*The MX61 has been discontinued by the manufacturer.
The new model of this digital piano is the MX88*
Yamaha is known for making the best keyboards and digital pianos. My family used to own an old Yamaha keyboard that still works up to this day. I am pretty amazed by Yamaha’s dedication to making the highest-quality keyboards that can deliver some of the best sounds.
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Does Yamaha MX61 Last?
Aside from the MX61’s remarkable physique, it also has excellent integration capabilities that both piano players, synth players, and music producers will make use of. It has tons of features that cater to music production, such as its deep controller integration with almost every operating system.
Along with the MX6’s USB and MIDI connectivity comes sophisticated MIDI controller features that work well with your DAW and VSTs. The onboard sounds from its MOTIF XS sound engine produce over 1000 high-quality sounds.
Let’s take a closer look at what seems to be a keyboard player’s dream keyboard and synthesizer as I present this Yamaha MX61 review.
Features and Specifications
No. of Keys: 61 semi-weighted keys
Built-in Tones: 10 voices
Dimensions: 46.9 x 14.1 x 7.7 inches
Polyphony: 32 notes
Sound Engine: Advanced Wave Memory technology
Warranty: Two years
Sound Quality
The Yamaha MX61 is an affordable keyboard that gives you access to over 1000 Motif XS sounds. It has full integration with your computer via the MIDI and USB outputs.
By investing in one of these keyboards, you also get drums, electric piano sounds, strings, and evolving 8 element synth textures. On top of its jam-packed sound library, the computer integration will let you control your VST instrument and effects collection as well.
User Interface
An intuitive interface is an excellent tool for music production, as you would have easy access to all the controls with the buttons and parameters. It is easy to manage your sound with buttons and knobs. You can also use and map the buttons with your DAW for music production purposes.
You can quickly find, edit, and store your sounds using the user-friendly interface. It also comes with a template editor software that allows you to tweak your sounds the way you like it. I like what they did with the in-depth sound design features.
Key Action and Feel
The Yamaha MX61 also comes with full-sized velocity-sensitive keys with the right amount of weight to it. The acoustic feel may not be the main focus of this keyboard. Still, even piano players will appreciate the size of the keys. Overall, the feel is aimed more towards modern keyboard and synth players.
Features
Let’s look at the features of this bad boy now:
- 128 notes of polyphony
The Yamaha MX61 comes with 128-note polyphony, which is excellent for performing complex songs. You can generate and play dense keyboard sequences without compromising quality and cutting off tone, making it an excellent keyboard for performances. You can also playback MIDI tracks from your DAW to create a full band sound out of one $200 keyboard.
- Auto Power-off feature
After a period of inactivity, the Yamaha MX61 automatically powers off to conserve electricity.
- Cubase AI
This keyboard has integrated features that pair directly with the Cubase DAW. You do not need to map out the MIDI controls, as there will already be pre-mapped controls.
- USB transfer
The Yamaha MX61 also allows you to transfer storage such as songs, backing tracks, and tones generated from your DAW.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Affordable price
- Excellent sound engine
- Intuitive interface
- MIDI connectivity
- Massive sound library
Cons:
- Plastic construction
- Keys may be too light
Ratings:
Build Quality: 4/5
Sound Quality: 5/5
Touch Sensitivity: 4/5
Extra Features: 5/5
Total: 4.5/5
Who Should Buy Yamaha MX61?
I recommend the Yamaha MX61 for users that are into music production. It has a lot of useful integration features that make it an ideal MIDI controller for your DAW. Aside from its music production capabilities, it is also suitable for synth and solo performers.
The Yamaha MX61 is a versatile keyboard that is suitable for any application, plus, and it is very affordable for a 61-key keyboard that seems to have it all.
Final Verdict
The Yamaha MX61 excels in sound quality and features that cater to modern keyboard players and music producers. However, a great keyboard like this will also have its downsides. One of the things that I did not like about it is its plastic construction.
The keys feel a little light, and the whole thing is made of plastic. However, Yamaha probably focused their resources on making the piano sound tremendously good and added the most useful and practical features for other applications.
With that being said, on this Yamaha MX61 review, this keyboard scored an excellent 4.5 out of 5 on our ratings.
Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
