Right out of the box, I was surprised by the PSR2000! The manual and patch guide were very comprehensive, including all the information I could possibly need to use the unit in any situation from song composition to live performance, right down to the midi implementation charts. The controls are so logically laid out that I was able to quickly set up and begin making music without referring to the manual, however once I did dig in to the manual, the wealth of features and abilities of this unit began to become more apparent.
Sounds, Sounds & More Sounds!
The list of patches is quite extensive providing a rainbow of sound color possibilities in every genre of music, from Big Band to Dance to Rock N Roll. The horn layers and Hammond organ sound were particularly sweet. When set to a style, there were several versions of that style to choose from, all very unique, and as an on the fly song creation tool I really enjoyed the sync start and ending buttons which allowed me to sound like a keyboard pro with very little effort. The sheer number of songs that come with the unit and the ability to download more lead me to believe this would also be a powerful karaoke machine. With the mic input that allows you to sing through the unit and add effects to your voice such as reverb, compression, delay and even harmonies that can be key controlled by your left hand I believe it would be great for a small club or coffee house. The speakers were clean even at moderate volume levels, and they stay on for monitoring, even when using the line outs to go to an amplifier or PA.
Everything But The Kitchen Sink
The included keybord survival kit is very complete with a mic, a set of headphones, a sustain pedal and a CD-Rom with drivers for you to interface the unit with your Mac or PC computer with an optional RS232 or RS422 cable. The kit also contains a questionnaire that when sent in, extends the warranty to 2 years parts and labor. I believe this to be quite a comprehensive stand-alone package that would be great for everyone from families looking for a great entertainment machine to performing musicians and songwriters.
