But that was yesterday. Today, the line between pro and personal keyboards has blurred to the point that it's darn near impossible sometimes to tell the difference. Standing at the top of an impressive array of Yamaha production and performance-oriented keyboards is the new PSR9000 ($3495 list). Sporting an incredible feature set that we'll get to in a minute, the PSR9000 is a versatile arranging workstation for the professional musician, an ideal live performance instrument, or the perfect keyboard for anyone who, well, just loves to sing and play.

The PSR9000 has a combination of professional features that don't exist on any other keyboard on the planet, making it the perfect choice for performing musicians or professionals to use as a writing tool. However, even with all this sophisticated music-making power, its user interface and auto-arranger functions are still perfect for beginners or hobbyists. Like its predecessor, the PSR8000, the PSR9000 is a 61-key, portable keyboard complete with microphone input, a digital mixer, vocal harmonizer, built-in audio system, and professional features like aftertouch, pitch bend and mod wheels. Designed for users at every level, the unit can be connected directly to a computer without requiring a MIDI interface, and offers full GM (and Yamaha XG) compatibility, along with sophisticated auto accompaniment features. A dedicated onboard 16-track sequencer is standard, with two record modes (Quick and Multitrack) and a huge recording capacity of 38,000 notes. In addition, the PSR9000 is fully compatible with all the software available for the PSR8000.

The stunning sound quality is some of the best ever produced by Yamaha. Sporting a full 126 notes of polyphony, the PSR9000 is also loaded with 32 MB of incredible voices that reproduce all the timbres and nuances of just about any acoustic or amplified instrument you care to name. Innovative live drum sounds contain six layers of samples which crossfade based on velocity. What's more, they have been recorded in full stereo, resulting in detail and realism that's absolutely stunning.

Though it has a full complement of "bells and whistles," a lot of attention has been paid to ease of use. The PSR9000 contains a large music database, and all interfaces have been simplified through the direct access function, one-touch settings, and on-screen guidance - a virtual necessity for any performing musician who needs to change settings quickly. In addition, a PS-2 PC keyboard input allows you to enter alphanumeric data, taking the PSR9000 to a new level of user-friendliness.

How's this for innovation: A video output allows the PSR9000 to display lyrics from a MIDI song file through a projector or directly into any television monitor. This is an attractive feature for churches that display lyrics, or for home users as a karaoke device. The list of professional features continues with 16-bit sampling capabilities, an optional hard drive (up to 8 gigabytes!), expandable RAM (up to 65 MB), MIDI in/out for external tone generators, and a SCSI port which can connect to an external storage device like a Zip drive. Four individual outputs, 12 blocks of DSP effects (including a truly convincing dual rotary speaker simulation that will blow you away), an onboard sequencer and automated mixer are ideal for recording professionals. The PSR9000 even contains a Flash ROM operating system, which enables software upgrades to be loaded from disk or directly from the Web.

Let's talk about the auto accompaniment - and we're not talking about those rinky-dink polkas and sambas that were a trademark of yesterday's portables. We're talking about everything from tight jazz to loose blues and beyond - and yes, there are still polkas and marches available, but they actually sound like real musicians playing in a real band, not the old cardboard cutout stuff. In fact, no matter what kind of music you enjoy, the PSR9000 has the perfect accompaniment onboard. Over 100 styles are provided, and all of them have been arranged by living, breathing professional musicians. Each style has its own unique four Main Variations, three Intros, three Endings, four Fill-ins and one Break Fill. Four "One-Touch Settings," any of which can be freely customized, are provided for each style.

The answer to every vocalist's dream, the PSR9000's exclusive Vocal Harmony function perfectly harmonizes your voice, adding breathtaking enhancement to your singing. Have a backup chorus provide more depth and emotion to your next ballad. Expand your vocal range with the unique Gender function (yes ladies, now you can sound like Barry White!). In addition to the digital reverbs and choruses, an abundance of dedicated vocal effects are provided, including 84 types of insert effects, noise gate, compressor and 3-band EQ. Innovations continue with a fully redesigned sound system. A pair of built-in two-way speakers offer incredibly rich, natural sound reproduction. Each speaker is actually mounted inside a wooden cabinet with a large bass port, and is powered by a 56-watt amplifier. Let's face it: Most people don't own stereo systems that are this good!

If you want to know more about the sleek, powerful (and darn good looking) PSR9000, just call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer. They'll be glad to fill in any blanks I might have missed and give you a surprisingly low Sweetwater price that's guaranteed to make you smile. So call now and ask about the astounding new Yamaha PSR9000.