Yamaha CK61 and CK88

[Jaspla]

Question 1)
For the CK88/61, Yamaha’s “social sound-sharing community,” called Soundmondo reportedly allows users to post or download additional sounds that have been posted there.
https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/

I am considering getting a CK88 and am wondering if anyone has been in that site and checked out any new sound/sample postings for CK series.
  --->  in particular, has anyone posted any additional Basses (Acoustic, Fretless variations), EPs

??

Question 2)
I thought I saw in one of the youtube reviews that the CK on-board sounds could be further edited (i.e.modify a sound envelope - ADSR)
?

[AnotherScott]

4 minutes ago, Jaspla said:

I am considering getting a CK88 and am wondering if anyone has been in that site and checked out any new sound/sample postings for CK series.
  --->  in particular, has anyone posted any additional Basses (Acoustic, Fretless variations), EPs

I don't know what has been posted, b ut keep in mind that the sounds are sample-based, and it is not possible to add new samples. So any alternate basses or EPs anyone could have posted would be the same as the factory ones, edited with the limited edited facilities of the board (e.g. effects, EQ, cutoff, resonance, attack, release, layers, touch response)

 

4 minutes ago, Jaspla said:

I thought I saw in one of the youtube reviews that the CK on-board sounds could be further edited (i.e.modify a sound envelope - ADSR)

Attack and release. Along with the other things I mentioned in the previous paragraph (and a few other menu-based options like portamento time).

[Jaspla]

AnotherScott, thank you for the clarifications, relating to CK sample memory.
I do enjoy this Yamaha board's keybed/EP/Acoustic interaction, but need to think about that. I currently use a couple of Kurzweil boards that don't have that limitation (PC4/SP6)

[Paul Woodward]

The YC range had additional sounds added in firmware, but as @AnotherScott pointed out, Soundmondo downloads are just tweaked live sets of the existing internal sounds.

[AnotherScott]

4 hours ago, Jaspla said:

AnotherScott, thank you for the clarifications, relating to CK sample memory.
I do enjoy this Yamaha board's keybed/EP/Acoustic interaction, but need to think about that. I currently use a couple of Kurzweil boards that don't have that limitation (PC4/SP6)

Yes, PC4 has memory for new samples. SP6 does not... but numerous Kurzweils have "hidden" samples in them which provide the illusion that new samples can be added. i.e. you can import programs from the PC3 series to get new sounds... but they work because the keyboards actually already have all the PC3 dsamples in them, they just didn't happen to already have programs that used them. While in some ways the end result is similar (you're suddenly able to get entirely new/different sounds out of your keyboard based on different samples), it's not the same, because you can't add a sample that isn't already in there somewhere... meaning you can't add new samples of your own, and third parties still cannot provided any new sample-based sounds unless they use the samples that are already in there.

[analogman1]

So what's the overall take between the CK61 and Numa Compact X SE?

Most important to me are the organ and piano. 

(my biggest complaint with these budget keyboards is the "wall wart" external power supplies. UGH>>>>)

To clarify further: My synth needs are particular sounds I get out of MainStage and are only used for certain tribute bands I play in.

So the money and transport are not a problem and I can take whatever I want.

But for local gigs (which there are far more of!!!)  and as a good backup/supplement for my trusty Electro 5, I need organs and pianos that will cover when the Nord is doing something else.

 

After watching demos of the Numa, it seems more appealing to me. 88 notes and less costly. 

I played the CK61 a few months ago and had mixed feelings about it.

 

[ElmerJFudd]

This one been shared already?  Nice walk through to see if the CK will do the job for you at the size, weight, price point for rock organ.  

 

 

[analogman1]

The organ sounds pretty good. 
not quite in the same company as upper tier Clonewheels BUT that’s not the purpose of this board. 
I’m going to search for a similar extended review of the Numa’s organ section. 
The real problem is that a “next level up board” like a YC61 or MOJO 61 isn’t a heck of a lot more money; though the CK61 and Numa both offer better portability and built in speakers for rehearsals and/or small intimate gigs.
 

Decisions..decisions🤣🤣 

[Paul Woodward]

I paid less for a lightly used YC61, than a new CK…but that keybed…what were Yamaha thinking. I’m sure the CK probably uses the same moulded multi key construction, but it’s not yet developed that ‘clacky’ noise the YC is infamous for. In most other aspects I found the YC to be a much better board, especially for organs.

