difference between psr500 and psr500m

[ekurburski]

Can anyone tell me the difference between the psr500 and the psr500m?

[SciNote]

As I always say, someone feel free to correct me or to add any relevant info if I am wrong or if I left anything out, but as I have researched this in the past, as far as I can tell, the only difference is that the PSR-500M has a different coloring scheme to the labeling and the buttons on the panel to make it look more like a professional instrument and less like a "home keyboard."  (Maybe "M" = "Musician"?)  It may have also come packaged with the AC adapter power-pack, but I'm speculating here.

I owned a PSR-500 a long time ago (when it was a current model), and to me, it represents the point when Yamaha really got serious about their home keyboards by including very high quality AWM (advanced wave memory) sounds, and the ability to not only layer and split the keyboard, but to also control the volume and octave of each part, as well as add reverb.  This all allowed for such variety in sound that I literally sold my DX-7 so I could purchase the PSR-500.

[ekurburski]

ty for a very good answer.  I too had a 500, purchased well in Germany from Sears.  Played many a gig with it b4 getting my 740.  Now have the 740 and a 3000 but drasticall miss the steel guitar sound.

[jorgino]

Hello,

The PSR500, PSR500m and PSR85 are all the same exact keyboard with a few visual differences:

The 500 has grey, orange, yellow, black and purple buttons.
The 500m has orange, yellow, black and purple buttons, the digits for both rhythm and voice sections are also black. No grey buttons, this keyboard was only available from music stores, hence the 'M', and supposedly no grey buttons make it look more professional next to other higher-end equipment??? I fail to see the logic here but that was Yamaha in the 90's.
The PSR-85 has blue, red, grey, orange, green and yellow buttons, no black. The speaker grid is also different with an imitation bass boost that does nothing and the music desk is also different.
Most importantly, inside of these are EXACTLY the same boards, with the extent that the PSR85 boards are labeled PSR500, so they have the same everything inside.