Yamaha PSR-E473 Review

Because of this shiny new model’s stunning sound bank, onboard sampling, fresh new tone generator, and overall versatility, we couldn’t help but give this one a 10/10. You’re not going to find a portable Yamaha keyboard with more features for this good of a price. And while we can’t recommend it to classical folks who are going to be delving into hefty literature, we will definitely recommend it to nearly everyone else!

Yamaha PSR-E473 Overview

The Yamaha PSR E-473 is a 61-key portable keyboard that was released in March of 2022 / this past spring. The E-473 was released alongside the PSR-EW425, which we will be reviewing next. 

According to the manufacturer, this model allows you to “sound like a pro, express yourself, and connect and share”. (https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/keyboards/portable_keyboards/psr-e473/specs.html#product-tabs)

The PSR-E473 is a touch-sensitive keyboard with an organ-style design. It has an impressive number of voices, presets, and effects for such an economical instrument. The Yamaha PSR-E473 price is pretty reasonable, typically being sold around the $350-$500 range. In this Yamaha PSR-E473 review, we will be looking at customer reviews of the instrument, as well as key features, and some pros and cons. 

Features

Over 800 Sounds

This model features 820 different instrument voices in total. From piano tones to guitar voices to harmoniums and everything in between, I can’t even begin to describe how many options this little instrument has! There are also:

• Funky organs 
• Electronic pianos
• (Convincing!) Strings
• Vibrant brass sounds
• Drums and bass
• Synths of all kinds
• Smooth saxes

As far as featured voices go, there are a total of 3 Live! Voices, 6 Cool! Voices, and 14 Super Articulation (Lite) voices. There are also 294 panel voices, 28 drums, and SFX kits,40 arpeggios, and 458  XGlite Voices. 

Check out the three harmoniums in this video by Cherry Media.

Recording and Quick Sampling

The quick sampling tool is easily one of my favorite features in this piano. It has the options of one shot, and a loop, with a max of about 9.6 seconds apiece. While it may seem short, it’s virtually unheard of for beginner keyboards to feature onboard sampling…That is, until now! 

This instrument has a data capacity of about 19,000 notes in regards to melody tracks recorded with the auto accompaniments and grooves. On the USB audio recorder the maximum is 80 minutes per song. 

EDM-Style Groove Creator

The groove creator is pretty sick, it giving you the following options on your track: into sections, risers and section changes. Check it out  some Halloweeny vibes in this video by Moonlight Piano.

290 Stellar Presets

There are 290 automatic accompaniment styles. Some of the genres include jazz, dance, and world music. To use auto accompaniment, one plays a general outline with their left hand, and the software will follow along with you. 

An Impressive Bank of Effects

The effects in this new model include vocal effects, 12 types of reverbs, 5 types of choruses 4 master EQs, split, melody suppressor, and crossfade. In total, there are 41 types of DSP1 effects, and 12 types of DSP2 effects.

Motion Effect

One of the effects (that certainly is deserving of its own paragraph!) is the motion effect. According to the Amazon listing, “Motion Effect modifies the voices in your performance with Filter, Pitch, and Modulation effects while holding the Motion Effect button.”  That being said, this isn’t one effect, but rather, 57 effects under one name. 

Mega Boost

Mega boost is a feature that offers you 6 more decibels of sound without having to plug into a PA. I haven’t heard of this feature in any other keyboard on the market thus far, and think it is a win! 

Rec ‘n’ Share 

Rec ‘n’ share is a Yamaha app that this particular PSR was built to support. While the reviews for the app aren’t all raving, it’s still a pretty cool feature. Rec ‘n’ Share allows creatives to record your work with a video, and share it with the world. 

3 Different Packages

On Amazon.com, you can choose between three different E-473 packages:

• Standard
• FC4A assignable foot pedal
• OEM Portable Keyboard Accessory Pack with Stand, Bench, and Power Supply

These packages are all excellent deals but have been selling out very quickly. If you are in the market for one of the extra packages, keep an eye out on this Amazon page for restocks!

Other features include:

• Live control knobs
• Direct category access
• An octave button
• 5 types of scales
• Portable grand button 
• Optional battery power
• 126 types of arpeggio effects voices
• 26 harmony/echo effects voices

Specifications

Dimensions:

• Width: 39-1/16 inches
• Height: 5-3/8”
• Depth: 15-7/8”
• Weight: 15 pounds, 7 ounces
• Color: Black

Who Is It Suitable For?

The PSR-E473 is marketed as a beginner instrument, but can more than suit the needs of experimental intermediates, and gigging pros who are looking for a backup instrument. In my opinion, the PSRE-473 is suitable for an extremely diverse range of music folks, as long as you are cool with a shorter keybed. This piano has stellar sounds in the newly-designed tone engine, loads of accompaniment, effects, and more. I think that this PSR lends extremely well to budding producers in particular. 

Yamaha PSR-E473 In Action

According to this Yamaha overview video, both new releases (The Yamaha PSR-E473 and the Yamaha PSR-EW425 are “Revolutions in portable music”. Check out the overview here.

