Heidi Marcum Electronics.

Workstation Keyboard

Yamaha Tyros 2 Workstation

My Yamaha Tyros 2 sits behind me as I write this (I can feel it beckoning me to come and play it). I first started playing a keyboard about 20 years ago and treated myself to a Yamaha Electone 8 when they first came out. Although it still plays beautifully and I have looked after it, its sounds are limited and rather synthesized compared to a modern instrument like the Tyros 2.

Costing over £2,000, the Tyros 2 was not a purchase to be made without deliberation as well as the need to convince the wife that it was money well-spent. Eventually my powers of persuasion won through and I took the leap of faith and ordered one online. The Tyros 2 Workstation arrived (complete with speakers and amplifier). The packaging was strong and protected the contents.

I spent a happy hour or so assembling the stand and keyboard having first checked to see all the parts were present. NB if you buy one, be careful what you do with the manuals in the other languages as, in with them, you will find the bolts which hold the hard-drive in place.

Eventually I was able to start playing. The vast array of coloured lights and the multi-function monitor on the workstation seem confusing to begin with but very soon it all starts to make sense and you are playing. The whole thing is surprisingly easy to get to grips with and the manual is generally easy to follow. One of the things I particularly liked about the manual was that someone has thought about the human element - I've bought my new keyboard, I want to play it, not waste time reading pages from a manual. All you need to do to begin with is read the quick guide - come back and read the full version when you're on your way.

The Tyros 2 is an easy-to-play instrument. For beginners, it has a single-finger chord option, a 'follow the music' feature and a metronome which is useful for highlighting the beat. For more advanced musicians, there is a powerful mixing and editing deck, a built-in synthesizer, drum kits and a vast array of play-along backing rhythms. In fact, that is what I wanted and what I like about the Tyros 2 - it is a real 'play-along' fun instrument.

Saving tracks is easy and they can be exported as WAV files to your PC for conversion to MP3 and burning onto CD using a USB Flash key.

The only snag I had with the workstation was that the optional hard drive (definitely required) was missing and I had to call the supplier to get one sent to me.

Well, that's me - I'm off now to play my Yamaha Tyros 2.

About the Author

Read more about my experiences with my new Yamaha Tyros 2 or see our Helpful Guides 1 or Helpful Guides 2 for more reviews and useful information.

Roland GW-8 Keyboard Workstation $999 Roland GW-8 Keyboard Workstation

Raxxess Etude Keyboard Workstation $399.99 Raxxess Etude Keyboard Workstation

Roland Fantom-G6 Workstation Keyboard $2547.09 Roland Fantom-G6 Workstation Keyboard

Roland Gw-8 Keyboard Workstation $999 Roland GW-8 Keyboard Workstation

Etude Sf Keyboard Workstation $418.99 ETUDE SF KEYBOARD WORKSTATION

Roland GW-8 Keyboard Workstation 889406743021 $849.15 Roland GW-8 Keyboard Workstation 889406743021

Roland Fantom-G6 Workstation Keyboard 889406692695 $2379.15 Roland Fantom-G6 Workstation Keyboard 889406692695

Yamaha Tyros4 Arranger Workstation Keyboard $5299.99 Yamaha Tyros4 Arranger Workstation Keyboard

Yamaha Tyros3 Arranger Workstation Keyboard $4599.99 Yamaha Tyros3 Arranger Workstation Keyboard

Used Yamaha Mm6 Keyboard/Workstation $379.99 In Store Used USED YAMAHA MM6 KEYBOARD/WORKSTATION

Korg M3 88-Key Music Workstation Keyboard $2699 Korg M3 88-Key Music Workstation Keyboard

Casio WK-6500 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation $299.99 Casio WK-6500 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation

Korg M3 73-Key Music Workstation Keyboard $2299 Korg M3 73-Key Music Workstation Keyboard

Open Labs MiKo LXD Portable Keyboard Workstation $4185.09 Open Labs MiKo LXD Portable Keyboard Workstation

Korg M3 61-Key Music Workstation Keyboard $1899 Korg M3 61-Key Music Workstation Keyboard

Casio WK-7500 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation $449.99 Casio WK-7500 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation

Casio WK210 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation $159.99 Casio WK210 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation

Casio WK210 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830291555 $99.5 Casio WK210 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830291555

Casio WK-200 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation $149 Casio WK-200 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation

Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830070822 $339.99 Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830070822

Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830162206 $339.99 Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830162206

Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830079511 $339.99 Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830079511

Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830051296 $339.99 Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830051296

Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830123382 $339.99 Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830123382

Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830037535 $299.99 Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830037535

Korg M3 88-Key Music Workstation Keyboard 889406925342 $2024.25 Korg M3 88-Key Music Workstation Keyboard 889406925342

Korg M3 88-Key Music Workstation Keyboard 889406727229 $2294.15 Korg M3 88-Key Music Workstation Keyboard 889406727229

Korg M3 88-Key Music Workstation Keyboard 886830078989 $2294.15 Korg M3 88-Key Music Workstation Keyboard 886830078989

Korg M3 88-Key Music Workstation Keyboard 886830112171 $2294.15 Korg M3 88-Key Music Workstation Keyboard 886830112171

Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 889406789098 $200 Casio WK-3800 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 889406789098

Casio WK210 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830365140 $99.5 Casio WK210 76-Key Digital Keyboard Workstation 886830365140

Korg M3 73-Key Music Workstation Keyboard 889406717435 $1954.15 Korg M3 73-Key Music Workstation Keyboard 889406717435