal unit just doesn't have the feel of a real set of pedals.
The sounds used for the keyboard piano are obviously recorded Yamaha grand pianos, and Yamaha is just not the best piano sound. Its too bad Steinway hadn't made the same product instead.
I think the height of the keyboard is a little higher that a regular keyboard by maybe an inch. The bench I also purchased is just too high, and won't go low enough to a regular piano bench height. This is an obsticle for my kids. I also purchased a portable stand which also does not go low enough. I guess that they assume that people are going to want to play a keyboard standing up. It would have been nice if both the portable stand and bench had the option of adjusting to a lower height. It seems things are off by maybe an inch too high.
The keyboard is portable, and just four screws remove it from the stand. It is slightly heavy, and while one person can manage carrying it, it isn't easy.

Comments about Yamaha DGX 640 88 Key Digital Piano:

PROs) This is the perfect composing tool. I have this and an acoustic next to the couch and have all of the tools I need for writing. Some of the sounds on this are amazing.CONs) The sound effects are childish. They shouldn't have even bothered. There are a lot of professional SFX out there. They should have asked for help.No MIDI.????. I know its the computer age but some of us have a arsenal of MIDI equipment. It would have cost them pennies to add that.The recorder, it's alright. I would have like to seen a 8 track recorder, (equivalent to the Roland BR600 or something) with a 1/4" and mini input. Yamaha has the ability to do this at minimal cost$$$. Dont get me wrong, its an awesome unit.

Comments about Yamaha DGX 640 88 Key Digital Piano:

I have been playing the piano since 1977 and was looking for a a good digital piano with good feel to the keys, with many instruments and a affordable price. The DGX-640 has exceeded my expectations. The keys feel like those on an acoustic piano. The piano is loaded with sounds. There are around 10-15 pianos and digital pianos, 10-15 organs, 10+ stings sounds, brass, synthesizers and much, much more. So if you want a great grand piano sound it has that. If you want to play Van Halen's "Jump" or Journey's "Separate Ways" it has that. You want to play the theme to "Rocky" with the brass-it has that. A church organ, chapel organ a rock organ, electric guitars, acoustic guitars- it has all of them. I can't think of any sounds that I doesn't have. I comes with a sturdy stand that took about 90 minutes to assemble and finalize. I bought mine with the optional three pedals, which seem to work fine. The value of this product is incredible. Once again- great feel, touch, sound and versatility at a very affordable price. The only negatives are 1.) that the plug in for the headphones is located in the back and 2.) the keys do make a slight noise when they rise up. If you play with headphones with others in the room it is not completely quiet.