[analogman1]

Ehhhh. I guess I’m spoiled. My Electro 5D does everything I need it to do.  
 

[Fleer]

The CK61 has a pretty amazing action, certainly for the price. 
I steered away from the clacky YC61 for that very reason. Happy camper. 

[Garubi]

I'm looking at a CK61 for it's onboard speakers (together with all the others notable features, obviously), and since I haven't a chance to try it I'm asking to those who own it.

 

The context:

I'm involved in a semiacoutic act, singer-songwriter style: the singer with it's acoustic guitar, me with primarily my accordion and a Roland FA 07 on a bunch of songs, a drummer/percussionist with a small set.

 

While when we perform we have our PA, I'm intrigued by the idea of realying on the embedded speakers for the rehearsal.

We often meet for rehearsal at our homes, without amplification of sort, but for the FA 07 I bring my Behringer B205D as a small speaker.

 

If the Yamaha speakers are loud enough, I could swap the FA 07 for the Yamaha: the sounds will be at least the same quality (I'm using the usual ones: piano, el. piano, hammond and some pad), I'll loose an octave, but for my use is not a big problem, the Yamaha is lighter, and I can leave the B205D small speaker at home.

 

Do you think that the Yamaha speakers will be adequate for the rehearsal or are too weak?

 

 

 

[Paul Woodward]

I thought they were alright for playing at home but some users had trouble with low volume output and had to increase the output to at least +6db. This then led to complaints about distortion from the speakers. YMMV but I wouldn't be trading another board in for the benefit of the speakers in that situation. Lots of other nice features, but speakers were not a big selling point for me and I would still want some 'volume' for rehearsals unless sat in a small room with others playing pretty low.

[Adan]

26 minutes ago, Garubi said:

 

Do you think that the Yamaha speakers will be adequate for the rehearsal or are too weak?

 

Playing in a quiet room with one (1) singer/guitar player is about the most the CK speakers can handle. It'll be loud enough, but just barely. 

[ewall08530]

1 hour ago, Garubi said:

I'm looking at a CK61 for it's onboard speakers (together with all the others notable features, obviously), and since I haven't a chance to try it I'm asking to those who own it.

 

The context:

I'm involved in a semiacoutic act, singer-songwriter style: the singer with it's acoustic guitar, me with primarily my accordion and a Roland FA 07 on a bunch of songs, a drummer/percussionist with a small set.

 

While when we perform we have our PA, I'm intrigued by the idea of realying on the embedded speakers for the rehearsal.

We often meet for rehearsal at our homes, without amplification of sort, but for the FA 07 I bring my Behringer B205D as a small speaker.

 

If the Yamaha speakers are loud enough, I could swap the FA 07 for the Yamaha: the sounds will be at least the same quality (I'm using the usual ones: piano, el. piano, hammond and some pad), I'll loose an octave, but for my use is not a big problem, the Yamaha is lighter, and I can leave the B205D small speaker at home.

 

Do you think that the Yamaha speakers will be adequate for the rehearsal or are too weak?

 

 

 

The CK 61 speakers will keep up with 1 or even 2 acoustic guitars.  But at your rehearsals what is your drummer doing? If he’s tapping on a Cajon or on practice pads fine but if he’s on a small kit unless he’s using brushes you’ll need your B205D. 

[Garubi]

2 hours ago, ewall08530 said:

But at your rehearsals what is your drummer doing?

Well... what a drummer will do is always a mystery... 🤪

Jokes aside ... 

 

Thanks all for all your suggestion!

The drummer will play with both brushes and sticks. 

 

3 hours ago, Paul Woodward said:

I wouldn't be trading another board in for the benefit of the speakers in that situation. Lots of other nice features, but speakers were not a big selling point 

 

Looks like that I'll keep bringing the little D205B 😁

 

[danskeys]

I think the best way to describe the speakers on the CK (I have the 88) are that they are just good enough to be "good".  I wish they were a bit better.  You'd want them to be louder to play with a drummer, I think (I have only used the speakers playing solo.)  I wish the speakers had more clarity--a more distinct high end like my old P121 had.  I do wish they were better.  But they are good enough for me to pull the CK88 out of the gig bag, set it up in seconds, start playing, and within a few minutes, any thoughts of wishing the speakers were better fades away as I enjoy the great sounds, solid keybed, bluetooth input, etc.  As I mentioned in a previous post, no individual feature or spec about the CK is awesome. But altogether, for the weight and price, it's a truly unique and awesome keyboard!

[AnotherScott]

19 minutes ago, danskeys said:

I think the best way to describe the speakers on the CK (I have the 88) are that they are just good enough to be "good".  I wish they were a bit better.  You'd want them to be louder to play with a drummer, I think (I have only used the speakers playing solo.) 

 

Yes. I did a trio gig with a guitarist and sax player, they wanted background music for their deck party, the CK61 surprisingly was fine. (I had brought a small amp, but it wasn't needed.) But it was just background music, and there were no drums, I'd say it wouldn't have covered more than that. They are not the loudest speakers you can find in a portable slab, but not the quietest either. (And there is a menu option that lets you go louder than they go out of the box.)

 

 

[danskeys]

Sorry if this has been answered previously, but I can’t find a solution anywhere. Is there some button I can press while turning the knobs on the CK to identify the current setting? On my Nord keyboard, if press the “Mon/Copy” button, while adjusting any parameter, it shows me the parameters value as saved on the display, instead of modifying the value. That would be really useful on the CK, as well. Does this feature exist?

[drawback]

I don't have my CK61 anymore, but don't you just tap the button you want to see the settings for?

[CyberGene]

To see the current value of a knob, you have to briefly turn off and then back on the corresponding button for that knob and it will show the value. But it’s still not ideal and I hope they implement something better as on the Nord. 

[AnotherScott]

4 hours ago, CyberGene said:

To see the current value of a knob, you have to briefly turn off and then back on the corresponding button for that knob and it will show the value. But it’s still not ideal and I hope they implement something better as on the Nord. 

 

Great tip, I hadn't realized that! And in some cases, it could be better than the Nord approach, because it only takes one hand (in case there may be some reason you want to check a setting while you're playing).

[danskeys]

On 2/17/2024 at 11:05 AM, Paul Woodward said:

The YC range had additional sounds added in firmware, but as @AnotherScott pointed out, Soundmondo downloads are just tweaked live sets of the existing internal sounds.

I was just rereading this set of posts. I feel like there’s a little bit of under-selling happening with the tweakability of the CK.  No, you cannot add completely new samples. But there’s a lot of changes that can be made to the sounds via the three-sound live sets. They can be mixed and matched in nearly limitless combinations. All sorts of different effects, frequency cutoff, attack, release, and simply volume and split points, etc.

 

My guess is there’s a whole world of live sets out there that some people have made that I would love to have. Just because you can’t change the actual sounds themselves doesn’t mean that there aren’t all sorts of live sets that could be dreamed up that are not presently on our boards.

 

That said, the Yamaha sharing site doesn’t seem all that useful, from what I have experienced.  Am I missing something? You just download one sound at a time, and it’s completely hit or miss. Would be nice to download multiples at one time.

[Paul Woodward]

Not underselling, just clarifying that, unlike the Nord for example, there is no downloading additional samples or waveforms. The YC had some new sounds added, but it's not clear yet if the CK can or will have additional sounds via updates.

Soundmondo has some great live sets, particularly those from Blake at Yamaha, but I found there were long periods between new sets being uploaded and then some were a bit meh. It's a set at a time but easy enough to load the ones you want and edit your sets in a few hours.

[D. Gauss]

1 hour ago, Paul Woodward said:

  it's not clear yet if the CK can or will have additional sounds via updates.

 

 

updates. do you think they'll actually do any?  i doubt it.  it really could use midi CC commands off the buttons (for easier VB3 control), and a coupla other things, but i ain't holding my breath. Same with Casio.

[Paul Woodward]

1 hour ago, D. Gauss said:

 

updates. do you think they'll actually do any?  i doubt it.  it really could use midi CC commands off the buttons (for easier VB3 control), and a coupla other things, but i ain't holding my breath. Same with Casio.

Perhaps not, maybe just a fix or two. I wonder if the YC range will get any more updates. If so, something might trickle down. Both gone from my arsenal now and I’m pretty sure I won’t buy them again.