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Hi,

Why choose a GH3 instead of a GH action ??
I know that there is a third sensor in GH3 what would make it possible to have a faster repetition.

Is this a brochure thing or can you play faster/smoother with a GH3 board.
If it is faster, from what skill level would you benefit from the GH3 ??

I can't find any substantial difference between GH and GH3. I've owned a Yamaha P90 with GH and have played few of the latest Clavinovas with GH3. In fact, there's something in GH3 I don't like and that's some slight resistance (or hardness) of the keys in the beginning of their motion.

As to the third sensor, my understanding is that it helps for faster repetition on a single key. There are not many cases in which you would need that. What comes to my mind are some parts from the Ebm Toccata by Khatchaturian and to some degree Dm Toccata by Prokofiev and there may be some other classic repertoire pieces as well. Depends on the style you play I guess.

I think the OP knows what it's meant to do, but wants to know if it actually works.

You're right, I haven't understood his question correctly, sorry for that.

I wouldn't choose either one...

Another helpful post, thanks for that.

GH and GH3 are mechanically identical. The only difference is the third sensor on GH3. It works. Anyone can "fiddle around" with the keys and certainly hear the difference it makes to the smoothness of very quickly repeated notes. I think it is only of use with quite a limited repertoire AND if you have the physical talent/ability to exploit the feature. The talent and the repertoire seldom coincide I should think. But it works without a doubt.

For the vast majority of players for the vast majority of the time I think it's a non-issue.

Further the CyberGene's point I find them both to have a higher degree of initial inertia to the key travel than most other actions which gives a slight sensation of excessive "stiction" just as you press the keys in my opinion. But it (GH/GH3) is a good action nonetheless.

Really I have the same feeling with my CLP 170, but I'd never thought it could depend on GH3... I mean: are you sure that GH is different?

To be honest, I am not sure GH is different. I've had my P90 somewhere between 2004-2005 and I don't think I've noticed anything similar, however it was only my second digital piano and I might have been less picky and observant compared to now. I'll have to try GH and GH3 side by side to confirm.

Regarding the different feel between GH and GH3 ...

Be aware that GH feels different from GH !
And GH3 feels different from GH3 !

Every piano I've tried had a slightly different feel, even though they had the same keyboard action.

Is this manufacturing variation? Is it age and wear? I don't know. But the differences are noticeable.

If I understand it correct, quick repetition on one key is beter on a GH3 keybed ? or is it impossible on a GH board ??

And how many sensors do the natural wood (Yamaha CP5) and RM3 (Kawai MP10) have ??

Not sure how relevant it is, but I have a Yamaha KX8 keyboard which "sports" the cheapest GHS keyboard and I tested it today with the Khachaturian's toccata and especially that quick repeating Bb note. I noticed that depending on the technique I use, I was able to do extremely quick repetitions of distinguished notes. I can't explain exactly how I did it, it just come as a result of experimentation, but I stretched my forefingers as much as possible (to prevent bending and hence impulse losses), and also tried to transmit the impulse by a slight touch to the key as opposed to a full press to the bottom. To be honest, I have more difficulties with quick repetition on my upright than on this poor Yamaha. And that's the cheapest GHS keyboard action. I am not saying GH3 is not worth it but it's not a critical feature to me.

I think it's correct to say that contemporaneous GH and GH3 are mechanically the same. However, as MacMacMac points out, I have noticed some variation in the Yamaha pianos I have played over the years. I think they have changed the resistance/weight of the keys a few times in their history without re-branding it. Or maybe it is an issue of age and wear or manufacturing variation.

All of Kawai's pianos use 2-sensor actions and all of Yamaha's stage pianos (including the CP5) use 2-sensor actions. It's not really all that big a deal. A lot of lowish end Casios have 3 sensor actions, but no one says they are better than the CP5 or MP10.

I actually am not sure what people are referring to when they say 3 sensor actions are smoother. Their only added functionality over a 2-sensor action is to be able to play the same note again without lifting the key high enough that the dampers engage and mute the previous note. It's perfectly analogous to the repetition mechanism in a grand piano, which an upright lacks. It adds speed to a single repeated note (trills, etc.) but it won't change how a scale sounds or feels, for example, at any speed.

I have had the same experience and I don't think it's a matter of wear.

When I first went to try out digital pianos, I came across several older Yamaha floor models (generally CVP series with GH3, I think) with actions that felt very similar to the Roland PHA/PHAII series, which I really like, and unlike the overly heavy GH/GH3 found in the then current YDP and CLP-300 (and now also CLP-400) series.

If there had been a way for me to know exactly which current or previous Yamaha models had the nicer action, I probably would have bought a Yamaha (this was before Roland Supernatural).

With Roland, on the other hand, PHA, PHAII and PHAIII all feel essentially the same to me. There may have been some minor variations, but nothing like what Yamaha has done with GH3 (and GH?).

In fact, comparing those little transparent display models of "Progressive Hammer Action with Escapement" and "PHAII with Escapement", the geometry of the action itself appears to be exactly the same. The only visible difference is one of size and cost reduction of the "escapement" mechanism. These gimmicky little rubber nubs changed from being an add-on rack on the back of the action to being integrated with the keybed frame.

There are some other pieces that do require a decent action, like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjghYFgt8Zk

Wonder if Martha could play this on a digital?

She's a great pianist, one of my all time favorites.

So with these DP's the key has to be all the way up before it can produce another sound ??

On the Roland HP302, which has PHAII (which is by most accounts the same as PHAIII, only lacking this third sensor) you can re-sound the note from about half way between the top and bottom position of the key - above the notch (or escapement jack) but not far above.

@ EssBrace:

Is it difficult to go from the N3 to the Mp10 and to the NP88 ??

I would think these actions are worlds apart

Going from NP88 to N3 and back again is not much fun. MP10 is easy in either direction - it has a very fine action for a stage piano. Although it doesn't feel like the N3 at all the transition between the two causes no problems at all.