I have to say I’m quite amazed by how polite and present you are with all the comments in this video. Being a classical pianist myself (with some clear enthusiasm for synthesizers), I can sincerely tell you that your review is pretty much the only one I trusted about the key action - tested one for myself and can assure that it is pretty good compared even to Yamaha upright and grand pianos in terms of “weight”. I’m acquiring one next Monday, and can only thank you for this sincere review. Cheers!! Subscribed!
Thank you kindly for your feedback on my review!! Appreciate your insightful comment! Yes, weight is pretty good, although on the heavier side, some people say. I'm glad you decided to go for it! It's such a great value for the money, and of course not an upright, but gave me a great experience practicing for the past year! I now upgraded to CLP 745, but , honestly, do far I don't think that it's worth it's price tag, compared to p515 . It's slightly better action,ore balanced, and the cabinet of course is excellent, but I can't say it justifies the $1500 raise on the price tag compared to 515. So glad you went for it and thank you for the sub!!👩🏫🎹🙏
@@Dariafortepiano Even before you answered, went to the store and ultimately decided for the CLP745! Got it yesterday, and couldn’t be happier. To me, amplification was a big positive difference (I like to study without headphones), and also the beautiful rosewood cabinet. In the end, seemed like a way better experience. I have a piano in my hometown, and the Clavinova is a good option for a smaller substitute. The action on the CLP is also better, even if by a bit, with a more natural tremolo/repetition action (closer to another Yamaha pianos like GB1, but a bit lighter). Waiting for new videos to pop up! Cheers! Also, P515 is a bit harder on touch, but besides Steinway, most regularly found baby grands I’ve ever played, are close to that dynamically.
A really unbiased review, you just made it much easier for me to decide what to get. I have spend a lot of reading, and watching reviews, but it was only today I found your video, and that did the trick :-) A P-515 will be ordered on Monday. - And greetings from Denmark ;-)
Hi Daria...I wrote you 3 months ago. I just got my P515, (waited 3 months). I really like my P255 but this P515 is in another universe. I just set it up and right away was a happy man. Thank you again. Wilson
Hi Wilson! I am very touched that you decided to share the good news with me!😊 so glad you are happy with your new p515, especially after such a long wait. Yay! So exciting! Play with joy!🎹👍🥳
Thank you for this review, Ms. Daria. I must say, out of all the reviews I have watched throughout RU-vid pertaining to this instrument, your review reigns supreme. Thanks again.
I watch reviews of all sorts of products, including instruments (grand pianos and electronic keyboards, especially), cars, etc. and your presentation is absolutely as good as any I've ever seen. This review was so helpful and I want to thank you for your expertise and taking the time to pass this information along.
Thank you, dear Marc for your kind words evaluating my review! your feedback is greatly appreciated! You are most welcome, and Im glad that you found helpful things in it! I was watching many reviews too before buying my instrument and wished they included certain details I was interested in, so I decided to make my own, including those.
Thank you! This is a wonderfully helpful review. I had been thinking about getting a P515 recently and your review provided a lot of details that other retailer reviews don't touch on. It's also really nice to be able to hear the opinions of people that are actually own and use the model for their daily practice routines.
My pleasure! Very glad its helpful for people! I know how challenging it is to choose an instrument without trying it out in the store, since they are very scarce nowadays. I bought mine like that as well, so Im happy to help:)
I have this piano and I love it. I did a lot of research before getting it. It was backordered, It took 3 weeks to receive it Nov 3rd-November 27th. It was so worth the wait.
Exciting!! So happy for you! You will have a lot of fun with this sensitive instrument ! And thank you for your kind feedback about my channel, means a lot!😃🙏
Hello. I'm also new to learning piano and recently got P515. Generally very happy except same issue as Daria to have... Did your P515 have any sound defects in any single key?
Thank you. As an advanced beginner, I see that I need to get to a level that means this is my best upgrade. I currently have the Yamaha P125, which I love and bash to bits, lol. Thank you for showing me the last piece in the puzzle! I have subscribed and loved all the information others have given too.
28 00 Thank you Daria for point of the issue. I exchanged one P515 recently, but new one about same results...so will just ignore it and keep it. All others keys no problem and sound great to me. I'm beginner but hear smallest sound defect...and in store ALL and ANY brands have some sound defects, more or less. The PIANOS in higher price all different, practically no any issues as this... Thank you for great review and your time for us.