Here are some key points from the video:

• The model offers pro sound at a fraction of the cost
• It shows many of the intuitive buttons and knobs in action, such as quick sampling, articulation, mega boost, the pitch wheel, motion wheel and more

This all playing, no talking video from Kraft Music will help you get a better feel from the soundbank as a whole.

Famed Youtube keyboard reviewer Jeremy See even went so far as to say that “No other keyboard is a good as the Yamaha PSR-E473.”

Yamaha PSR-E473 Pros and Cons

Pros

• It’s super light and portable
• It features a new tone generator
• It has tons of effects and cool voices
• The sampling and recording features give you a TON of bang for your buck
• It is an accessible and economical instrument 
• It has both DC power and battery-powered options
• This model is the first of the PSR-E line to feature two FX channels 

This economical instrument is portable, high-quality, and chock full of fun effects. The PSRE-473 is one of the crown jewels of portable keyboards that was released this year. Having two effects channels was once something that was reserved for the higher-end models, but now, it’s more accessible! 

Cons

• The polyphony is relatively low
• The size of the keybed will limit what repertoire you can play on it
• You can’t auto record when the instrument is running off of batteries
• The Record ‘N’ Share app feature could be better

Unfortunately, this portable keyboard doesn’t pass the Rachmaninov test, on several counts. The keyboard has a pretty low polyphony of 64 notes and only has 61 notes in the keybed total. While the instrument limits you in this regard, it may inspire you in other ways. The effects and voices on this one are plentiful. And while I can’t recommend it to classical folks, I think this one will be a hit with just about everyone else, especially, songwriters. 

Amazon Reviews

This instrument was rated 4.6/5 stars on Amazon.com. So what do the customers who have purchased this 2022 PSR have to say? Let’s check it out!

Positive comments:

• “It’s a beginners keyboard with all the fixins’” 
• “Close to perfect” 
• “The best keyboard at the price”
• It is marketed as a beginner keyboard but can serve intermediates
• Great EQ 
• It is easy to pair with mics
• It has good sound even though it’s unweighted!

There are dozens of raving reviews on Amazon for this keyboard. Fixins, in case you don’t know, is southern (US) slang for all the goodies you put on top of a delicious food. I can’t think of a higher compliment for this keyboard. 

Critical comments: 

• The quantize on the sampling could be better, but it can’t be applied to the auto accompaniment feature
• It takes a while to adjust to this touch sensitivity
• There is no built-in sequencer
• The manual isn’t very clear and it can take a while to learn all of the functions

Overall, there were only a handful of very poor reviews, most of which didn’t have any text with the. Also, these critical comments primarily came from raving 4-star reviews. It seems that there are a few things musicians who have purchased this wanted tweaking, but there weren’t any dealbreakers. 

Comparable Instruments 

• Yamaha PSR-EW425

The most comparable instrument to the Yamaha PSR-E473 is the Yamaha PSR-EW425.  The main difference between these two instruments (which were simultaneously released this past spring) is that the PSR-EW425 has a bigger keybed than the PSR-E473. 

Other comparable instruments by Yamaha include these models:

• Yamaha PSR-E373
• Yamaha PSR i500 

While the above instruments are more dated, you still get a lot of bang for your buck. And, in the case of the Yamaha PSR-E373, you will get a solid beginner instrument for a significantly lower price (around $199.99).  This instrument also comes with multiple accessory packs and has well over 500 voices in the soundbank. As for the i500, this is a portable arranger keyboard that is ideal for world music lovers. It features auto accompaniments that accurately represent traditional Indian music, and will guide you through the ragas. This piano also has quick sampling and several other features in common with the E-473. At only $140, this one is a steal. 

If you aren’t in the market for a Yamaha, you may want to consider also checking out this one:

• Korg EK-50

The Korg EK-50 is an arranger/ entertainer style keyboard with 61 keys. It’s more expensive than the E473, going at about $650-$700. That being said, the package does come with studio headphones. Check it out here!

PSR-E473 Quick View 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the Yamaha PSR-E473 is a great launch pad for many aspiring musicians and pros on the go, especially producers. 

So, be sure to come back to Best Piano Keyboards for more honest piano reviews, curiosities, and ramblings from yours truly! 

“I think the most important thing about music is the sense of escape” Thom Yorke

References

Yamaha.com 

10Expert Score

Because of this shiny new model's stunning sound bank, onboard sampling, fresh new tone generator, and overall versatility, we couldn’t help but give this one a 10/10. You’re not going to find a portable Yamaha keyboard with more features for this good of a price. And while we can’t recommend it to classical folks who are going to be delving into hefty literature, we will definitely recommend it to nearly everyone else!

PROS

• It’s super light and portable
• It features a new tone generator
• It has tons of effects and cool voices
• The sampling and recording features give you a TON of bang for your buck
• It is an accessible and economical instrument
• It has both DC power and battery-powered options
• This model is the first of the PSR-E line to feature two FX channels

CONS

• The polyphony is relatively low
• The size of the keybed will limit what repertoire you can play on it
• You can’t auto record when the instrument is running off of batteries
• The Record ‘N’ Share app feature could be better