Yamaha PSR-S975, a 61-key professional arranger, if the flagship arranger workstation in the PSR series. Realistic backing tracks, expressive voices, microphone input, and stunning vocal harmony engine makes it an excellent performance keyboard, be it for stage use or in the studio or at home.
Highlights
- Massive library of production-quality sounds, expansion packs available
- Array of controls for performing and songwriting
- 7″ widescreen color display, Audio recording, Vocoder effects
Introduction
The Yamaha PSR-S975 is an arranger Workstation keyboard that will appeal to both the professional musician as well as to the casual hobbyist. This keyboard offers hundreds of easy-to-use auto-accompaniment styles that can be used to provide backing rhythms (with very little effort) for a wide variety of music styles.
The PSR-S975 can be expanded with Yamaha’s Voice and Style Expansion packs. The keyboard has the ability to record and play back full-quality WAV audio or MP3 files — and even record yourself directly to a USB thumb drive.
Useful for accompanying, songwriting, creating demos, the Yamaha PSR s970 keyboard comes with realistic sounds, great styles, and several more features now. It’s more like a mini-Tyros, minus the price-tag.
- PROS: Realistic & powerful Sounds, Easy to Use, Great Styles And Voices
- CONS: Keys are not weighted. Limited sound-editing capabilities, LCD could have been better, no 76 keys
- BEST USES: Accompaniment. One Man Band. Recording
Yamaha PSR s975: Review
Here’s our first impression of the Yamaha PSR s975:
It comes with better voices, effects and styles.
The accompaniments are excellent and it’s easy to find a suitable accompaniment for any type of song.
Comes with audio styles (features recordings of professional drummers and percussionists from around the world), the styles however only work within a certain tempo range.
The speakers are lot better compared to the earlier versions.
The Vocal Harmony is perhaps the best on the market that is available in an arranger keyboard. At the touch of a button, you can add three real sounding background singers.
The Audio Link Multi-Pad lets you easily trigger WAV files, stored on USB flash drives, from the Multi-Pads.
The Mp3 playback & new speaker system is stunning, however it needs an elaborate setup to incorporate the mp3 player into a live performance.
You can easily save your favorite styles to a flash drive if you wish.
The factory presets are protected and can’t be changed.
It is still lightweight and easy to transport; suitable for gigs.
The new design of the Yamaha PSR-S970 gives you total control over the voices, styles, effects and other functions during live performance, thanks to the two assignable live controllers, a modulation wheel and two assignable foot pedal inputs. DJ Styles are a a new addition, comes in handy during live performances; it features a collection of cool-sounding chord progressions, freeing your hands for other activities.
Yamaha PSR s975: Features
Here’s why the PSR-S970 is your personal production studio.
Well-Stocked Sound Set
With nearly 1500 sounds (grand pianos, orchestral pads, synths, percussion, organ flutes), you will have inspiration at your fingertips. Super Articulation voices sound like real acoustic instruments — capturing articulations like note bends, trills, fall-offs, and staccato arpeggios during performance. For even more possibilities, you can download more sounds with Yamaha’s Voice and Style Expansion packs.
Total control over your music
The PSR-S975 comes with two assignable live controllers, a modulation wheel and two assignable foot pedal inputs, that gives you have total control over Voices, styles, effects and other functions during live performance. Also, DJ Styles are a new live performance concept, featuring a collection of chord progressions that eliminate the need for continuous chord changes with the left hand. Now you’ve got both hands free to play melody lines, use the Live Controllers, or even trigger additional external audio with the Multi Pads to add a unique flair to your performance.
Audio Styles: More than just MIDI
PSR-S975 comes loaded with 450 wide-ranging Styles. It also comes with 40+ cutting-edge Audio Styles, with live, time-stretchable recordings of audio drum and percussion ensembles from around the world. You also get Guitar-Enhanced Styles, which reproduce chord voicings used by guitarists to add more realism to your playing.
Record MIDI & Audio
Features a flexible MIDI sequencer and audio recorder. You can record your compositions with the 16-track sequencer. You can even plug in a microphone or guitar and record audio along with your sequence (you can add Vocal Harmony as well).
Vocal Processing
You can use vocal processing features, like reverb, chorus, and even a Vocoder. Pitch Shift allows you to change the track in a key that you’re comfortable singing in, without changing the tempo.
Easy Storage of Your Music
Plug in a USB drive and record your sequenced compositions as .WAV audio, directly to USB memory — or record your live playing or singing with MP3 files on the USB stick.
