Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Anyone using Yamaha N1 for classical music?

If yes, please describe your level, and how you like the instrument! Every opinion is very welcome!

Many thanks,
Loga

I have used the Yamaha AvantGrand N1 for classical music for several years. What I like with it is that the keyboard touch is very similar to acoustic Yamaha grand pianos (like the C3). It simulates the acoustic behavior of the grand piano in a very convincing way. For instance when lowering a key without "hitting the string with the hammer" and then striking another key, simulated resonance causes the "loose string" to start vibrating. The pedals also behave very much like the "real thing". Therefore the playing experience with the N1 is very similar to an acoustic grand. I never experience any problems performing on an acoustic grand after having practiced the music on the N1.

Of course you never have to tune the N1. So far I never had any need of servicing the instrument, although I expect that I may have to do it one day since the mechanical parts are the same as those of an acoustic grand. I almost always use the instrument in the default mode. I also find the playback option as well as the volume adjustment very useful - features that you don't find on an acoustic instrument.

The sound of an acoustic grand is better than the N1. But the N1 sounds better than any instrument that is out of tune.

The price of the N1 is in the same range as a mid-sized good acoustic upright (Kawai k-300, Yamaha U1 etc.). For my use the N1 is a better option.

I'm an amateur, playing music from the baroque through 20th century music. I think this video gives a fair impression of my "level": https://youtu.be/7qk-aggDoZw

Good performance for an amateur for a long and relatively complex piece, and quite nice trills! Thank you.

As for the N1, I also tried it for a 2-hour-long period, and when I tried a C3 next to it, it was similar experience, but not quite the same. I think it is mostly due to the lack of the damper mechanism. I am here to gather long-term experiences of classical pianists for the N1.

Thanks again!

Hi Loga- I'm a classical pianist, who owns an N1 and very much enjoys using it. I also own a Yamaha C2X acoustic grand, but the N1 is for practicing when I do not want to disturb my neighbors. It has been ideal for passage work, long practice sessions, and when I need to play later in the evening. Its touch is awesome! I used to own an older version of the Yamaha Clavinova, and the difference between that DP and the AG was huge, in my opinion. Switching between my older Clavinova and the C2X was almost painful, since the C2X had spoiled me. However, going back and forth between my grand and the N1 on a daily basis is not painful, since the N1 is a delight to play.

I consider myself "advanced."

I have a Yamaha Grantouch, and have played all the Avantgrands in the store. To be honest, the onboard sound on all of them is pretty bad, so I bought a copy of Pianoteq which sounds much better.

I am not sure if any digital pianos come with sensors on the keys to emulate the dampers being at different positions, but I don't think I have seen one with that feature. How you release the key on a real piano affects how quickly the dampers cut the sound, and the damper noise, but on a digital you don't get that.

Hi StartwithBach! Thank you for your summary! Very useful input for me.

StartWithBach: Did not you find the lack of a real damper mechanism disturbing? Your C2X must have a lighter action when playing with sustain pedal, but the N1 can't simulate this.

Hi again- I'm not an expert on how the N1 works, so I'm not sure how to answer your question about the damper mechanism. All I can say is that I find the instrument a pleasure to play, recognizing that it can never fully capture the exactness of an acoustic. It really comes close to the real thing (at least to me!), and the damper has not stuck out to me as a negative. You might visit the digital pianos forum, though, for questions about it. There are a lot of people in that forum with far more knowledge than me!

Hi,

Advanced player here. I've been playing classical music nearly my entire life (though now starting to deviate towards other stuff), and finally purchased an N1 after looking for something to replicate a grand piano action as close as possible. For the most part, the N1 succeeds. In comparison to the other digital offers out here, it is head and shoulders above everything else. However, I've found that the keys don't rebound quite as quickly as some of the grands that I've played. As a result, I find it difficult to play very fast repeated notes, or rapid repeated notes that require a delicate touch (e.g. the beginning right hand figuration of Ravel's Ondine). Otherwise, the N1 is very suitable for other advanced techniques that you might encounter in the repertoire. For the most part, I can do anything with the N1 that I could do with a grand piano.

Here's a video of it in action. I've replaced the Avantgrand N1's native sound with a piano VST, the Garritan CFX. I also have some other YouTube videos with the same setup if you want to see what else it can handle.

https://youtu.be/fHncfQhmWi8

Lovely playing! I have Pianoteq but I have trouble with the latency on my Surface Pro 4, so I only use it for recordings and never playback. I have considered buying an N1 for years now, but thing is that I have a CLP456GP which I like - and it looks so much better. The piano has to stand in the middle of my living room and I am not fond of the look of the N1. But the feel is wonderful - just like the acoustic Yamaha grands I have played. I normally always play with headphones so I don't care too much about the loudspeakers.

Hi Genuse,

this is a wonderful recording, and you are quite advanced. I really like the sound of this Garritan CFX. As I understand, it is not modelled, it is sampled, right? What kind of computer do you have (processor type, memory size) that can handle this without disturbing lag? And anyway, is it lag-free?

Thanks in advance!

FYI, at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt a few weeks ago, Kawai previewed the Novus NV10, which is planned to be released later this year. It is comparable to the AvantGrand series in so far as it will feature a real grand action (Kawai's Millennium III action) but, in contrast to the AvantGrands, it will also have simulated damper weights, so that the action is lighter while the sustain pedal is depressed.

http://www.kawai-onkyo.com/NOVUS_preview/

Thanks!

Yes, it is a sampled piano. I have a custom built PC with a i5, 24 GB RAM, SSD, and RME Babyface Pro external sound card. All of that is definitely overkill, but I wanted to have piece of mind from endless upgrading (and my setup also doubles as a gaming computer as well). And yes, it's lag free.

And unfortunately will be far more expensive than the N1 ;-)

This is a bit late, but I haven't had any problems learning anything on my N1. Some of the more demanding pieces I've worked on using the N1 include:

Ravel - Toccata and Ondine
Rachmaninoff - Sonata 1 and Concerto 2
Chopin - Sonata 3
Liszt - Dante Sonata and B minor Sonata

Funny that you mentioned the Ravel Ondine. I learned it a while ago, but I find the N1 action a bit too sluggish to pull off the repeated chord figurations in the right hand with ease.