What's your favorite CP-70/80 emulation?

[eric]

I know that Yamaha CP-70/80 electric grand as a sound is polarizing and there have been some forum members like Kanker that would use all the CPs in the world as firewood if he could (LOL).

 

I happen to be one that absolutely loves the sound of a Yamaha CP and I own a nice CP-80 in my home music room. I'd love to hear from people that like the sound and what your favorite emulations are? I have a pretty good sound dialed in on my Nord Stage 2/3 instruments and also the Yamaha S-90 has a respectable CP sound. I believe there are some software emulations as well, though I've never used those.

 

For those of you that use them, what is your favorite emulation of this iconic sound?

 

Thanks,

Eric

[ABECK]

Following!

 

I've yet to own anything that sounded right to me (Roland, Nord, GSI, Mainstage library)

[AnotherScott]

I know that now and then I've played a board where I think, "wow, they really nailed that sound," but off the top of my head, I can't remember which! It's not a sound I use often. I do like it, though.

[Michael Wright]

The UVI offering is the only one I have. I used to own a CP 70B.

I have not fired it up lately, but you have reminded me I have it!

https://www.uvi.net/en/pianos-keyboards/egp.html

[Bill H.]

Following!

 

I've yet to own anything that sounded right to me (Roland, Nord, GSI, Mainstage library)

 

Yeah me too. As a fellow CP80 owner they all seem to emphasize it's weaknesses (thunky bass register and overall thinness) without picking up what I like (singing quality, even tone).

 

I'm also interested in suggestions - if anyone has them.

[ElmerJFudd]

Worth a look, Waves, 8Dio, and Gospel Musicians

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]

 

There's also a CP-70 in Gospel Musician's Neo Soul Keys 2

"D'Ang CP70 - There would be no soul, without the sound of recording artist D'Angelo, who often performs live on a Yamaha CP70 Electric Grand. A CP70 sample library is a rare find and could easily cost half the price of this library alone, so we sampled a well manicured and serviced version, which sounds very authentic. The sources sampled were the DI, AMP, and an XY Mic for the ambient tone. The result is a beautifully sampled version that will give you that classic D'Angelo live sound."

 

https://gospelmusicians.com/neo-soul-keys-studio-2.html?category_id=86

[mcgoo]

The one in Keyscape is very good, but it's a bit too compressed for me (as are most emulsions I've heard). I gigged with a CP-70B 6 nights a week in the early 80' s and mine never sounded like that.

[mate stubb]

My favorite is the Piano 3 from the venerable Roland SA pianos. Not strictly a CP clone, but it cuts the mix the same and is oh so dynamic and responsive to play.

[jverghese]

Among hardware instruments, the Waldorf Zarenbourg has a very nice CP70 emulation. Not just the sound, but the playing response is good too. I know availability of this instrument isn't great, and the price is high.

 

The Viscount Legend '70s seems to have a good emulation too, although I haven't played it. Looking forward to trying it out at some point.

 

Didn't like the CP80 emulation in the Korg SV-1 I used to have.

[Delaware Dave]

The Gemini module has a CP70 emulation but I find it is a little watery, i.e. too chorusy for my taste. I always meant to go into the editor and tweak it but so far have not gotten around to it. It might be great when tweaked but the delivered CP70 I'm not happy with.

[Doerfler]

Yamaha CP4 is as close as I have found, and I still own a CP 70, although not set up at the moment.

David Evans "The Edge" toured with a Yamaha CP4 in a custom cabinet built by Vintage Vibe in lieu of touring with a CP 80.

 

[Mighty Motif Max]

I like the one in the Motif XF/XS personally. Kurzweil PC3/Classic Keys ROM comes in second.

[Mighty Motif Max]

I should add - a user on the Motifator forum called CESAR_SOUND sampled his own CP80 about ten years ago and made a soundset for the Motif XF. That was actually the best. Second is the stock Motif CP70, third the PC3 Classic Keys-based CP70/80.

[Fuzzy1]

There's a whole bunch of CP70/80 's on my PC4 . I use to have one that I sold years back . I love them all from my PC4 now!

[Dr Mike Metlay]

I know that Yamaha CP-70/80 electric grand as a sound is polarizing and there have been some forum members like Kanker that would use all the CPs in the world as firewood if he could (LOL).

 

I happen to be one that absolutely loves the sound of a Yamaha CP and I own a nice CP-80 in my home music room. I'd love to hear from people that like the sound and what your favorite emulations are? I have a pretty good sound dialed in on my Nord Stage 2/3 instruments and also the Yamaha S-90 has a respectable CP sound. I believe there are some software emulations as well, though I've never used those.

 

For those of you that use them, what is your favorite emulation of this iconic sound?

 

Thanks,

Eric

Pianoteq. A Yamaha CP80 model is one of many really cool models available free to users from Modartt, and while I'm not an expert, it's near as golden for me.

[CEB]

Why in the hell do you want to emulate that?

