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I see that the Yamaha CP88 is now available, does anybody have hands on with it? I am about ready to pop for a RD-2000 and am waiting to see what's happening with it.

Hi Quindecimal,

They are two very different instruments!

What do you want to do with your digital piano?

The CP88 is a digital stage piano meant for gigging musicians who play in a band and like to alter settings on-the-fly. It's main competitor is the Nord Stage 3.
The Roland RD2000 is a more flexible machine: you can gig with it, but it has good functionality for studio and home applications, and it's pianos are better.

Also, the action on the RD2000 is superior (you don't need a great action nor sympathetic string resonance for playing in a band).

Kind regards,

Doug.

Well, a very subjective point of view, obviously. To each his own, I guess.

I own a Yamaha CP4 and find it‘s NW action vastly superior over the RD200. The new CP88, which I haven’t had the chance to try yet, comes with the new NWX. I find it hard to imagine that this new action would be worse than the older one.

Also I find Roland‘s pianos quite artificial sounding. Definitely NOT better.

So, I guess it‘ a matter of taste - as always.

Hi Manolios,

Apologies, you misunderstood my slant: I wasn't talking about piano sound tone (which is subjective); rather, the CP88 piano sound is purposefully lacking sympathetic string resonance i.e., it is a simplified version of Yamaha's CFX grand in the P515. So from that POV, the sampled piano in the CP88 is inferior to the CFX grand in the Yamaha P515, and also by extension the RD2000 (which of course has string resonance, damper resonance etc).

Yamaha have focused the CP88 specifically for gigging pianists who play in a band (it's a traditional stage piano with many of the home/studio functionality removed AND it's missing the NWX action)---where string resonance and nuanced piano is no advantage. Everything about the CP88 (which directly copies the Nord User Interface model) fits the needs of a gigging pianist, but not a solo pianist or a home or studio user.

I was pointing out that the RD2000 is a jack of all trades, whereas the CP88 is focused to gigging inside a band.

If Quindecima wants a piano sound to play as solo piano mainly at home, then the P515 is the Yamaha slab piano to get, as currently, Yamaha offer no 'stage piano' designed for home or studio use (unless you want a used CP4). If Quindecima wants to gig in a band, then the Yamaha CP88 or the Nord Stage 3 are maybe better options.

Personally, for my home, I'd opt for the MP11SE with VST options, as I like to buy with action in mind first, then sound (as I can get good sound options from the VST world). However, the Roland RD2000 is a fantastic board in its design, so I'd like one of those too lol...If I wanted a board for on-the-fly adjustments, currently I'd take the Nord Stage 3 over the CP88; however, when Yamaha build their sound libary to compete with the Nord library, it will be a tougher decision.

Kind regards,

Doug.

I think the Nord that comes closest to the CP88 is not the Nord Stage 3, but rather the Nord Piano 4.

This was my initially my expectation, but I watched a YouTube video referencing the Nord Stage 3 as the equivalent. The specs are attached: what do you guys think?

CP88
CP4 specs


Stage 3
NStage3 specs


NP4

NP4 specs

I agree NP4 is closest. The nord stage has 3 separate engines so you get full organ drawbar with sliders and virtual analog synth. The cp88 is sample based.

O.K. already a big mess, I am going to use it mostly at home, maybe a few gigs. I was classic piano trained but stopped playing about 12 years ago and now play Bass but it is a lot easier for me to look at a piano and visualize intervals, arpeggios etc so I planned on getting one then thought I might as well get a decent one so I could catch up on playing again now that I don't have a grand anymore. I'd like a MP11 but too much dinero.

Neither matches up perfectly, but Nord Stage 3 has the organ engine and the VA synth engine that both the NP4 and CP88 lack, that's the biggest difference to me. That is, if you didn't care about organ or knobby synth, you'd almost certainly choose the NP4 (or the CP) over the much pricier NS3, whose non organ/synth advantages over the NP4 are not so extensive.

Other factors:
... NP4 has the better piano action than the NS3 (but doesn't have aftertouch, which CP doesn't have either).
... NP4 supports 2 simultaneous sounds with a single split point, NS3 supports 6 simultaneous sound with multiple split points. CP (with its 3 simultaneous sounds with a single split point) is closer to the former than the latter.

Other than supporting 3 simultaneous sounds rather than 2, I think the only CP functionality missing from the NP4 (but not the NS3) are the pitch/mod sticks and the MIDI zones. Especially considering what it's missing, I don't think that's enough to say the CP is more like an NS3 than an NP4.

I'd play the Yamaha P-515, they're nice. I'd actually like to have one for home myself.

But also be sure to play the new Casio PX-S3000/1000 when they hit the stores. I had a short go at NAMM with them and came away very impressed with the updated sound and action. For the price point, it will be hard to beat. I actually preferred the new Casio action to that on the Nord Piano 4 - as I went to the Nord not even 5 minutes after playing the Casios.

I also played the CP88 at NAMM and came away not all that knocked out on first play.The noise factor was the worst I've experienced there, so that could have played into my first impression. Right now I still prefer the sound of my CP4 over the CP88. That could change after hearing the new Yamaha in a more quiet and favorable listening environment.

The RD-2000 is great, Roland's best stage piano imo. I still prefer the immediacy of the sound, action and overall player connection of the CP4 though.

Between the MP11SE and the RD2000, it seems the US price difference is $200 (on Sweetwater's website). I'd save that money up, or look for a used deal on an MP11 first edition if the MP11 is your preference over the RD2000.

What is nice about the Roland RD series is that they are perhaps the most fun of the stage pianos.

The Rd-2000 I was looking at (open box) has left the studio so I either wait for another one to come around or try to source a MP11 for a good price.

Hi Quindecima,

I don't know if you can import via ebay into the United States, but this MP11 being sold out of Germany is within your dollar budget
MP11 (used)

You could always make on an offer to cover the import charges.

Kind regards,

Doug.

I could import but by the time that got here I would be buried and I am not going to purchase that far away and have no recourse. I can wait for GC or Sweetwater to have an open box sale.

If you mean that seriously, that's then because of your health.
But... the route from japan to Oregon is pretty straightforward and imo it's worth waiting.

My mistake, I ment buried financially from shipping cost.

I located a rd-2000 at a very good price and would have bot it today but they were closed so I am back looking thru the DP stuff and was wondering if a VPC1 would be a better choice for me, I have been out of the piano real for some time and really don't know what it is but I am not sure if I would need all the bells and whistles of the Roland of the Kawai would better suit me because of very limited gigging I would do. Exactly what does the Kawaii do and does the action compare with the Roland?

The VPC1 is intended as a controller for virtual piano software libraries, although it can of course be used to control anything that responds to MIDI.

As such, the VPC1 consists primarily of a keyboard action and some USB/MIDI connectors. There is no built-in sound functionality. The VPC1 is also compatible with a Windows/Mac software editor that allows for various settings (touch curve, key velocity, MIDI routing) to be adjusted.

Kind regards,
James
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O.K. so I need monitors , I have Yamaha MS8's, pianoteq, a computer, and maybe a scarlett interface is that correct?

Do you mean Yamaha HS8?
If so, I believe those monitor speakers should be fine, especially if you also have an audio interface to connect them to.



Yes. The audio interface is optional. Some people listening with headphones connect directly to their computer, however audio quality and/or latency is generally better when using an audio interface.

Kind regards,
James
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