The Cars and the Yamaha CP30

[Delaware Dave]

I'm playing in a band that wants to do Bye Bye Love.  I listened to the song thinking that it was all synth and immediately notice an unfamiliar (to me) electric piano sound.  A little research shows it was a Yamaha CP30.  Found this video, the tech fixing one takes you through the innards of the keyboard.  I was quite stunned by the amount of electronics involved in the keyboard.  Also, the length of keybed bars seems different than what I've seen before as well.

 

 

[eric]

Cool! Checking out the video now. My band has been doing Bye Bye Love for years and it's a really fun song. I have been using a Wurly sound during the verse and then I double it up with a layered bright acoustic piano during the chorus.

 

Make sure you seek out the YouTube video of brother dB's band doing this song - The Police Cars. KILLER version!

 

Side note - Hall & Oates used the CP30 on You Make My Dreams Come True.

[Ivan May]

Fleetwood Mac used a Yamaha CP30 on the Tusk and Mirage albums, most notably on Hold Me.

[Dave Bryce]

The CP30 was my main piano board during most of the 80s.  😎👍🏻

 

As for Bye Bye Love, that’s a fave of mine.  I recorded a cover of that with my band The Police Cars a few years back.

 

 

dB

[Delaware Dave]

14 minutes ago, Dave Bryce said:

The CP30 was my main piano board during most of the 80s.  😎👍🏻

 

As for Bye Bye Love, that’s a fave of mine.  I recorded a cover of that with my band The Police Cars a few years back.

 

 

dB

 

Dave, I'm using a PC3 also.  Any particular stock patch that you used to achieve your sound.  I was thinking of a CP80 mixed with a Wurli as a start, unless you found a patch to use specifically.

 

Thanks in advance ....

[Dave Bryce]

1 hour ago, Delaware Dave said:

 

Dave, I'm using a PC3 also.  Any particular stock patch that you used to achieve your sound.  I was thinking of a CP80 mixed with a Wurli as a start, unless you found a patch to use specifically.

 

Thanks in advance ....

I went with a custom combo of the Wurli mixed with an upright acoustic sound.  Sounds great on the bass notes in the chorus.

 

dB

[Shamanzarek]

I played a CP30 in a music store when they were new. It was an interesting instrument which could do a piano-like sound and harpsichord sounds. It was kind of a big deal at the time because it was an electronic piano with a velocity keyboard. RMI didn't have velocity until much later and it was rather expensive. While RMI had separate tone generators for each note the CP30 uses divider circuits like an organ. I wouldn't be inclined to buy a CP30 as they are rather heavy and not very versatile by today's standards. I bought a CP35 several years ago and it could sound a lot like a Rhodes. I don't know if it used FM technology but it only had 16 note polyphony and multiplexed note assignment. Operation was very similar to the CP30. It had two layers of piano or harpsichord sounds which could be tuned or octave shifted. There was also a tremolo and phasing effect. 

[Stokely]

Huh, I always thought that was a rhodes, then again I didn't give it much thought.  I'm not picky when it comes to sounds.

I have the opposite situation.  I've wanted to play (and sing) that one for a while, my band isn't interested.

[EscapeRocks]

Here's Gregg in an early CARS concert

 

[Dave Bryce]

1 hour ago, Stokely said:

I have the opposite situation.  I've wanted to play (and sing) that one for a while, my band isn't interested.

 

It's SO much fun...especially if you follow it with Moving In Stereo, like on the record.  

 

dB

[David Emm]

I came across one of these very cheap, but I ended up deciding that it sounded like colossal @$$. I got a taste of Dave Stewart's "Mind Your Backs Tango" playing in the background while I hauled the wretched thing around. I can still hear echoes of roadies who hated the CS-80 for similar reasons. Gimme my software Rhodes & Wurly any day! Yamaha's early AWM system wasn't perfect, but it was light years beyond this generation.

 

My CP-30 was at its best as a Minimoog stand. Live & learn! 🙄     

[AUSSIEKEYS]

That was my very first purchase and used it in band when I was actually introduced to the Cars (still my fav synth/guitar band).

 

Ironically I didnt know at the time they used it. Personally i thought the sounds sucked although the keybed felt good.