@@Dariafortepiano Yeah Daria, I brake my promise. Exchanged for Kawai ES920. To my experience, noting sound better with no ANY sound defects in any numerous pianos modes with the Kawai. Really HAPPY ! And sounds...fantastical. Soon will upload my beginners playing and keyboards challenge experience .
Great review, so relevant and succint. You've done a better job here than Yamha themselves in explaining what us pianists are most interested in. Thank you so much.
Thank you very much for this fantastic review. I was deciding between the p515 and the es8, but after watching your review and also personally comparing the 2 instruments, I have decided that I will purchase the p515. I also prefer the sound of the Yamaha, as it is a little brighter.
Hi Mario, thank you for your comment! I am very glad my review was helpful! Yes, I agree, for me the CFX sample is unbeatable in terms of sound quality you get. it is very bright, sensitive, lively, but also balanced throughout the registers. Enjoy your new p515 in the New 2022!! 🥳 Cheers! 👩🏻🏫🎹
By the way , the P515 won’t need a MIDI interface. It has both USB HOST (that can interface directly to computer ! And the old standard MIDI (din 5 pin ) In & out ...
Hi Daria, I picked up the last Yamaha P-515 in Brisbane, Australia and am very happy with it. Thank you for your detailed review. Very helpful and informative.
Amazing! You are very welcome! I'm very glad my review is helping people make a choice without the opportunity to look at this piano in person! Congratulations on getting that last one!:) I think I also purchased the last one available in the U.S. at the time back in July, so feel very lucky. Enjoy the piano! Cheers from NYC!
I love the sound of the CFX Grand, it makes all songs sound so warm & emotional & romantic on the piano. I love the unique character of every note, I have memorized every note's sound! I can even describe some examples xDD, for example the note G2 has a short but loud bass sustain (I hope you understand what I mean with bass sustain), the G#2 has less bass but still has a short bass sustain, the A2 has a longer bass sustain but the bass is overall less, the Bb2 has slightly more bass than A2 but still has a long bass sustain. The B2 has less resonance and less bass but still has a long bass sustain, same goes with C3, although the C3 is very slightly more resonant. The C#3-B3 are a different category of notes suddenly jumping from C3 to C#3 all the bass is gone! Then the C4-E4 are a different category, then F4-E5, and so on...Also I love the resonance of the E6 note, it has such a beautiful and sweet sustain! Also, the dynamic range of it is so flexible, even my upright piano doesn't have such a flexible dynamic range! The tone colour & timbre on the CFX changes so much as you go from the softest to the loudest!!!! That's why I love playing on my Yamaha P515 rather than my upright piano, because I can make the sound so sweet if I play piano-pianissimo! If I play loud/forte-fortissimo the sound will become so bright! Do you believe the real Yamaha CFX has that same dynamic range?
Thank you for your long and detailed message! I am very glad someone enjoys the CFX sound as much as I do! I can also hear little nuances in each key sound. I like your descriptions:) I absolutely agree about the dynamic range and the tone color being so rich and much better than many acoustic pianos, even thought its just a keyboard. I have never tried the real CFX Grand, but I know that it is known for being very precise, meaning allowing you to shape your tone to the smallest detail. I can even notice it through recorded performances from the 2010 or 2015 Chopin competitions. Many great performers chose the CFX. Also, here is a video I found comparing the real CFX , Bösendorfer and Steinway. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-T2GYYV8JSqM.html
DariaPiano Yes, I watched that video already :D Also there are 127 unique sampled levels for the dynamics of every note on the Yamaha P515, as opposed to 3-5 sampled levels (which there are still 127 total levels but they are "grouped" in 3-5 samples, I hope you understand what I mean) on lower-end digital pianos!
@@constiff Amazing that you can hear all those distinctive sounds in each key. Must be experienced player. Overall would you recommend the P515 when compared to other digital pianos in its price range?
