Should you be Brand Loyal to Yamaha Keyboards?

Should you be Brand Loyal to Yamaha Keyboards?

Many performers have a favored brand of stage piano and will remain faithful to their choice no matter what other manufacturers come up with. Some are very brand loyal to the ever popular Yamaha keyboards. However, if you are looking for a new stage piano and are willing to shop around, there are a few things you will need to consider.

Firstly where will you be playing and how much power will you need? Will you require a wide range of voices or will you mainly be using standard piano sounds? How complex are the pieces to be played, and therefore how many notes of polyphony are required? You should consider whether the instrument will be used solely for performing, or whether you will also want to use it for songwriting and practicing whilst on the road. A final consideration will no doubt be the amount you are willing to invest in your instrument.

Yamaha has a wide range of stage pianos, everything from 61 to 88 key portable piano keyboard and mini piano keyboard instruments and should you choose from this range you will be in good company. Their P200 was used on stage by Eric Clapton, Faith Hill and James Taylor amongst others. The P200’s successor, the P250 is a high spec stage piano with 88 keys, 128 note polyphony, a 16 track recorder, 38 panel voices, and a dynamic three layer sound selection which changes according to the players touch. Yamaha’s renowned Graded Hammer Effect piano keyboard ensures it plays like an acoustic piano. Retailing at around $1,900 it is a serious investment, although there are lower spec pianos in the same series, such as the P90, retailing at under $1,000.

Two recent additions to Yamaha’s range of stage pianos are the CP33 and the CP300. These have 64 and 128 notes of polyphony respectively. Yamaha states that “these instruments give the live performer the sound and expressiveness of a superbly mic’d grand piano with the portability and versatility of a modern digital instrument”. They both incorporate various effects and voices, with a unique mono piano sound designed specifically for live performances. The CP33 retails at around $1,300, with the CP300 requiring a larger investment at $2,800.

Kurzweil also manufacture high quality stage pianos. Available in 76 or 88 key semi-weighted action, or 88 key fully-weighted action models, their SP series of stage pianos has a wide range of specially created sounds. These sounds include grand piano, dual-hardness tine electric piano, and ensemble strings. The SP series features 32 voice polyphony and 8 different reverb settings. They range in price from $1000 to $1400.

A new stage piano from Kurzweil, the SP2, features more complex sounds such as the triple strike grand piano. It has 64 notes of polyphony and is 16 parts multi-timbral. With 88 fully weighted keys it is a bargain at around $1250.

You could also consider the selection of digital concert pianos manufactured by Korg. The C320, C520, and C720 feature 88 keys and graded hammer action keyboards with adjustable reverb and chorus functions. The C520 has an additional ten sounds to the C320’s thirty and also features a more powerful sound system. Even more powerful is the sound system in the C720. Prices for this range begin at around $1000.

Korg have a lower spec range of concert pianos, including the EC150 and EC350 which have 30 voices, 60 notes of polyphony and three touch curves that adapt the sound according to the playing style of the performer. In addition the EC350 has recording and playback facilities and can be connected to a variety of MIDI equipment. These are available for under $1000.

The final series of concert pianos by Korg includes the NC300 and NC500. Their superb sound is achieved by stereo digital recording of a grand piano and they feature 23 sounds as well as 40 pre-recorded demo songs. The NC 500 incorporates a real weighted hammer action keyboard, unique to Korg. It also has a two part recorder function and a powerful sound system. These retail at $1000 for the NC300, and $1250 for the NC500.

For more information click Piano Keyboard Yamaha Keyboards

About the author: Dan Maynard is a pianist, marketer and writer. He has a passion for playing the piano and learning about the latest models of digital pianos. You can visit his web site at 88 key portable piano keyboard Yamaha keyboards mini piano keyboard