Yamaha Electone ELA-1 (Maybe Electone will return to Europe and the USA?!)

[samhodgsonpsr]

Yamaha has recently launched a new Electone instrument in China, unlike other STAGEA models it appears a very different animal. To me, it looks like a PSR SX600 in an Electone form factor.

Although this model has only been released in China at the moment, I believe that the voicing and functionality of this Electone may make it more suitable  for European and American markets and therefore more financially viable for Yamaha.

Here is the link to the Chinese Yamaha website - https://www.yamaha.com.cn/products/show/2782/

Translated specifications:

- Three-layer keyboard, 2 expression pedals and 2 footswitches
- 4.3-inch color LCD screen, support both Chinese and English
- Two-way speaker with bass reflex port
- 919 Voices (including 67 Super Articulation Voices) and 43 Drum/Effects, 480 XG Voices
- 450 styles, including 69 variable styles: 405 professional styles, 34 concert styles, 10 DJ styles, 1 free play style
- Unison & Accent function lets the background accompaniment change with the performance
- Portable Design
- Support Rec'n'Share App and microphone connection
- Expand Voices and Styles with Yamaha Expansion Manager
- 100MB of memory available for expansion

It has 128 notes of polyphony, and initial touch on the upper and lower keyboards, the pedal keyboard doesn't appear to have any touch response function. There is also a microphone input.

This product has got me excited for a potential revival of the Electone in markets outside of Asia. I would certainly buy one if it were to be sold here in the UK.

The product shown in the demonstration videos has a Chinese panel, but the product pictures show an English panel, perhaps an indication that the product may be sold outside of China.

I'd be interested in the opinions of other forum members about this.


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[RobertM]

Hi Sam,
Very interesting, could be a Yamaha response to the Ringway series too.
I don't play pedals so wouldn't it be good if just the two manual keyboard could be sold.
Regards,
Robert.

[bpsafran]

Imteresting. What are concert styles? Does the adaptive style feature wirk with all the styles.

[Jeff Hollande]

Thank you for this information.

Wonder if we will hear more in the near future.
No HD, no USB to Device ?

Regards, JH

[mixermixer]

That's pretty interesting, though I doubt electone will return to the US. Barely anyone plays that style of music and most people that want organ will probably rent a B3 to the gig. Only thing I see is probably using it for dual synth playing.

[RobertM]

Jeff,
USB to device top right corner, same as Tyros/Genos.
Robert.

[Jeff Hollande]

It might be a nice additional commercial arranger keyboard if Yamaha should be interested in a worldwide distribution of a modified ELA-1 version, if possible. 
All accessories should be optional ( e.g. pedal keyboard etc. etc. ), IMHO.

Best regards, JH

[pjd]

Great find!

Man, if it had drawbars you could hook it up to IK Multimedia B3-X and go all Jimmy Smith on the thing. 

Some enterprising soul will figure out how to sell them grey market...

-- pj

[BogdanH]

I know, "don't judge the by the cover".. So take this writing as my personal first impression 
In my eyes, it looks kinda toy-ish all in white plastic and with that tiny display. Ok, I see it as an entry level two-bed keyboard, so one shouldn't be too critical on this department. I mean, tech specs are somewhere at SX600 level.
Now, the weight of 36kg definitely tells us, it's not really portable. Speaking for me, if I sense that I need longer (additional) keybed, then I will simply plug in some MIDI keyboard into PSR: is much cheaper and much lighter. And if I would need better performance as well, I would connect some additional PSR. Ok, that probably wouldn't be cheaper, but definitely lighter and more portable. Besides that, I can always take only one keyboard for gig, if I wish so. And finally, when some new interesting keyboard comes to market, I can always sell one of the two and replace it wit new one.
My opinion is, such keyboard is meant for those, who wish/need the complete package as on photos (incl. foot pedals). Means, for seriously learning, or for some community club and similar.
My conclusion: I'll keep my PSR 

Thanks for reading

[Jeff Hollande]

Hi Bogdan :

I have not found a consumer price for the ELA-1 but ...
the spec's do not look so bad at all, IMO.

Not comparable with other ( present ) Yamaha arranger keyboards,
I think.
It might be possible Yamaha want to sell the complete set in China only and no export to other parts of the world.
Wait and see.

Regards, JH

[SciNote]

Just seeing this now.  Probably should be in "The Next Yamaha" keyboard section -- simply because it would've been easier to find there -- but anyway...

As someone who learned to play keyboard on organ, and in fact had a Yamaha D80 as one of the organs I played back then, this is interesting.  To this day, I set up multiple keyboards like an organ.  However, I doubt it will be sold here.  There just doesn't seem to be the demand for home organs that once existed in the 1960's and 1970's, and they just got incredibly expensive.  I'm talking $50,000 US and up back in the 1990's for the larger models.  I'd be curious as to its price.  If I'm looking at Yamaha's website correctly and accessing the Japanese section, as well as interpreting the currency correctly, I'm seeing models that look kind of like this for the equivalent of $5000 to $7500, though some are cheaper -- just not sure how they compare with this new model.

Someone mentioned drawbars, and back when I had the D80, Yamaha actually offered something similar.  All of the organ sounds (like the flutes, brass, and strings, but NOT the dedicated orchestral instruments and presets) were controlled by variable volume sliders -- much like a drawbar -- instead of the typical on/off rocker switch or tab.  If you've seen pictures of the CS80 synth (or have been lucky enough to be in the presence of one), the D80's organ stops were similar to the sliding controls on the synth.  I think Yamaha should bring that back, but hey, that's just me.  Instead of 8 positions (like a Hammond drawbar), the D80 had 3 detents or positions for each stop, but you could carefully set it between detents if you wanted to.