Yamaha DGX640

Description

Discontinued, see new model DGX650

 

 

Other Colours

Colour: Cherry
Alternatives to the Yamaha DGX640:

Compare Broadway B1

Compare Korg SP280

Compare Classenti CDP1

Do you have a question about the Yamaha DGX640?
Click the live chat link below for an immediate response:
Live Chat Offline

>> For advice, call 020 8367 2080 or email grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk

Description

Yamaha DGX640 Walnut Portable Digital Piano Keyboard

The Yamaha DGX640 in Walnut Finish looks and sounds great. If you’re looking for a portable stage piano but with fantastic piano sounds the DGX640 stage piano is more than worth a look. The DGX630 was very popular choice for performers looking for versatility in their options for sounds and the DGX640 really delivers again in this area. Even if you are not yet performing, or have no desire to, the Yamaha Education Suite will help beginners. We like it, but don’t take out word for it, read what Yamaha have to say about it.

Yamaha’s most piano-like Portable Grand ever, with its weighted Graded Hammer Standard keyboard action and wide selection of piano Voices. Selecting a sound is as easy as keying in a number, and recording virtuoso performances is simple with the built-in recorder. The Yamaha Education Suite and USB connectivity add functionality.

Features

Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) Keyboard with matt finish of black keys
Just as on a traditional acoustic piano, the keys of the lower notes have a heavier touch, while the higher ones are more responsive to lighter playing. The keyboard’s sensitivity can even be adjusted to match your playing style. This Graded Hammer technology also enables the instrument to provide authentic touch in a lightweight instrument. The matte finish of the black keys enhances the keyboard’s luxurious appearance.

Amazingly Realistic and Dynamic Sounds
Yamaha’s highly acclaimed Sweet! and Cool! Voices deliver incredibly natural and very dynamic sound. Use the Pitch Bend wheel and hear these Voices–especially the Sax and Trumpet–truly come alive!

Live!, Cool! and Sweet! Voices
A huge palette of acoustic and electronically amplified instrument sounds. A blend of long, stereo and multi-layered samples is used to fully capture the natural presence, resonance, expression and vibrato of the real instrument.

Digital Signal Processor (DSP)
237 types of the DSP effect can be added to the Main and Dual Voices. These range from reverb-like ambience effects to distortion and other dynamic processing tools that let you enhance the sound, or completely transform it.

Easy Song Arranger
In addition to each song’s default style, you can select any other style to play the song with the Easy Song Arranger feature. This means that you can play a song that is normally a ballad, for example, as a bossa nova, as a hip-hop tune, etc. You can create totally different arrangements by changing the style with which a song is played. You can also change the song’s melody Voice and the keyboard Voice for a complete change of image.

Performance Assistant Technology (P.A.T.)
Play along with a song on the instrument’s keyboard and produce a perfect performance every time … even if you play wrong notes! All you have to do is play on the keyboard–alternately on the left- and right-hand ranges of the keyboard, for example–and you’ll sound like a pro as long as you play in time with the music.

Music Database plus External Files
You want to play music in your favorite style, but you’re not sure how to select the best Voice and style for the type of music you want to play… simply select the appropriate style from the Music Database included with the DGX640. The panel settings will automatically be adjusted for the ideal combination of sounds and style! Furthermore, this instrument allows Music Database files transferred from a computer or stored on a USB flash memory device. These files can be used in the same way as the internal Music Database.

USB TO DEVICE
The USB TO DEVICE on the instrument allows you to connect USB memory devices such as flash drives or hard drives, enabling you to save or load registrations and user songs created on the instrument, as well as read data from the connected device such as MIDI files or style files.

USB TO HOST
Dive in and take advantage of the wide world of computer music software. Connections and setup are exceptionally easy, and you can play back your computer-recorded parts with different instrument sounds – all from a single instrument.

Easy Performance with Music Notation Display
When you play back a song, the corresponding score will be shown on the display. This is a great way to learn how to read music. If the song contains lyric and chord data, the lyrics and chords will also appear on the score display.

Yamaha Education Suite (Y.E.S.)
An advanced set of helpful learning tools built into the instrument, letting you teach yourself how to play and perform. Y.E.S. helps you master a song with easy lesson steps. Each lesson can be done in isolation with either your left hand or right hand, or both.

Optional three-pedal unit (LP-7A)
The pedal unit has three foot pedals that produce a range of expressive effects similar to those produced by the pedals on an acoustic piano.

