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Yamaha CP4


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Can't go wrong with CP4 if you have an Integra7. You get the action you liked in the CP4 and can always use it as a controller with the Integra for times you miss the Roland sound.

 

If not your plan to use integra then the MP7 and RD800 are good options too.

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Yes carl:

It´s maybe more interesting to have different colors with yamaha and roland,than 2 rolands..

But pianos and eps from rd800 are not available in the integra.

 

Kawai james:

I looked the mp11 and mp7,these pianos seems really fantastic pieces of gear!

(The mp11 keybed seems at the top for a stage piano)

And maybe they are the most beautiful.

But distribution in france is less simple than yamaha and roland .

And i saw some people in diverse forums(even in france)who had some reliability problems with the MP10..

In fact i never had a reliability problem with yamaha and roland(not the same with korg)and it´s an important thing for me.

I gave a call with my shop in paris and i will test the cp4 and rd800 on friday.

Unfortunatly,they don't have the kawai...

Nord stage 2 EX88,Nord electro 5D,roland RD800,Roland FA08,Korg kingkorg,Korg PA4x,Yamaha PSR s970

Native instrument maschine studio et komplete 10.

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I finally had the chance on the afternoon to review for the first time the rd800 and again the CP4.

So here's what i can say:

 

They were side by side.

Both are great instrument.

The RD800 was a good surprise:

-the new pha4 keybed is really good,new pianos are very plaisant.

I don't have any problem with sound and action calibration.

It seems to me maybe the rd800 keybed is a little less heavier than my ex 700 nx,i don't know if it's me or real.

 

Eps are now far better than the old 700 eps:

More vintage,fat,large in the low mediums..warmetc etc.

It's a good evolution now and while they aren't the absolute best,they compete with the other i like(sv1,kronos,cp4/cp5/cp1and after kurzweil and nord)

 

I thought like a delusion at first the "more plastic"construction compared to my 700nx;but here again it was a good surprise.

All is ok on all angles,buttons..etc.

Roland construction is always high level i think on the top of their instruments.

The RD 800 don't miss that.

The cp4 is okbut i found the rd superior.

 

The panel and ergonomy are more fun

Side by side the cp4 is annoying,don't appeal to tweak when the roland is so far better..

Functions for tweaking sounds are poor on the yam..no modelisation parameters like the cp1/5.

I have no problems to play the cp4,i really like the pianos and eps,different from roland but as good globally.

I don't think one or another is better,it's just a matter of taste.

 

Honestly i have the sensation the cp4 calibration is maybe more efficient on stage than the roland out of the box.

I never found my rd700 quickly efficient on stage,and think it's the same for the 800:

A little more work to make it sounds like i want.

BUT the roland is so much powerful and fun to tweak the sound with its modelisations parameters when you have nothing on the yam.

That's the big roland advantage.

Don't judge the rd800 only with presets out of the box,the engine can give you more than you think for you.

You can make the rd800 sounds like you want when yam is more"take me as i am"

 

I found the CP4 keybed very good,as good as the roland

I love and accomodate the 2,no problem and yam did a fantastic job to put a keybed like this on a "17kg keyboard".

 

To resume:

I'm not a purist,i had so much diverse stage pianos,workstations and digital pianos since more than 20 years.

I know we have to take time to accomodate our ears and fingers to find a relation with a new sound engine and keybed.

 

I can find a very good feeling on the roland or the yam,for sure.

For sounds and keybed i can't see a absolute winnerjust a personnal choice to do for everybody.

 

 

But i finally ordered the roland,because the cp4 don't appeal me for doing others things than playing,when the RD800 is so efficient to tweak,control midi..etc..all the rest i have to do!

I found the roland superior to the yam for that.

 

PS;No kawai try was possible.it's sad because i'm convinced they have some advantage too(ergonomy seems very good,keybed too especially the beautiful MP11 mechanic)but i had to make a choice quickly..

Kawai distribution seems less than yam and roland in the shops in france and i don't have time to look for a shop in paris to find one..

Nord stage 2 EX88,Nord electro 5D,roland RD800,Roland FA08,Korg kingkorg,Korg PA4x,Yamaha PSR s970

Native instrument maschine studio et komplete 10.

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I have the CP4. Had to play left hand bass in church this last sunday. the CP4 was awesome ! You pick whatever performance setting you like. hit split, and it automatically adds a bass, which is easily changed to whatever (acoustic to finger bass, etc, by using the + or - buttons. you can turn the bass (split button on and off easily. So we would start the song with a light acoustic sound, and then I would add the bass as the song got stronger. It was really good.

the acoustic and EP sounds are awesome, and it has a really good selection of backing pads, which are the nuts and bolts of praise music.

Im working a jazz gig this weekend with it. Will let you know how that goes.

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Jazzdoc52:

I understand what you mean.

I agree for all you feel about sound quality,split possibilities...etc

I was able in fact to understand and scroll to the cp4 menus without problems,and that´s why i was delused by the sound tweaking parameters.(because i looked for that)

 

I'm more a roland rd user since earlier models,and that´s a reason why roland is maybe more familiar in use for me.(and that´s maybe more personal than objective)

As a player perspective,no problem with the yam,but for sound editing and design i really think roland is far superior.

Just look at the specs if you're not familiar with the last rd series,and you will understand.

Depends if you focus on your own player feeling or if you want more modelisation specs..just that.:-)

 

And i'm already convinced your jazz gig will be great with your cp4 next week ;)

 

Nord stage 2 EX88,Nord electro 5D,roland RD800,Roland FA08,Korg kingkorg,Korg PA4x,Yamaha PSR s970

Native instrument maschine studio et komplete 10.

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lekanout, congrats on your purchase.

 

It's unfortunate that you were unable to find an MP11/MP7 to play-test in Paris. Widespread distribution of stage pianos remains a challenge for Kawai as the majority of dealers focus on grand/upright acoustic and console-style digital instruments.

 

I shall pass on your experiences to our France distributor and recommend that the MP11/MP7 be easier to find in Paris.

 

Kind regards,

James

x

Employed by Kawai Japan, however the opinions I express are my own.
Nord Electro 3 & occasional rare groove player.

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Thanks for the kind words james.

Some shops in paris sell kawai(more oriented classical pianist),but the shops oriented more"advanced users"(and studio-home studio) where i often go don't sell it.

 

I asked them why,and they told me"commercial reasons"

 

My shop is one sof the biggest and most known in paris,i have a good fidelity relation as a customer with it.

So it´s not easy to buy in another shop for me:-)

I don't know if the mp series are availaible to test in other shops and where,because i saw they don't have it in stock..

 

I have so many previous gigs soon with my two bands too and i don't have time to look for the kawai in paris.

 

In europe we have thomann as the big reseller(german)who have it in stock but i will never buy gear like this on the net without putting my fingers on it,i don't want to test it in a shop in paris and buy it on the net(bad way to do as a customer),and prefer supporting french shops.

 

But i looked a lot honestly the mp11 and 7 on the net,you make me think about them..

And i will test it as soon as possible because i absolutly loved what i heard and read on the net about these keyboards.

The mp 11 seems a pianist dream for a digital piano,i can sell my nord piano 2 in the future if this one appeals me.

Nord stage 2 EX88,Nord electro 5D,roland RD800,Roland FA08,Korg kingkorg,Korg PA4x,Yamaha PSR s970

Native instrument maschine studio et komplete 10.

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lekanout, I expect by "commercial reasons" the salesperson was indeed referring to the practise of play-testing at the store, then ordering for a slightly lower price online.

 

But kudos to you for doing the right thing and supporting local music shops! ;)

 

To answer your query, I believe the MP11 is available for play-testing in Paris at 'Centre Chopin' - I will have to ask a colleague about the MP7 availability.

