Yamaha Sonogenic SHS-500 keytar comes with a built-in sound-engine and can also be used as a wireless MIDI controller. This strap-on synth, comes with 30 built-in sounds (pianos, synths and drum kits).
“It a musical keyboard that can be held like a guitar – that enables young music fans to play famous hit songs, regardless of musical ability,” Yamaha.
The Sonogenic SHS-500 is more of a beginner keyboard (that can grow with the user). USB audio streaming and MIDI make it a full-featured controller and audio interface rolled in one.
The keytar ships with Yamaha’s Chord Tracker app, and one of its interesting feature is that it can make the Sonogenic Keytar play the right chords and appropriate soloing notes to any of your favorite songs (picked from the music library on your mobile). Yamaha calls this the ‘instrumental karaoke’ concept. The apps sends all the information (chord, notes) as midi data over Bluetooth. This will encourage even beginners to play along to their favorite songs.
The SHS-500 offers Bluetooth MIDi support. It allows the keytar to control software-based synths and virtual instruments on a laptop/computer/mobile smart device, while your move around the stage without worrying about the wires.
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I see Yamaha repurposed the VKB-100 VOCALOID Keytar. They seem to have ripped out the Hatsune Miku and replaced her with this chord intelligence business.
But why do these companies keep doing this – the volca drum launches at $169 – but preorders open at $149, the Elektron sample $450 but presaleing at $399, this now supposed to be $500 but presale @ $299…. honestly putting the big price tag up first just immediately turns off buyers. I think the only accurate price so far is the volca modular which stayed @ $199