Hi folks,

I've been piano-less for about nine years and am looking to get back into playing regularly. I'm trying to decide between Yamaha's CLP-240 and the CLP-270.

The local Yamaha store here quoted me $2159 for the 240 and $3329 for the 270. Price is something of an issue, but not the most important factor for me.

My chief desire is to have an instrument that allows for easy saving and transfer of original and MIDI song files.

I find it very relaxing to sit down and muck about with the keys for an hour, with no real plan and just letting my fingers do what they will. When I've done this in the past, I found the result to be quite pretty, and I'd really like a piano that can easily capture my notes.

The 240 seems to require that one first save a song to the piano's memory, then transfer that file to a USB key, then transfer that to a computer. And there's only three slots for storage. The memory also appears (in the manual) to have a recording limit of 11,000 notes. For a slower piece without a lot of eighth notes, about how long is this in minutes? Has anyone had issues with having to cut a song or composition short due to full memory?

The 270 appears to be able to directly connect to a computer and doesn't seem to have the saving shuffle dance of the 240. Am I correct in thinking this? I know, at least, that the 270 has a more verbose digital display.

If I have something like Cakewalk, can I bypass the 240's file transfer hassle (if indeed there is one) and the 11,000 note recording limit?

I'm happy with the responsiveness and sound of the 240, but if it's going to be a hassle getting files off (compositions) and onto (songs I'm learning) it, I'm thinking it might be better in the long run to spend more and get the 270. If there's something I've missed in the connectivity of the 240, though, I'd definitely be much happier saving the $1,000+ extra a 270 would cost me.

Are there any of you who feel strongly that there's a difference in sound between the 240 and 270? I tried them both in the store and couldn't really tell, myself.

The sales clerk in the Yamaha store I visited seemed clueless about the file transfer/computer capabilities of the pianos and didn't suggest someone else in the store knew more.

I'd greatly welcome your thoughts and advice.

Both the 240 and the 270 have USB ports. You can connect direct to your computer and software on either instrument. I am 99% certain of this.
Call 1-800-PRO YAMAHA and speak to a specialist.