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Any thoughts on the Yamaha P-515?


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I am looking at buying a P-515 but I am not finding hardly any posts on this keyboard. I know its new but they have delivered many I am told. The UTube videos look great but would be interested if anyone actually has one and especially how it sounds and how the action feels as compared to the CP4, which I really like.
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I saw that thread thanks, it just stopped before anyone actually had one. But I will make my way over to Piano World and see what people say over there.

 

For me, its the 515 versus the Kawai ES80 or KMP7SE and I cant quite decide. I know Bonners did a comparison.

 

I guess the good news is that all these new keyboards sound great and the action is good. Maybe an abundance of riches these days so not to worry too much and spend the time practicing.

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I tried a P515 - it's going to be my next DP. I had, loved and sold a CP4 which doubled both as a home and stage piano...but just got a bit too heavy to constantly lug in the end.

 

So I have a Nord Electro for general gigging with my band now and wanted a good home piano with speakers BUT which, if I ever got a solo-piano gig, I could suffer to move. The P515 fits that bill.

 

The action (NWX) is excellent, better than the CP4. The speakers were, like any slab, 'good enough' and actually surprisingly rich for their size. I preferred the action to the Kawai ES8.

 

There are two samples, the CFX and Bosendorfer but I can't imagine using anything other than the CFX. The Bosie is more mellow and woody but just sounded less present and sparkling to me.

 

Then there's the very reasonable price of the P515...it's a winner for me.

 

 

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Hi,

I was in Chappell's Wardour Street London at the weekend and sat down at a P515. Unfortunately the store was rammed with people playing all the instruments at stupid volumes so I did not get around to auditioning the P515 properly.

What I can say is that P515 feels complete, total quality. It feels like a beautifully made instrument with a quality keybed. Even the stand looks and feels the business.

I would be surprised if anybody disagreed after actually getting their hands on one.

Sadly I cannot comment on the sounds and speaker system but everything else ticked the boxes (for me anyway).

I have a Roland RD2000,a Korg arranger and a Viscount Legend organ, so I consider my opinion to be fairly impartial.

 

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I would be very curious as to your thoughts and impressions when you do play the 515. I tried it at lunch today and wasn't as sold as I thought I would be. I found the action pretty stiff, more then my CP4 I think, and a little difficult to play (could also be my lack of technique). Normally I like a harder action but this one seemed too stiff to me. In one video, Bonners pointed the heaviness of the action out also, over 50 grams I believe.

 

The sounds were very good (esp the CFX grand) but the others weren't great, but I was also listening through a pair of probably not so great headphones so that didn't help. At this point, not sure its worth upgrading from my CP4 yet (which I love) even though I like all the new features of the 515. May wait and see about NAMM 2019 (although I say that every year). But would be interested in what you think when you play one.

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For what its worth, I went back to play the 515 and brought a pair of good headphones (Sennheiser 650HD) and spent more time.

 

I like the keyboard more. The weight is a little heavy but I imagine better plays prefer this. The CFX in binaural mode sounds really amazing. I was less impressed with the Bosendorfer which is pretty soft but can be tweaked up in piano room settings.

 

Speakers were ok, but not great. You also cant tweak any of the other sounds past reverb and EQ, so none of the Rhodes etc can be tweaked at all as far as I can tell. The built in sounds are good but there are only 7 of them in the Rhodes subset

 

So... given that I believe to get good speaker sound one would need better speaker amps anyway (I am looking at the new CP8s or 12) so the built in speakers aren't worth it, and that I already have a CFX in my CP4 (although without the binaural feature), this isnt worth the upgrade to me. I am going to hold off and hope that Yamaha upgrades the CP4 soon. If one wanted a home digital piano with speakers then the 515 is a really good deal and worth it. Makes me also really appreciate the new 73 key Yamaha P121 which is only like $600 and has the new CFX and is super light.

 

I am curious if anyone has a recommendation on keyboard amps for AP clarity.

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From the people I speak to at NAMM, there seems to be no hurry to upgrade/replace the CP4.

 

Fine with me. It ain't broke.

Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37

 

My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section

https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native

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  • 1 month later...

Nice playing, thanks for posting.

 

Looking forward to all the NAMM postings about the new CP88 and how it compares to the P-515. There is a lot of chatter about the differences, I gather the CP88 doesn't have string resonance and escarpment. I don't really know how important these are for the causal player. I really like the new CFX piano in the 515, I hope its in the CP88. Piano sound, action and feel is what matters to me. The 515 is a lot less expensive so not sure why the CP88 has less features, puzzling. I didn't like the 515 speakers so why buy them, but if the CP88 sounds aren't any better why pay more? Yamaha is charging more so why not give more.