Karaoke Night
The PSR s975 can be used as a Karaoke machine as well. The Vocal Cancel function lets you suppress the vocal track in the audio file you want to play, so you can sing your favorite songs karaoke-style. You see easily see the song lyrics and music notation (as the song plays) on the big, bright color screen of the PSR s970. It even comes with a RCA video out port, so that you can plug it to a bigger screen.
Competition Check
Yamaha is a well-known brand in the world of musical instruments and the Yamaha PSR is a great serious of arranger keyboards with a combination of superb functionality and sounds.
Compared to the PSR-s775, the PSR-S975 has a superior soundset, higher-quality speakers and more features.
The PSR s970 is the flagship arranger keyboard from the PSR series, perfect for those who want a top of the line arranger but do not have the budget yet for the likes of the Yamaha Genos or the Korg Pa4x.
Yamaha PSR s975: Video Demo / Review
Watch: Video review of the Yamaha PSR-S970 (and the toned down PSR S770)
World Music Expansion Packs for PSR s975
The Yamaha PSR s975 is loaded with a variety of sounds and styles, but you can expand the tonal palette further by opting for Yamaha’s Voice & Style Expansion Packs. You can choose from regional, ethnic and traditional Voices and Styles. Load them to your PSR keyboard and instantly play authentic sounds, rhythm and backing in the musical style of your choice!
You can expand your creativity with a wide range of regional, ethnic and traditional voices and styles for compatible Yamaha arranger workstations such as PSR s975/775. You can choose from several Expansion Packs that are available from the Yamaha MusicSoft website.
Yamaha PSR-S975 vs PSR-S970
Here are the differences between the two keyboards:
- The PSR-S975 has 768MB of expansion memory, the PSR-S970 has 512MB (bigger expansion memory allows you to install better quality voice expansion pack).
- The PSR s975 has more preset styles compared to PSR-S970
- The PSR-S975 has a black body whereas the PSR-S970 had a metallic dark grey body.
- There’s no aftertouch on either keyboard.
Yamaha PSR s975: Specs
Here are more features / specs.
- Has 61 keys, non-weighted, touch sensitive keys
- Massive palette of expressive voices and pro-quality accompaniments
- Has synth-type sounds
- Has 989 Polyphony voice
- Has 128-notes
- Has MIDI Connectivity and USB connectivity
- Features 450 preset sounds and 5Dis
- Has external display capability
- Has a programmable vocal harmony.
- Microphone input and Vocal Harmony
- Has split/layer performance mode
- Audio and DSP technology, Real Distortion effects, and more
- Score, Lyrics and Text display
- Time Stretch and Pitch shift
- Audio Link Multi Pad
- Audio Recording; Aux in; MP3 playback
- Voice and Style Expandability keeps your instrument up-to-date
- Mobile device-friendly, with iPhone/iPod/iPad connectivity
Buying Links
The Yamaha PSR-S975 not only delivers great performance but also has an impressive list of features that make it a very versatile product. Its great for performing, and comes with hundreds of realistic Voices and auto-accompaniment styles. It comes with microphone input and allows Audio Recording. However, it is only available in 61 keys. Packed with a massive collection of voices and styles, the Yamaha PSR s975 is perfectly suited for composing, arranging, and performing music. If you are a fan of the legendary Tyros, you will definitely love the PSR 970 because some of the features of the Tyros has been inherited by this model. It lets you add a realistic backing band to your performances, and gives you more Voices and Styles, USB recording and much more.
Yamaha’s top-of-the-line PSR arranger synth with more Voices and Styles.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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ajantha says
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MusicAly says
Everybody wants the Yamaha Tyros but it doesn’t fit most budgets. The Yamaha PSR-S970 is a much viable option. It’s absolutely unbelievable sounding machine, let’s you express musically in many ways. The internal speakers is also of top quality and its a real plus. If the Tyros is priced out of your reach, get this board; its as close as you will get to a Tyros for the money.
Max says
The sounds are incredible. The rhythms are amazing. You can eliminate vocals on songs downloaded to a flash drive, makes karaoke even more fun. Tyros 5 was too expensive but this is just right! The new technology on the 970 gives a whole new outlook to your performance. The sounds are great, and offers endless possibilities.
The gigs I play are once again sound awesome. The keys are not weighted but that’s okay (you don’t have to be a Jerry Lee – like keyboardist)