Smokey Of courseeeee!!!!!! It's the best portable digital piano ever!!!! Too nice, very high quality with lots of features for its price range. I play piano for 12 years, and have been listening to the CFX sound since around 2017 but bought the P515 about half a year ago, there is a pianist called Rui Ruii the Seal Pianist who uses a CLP 575 which has the same sound as the P515 ;-)
Hi Gerard! Thank you for your kind comment! I am glad you liked the review. Yes, Bösendorfer's bass is terrific, this is what they are famous for! I just wish we could have those extended lower notes up to the lowest C, which we get on the real Imperial grand, to fully enjoy the experience:))
thank you for having explained very clearly the operation of this P 515, I passed it last Saturday after seeing your video that convinced me I am very happy to have subscribed to your channel
Just replied to the your comment in Italian, had to ask my neighbor to help. Haha, my Italian is also very poor... Thank you very much for making the effort in English and for supporting my channel! 😊
Don't worry somehow I can understand thanks to the translator 😂... He almost never gets it wrong.... Thanks to you for the valuable information of your channel...
Super helpful review! Love the time stamps and detail, plus getting opinions from an actual customer instead of a salesperson. A friend had one I got to try out, now just have to decide if I can justify buying one! Love the Yamaha but that Bosendorfer bass is to die for. Thanks for all the great videos and best of luck with your channel :)
Thanks for this review. My keyboard got damaged and I am looking for a replacement. I like this one and your review helps to clarify some of my questions. Love your fingers (the playing)
thank you for the compliment! I am happy to be helpful! sorry about your keyboard:( Yes, this one is fantastic, just hard to find in the US at the moment, backordered. But you can try the CLP 645 at a store to get the idea about the action and the sound banks. Good luck choosing a new instrument!
@@Dariafortepiano Thanks very much, If I was in the US it would be easier to get a replacement or to try one at a store but I am in Jamaica (Island) so if it is hard to get it there, then imagine how it is here when we have to import everything. Keep the good work and thanks again for this review. By the way, just last night I noticed that you are the same person playing in the garden and I have watched that one before. Wow! I love the way how you play 🥰 Blessings!
@@walmos I see. I wish you all the best with the new piano search then! I hope they can sent it your way soon! And thank you for the compliments on my playing, it is very encouraging!
Thank you! You’re one of my important reference now! I’ve been debating with my wife who hold a performer’s certificate, whether a digital piano can replace a real piano/upright for short term kids learning, or even for her own casual playing of kids’ pieces like Sonatina and Czerny. We’re having FP-90 and Yamaha YUS5, certainly feel what you mean about FP-90 even without comparing. We’re moving and will not have them for a while. Your videos give me a lot of confidence on P-515 to fill our gaps for the moment and replace our FP-90 as a second practicing piano in the long run.
Hi, and thank you for your trust in my judgment! I believe if we are not being too picky and more practical and realistic in our expectations I believe that a good digital piano can substitute for a real acoustic upright for short term practicing / or secondary instrument purposes even for professional musicians. As long as we know how the real thing sounds like and the shortcomings of the digital version, and we get access to the acoustic at least occasionally. With kids it's a bit trickier, as they might not "fell in the gaps" in sound quality so well since they do not possess souch experience yet.. but at least for the purposes of training your fingers these higher end digital pianos can do a great job! Even though the key length is not the same, so can expect the same exact physical movement as the acoustic provides. What I am trying to.say is that I totally accept the fact that I can't afford to.have an acoustic at the moment, but with my p515 I'm not losing form practicing on it every day. Only need more "ear" adjustment to the sound mainly, and a but with touch, but it is less significant than I expected! I recommend this piano to my students too, if they can't afford an upright or not sure if the kids will stick with the piano. I hope I make sense, Cheers!
@@Dariafortepiano Thanks a lot for your reply and sharing your experience. I'm sure I'd pull my wife to try P515 out! Appreciate your detailed assessment!
My pleasure!. I hope you can get access to try one at a store, they see to be scarcely available nowadays. And im sure your wife will make a very experienced judge, so of course it is her judgement that will matter the most:) it is often very personal, especially with instruments. I hope she likes it for what it offers! Best of luck!
I was planning to buy a P515 as digital piano. I saw it as the right trade off between cost, quality and portability. I currently own a Yamaha MX88 (a synthesizer with the weighted keyboard of the low-mid range Yamaha digital pianos). I've realized that is not suitable for 'serious' classical music (especially the keyboard action). Your great professional review has given me a lot of useful information; I've appreciated especially the analysis of the key action, as well as that on the CFX and Bosendorfer sounds. It has also been very instructive to know all the other details (sometimes tiny or 'hidden'). I think that I'll go for it, at this point. Many thanks.
There is no need to use that MIDI converter box, as the P-515 already has a USB device port on the back. All you need is a USB printer cable to directly connect it to a computer or mobile device (using USB On-the-Go). It then transfers not only MIDI data, but also digital audio in both directions, so you can record yourself directly into your DAW without having to go through any recording equipment (like desk mixers, recording interfaces etc.). There is even ASIO (low latency) support, once you install the Yamaha-Steinberg driver. The MIDI ports are still great to connect to another instrument though.
Thanks so much for the advice and explanation! I am not very good with technology myself, know some things well, which I use, but the rest not at all....So appreciate your help here!
So glad it was helpful! I am really enjoying this instrument for what it can offer, with all its limitations for not being an acoustic... great keyboard IMO! Just as a side note, some people consider the keys to be too heavy, but they are not for me. I hope it will not be the case for you either! just don't expect them to be too light (like on the p125), and then you are all set:) Best of luck with your choice and your piano learning! 👍🏻
The P515 is a fantastic product (I've played on one) and I think there is more you could have done before concluding that the problem is with Yamaha's sampling techniques or firmware. I have two guesses about that G6 problem: 1) I've searched on the internet and nobody else has mentioned anything about a bad G6 sample, which leads me to think that this problem could be caused a combination of your room acoustics, the built-in piano speakers, and the location of the piano in the room - especially since you say that switching to the binaural sample + external speakers fixes it for you. Also, listening to this video on headphones, as you ran those scales up and down the G6, I coudn't perceive the same problem that you were hearing - maybe due to the fact that this video sounds like it was recorded by phone or laptop built-in microphone. I also took a look at the video you made where you played this keyboard outdoors in the garden (which takes the room acoustics problem out of the equation), and I tried to listen out for bad G6 notes but I was unable to detect any anomalies. 2) The velocity sensor under the G6 note could be getting worn or defective, sending higher velocity values which causes the note to sound brighter. You can check this by using a midi monitor app such as midi-ox and see if that G6 key sends higher velocity values than the notes around it. 5 months before you posted this video, another user who reported a defective G6 (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bp7nNfD8ac4.html&ab_channel=Darkurio) and other commenters have reported similar velocity issues among various keys of their P515. If so, this is mechanical problem usually caused by dust under the key contact, or more unikely a manufacturing defect of the velocity sensor circuit board. Then again, if the repair technician was there with you, he would have been able to diagnose it immediately, or maybe the problem was only caused/aggravated when he disassembled the keyboard to fix the black key. I really hope you will be able to find a fix for your situation because you play really well and the P515 is such an underrated product.
Thank so much for your long and thoughtful comment!! Please forgive my belated reply. As I understand from what the technician told me there is no real way to fix it at the moment, at least he coudnt find one. I already got used to that G being odd, so just have to live with that I guess:) The things I recorded for the channel are mainly recorded directly through the machine itself , so you can't hear the issue, because its not coming out of the speakers, I believe. Anyways. Thanks so much for all your advice.!! Really appreciate it!🙏🙂🎹👍
Great review! By the way, you can connect MIDI function to any computer using a standard USB printer cable (USB A to USB B Cable, both male). These cables are much less expensive than the cable you suggested (MIDI DIN ports to USB A). After plugging in this printer cable, playing the keyboard will allow you to control a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and/or trigger other MIDI instruments also connected to your computer. Thanks again for the expert review, and your splendid playing skills!
Thank you, Daria, for this review. When I was looking for an Instrument 2 years ago, I always felt comfortable when playing on Yamaha digital pianos, and yes, I was almost repelled by the Rolands (but they make great synths). I finally opted for the Kawai MP11SE. I cannot describe how much I love this instrument. It has all keys in wood. Kawai sounds tend to be a bit mellow, like you said about the ES8, especially the new Shigeru SK Concert Grand. But the EX Concert Grand is quite bright and pervasive. Both of them sound just great. By the way, the shop I bought my Kawai from currently has 11 P515’s in stock. So no problem here in Europe. The Kawai MP11SE however is always out of stock and current delivery time is about one month.
