Yamaha PSR-SX600 is official!

[Christopher Fernandes]

Yamaha's website: https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/keyboards/arranger_workstations/psr-sx600/index.html

Yamaha's demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__aIsiAysP0 (Updated with new link that Yamaha re-uploaded with stereo sound)

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[marius9]

Seems to be a great keyboard. It doesn't have touch screen, unfortunately...
But, 100 MB for expansion... This is great!

https://youtu.be/i9wdDWbHSXM

[DerekA]

Obviously if you had the choice, you would choose SX600 over S670, but if I'd been waiting for the S670 replacement I think I'd be a bit disappointed. Sadly this just seems to be a bit of a cosmetic update with few new features.

+ More voices
+ More styles
+ More expansion memory
+ Microphone input + additional DSP (not vocal harmony)
+ Colour screen
+ Unison/accent function (this is a genuinely new feature not on any other model yet)

What's not changed is:

+ Not a touch screen (seems like a strange choice not to do that on an "SX" branded model)
+ No joystick (as above)
+ No R3
+ OS is same as before but with different font
+ Still no step edit
+ Still no organ flutes

Of course it is still an excellent keyboard, it's a shame they didn't make it more of an upgrade.

[3dc]

If the price of upcoming Medeli AKX10 with all its cool features is around 700 EUR then I am sorry but his cosmetic update for PSR-SX600 is not worth 1200 EUR! Not even compared to other brands like Korg, Roland or even Casio. I know they all have to squeeze money somehow in this hard times but this is quite pathetic for a brand like Yamaha IMHO. Very disappointing. Sadly I think I am done with Yamaha.

[marius9]

That is the starting price (that you have seen on different sites). When it will be availble in the stores, hopefully the price will be in the correct range. I see it much below 1000 EUR. We only have to wait.

[pjd]

Hi --

Yep, the entry-level SX (or S) will always be the runt of the family.

I did a quick compare of voices and effects between the S670 and the SX600. The SX600 now has SArt voices and that's quite an improvement. Yamaha also upgraded the effects, adding five Real Distortion effects which are especially good for guitar. Kit-wise, Yamaha added Real Drum Kit, Voice Funk Kit and others.

The availability of SArt guitars, sax, trumpet, brass sections, and strings bring the entry-level model up to an older model S series (almost). I remember when those five Real Distortion effects were new to the S950. 

So, the SX600 is more than a simple spiff. Not too bad. Maybe the street price will come down after S670 inventory sells off. The USA Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) seems to be $999 USD (AKA a thousand bucks). Please take the time to call and ask for a better price and don't settle for MAP.

All the best -- pj

[blackpool]

As far as after sales/warranty and forum support it would be a no brainer, you would choose Yamaha over Medeli in my  opinion .. Plus it will guarantee to load Yamaha voices and styles which are so easily available..
The price point will be at least 20% less than the 700 or it just will not sell ...end of ... Best to check on comparison sites like Price Spy .com as and when it hits the market ...
Looks like the shell and controls are really the original 670 ...hence small screen housing ...so it won't have been a deal to put out , so might be a better deal than assumed when it comes to a selling price ...
Nice board for the baby boomers who have been in musical hibernation and are coming out in their droves since lockdown and rediscovering music from their youth on maybe an E series.....well done Yamaha ..
Nice stepping stone to selling Genos's or 700/900 .
You can't have champagne for the price of lemonade ..but it's a great aperitif and a very welcome upgrade to the 670.
Keith

[SciNote]

Good to finally see an update to the 6-series.  Gee, it's only been about 5 years!  But, yeah, it really seems more like a refresh than a really new model -- kind of like what happened to the 7 and 9 series when Yamaha went from the PSR-S770 and S970 to the S775 and S975.  And $1400 list price?  Are you kidding?  Sure, the street price will probably be -- and this is just a guess -- $1000-1100, but that's still pretty high when you consider that the current model usually can be bought for about $800 or so (all prices I'm mentioning are in US dollars).  And when I look at the S670 and SX600 side by side on Yamaha's website, it does indeed look like that they use the same shell/housing for both keyboards.

