Yamaha PS-30 Portasound Keyboard

[@AngieOwlglass]

I love it! It was my first keyboard. I miss it.

[@MarcKloos]

Yep, mine as well, back in 81. Next I got a Yamaha PSR-36 and a PSS-480 ('85 or so). And now I have (after many many years or not playing anything) a PSR-e353 (2019). Don't know where the PS-30 ended up, but I still have the other 2!

[@bestrickie2]

When I buy a Genos I'll get my hands on the expansion pack of this keyboard and other stunning packs. YES I look forward to this indeed.

[@themadsamplist]

You can press multiple rhythm buttons together so it plays those rhythms together. It also makes the Arp go crazy

[@KeyboardKrazy49]

That was probably the best easter egg feature on this keyboard and way ahead of its time! There are a total of about 22 additional rhythms by pressing multiple rhythm buttons

[@MarcKloos]

My first keyboard was a PS-20! Then came a PSS-36, a PSR-480 and only recently a PSR-E353 when I picked up playing again! I still remember those rhythms. And I'm note sure if it was a real feature that you could combine rhythms or not, but it did work.

[@jockrobertson9731]

hi there mark. i picked up a ps20 the other day and am loving it! is there much difference between the ps20 and the ps30? thanks :)

[@kiskadar69]

@@jockrobertson9731 The PS-30 has a "solo" voice section that can layer the highest currently played note with an additional voice, that is produced by a more sophisticated monophonic sound generator. This solo voice employs a real analogue filter envelope and produces a wonderful analogue synthesizer timbre.

[@KeyboardKrazy49]

If you can get a PS-55 and wanted one just to mess with the old sounds, you should get it, I know it doesnt have the analogue drums like the PS-20/30, its still quite rare and has some cool sounds but not as rare as the PS-20/30, PS-20 seem to appear on ebay more often than the PS-30, if you could, get both the PS-55 and PS-20/30 models and comparis them, I have both models myself! Hope this helps you on the keyboards :)

[@quikstiks4781]

Beach House it all over the Teen Dream album and you can hear them using it live in various videos. The band talked about picking it up in a thrift store a few years back a youtube interview. It's a decent one trick pony, not so easy to pick up in a hurry, but it's usually pretty cheap £15-30/$30-50 when it does appear.

[@analogasmr]

Yep, she does. It's on "Love of Mine", my favorite song of theirs!

[@roetsj]

I own one also in pristine condition,like new,indeed it sounds very analog,fuller and rounder then the PS-55 which I also have. Use them with some nice analog guitar pedals like a chorus or a phaser! I like these keyboards,can make some very involving music with them,buy them if you can,even when you're used to "real"analog synths.

[@bdog840]

I was at a pawn shop and seen a PS-30 right away I remembered your video. I must say this was a beautiful keyboard in great shape too. I took it for a test run and it seemed the volume controls need a bit of cleaning other than that a great deal for $25. Next to that one I've seen a PSR-75 for $29.

[@flametop93]

Nice work, thank you! Saw one for sale in London and wasn't sure about it. Now I know! The Vibraphone sound is particularly fine . . . !

[@KeyboardKrazy49]

@ignacioambort Yes I know quite a bit about the PS-25, if you see my video of my PS-55, its almost the same as that keyboard except that the PS-25 doesnt have as many features as my 55, the PS-55 has stereo speakers, 16 sounds, 16 solo sounds, 16 rhythms, chorus and tremollo effects. The PS-25 has 1 speaker on the left, 10 sounds, 10 rhythms, it didnt have solo sounds and it didnt have chorus and tremollo effects. Hope this info about the PS-25 helps =)

[@ethanoreilly2002]

Just picked one up today it's a throughly nice keyboard! Mine needs some tlc but for £10 you can't go wrong

[@KeyboardKrazy49]

Thank you for your comment, £10 for the PS-30, nice! You got it for a steal there, I hope you manage to give it some good tic, it’ll definitely be worth parting £10 with! Thanks for watching!

[@FreshTrooperXBL]

Was the Harpsichord sound demoed with a Philip Glass song? It sure felt like 1980’s Philip Glass.

[@KeyboardKrazy49]

@ignacioambort sp-25, whats that? unless you meant the sp-250 which is a korg portable digital piano

[@andrewmelnyk6416]

Great review, thank you!

[@cristobalplatz]

this keyboard sounds very similar to analog electones, including the rhythm patterns and arpeggios. maybe is the same hardware on a smaller box?

