Yamaha PSS-380

3.5 (9)

2 Reviews

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Page last updated Apr 28, 2026

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Description

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Unleash your creativity with the Yamaha PSS-380, a versatile entry in the world of portable keyboards that caters to musicians of all levels. This compact yet powerful keyboard offers an impressive array of features, making it an ideal choice for both beginners and seasoned musicians looking for portability without sacrificing functionality. With 61 full-sized keys, the PSS-380 provides a comfortable playing experience that mimics that of a full piano, allowing you to explore a wide range of musical styles.

Equipped with a variety of sounds and effects, the Yamaha PSS-380 includes a collection of voices and rhythms to inspire your next composition. From classic pianos to contemporary synths, this keyboard delivers a diverse sonic palette. The built-in speakers ensure your performances resonate with clarity, whether you're practicing at home or performing in a small venue. Additionally, the intuitive control panel and LCD screen make it easy to navigate through functions and settings, ensuring a seamless user experience.

For those who wish to expand their setup or connect with other devices, the PSS-380 features MIDI connectivity, allowing integration with other MIDI-compatible gear or software. This adds an extra layer of versatility, empowering users to experiment with different soundscapes and recording options.

Key Features:

61 full-sized keys for a realistic playing experience
Wide range of voices and rhythms
Built-in speakers for clear sound output
Intuitive control panel with LCD screen
MIDI connectivity for integration with other devices
Portable design, perfect for on-the-go musicians

Videos

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Reviews

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Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Yamaha PSS-380.

Features and functionality

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The PSS-380 can layer sounds, stacking up to four voices but reducing polyphony to two notes, creating a thick sound with random pitch detuning.
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The keyboard can use dual tone mode to split operators between two sounds, but this reduces the number of voices available.
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The "Spectrum" control acts as a simplified ratio control, introducing overtones and sometimes noise, especially with high modulation settings.
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Use cases and applications

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The PSS-380 produces a distinct "cheesy" sound, appreciated for its uniqueness and modifiability, appealing to those who enjoy experimenting with sound limitations.
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Owners enjoy pairing the PSS-380 with reverb pedals to achieve a more textured and expansive sound, enhancing the digital synth's capabilities.
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Setup and maintenance

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It's recommended to occasionally dust the PSS-380 to maintain its condition, as it's a digital synth without delicate analog components.
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Comparisons

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While lacking MIDI and offering limited polyphony, the PSS-380's unique layering and modulation capabilities distinguish it from other PSS or PSR models.
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3.5 out of 5

Based on 2 Reviews and 9 Ratings

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1 star

mariaambaccent

over 9 years ago

An basic keyboard with a special touch

Yamaha PSS-380 is a basic yamaha home-oriented keyboard but with a very cool feature that let's you modify any of its sounds through an FM synth. Probably not the best sound you can obtain from a synth but you can really achieve some interesting lo-fi sounds.

Roles:

Drummer Composer Music Producer

Genres:

Rock Pop Post-hardcore

jimmarchi1

41023

9 years ago over 9 years ago

I want to say its a really simple 2 to 4 operator FM chipset like they used to put in PCs coupled to a little ROM engine for sample based sounds through really cheap DA converters with shitty filters giving it that distinctive cheap digital skronk you are enjoying.

mariaambaccent

9 years ago over 9 years ago

Lol thanks for the tech review

jimmarchi1

41023

9 years ago over 9 years ago

I'm not sure if you're fucking with me for being an electronics nerd or not... I just like to share info with people... and look busy at work when I am secretly taking a break

interestingly, I was cleaning my attic and closets out a little recently and found a box of old Yamaha FM chips as used in some old Atari PCs and probably your keyabord here.... just hiding in a drawer, didn't know I had them

erxo

403

almost 10 years ago

My rating: 5/10 (3 stars)

so small and no many features

jimmarchi1

41023

10 years ago almost 10 years ago

you could break her open, warm up your soldering iron and try hacking the voice chip, its probably a basic, 2nd or 3rd gen 4 operator FM chip

Artist usage

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Legowelt

Music Producer

Verified via YouTube

During Legowelt’s Studio Tour for Future Music Magazine, at 4:52 Legowelt says that this is a “two operator FM synthesizer with sliders, it’s basically a keyboard…it’s not really a synthesizer”.

Laurent Brancowitz

Guitarist

Phoenix

Verified via YouTube

At 2:04, Laurent is using the Yamaha PSS-380 on Thomas Mars voice in "Don't"

Roland Klinkenberg

Composer, Music Producer

Verified via Attack Magazine

I bought this one recently from Danny Wolfers (aka Legowelt) ’cause I thought my son Yani needed it. The very simple FM interface makes it an irresistible toy, even for grown-ups.? The MS-20 acts as a stand. The old ones are perfect for that!