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Yes that Bosendorfer sound is excellent. Despite being very warm and mellow when played softly, it still opens up to a nice agressive sound for forte playing - very expressive. And just btw, the fact that I like the soft mellow/warm sound here a lot, I think proves that my little whinge about the NU1X soft playing (over in Cybergene's thread) is more to do with stereo imaging or ambience, or maybe even dynamic range etc. I could listen to this sound all day.
I've discovered that the Bosendorfer tends to play best through speakers on my NU1X. That deep and mellow timbre makes it sound like I'm behind a real piano that's closed. Through headphones, and especially when only listening to demos (since there's no effect of hearing what you play) it's overly dark which IMO led to the widespread bad opinion about the Bosendorfer. Also, one needs some time to get accustomed when switching between CFX and Bosendorfer, because the CFX is indeed a great sound that's both bright and dark at the same time, very universal in application, and immediately after it the Bosendorfer may sound wrong for a minute. Just give it a chance.
As to looping, indeed there's audible looping on the CFX but it's so subtle I haven't yet found myself distracted. It's a very well made looping.
I haven't noticed any looping in your NU1X playing or in any demoes yet. Note that there are two aspects of looping that bother me a) whether the actual loop is noticable (as a warble etc), and b) the cessation of the natural evolution of the timbre. So, even if there is no warble, if the timbre becomes static, that still bothers me. I can hear both aspects in that P515 clip I referred to.
Hi all. I'm a Yamaha sound and action guy, I have had p120 - cp5 - now cp4 and I'm happy enought with what I have. Playing home with earphones during nighttime and using it for jazz gigs, so mainly piano and rhodes. compact. lightweight. Now, cp88, compact and lightweight. So yes, Yamaha is fortunate enought with me, I'm here just waiting for this CP, ready to buy, I love the look and all those swithches but.. hey, can you confirm me that there's no sound editing options for the acoustic piano? not even the limited ones you had in the cp4? Let me explain. Yamaha samples are good, but there's a factory choice behind every sample mainly regarding n°1-eq and n°2-velocity responce and n°3-volume spectrum across the 88 notes, and that choice could be a gamebreaker for you gigging musician. For exaples, I think the default CP4 CFX lacks medium frequencies, lacks volume in the higher octaves, has a too wide velocity responce. Now, in CP4 you have some mixed tools to deal with 1,2,3 matters. n°1-eq - system eq editable frequencies, corresponding to 5 phisical levers to use on the fly. - piano sound inserction effect, you can intervene on frequencies there also - cutoff + resonance n°2-velocity responce - system (normal, wide1, wide2, narrow) - voice editable velocity depth and offset n°3-nothing here, but working with frequencies you can somehow workaround this (and look, cp4 manual mentioned a 4 zone editing spectrum option that probably they decided not to give us at last... food for thoughts)
Now I can't belive that with CP88 I will only have: n°1-eq - n3 phisical knobs (so less than the 5 in the cp4; I like the freq knob use on the fly thoug) - Tone (oh my...! readin the manual, I can't belive I can only reduce mid freq. with this where my problem with yamaha choices in general are that they give us medium freq. lacking samples!!! this must be a joke:( n°2-velocity - system (normal,wide) so even less than the plain system ones in the CP4 and without any possibile combination with the sound editing options to nail your exact needs. n°3-nothing, nor supported by any possibilities given the lack of tools in the eq department.
Other things about sound editing (key-off volume for example?) I can live without and I won't mention.
So, do you owners confirm this? no edit options in Acoustic Pianos?
If yes I call the cp88 100% improvement over the CP4 on DP deparment, but really a joke in the AP department, I mean, whether they nail and/or match your needs (gigs? which kind of ensamble? which music type?) and taste in every AP sample (impossible) or you'll have to stick with sound functional flaws, hand-tied.
I hear you ! But, what’s not in the manual’s not gonna be on the board, I ‘m afraid. Don’t sell your CP4 yet. Play the CP88 a couple weeks or so, take it out on live gigs and see if you can live with it, otherwise return it. That is what I am going to do, anyway.
„Yamaha CFIII Acoustic Grand Piano known for being able to cut through dense arrangements with a bright, powerful sound.“
Well, we already have a more than enough bright powerful AP-Sound in the CP88. What about a more mellow sound, like the one in the CP4? Luckily, I still have mine .
Updating today, let‘s wait and see how the new CF sounds and behaves in reality.
Last edited by Manolios; 01/18/2005:15 AM. Reason: spelling
CP4 is a more mellow sound and is preferable for me to what they have on the CP88. The CP88 is a more compressed sound and probably will work better for a louder rock context. So I see where they were going. There's a trend towards brighter pianos today. Even the new Steinways I'm hearing are brighter then mine.
Again playing the P-515 at a noisy NAMM, it was the the best sounding portable DP I played. I've played it a few times in the stores the last year.
The Nord Grand I finally got to play after all this time and it was impressive too. Harder to get a full appreciation of it under the extreme conditions- noise and pitiful phones.
Still, the CP88 plays like a dream compared to most everything else that is out there. But yes, I'm glad I still have my CP4 as well.
2005 NY Steinway D Yamaha AvantGrand N3X, CP88, P-515
After couple hours with the new CFIII-Sound, I‘m afraid I still do not like it as much as the one in my CP4. It‘s somehow weak (compared to the CFX Grand Piano 01 in the CP88) and still too bright for my taste, I‘d definitely LOVE a more mellow sound added to the library... The previous update, the C7, was again nothing to write home about.
