Why Every Band Program Should Have A Yamaha YDS-150 

Thank you Robert! I really appreciate your kind words. It's funny because I spent 4 years going to college for music. I compose music and read. The collegiate world typically looks down on those who play by ear, but I've been around the garage band people enough to see how some of them feel the music and connect with it more than anyone who can read off a page. You're still rocking it at 71, that's what's important! I would assume it brings joy to your life, and that is what music should be about. If this instrument can bring a kid joy. Help them get through hard times. Isn't it worth it? (Some people would say no because it's not the same type of sax they started on lol) Thank you again for the kind words Robert! I really appreciate it.

@@caseydoremus5324 I'm just starting a Multi-generational Steampunk Band that is about 1/2 Theater. ( I ran a mime troop for 12 yrs and studied with Marcel Marceau) and 1/2 Musical Prowess. It is called Show Business for a reason. Where are you Located?

@@paradigmfox1 I'm in central Illinois, where are you from?

Mel, thank you! What a kind comment! I am so glad you went out and searched for a solution to your problem. This is such a new product and that usually means there is a stigma for years that it is bad. The fingerings are awesome on this horn, and as far as the sound quality (I'm not familiar with the Roland) I think the app can do a lot to pinpoint what you want. I consider myself tech illiterate haha, because it never seems to work well for me. BUT I've heard a few different people's demos on youtube, and what ever they have done with pedals or plug-ins made it sound absolutely incredible. I also think it would be a great thing for your grandson, what an awesome way to get started in music. Also listening to some of your videos, to anyone who wants to hear a good example of the aerophone ae10 go to his channel, and will we get any YDS150 videos soon Mel?

@@caseydoremus5324 right my granddaughter has it while she’s becoming familiar with alto

@@meldavis7183 That's awesome!

How has the playing been going Mel? Are you able to play your tenor again or are you still sticking to Aerophone and YDS?

I am so glad to hear it's helping you! I love this thing, its sad that right now production is down for it, and it's hard to get one. But hopefully they will be back up and running because I do think it's a very valuable tool for music programs and people such as yourself

Thanks so much! Being a drummer primarily I usually dislike electric drum sets, but I do understand the purpose of them. I think it's the same with this. It could do some really cool things for music programs all over, but people have to give it a chance first. Thanks again man!

It is great for people playing a secondary instrument. It has virtually an endless amount of options for sounds with the app. I'm sure it will continue to grow in a lot of ways down the road.

I love mine too. I wish I had this in school

George that is truly an inspiring story! I'm so glad to hear that the YDS has done something for you. Battery life is definitely something that Yamaha should look into. I know you can always change the batteries out here and there. I haven't had great luck with rechargeable batteries. They seem to die way faster than a regular battery. I wish there was a way to power them up. There is a company called Ampy that has or had a product that creates energy when you move. It would be cool if there was a way to integrate that technology with an electric instrument.

The Bari Sax is actually OUTSTANDING. If they made a version that was strickly bari sax and just went nuts with the features or sounds I think it would be worth it. But yes it is pretty great to play directly into recording software.

Morris I absoulutely love hearing that this horn has given you the ability to keep playing. It has some amazing sounds on it. Also if you have a hard time finding one check with Kidder, I know they have some in stock. But with the way things are right now a lot of stores cant get them because they are on back order

M. Pardo, you make a great point. The world has needed a practice sax for a long time. Of course, would you prefer to play an acoustic/real saxophone. Oh yes! But this has such a great amount of value for what it is. If I can ever get my hands on a travel sax or the EMEO I'd love to do a review of them as well. The store that provided the YDS-150 doesn't have any sort of manufacturing deal with them. From my research the EMEO i think sells direct. If they ever wanted me to review it. I'D LOVE TO DO IT EMEO! Glad you are getting back into it. I love seeing people returning to an instrument they loved.

