Yamaha YDS-120 - Digital Saxophone

Product Information

The new Yamaha YDS-120 Digital Saxophone is the latest arrival from Yamaha in their electronic wind instrument range. Designed to be a simple and intuitive way into Saxophone playing, this Digital Saxophone allows you to play anywhere at any time whilst enjoying the same tonal diversity and feel of an acoustic instrument.

It could be used as a first instrument for any player, even from a young age. Alternatively current players may appreciate the digital nature of it allowing them to practice using headphones but with a standard acoustic Saxophone key layout.

What is the Yamaha YDS-120 Digital Saxophone?

The Yamaha YDS-120 is the ‘smaller’ sibling of the YDS-150 which was Yamaha's first Digital Saxophone. This YDS-120 is lighter (it doesn't have the brass bell) and more affordable but still takes advantage of all the digital technologies on its ‘bigger’ sibling. It features 56 different in-built digital voices for the Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophones. There are also additional voices such as flute, shakuhachi and various other electronic instruments. In total this combines to offer 73 voices in total.

It features the same key layout as a ‘normal’ acoustic Yamaha Saxophone. This means if you decide to move on to an acoustic instrument it would be a smooth transition for your fingers/hands. The mouthpiece on the Yamaha YDS-120 is a highly responsive breath sensor, as opposed to a synthetic type reed as found on the YDS-150. This makes it more immediately playable for all newcomers and its very flexible for those who already play a wind instrument. It senses the strength (pressure) of your breath allowing you to control the tonal flexibility of the instrument as you play.

Benefits of Yamaha Digital Acoustics

Yamaha teamed up with professional performers to sample the authentic sounds of Yamaha acoustic Saxophones from Soprano down to Baritone in whole tone steps. This ensures you can enjoy a natural sound throughout the range.

Being a digital instrument the YDS-120 comes equipped with an auxiliary input terminal for connecting devices such as smartphones, allowing you to connect to an external audio source (the sound must be output from the headphone jack).

There is also a dedicated Yamaha YDS Controller App which enhances the performance of this Digital Saxophone. It includes instrument settings, sound editing functionality and expands the range of sound creation. You can make detailed settings intuitively and visually from the app, a process which cannot be done on the instrument alone.

To use the app, you will need to connect your smart device to the YDS-120 using a USB cable and Lightning USB adapter for iPhone / iPad or OTG cable for Android.

Yamaha YDS-120 Technical Specs

• 15-step volume adjustment
• Headphone terminal, Aux in jack
• 73 voices, including 56 for Saxophone
• Same key layout as acoustic Saxophone
• Breath sensor mouthpiece (removable to clean)
• Dedicated YDS app available
• Use with a USB power source or with batteries (4xAAA - not supplied)

Yamaha YDS-120 - Digital Saxophone Reviews