Now, how about the E400 series, Yamaha?  That model is past due for an update, as well.  They put the PSR-I500 on the US website, which is good, but that is really just an Indian-music focused version of the PSR-E463 -- also appearing to use the same shell/housing as the E463 -- where the DJ groove patterns of the E463 are replaced with Indian music specific features, and a few other features are added, such as portamento and additional settings for the sustain pedal.

[3dc]

Now, how about the E400 series, Yamaha?  That model is past due for an update, as well.

New E400 series is scheduled for next year. In few weeks however Yamaha is going to release new E300 series which will show us what we can expect for E400 series next year. 

[SciNote]

New E400 series is scheduled for next year. In few weeks however Yamaha is going to release new E300 series which will show us what we can expect for E400 series next year.

Good to know!  Thanks!

[rgw]

The SX600 now has Smart Chord function which isn't even on the Genos I believe.

[Darius]

And the SX 600 has an INTEGRATED AUDIO INTERFACE - see  Owner's Manual page 97.
It will be possible to record and play MIDI + AUDIO (2 channels) between the Keyboard and a computer / tablet / IPAD, using a single USB cable.
Finally!
Darius

[blackpool]

If the price of upcoming Medeli AKX10 with all its cool features is around 700 EUR then I am sorry but his cosmetic update for PSR-SX600 is not worth 1200 EUR! Not even compared to other brands like Korg, Roland or even Casio. I know they all have to squeeze money somehow in this hard times but this is quite pathetic for a brand like Yamaha IMHO. Very disappointing. Sadly I think I am done with Yamaha.

3dc....I would hang fire on being 'done with Yamaha'  The Medeli will be a 'flash in the pan' They have not got the support/user groups, and the HUGE high quality file access Yamaha can offer. Dont get me wrong i am not trying to run Medeli down ....But this simply a decent generic board, dressed up to look like a branded Yamaha.....and it's simply never going to be.
Newbies buying this will soon realise it is just not in the same league, for several reasons and this might actually help Yamaha ...in that ....You have had a copy....now try the REAL THING!

Sorry iam maybe repeating myself here but...
The SX600 has just got to be be at least 20 to 25% cheaper than a 700 ....Or it just will not sell in my view...so I would just watch this space and PRICESPY.COM  ...and ignore the $1400 ticket you have seen.
Currently in the UK you can pick a new 700 up for under £900 ( just over $1k )  which should, put the price at around £650 here for a new SX600, with some dealer bartering of course.

Keith

[3dc]

3dc....I would hang fire on being 'done with Yamaha'  The Medeli will be a 'flash in the pan' They have not got the support/user groups, and the HUGE high quality file access Yamaha can offer.

Yeah I was just upset with Yamaha initial pricing logic. The actual retail price is set at 820 EUR at Thomann so no worries for me leaving Yamaha for now. 
About Medeli:
Well I am not so sure. Its clearly not your usual "Made in China" design and I hear they actually bought an entire orchestra studio for professional sample recording. They also hired several music professionals around the world to help them design and test this arranger. I suspect they mean serious business this time, at least with AKX10. In the end I think competition is good for business and for us consumers. Will see what future brings.     

[hans1966]

Hi Guys, my opinion is that the SX600 could have had at least a 5 'touch screen and NOT 4.3.without the touch .
Having said that,
With all the extras that it already brings, I consider that the interface plays a very important role in a arranger Keyboard, and in this case it was not taken into account.

Regards. Hans

[blackpool]

Yes 3dc... I had heard they had thrown big money at the R&D
But it will be years before they catch up with Yamaha ...if only for Legacy files ...and owners wont have this forum and the like for file resources...They will soon want more than preset !!

I would be more concerned as to what the keybed was??  I imagine if they are not penny pinching, it would be nice to see it getting a Fatar. ( Ringway China used this on some of the later RS models ) 
I have to say some of the earlier Chinese beds were not great are are still not good.

If I wanted a second board or was a Newbie....i would be buying a Korg i3 or an EK50L ...Ironically I have an i3 on order to use in tandem with my SX ( currently use a little EK50 )

Will see, its going to be interesting and i think good competition is great! .....

Keith