I think you are correct. I think this is going to be a huge game changer in music programs. I think schools should be looking into this. Especially small schools with small budgets. It could also be a great way to help people keep their chops up for a long gig. less demanding physically on your mouth.

Thank you Kevin! I think it's a great alternative (not a perfect replacement, but alternative)

At the very least, you can use it as a MIDI controller with a virtual instrument library and a DAW. I'm inexperienced, so not sure how/if it would work in a live setting, but definitely for recording/composing purposes, which is the main thing I really want one for.

The App makes your abilities almost endless. Honestly if you can't put all those sounds into it I'm pretty sure Yamaha will make it happen eventually. But the app is suppose to be amazing I just don't know as much about the app. Considering my technology issues

I understand wanting to use Patchman, but for a 6th or 7th grader. I don't think getting them hooked up to a computer and downloading sound banks is going to be time effective. You'll spend a lot of class time trying to get them set up, where the YDS is a lot quicker to plug into an amp and go. You can mess with the sound on the app. Which it seems like some people have gotten some pretty killer sounds on. After playing on it I wouldn't be worried to use it in a live performance. It held up really well for my ears, but that is always a matter of opinion. I worked at a music store for 4 years and a student model alto or tenor (as far as good quality, Yamaha or Selmer) is way more than $800. On WWBW the cheapest Yamaha Alto is $2,312.00. You could go with an off brand but it probably won't last and music stores may not work on them.

Wonder if it would fit in a regular case ? Have you tried ?

@@ronhendon6381 I didn't get a chance to. It seems very close to a soprano, but I think its a little bigger around than a soprano. I would love to try it out. Maybe I can go to the music store and check that out. Again, it would just be so much better with a real case... It just seems so flimsy. I'm not a fan of gig bags for brass or woodwind instruments though. Might be more a personal preference than a majority thought.

As a rule I hate gig bags with a passion as well as any other ill-fitting case and these are no exception. The soft case supplied with them is absolute crap as it puts pressure on the keywork and that causes the contacts to be compressed and you end up with unwanted or missing notes even though the keys will still move. I've had to take mine apart (there's around 10 screws on the back to separate the top shell with the keys still mounted on it), remove the black rubber strips covering the contacts and then stick them back down again (they're self adhesive) to cure this. I don't keep mine in its case anymore and use the dust cover for my Roland AE-10 instead when not playing it. Yamaha could've made a relatively low priced injection moulded plastic case with a vacuum formed flocked inside tray like the older 2x1SII series flutes from the '90s or something even more basic but sturdy and still supportive so the YDS-150 can sit in there just like a soprano sax and cushioned/secured in such a way that it won't shift around or put any pressure on the keywork. Yamaha wind instrument cases are usually the best in terms of how well they support and protect their instruments (I wouldn't trust my YBS-62 in any other case other than the original one it came with back in 1990), but this gig bag is absolute pants for such a delicate instrument and doesn't do Yamaha any favours. Maybe Yamaha will design a better case for them in time. I might get a used or spare YSS-475 soprano case or a Jupiter one and adapt it with EVA foam or polystyrene blocks to fit the YDS-150.

@@chrisperyagh you speak what I think is definitely the truth. They really hit a homerun with this product.... and then they put a crappy gig bag with it... If they would of just made sure it was protected to the highest ability it would of helped.

Thank you for the kind words! And the Bari sounds to me are the best out of all of them. It is a hundred times easier to play for a kid. Especially little 6 or 7th graders. Hope this helped. My channel is geared towards band directors but I dont get a lot of directors feed back

@@caseydoremus5324 You are welcome. My school channel is directed towards middle school band. Check it out sometime. Would love your input. ru-vid.com/show-UCTtW6r0jHu5k0WmCS3XrpMg

You'll have to let me know what you think of it after using it awhile

Steve, yes it is the same key set up as a real sax. Yes it is plastic, and I can understand why astatically some people would refuse to give it a chance. But it really is the perfect instrument to practice on at only $800... I mean that honestly blows my mind. The Emeo looks really really cool, but you have to plug it into a computer and get midi sounds downloaded. This uses batteries and has built in sounds. So she could sit in the truck with you and play with head phones on.... just don't hit any major bumps during it!

