Yamaha CP88/YC88 vs. the rest

[HammondDave]

9 hours ago, CyberGene said:

@HammondDave I ordered a CP88 already. I live in Bulgaria and here in Europe the Yammies are scarce at the moment 😢

 

LOL... Yeah, I guess the Amazon drones don't fly to Bulgaria... yet. 

[funkyhammond]

18 minutes ago, HammondDave said:

 

LOL... Yeah, I guess the Amazon drones don't fly to Bulgaria... yet. 

 

But they sure do fly fast. I'm seeing 'out of stock' already on that link.

[Brad Kaenel]

On 5/9/2022 at 5:21 PM, HammondDave said:

 

I just saw some YC73's on Amazon...  Says they have 10....

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-YC73-73-Key-Focused-Keyboard/dp/B08RMDHXH8/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1JMEQRUMO980Q&keywords=yc73%2Byamaha&qid=1652142057&sprefix=yc%2B73%2Byamaha%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExOFU0U1pOWDU0WUtPJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDUxNTA5NDBDNlowT0pPQ1A1JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4ODI1OTcyUUJVUUlGSlJDWVFZJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

 

Must be the ultra-portable versions: 😜

 

Brand Yamaha

Item Dimensions LxWxH 9.1 x 9.1 x 9.1 inches

Number of Keys 73

[SamuelBLupowitz]

20 hours ago, Dave Ferris said:

 

I think you'll like it, it's a good keyboard, the action was too light for me but it's still solid.

It's funny, it speaks to the difference in style and taste and personal preference and what have you, but I'd call the CP88 action "as heavy as I'd ever want a digital piano to be without me looking elsewhere." It's the most I've ever enjoyed playing a digital piano, that's for sure, but it's definitely more work to play than the spinet in my home studio. 

 

But I'm not playing classical or even serious jazz on it, I'm playing blues licks and fat minor 9 voicings in rock bands.

[AnotherScott]

54 minutes ago, SamuelBLupowitz said:

It's funny, it speaks to the difference in style and taste and personal preference and what have you, but I'd call the CP88 action "as heavy as I'd ever want a digital piano to be without me looking elsewhere." It's the most I've ever enjoyed playing a digital piano, that's for sure, but it's definitely more work to play than the spinet in my home studio. 

I agree, particularly in how heavy it gets toward the bottom. Not that I've played the spinet in your home studio. ;-)

[CyberGene]

I received my CP88 today and I'm very happy with it. No need to post a review here since everything has already been said about it but if anyone is interested, I posted a review on another forum: https://pianoclack.com/forum/d/468-yamaha-cp88-review

 

I have a question to other people with the CP88 though. I've recently returned a B-Stock YC73 to Thomann because the depth encoder for effect 2 on the Keys section could be turned to easily, i.e. there's no resistance when turning it. Otherwise it worked as expected. (I was told by an independent Yamaha serviceman that this is a minor issue, probably caused by a leaked oil from the encoder and so the knob would still work with no worries, only the feel would be lighter but they can replace it for me. However it would require desoldering/soldering and the spare parts are now very hard to find and I may have to wait for a few months).

 

So, I ordered a brand new CP88 instead. Well it has the same "problem" with the "Speed" knob for the effect in the Sub section, as well as the "Rate" knob for the upper effect in the E.Piano section. Some other encoders are also kind of easier to turn than others although they still have resistance. I don't want to return it again because I am exhausted in returning instruments and I love the CP88 so far and this "problem" is indeed minor (and I can ask for encoder replacement later).

 

But I started wondering, is that normal? Can you check if you have such loose encoders on your CP-s? If we assume that is a defective encoder, I can't believe it's the second rather expensive stage piano with the same problem. Then I started wondering, the Speed knob in the sub section may also be used for the Rotary speed which has only two values: Slow and Fast. Maybe they created it intentionally loose, so that when you change the rotary speed through that knob, you can quickly flick through the two/values? I'd be glad if you can confirm this is a bug or a feature 🍻

[AnotherScott]

Well, thanks a lot, now I have to live with knowing my effects depth knob has a lot less resistance than my effects rate knob, and otherwise I might never have noticed!

[CyberGene]

33 minutes ago, AnotherScott said:

Well, thanks a lot, now I have to live with knowing my effects depth knob has a lot less resistance than my effects rate knob, and otherwise I might never have noticed!