Not impressed by the other two new Rhodes sounds either; not that they‘re bad, but the others were already great and covered all the bases for me. I personally would have loved a better upright bass instead. Again, like the one in the CP4 . Or a fretless bass. Or...
BUT : There is also GREAT news! Master EQ-Settings can now be saved within a Live-Set! Finally, Yamaha! It was sorely missed and a major oversight ! it brought me on the brink of sending the CP88 back, since the APs are imo desperately in need of EQing and I couldn‘ t save the settings. What did they think?
And what are these updates for, anyway? To correct flaws in an unfinished product? Is it a work in progress and we, the users, are providing ideas and wishes for the final product? When will it be ready? When the next generation comes out?
It‘s still a very nice piano, though, and I love it.
And what are these updates for, anyway? To correct flaws in an unfinished product? Is it a work in progress and we, the users, are providing ideas and wishes for the final product? When will it be ready? When the next generation comes out?
It‘s still a very nice piano, though, and I love it.
Lmao. That's how I feel about most video games ever since thus got online compatibility. I think that a lot of Creators do they release unfinished products with the mindset of "we'll fix it later." I don't think that's the case here though since these sounds seem to be "more of the same" rather than anything really missing. The EQ issue was probably just an oversight brought to their attention by users. I'd definitely agree to a better upright bass
And what are these updates for, anyway? To correct flaws in an unfinished product? Is it a work in progress and we, the users, are providing ideas and wishes for the final product? When will it be ready? When the next generation comes out? - - -
- - - I think that a lot of Creators do they release unfinished products with the mindset of "we'll fix it later." I don't think that's the case here though since these sounds seem to be "more of the same" rather than anything really missing. The EQ issue was probably just an oversight brought to their attention by users. I'd definitely agree to a better upright bass
Personally upgradeability was one of the reasons for me to choose CP88 (of course not the main one). I was impressed how Yamaha responds to the user feedback and requests, and makes changes to the instrument interface so it better suits the users needs. I also understood that Nashville grand was added on users' request. In demos it sounded absolutely beautiful and was one of the reasons for me to consider CP88, but after purchasing one, I've started to like the sound of CFX better.
Before buying CP88, I tested lots of instruments. I even bought Kawai MP7 spontaneously when it was on sale, but the voices felt really outdated and the piano action was partially broken, so i returned it... I walked around a huge music shop with high quality head phones and CP73 (which has same engine than CP88) sounded superior in my ears to any other instrument in comparison. I preferred it even to Nord. Of course its always very subjective, but for me the sound quality was what I wanted from it.
So back to the upgrades: if something is broken, they'll be able to offer regular updates for firmware and there's hope for any problems to be fixed or requested instruments to be added. With other keyboards it's take it or leave it. If something doesn't work or sucks, too bad, there's nothing you can do about it. With the new CP's they can fix it... Upgradeability gives me hope that the instrument will stay up to date longer with new high quality voices with future software upgrades.
Only thing they can't fix is hardware. While I absolutely love the feel of CP88 keyboard action, I do wish it was lighter.
I remember my previous piano launched after Windows XP, but with an important software only compatible with Windows 95/98... the piano wasn’t fully supported by Yamaha even the first day it was sold.
http://www.sinerj.org/ http://humeur-synthe.sinerj.org/ Yamaha N1X, Bechstein Digital Grand, Garritan CFX, Ivory II pianos, Galaxy pianos, EWQL Pianos, Native-Instrument The Definitive Piano Collection, Soniccouture Hammersmith, Truekeys, Pianoteq
some possibilities: 1. Until they release new CP model (could be years) 2. Until they think CP73/88 doesn't sell anymore and discontinue it 3. As long as it's "new" and it's just a marketing strategy
On their website they've said to publish them twice per year, so far they've kept the promise.
What kind of upgrades does the CP88 see? Is there a roadmap, or is it kind of a grab bag? I remember my CP50 had firmware updates that included a few new rhythm selections and pad combinations. It seems the CP88 got a new acoustic and electric, which is kind of nice, but unless you're into unexpected surprises, what is the real benefit, if the changes are not something you can expect, anticipate or plan for? Not trying to be cynical here, just trying to understand how it works as a selling point.
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So back to the upgrades: if something is broken, they'll be able to offer regular updates for firmware and there's hope for any problems to be fixed or requested instruments to be added. With other keyboards it's take it or leave it.
With things like this, I like to look at past performance rather than future possibility. I'm just a random hobbyist end user, and not a prominent musician or social media influencer, and on two separate occasions I've submitted bug reports to Kawai that have been sent to R&D in Japan and resulted in firmware updates that have addressed the issues discovered, oftentimes with advance beta firmware sent to me for validation. I don't ever expect this to happen, or that everyone will have the same experience, but in my experience they've been exceptionally responsive to customer feedback. I don't know if Yamaha does the same thing, 1) but I don't think it's take it or leave it, 2) I don't know if Yamaha is expected to be more responsive than that as a standard for the CP88?
The only update foreseen for CP88 is bug fixes and 1-2 new e/piano voices. What do you expect from a static instrument.
Sound is very very subjective.
Untrained ear will identify Yamaha sound as “good”. Unfortunately the samples lack the richness and are not voluminous like MP series.
You can compare the low and high octaves to see how full and rich Kauai is compared to CP88. Given that, it’s implied that the mid samples are much nicer and resembles to a real piano.
To many, this can be interpreted as dark (Kawai) and bright (Yamaha). I also describe CP series as “thin”.
