Touch-sensitive keys change the sound with your playing strength; weighted keys describe the physical action under your fingers. A keyboard can respond to a light or strong touch without having a weighted piano action, and switching sensitivity to “Hard” never makes the keys physically heavier. Choose the Yamaha PSR-E383 when a compact, lighter instrument with accompaniment and hundreds of sounds fits your plans; investigate the Yamaha P-145BT when 88 keys and a weighted action are explicit requirements.
Both instruments respond to touch, but they answer different buying needs. The PSR-E383 is a 61-key portable keyboard with organ-style keys; the P-145BT is an 88-key portable digital piano with a Graded Hammer Compact (GHC) weighted action. Read the three specifications below before treating “touch-sensitive,” “piano keys,” or a large sound library as a complete description.
Three specifications to keep separate
- Touch response: how playing strength affects the sound. Yamaha's PSR-E383 reference manual states the feature controls the level of the voices according to playing strength, and explicitly notes that the weight (or resistance) of the keyboard itself is not affected.
- Key action: the mechanism and resistance felt while pressing a key. The P-145BT uses a GHC keyboard with matte black keytops; the PSR-E383 uses unweighted organ-style keys. A sensitivity setting does not replace that mechanism.
- Key count: the available range. The PSR-E383 has 61 keys; the P-145BT has 88. More keys expand the range; they do not by themselves establish a weighted action or a better sound.
What “Hard” means on the PSR-E383
On the PSR-E383, Touch Response is a Function setting (Soft, Medium, Hard, Off) that changes the relationship between playing strength and volume: Soft produces relatively high volume even with light playing, Medium is the standard default response, Hard requires stronger playing for loud volume, and Off gives a constant volume independent of playing strength. None of these settings changes the physical keys. The P-145BT likewise offers Hard, Medium, Soft and Fixed touch sensitivity on top of its weighted GHC action — response and action remain two independent specifications.
Side-by-side comparison
| Criterion (maker specification) | PSR-E383 | P-145BT |
|---|---|---|
| Keys and action | 61 organ-style keys, unweighted, with Soft/Medium/Hard/Off touch response | 88 weighted touch-sensitive keys, GHC action with matte black keytops, Hard/Medium/Soft/Fixed sensitivity |
| Sound library | 650 voices with AWM stereo sampling, 48-note polyphony, 260 accompaniment styles | 10 preset voices, 64-note polyphony, CFIIIS piano sound with damper resonance |
| Size and weight | 941 x 317 x 105 mm, 4.4 kg excluding batteries; runs on six AA batteries or the adapter | 1326 x 268 x 129 mm, 11.1 kg; PA-150B AC adapter, music rest and footswitch included |
| Connectivity and extras | USB MIDI/audio; lesson and accompaniment features for beginners | USB to HOST (MIDI and audio), Bluetooth audio for play-along, dual/layers voice modes, 7 W x 2 speakers |
| Observed US listing (2026-09-11) | Amazon listing for the PSR-E383 music-rest-and-adapter package showed $199.99, In Stock, ships from and sold by Amazon.com | Amazon listing for the P145BT showed $469.99, In Stock, ships from and sold by Amazon.com |
Which one fits your situation
Choose the PSR-E383 if you want a compact first keyboard for learning, accompaniment styles, and varied sounds at a lower price and carrying weight — while accepting 61 unweighted keys that will not satisfy a teacher's weighted-action requirement. Investigate the P-145BT if a course or teacher specifies 88 weighted keys: it is the only option here with a graded hammer action, plus Bluetooth audio and a fuller piano sound — while accepting a 1326 mm, 11.1 kg instrument with only 10 voices and a higher observed price.
If a teacher or course specifies a particular action and range, confirm those requirements before comparing extra voices and lesson features. An 88-key weighted instrument that stays home unused is a worse purchase than a lighter keyboard played daily — and a 61-key unweighted keyboard is the wrong purchase when graded practice is mandatory.
Where to check the exact variants
Check the Yamaha PSR-E383 (61 keys, music rest and power adapter package) on Amazon — the listing observed on 2026-09-11 showed $199.99, In Stock, ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Check the Yamaha P-145BT (88 weighted keys, Bluetooth) on Amazon — the listing observed on 2026-09-11 showed $469.99, In Stock, ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Prices and availability change; confirm the variant, seller and total on the listing before ordering. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.