I was a little surprised when I saw the boxes upright at the dealers.



Moving men helped me load it in the truck. If you're going to move these boxes around on your own you need a dolly or two strong people. It's manageable with a dolly and two weaker people .



I'm incredibly impressed by the way it was packaged. I should have taken some pics of the unboxing because it is very well packaged. I suspect you can be rather rough with the handling and still not hurt it. Here is the aftermath.



Setup was really simple. 16 screws and that's it. It took maybe 15 minutes. I had read the instructions beforehand. I tried to dress up my basement a little bit with a new rung and different color sheets on the walls. The rug makes it more cozy when I play.





I made this little black box to be my computer/cable management box. I stained it ebony with a high gloss poly finish. I'm happy with it. It has my Mac mimi, monitor switcher, and 2i4 in it.





I'm really happy with the unit. Thankfully everything seems to be working fine based on my limited evaluation. I'll write more of a review later. Here is a song I recorded from the Duane Shinn 52 week crash course (Lesson 34). I'll play it through as written and then arranged. I was so tempted to use my VSL Steinway for the sound, but in the spirit of the N1X thread, I'll use an internal sound. I've chosen the Bosendorfer Imperial because I think it sounds the best of the 5 internal sounds. I recorded directly onto a thumb drive without changing any of the factory settings.



God Bless,
David

Excellent David! It looks and sounds great. Nice setup. Nice playing too.

Tom

Congrats! Looks like you've got quite a setup down there!

Congrats! Looks and sounds like a great piano which I have no doubt it is! And lovely playing Seems like you’ve been playing it for a long time and not for just one day!

So, in your opinion the packaging allows for the separate packages to be put vertically for a moment - in my case an elevator? Apparently yours was put that way in the store and no damage has been done. Is there enough styrofoam to hold it tight and cushioned?

How many people assembled it? Was it only you and your wife? Is this feat feasible for an average male and a tiny wife?

May this piano bring you a lot of joy!

My dealer actually transports the boxes that way.

The packaging is fantastic. The N1X is incredibly secure. Lots of foam and cardboard filler.



I assembled it and my wife helped me place the main unit on the base. Both of us are on the smaller side (I'm 5'9" 160lbs and not particularly strong. My wife is smaller than me but she does workout regularly and has good strength for a woman).

Assembly is easier than moving the boxes around. My wife and I would not be able to carry the main unit box by ourselves. We needed a dolly. Setup is very simple once the boxes are inside.



Thank you.
David

Thank you.
David

Congrats. That's a fine piano and I wish you a lot of fun with it. Welcome to the world of hybrids!


I wouldn't be concerned. Acoustic grands are routinely transported and stored sideways, which is equivalent to putting the N1X's box vertically. It shouldn't be a problem for the action. And of course neither for the non-moving electronics parts and similar.

Thanks for the pictures and the video! Looks great! I'll be interested in your opinion of playing it over the internal speakers and amplification versus your external setup (or do you even do that, is the external just for your VST?)

Man I am so excited to get mine... 6 sleeps!

David,

Nice photos.

Your basement floor may transmit moisture into the legs of the piano. So, I would recommend some quick subfloor options like a few DRICORE squares. They are cheap, easy to find, and super easy to install. They may also provide some piano protection from a bit of water on the floor. The plastic bumps on the bottom allow some air to circulate underneath so that may help prevent some mold in the concrete.

Alternatively, you could build a taller wood platform for a bit more flood protection.

Make sure there are no pipes above the piano to drip or to burst. If there are pipes, you might move the piano or figure some scheme to prevent water from possibly hitting the piano.

http://dricore.com/nw/subfloor_about.php

Congrats David, and thanks for posting such great pics of the delivery and setup.

Hoping you have many years of enjoyment with your N1X!

Great setup, very nice! Congrats on your purchase. The unit looks to be pretty deep, more so than the N2.

Thanks for the update, pictures, and video.

Very perceptive! 24 5/16" vs. 20 7/8" per Yamaha website.

The depth is unchanged from the N1. The N2 is not as deep. I suppose because it has a different speaker configuration.

Yes, I was wondering what the KRKs are for. In my experience ( live gigging) with the N3, at a hotel that had one, when it was going through the house PA , it tended to sound more "electronic" then when just played through its own internal speakers. Yes, it projected over the bass and drums and out into the room better, but for me it lost the whole player-connection vibe of the Avant Grand.

Nice room and really dig that rug , very cool ! Congrats.





I highly liked playing this at NAMM and yeah that was the first thing I did when I got home - I checked the depth measurements for my bedroom office space. The N2 would be much preferable in regard to fit. The N1X would stick out too far and take up way too much space. I could go with the P-515 on the dedicated stand....but somehow it just ain't the same.

I thought maybe the keys would be longer in the X series, but I guess it's the same action as before.

I really appreciate the audio interface on the N1X. It works great. I have the N1X running to my computer via USB. So I can use the N1X to control midi, play music through the onboard speakers or record in a DAW. I also have the L/R output of the N1X going to a passive splitter along with my Mac mini output. The splitter L/R output goes to my KRK monitors.

The splitter allows me the option to play audio/music through my computer without having the piano on, or I can run sound through just the N1X internal speakers, or both the N1X speakers and the monitors at the same time if I want. The N1X audio interface gives me plenty of options and it works great so far.

The only disadvantage in the N1X is not being able to separately control the Line Out volume. Unfortunately, both the internal speakers and line out volume are controlled by the same dial. That makes it hard if you're trying to blend the internal/external speakers for a more nuanced sound.

Here are a couple first impressions regarding the speakers:

1. I can be happy running my VST's through the onboard speakers of the N1X. The onboard speaker system sounds and performs well. The onboard speakers make the N1X vibrate while playing it thus making me feel more connected to the instrument like an acoustic piano. This tactile, organic feel, adds a significant realism to the experience (IMO).

2. Combining the external monitors with the N1X speakers brings out a bit more bass, clarity and brightness to the sound. However, it's difficult to get the right balance only having one control for both speakers systems. I'm still experimenting right now. I think the external monitors can enhance the sound provided they are balanced properly with the onboard system.

3. You definitely don't want the N1X pressed up against the wall if you're using the onboard speakers. It was like that at the dealers when I originally tried it and it sounded very muddy. I have it a couple feet away form the wall and it sounds a lot better. The 16cm speaker is right on the back of the speaker box facing the wall. It needs some clearance.

4. Plugging in headphones (even with my cheap ones) and using the CFX/Bosendorfer binaural samples sounds better than any combination I mentioned above. I can't imagine what it would be like with good headphones. However, you lose the vibration/tactile feel. Traditionally, I haven't used headphones so I'm not sure I'll be going down that road anytime soon.

God Bless,
David

Nice, but why not a real piano? You obviously have the money and the room.

LOL.

I bought this on credit (interest free). I'll be paying it off for months. Thankfully, I was able to sell my MP11SE pretty quick.

The cheapest new Yamaha grand they had in the store was 13k dollars before tax. That's double the cost of the N1X and I didn't think it sounded that great.

Maybe I could find a used piano under 10k, but I really don't want to deal with the hassle of that. I did play a very expensive Shigeru Kawai when I was trying out the Novus. I'd rather have that than the N1X, but I don't think my family would be too happy if I sold our house to buy a piano.

God Bless,
David

Oh I don't know... your lad looks to be quite the trooper!