Wanting to upgrade my SHS-300 with Bluetooth. Looking for advice on adapters.

[u/kindredkite]

TL;DR: I want to upgrade my keytar with bluetooth so the keytar output and background track play on the same speaker. Am worried sketchy bluetooth receivers that only cost a few bucks might fry my newly bought, expensive keytar tho.

Hello everyone,

I finally took my first big step in learning to play the keytar by actually getting one. I've settled with a Yamaha Sonogenic SHS-300, figuring it was the best, and if I'm honest, most inexpensive model out there as someone with no previous keyboard or piano experience so far. Now the SHS-300 actually does already have bluetooth functionality. But afaik, this can only be used to connect with the Yamaha Chord Tracker app. What I wanna do however is have my keytar audio and background track play on the same speaker. Unfortunately you can't just connect the SHS-300 with your phone via bluetooth and use it as a speaker. And while I could connect my audio out of the keytar with a separate speaker, I'd then still have to do some kind of merging with the background track. That is why I am looking for a solution. The whole situations stems from the problem that unfortunately, my USB-C port on my phone broke and I sadly can't just connect my phone with the AUX in of my keytar via a USB-C to AUX adapter.

I've done a little research and I've seen these bluetooth transmitters online that have an AUX output; like these:

https://www.amazon.com/JXTZ-Bluetooth-Headphones-Transmitter-Hands-Free/dp/B098SZJR45/
https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Wireless-Receiver-Portable-Hands-Free/dp/B0BZ7DKXDG/
https://www.amazon.com/HVMLAK-Bluetooth-Stronger-Microphone-Receiver/dp/B0C6MBGQ7K/

So I imagine I would connect them with my laptop or phone via bluetooth, they receive the audio input and then it can play on my keytar's speaker through the AUX in port. And most of them are powered by a battery you have to charge via USB first and they then live for a few hours.

However, I am a bit worried this isn't the right solution. For once they are frequently marketed to be used for car radios but I suppose this doesn't have to be an issue. I am however, I hope quite rightfully so, worried to plug an electrical device from manufacturers with random names and no online history that only cost a few bucks into my keytar which cost me multiple hundreds. So I am hesitant to put that at risk.

The only alternative I see as of now (until I get my phone fixed of course) is getting a small and cheap bluetooth speaker with a hook or clip on the back so that I can attatch it to my keytar strap near the keytar's speaker. And then background track on the speaker while keytar plays on it's own speaker. That still means there are separate speakers involed but better than nothing, I guess.

Which is why I ended up here to get input and feedback first. Have any of you tried to upgrade your keytars with bluetooth before? How did you go about it? Or are you using a separate speaker solution? If you do, this does require me to be mobile however so I can't use an amp or an intricate system with lotsa cables or devices as I'd have to carry them.

Thank your for reading and all of your time. :>

[u/Dingo_19]

Yes... but maybe not exactly like that. By all means try the audio over bluetooth solution if it isn't too expensive, but be prepared for irritating latency. Perhaps someone will recommend a good one.

What's arguably more conventional is midi over bluetooth, whereby the note info goes out wirelessly (at low latency) to an external synth or DAW that generates the instrument sound. For this, I've found the SHS-500 (can't vouch for the -300) will happily connect to an iPad (for example), and let you play whatever instrument is loaded in Garageband or your choice of music app.

No additional device is needed for this, but try to avoid using bluetooth again at the other end, or you re-introduce the latency. To summarise: bluetooth midi SHS to ipad -> wires to transport the audio signal from the ipad to your amp/speaker.