 

But I know that all shall be revealed soon enough by you all lucky enough to actually go to NAMM.

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The 515 is a lot less expensive so not sure why the CP88 has less features, puzzling.

More expensive boards often lack some features of less expensive boards. They're just different designs with different features, and there are often trade-offs. Krome is missing Kross features, FA is missing DS features, PX560 is missing PX5S features, MP11 is missing MP7 features, XK5 is missing SK1 features, the list goes on.

 

While you lose some things in moving from a P515 to a CP, you also get a ton of stuff... the real-time control surface, pitch/mod controls, recallable user presets, internal power supply, aluminum chassis, XLR outputs, etc. Plus there's a compact/light 73. As is often the case, you get some stuff, you lose some stuff. But sure, if all you care about is piano sound/action, the P515 is the better buy.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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I have been playing one at a local piano shop, and I absolutely love it.

 

The CFX sample reminds me a lot of the CP4 sample, but there is also a Bosendorfer sample plus several variations.... can't remember all the names but most of them sound good.

 

The Rhodes / Wurli samples are also excellent. There also also 5 or 6 Rhodes variations, such as Phaser Wurli etc. I didn't have issues with most of these.... they sounded more authentic to me than most of what Yamaha had in their Motif line. They all seemed to be warmer a fatter sounding than many of the Motif samples that I remember.

 

The speaker system also sounded beefy and fairly loud. We Paired the 515 to a subwoofer in the store I was in, and the thing really had some oomph with that.

 

My impression of the 515 was that it had pianos that were comparable to the MODX, but I seemed to like the keybed better. It is priced significantly lower than the MODX, but then again it is heavier.

 

There is a lot of bang for the buck in the 515. A new level in the stand alone digital from what I can tell.

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I though that the 515 had a fair amount of output. And with a subwoofer it has quite a bit of output.

 

I haven't looked at the specs.... what are they saying about the keybed? I liked it pretty well. It definitely felt more forgiving than the classic CP-33 type action.

 

I did most of my demo through headphones and I also liked the Bosendorfer quite a bit, and there was also a " soft" piano or " mellow" piano... can't remember which but through phones this was just about my favorite. I like a warm sound in a digital.

 

I have kept the Roland RD300GX for years because I still love the main Rhodes and I like the Superior Grand Roland sample much better than what came after it. For whatever reason, I just could not justify the cost of a CP4 but now this is getting closer to it.

 

I really do like the idea of something with speakers that has a natural sound. I will take a look at the CP88 and see how it compares, but I really also like the price point of the 515.

 

Yamaha does it again. This could be a classic for basic home use, definitely.

 

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  • 3 months later...
Check my review on the original P515 thread.

Yamaha: Motif XF8, MODX7, YS200, CVP-305, CLP-130, YPG-235, PSR-295, PSS-470 | Roland: Fantom 7, JV-1000

Kurzweil: PC3-76, PC4 (88) | Hammond: SK Pro 73 | Korg: Triton LE 76, N1R, X5DR | Emu: Proteus/1 | Casio: CT-370 | Novation: Launchkey 37 MK3 | Technics: WSA1R

Former: Emu Proformance Plus & Mo'Phatt, Korg Krome 61, Roland Fantom XR & JV-1010, Yamaha MX61, Behringer CAT

Assorted electric & acoustic guitars and electric basses | Roland TD-17 KVX | Alesis SamplePad Pro | Assorted organs, accordions, other instruments

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I liked the 515 when I demoed it a few months back. I thought the piano sample, action and electric pianos were quite good.

 

I do not like the weight. This is definitely a home instrument.

 

I did speak to a Yamaha rep at a GC recently, and I basically told him that I do not care for Yamaha organ samples !!!

 

He did not seem to want to listen.

 

This guy also did not seem to know much about how gigging musicians need good contemporary organ sounds. It is certainly a fundamental sound for any classic rock, blues or jazz gig.

 

Another issue I have had with Yamaha are defective keys. I am having this issue with a recent Yamaha portable, purchased approx. 3 years ago.

 

Meanwhile a am taking a Roland FP 30 for a spin. Surprisingly good acoustic piano sample ( Supernatural) and one of the better Wurli samples I have heard.

 

The Rhodes sucks on it though.

 

P 515 is an overall good choice for home use.