 

Yamaha DGX640 Reviews

1) “This instrument will provide the right sort of piano ‘feedback’ for little fingers”

Yamaha DGX-640 is very good value. It plays like a real grand piano, sounds like a real grand piano and is not expensive. While the action is not as good as on some more costly instruments, the volume could be a little louder, and it doesn’t come in a nice furniture-style cabinet – it looks definitely like a ‘stage’ keyboard – the DGX-640 is a good compromise that may only disappoint top-notch professional pianists used to playing top-notch acoustic instruments. I can say this with some conviction because I was a professional keyboard player myself – yet I am far from being disappointed with the Yamaha DGX-640. Of course I would love to own and play a big acoustic concert grand. Wouldn’t we all? But like most people I cannot afford one of those and wouldn’t have room for such a thing in my house. So I think that DGX-640 is the next best thing – not least since, unlike a big acoustic concert grand, it has lots more to offer than mere piano sounds along with numerous automatic accompaniments that can make even the most inexperienced players sound ‘nor arf bad really’.

Consequently DGX-640 is also a good instrument if you want to send your children to piano lessons. This instrument will provide the right sort of piano ‘feedback’ for little fingers and, when practising is over, will provide loads of fun. Moreover, if the kids get fed up with piano lessons, or are forced to give them up due to pressure of school work later on – as seasoned parents will readily tell you happens ‘a lot’ – with DGX-640 you will not have spent a fortune on something that is totally useless to all but competent pianists. Even rank amateurs with no previous playing experience will get some pleasure – and a lot more – out of a DGX-640 than they would from an acoustic piano or more ‘pianistically orientated’ digital one with far less features and sounds. Whereas if you want DGX-640 to be louder, via the rear headphone socket you can easily connect it to a home hi-fi system or to one of the small, relatively inexpensive keyboard amplifiers around these days. Mind you, I don’t think that most people
will feel it necessary to do that. Although DGX-640 is not as loud as some more costly instruments I reckon it’s quite loud enough for your average living room – mine certainly.

In addition, compared to my other Yamaha piano – a CP300 – DGX-640 is much lighter and can easily be lifted onto its stand by an average-sized person. Conversely, CP300 needs two people to move it at all times.

Just one other thing. If you decide to go for the DGX-640 get the LPA-7 pedal board as well. It only adds another fifty-five quid to the price and gives you the same three pedals you’ll find on an acoustic grand piano. The small footswitch damper pedal supplied as standard with DGX-640, while perfectly adequate, is far from ideal. I am prejudiced against these things anyway because, on stage, they used to drive me mad by sliding about all over the place on the shiny boards. But the substantial LPA-7 pedal unit bolts securely to the DGX-640 stand and is a far better solution all round.

In summary then,

PROS

1. Not expensive;
2. Sounds and plays like a real piano;
3. Loads of instrument sounds and automatic accompaniments;
4. USB memory stick slot for saving songs/settings;
5. USB socket on the rear for connecting to a computer;
6. Rear ¼-inch stereo jack socket for headphones or for connecting to external amplifier;
7. Runs off 12 Volts DC – so can be used away from mains power;
8. Large monochrome screen, which displays settings and also musical notation;
9. It’s from YAMAHA – the largest piano-maker in the whole world.

CONS

1. Could be louder;
2. ‘Action’ not Yamaha’s best – but pretty good nonetheless.

And that’s about it – the Yamaha DGX-640 Portable Grand Piano. Both thumbs well up from me.

This is my new piano:

Review by Alister Smith (25/11/2012)

2) “My Daughter is thrilled with it”

Hi Graham

My 14 year old Daughters music teacher recommended a Yamaha P-35 as good quality for the price. We looked at this and the local music shop also showed us the P-105B which is the next model up.

I actually rang up Yamaha as I was not sure how the recording features worked, ultimately after a discussion with Yamaha, they actually recommended a DGX-640 for my Daughter. After finding a good price on the internet, I ordered one.

It was after I had ordered the DGX-640 that I saw your website. As I have no musical background, I downloaded your guide just for interest.

Although not mentioned directly, I think your general comments in the guide backed up the choice, so it put my mind at rest at spending the £500 on the keyboard.

My Daughter is thrilled with it and I think as she progresses it will allow her to be a little more creative going forward and so keep her interest up (rather then just a piano function).

After just a couple of weeks, she has already worked out how to play a bass backing track using some timing system, record it and play it back as she plays the piano, so that has impressed me!

Review by Paul Burfield (27/02/2013)

Read more reviews of the Yamaha DGX640

 

Dear Graham,

I downloaded your book.  It has been a great help!  We are looking for a digital piano as a bit of fun for our 3 children.  They all enjoy playing – my daughter who is 11 hopes to be the next Adele!  We have an uprght piano too and thought a digital would be fun and versatile so they could experiment with different sounds etc.
What is your opinion on the Yamaha DGX640?  It seems to tick all the boxes and not too expensive.
many thanks
Meryl

Reply/ Hi Meryl

If it’s the versatility you want, but also a
decent sound and touch then the DGX640
is a very good choice.

To get anything much better than this
would cost more than double.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard