Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Connecting p515 to external monitor experience?

I can answer this for Pianoteq:

. . . setting up a "touch curve" -- mapping the keyboard's MIDI velocity (out) to Pianoteq's MIDI velocity (in) -- is really easy.

I think that's true for other VST's, but Pianoteq is the only one I've used.

So there's not much benefit, just because the VPC1 has built-in "custom touch curve" software. However, a lot of people really like it.

Setting up a touch curve with Pianoteq is particularly easy. I'd prefer to choose a keyboard based on the action.

Kyosho - have you tried playing the Yamaha P515, Roland FP90 and Kawai ES8 with just the built in speakers - you may find that the built in speakers are good enough for you - I was usually quite happy with the ES8 built in speakers when I was playing that.

> Cuz I see some people said the piano velocity (above link) is not as great, have to use VST to make it sound better. So I assume if there's something wrong with internal sound, no matter how good your external monitor is, it doesnt help?

Well if one doesn't like the internal sound engine, speakers can't fix this. In this range of DPs, speakers are not poor but still with considerable space and weight restrictions, hence quite inferior to a good external amp & monitors and typically the dominant cause of lacking sound.
You can tell with good headphones (which tend to cost roughly an order of magnitude less than good external speakers). If the internal sound over good headphones feels okay, start considering better external speakers. If you don't like the internal sound over good headphones, connect a computer with Garritan or Pianoteq. If you don't like messing with both external speakers and computers, make sure to spend enough time checking if you like the default sound before purchase.
And mind this is all very subjective - you shouldn't take other folks' prejudice you read on internet too seriously.
When I was comparing, the ES8 default sound over the built-in speakers seemed best to me in this range of slabs, while the similarly-priced CN39 had notably better speaker sound, and the speaker sound gets notably better again in the upper range of furniture DPs. For the key action in this range I preferred the FP90, and I liked the CN39 key action a lot too; while in the "no-limits" DP category I liked AvantGrands actions the most.

If you like the piano's sound when listening with headphones, then there's hope that external speakers can improve over the internal ones.

But if you don't like the piano's sound on headphones, speakers won't cut it. You cannot take a lame piano sound and EQ it to make it good.

This sounds amazing! ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afDnJzzZlnc

A p515 can never achieve that eh? But I can imagine it's inconvenient have to wait for the computer everytime you play as Chuck mentioned in his review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZhxOmthd9U

@Morten Olsson
p515 - yes
fp90 - don't think I will like the sound cuz it's too thin
es8 - planning to...

What music do you play mostly? I know those who play classical enjoy it. But I like playing pop, and disney movies theme so on.. Not sure if it's suitable YET

So when you buy a new dp, you have to try out the headphone sound also?

You always have to evaluate the full package. And then you either like it or you don't. Doesn't make much difference if others like or dislike it...

You can start picking by listening to online samples in comparison videos like this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gldvU8sv924
or preferably live at store, using GOOD headphones.
But if you plan to use the DP with built-in speakers, and for checking out the key action, testing in person with your fingers on the keys the piano is essential.
It is a very good idea to test at a store that has all relevant models available for testing, and to visit when it is not busy (noisy).
What you end up buying is usually a compromise of likes and dislikes.

Only classical :-)
The ES8 speakers weren't quite as loud as an acoustic piano but they certainly felt loud enough for day to day practice to me - and they didn't break up or distort at max volume.
All in all I really enjoyed playing the ES8 - both sound and action wise. Also I starts up in no time which turned out to be really important to me - made it so I could just sit down and play without having to wait for anything to boot etc.

I had listened to it for many times b4 and didn't seem to hear any difference (by the pieces he played) for all 3 of them unfortunately lol

I had listened to it for many times b4 and didn't seem to hear any difference (by the pieces he played) for all 3 of them unfortunately lol[/quote]

To be honest, I didn't notice much initially, so I had thought it was negligible.
But in person there is much more difference. Mainly due to the speakers, and a bit of it remains also over good headphones, and it turns one can't change everything it with adjustments.
I guess some is lost with audio compression for youtube-acceptable bitrate.
But with good headphones now I think there is some of this difference, even in these youtube samples.

Take the Korg Krome. It has unlooped piano samples. Take the Yamaha Montage, it has a direct and fast link between the Flash storage and the dedicated sound generator.

I am sure that Yamaha can go forward and start to be compared with some VST. The technology is here !

But I have to see a quite slow improvement, even the quite recent N1X has only a 7 digits led display... when my Cookeo pressure cooker has a nice color display.

Yes ... and my $100 Keurig coffee maker has a better display than the N1X.

@MacMacMac : $100 vs. 170€... you win !

If I connect either a p515 or es8 to the following, will the sound better or worse than a "Yamaha HS5 Studio Monitor" or "Tannoy reveal 502"? Any idea?



Powered subwoofer (S-DV77SW)
Amplifier SectionSurround
Front, Center, Rear ................................... 30 W, per channel(1 kHz, 1% T.H.D., 8Ω)Subwoofer ............................. 50W (100Hz, 1% T.H.D., 4Ω)

Continuous power output (RMS)
Front, Center, Rear .................................... 40W, per channel(1kHz, 10% T.H.D., 8Ω)Subwoofer ............................ 65W (100Hz 10% T.H.D., 4Ω)

Type .................. Bass reflex floor type, antimagnetic (EIAJ)
Speaker .............................. 16 cm (6-5/16 in.) (cone type)
Nominal impedance ........................................................ 4ΩFrequency range ......................................... 31 Hz to 300 Hz
Max. input ........................................................... 65 W (EIAJ)

That's a so-called "home theater" speaker system, isn't it?

As for your question ... will it sound better than a Yamaha HS5 or Tannoy 502 ... well, you'll have to hook them up, try them out, and tell us which is best.

A digital piano only output a stereo audio. A full 5.1 home theater is not needed.

The piano sound has few harmonics down to 27Hz. (A low C note will only emit 1% of the power at 32Hz... but ears detect a low frequency because the upper harmonics are multiple of 32Hz) you can go to a pair of 5” speakers, or perhaps a 8”. I am not sure the subwoofer is needed.

This stuff is made for post-production audio, finished piano recordings you find on CDs and DVDs. Monitoring an instrument is a completely different task with different requirements.

You should also note, that you are expected to spread these speakers in your room multiple meters away from your listening place, while near-field monitors are made specifically to sound complete when being right in front of you.

Another thing to consider is that the built-in piano sample of the P-515 is adjusted to sound good on the built-in speakers. If you go with external monitors, you have some EQ work before you.