 

 

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Yamaha could take over (our little) world if they added a good organ engine IMO :D

 

I'm interested in this dp...though debating going after a modx8 simply because I could gig it far easier (despite the dreaded wall wart, grrr). Obviously the GHS action isn't going to be quite as nice as the action in the P-515, but I'm hardly a "pianist" so it might not matter. Ironically, my ancient studiologic controller finally having key issues (got it used in 1995 or so) is what is creating the interest...that still feels mighty good to me, it has the fatar tp40. Part of me would hate to go from that to the GHS in the modx, though another part of me would love to have those modx sounds available at my gigs! :D

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Don't forget that organ goes in and out of fashion periodically. In the SF Bay Area, I hear WAY more Rhodes Electric Piano in the jazz world than I do Hammond Organ.

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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Mine arrived this afternoon. After a dinner party obligation I finally got home to set up and play for an hour or so. So...

 

I am absolutely thrilled with the feel of this action. I had been sweating this purchase because I never actually found one to play for myself. (You had to see me ripping the box open, panicked, and reaching under the packaging material to play some notes.) I was afraid Id never find something I liked as much as my ancient, beloved KX88 - but Im thinking this surpasses it easily. I need more time with a clearer head to organize my impressions. Ive been mostly in the headphones, but Im pretty happy with the internal speakers. I have yet to unbox the subwoofer, or get into the iPad app. The bench included in this bundle is quite comfortable, and Im loving the Z stand. I cannot wait for that furniture stand.

 

OK, Im going back. Dont know how much sleep Ill be getting tonight.

Yamaha P515 & CK88, Pianoteq, Mainstage, iOS, assorted other stuff.

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Kinyo, a brand I dont recognize. Its part of the Kraft Music Home Bundle + Sub package. My expectations were not high and I have other subs here, but it sounds fine. Not too heavy, 60 watts - a good match to the keyboard. I dont turn it up very high and am still experimenting with the crossover setting. I think its actually marketed for tv use. In fact, I was going to use it on mine but wasnt getting any signal from my audio outs.

Yamaha P515 & CK88, Pianoteq, Mainstage, iOS, assorted other stuff.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...

My P-515 arrived today. I purchased it to be the "desk keyboard" for my composing rig. I had been using an Infinite Response VAX-77 for the last several years. But I recently moved the VAX to my live rig as it's poly-AT and lightweight action are perfect for controlling synths. So, I needed to get something to work with Nuendo and Dorico. On the desk, having a flat, knob free top is important because I have a touchscreen, mousepad, keyboard, fader box, etc that all need a place. The VAX-77 has a perfectly flat, unadorned top, and so was perfect. Looking at the P-515 pictures, the top is flat, with a few buttons. I'll never really use the buttons, but if was easy to see that I could set up a flat board pretty easily to create a seamless surface for all the composing accouterments.

 

Much of the need at my composing desk is just for all 88 notes. When working on anything except piano, there's no need for this many keys, except the key-switches for articulations are always at the extremes of the keyboard to stay out of the playing range of a given instrument. But, since piano is my favorite keyboard, it made sense to get something that feels right. I have an optical rail in my Kawai RX-7, so if I really want to capture piano, I can play the real thing and record audio and MIDI together. So ultimately it doesn't HAVE to be excellent - I just prefer it. I owned a P-85 back 15 years ago or so, and have generally been pleased with Yamaha weighted actions, so, given the positive reviews here, it seemed to be a risk-free proposition to try one for the composing rig.

 

For me, this keyboard will be used almost exclusively for its MIDI output. So what I want is for it to be able to give a full range response, and to be usefully playable at low MIDI velocities. The composing rig has massive 100GB+ piano libraries, so the inbuilt sounds are a novelty more than a necessity. It turns out that there are NO high quality controllers on the market if you want excellent piano action. You have to buy digital pianos or stage pianos and just ignore the built in stuff. And you have to buy the best units to get the best haptics. Once you accept this, and that there are no premium actions under 40lbs, the market thins appreciably. Decide that you really don't prefer Fatar actions, and it is down to a few manufacturers, and a few models each.

 

If anyone is following the Nord Grand thread, you will know that I just purchased one of those to anchor the live rig. So that will be the primary point of comparison, along with my Kawai RX-7 grand.

 