 

Kind regards,

James

x

Employed by Kawai Japan, however the opinions I express are my own.
Nord Electro 3 & occasional rare groove player.

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It's a shame there's so little knowledge about the essence of functioning of the sound engines, and that presets likely are the judging point.

 

T.

 

I think there is plenty of knowledge about the essence of functioning sound engines, which is why we look for the most efficient way to do it. Some brands do it better than others and that is a huge judging point if you are performing live. The more easy presets the better.

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Yes.

You can download the manual to understand what you can do.

But judgements are often based on presets for digital pianos.

 

With response adjustments and modelisation parameters you can do very good tweaking to feel better a keyboard you don't love at first"out lf the box"

For gigging it´s so important too to find your way and cut in the mix.

With roland rd i have to tweak more than with my nord piano 2 for exemple..

I always found them less easier to calibrate for me,but better if i tweak parameters.

That´s what i feel.

 

Kawai james:

Thanks for the information.

I promise you i will take time to try the kawai stage pianos soon at the centre chopin in paris:-)

My shop in paris(star's music and home studio 2 of the biggest on the place)seems to refuse to work with kawai for stage pianos..they don't propose it.

I don't know why..

Nord stage 2 EX88,Nord electro 5D,roland RD800,Roland FA08,Korg kingkorg,Korg PA4x,Yamaha PSR s970

Native instrument maschine studio et komplete 10.

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Seriously, you guys probably don't even know that most of the issues you're dealing with are sampling error related. I'm univ. EE, I mean seriously you probably don't know.

 

Who knows what the essential element of Spectral Component Modeling actually does. Seriously, _how accurately do you know that_ !!

 

My own sounds sound a lot better.

 

End of answer.

 

T.

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Seriously, you guys probably don't even know that most of the issues you're dealing with are sampling error related. I'm univ. EE, I mean seriously you probably don't know.

 

Who knows what the essential element of Spectral Component Modeling actually does. Seriously, _how accurately do you know that_ !!

 

My own sounds sound a lot better.

 

End of answer.

 

T.

 

Well, for us poor slobs, we will try to get by somehow with subpar sounds and presets offered by the major brands. But if it sounds good, feels good, and easy to use, easy to edit sounds to my liking... I'll most likely buy it. I dont expect too much out of a digital piano.

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No problem guys.

Every feeling from different users is interesting for me.

That´s why i've joined this forum with many experimented users.

 

We all have different piano culture,playing different kind of music.

There isn't universal choice.

But all products are quite good today.

No reasons to be sad to play a cp4.a roland or a kawai:-)

 

Nord stage 2 EX88,Nord electro 5D,roland RD800,Roland FA08,Korg kingkorg,Korg PA4x,Yamaha PSR s970

Native instrument maschine studio et komplete 10.

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No problem guys.

Every feeling from different users is interesting for me.

That´s why i've joined this forum with many experimented users.

 

We all have different piano culture,playing different kind of music.

There isn't universal choice.

But all products are quite good today.

No reasons to be sad to play a cp4.a roland or a kawai:-)

 

Good luck with the RD800 lekenout! I enjoy mine very much regardless of serious sampling issues :idk . The RD800 still has a lot going for it. See you on the RD800 threads.

 

 

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It's also possible to analyze what the difference in more warmth for the Roland and some form of less appeal of the CP$ is made of. It really can probably even be quantified, but that isn't chunks of easily eatable dog food, that requires some more thinking and learning that knowing if the samples are big enough.

 

And programming sounds is sometimes related to dealing with the raggedy samples and how much you can hear them, and good instruments sometimes can be programmed such that, even though they are still digital, their output signal is more pleasant to listen to.

 

T.

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carl c:

Thanks for the kind words

 

Theo:

i agree about for all you said about sampling.

But in use,i'm often playing live with 2 furious guitarist where the audience can't hear the sampling issues in these situations.

:D:D

And i read all the considerations from dave ferris(for example)i understand his vison with his cp4.