 

Haha, I feel so dumb for returning that YC73 thinking it was a defect... 🤦🏻‍♂️ OTOH, I think I like the CP88 more than the YC73. I'm not much of an organ guy and can always connect a VB3m to the CP88. But I like the more direct controls of the CP88 and especially the action. So, a blessing in disguise 🍻

[pawelsz]

I think it is just the variation of components. Also, pandemic and further parts shortage may caused quality control processes to be less strict. Obviously it's not something making users happy. One knob which is different than all others may be a little annoying, I must say. But I would be more worried about any single a bit unresponsive switch needing excessive force to activate. 

 

Anyway I think CP88 will be more satisfying for you due to better action. Notice this board is lightweight for its 88 key size, action quality and sturdiness (metal housing etc.). 

[thomsurf]

Hi Cybergene,

 

Thanks for your review on that other site. Is there any ‘pedal noise’ at all on the CP88? 
Are you satisfied with the amount of decay? 
I’m getting rid of my NumaX88 and keep coming back to the idea of having a CP88 instead as I just can’t get comfortable with the TP110 action. 

[Aynsley Green]

On 5/11/2022 at 11:01 PM, SamuelBLupowitz said:

It's funny, it speaks to the difference in style and taste and personal preference and what have you, but I'd call the CP88 action "as heavy as I'd ever want a digital piano to be without me looking elsewhere." It's the most I've ever enjoyed playing a digital piano, that's for sure, but it's definitely more work to play than the spinet in my home studio. 

 

But I'm not playing classical or even serious jazz on it, I'm playing blues licks and fat minor 9 voicings in rock bands.

 

It's heavier than my actual piano! (Yamaha YUS5).
Personally I like a heavy action, that resistance is easier on your wrists - if I'm bashing out 3 sets of Montuno on a lightweight action like a Nord Electro, I will feel it the next day, which isn't good in the long run.

[Aynsley Green]

1 hour ago, thomsurf said:

Hi Cybergene,

 

Thanks for your review on that other site. Is there any ‘pedal noise’ at all on the CP88? 
Are you satisfied with the amount of decay? 
I’m getting rid of my NumaX88 and keep coming back to the idea of having a CP88 instead as I just can’t get comfortable with the TP110 action. 

 

That is one thing the Nords have over the Yamaha YC/CP, no Pedal Noise at all. I was thinking 'well who's going to notice', until the day after I buy the YC a client asks for a piano sound 'with a lot of mechanical noise and pedal sound', bloody hell 😁. Plugins to the rescue.

 

The Damper Resonance effect on the Yamaha is also a must.

[CyberGene]

2 hours ago, thomsurf said:

Is there any ‘pedal noise’ at all on the CP88? 

 

No, there are no pedal noises and stuff like that but I don't like them anyway. My go to software piano for my solo classical piano recordings on my YouTube is Garritan CFX and I usually turn pedal and hammer noises almost all the way down, leaving only a faint amount audible and you have to listen very carefully to notice it. I don't think something like that is needed on a stage piano since a stage piano is for gigging and those pedal noises won't be heard and can even go in the way of the entire sound. And if I would be recording a critical solo piano, I would prefer software anyway and not the onboard sounds of a digital piano.

 

 

2 hours ago, thomsurf said:

Are you satisfied with the amount of decay? 

 

There's a very long decay with the bass notes of the CFX, the Bosendorfer and the new Hamburg Steinway. The rest of the pianos have shorter decay.

 

I definitely prefer the CP88 much more than the Numa X Piano 88 that I returned. To a certain degree the keyboards feel the same but I had difficulties playing soft on the Numa which could be because of not very optimal touch response but even tweaking didn't yield satisfying results. I also felt I couldn't play well towards the back of the keys on the Numa.

 

BTW, the action in the CP88 is quite heavy, probably heavier feeling than the Numa X. I think some people may not like it. The BHS action in the YC73 felt easier to play and lighter. On the other hand, the connection between the keyboard action and the sound is so well made, once you start actually playing the CP88 it feels pretty good. This morning when I woke up, I reached for the switched off piano and my first impression was "the keys are way too heavy... why is that?" but then I turned it on and suddenly when connected to the sound that feeling disappeared. It was very odd.

 

I think it's important to note that the CP88 is IMO not for people who will play predominantly solo piano, especially at home. The P515 and Clavinova line might be better with resonance modeling and possibly better sampling. I have an AvantGrand N1X at home and the CP88 is a no match but I guess that is expected 😀 The N1X makes me smile every day since I bought it and it's the best piano I've ever owned in my life (and will probably own, unless I win the lottery and can afford purchasing a big house with a nice acoustic grand piano). And the CP88 is for my pop/funk/rock duties (gigging would be a strong word since I'm a hobbyist and play in amateur bands mostly, rarely on stage, mostly in rehearsal studios for our own pleasure) for which it's perfect.

[thomsurf]

I totally agree with you on the Numa X impressions. I’ve sort of forced myself into liking it for other reasons than the action. And accepted the readjustments it required, but when playing live with more body grooving/movement and attacking the keys it became very apparent that it makes me sound worse than I am  

Did you ever consider Kawai MP7se? I know I am but that extra weight and 5 years on the market speaks against it. 

[CyberGene]

16 minutes ago, thomsurf said:

Did you ever consider Kawai MP7se? I know I am but that extra weight and 5 years on the market speaks against it. 

 

I considered it and I used to own a MP6 many years ago which was a very good stage piano. A few things that made me look elsewhere:

- Not available

- Too heavy and bulky.

- No audio interface to supplement the onboard sounds with an iPhone/iPad

- The strings/pad sounds in the Kawai sound meh to me

- I'm not a huge fan of the Kawai piano sound and there's not a lot of variations there (no different samples) with either the acoustic pianos and the Rhodes pianos.

- The infamous Kawai (lack of) quality. I haven't had problems with my Kawai pianos in the past but there are just too many complaints on the Internet

[AnotherScott]

3 hours ago, Aynsley Green said:

That is one thing the Nords have over the Yamaha YC/CP, no Pedal Noise at all. I was thinking 'well who's going to notice', until the day after I buy the YC a client asks for a piano sound 'with a lot of mechanical noise and pedal sound', bloody hell 😁. Plugins to the rescue.

The Nashville C3 at least has a lot of the mechanical noise, though (key off).

 

I remember one studio recording I did on a real grand, where a bunch of time was spent after-the-fact to try to minimize the pedal noises. ;-)

[HammondDave]

2 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

The Nashville C3 at least has a lot of the mechanical noise, though (key off).

 

I remember one studio recording I did on a real grand, where a bunch of time was spent after-the-fact to try to minimize the pedal noises. 😉

 

I don't understand why manufacturers think loud pedal noises are a good thing (the Rhodes nose is the worse!). Concentrate on the sound and resonances of the piano, not some mechanical noise the damn thing makes!  Thank god I can turn down, or turn off the pedal noises on the Numa Piano X.  That was the first thing I did. 

[octa]

-been playing YC88 with a group that likes quick changes during songs between B3 and piano/rhodes/wurly/clav

-using Arturia keylab 61 mkii as top keyboard, for easy switching and organ action

-wishing that Speaker/Amp (which includes Rotary A and B) were separate sections, or at least the leslie or cabs were also accessible in other effects sections. 

-maybe Yamaha could make this possible in a firmware update someday?

 

an ideascale that seems to match my quandary: https://yamahasynth.ideascale.com/c/idea/273628

 

 

[funkyhammond]

7 hours ago, CyberGene said:

I definitely prefer the CP88 much more than the Numa X Piano 88 that I returned. To a certain degree the keyboards feel the same but I had difficulties playing soft on the Numa which could be because of not very optimal touch response but even tweaking didn't yield satisfying results. I also felt I couldn't play well towards the back of the keys on the Numa.

 

Just to re-iterate what I wrote on the Numa X thread, I agree. There is a bit more resistance playing at the back of the keys on the X Piano. It feels like the key pivot point is closer than it should be. (I wonder if Fatar is also eyeing the ultra-slim DP market and the TP/110 keybed was designed with that in mind.)

 

7 hours ago, CyberGene said:

 

BTW, the action in the CP88 is quite heavy, probably heavier feeling than the Numa X. I think some people may not like it. The BHS action in the YC73 felt easier to play and lighter. On the other hand, the connection between the keyboard action and the sound is so well made, once you start actually playing the CP88 it feels pretty good. 

 

 

I feel the same way. I'd say the CP88 is fairly heavy and the X Piano is on the lighter side. The CP/YC73 is probably closer to the X Piano but feels different. Although I've demoed all those boards in the store, I only had a chance to A/B the CP88 and X Piano 88 as the YC73 I had demoed weeks earlier had been sold.

 

I also agree that the touch-to-sound connection is probably better on the CP88 over the X Piano, not that the X Piano is bad. I'm not surprised that a better connection to the sound makes the action feel better. Instead of having to adjust your playing (whether consciously or unconsciously), you are playing more relaxed.

[AnotherScott]

I enjoyed playing the YC88 in the store, a lot more than the CP73, back when neither of these boards had yet had their velocity-tweaking updates, saying at the time that if the 73 had felt like the 88, I wouldn't have returned it. (Either 88 was out of the question for me due to travel weight.) But I did find the YC88 action to be on the heavy side, especially the lower keys. The velocity improvement to the 73s with the update plus the fact that I ended up unexpectedly finding it useful for organ, made the YC73 the right choice for me, though it's still a mental adjustment to not have a shallow slab on the bottom, to have that extra panel depth there.

[BigBoyNufNuf]

Hi there, just wondering if you can connect 3rd part foot controllers to the YC 88? Or do you need to get the yamaha FC 7 to have an expression pedal. I already had a high quality BOSS expression pedal. But I can seem to get it to work on my YC. Any help is appreciated!!

[Babbler]

 A couple months ago I got a YC88 and I love it. You can do almost anything without menus. I use it for recording, playing and composing, as an all-in-one sort of thing. Don’t know if I’ll ever gig with it. The main sounds from every section are great to my ear. At first I thought the electric pianos were the weakest section until I realized I’d reflexively run them all through the “case” amp sim, which takes some of the subtlety out. Once I disabled it they came to life. And the organs always stun me. The b3, vox and farfisa are all as good as I can imagine plus it’s got other fm synths that you control in countless ways with the drawbars. It seems pretty endless. The synths are not deeply programmable but like the organs I can always find the sound I’m looking for, instantly! And it’s Elton John’s piano and piano tuner in my house. I’ve also found the graded action great for instantly transposing instruments up and down for example to play organs or synths on the lighter high keys or moving basses down to where the action is heavier. Since it’s a Yamaha it has extensive FM sounds, which like most people my age I always regarded with a bit of annoyance. But I have come to love them because of the YC88, they’re so good. In that way it has made me a less jaded person. 

[John Salazar]

Might be late to the party, but is connecting a dual manual controller (such as the GSi DMC-122) or two external MIDI boards to independently control both organ manuals still a no go? i.e. Yamaha has not yet implemented different MIDI channel to control the upper and lower organ parts?  Or has there been a workaround included in an update that would allow this?

[AnotherScott]

On 4/6/2023 at 7:28 AM, BigBoyNufNuf said:

Hi there, just wondering if you can connect 3rd part foot controllers to the YC 88? Or do you need to get the yamaha FC 7 to have an expression pedal. I already had a high quality BOSS expression pedal. But I can seem to get it to work on my YC. Any help is appreciated!!

 

There are adapters for pedals, but as a rule, something that works well with a Yamaha or Korg expression pedal won't work right with a Roland/Boss and vice versa. Some keyboards allow you to select the kind of pedal you have, but Yamaha is not keen to provide settings for using non-Yamaha pedals. So you should look for a Yamaha or Yamaha-compatible pedal.

[Aynsley Green]

One year review, after about 50 gigs and several firmware updates:

 

PROS

Leslie fixed - Hammond is about as good as the Nord now, if a bit 'shiny'

New pianos - the Steinway is useful for Jazz contexts, but I still favour the C7 for most things.

New synths - am now using a Sequential OB6 as my Upper, which only does one sound at a time, so those new synth sounds are essential for some gigs.

New samples - now with Harp!

Action is still great after a year of bashing, and having gear sit on top of it via the gig bag for most of its life.

 

CONS

Layer Volume rotary encoder is already semi-broken, occasionally pops out of the socket (from me dropping an iPad on it, to be fair)

Gig bag is well thought out, but top-heavy - taking it up and down stairs on wheels is difficult.

It really is more of a Nord Electro than a Nord Stage - limited FX routing, Layers, and Synth editing. But that's what your Upper keyboard is for

Music stand is a bit wobbly and plasticky, unlike that ungodly samurai sword that Nord offers.

 

For half the price of a Nord Stage, with a better action, I'd say it's a fair tradeoff.

 

 

[Paul Woodward]

On 7/28/2023 at 1:25 AM, AnotherScott said:

 

There are adapters for pedals, but as a rule, something that works well with a Yamaha or Korg expression pedal won't work right with a Roland/Boss and vice versa. Some keyboards allow you to select the kind of pedal you have, but Yamaha is not keen to provide settings for using non-Yamaha pedals. So you should look for a Yamaha or Yamaha-compatible pedal.

Are you sure its not Korg which is the odd one out there? I used a Roland DP-10 with my YC61 with no problems.

[AnotherScott]

11 hours ago, Paul Woodward said:

Are you sure its not Korg which is the odd one out there? I used a Roland DP-10 with my YC61 with no problems.

DP-10 is not an expression pedal. Yamaha and Roland sustain pedals (of the on/off type, not continuous) are compatible with each other, but their expression pedals are not.

[RDM]