I can't tell whether your keyboard has a problem, or whether it's just that you don't understand how it works-- which would be perfectly understandable, since this particular topic is rather complicated.
So I'll describe how it's supposed to work and why-- and when I do, you'll see what I mean about it being rather complicated! I know the following is long, but please bear with me.
Then you can tell me whether I was helpful at all, or whether something is definitely wrong with your PSR-E463.
I might add that I don't have a PSR-E463, so the following description is of how things work on my PSR-E433, PSR-E443, and PSR-EW400.
It works the same way on my YPT-400, except that models prior to the PSR-E433 didn't have a Pattern feature.
I would expect that it works the same way on the PSR-E463 and PSR-EW410, but I have no way to verify this.
The names of all buttons and lights referred to are from the illustration of the panel controls on page 12 of the PSR-E463/PSR-EW410 Owner's Manual.
First of all, the keyboard has three main "playing modes" as far as what certain buttons do and which features are currently active:
- Style-playing mode
- Song-playing mode
- Groove-playing mode (called Pattern mode on previous models)
Only one of these three playing modes can be active at any given time. For example, you cannot actively play (that is, control "live") a Style or Groove while also playing back a Song. (On the other hand, you can record yourself playing a Style or Groove as part of a User Song, in which case the Style or Groove will play back as it was recorded when you play back the User Song; but you can't actively control the Style or Groove "live" while that User Song is playing.)
You can tell which of these three main playing modes is currently active by looking at the three lights on the left side of the panel, located between the START/STOP button and the DRUMS button:
- the STYLE light
- the SONG/AUDIO light (labeled SONG on previous models)
- the GROOVE CREATOR light (labeled PATTERN on previous models)
There are also four buttons on the right side of the panel, which light up when you press them:
- the VOICE button (to enter Voice-selection mode)
- the STYLE button (to enter Style-selection mode or switch to Style-playing mode)
- the SONG button (to enter Song-selection mode or switch to Song-playing mode)
- the GROOVE CREATOR button (to enter Groove-selection mode or switch to Groove-playing mode; labeled DJ PATTERN on previous models)
If you press the STYLE, SONG, or GROOVE CREATOR button on the right side of the panel, the corresponding light on the left side of the panel will light up to indicate which set of labels is now in effect for the buttons in the Auto Accompaniment and Track Control sections. For example, if the STYLE light is lit up on the left side of the panel (because Style-playing mode is in effect), but then you press the SONG button on the right side of the panel to select which Song Number you want to play, the STYLE light on the left side of the panel will go out and the SONG light will come on in its place (because Song-playing mode is now in effect).
However, if you press the VOICE button, whichever light is lit up on the left side of the panel will remain lit, because Voice-selection mode is independent of the three main playing modes. For example, if the keyboard is currently in Song-playing mode and you press the VOICE button to select which Voice Number you want to use, the SONG/AUDIO light on the left side of the panel will stay lit up even though the SONG button on the right side of the panel is not also lit up (since the VOICE button is lit up instead).
Now, as far as the Function menu is concerned, it's normal that the STYLE, SONG, or GROOVE CREATOR buttons on the right side of the panel can be lit up while you're in the Function menu, so that by itself should not be a reason for concern, as it's part of the normal and expected operation of the keyboard.
There are certain parameters or data fields in the Function menu that get saved, recalled, and displayed only if the keyboard is in a specific playing mode.
For example, the Style Volume will be displayed and will be changeable when the keyboard is in Style-playing mode, but the Song Volume and Groove Volume will both be displayed as "---" and won't be changeable.
Likewise, the Song Volume will be displayed and will be changeable when the keyboard is in Song-playing mode, but the Style Volume and Groove Volume will both be displayed as "---" and won't be changeable.
And finally, the Groove Volume will be displayed and will be changeable if the keyboard is in Groove-playing mode, but the Style Volume and Song Volume will both be displayed as "---" and won't be changeable.
Pressing the FUNCTION button should take you into the Function menu regardless of which of the four buttons is currently lit up-- VOICE, STYLE, SONG, or GROOVE CREATOR. So if the only way you can get into the Function menu is by pressing VOICE first, then it sounds like the keyboard might have a problem that needs to be looked into by a certified service technician.
If you press the FUNCTION button while the STYLE, SONG, or GROOVE CREATOR button is lit up, that particular button should stay lit up-- although you can press a different button (including VOICE) while you're in the Function menu if you want to switch playing modes or make a selection, in which case you'll also exit out of the Function menu (since pressing one of those four buttons is how you view and change the Voice Number, Style Number, Song Number, or Groove Number, respectively, and those four data fields aren't parameters in the Function menu per se). Nevertheless, if you're in the Function menu, then press any of the four buttons and exit the Function menu without wanting to, you can simply press FUNCTION again to return to the Function menu.
However, if you press the FUNCTION button while the VOICE button is lit up, you'll go into the Function menu as expected but the VOICE button will go out and one of the other three buttons will light up instead, as determined by which playing mode the keyboard is in. For example, if the SONG/AUDIO light is lit up because the keyboard is in Song-playing mode, but the VOICE button is lit up because you're in Voice-selection mode, and then you press the FUNCTION button so you can make changes to some of the parameters in the Function menu, the VOICE button will go out and the SONG button will light up in its place, but you'll still be in the Function menu.
If your keyboard isn't working as described above, then you can try doing a complete factory reset, which is a two-step process:
- Backup Clear (turn on the keyboard while holding down the highest white key)
- Flash Clear (turn on the keyboard while holding down the highest white key plus the three highest black keys)
Do be aware that performing the Flash Clear will erase any User Songs you've recorded, any Registrations you've saved, and any User Styles you've registered (or "loaded").
Normally only the Backup Clear is necessary, but I know of one occasion where someone had an issue that wasn't cleared up until they did the Flash Clear as well, although I don't know why that should be unless they'd saved some bad settings to a Registration and then they were recalling that Registration and loading the bad settings all over again.
Speaking of Registrations, there are a few Function parameters whose settings do not get saved in the Registrations, but most Function parameters do get saved. You can save a Registration while you're in Style-playing mode, Song-playing mode, or Groove-playing mode, and if you recall a Registration that was saved while a particular playing mode was active, it will usually cause the panel lights and button lights to change to reflect which playing mode was saved in the Registration. Thus, it's normal and expected behavior, and should not be a cause for concern.
The one exception to this is that if you save a Registration while the Song-playing mode is active, the keyboard will not switch over to the Song-playing mode when you recall that Registration. This allows you to recall a Registration without unintentionally changing the Style Number or Groove Number that's currently playing.
In other words, if you save a Registration while in Style-playing mode, the Style Number, Style Variation, Style Volume, and Style Track Controls will be saved in the Registration, such that recalling the Registration will change the Style Number, Style Variation, Style Volume, and Style Track Controls to whatever values were saved in the Registration. This allows you to switch Styles while you're performing by recalling the desired Registration.
But sometimes you want to switch Voices while you're performing without also switching whichever Style you're currently using. To do that, you would save the Registration while you're in Song-playing mode, such that the settings of the Style-related parameters won't be saved to the Registration. Then you'll be able to switch Voices by recalling that Registration while you're playing and it won't interfere with whichever Style you're actively performing with.
