The Yamaha DGX-630B is one of the newest Yamaha Keyboard models and it is an upgrade of the Yamaha YPG-535. The YPG-535 is a great instrument, but this one is a slightly higher value model, and we will find out just why in this review. The DGX-630B features 88 Hammer-Action keys, lyric/chord/notation displays, a 6-track recorder, top-of-the-line sound quality, 130 voices and 12 drum kits, and an included bench.
Better Control=Better Sound
The Yamaha DGX-630B features graded hammer-action keys. If you’re not familiar with hammer action, this is the technology that real pianos use to allow the user to add his or her amount of touch to their music. Play a key with a certain amount of force or weight and you will hear just exactly that much sound. As you play higher notes, the hammer action gets lighter; the lower you play, the heavier the action becomes. The hammer action that Yamaha uses on their keyboards is well known among keyboard players. The sound control that it allows is really unlike any other brand like Casio or Roland.
The hammer action in the Yamaha DGX-630B is definitely an improvement from some of their other instruments. The Yamaha YPG-535 features graded “Soft Touch” action, which isn’t quite as responsive as the DGX-630B, but it still works great for the beginner or the intermediate player. But if you are intermediate or advanced, the DGX-630B is going to be a better choice out of this category.
Aesthetic Features and Casing (and free stuff!)
What we really liked about the Yamaha DGX-630B is how well crafted and designed it is. It has nice wood accents that really complement the style and sound of the grand piano voice/sound. Included with the keyboard is a matching bench that matches the wood accents on the instrument itself. This instrument actually comes with a lot of extras that other models don’t. Besides the free bench, it also comes with a free AC adapter, a sustain pedal, and if you order it Musician’s Friend, they also throw in a free gift. Check it out on Musicians Friend here.
Yamaha DGX-630B 88-Key Digital Piano with Bench
Awesome LCD Display
The LCD display on this one is second-to-none, out of all of the keyboard that Yamaha has put out, this one really takes the cake. The display on the DGX-630B can actually show entire scores of sheet music and the notes as they are played. It eliminates the need to turn pages as you play and it is a GREAT way to learn to read music if you are still learning (or even if you are trying to improve). If you are a beginner, but you are serious about taking up piano/keyboard, you may want to settle on this instrument for just this reason.
USB Connectivity
The connectivity featured on the Yamaha DGX-630B allows you to connect to your computer to record and play back music in MIDI format. It also allows you to send files like voices and songs from your computer to your instrument. You can also plug a USB/Flash drive into the back of the keyboard and it will load saved songs directly from your external drive.
Yamaha’s Latest Technology
Because this is one of the latest Yamaha Keyboard to be released, it is going to include some of Yamaha’s most cutting edge technology. One of the cool features that it includes is called Performance Assist Technology. What this does is automatically selects chords that play along with the prerecorded songs. It allows even the ultimate beginner to play along with the songs, and it is a great way to pick up on how to accompany live music, as it shows each of the notes it is playing.
The DGX-630B also features the classic Yamaha Education suite (YES) that most of their instruments feature. It has 30 songs loaded onto the keyboard with 70 additional songs on the CD-ROM comes with the keyboard. If you are not sure what the YES is, we wrote a description of it here.
One of the other cool features of the Yamaha DGX-630B is the 6-Track Sequencer. It is basically a recording studio inside of your keyboard. Six tracks allow you to playback 6 different instruments/recording as you play. So can literally be a one-man/woman band! We had a lot of fun playing with the 6-Track sequencer on this model, and I think you will too.
Digital Music Notebook
The Yamaha DGX-630B also feature the Digital Music Notebook, which is almost like an iTunes for keyboard players. It allows you to preview and then download songs that you can learn on your keyboard. Each download includes the song, and the lesson to go along with it. you can also download lessons on different piano techniques and musical theory like riffs, scales, arpeggios, etc. Don’t tell you music teacher this, because it may put them out of a job (just kidding!).
The Highest Sound Quality
The Yamaha DGX-630B is going to feature more voices/sounds than other keyboard in this price range. It comes standard with 130 voices. It also has 12 drum kits. You name an instrument, and its got a high-quality voice to match it. We had a lot of fun with the different synthesizers (Van Halen’s Jump sounds great on here) and the choirs. The DGX-630B features 64-note polyphony. If your not familiar with the concept of polyphony, you can read more about it here. But basically, the higher the polyphony, the more sounds can be heard at once.
Who This Keyboard is Perfect For:
Everyone, really. Most of the keyboards we have reviewed have a very targeted demographic. This DGX-630B is different because of the amount of features included along with the awesome price. You can find it, along with all the free stuff and free shipping, at Musician’s Friend for only $699.99
Yamaha DGX-630B 88-Key Digital Piano with Bench
The keyboard stand wood accents enjoyable game that puts the Yamaha DGX-630B at the right height to play. Yamaha also includes a matching bench, an AC adapter and a sustain pedal. To complete the phones are great DSP effects for the sounds of guitar and organ.
This keyboard is really a dream come true for me. I have never been able to afford a piano or a “real” keyboard and its all I have ever wanted. I bought this off the internet (older model of this type) I thought it would be not that good cause the price was so cheap. It is just awesome, I cannot believe the sound quality and all the things you can do with this. My favorite is the touch response, any piano player will tell you how important it is. I am on my 10th year with it, and it is still as good as day one , it is played every day. So durable, awesome sound, and full size keyboard make this a smart buy for any piano enthusiast. It truly does make a lie out of the old saying “You get what you paid for” because this goes above and beyond its price.
Where can you go (on the Internet) to get “entire scores of sheet music” to download or buy for this machine? Is this what is called Yamaha XF MIDI files? Can you really play the notes on the screen? I thought it was just able to display notes while listening to the midi.
Can you make sheet music on the computer, eg. ìn NoteWorthy Composer, Sibelius or other software, and export it to a format (the one mentioned above) that a Yamaha keyboard like this one can display on its LCD?
I read in the manual that lyrics can be displayed as well, but not along with full notation (only together with the right hand notes).
There is now a fairly new model called DXG-640, which I’m planning on buying within a few days. It sounded great in the store, where I compared it with other models and brands. I have not listened to the 630B model. It would be good if the date of the review was visible before or after the text, so that you know how dated the text is.