I'm really interested in this keyboard myself. It looks like it checks all the boxes, but of course how it sounds is the most important factor. There are some youtube's out there, but none seem to really explore the sounds themselves. It seems to have a nice piano, but I need to know about the EP's (some of them might be too pretty and DX7-ish...I need it to be more funky and bark more) and also the Hammond sounds, and leslie sim are important.

I hope to try one out before too long, but if anyone has any info I too am anxious to hear more about this keyboard.

Since the PSR EW400 has knobs which can control effect parameters - if the EP sounds are too clean - you can adjust the effect parameters to "dirty up" the sound. I'm not sure how flexible the effect assignments are for each preset (if you can re-assign the effects used - to use distortion, for example) - but the fact that this keyboard allows you to "tap in" to many parameters is unique for this type of keyboard. I'm not aware that the mentioned YPG/DGX allow for this.

I don't have experience with it but the keybed feel of all PSR keyboards is the same as MOX6 (and MOXF6) so you should at least feel very used to that aspect if you get a EW400 coming from a MOX6.
I wouldn't much doubt that it has a lot of good sounds too (and the tweaking knobs mentioned above maybe indeed a big plus for shaping them..) but one surely could not realistically expect it to have all or even most of the sound palette of the MOX6 -which retailed between 3 and 4 times more (and contained ALL the sound of the then flagship Motif XS).

I have a PSR-S750 which cost almost the same as MOXF6 (the MOX6 successor) and was released at a similar time, and even that, while sounding on the same level most the way, does not include a fair lot of the great sounds found on MOXF6.
The only standard natural piano sound of much note on it is Yamaha's old "Grand Piano"- something found on the cheapest of PSR keyboards so I would be surprised if EW400 has something better (like Concert Grand or one of the others found in your MOX6).

Who knows though (maybe they have given it something better..) and I wouldn't hesitate trying one out if you can. It could be cool board and I'm sure even a lot of the smaller music shops would have them on display.

We highly recommend playing, actually playing, any keyboard before purchasing it. No one can tell you what the action will feel like, and certainly the action on the MOX6 and MOXF6 is different from the PSR. They are not the same action, Yamaha builds different actions for different product lines and will identify the actions in most instances. Still you should play them for yourself. Like trying on shoes, only you know what feels right.

At Yamaha we are confident in the R&D that goes into development of the action and the matching of action to soundset.

The main difference between Yamaha Synthesizers and the other electronic keyboards (PSR-E series, PSR-S series, Tyros, Genos, etc) is the *focus* of the synthesizers is on customizing. That is not to say you can’t customize things on the others, it is just the depth of the editing in the Synthesizers is dramatically more detailed.

For example, the MONTAGE has user adjustable parts, the GENOS there is not the same depth of editing. If it were an iceberg ... 80% of what Genos does is hidden from user adjustment. Where on the MONTAGE you don’t have all the same features but all you do have are fully user adjustable. We just say synthesizer, and musicians know what we mean.

PSR-S and MOXF series are very much a similar thing... it’s the depth and detail of sound editing on the MOXF that separates it from the PSR-S Series.

The sound is not compromised just because you spend less... most of the products here all feature the Yamaha CFS-III Concert Grand in some format... newer ones have the Yamaha CFX Grand... but in each product a different configuration of the data is used. In an inexpensive PSR, it’s the same piano, but a version of the data configured and prepared specifically for the product it is going to used in, and the keyboard action it is going to be played from. This, to Yamaha is an essential detail.

So when they build a piano, they record it... maybe they wind up with terrabytes worth of data... it all doesn’t get used in any single product. They can configure that data for an eight-way velocity switching Clavinova, they can configure that data for a single layer PSR keyboard that sells for under $100 dollars. They can configure it so you can build your own... take the synths, for example,... you typically get two and often three complete acoustic pianos sample sets. Both stretched tuned and flat tuned; often both mono and stereo sample sets... you literally can ‘synthesize’ your own acoustic piano from the data given in the Synthesizers...

Just FYI...

OK, sorry if i have spread disinfo. Is there anywhere in the PSR line keybeds change?

Take the PSRS950 that was sold at the same time as MOXF6 and cost about 65% more (near to 2 grand). The Moxf6 had a superior keybed you are suggesting? or a different one?

I am well acquanited with PSR since the 1990's. I've owned dozens and still do own dozens. I also had experience with lots of the then "current" PSR's from just a few years ago when I bought my PSRS750 brand new from an authorised Yamaha dealer.
The S750 keybed is no better than the keybed on the much cheaper PSR of that time as I tried lots.

I think it is at times hogwash to start "it will depend from person to person" talk. Yes, in many cases somebody will like a certain type of action more than another but the actions have to actually be different. Just because one uses different screws for example doesn't mean it's different. S950 doesn't feel better than S750 either (I never heard anybody claim it does either) and I tried Moxf and I don't think it feels different either.

The Motif series and Tyros feel far superior, completely different.

Presuming I am mistaken about the MOX and MOXF series, again can you tell of any points in the current PSR line where keybeds change. You say Yamaha are usually very clear about where yet don't see any mention anywhere whatsoever of a difference in keybeds in any PSR lines (apart from the fact very cheap entry level price ones are not touch sensitive).

Also when you say "The sound is not compromised because you spend less..most products all feature the concert grand in some format, newer ones the Yamaha CFX grand"..