Nord stage 2 EX88,Nord electro 5D,roland RD800,Roland FA08,Korg kingkorg,Korg PA4x,Yamaha PSR s970

Native instrument maschine studio et komplete 10.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi guys.

Just a few words about the CP4 and the RD800,because i bought the 2.

 

After buying the RD800,i decided to sell my nord piano 2 to buy the CP4 too essentially because:

- i need 2 high level stage pianos

-the cp4 is lighter and more compact than the roland

-the sound is different.

-i was looking for a better keybed than my nord,and better rhodes.

 

After some weeks playing and working with the 2,here are my sensations in use:

-hardware:

The roland is so fun to use,a pleasure.

All seems to be better on the roland in use(ergonomy,hardware commands...etc etc)

The yamaha isn't difficult to use,but not very pleasant in the menus,the commands..etc etc

The Rd series from roland are a reference for me,and yam seems to look for something to catch in every new keyboards.

The LCD on the rd is top,while the lcd and menus on the cp4 are like an old jv 1080..

We are in 2014.

 

I've started to prepare my own stage configuration on the cp4 for my september gigs.

All is ok for me,i'm doing the job and i'm familiar now with the system..but i don't really like working with it honestly when i love that on the roland.

My advice:

If the "easy to use,and pleasure to use"is important,take the roland!

 

Keybed:

I'm more in the yam since 2 weeks because i took it with me for holidays.

I've played. hours and hours with it.

The yam has really a great keybed,the connection with sounds is top too.

But i have a personal feeling the roland connection with keybed is a little more subtile(hard to explain,and i'm not the best pianist you can find....but that´s what i feel)

I prefer the roland ivory feel on the keys than the yam,the roland has more "grip"i think.

 

-sounds:

They are completly different and i'm feeling really lucky to have both.

 

We can speak hours for sounds,it´s difficult and only a personal test can give you your truth and connection between these keyboards and your piano vision.

 

The thing i like the most for piano sounds is the fact they are different.

Out of the box,i prefer the CP4 maybe because all the 3 grand pianos presets are on top for different situations.

Yam did a fantastic job to make a beautiful"ready to play"stage piano.

 

The roland is different. for piano sounds:

I need to tweak more to find my sound "out of the box"

But when the yam is"you like or not,nothing to modify",the roland is"go on the engine,tweak..and you will find what you want"

The supernatural engine for acoustic pianos is far superior to the yam.

 

To resume:

When you test acoustic pianos on the yam,you have all and nothing to do if something disturb you.

When you test the roland,you can feel only a part of this keyboard can do,but not all because there is an engine to tweak.

That´s what i feel.

-----

For Eps:

-the difference between the 2 is the same than acoustic pianos because the roland has a supernatural engine the yam don't have.

A few parameter on the yam,much thîgs on the roland(you can do a kind of morphing with different ep type properties for example)

 

But we all know the Eps sounds depends of the effect too.

-honestly,(while roland did a better job on th 800 than on the 700)i prefer the yamaha rhodes.

 

I'm in love with the yamaha rhodes.

They are really one of. the strongest part of the CP4.

All are superb,and the effect chain is high level.

I took time to tweak a lot the different rhodes,programming my own sounds with the effect.(amp circuit simulation...etc et )

I found fabulous sounds..

I own 2 sv1,a kronos,roland and kurzweil sounds..nords...and honestly i can't see a better sound i found for rhodes emulation than in the CP4.

I bought it for that too,and i did right!

 

Oh,rhe rd 800 can give you very good ep sounds,efficient...

But it's jus the fact it sounds more dirty and authentic on the yam.

I know i can have more than my ex-korg sv1(for example)if i tweak the amp simulation(even if the korg has a tube)with some programming.

And the yam keybed is far better than the korg keybed so it makes finally the difference!

 

for other eps sounds wurly are good on both,cp and dx better on the yam.

That's what i feel.

 

For organs:

Much things to find on the roland,good rompler organ sounds on the yam..and that´s all.