@@caseydoremus5324 Thank you for replying, sounds like a great option!

My pleasure @@stevewidney627! Thanks for watching, my goal is to help people see what's out there. Let me know if you end up getting one, or whatever you go with. I'd be interested to hear more feedback on it.

My pleasure @@stevewidney627! Thanks for watching, my goal is to help people see what's out there. Let me know if you end up getting one, or whatever you go with. I'd be interested to hear more feedback on it.

The sound doesn't go out the bell, it comes out of a speaker on the top of the sax. But it can plug into an amp which would mean you could hook it up like you would to a guitar. If I'm understanding how talk boxes work correctly with guitar. Don't you usually but that through the amp?

If it's on Yamaha's site that would be the Retail price. Retail is in all honesty a made up number that is representing the "Value" of the instrument. That way when you walk into a store you see. $1,099.00 but it's on sale for $799.00... it's not the music store's fault it's just the way the industry is set up.

My guess is because it has a ton of sax sounds but compared to other wind controllers it lacks in the other options.

@@thomasreedy4751 I don't believe they even label it as a wind controller, I think it's trying to be something else. And with the App I think it is capable of virtually anything you want it to do. What would you want to see in it's options?

I appreciate your comments, and watching the video. I've had lots of people recommend more expensive options, but the schools I worked with (as a road rep for a music store) had music budgets of $200-$1,000 per school year. Buying a bari sax or soprano is an unachievable goal for them. That is the lenses I look through on this specific channel, which I know isn't everyone's favorite, but they need the help more than the schools with $10,000 budgets per year. I'm not sure where you are getting the information that Yamaha markets this as a practice (only) saxophone. Their website, and the product page has no language that indicates it's anything but a digital saxophone. Yes it has a headphone jack, but that is just one feature that can be used in several ways. And the Yamaha representative I know, has never labeled it as the same family as the silent brass system. If it is classified like that on a musicbuddies website or Brassface woodface website that is by their own choice. Once again it's not a jack of all trades, but it does help a student who might start late. Like an 8th grader, they can start off playing in the band with their fellow peers. If you stick an 8th grader on a real sax, throw them in the 5th grade band, and tell them to play hot cross buns... most likely they are not going to enjoy it. This is a great way to get them started. But I never said this was what a 5th grade saxophone section should start on. If they are starting at the right time, of course they should learn the real thing. A school doesn't have the luxury of going out and purchasing a 1980's Yamaha Electronic wind instrument. They need something affordable and available, and right now I don't see any similar product that is as affordable and from a reliable company like the YDS-150.

@@caseydoremus5324 There’s a reason why I started by saying that this instrument eventually is what anybody wants it to be. I didn’t know your channel and the video popped up in my timeline. Looking at the videos in your channel, I assume you’re not an expert on electronic wind instruments. If budget is the issue, I can’t see the advantage of the YDS-150 vs a cheap student sax. If you want to introduce children to electronic wind instruments so they can practice in silence and play different instrument sounds there are good and cheaper alternatives that would even allow a whole classroom to play together. Have a look at the Vindor ES1/ES2 or the Artinoise re.corder. The first information the windcontroller community, of which I’m a member, received about YDS-150 was a practice instrument for saxophone players in the same way as EMEO positions their electronic practice sax. Even if Yamaha would want it to be more, its (lack of) features doesn’t justify it to be in the same range as professional windcontrollers or acoustic student saxes.

