Entry-level arranger workstation with professional features.
The Yamaha PSR-S550B is an entry-level music arranger keyboard workstation packed with professional features. You get 16-track sequencing, 64-note polyphony, unique regional voices and drum kits; USB MIDI, and full compatibility with Yamaha XG sound modules.
The Yamaha PSR-5550B is a wonderful addition to any serious musician's keyboard collection. Like other Yamaha arranger workstation keyboards, there are dedicated Registration Memory (snapshots of settings), One Touch Setting, and Octave buttons on the panel, as well as Style and Voice category buttons to get you where you want to go quickly. Other pro features include a mixer function for song playback, 3 Intros, 4 Variations, and 3 Endings to the Styles, a Style Creator function, and great Sweet!/Cool!/Live! Voices inherited from the flagship Tyros and PSR-S900/S700 systems.
Ease of Operation
There are many tools in the Yamaha PSR-S550B keyboard workstation that make it easy to be a power user from day one. The Mixer function allows you to change track volume, panning, reverb, and chorus during song playback. It's Music Database (MDB) has 600 complete keyboard setups by song title. There are four factory-recommended setups for each Style giving you the convenience of one-touch settings in the keyboard. The Registration Memory takes digital snapshots of all of your keyboard settings (8 memory buttons x 8 banks) for quick recall. Other useful functions include a transpose function to easily transpose the keyboard and songs to the best key for you, a metronome for practice or for recording tracks to the built-in sequencer, and Tap Tempo so you can set the tempo for the next song exactly where you want with a simple button press.
Sound Quality
The PSR-S550B gives you realistic voices for sounding your best, drawing on some of the recent technologies of other Yamaha arranger workstation keyboards. You'll find a vast selection of 294 true-to-life instrument voices, 480 GM/XG voices, and 22 drum/SFX kits. Included is a selection of regional voices and drum kits (Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern), as well as special piano, guitar, brass and flute Voices from Yamaha's Tyros, PSR-S900 and PSR-S700 arranger workstations.
Just below the voice-category buttons are buttons that allow you to split and layer voices; Harmony, Touch, and Sustain on/off; a dedicated DSP button; and Upper Octave transpose buttons.
16-track sequencer and 64-note polyphony
With the PSR-S550B, you have the equivalent of a built-in multitrack recorder to record one or multiple instrument parts at a time, and assign each part to a different track. Sixteen tracks are provided to accommodate sophisticated melodies, chord accompaniment, and rhythm parts. During playback, use the Mixer function to change track volumes and balance. And to keep you from running out of notes with all that great music playing, the PSR-S550B features 64-note polyphony.
Three effects blocks: tailor your sound
Whether it's a rotary speaker effect you're after, flange, overdrive guitar, or just simple compression, the PSR-S550B offers the utmost in control over your sound. You'll find 35 Reverb, 44 Chorus, and 237 DSP effects, plus 26 Harmony and 5 preset types of Master EQ. The 237 DSP effects can be added to the Main, Dual, and Left Voices.
LCD displays lyrics, chords, notation
Have you ever played a song and wondered what it would look like as sheet music? The PSR-S550B can display the score of a song whether it comes from the Internet, the internal selections, or songs that you record yourself and the pages scroll automatically when a song is played back. No more page turning! This is a great way to learn how to read music. And, for singers, the screen also displays chords and lyrics to XG compatible songs.
Digital Music Notebook
Digital Music Notebook is a multimedia Internet service that enables you to preview, purchase, download, and print learn-to-play music books and chart-topping sheet music. From scales and chords to your favorite riffs, Digital Music Notebook is jam-packed with all the secrets you need to master your instrument. Add accompaniments, record and mix yourself, sing karaoke with friends, learn new techniques while having a blast—Digital Music Notebook delivers everything you need to bring music alive. Check out the Flash Demo on the included CD-ROM.
Style Creator Function supports original Style production and editing of internal Styles, including using Regional Voices
Separate woofers and tweeters deliver sounds with clarity and precision for more lifelike instrument voices
Special port on each speaker adds a powerful impact to bass sound reproduction
51 functions provide a wide range of both detailed and overall instrument parameters, such as adjusting the tuning, setting the split point, and editing the voices and effects
LCD Contrast control on the rear panel of the instrument lets you adjust for optimum display legibility
Mute individual tracks of songs using the Registration Buttons during song playback
When you press the dedicated USB button on the panel, you can dial up the song you want from the flash memory and simply press the PLAY button, allowing for quick changes in live environments
Cool! Voices: Galaxy Electric Piano, Suitcase Electric Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Jazz Organ, Rotor Organ, Full Rocker, Jazz Guitar, Electric Guitar, Stratosphere, Vintage Lead, Power Lead, Blues Guitar, Clean Guitar, Slide Clean, Fretless, Electric Bass
Live! Voices: Grand Piano, Bright Piano, Warm Grand Piano, Strings, Orchestra, Steel Guitar, Slide Steel, 12 String Guitar, Dynamic Steel, Pop Brass, Hyper Brass, Octave Brass, French Horns
Dual / Split: Yes/Yes
Drum Kits: 12 Drum + 10 SFX Kits
Polyphony: 64 note max.
Auto Accompaniment
Styles: 176 + 1 User Style + Play Styles directly from optional USB storage device
Style Creator: Record, edit, and save
Variations: Intro 1~;3, Main Variation A~;D, Ending 1~;3
Control Accompaniment: on/off, sync stop, sync start, start/stop, intro/ending/rit., Auto Fill in
One Touch Settings: 4 per style
Registration Memory: 8 x 8 Banks
Fingering: Multi Finger, Full Keyboard
Music Database: 600 setups by song title
Digital Effects
Reverb: 35 types
Chorus: 44 types
DSP: 237 types
Harmony: 26 types
Master EQ: 5 preset types
Sequencer: 16 tracks to record your own songs, 5 User songs + USB Memory + Flash ROM storage
Real-time Control
Pitch Bend Wheel: Pitch Bench Range 01 ~; 12 Semitones
Mixer Function: Control volume, panning, reverb and chorus during song playback
Auxiliary Jack: PHONES/OUTPUT, DC IN 16V, USB TO HOST (MIDI IN/OUT), USB TO DEVICE (optional storage devices), SUSTAIN
Posted by yamaha user 100 from Rochester, NY on Jan 28, 2010
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Pro
Reviewer's Play Style: All styles
I use this board for solo gigs and I find it has all the features I need. The sounds are good and the styles work well for most tunes. The registration memory is especially useful for getting between songs quickly. I find it sounds better through a PA when I mic the speakers rather than going direct.
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
PSR S550B rocks!
Posted by Chai Xiong from Cottage Grove, MN on Jun 25, 2009
Experience w/product: I have heard about it
Reviewer's Background: hobbyist
Reviewer's Play Style: Techno and rock
I ordered the keyboard and was delivered as promised. Thanks to musiciansfriend.com and UPS
I was listening to couple of the demos by users from youtube.com and the sound didn't quite sound as good, so I was a little bit worried that the sound quality might be something like those keyboards you see in Walmart or Target. But, no, when I got this baby, it is awesome. The sound quality is awesome.
Love the music database (MDB). This really makes my life easy since I don't read music note or had any formal training on how to play piano.
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