A Portable Keyboard That Brings the Studio Home
You've probably seen a dozen keyboards that promise "hundreds of sounds" and "pro features." The Yamaha PSR-E473 actually delivers on both counts. This 61-key portable keyboard packs 820 voices, 290 accompaniment styles, and a sound engine borrowed from Yamaha's higher-end models into a package light enough to carry to rehearsal, but substantial enough to anchor your home setup. If you're tired of entry-level keyboards that feel like toys or intimidated by workstations that require a engineering degree, the PSR-E473 hits a sweet spot.
What makes this keyboard stand out is how much creative control Yamaha gives you without burying it in menus. Two Live Control knobs sit right on the panel for real-time tweaking. A pitch bend wheel lets you add expression on the fly. The Motion Effect button gives you one-touch access to filter sweeps, pitch risers, and other dynamic effects that used to require outboard gear. And the Quick Sampling function means you can record a vocal snippet, a hand clap, or whatever ambient sound you want, then trigger it from the keys. It's the kind of hands-on feature set that keeps you playing instead of scrolling.
This keyboard suits anyone from dedicated beginners ready to move past basic models to experienced players who need a lightweight second board for songwriting or small gigs. The touch-sensitive keys respond to how hard you play, the 12-watt speaker system has enough punch for solo practice or jamming with friends, and the stereo line outputs let you connect to a PA when you need more volume. If you're looking for a keyboard that grows with you, this is it.
Voices and Styles That Cover Serious Ground
The PSR-E473 gives you 820 voices to work with, and these aren't just variations on a theme. Yamaha pulled sounds from across their lineup, including acoustic and electric pianos, organs, strings, brass, woodwinds, synths, and world instruments. The Super Articulation Lite function adds another layer of realism to 14 select voices—press the button and you'll hear guitar string slides, nylon guitar harmonics, or flute staccato articulations that respond to how you play. It's a small detail that makes a big difference when you're trying to sound like the real thing.
The 290 accompaniment styles span rock, jazz, dance, country, Latin, and regional genres from around the world. When you activate a style, the keyboard becomes your backing band—bass, drums, chords, the works—all responding to what you play in your left hand. The Groove Creator takes this even further, giving you real-time control over intros, section changes, and climaxes so you can build arrangements on the fly. You also get a 152-type arpeggiator that turns simple chords into rolling patterns, perfect for electronic music or adding motion to sustained sounds.
Yamaha equipped the PSR-E473 with dual DSP channels, which is uncommon in this price range. You can layer reverb, chorus, distortion, amp simulation, and dozens of other effects to shape your sound. The polyphony tops out at 64 notes, which is enough to handle layered voices, full accompaniment styles, and sustain pedal without notes dropping out. The AWM stereo sampling tone generation gives everything a clean, natural character that holds up whether you're playing through headphones or the onboard speakers.
Connectivity and Recording Features
The rear panel is surprisingly well-equipped for a portable keyboard. You get stereo 1/4" line outputs (left/right) that let you send a true stereo signal to a mixer, PA, or recording interface—separate from the headphone jack. There's a 1/4" microphone input with a dedicated gain knob, so you can plug in a dynamic mic and sing along while you play. The keyboard applies its built-in vocal effects (reverb, chorus) to your voice, and you can record the whole performance via USB.
Speaking of USB, the PSR-E473 includes both USB-to-Host and USB-to-Device ports. USB-to-Host connects to your computer or tablet for MIDI and audio data transfer, turning the keyboard into a USB audio interface. USB-to-Device accepts a flash drive, letting you record and play back WAV audio files directly without a computer. The onboard sequencer can also record MIDI data across six tracks, and you can save your registrations (voice, style, and effect settings) for instant recall. The Rec'n'Share app for iOS and Android lets you capture video and audio together, making it easy to share your playing online.
What You Get When You Sit Down to Play
The 61 full-size keys are touch-sensitive with four velocity response settings (soft, medium, hard, fixed), so you can dial in the playing feel you prefer. The control panel has been redesigned with Direct Category Access buttons that let you jump straight to pianos, guitars, strings, or other voice groups without scrolling through a list. Yamaha removed the numeric keypad and made the LCD easier to read, which speeds up navigation when you're in the middle of a session.
The 12-watt speaker system (6 watts per side) delivers clear, full sound with minimal distortion even at higher volumes. Press the Mega Boost button and the keyboard adds +6dB of volume, which is genuinely useful if you're playing outdoors or in a room with multiple instruments. You can power the PSR-E473 with the included 12V adapter or run it on six AA batteries, giving you true portability when you need it. At just over 15 pounds, it's light enough to move around but sturdy enough not to feel flimsy.
Product Features:
- 61 full-size, touch-sensitive keys with adjustable velocity response (soft, medium, hard, fixed)
- 820 voices including Super Articulation Lite instruments, world sounds, and high-quality acoustic samples
- 290 accompaniment styles with full rhythm section, bass, and chord backing
- 64-note polyphony with AWM stereo sampling tone generation
- Dual DSP channels with 41 DSP1 and 12 DSP2 effect types, plus reverb, chorus, and EQ
- Live performance controls: pitch bend wheel, two assignable Live Control knobs, Motion Effect button
- Groove Creator function with real-time control over arrangement structure
- Quick Sampling feature for recording and triggering your own audio clips
- 152-type arpeggiator for electronic and pattern-based playing
- 12-watt stereo speaker system (6W + 6W) with Mega Boost function (+6dB)
- Connectivity: stereo 1/4" line outputs, 1/4" microphone input with gain control, USB-to-Host, USB-to-Device, 1/4" sustain pedal input, 1/8" aux input, headphone output
- USB audio/MIDI interface for computer and tablet connection
- Onboard 6-track MIDI sequencer and WAV audio recording/playback
- Power options: 12V DC adapter (included) or 6 AA batteries
Brand: Yamaha
Model: PSR-E473
SKU: PSRE473
Condition: New
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