Useable,but not as good as the best clones..but everybody knows that!

 

Other diverse sounds:

-some acoustic samples(from motif series )are quite good on the cp4,but don't expect a motif.

Acoustic sounds not really better on the roland..depends.

 

Synth sounds:

Some good and efficient samples on the yam,but i think the roland is superior:

If you tweak and program layers on the roland(more fun to do than the yam),you can have more than the cp4.

That´s how i feel.

 

conclusion:

The cp4 hardware product is not for me a sex appeal machine:

Plastic,ergonomy..etc is quite annoying.

The roland is more sensual,pleasant...

But these considerations are only a little part of the choice.

 

 

When you forget the cp4 annoying plastic case and you play it,damn it's a beast

It just sounds right and so good to play.

When i sold the nord piano 2 for the cp4,i was looking for a better keybed and better rhodes at first,in a light case.

I did the right choice!

I think as a pianist the cp4 is better.

But Nord knows how to produce light(17/18kg)good keyboards in a solid metal case..i would love to have the CP4 sounds and keybed in a 18kg metal case...

 

Yamaha miss 2 things (even if i don.t worry about reliability,yamaha never delused me like korg did with the sv1 and kronos):

-too much plastic

-not as fun and pleasant to use as the roland or kawai series

 

Except these points,the CP4 has the good sound at the good price!

But if you want more fun and programming,i think the RD 800 is better.

 

If i listen yamaha comercial argument to sell the CP4"we produced our best stage piano ever" i can't see where the cp4 is better than a CP[(except the CFX and a different keybed)

 

But i think (if i consider sounds,keybed and weight) the CP4 is the best stage piano (for a oriented pianist feeling )ever made in 17,5 kg.

 

Hope that helps

 

Nord stage 2 EX88,Nord electro 5D,roland RD800,Roland FA08,Korg kingkorg,Korg PA4x,Yamaha PSR s970

Native instrument maschine studio et komplete 10.

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Hi guys.

Just a few words about the CP4 and the RD800,because i bought the 2.

 

After buying the RD800,i decided to sell my nord piano 2 to buy the CP4 too essentially because:

- i need 2 high level stage pianos

-the cp4 is lighter and more compact than the roland

-the sound is different.

-i was looking for a better keybed than my nord,and better rhodes.

 

After some weeks playing and working with the 2,here are my sensations in use:

-hardware:

The roland is so fun to use,a pleasure.

All seems to be better on the roland in use(ergonomy,hardware commands...etc etc)

The yamaha isn't difficult to use,but not very pleasant in the menus,the commands..etc etc

The Rd series from roland are a reference for me,and yam seems to look for something to catch in every new keyboards.

The LCD on the rd is top,while the lcd and menus on the cp4 are like an old jv 1080..

We are in 2014.

 

I've started to prepare my own stage configuration on the cp4 for my september gigs.

All is ok for me,i'm doing the job and i'm familiar now with the system..but i don't really like working with it honestly when i love that on the roland.

My advice:

If the "easy to use,and pleasure to use"is important,take the roland!

 

Keybed:

I'm more in the yam since 2 weeks because i took it with me for holidays.

I've played. hours and hours with it.

The yam has really a great keybed,the connection with sounds is top too.

But i have a personal feeling the roland connection with keybed is a little more subtile(hard to explain,and i'm not the best pianist you can find....but that´s what i feel)

I prefer the roland ivory feel on the keys than the yam,the roland has more "grip"i think.

 

-sounds:

They are completly different and i'm feeling really lucky to have both.

 

We can speak hours for sounds,it´s difficult and only a personal test can give you your truth and connection between these keyboards and your piano vision.

 

The thing i like the most for piano sounds is the fact they are different.

Out of the box,i prefer the CP4 maybe because all the 3 grand pianos presets are on top for different situations.

Yam did a fantastic job to make a beautiful"ready to play"stage piano.

