I know it seems like it was just yesterday that the PSR-E453 was released, but by my estimation, we are about eight months away from the release of the PSR-E463, based on how and when the previous models have been released. So, let's hope that it's early enough in the development cycle for Yamaha to implement suggestions, and perhaps more importantly, let's hope Yamaha reps read this board and consider suggestions!
Here are some of the features I'd like to see in the E463...
A setting for the sustain pedal, which can be stored in a registration, that would allow sustain to be applied to both sides of a split keyboard, not just the right side, as is the case now. If you're playing a bass line with your left hand, then yes, it is desirable to not have that sound sustain while you sustain the right hand voice, which could be piano, organ, or strings, for example. But if you're playing orchestral sounds, with maybe strings on one side of the keyboard and piano on the other, then it would be nice for the sustain pedal to affect both sides of the keyboard.
Put the on/off status of the DSP in the registration settings. Seriously, how could this have been left out in the first place? On the E453, the registrations store what type of DSP is selected, as well as the settings associated with both knob parameters, yet they could not find room to store the "zero" or "one" of one binary digit to tell the keyboard whether DSP should be switched on or off?
Improve the rotary speaker DSP function. At the very least, give it more depth -- It currently sounds like it's got the right sonic qualities, but it is not "deep" or "intense" enough, even at its maximum setting. Ideally, add a 3-way switch for the speed that selects from the setting of the speed control knob, a preset slow speed, and a preset fast speed, and make it so that when going from slow to fast, or from fast to slow, that the speed automatically and gradually goes from the first speed to the second speed, just like a real Leslie speaker, and without having to have the keyboardist gradually turn a knob for the effect, which prevents the keyboardist from using that hand to play the keyboard while simulating the speed-up/slow-down effect.
More registrations would be nice, but I can see the need to keep the number of banks to a single digit -- fewer keystrokes (button pushes) to go from one bank of registrations to another. However, two more banks could be added (bank 0 and bank 9) while still keeping the banks to a single digit, and perhaps more than four registrations per bank can be implemented.
Add the ability to do a style/rhythm drum fill without switching from style variation "A" to "B" or "B" to "A". Currently, there is only one button that generates a drum fill -- the style variation button, and of course, it also switches the style variation. So, to do a fill and keep the same variation, you have to hit that button twice. How about just adding a "drum fill" button that plays the fill without switching the variation?
An option to switch off the function on the keyboard that changes all of the dual and split voice settings when you select a new main voice. Plenty of times, I'm setting up a patch, and if I just want to try a different dual voice, that is fine -- I can change the dual voice number and everything else stays the same. But if I want to keep the dual voice and hear the patch with a different main voice, I have to start over because changing the main voice automatically calls up a set of dual (and I believe also split) voice parameters that Yamaha believes goes well with the main voice you select. Previous Yamaha keyboards have had the ability to turn this function off. Please bring that back!
The following would be nice, but are probably unlikely for a keyboard in this price range...
Portamento! That would really make the keyboard stand out -- even if it is just available on certain synth-style voices.
Modulation -- one of the few places where the E-series keyboards lack functionality is the ability to add pitch modulation (vibrato). This, perhaps along with a modulation wheel, would be a nice addition to the keyboard.
Another line of information on the LCD display, so that you can see more quickly what voice and function is set up, without having to wait for the keyboard to display one element of data, then another.
The ability to do at least basic editing of a sequencer track after recording it, such as going back and "recording over" a part of the already-recorded track and changing the volume of the already-recorded track.