pjd

After reading through the CK voice list and having played CK, I think they are recycling voices from the arranger series keyboards. Having Genos at hand (and played a mid-range S950 early on), I don't think these are the better (or best) voices in the arranger line. If someone is considering a CK61 in particular, you might want to try or compare with an SX700. The PSR-SX700 has the so-called "Organ Flutes" drawbar organ -- which is probably the same tech ripped off for the Reface YC and CK. Just sayin'. I like the CK at its price point, but there are alternatives. All the best to ya -- pj

I've been meaning to deep dive the Stage YC for a while, but there always seems to be something higher priority... 😀 The Stage YC has two Yamaha processors: SWX09 and SWP70. The SWP70 has the waveform memory: 2Gbyte total ONFI-compatible NAND flash. I suspect that the SWX09 is doing the heavy lifting vis a vis drawbars and/or rotary speaker -- just guess work. Yamaha doesn't tell me anything. Given the CK price points, I expect to see only an SWX09 with waveform memory. If anyone cracks open their CK, please take pictures such that the IC markings are readable -- none of that fuzzy, jerky video crap on Youtube. 🙃 Yamaha have swung conservative WRT policy on service manuals and I don't feel like dancing with them right now. 😒 As to CP88 internals, your guess is as good as mine. The Clavinova CLPs have only an SWX09. CP88 doesn't do FM, so no need for SWP70. That (and other reasons) is why I think Stage CP is due for Mark 2 based on a new platform. As to CK updates. Maybe to fix a critical bug? Vendors have no profit motive to update $1,000 keyboards. Good will, yes; money, no. All the best! My 88 shopping goes on and on -- pj

Yamaha have issued the following statement regarding their participation at Synthfest UK 2023 this weekend: "Yamaha are looking forward to joining SynthFest UK this weekend to display a wide range of hands-on products along with Yamaha specialist staff to support any enquiries. We will be exhibiting our recent releases including the CK Stage Keyboard Series and Finger Drum Pads, in addition to our more established MODX+, CP, YC and Reface ranges. There has been much speculation regarding the launch of our successor to the flagship Montage synth which has been announced as an October release. To manage any expectations ahead of the show, we would like to clarify that unfortunately the timing of this new release means that it will not be featured at the show. We look forward to seeing you all there."

At 8 pounds, if it’s better than a Reface YC, I’m very intrigued. (Hey, where’s Poppy?) I’ll give it a serious listen on Monday. (Tomorrow is gig, God and football. ) Someone at Hammond needs to hire an English language tech writer, stat! The manual reads like the output of Google translate. It’s bad, Hammond, it’s very bad. Get on the stick, please! — pj

My mom had him on the TV every day when I was a little tike. "He's Polish you know." 🤩 That's how we got the "pie - anna" in the house.

"Motorized faders" -- Just felt like saying that. I think Jerryk is generally right on with his remark. Hardly anybody in marketing/engineering sits around like Dr. Evil plotting to take your money away. 🙂 Jeez, most of these damned meetings are boring as hell. 😬 Glad to be retired. 😌 Not musical instruments, but we had periodic meetings to discuss "what is and what isn't", the features to be included and excluded in a given release . Nobody has the staff to do everything. Yeah, Yamaha is relatively large, but they are still finite. The trick is scheduling feature release against available staff (both development and QA). With hardware, you get a raft of additional problems which software development teams don't face (e.g., tooling, scheduling product mix, etc., etc.) It's no wonder that progress is incremental -- nobody has the resources to have a revolution every few years. The only place where a customer might get shortchanged is feature tiering -- how to differentiate product tiers in a family. Montage (gen 1) vs. MODX (gen 1) no doubt had this kind of internal discussion. MODX was a damned good value. Just random thoughts while I caffeinate -- pj

A good chance. Some vendor jumped the gun and spilled the new features in Cubase 13. MIDI 2.0 is included. -- pj

Yeah, some times I don't trust/believe my own B.S. 😀 Good thoughts about the future. Yamaha needs to differentiate Montage M, MODX+, Stage CP and Stage YC. It'll be interesting to see how they do it. Some of that Clavinova stuff (VRM, Grand Expression and so forth) could trickle into the Stage CP, but I think it'll take a gen 2 hardware platform. VRM needs heavy-weight DSP and I doubt if the CP88 designers foresaw that in 2017/2018. All the best -- pj NAMM 2024 January 25 to 28!

Since I don't own a CP88, nor have I programmed one, I don't fully understand the Voice Select Switch number. Might as well throw Tables M, N and O into my confusion, too. However -- great leap, here -- it seems like the Voice Select Switch values MAX'ed out at 127 after the v1.5 update. Does this imply that the CP88 is built out (complete)? The CP88 is getting old enough to warrant a refresh or revision (Gen 2). Yamaha would want to apply their experience with Stage YC to CP Gen 2. This is all guesswork and roughly zero real evidence. 🙂 I would definitely be interested in a CP Gen 2 for the home studio -- pj

De nada. BTW, I couldn't find anything like a 3-band EQ. There are things called "Wall EQ" (Ref manual, page 32) and "Sound Boost" (Ref manual, page 29) which effect equalization. Might want to look up those particular three-finger button/key combinations before trying the 225. As to CFX samples, I would bet they are recycled from some other product. I wouldn't expect champagne quality at a beer-budget price. 😀 If you can stretch to a P-515, you'll be better off. Or maybe wait for the P-525 which is right around the corner. P-515 has the full VRM vs. the 225's VRM Lite, and the NWX action generally draws good marks from players. Hope this helps -- pj Music tech blog: sandsoftwaresound.net

Thanks for the report. At first, I though it was just me. I had a pretty strong reaction, too. I don't like trashing my hands. I agree that "spring-y" is not the best word choice. Maybe, "sponge-y"? I could not play with any fluidity or grace. Makes me wonder, do real people test these Yamaha products? Yamaha is such a bloomin' secretive company that I could just image them keeping the GHC in a lab and then, "Voila!", public release. Surely, they know they are in the ergonomics business?! Thanks, again -- pj

You're welcome and thanks for the tip. I hope to try the CP88 and the new Montage M8X before making a decision. Right now, the P-515 is the front-runner and it looks like a P-525 will be announced sometime this Fall (maybe, I hope). The word "smooth" got me thinking. I couldn't play the GHC with much fluidity and everything felt/sounded choppy. OK for Little Richard, but we ain't doin' Little Richard at the church. 😀 Have a good holiday weekend -- pj

P-225 Owner's Manual, page 20 The P-225 uses the keys to set parameters, e.g., Hold down PIANO and hit C6. The manuals have a bunch of charts: https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/pianos/p_series/p-225/downloads.html#product-tabs Might want to give the Smart Pianist app a try, too. Yamaha advertise Smart Pianist support for the P-225 and you may be able to access more parameters through the app. Hope this helps -- pj

Just played the P-225 for about an hour or so. I played through this week's music for the church gig. Bottom-line, not for me. The GHC action has a springy resistance that tired my hands in a very short time. Even the GC manager (a keyboard player) was surprised at the springy-ness. More at: http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-p-225-review-its-not-for-me/

Seek and ye shall find... Import from Japan to India: K00025268 FINGER DRUM PAD FGDP-30 //Y PROTO $402 - CHINA - 1PCS K00025264 FINGER DRUM PAD FGDP-50 //Y PROTO #402 - CHINA - 1PCS

The interlocking rectangle design matches a registered Yamaha trademark: https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/trademarks/018843051 Four letters are associated with the mark: "FGDP". The trademark is registered in the EU and is number 018843051. Yamaha just spent a bunch of effort scrubbing certain names from its web sites: GENOS2, Montage M6, Montage M7, Montage M8X, P-525 and -- wait for it -- FGDP-30 and FGDP-50. Maybe this is a Europe-only release? I can't find an equivalent USA trademark... Once again, Yamaha only wants us to get excited when its controlling management commands us to be excited. 🤐 -- pj

Great minds think alike. 😀 I came to a similar conclusion about the P-515: http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-p-515-i-played-one/ I'd like to play the P-225, but spec-wise, it's not up to the P-515. The new GHC (Graded-Hammer Compact) action is a complete unknown. The P-515 has the Natural Wood GH with escapement (X) and the Bösendorfer. The P-515 has 5-pin MIDI IN/OUT according to the manual; I didn't go looking for it in the store. BTW, I'm seeing signs in the tea leaves of a P-525. I don't expect it to be much of a bump beyond the 515. I totally agree about the 515 lacking decent secondary sounds. Why does Yamaha still sling these 1990's sounds? That's why I'm looking to CP88 or even the new Montage M8X. I loves that NWX keybed! 😄 -- pj http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-p-525-on-the-way/

Cheers! Spent most of the day dealing with a flat tire. Thank goodness for Les Schwab!

CP. I'm looking for a digital piano something for practice and need the feel to translate to an acoustic Petrof grand at my church gig. The CK88 and its GHS keybed just doesn't step up. I have respect for the CK88, but it doesn't fit my need. CP88 demo units are hard to find in my immediate area. There is a CP88 40 miles and one+ hour away through I-5 traffic. Yikes! 🙂 -- pj

I had the same luck Saturday, but did have a useful chat with the store manager -- a decent guy. We've all had our ups and downs at GC... 😐 He checked inventory and saw that a P-225 was delivered Friday. Might set it up this week. Stacks of P-45 and P-125 on the floor. Blow-outs ahead? CP88 sell like hot cakes according to the manager. One comes in, one sells out immediately. Explains why I still have not laid hands on one. I did play through my Sunday gig music on a GHS DGX-670. Should offer a basis for comparison against GHC. -- pj Music tech blog: sandsoftwaresound.net

Kind of liked these videos about the Yamaha P-225. Dude is like Ujiie's laid-back grandfather. 🙂 🤩

Turns out, they did intend that! Kalpajazz got that right. Yammy caught a few of us with that one. Quoting Kevin's post on YamahaSynth.com: [quote] Edited: I played with the performance a bit and found the noise is there with the Superknob turned all the way to the left but goes away as the knob is turned to the right (clockwise). Going further into effects I found the noise is coming from the "digital turntable, old record" effect in the "B" slot. the noise goes away when that's disabled. I guess that's the way it was designed but I have to ask "why?": sounds like a defect rather than "effect" in this case. [/quote] It's still kinda weird because the vinyl noise effect lingers into the next selected Performance. Go figure. Thought it was my hearing aid... 😁 -- pj

Just downloaded the free "Character Piano" library and installed it on MODX. (Yeah, technically not Montage). I really like the felt piano. However, the "Felt Mono-SP Piano" Performance starts making snap, crackle and pop sounds as soon as it is selected. This Performance behavior seems busted and not intentional. Don't even need to hit a key to get sampled Rice Krispies. 🤔 Anyone else hearing this issue on MODX? Maybe I got a lemon... Looking a gift horse in the mouth -- pj

Thanks for mentioning the new EP expansion. Sounds decent, especially given the price. The other pack sounds like a fluorescent light on the fritz... 🙂 -- pj

Count me in! I've been shopping for a DP. Put all those good pianos in one place, sprinkle VRM on them, and I'm a fish on the hook. 😀 Just occurred to me a few minutes ago -- Yamaha are updating virtually every DMI product line this calendar year. Stunning. Patience is a virtue. All the best -- pj P.S. Posted a new blog with a few MONTAGE thoughts: http://sandsoftwaresound.net/montage-thank-you-for-playing/