I presume you just mean that the grand piano voice in each cheaper keyboard is a specially mastered take of the concert grand?
The PSRS750 was a $1000 plus dollar keyboard sold up to late 2015, before being replaced) so it's hardly old, and it only has Grand Piano in terms of standard piano sounds.
In 2015, Concert grand was found only on PSRS950 and the MOXF (or perhaps earlier moxf models). It was not on any of the sub $1799 (PSR-S950) models.

Anyway, yes, if possible it is definitely best to try a keyboard before you buy it so you can find out yourself what keybeds actually differ as far as you can tell.

Genuinely sorry if i sounded rude or have spread dis-info, i really just thought it was well agreed online that modern PSR range (except possibly the very cheapest priced ones) all share the same keybeds. In fact i also thought it was well agreed that MOXF6 series was the same keybed as PSR.

"agreed online" - that's a phrase for the ages! Totally meaningless when it comes to actual truth, however.

Action are, in the end, something like shoes, you must try on for yourself. And because misinfo or dis-info, seems to travel faster than reality or truth, we must fight a never ending battle for truth, justice and accurate information! 🙂

Actually, the MOX6 and MOXF6 have a very unique action developed specifically for the MO-series... by the synth folks
Just as the MOX8 and MOXF8 were among the very first synthesizers that Yamaha tried with Graded Hammer action.

Thing is, we try very hard to make a difference. I met with a team of Yamaha engineers on one of their 'round the world research tours where they were specifically gathering data on keyboard actions and player's reaction to these actions with different sounds. A lot of care/feeding and tons of man-hours goes into creating these keyboard actions - only to have someone "online" make up some things about them - it is not fair.

Where and when the action is mentioned or spoken about in specifications is often determined by the interest level in the target customer base. If you are buying a non-velocity sensitive keyboard, it is assumed you are not looking for a piano weighted action with key escapement and Aftertouch... if you get my drift.

If you are buying on the 'cheap' (not a word we use) but for this I'll quote you, you are not so much concerned about how it feels. It's a gift (and you'll never be playing it) or simply "how it feels" is not your main concern. So don't expect to find it listed in the specification of all models. 99% of Yamaha keyboards are built and designed entirely by Yamaha.

If you are looking for a quality instrument - you should expect to pay more. Listen to the sound (even the ones that are not touch sensitive)... If you can hear you don't hear a cheapness in sound. Where they save you money is in the elegance of the performer interface - which includes the action.

Anyway, yes, if possible it is definitely best to try a keyboard before you buy it so you can find out yourself what keybeds actually differ as far as you can tell.

That's what I'm saying - That's all we ask! No action is superior to the player that doesn't think it is... Superior is in the eye of the beholder or in the perception of the person playing it.

You seem confused by (or fixated on) price - which is normal if you are not on this side of the table. How could you know what things cost to put into products. Just because something is more expensive does not mean you can conclude anything about the action, it ain't that simple!

___ all that stuff you are talking about are just GUESSES at best!!!

And there was a CFS in all of them (all of them) trust me: ALL OF THEM!!!
All Yamaha electronic keyboards for many, many years used the Yamaha CFS or CFSIIIS Concert piano as the wave source. Don't know if you listen closely enough to identify pianos, but just recently the new CFX has found its way into some of the higher priced products (along with the Bosendorfer Imperial). Each has a distinctly different character.

Little known fact: 1983 was a very good year for the Yamaha corporation: The CFSIII, the DX7 and the Clavinova all came into being in that single year! Yikes.. what a year... all three of those innovative product lines continue in some form today!

Ok, thanks for the response. While I agree that a great lot of rubbish goes about online, I still think in some cases it is possible to find out the truth about certain (not all) products online if enough honest people who have really tried the thing come and all deliver the same verdict. That a strong “general consensus” forms rather than a "one person saying this, one person saying that" scenario.

Anyhow, I am a person who has really tried, really “actually played” (as you put it) several PSR keyboards from the recent (few years old) range when buying a PSRS-750 a few years back.
I did not find any difference between keybeds from the cheap PSR up to the S950 and I still don’t myself believe there was any.
It rather surprised me. As you say, It might be presumed that if you are buying a budget keyboard, you are not so concerned about how it feels but S750 was over $1000 dollars (somewhere roughly around same cost of MOXF6) and S950 closer to 2 grand, so they hardly qualify as that.

I also actually played a Moxf and didn’t think there was any difference, though that was at a different time and the Moxf (which belonged to a friend) was rather heavily used (he gigs with it every week at least). Maybe the keys got more “worn in” and I was mistaken there. Seems you are definitely saying that the Moxf line has a different keybed to the hi-end PSR (even the most expensive PSR which cost about 65% more) and I will definitely take your word for that. I will look forward to get my hands on MOXF again.

I would still like to hear from anybody who claims there is a difference between the keybeds of any of the current PSR models because just possibly things have changed. From my experience I would say I slightly preferred the PSR keybeds in the 90’s. I have owned a few 90’s era ones and still do own 2. They feel a shade better than my S750. One example is a cheap 1997 PSR-330. I would describe the keys as feeling lighter on the S750. The 330, despite being very heavily played has a slightly more smooth and springy feeling keybed. There is very little in it, yet still a definite difference is easily perceived.

Thanks again. It was interesting to hear about the careful unique design work that goes into particular keybeds at Yamaha.