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Yamaha CP88/73 - sound range and updates?


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I've been considering this board for a while now. Love the sound of demos I've heard and, while I'd need to play one before buying, I've always liked Yamaha actions.

 

One thing that put me off at first was the extremely limited number of sounds on board, particularly once you get out of bread-and-butter AP and EP territory. I understand these have been increased with updates to the OS. But then I read somewhere they were planning to release these about once a quarter, and the last one I can see any reference to was in September 2020.

 

The good thing is that nearly all the sounds there are super high quality. I understand the difference between a stage keyboard and a workstation and am happy to see it in the appropriate context. A slightly more comprehensive orchestral/wind/brass section and I'd probably buy. Anyone know if there's anything further on the horizon?

 

This is mesmerising:

 

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Compared to prior incarnations of the CP line - the sound pallet on the 88 is strong. The build quality and the action are the attraction.

An MODX8 is going to give you a wider selection of sounds with an action you can get on a $650 P125.

The Montage is the flagship, slightly different choice of action than the CP-88, but also of "premium" quality for $4k.

 

I too miss the S90, ES, XS range where you could get a more capable synth with "premium" action for similar price to a CP.

 

We know already the CP88's sounds can be updated with via Yamaha's firmware update tool,,and they've done it once already.

 

So we shall see.

 

That said, remember the CP88 has the audio interface built in. Very easy to supplement sounds with an iOS device or laptop.

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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I don't know about quality comparison but the PC4 I think had 500+ sounds.

1000+

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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So does that mean the PC88/73 should be getting more towards that scale with a few more updates? Or that there are fundamental differences in the design and architecture that mean it's never going to be that kind of instrument.

 

Not that I particularly want that. But mature, quality stage keyboards like Kurzweil Forte (say) seem to typically have around 200-300, and that seem to be enough to cover reasonable expectations without getting into Motif / Montage / Kurzweil PC line 1,000+ territory. The PC88 when it first came out was closer to one of those home/school keyboards with 12 sounds operable by 12 buttons on the front! (though obviously much higher quality), and even now, it's got a way to go.

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Nice video by Ben Allen! He is a killer player and lives about an hour and a half from me. I'm expecting him to come by this week as I offered to let him to take my Wave 2 for a spin for a few days at home to consider buying one. He really knows his stuff and does great patches for everything he plays.

Yamaha U1 Upright, Roland Fantom 8, Nord Stage 4 HA73, Nord Wave 2, Korg Nautilus 73, Viscount Legend Live, Lots of Mainstage/VST Libraries

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Nice video by Ben Allen! He is a killer player and lives about an hour and a half from me. I'm expecting him to come by this week as I offered to let him to take my Wave 2 for a spin for a few days at home to consider buying one. He really knows his stuff and does great patches for everything he plays.

 

Nice to see Ben back here â I miss his input on KC. His reviews on the Korg Grandstage had a lot to do with me buying one!

____________________________________
Rod

Here for the gear.

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  • 6 months later...
I've been considering this board for a while now. Love the sound of demos I've heard and, while I'd need to play one before buying, I've always liked Yamaha actions.

 

One thing that put me off at first was the extremely limited number of sounds on board, particularly once you get out of bread-and-butter AP and EP territory. I understand these have been increased with updates to the OS. But then I read somewhere they were planning to release these about once a quarter, and the last one I can see any reference to was in September 2020.

 

The good thing is that nearly all the sounds there are super high quality. I understand the difference between a stage keyboard and a workstation and am happy to see it in the appropriate context. A slightly more comprehensive orchestral/wind/brass section and I'd probably buy. Anyone know if there's anything further on the horizon?

 

This is mesmerising:

 

 

Did I miss something or is there not a single modern poly sawtooth synth sound?

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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Did I miss something or is there not a single modern poly sawtooth synth sound?

I'm not sure what a "modern" poly sawtooth synth sound is, but there is a saw pad in there if that helps, at about 45 minutes in.

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 really wish Yamaha would commit to a Nord-ish library where you could pick and choose. Obviously they'd have the know-how to do it, I have no idea of how costly it would be for them to do it. Same goes for Korg, there was talk of this with the Grandstage but as far as I know it was left in the dust. I don't trust any of these manufacturers with "future updates", I'd only buy if I was happy with the keyboard as it was on day 1.
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Did I miss something or is there not a single modern poly sawtooth synth sound?

I'm not sure what a "modern" poly sawtooth synth sound is, but there is a saw pad in there if that helps, at about 45 minutes in.

 

I use a poly saw to play the chordal parts on '24K magic' and 'Uptown Funk'. I guess those are more 80s poly saw vibes than EDM poly saw vibes so I might be able to get away with these options. I can do it with my CP4. In short I'm wondering whether all the alternative sounds on the CP88 are as broad an offering as they have on the CP4. I rely on those alternate CP4 sounds quite a bit.

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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Hey Bobby, for certain there are less overall sounds in the CP 88 than the CP4. Check out page 26 of the thread I'm posting below, there is a video of the newest OS with additional sounds demo'd. Post # 3113816

 

https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2969072/26/yamaha-cp88-and-73-deserve-their-own-thread

:nopity:
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I use a poly saw to play the chordal parts on '24K magic' and 'Uptown Funk'. I guess those are more 80s poly saw vibes than EDM poly saw vibes so I might be able to get away with these options. I can do it with my CP4. In short I'm wondering whether all the alternative sounds on the CP88 are as broad an offering as they have on the CP4. I rely on those alternate CP4 sounds quite a bit.

Ah. Well, you could use the attack and release controls to get that saw sound closer to what you want, but I don't know about the synthy modulation (vibrato) you might want. It doesn't have near the sonic range of the CP4 (which had over 400 voices). And with no mono mode or portamento, it's not going to have the CP4's lead synth capability, either. The YC88 has more in the way of synth voices including mono and portamento options, though I'm still not sure how it would do at the sound you're after here.

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 really wish Yamaha would commit to a Nord-ish library where you could pick and choose. Obviously they'd have the know-how to do it, I have no idea of how costly it would be for them to do it. Same goes for Korg, there was talk of this with the Grandstage but as far as I know it was left in the dust. I don't trust any of these manufacturers with "future updates", I'd only buy if I was happy with the keyboard as it was on day 1.

 

 

And a sample synth. But for this they have to make the process of managing sounds idiot proof. Certainly needing to do an OS update off USB stick just to add/remove sounds isn"t risk proof. That said, you just don"t get a Yamaha action on a Nord. But we are on the right track for getting a Nord-like UI on a Yamaha.

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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Yamaha is polling owners through Yamaha ideascale this week to see what sampling projects they may include in a future OS update. In this case, 'character' instruments. Some of the choices on the list included a 1960s Grand Piano preferred for Jazz, a specific CP-80 that"s located in an LA Studio, 80s era Rhodes with more bell-like tone (I"m guessing the MkII). Anyway, if you have an opinion on what priority should be given to any of these, sign up and participate.

 

https://yamahasynth.ideascale.com/

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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Cool. As I said, my preference would have been orchestral and brass, of which there's almost nothing (or was when I tried the board, anyway).

 

But I gave in and bought a second hand CP4 as one was going cheap. Seriously happy with it - good range of sounds, mostly of stunning quality. Fantastic action.

 

The updated interface on the CP88 might have been nice, but not much use if the sounds just aren't there to use it on.

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