 

I happily sold it and replaced it with an Arp 4 voice piano. Yes i know most of you hated or laughed at the Arp but i actually loved it because it was heaps lighter and i thought sounded much better. Also the covering material smelt good (that stuff they put on amps) . Plus i had only the CP30 to compare it too.

[Dave Bryce]

4 hours ago, David Emm said:

IMy CP-30 was at its best as a Minimoog stand. Live & learn! 🙄     

 

Funny - I sat my Mini on my CP30 as well.

 

I still have the Mini. 😎

 

dB

[Moonglow]

11 hours ago, eric said:

Side note - Hall & Oates used the CP30 on You Make My Dreams Come True.

One of my bands did that tune but I could not find a patch that really nailed it. I ended up using a heavily-edited Wurli patch, which sounded good enough, but always felt something was off. I then saw the video and discovered the source of my struggles. Totally forgot about that axe…

 

 

 

 

[The Real MC]

Bye Bye Love was recorded with a Clavinet.  Greg didn't get the CP-30 until after the debut Cars album.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

7 hours ago, Dave Bryce said:

 

Funny - I sat my Mini on my CP30 as well.

 

I still have the Mini. 😎

 

dB

 

Hey I sat my Vox Jaguar on mine.

 

Had to make a rear gantry out of Dexion racking to support it as it was longer but a jaguar is lightweight for its size.

[JFN]

14 hours ago, Dave Bryce said:

 

Funny - I sat my Mini on my CP30 as well.

 

I still have the Mini. 😎

 

dB

I had a Multi-Moog on top of my CP30.

 

 

[Threadslayer]

I'm impressed with all the fancy-schmantzy keyboards you guys propped up on your CP-30s back in the days of $50 gigs. I used to sub with a band that had their own CP30 and that was my entire gig rig with them. Well, actually that and a Cry Baby wah. I actually thought it sounded pretty hip for the day.

[Tusker]

19 hours ago, David Emm said:

My CP-30 was at its best as a Minimoog stand. Live & learn! 🙄     

 

Yeah, the studios would sometimes have a CP30 or a Rhodes. I'd always be hoping for the Rhodes. Sometimes a phaser or flanger would give it some vibe though.

[EscapeRocks]

18 hours ago, AUSSIEKEYS said:

I happily sold it and replaced it with an Arp 4 voice piano. Yes i know most of you hated or laughed at the Arp but i actually loved it because it was heaps lighter and i thought sounded much better. Also the covering material smelt good (that stuff they put on amps) . Plus i had only the CP30 to compare it too.

I had an ARP 4-Voice and a sat a Crumar Orchestrator on top.   That was as good as it got for my 17 year old self when starting out in bands in high school.

 

It was also the time I made my very first custom stand.  The screw in legs for the ARP weren't long enough to play standing.    I grabbed some 4x4 lumber, cut to down to size.

I added 2 of those rubber door handle wall protectors to each 4x4 for the legs to sit in.   I stained the wood a very dark brown.

 

Anyway I digress.....

[Outkaster]

I saw an interview somewhere where Daryl Hall talks about the CP30 being his favorite keyboard even today. 

[AUSSIEKEYS]

5 hours ago, EscapeRocks said:

 

It was also the time I made my very first custom stand.  The screw in legs for the ARP weren't long enough to play standing.    I grabbed some 4x4 lumber, cut to down to size.

I added 2 of those rubber door handle wall protectors to each 4x4 for the legs to sit in.   I stained the wood a very dark brown.

 

 

Hee hee excellent.

 

Yeah for me at time i had never thought about standing up till i let the Arp go. 

 

I know my next keyboard was a Korg Trident and i dont remember if i put that on the Arp as it was a very heavy synth. But the Trident did become my first standing keyboard and i later added a small yamaha boomchikka keyboard sitting in the groove on top.  Just for one amazing shimering sound it had on it.

[Konnector]

I had a CP30 in the early 80's (Brand new...it was a birthday present.) I had just moved into an apartment and was missing the acoustic piano at my parents house. Only kept it for a year or so until I bought a house. My parents gave me their acoustic piano, as I was the only one that ever played it. The CP30 was not inspiring at all. Noisy, hissy, heavy and quite dull. The built in case, stand and large flat top were nice features, but that was about it. It's not something I would have purchased if left up to me. 