Action/Touch/Feel. The Nord Grand is almost indistinguishable from the RX-7. Its action is impeccable and plays like a real piano. The key dip, how they feel at the bottom, the sound of them hitting bottom, etc. are all just like the real thing. The P-515 is a weighted controller action. It is a bit "padded" at the bottom, not firm like an acoustic piano or the Nord Grand. The keys definitely have more friction than either my RX-7 or the Nord Grand. They are not anywhere near as fast-feeling as the RX-7 or Nord Grand. This doesn't mean you can't play fast, but the keys are a weighted action feel- they don't say "I'm the real thing". I can play as fast on the P-515 - I don't mean it gets in the way. It just doesn't "feel" fast and "out of the way". The action feels heavier and with more friction than the Nord Grand. The Nord Grand is over twice as expensive. And you get something for that $$ where action is concerned. I believe the Nord Grand's Kawai action is significantly superior if accuracy to the real article is desired. That said, the action on the P-515 is wonderfully expressive. The finger-to-ear on the CFX sample is quite nice. It is easy to play controllably at soft dynamics. This is a fine digital piano, and for $1500 a great bargain. You won't find any uprights that have this good an action or that sound as nice as the CFX sample! Both digital pianos will reveal sloppy finger technique. The P515 action is almost silent acoustically. I suspect the damping is what causes it to feel slower. If truly silent practice is important, the P-515 should be a contender it is remarkably quiet. The Nord Grand has a sound as the keys bottom that is pretty much like the thunk of the real thing. It is NOT silent (it also has a small fan that you can hear in a quiet studio). This is obviously unimportant on a stage, but perhaps important in other venues. The other thing that should be mentioned about the P-515 is that if you are playing through the speakers, and have the volume up enough to create a sensation of being at an instrument, you feel the vibration through the keys, just like on a real piano. That definitely helps the "getting lost in the instrument" feeling. The Nord, lacking speakers, cannot do this. In terms of the feel of the keys, the Nord Grand has nicer keys. They are smoother, and the edges of the keys are more rounded - nothing feels like a ridge or an edge. You notice this on a thumb glissando. It's much smoother on the Nord Grand - the keys just don't have as much "edge" to them. Now, neither are waterfall keys, and you won't want to play organ on either. But the keys are higher quality on the Nord Grand and feel better under finger- again, doubling the price purchases something additional.

 

The sounds. The CFX sample is quite nice. It is better than any of the samples in the Nord Piano Library from a technical perspective. I would be thrilled to have this sample in the Nord Grand as the default sound. I much prefer it over the Bosendorfer sample also included in the P515. Like Dave Ferris has expressed in other threads, I also prefer the newer "VC" pianos from Bosendorfer to any of their "classic" models. So, I think it would be nice if they would sample a 280VC instead of the Imperial. I didn't play any of the other sounds as I will likely never have a use for them since the keyboard is connected to a few terabytes of top shelf samples. I can see occasionally using the CFX, but the audio output of this keyboard will not be plugged into the studio - just the MIDI. So I won't give any long review here, but the CFX is quite nice. There are plenty of audio examples online if that is what you want to know. The keyboard action is very well tuned to this sample, and it is well done enough that any flaws in playing or key technique sound the way they do on the RX-7. The action/sample combination is capable of musical nuance and expression. A good pianist will sound better on this board than a poor one (and not just because of playing more notes) in terms of tone and tone production. These digital pianos have come a long way. I suspect a student could go quite far before "needing" to be on an acoustic grand if these premium actions are involved.

 

The speakers. They really do help suspend disbelief. I have very nice studio monitors and PA speakers that far eclipse what is built in. But the in-built speakers do create a near-field sensation of playing an instrument. Many happy hours of practice could result. If the P-515 lacked speakers, I wouldn't care. But as I suspected, I can see using them for quick things, or to run very quiet exercises with other things happening in the background. They do not play as loud as the RX-7, but they do more than one might expect. I find that they sound best about 75% of the way up, and that much past that, they run out of gas. Cleverly useful.

 

The other thing that happens with the speakers is that the action feels different. I will explain. Acoustic pianos make a lot of noise. The keys make a "thud" every time they bottom, for instance. If the speakers are turned up, the volume of that "thud" that comes through the sample is "just right" and the keys then feel right. Turning the volume down, mutes that sound, and all of a sudden the feeling is more like a "weighted action" and less "like a piano". I repeated this with headphones and found the same thing. Our human sensory system can be so easily fooled! So my recommendation would be to turn the volume up until it seems most like an acoustic piano and you'll find that the action "improves" as if by magic. But if you play the piano turned off? The action is not very convincing. The Nord Grand remains convincing, even powered off. Fascinating, isn't it? It probably also says something about the amount of time Yamaha spent tuning the action response to the sample. It shows up very well, in my opinion, and I think they did a great job.

 

At any rate, the P-515 is a keeper, and will be used for many years to input notes into DAW and notion programs. The action will probably also loosen up a bit over time. This probably won't help any of you in this thread that are wondering how good it is for playing advanced jazz, but there are some pretty compelling videos attached to this thread that make those points in a way I cannot. For $1500, I'm not aware of anything else that would be close to as good as this is. Everything else is $2k or more, I think. Everyone's needs and taste are different, but it is hard for me to imagine a pianist not being able to play well on this instrument in the circumstances this instrument would be used instead of a top quality acoustic grand.

 

 

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