@@Bladel1965 Thanks for suggesting the Vindor products. I have never seen those before. When searching I don't see a lotof demo videos on them. The information on Vindor's website doesn't give a lot of description. In the intro of their guitar pedal video he says they have 3 sounds built into the instrument. They are all pretty electronic sounding. Which isn't a bad thing, but it wouldn't fit into a stereotypical jazz band or concert band. Where as the YDS has built in Saxophone sounds, attempting to get close to a real sax sound. I wish I could test one out the ES2 to compare. I'm not an expert on Electronic Wind Instruments. I get weary of products that just have buttons on them. I like the fact that the YDS has keys, although not exactly the same it's a little closer in feel to a real saxophone. It would be interesting to compare the two. The price point looks really nice on the Vindor, but it's also hard to compete with the reputation of Yamaha. So many band directors know that they can trust Yamaha's products.

It's definitely an affordable option to get started. If you already have experience with a reeded instrument then you will probably do great on it.

I ordered one on Amazon that was a fantastic deal....you’re video was pretty open minded!! Most people were negative and dissected this tool to the last screw! I’m excited about trying it out...Question?? Is the headphone a mini or a quarter jack?? What type of batteries are suggested?? Thanks

@@gregb8759 People were the same way about the electric guitar and multi-track recordings when they first came out. I saw what the YDS CAN do instead of what it can't. I know so many small schools and different people who would really benefit from this thing. Please let me know how you like it once you get to mess with it!

I am hoping that will be something that gets developed in later models

After I got done with the video I took it back to the store. So I can't look at it physically right now, but there are two jacks. One is headphones and one is Aux in. So you could plug an MP3 player... (if anyone uses those anymore) in and play along to music with your headphones in. So I think the only direct way to record it would be through the headphones jack.

Definitely weird to switch. I am a drummer and playing an electric kit is nothing like the real thing. But is usable for the right situation.

I'm not sure what to expect at this point. Hopefully there is a plan involved

I'm not entirely sure. I would have to try one out again.

Yes! That is one of the things that is so great about it! There really isn't a great practice saxophone at this price.

Honestly I was not familiar with the Emeo until your comment. After looking into it, I understand why most saxophone players would be drawn towards it. It looks like a real saxophone, and the keys are definitely more familiar than the YDS-150. Please understand my videos are geared towards Music Educators, Band directors, and music teachers. So that is the lens I try to examine it through. For a budget conscious school program and what it would be looking for, I still have to side with the YDS-150. For every Emeo you can purchase two YDS-150s. Emeo from what I can find comes in at $1,550, while the YDS-150 is $799. Being that the Emeo is made of a saxophone body, most likely it will have the same issues as a normal sax with keys bending or getting out of wack. So most likely sending it to a repair tech is inevitable in the future. This will cost more money for a school program. It also looks like the Emeo has to be plugged into a system of some sort to play off of Midi sounds. I could be completely wrong about that but the information I am finding on it is pretty limited. But if that is correct, then a school would have to purchase a laptop and special software for each Emeo. Which would be even more money on top of the amp needed to project it loud enough to be heard. It also doesn't have pitch bend or bite control and on their website they seem to be pretty set on it being a practice horn only. Not saying that it couldn't be used for it, but I think the YDS-150 is made to plug in and go. I mean this all as a friendly discussion. I'm sure the Emeo is a great instrument, I just think for what most band programs are looking for it might be out of their price range to take a chance on it.

It is double the cost, do you think it's worth it? Thanks!

@@heartburn6160 from just research I think it depends on the purpose. The Emeo is advertised and pushed by the company as a practice horn only. The YDS-150 is intending to practice as well as perform with. Now I haven't played the Emeo so I can't give a perfect opinion, but for $800 I'd keep the rest and stick with the YDS myself. Again, that's just from how much I've like the YDS.

I have not, I am what I call tech illiterate. I am not good with technology. Yamaha's app does allow you to alter fingerings though. I wish I had first hand experience with it but I don't unfortunately.