[AUSSIEKEYS]

10 hours ago, Konnector said:

The built in case, stand and large flat top were nice features, but that was about it. I

 Yes exactly it was a clever and  useful design for its day. 

[pjd]

I had one of these beasts in the late 70s, early 80s. Had to haul its miserable weight up and down one flight of stairs -- just to get it to the car for a gig/rehearsal. Lord knows what was at the job...

 

I LOVED that flat top and had a Sequential Circuits Pro-One riding on it. My only regret -- not having a Pro-One for each hand so I could play bass or a lead when I wanted to. Kind of awkward to have the Pro-One on the left a la Manzarek and wishing to solo with the right.

 

Eventually put the CP-30 on consignment to buy a Yamaha CE-20. Ran that sucker through a slew of pedals. Ah, the good old days. 🙂 Still have the Mu-tron pedals.

 

-- pj

 

[obxa]

On 12/15/2022 at 10:47 AM, EscapeRocks said:

I had an ARP 4-Voice and a sat a Crumar Orchestrator on top.   That was as good as it got for my 17 year old self when starting out in bands in high school.

 

It was also the time I made my very first custom stand.  The screw in legs for the ARP weren't long enough to play standing.    I grabbed some 4x4 lumber, cut to down to size.

I added 2 of those rubber door handle wall protectors to each 4x4 for the legs to sit in.   I stained the wood a very dark brown.

 

Anyway I digress.....

Funny you mention the Arp- I was recently thinking about the 16 voice one I used to have - It was an odd beast.   But always though  with the weighted action it played and sounded pretty good.  Though i remember it came out at the beginning of Arp's QC demise.    I hated nearly all the early electronic -transistor pianos (Univox, Hohners. RMI)   Never warmed up to Cp30s when I used them in rehearsal studios.   

 

[MotiDave]

Hey Dave, I’d thought for some reason you had some Yammy romplers in your quiver but your sig doesn’t indicate it now.  I played a Cars band now almost 10 yrs ago and so I sought out a CP30 library for my Motif XF as its such a great unique sound unlike any other EPS i have found.  I don’t buy the recommendations for other EPS, I mean sure you can play it but its not the same.  I found a library that had it, it made SUCH a difference.  There were a dozen or more songs form the first 2 albums he used CP30 on, songs like Its All I Can Do and of course BBL.

 

There’s a Motif library out there thats compatible with newer boards like MODX and Montage.  I could figure out what it was if you’d be able to use the info … PM me or something for more

[Delaware Dave]

13 hours ago, MotiDave said:

Hey Dave, I’d thought for some reason you had some Yammy romplers in your quiver but your sig doesn’t indicate it now.  I played a Cars band now almost 10 yrs ago and so I sought out a CP30 library for my Motif XF as its such a great unique sound unlike any other EPS i have found.  I don’t buy the recommendations for other EPS, I mean sure you can play it but its not the same.  I found a library that had it, it made SUCH a difference.  There were a dozen or more songs form the first 2 albums he used CP30 on, songs like Its All I Can Do and of course BBL.

 

There’s a Motif library out there thats compatible with newer boards like MODX and Montage.  I could figure out what it was if you’d be able to use the info … PM me or something for more

I have a MOTIF ES rack that I don't use anymore.  I hate to have to drag it out for one or two songs.  I'm fiddling around in the Kurz to see how close I can get it with a mix of Wurli and a CP80.  

[Dave Weiser]

On 12/14/2022 at 8:51 AM, Delaware Dave said:

I'm playing in a band that wants to do Bye Bye Love.  I listened to the song thinking that it was all synth and immediately notice an unfamiliar (to me) electric piano sound.  A little research shows it was a Yamaha CP30.  Found this video, the tech fixing one takes you through the innards of the keyboard.  I was quite stunned by the amount of electronics involved in the keyboard.  Also, the length of keybed bars seems different than what I've seen before as well.

 

 

 

Very cool!!

[zxcvbnm098]

On 12/14/2022 at 6:48 PM, The Real MC said:

Bye Bye Love was recorded with a Clavinet.  Greg didn't get the CP-30 until after the debut Cars album.

Really? That sure sounds like a CP-30 to me on the tune?

 

Not that this is the definitive source, but it says he did use it on the first album?

 

https://equipboard.com/pros/greg-hawkes