[@uniblab_2024]

Just from this video, it sounds like this keyboard has a brighter, more aggressive tone than the PS-35 /PS-55 range. It surprised me because I figured that a newer fancier keyboard would have a more advanced filter and wouldn't be duller in tone.. I just got a PS-35 on eBay a few days ago because it seemed similar to the PSR-40 I had when I was growing up and I'm looking to properly learn how to play. Also noticed that the sounds on the PS-30 sound a bit more "square-wave-ish" than the PS-35. Am I crazy? Love your videos :-)

[@8-biternie944]

The ps-55 is pretty damn loud.....

[@cindycox57]

I need the plastic slide switch cover do you know hoe to get one pr where? It works just want to replace cover

[@Psilocy-ben]

Does this keyboard sound way more vintage/analog (I know it is analog) than the ps 55 which is digital I believe? I found a good deal on the ps55 however I really want the ps20-30. I am looking to get that old nostalgic sound, should I not waste my time with the 55? Thanks!

[@flametop93]

Fab, but what about the Vibes sound? The one as used in The Noveltones - Left Bank Two - Vision On Gallery Theme I mean. Or have I got it wrong?

[@boitoy666]

do you know anything about the yamaha automatic bass chord system? I just picked one up random at goodwill and am having trouble finding info on it

[@markmckinney6129]

What was the difference between this and the PS-20 and PS-10? I believe they all came out the same year.

[@lebocharp]

wow, if you do decide to sell this one day, i would gladly buy it from you!

[@PRM-RECORDS]

отличный инструмент!! )) Кайф!

[@tayfbilg]

Vintage sounds indeed. Does it have a midi output on the back?

[@KeyboardKrazy49]

Thanks for your comment! Definitely some vintage sounds on this keyboard, one of the best early 80s keyboard I own! I’m afraid it doesn’t have MIDI outputs, this keyboard came out in 1981 and if I remember correctly, MIDI interface didn’t feature in musical instruments until 1983 onwards. Thanks for watching!

[@ohiorichkidbeats]

can it record a sequence or be ran to garageband or ableton,just got the pss460

[@diyoscope4874]

Cool video man... thanks

[@bestrickie2]

Nice 1 Mick.

[@KamranMamedi]

i found a keyboard like this on second hand for 35 euro. Turns out this shit is antique.. Woop woop!!

[@koksikakkelovnen8834]

Just got my hands on a PS20 at a thrift shop.... dirt cheap ! awesome !.. Now, the volume pot needs some greasing. Any1 knows how to open this thing ? There are a number of screws on the bottom, but it doesn't come apart just by taking them out .. TIA

[@KeyboardKrazy49]

Have you opened the battery lid because there might be a screw inside there, I've done that a few times before, I always thought I have taken all the screws out the keyboard but sometimes I miss the one inside the battery compartment

[@koksikakkelovnen8834]

My battery compartment has a trafo that connects to AC 240 volts- no screws inside. When I remove all screws from the bottom it doesn't fall apart as I expect it to. There must be some way to open it without using brute force. But thanks for the reply.

[@koksikakkelovnen8834]

exactly! who'd 'ave thunk ? The volume slider is hard to get to still. Would like to fix it.

[@crossroadsrva3886]

Do you know anyone who has the PS30 for sale? My grandfather had one when I was a kid, and I'd give anything to be able to play it again! Cheers... Forrest

[@thomasgrant6909]

Nintendo rules! I want a PS-30!

[@tonyburgessful]

does any one know where I can buy one?

[@johnbernard17]

+Tonyburgessful You can buy one on ebay.com, okay.

[@davidworthen635]

This has Beach House written all over it

[@m.j.8226]

David Worthen They actually have used the PS-30 for multiple songs so you're correct!

[@innerspacerace9196]

I just bought a a PS 20

[@ggcmod]

I also had one, and I modified the switch system to keep them down when the others went down, so the sounds mixed together!

[@innerspacerace9196]

@@ggcmod Great idea

[@taylertron]

I'm pretty sure Victoria Legrand of Beach House uses this keyboard

[@BennieTarrMusic]

My Goodness... That harpsichord sound is terrible! If this thing is a 1981, it's 3 years pre-DX-7... And the DX-7 harpsichord sounds sucks too! But my goodness are those things fun to program. Yamaha's decision to make a portable keyboard with full sized keys was right on! Your accent is great! 'Monafonik'... Hahahaha...

[@clothearednincompoop]

@ColaberMilk On the video we can clearly hear that the "solo sounds" are indeed monophonic.