Is hte PSR-E363 worth buying in 2024?

[Toril S]

Someone is selling a PSR-E363 near me, the price is half the price of the newer models. But is it worth it? I have the big beasts, but it would be nice to have a light keyboard too. I am not a big fan of the convoluted menu system of the E keyboards, but the sound is not so bad. Let it pass, or go for it?

[Amwilburn]

Not only does the 373 sound better, but the 383 is here now... I guess it depends on how much less? The 373 sounds pretty good, actually, and I'd take that as a small portable (although the Casio CT series is still smaller and lighter). I didn't like the piano sound on the 363, but I do like it on the 373. I'm assuming the 383 sound great. Comes down to the price and the condition.

Mark

[ChrisH]

Hi Toril

Just a few weeks ago you said you disliked of the E383 due to:
1. The dreaded function button.
2. You can import only 10 styles, and the way to do it is convoluted.
3. Only 2 variations, and no dedicated buttons for them.
4. NO TRANSPOSE BUTTONS ON THE PANEL!!
The last one nearly broke my heart
Same reasons that I dumped my E373 so surely the E363 is much the same??

Chris

[Toril S]

Thanks Mark and Chris! Thanks for reminding me Chris😀 All this is true. Dedicated buttens are much better for me. The price and size is tempting, but I will pass😀

[ChrisH]

Hi Toril

I also had a memory issue with amount of user space for styles. (Dunno if you have tried the Style collection under STYLES/OTS  posted under "oldies" by Charley but they are song based rather than "style" based and are VERY close to the originals so you can recognise the song just from the intro)  I use them rather than MDB files!)  Even on my old S650 I can get at least 30 song based styles with it's limited memory. They are only SSF1 files but still sound unbelieveable ..well worth trying!!!

Chris

[Toril S]

Thanks😀

[pjd]

I've got a general strategy for low-end 'boards -- buy the newest one.

Low-end keyboards are not as well constructed as mid-range and are not as durable. Plus, Yamaha really does spiff each generation. The price difference (delta) between buying used and new is not very much, so why short-change yourself? 

It's not a Genos after all... 

-- pj

[p$manK32]

Have you looked into the Korg EK-50? I had one before I got the SX900. For your needs it might be too much cost (approx. $499) and weight (16.5 lbs.) compared to the Yamaha E series, but it is much lighter and less bulky than a PSR/SX. It sounds good and you get a different set of arranger styles than Yamaha. It also doesn't feel like a toy. There is a Setting button that you have to go into, but it doesn't feel as poor as the E series Function button. There's a lot of pressing and holding buttons and simultaneously moving the dial wheel to adjust part volumes etc. but it all feels pretty intuitive. There are octave and transpose buttons on the panel. You can add styles but not sure how many.

Rich

[Amwilburn]

I second that, the EK50 is really good at that price point (although it's actually over double the price of the E373 & E383). About 2.4 x the price, in fact.

The add on styles are kinda odd; you can download and add a single pack (with drum samples!) and they contain between 20 and 40 styles. But the styles sound really good, and easily better than the EX50 or PSRe473, although the PSRe473 has the added fun of sampling). And yes, the EK50 is nicely compact.

Mark

[p$manK32]

the EK50 is nicely compact.

Yes. I noticed the E373's portability was not better than the EK-50. EK-50 is just a little heavier. The EK-50 was my first arranger keyboard. I sold it when I got the SX900 and then got an E373 to have a cheaper lighter keyboard, but I realize now I should have kept the EK-50. The EK-50 is probably the competitor to the E473 more so than the E373.

Rich

[SciNote]

You may want to consider a PSR-E400 series keyboard.  They're still lightweight and not very expensive, but they do tons more than the E300 series.  They typically have more sounds and styles, and starting with the E453 on up, can load up to 10 additional onboard styles (the E433 and E443 can load up to 5 additional styles).  Starting with the E433 on up, they have 32 registrations -- arranged in 8 banks of 4 registrations, whereas the E300 series -- at least up to the E373 -- has only nine.  I just checked the manual for the E383, and it is slightly better with ten registrations.

Additionally, the E400 series keyboards have a built-in mini-synthesizer that allows you to change the filter and envelope generator settings of most sounds, allowing you to create entirely new sounds, and these settings can be saved in a registration.  These settings can be changed for the main and dual voices (the two right-hand layered voices) independently.  However, they cannot be adjusted for the left-hand split voice.  Also, many of these functions are accessible through live-control knobs.

Finally, the E473 is the first model with with dedicated buttons on the panel for octave and transpose -- it looks like you have to use a shift key for transpose, but at least you don't have to menu-dive to get to it!

It is pretty well documented that the key feel of these keyboards peaked with the E433, and that the later models, while not bad, do not seem as crisp as the E433.  And of course, the E400 series keyboards are more expensive than the E300 -- but you get a lot more features.

[Toril S]

Thanks a lot guys😀👍🏼 I will check out those models.

[ChrisH]

Thanks SciNote

However I use song based styles as gig disks so 5 user styles would be hopeless as I would need to add 5 styles play them then delete them and load another 5 styles so even 10 user styles would be a pain to have to do. Do the 400 series have the arranger 3 intro/4 variation/3 endings setup that the 300 series don't have? If not that would also be a no no cos my user styles often use one intro to start and then the other two as middle 8 breaks.  I did have an E373 but sold it as it simply didn't have any player features so fell back on my 13 year old S650 .. Pity as the sounds and weight/size are awesome. I think education series tend to focus on the learning features rather than playing ones especially the 300 and lower which is great for students!!

[SciNote]

Unfortunately, no, the E400 series keyboards still only have 2 style variations.  As for intro and ending, I'm not sure if it just one of each, or two -- one for each variation.  I want to say that they may have the capability of 2 intros/endings, but that this is seldom done.  Maybe someone more knowledgeable about the E400 series styles can weigh in here, but it is definitely only 2 variations.

[ChrisH]

Thanks Bob

Yeah my E373 just a combined intro/ending and then you had A and B variations so not a lot has changed on the 400 series apart from transpose and octave up and down. I would have thought that being a far more recent device Yamaha could have allocated a little more memory compared to 10 year and older keyboards. 

The update is much appreciated as I have never played a 400 series keyboard. Despite it's age I really do love my S650 arranger as it is the closest I could find at a used price point to my SX900 in features (sadly no multipads but we have to sacrifice some features when you want a keyboard in the $400 used price bracket that compares to one 5 times the price!