Best keyboard to play in the street

[amadeok]

Hello,
I need a keyboard to play in the streets, so something that can work with rechargable batteries and has good sound. The only special feature i need is that it has aux in to play a base in the background.
I was thinking either the Yamaha PSR-E353/E363 or the Roland GO-61P
Can you advice some?
Which one has the best sound?
thanks

 

[RalphL]

I have an e353 keyboard and a Roland DP (not the go-61p though). I think Roland tends to be way more expensive and much more realistic piano sound, but limited other voices and arranger features.

 

[CowboyNQ]

I wouldn't know whether or not it's the "best" keyboard but I own a Roland Juno Gi, which I bought used for a good price a few years ago.

I use it exclusively for home practice to save me lugging my gigging keyboards to and from the rehearsal room, but I've always thought it would be perfect for a street musician. The reasons:

• Can be battery powered
• Ridiculously light
• Has a very clever on-board Boss effects unit
  
• USB input so you can play backing tracks in the background
• Mic input
• Aux in for guitars
• Sounds pretty good

Potential drawbacks for street performance:

• Needs an external amp - no built-in speakers
• The action is very springy and light. I quite like it but I know others who don't.
  
• Doesn't have a sequencer (but does have a cool 8 track digital recorder)

You can't buy them new any more, but if you can find one used, I reckon it would be a real weapon for a busker. Wouldn't be overly expensive either.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

I know of someone on another forum who bought a GO keyboard to try it out, and while he said it was fun to fool around with at first, his opinion of it soured within a week and he returned it to the store.

I have a PSR-E443, which is very similar to the PSR-E353 and PSR-E363. Overall, I like it a lot, although some of its sounds aren't as realistic as I'd like due to Yamaha's love of adding vibrato to certain types of voices, such as flutes, which I'd like to be able to remove from those voices if I could. The keyboard is light, easy to carry, and the built-in speakers are convenient. But I recommend trying to play one in a store before you decide, in case you decide it isn't for you. It's getting hard to find local music stores that will carry many instruments, but I've read that the PSR-E3xx and PSR-E2xx lines are huge sellers for Yamaha, and just about any store that carries Yamaha keyboards should have a PSR-E3xx in stock for you to try out.

 

[amadeok]

Thanks all, i think ill go with the roland once i check them both at a store. The piano sound is the one i care more about.

 

[CowboyNQ]

once i check them both at a store.

That's the smartest thing to do. Let us know how you get on.

 

[amadeok]

Hey, I went with the PSR-e363. I've been playing seem really good.
Can you tell me what cable do i need to connect an external music player to the AUX IN and play music with the keyboard's speakers?
Thanks

 

[SeaGtGruff]

The AUX IN jack should take a standard 1/8" (or mini) TRS stereo audio cable, sometimes called an "auxiliary cable" because it's used to connect an auxiliary audio device to a stereo system.

By the way, I believe there should be an "AuxInVol" function ("Auxiliary Input Volume") that you would use to adjust the volume of the auxiliary sound source so you can balance it with the keyboard's sound.

 

[Doctor Blue]

Hey, I went with the PSR-e363. I've been playing seem really good.
Can you tell me what cable do i need to connect an external music player to the AUX IN and play music with the keyboard's speakers?
Thanks

Hi Amadeok, how are you liking your e363? I just bought one two days ago. Have you tried the aux in yet? I have a 1/8" cable that I want to try out and see if I can play my Spotify songs and play lists from my iPhone.

 

[amadeok]

Hi Amadeok, how are you liking your e363? I just bought one two days ago. Have you tried the aux in yet? I have a 1/8" cable that I want to try out and see if I can play my Spotify songs and play lists from my iPhone.

Hey, Yes for its price it's really good. It having touch sensitivity makes a huge difference. I also tried the aux in, it works just make sure you follow the proper order to plug in and turn on the external device as it is instructed in the manual.
2.5w on each speaker is a good compromise between volume and respecting the neighbours that live where i play. This way at least they won't call the police.
I have to say though, in certain peices, like Bach's fugues, sometimes its better to play the quavers or the fastest segments all portato or at least not legato, otherwise the melody may not be recognizable because of the superimposition of the sounds. This may be due to all the noise in the streets.