Hello Alexander, and thank you for your kind message! Please forgive my belated response! I had to look up that Kawai you mentioned, and it looks like a fantastic instrument, a bit out of my price tag league)! So happy for you!Unfortunately I have not had a chance to try any Kawai concert grands, only the smaller ones. Ha, funny to hear that p515 s are in stick there! In the states at this point almost all good keyboards are delayed in shipping time. Tough period...😞
Very nice review. It's a bit puzzling, though that Yamaha ships the P515 with the FC4A pedal, which does not support half pedal ; you'll need to buy the FC3A for that, which, strangely, ships with the CP88, a stage piano where half pedaling isn't really necessary. Best of all, though, is to get the furniture stand with the triple pedal setup. Keep up the good work !
Hello Christof, and thanks so much for your feedback! Honestly, I had no idea about inability of that FC4 pedal to do half function, its a bit strange yes, good point. However, I use the three pedal unit almost exclusively, unless I play outside, so I didn't even know about this complication. Great information, thanks for sharing!!
What a great review, not often i can sit through u full review. Im intrigued as to whether you would consider online tutorials/lessons i think it could make a popular channel.
Thank you so much for watching my video in full! And I am very grateful for your feedback and the suggestion about the channel, it is very well taken! I have already thought about it a bit, and it is something I would like to do. Getting ready presently. Will post a short video soon to see how it goes. Preparing a couple tutorials for Chopin etudes too, but it takes time. Thanks again!
Thank you for your review of the Yamaha P515! It helped me decide to buy one myself. I mean if it is good enough for you as a classical pianist, it must be good enough for me as a happy amateur. I remember one of the entertainer Victor Borges jokes: Now we are goding to play Boris Godunov. And what is good enough for Boris is good enough for you…
Great video! Just want to add about MIDI connectivity to a PC. You don't need to use additional USB-to-MIDI adapter. You can just connect the P515 to the PC with a USB cable and it will be discovered as a sound card and MIDI controller as well.
Very well done. Couldn’t have asked for a more thorough review on this instrument Daria. Subscribed. By the way, the latest keyboard in this price range from Kawai is the ES-920. Personally, I’m trying to decide between these two for my next purchase. Also, you’re very beautiful 🥺
Hi, thank you for your kind compliments and for subscribing! 😊 I am glad my review is doing a good job helping others decide about which instrument to buy! I personally have not had a chance to try the es 920, so can't tell you anything about it. But many people here say it's good and is decent alternative for p515. However, no matter what the sound will be probably the main factor here. Yamaha will always sound very different from Kawai. 🙂🎹
Great informative video! Helpt me a lot to purchase this instrument. Because the Yamaha P515 has no midi over bluetooth i use the CME WIDI Master. It works flawless. Now i can use the usb at the back of the P515 to controle my iPad and vice versa and at the same time controle my laptop.
Thank you for the feedback! Wow, you are so much better than me with all this additional technology , haha. I only use it to simply play😆 I need to use more cool features of this instrument! Very glad my vidoe was helpful for you!!👍😊👩🏫🎹
Very interesting review, thank you. I am looking for a new piano , and I am considering the Yamaha P515 and the Kawai VPC1 (to be used with Pianoteq or other plugins), have you ever tested the Kawai ? I know they are quite different (the Kawai is just a keyboard, no speakers etc..) but I am only interested in you opinion about the action / feeling of the keyboard of the two pianos, what do you think ?
Thank you Daria for all your videos re p515! I ordered p525 which just came out which is meant to be an upgrade but quickly returned it as the key action is totally diferent grandtouchS so went and got the P515 instead!
@@Dariafortepiano oh sorry you don’t like it so much but yes the successor just came out and uses the grandtouchS technology so same as the clp745 :( not sure what inspired them to do that. You made a comment on that in your video as well.
I have no training in anything musical. I've often thought how wonderful it would be to learn to play piano. Watching you demonstrate double repetition my jaw just hit the floor. I did not know it was possible for fingers to move that fast :-O
Hi John, and thank you for your comment and for your interest in piano! Yes it indeed wonderful to be able to play, and it's never too late to learn! :) Haha, I am not the best example of repetition, need much more training to show the best speed. But here is a wonderful player and the piece if perfect to showcase double repetition. She is really a genius! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Gh9WX7TKfkI.html
@@Dariafortepiano Wow, you are right. She is amazing and that piece is extraordinary. Martha Argerich is definitely a genius pianist. Thank you for sharing :D
@@markwillis2980 hi Mark, sorry, just noticed your comment now! the keys feel fine to me in terms of weight ( not too light not too heavy), but compare to other keyboards I would say they are heavier. Many people say that they are heavy. But I think it gives them more depth, and I don't find them to be too heavy. It is very personal feeling though , depends on what you are used to and what you prefer. Cheers!