@@caseydoremus5324 i did but works very bad , ive benn using yamaha wx5 long time as has a extra fingering in D5 to Ab 5 but here is very difucult to add and the Eb has many problems I talk whit yamaha spain but they dont know nothing about , any way thanks , if you has the opportunity to talk whai somebody from yamaha good be nice they know the app doenst work very good , thanks

@@mariomarcelo I'll have to check into it, thank you for the feed back

I won't lie to you. The embouchure is pretty forgiving... that's the nice way to put it.... As long as air is going through the horn that's all that matters, so you can get away with a pretty lousy embouchure playing it. Unfortunately that isn't something it will probably teach naturally to someone starting out.

It will not improve your embouchure, but will allow you to make a professional sound even with controlable verbrato.... & great dynamics. I have one and love it...

@@ab4zr1 Thank you! I have an old saxophone that my dad played and want to learn to play it, but I also don't want to drive my wife and the neighbors crazy. I have tried to play this saxophone but the sound I make is a cross between a goose and a garbage disposal; it will take me a long time to even make a remotely pleasant sound. Do you feel the digital saxophone is a good practice tool for learning the acoustic saxophone?

@@heartburn6160 I think it can keep you excited about playing. It's like training wheels on a bike. The mouth it important but so it the fingers so if you can get that down. Then you are one step farther to getting it on the real thing.

@@heartburn6160 I think it can keep you excited about playing. It's like training wheels on a bike. The mouth it important but so it the fingers so if you can get that down. Then you are one step farther to getting it on the real thing.

That is a great question... I'll have to check on that. It doesn't have a midi plug in, so I'm not sure if that automatically doesn't work or not. I am not a tech savy person, but the app that you can download is suppose to have tones of features.

@@caseydoremus5324 Thank you

You can use it as a midi controller with your DAW. So it should work

@@manolaya69 Thank you

Thanks @@manolaya69

And I love what you said, you just care about the music. Some people would try to argue that all the "realness" is music and electric is not, but I think eddie van halen (and many others) proved that wrong. I have really thought about getting one myself because I am an EHHH sax player, but if they needed a solo for church or something I could pull this out and play. Why not?!

Ahh Mark! I have no plan on killing you for your Roland AE-30. I have heard some really positive things on the roland stuff. They make some great electronic drum sets and it looks like they are just as great with the wind synth stuff. Thanks for watching Mark and please stay alive and healthy!

You are right, they had no idea they were going to sell this well and with the way things are right now it's hard to get new ones made. Kidder Music had two for a really long time even after everyone was out, but I think they finally sold them both. I was getting tempted to buy one for myself.

If a student is starting out in 5th grade I wouldn't recommend them playing this to start. Although an 8th grader trying to catch up. I think it's a topic that should be discussed more. I understand why people would immediately turn down the idea. I probably would of when I was in college (doing the music major thing) but I think it could be a good way to help them play with their peers. I'm primarily a drummer, so I know that I probably have a different angle than a primary sax player. But one of the top notch drummers Benny Greb was once talking in an interview and asked why do we teach drummers out of the book "Stick Control" he admitted he hasn't used anything expect maybe one or two exercises on the first page. He admitted to forcing kids to play through the book because he had to. Then he realized that he had to break away from teaching in the small box he learned in. That there are many different people who learn different ways. And he stopped teaching out of it. Now all that being said I'm not saying that the YDS is the way to teach every student, but I do believe it can be for the right students. It is not a jack of all trades, yes there are some learning curves from the YDS to the real thing. Thank you for watching Thomas, and I appreciate the feedback. An Electric saxophone is definitely a controversial topic, and I expect it will be for many years to come.

Thank you!

Brad, as someone who worked at a music store. I can't stress enough the benefits to buying from a local shop. If you end up having any issues they can help you. If it is unfixable usually they will go to the manufacturer and get a new one or get something settled. I'm not bashing the online God's because Lord knows I've used them. But any big purchase like this is helpful to have a trusted company backing you up. (and repair techs)

Hey man thanks for subscribing

And Please don't take my sound clips to seriously. It was all recorded over a phone. I will be honest the Bari sound is what I think absolutely crushes. If they made a model that was strictly bari sax.... I think Band directors and sax players everywhere would be ripping these off the walls at music stores. If it looked like a bari people would be all for it. Because the price on a bari is so crazy high that for $800 you could have one for gigs and ensembles.

