The Yamaha YPT-260 is one of the most popular (and cheapest) 61-key keyboards on the market. For a beginner keyboard, the YPT-260 offers advanced functionality that allows all pianists the opportunity to improve. Yamaha is known for its fantastic grand pianos as well as their small keyboards.
No matter what kind of keyboard you’re looking for, it’s great to understand all of the features. This Yamaha YPT 260 review covers everything you need to know about the popular keyboard before buying it.
Let’s dive right in.
Features
The Yamaha YPT-260 is a 61-key keyboard geared toward beginner pianists. If you’re just getting into the piano, it’s sometimes more ideal to look for an affordable keyboard. Buying an expensive one, you might realize that the instrument isn’t your cup of tea. By then, it’ll be too late.
[i2pc][i2pros]Affordable
400 built-in tones
130 accompaniment backing tracks
Lightweight
Yamaha Education Suite
Recording function
Music rest included
Reverb, chorus, and EQ effects
LCD display
AWM Stereo Sampling sound engine[/i2pros][i2cons]Non-weighted keys
No USB connectivity
Doesn’t come with stand
No MIDI connectivity[/i2cons][/i2pc]
Sounds
This keyboard excels in the sound department and gives you 400 voices to choose from. You can experiment with them and play them over 130 accompaniment backing tracks. The YPT-260 also has 112 built-in songs, which are great to jam along to.
For this keyboard, Yamaha used the AWM Stereo Sampling sound engine. AWM, or Advanced Wave Memory, is a sampling system that creates accurate samples of acoustic instruments. These samples are available to use in the soundbank. Out of the 400 sounds, 16 of them are drum and sound effect kits. You can create and record beats with the record feature, which is nice.
Polyphony
This keyboard has 32 notes of polyphony. This number determines how many notes can be played simultaneously. For the YPT-260’s price, a 32-note polyphony is about average. However, since the keyboard doesn’t have advanced layering functions, you probably won’t ever exceed 32.
Educational Content
You can take advantage of the included Yamaha Education Suite. This internal learning aid has an intuitive 9-step lesson function. Instead of learning completely from the internet, this lesson plan can help to keep you on track.
Audio Input/Output
The back of the keyboard has an audio input. With it, you can play songs with a phone, computer, or tablet. Essentially, the aux connectivity turns your keyboard into a speaker system to play your favorite songs. As you’re jamming out to songs, there’s a convenient option to record yourself as well. The recording ability on the YPT-260 is a standout feature because many other keyboards don’t have it. Most musicians love being able to listen back to the things they played. Self-recording is entertaining, and it can drastically help you improve.
The YPT-260 has a standard headphone jack. The headphones jack is of the most convenient aspects of keyboards. Unlike with a real piano, you don’t always have to make lots of noise. If you don’t want to bother others in the room, you can just plug in your headphones. However, this headphone jack is 1/4th inch, so you might need a 1/4th inch adaptor.
Other Features
Effects
Some effects you can change are reverb, chorus, master EQ, and ultra-wide stereo. For a small keyboard, the 9 reverb types are very convenient. There are also 5 chorus types, 6 EQs, and 3 ultra-wide stereo types. You can take advantage of all these effects to create a highly personalized sound experience.
The 130 accompaniment styles are a pleasant addition to the YPT-260. You can play along to styles like Rock, Funk, Pop, Blues, Jazz, Latin, and more. These styles are fun to play with and give you a broader understanding of how to play different genres.
Metronome
The keyboard has a built-in metronome that can play tempos from 11 to 280. Playing along to a metronome can significantly improve your internal rhythm, which is essential for many music genres.
Transposition Tuning
You can also transpose up or down 12 half-steps. This transposition feature lets you play songs in different keys without having to re-learn them. For example, if you learn a song in the key of C, you could play it to F by transposing it up 5 half-steps.
Weight
The YPT-260 is very light and weighs only 8.8 pounds. Since it’s so light, you can easily take it anywhere you want. The keyboard has an LCD display that makes navigation smooth and simple.
In The Box
The YPT-260 package comes with an owner’s manual, power cable, music rest, and online product registration. It doesn’t come with a sustain pedal, so you’ll have to get that separately.
Is It Worth It?
The Yamaha YPT-260 currently retails at on Amazon. It’s an Amazon-exclusive keyboard so you won’t be able to find this price anywhere else. If you’re looking for an affordable keyboard with lots of features, the YPT-260 is more than worth it. Though it’s not full-sized, it packs a punch with countless sounds and songs. You could spend hours on end having fun with the possibilities on the YPT-260. On top of that, the Yamaha Education Suite has valuable learning processes to help beginner pianists.
It’s convenient to have a keyboard that not only plays notes but also enables you to learn, as well. In this Yamaha YPT 260 review, the keyboard has certainly passed the test for being highly affordable and functional. Yamaha has a history of producing excellent beginner keyboards, and the YPT-260 is no exception. If you’re a beginner wanting an excellent and affordable keyboard, the YPT-260 might be a superb choice.
Competition
There are a number of piano keyboards that can be called competitors to the Yamaha YPT-260. We’ll cover some of the main competitors (including Yamaha’s own) below.
Yamaha YPT-260 vs Alesis Melody 61 MKII
While generally slightly more expensive ( vs. $139.99), the Yamaha YPT-260 comes with the reputation of Yamaha instruments and a great education package (not just a three month trial). Besides that, they both make great beginner instruments. You can watch a demo video of the Alesis Melody 61 MKII below:
Yamaha YPT-260 vs YPT-360
The Yamaha YPT-360 is geared more towards beginners who will likely continue playing. Not only is it more expensive, but it includes more features than the YPT-260 such as more voices, styles, and touch-sensitive keys.
FAQs
Does the Yamaha YPT-260 have MIDI?
The Yamaha YPT-260 has MIDI support through USB.
Does the Yamaha YPT-260 have weighted keys?
No, the YPT-260 has 61 non-weighted keys. It is our overall favorite beginner keyboard.
Does the Yamaha YPT-260 have bluetooth?
No, the YPT-260 does not have Bluetooth support so you will not be able to hook up Bluetooth headphones. Generally, Bluetooth results in sound delays anyway, so this isn’t a major con.
What Is the Yamaha YPT-260 Price?
The Yamaha YPT-260 currently retails for on Amazon.
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