Came across your review of the Yamaha P515 and enjoyed your review… seriously thinking about getting this after looking into the Roland and realizing that may not be the best choice for me… I think for the price point this has all the features that I need…
What wonderful reviews you offer i only wish I had a small part of your talent! 38 years ago when I stopped lessons I was ok up to the cadenza in La Vallée d’Obermann but gave up my lessons when I realized I was having too much difficulty with that part. Stupid, I know. But four months ago I decided to start studying again and ordered and paid cash for a CLP785
But the CLP785 is delayed. I heard from Yamaha Music USA that it may be one to two years before it arrives! So I bought a P515 as a temporary solution. I am thoroughly satisfied with it! I am simply amazed that it can sound so wonderful for less than $1900! Thank you for convincing me of how good it is! Now, please record the Rachmaninoff Prelude in B Minor. Op 32 no. 10. It will convince even the most critical listener of what a marvelous instrument it is.
@@Dariafortepiano By using "dual" function - I press the "DUAL" button, then set "Bright Grand" as a sound number 1 and "CFX Grand" as a sound number 2 (lower line). Finally, I can make an adjustment by pressing "FUNCTION" and then choosing "Balance". There are 2 options there: in the lower one - "Detune" you can make a slight detuning, while in the upper one, you can adjust the volume of both sounds - I set this to "0" to give them both equal contribution :-)
@@MrMatthewliver this is brilliant!! Lol, why didn't I think about dual function with 2 piano tembres😅 I just only imagined it being 2 different instruments:))) thanks so much for this great idea! I'll try it out🙏🎹👍
Thank you sooo much Daria! Everything i had to know before replacing my old and gone p80! Do diesis do not produce any sound anymore :-( i play usually on a mid coda Yamaha but not to bore neighbours i have to train with a mute keyboard. I love your Chopin interpretation you’re great! I’d like to reach your level now i have more time to study. I decided to join your channel to see what you post on it. Thank you again!
Hi Andrea! Thanks so much for your kind words and feedback! 🙏 I wish you luck with your new piano and studies! Keep up hard work and you will definitely reach a new level and will keep improving! 👏👍🎹👩🏫
Very informative video! Thank you very much for uploading it! I've been doing a lot of research lately and this is digital piano that has caught my eye. One of my main goals with the digital piano is to have something that resemblence playing on a grand piano. You touched on that in your video. How similar to a grand piano feel will I get with this piano? I understand it can be difficult to answer considering there are many types of grand piano as well. If I rephrase my question a little bit, when you play on the P515, is the tactile feeling more like a digital keyboard feeling (plastic) or more towards playing on a grand piano?
- a very comprehensive review - thank you! I especially appreciate your coverage of the touch response settings - something I've requested some other reviewers to cover, and very important when evaluating a digital instrument for serious practice. The double escapement/repetition is very good. For comparison I set up an experiment between my Yamaha U1 and my P125 digital keyboard. To see the difference, I set the metronome to 120 for quarter notes, then played 8 counts of quarter notes followed by 8 triplets for each beat. The P125 maxxed out at a metronome setting around 160, while the U1 did well at metronome settings between 184 - 200. One question - what happened during the volume gradation ? Beginning on the 20th note played (at about 2:22) the timbre changed - as if you had made a change in the touch settings to a harder touch - is that the usual response?
Thank you so much for the feedback! Im very glad it covered something you needed! Yes, the escapement is definitely noticeable, and helps to play rapidly repeated note textures with ease. In terms of the gradation question, I think it was just my touch that I kind of "colored" in a more gentle way after that note, so I changed my "touch" rather then the piano did it itself. Or perhaps I missed a note volume in between the two, which sounded like I changed the touch setting between them. In reality I did not adjust anything during. The CFX is famous for being a very precise instrument, so I could have controlled the gradation better to avoid the change in tone color, if I needed to achieve more evenness. That's what I was able to do just now on it, I tried specifically to note change the tone and it makes a difference. I hope it makes sense what I mean?