Im sorry to hear that, usually the are pretty fast in the states. Sometimes new products just take FOREVER to get fully in stock with manufacturing.

@@caseydoremus5324 the first ones sold out straight away. There are a few new ones on eBay at 150% the price . I busk with a wx5 and vl70. It’s getting old now and would have been good to play the YDS but any call to Yamaha and they just say sorry no idea. I put in a order in early jan for 1 apr but it was put back and back ... you could sell me yours :).

@@Gruntos I don't actually own one at this point. Kidder Music let me check it out. I'm greatly considering getting one, but the one in the video sold pretty soon after taking it back. There is another on order, but it has already been requested by someone (who apparently watched this video which is really cool). But hopefully it won't take long to get those in. Honestly though I'll take a look at the people at Kidder.

Dave in all respect I have to break this myth. Yamaha and many other company's have what is called Map Pricing this means that it is 100% illegal for them to sell an instrument from one of these company's cheaper than a certain price. As of now (in 2021) the map price of the YDS-150 is $799.00 if WWBW sells it for cheaper or puts it "On sale" it is completely against their manufacturer deal with Yamaha. I'm sorry to sound heated but I'm very passionate about this point because I dealt with customers coming in and taking up hours of my time. Then going online to purchase the same instrument. They thought they pulled one over on me, and got it at a lower price. They were completely wrong. All they did was pay for shipping and have to wait 4 to 5 business days. They could of taken that instrument home right then and there, but they didn't. Also WWBW or any online store do not donate to local music programs in your area. The store I worked at was bombarded by every program in the area to donate for their fundraisers. We always did because we wanted to support, but then to have those same band directors tell kids to go online for their supplies or instruments (to put it bluntly) really sucked. I have nothing against WWBW they do well at what they do, but if you have a local music store please support them first they are the ones making music happen in your area... not WWBW. Also this video was not possible if it wasn't for my local music store Kidder Music. They allowed me to take the YDS home and try it out so I could do a video to help spread the word. They did not tell me to promote them, but I feel that it is the right thing to do considering they made it happen. Dave, thank you so much for watching this video. I am not trying to be mean or aggressive. I just know how hard it is for mom and pop music stores out there. I hope you are enjoying your YDS, It really is an awesome instrument.

Sorry about that comment, but I worked in a very successful store for ten years, that gave some some back to the community but didn’t share much with the employees.

​@@ab4zr1 I understand completely I've worked in some pretty crummy work environments. Thank you for not taking what I said personal. I just want people to understand where their money goes. As someone who called on directors for 3 years as a living it was really dishearting to go above and beyond for them, and then have them tell kids to go on WWBW to buy stuff. I once gave a girl a free sample of reeds because she was having problems with the reeds she was using. The next week she said the reeds helped her a lot, but the director told her NOT to buy them from me. To go online and get them cheaper. She paid $6 in shipping and the reeds were $1 cheaper that what we sold them for. Not only that but I lost on the commission. Even though it's one box of reeds it was a slap in the face after asking for sample reeds for her... I know all to well how it feels. Hopefully the place you worked, starts treating employees better. They are the reason people come into the store. If you want customers to return you need your employees to be positive and give a great experience.

@@caseydoremus5324 I really worked 8 years at that store, then 2 years in a music store that was more honest along with a 50% pay raise and taught me how to rebuild clarinets and flutes, that was the kind of store you were talking about. One of the videos said that the two keys by the left thumb, were “up” and “down” octave keys. The lower one is really a killer low A key which would be worth the price of the YDS if you were buying a bari. Keep up the good work, Casey

@@ab4zr1 You are absolutely correct it is the low A, and I agree whole heartedly it is worth it for that. I have a bari player for my band and we couldn't afford a bari with a low A (we have an old Buescher). I really miss having that sound.