 

The roland is different. for piano sounds:

I need to tweak more to find my sound "out of the box"

But when the yam is"you like or not,nothing to modify",the roland is"go on the engine,tweak..and you will find what you want"

The supernatural engine for acoustic pianos is far superior to the yam.

 

To resume:

When you test acoustic pianos on the yam,you have all and nothing to do if something disturb you.

When you test the roland,you can feel only a part of this keyboard can do,but not all because there is an engine to tweak.

That´s what i feel.

-----

For Eps:

-the difference between the 2 is the same than acoustic pianos because the roland has a supernatural engine the yam don't have.

A few parameter on the yam,much thîgs on the roland(you can do a kind of morphing with different ep type properties for example)

 

But we all know the Eps sounds depends of the effect too.

-honestly,(while roland did a better job on th 800 than on the 700)i prefer the yamaha rhodes.

 

I'm in love with the yamaha rhodes.

They are really one of. the strongest part of the CP4.

All are superb,and the effect chain is high level.

I took time to tweak a lot the different rhodes,programming my own sounds with the effect.(amp circuit simulation...etc et )

I found fabulous sounds..

I own 2 sv1,a kronos,roland and kurzweil sounds..nords...and honestly i can't see a better sound i found for rhodes emulation than in the CP4.

I bought it for that too,and i did right!

 

Oh,rhe rd 800 can give you very good ep sounds,efficient...

But it's jus the fact it sounds more dirty and authentic on the yam.

I know i can have more than my ex-korg sv1(for example)if i tweak the amp simulation(even if the korg has a tube)with some programming.

And the yam keybed is far better than the korg keybed so it makes finally the difference!

 

for other eps sounds wurly are good on both,cp and dx better on the yam.

That's what i feel.

 

For organs:

Much things to find on the roland,good rompler organ sounds on the yam..and that´s all.

Useable,but not as good as the best clones..but everybody knows that!

 

Other diverse sounds:

-some acoustic samples(from motif series )are quite good on the cp4,but don't expect a motif.

Acoustic sounds not really better on the roland..depends.

 

Synth sounds:

Some good and efficient samples on the yam,but i think the roland is superior:

If you tweak and program layers on the roland(more fun to do than the yam),you can have more than the cp4.

That´s how i feel.

 

conclusion:

The cp4 hardware product is not for me a sex appeal machine:

Plastic,ergonomy..etc is quite annoying.

The roland is more sensual,pleasant...

But these considerations are only a little part of the choice.

 

 

When you forget the cp4 annoying plastic case and you play it,damn it's a beast

It just sounds right and so good to play.

When i sold the nord piano 2 for the cp4,i was looking for a better keybed and better rhodes at first,in a light case.

I did the right choice!

I think as a pianist the cp4 is better.

But Nord knows how to produce light(17/18kg)good keyboards in a solid metal case..i would love to have the CP4 sounds and keybed in a 18kg metal case...

 

Yamaha miss 2 things (even if i don.t worry about reliability,yamaha never delused me like korg did with the sv1 and kronos):

-too much plastic

-not as fun and pleasant to use as the roland or kawai series

 

Except these points,the CP4 has the good sound at the good price!

But if you want more fun and programming,i think the RD 800 is better.

 

If i listen yamaha comercial argument to sell the CP4"we produced our best stage piano ever" i can't see where the cp4 is better than a CP[(except the CFX and a different keybed)

 

But i think (if i consider sounds,keybed and weight) the CP4 is the best stage piano (for a oriented pianist feeling )ever made in 17,5 kg.

 

Hope that helps

thanks. I own a CP4 and playing occasional jazz gigs, it's been great. The EPs are the best I owned since my early days using the real thing.

 

So far, I just turn it on and play so I haven't attempted to learn how to program set ups. Maybe you can answer me this question. Can I adjust the effects for pianos?

 

I really just need to lower the depth of the stereo vibrato for now. Maybe I'll set up some live sets someday.

AvantGrand N2 | ES520 | Gallien-Krueger MK & MP | https://soundcloud.com/pete36251

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