 

ððð

[johnchop]

Why in the hell do you want to emulate that?

 

ððð

 

Peter Gabriel tribute band?

[dje31]

I'd take a CP sound--even a sketchy one--over that damnable DX7 bell-EP. STILL sick of it, four decades later.

[stoken6]

I'd take a CP sound--even a sketchy one--over that damnable DX7 bell-EP. STILL sick of it, four decades later.

Yeah, there's something about real vibrating strings. We touched on this in the Valente thread.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Doerfler]

Pianoteq. A Yamaha CP80 model is one of many really cool models available free to users from Modartt, and while I'm not an expert, it's near as golden for me.

 

I'll try to get around to A/B'ing my CP4 and Pianoteq this evening. Would like to know this myself, anyway.

[eric]

Thanks for all the helpful responses! A lot of considerations here. It's not urgent for me to find "my next CP70 emulator," though it is fun to consider.

 

I've never played the CP4 very much, other than at NAMM one time when it was new (I think 5+ years ago, at least). I was searching and found this cool page showing how the CP4 inherited some of its design from the CP70.

https://www.yamaha.com/en/about/design/synapses/id_059/

 

I also had the Kurz PC3 for a hot minute and do remember those CP70 sounds. I have not heard the CESAR_SOUND Motif XF samples and have not tried out Pianoteq, though it seems like a pretty easy entry point if it's free.

 

Why do I care? I love the CP70 sound on '80s music like Peter Gabriel, Simple Minds, U2, Sting, etc. and I've used it prominently as one of my "voices" even in songs that didn't have it originally. There's just something very beautiful and haunting about the sound and it cuts through a wall of guitars pretty well.

 

Cheers,

Eric

[midinut]

Just curious, didn't Busch do a Vintage Keyboard Collection for the Yamahas (over at Purgatory Creek?) that included a CP-70/80? I seem to remember, but not sure if I have enough brain cells left to be sure. lol

[David Emm]

I've always found the sound to be boxy-yet-intimate in a positive fashion. Its somewhat like a specifically EQ'd tack piano. I have a couple of intermediate samples of it that are serviceable, but I've got Pianoteq in my near future. I'll zero in on their version and see how wooly/accurate it is.

 

It really is an 80s hallmark because Gabriel and others were the most prominent players to first use it, but funny thing... I find places where its an ideal layering or bridging tool. You can easily put it up front like Supertramp's Wurly, but its also like the French horn, capable of acting as excellent glue between other instruments or phrases in a song. It also needs only a small tweak to pull off "Benny the Bouncer."

 

By comparison, my wretched CP 20 deserved to be hurled somewhere suitable with a trebuchet. Imagine hearing a strange CRASH, looking out the window and seeing that buried in your car hood.

[Mighty Motif Max]

Do you have a Motif XF/MOXF by chance? Or a Montage/MODX?

[Doerfler]

Pianoteq. A Yamaha CP80 model is one of many really cool models available free to users from Modartt, and while I'm not an expert, it's near as golden for me.

 

I'll try to get around to A/B'ing my CP4 and Pianoteq this evening. Would like to know this myself, anyway.

 

So I've been away from Pianoteq for quite a while even though I have owned it for 9 years now. I upgraded to Version 7.1 to do this comparision. I also calibrated my controller (Yamaha CP4) before starting.

 

Observations after about 30 minutes :

 

Certainly the CP80 in Pianoteq sounds like a CP80, not going to mistake it for something else. I found the CP80 in my Yamaha CP4 to be much more playable across the keyboard. Pianoteq goes into the chorusness (is that a word?) that characterizes the CP80 way early in the touch of the controller, where as inside the CP4 one has to play the keys much more (and I mean much more) firmly to get the same effect. I would bet that with more tweaking I could get Pianoteq closer to the CP4, but straight out of the box, the Yamaha wins for me. As it should, really. Anyone who is this far into this thread should click on the link Eric provided 4 posts above this one. Quick quote :

 

"The CP4 STAGE and CP40 STAGE carry forward the essence of the original CP-70, in a form suited to today"s music scene."

[Mike Martin]

I recall the one in Steinberg's The Grand 3 was pretty good. It has been a while since I've played though.

[Bill H.]

I really like that 8Dio video... does a good job of capturing the singing, floating, ethereal quality of a CP70/80 at it's best. I have a CP80 so I'm not sure I need it, but I'm glad I'm now aware of it.

[Doerfler]

I really like that 8Dio video...

 

If I wanted a CP80 emulation to play inside of Kontakt, that's the one I would get

[sagetunes]

My favorite is the Piano 3 from the venerable Roland SA pianos. Not strictly a CP clone, but it cuts the mix the same and is oh so dynamic and responsive to play.

 

I concur. Piano 3 on the original RD300 is sweet, expressive, cuts thru nicely live. It may not be totally faithful, but it's really nice.

[b3keys]

E-mu Vintage Keys Pro has great CP pianos.