@@Dariafortepiano There are many keyboard reviews on RU-vid. Many demonstrate features that I most likely will never use. As a keyboardist for a band a several vocalists, I’m interested in authentic piano sound closely followed by keyboard action. I’ve had every major brand of keyboard at some time…currently main gigging rig is Yamaha MODx-8 and Viscount Legend Soul Organ. For smaller gigs I leave the Viscount in the studio and use a Nord Electro 6 as top keyboard. In my practice studio, I keep sturdy Yamaha P115. Last year I gave away my Yamaha P255 to a good friend who was. In need of a piano. I miss it as I’m doing more solo playing than ensemble for vocalists. The MODx suffices…good sound but action nowhere near the P series. If it wasn’t for the weight, would go out and buy a P515.
As a solo performer, does the P515 do the following: 1. can you set/save parameters (banks) for various songs with added layers (splits); can you turn those layers on and off using an assignable footswitch?
As far as I know the simple answer is " no", unfortunately. You can try researching about Yamaha DGX 670, as far as I know it is more suited for those kind of manipulations, although I am not certain that it is doable on 670 either. Sorry, I'm not the best person to ask about these things.
Great review. Good Job. I have a doubt on the keys action and look for advice from the experts. I just bought a P515 as a beginner. Only play from 4 months on a non weighted keyboard and an old yamaha grand piano in the music school. The feeling I have playing P/PP on the keys of the P515 is weird. My impression is that the key movement is not smooth and well controllable. In the sense that, the keys are rock solid and the initial resistance is high. Applying a gradual pressure on the keys the y don't move until a point where the resistance suddenly breaks and the key goes down with much less effort. that means that the key movement do not respond linearly with the force applied and it's really difficult to have a fine control over the movement and then generated sound. When I try to play P/PP many times I am going to play louder than expected or not generating sound at all, due the fact that I'm not controlling the initial resistance break. My impression is that having a "non linear" response from the keys is not "right", but I have no experience on different pianos. The fact that many experience pianists find the P515 very good in terms of action reassures me; but on the other hand I'm leaning towards a return and exchange with a Kaway ES920, which, according to the reviews, has a lighter and smoother action. Unfortunately I have no possibility to try the ES920 in advance. Any thoughts?
I've bought it yesterday ... although I have also a Yamaha Disklavier S4, I have been playing it interruptedly for 12 hours, also because I am the tuner of my piano and playing it for so long I have to review the tuning at least every 15 days.. 😂. Thanks for the review !!
Great! You are welcome:) I hope you like it! Wow, so amazing the Disclavier! Lucky you:) and also, that's such a fantastic skill to be able to tune pianos, I want to learn at some point, was thinking about it the last couple of years.
@@Dariafortepiano ....tuning the piano it's not impossible.... it's difficult, of course, but at least I like much tune my piano... It seems to me like love a woman......... I'm crazy, I know... ;-)
Great review I thougth all keys were made of wood, I tried one P515 today and I am buying it tomorrow, also you can connect an Ipad and download the smart pianist app and control everything from there
Hi! Thanks for the informative review. Plz tell me, if there is no difference between the white and black keys, do you see a point on insisting on buying a wooden key piano? thanks
Hi! And thank you for your comment and question! It is a good one, and it's tricky to answer. The best way I can explain it is the desire to replicate the connection to the acoustic piano keys. There is in fact no difference (as I see it) in the way I touch the black or white keys on this piano in terms of weight required to produce a certain quality of sound, but the physical feeling of how the key is responding to your touch and how much "depth" there is to it, a skilled pianist will feel the difference, if one is used to an acoustic piano. So for the purposes of getting as close as possible to the realistic experience, I see a point of getting the wooden key piano. Of course, it would be ideal, if both white and black keys were made of wood, but its not the case here. Yet, the black keys are smaller and less voluminous by nature, it is less noticeable when they are not wooden, if the mechanics and proper weight are replicated very well even in the plastic version. I hope this answers your question a bit.
There is scant mention of the fact that you can completely transform the sound of these electric pianos for the better by simply hooking them up to any decent stereo system with good speakers and even better still a graphic equalizer.
Hi Daria! It's a pleasure to watch such unbiased review made by someone who knows what she's talking about. Having that said, I own the same instrument as you and I found myself preferring hard 1 touch setting as the pianissimo is more accurate (do you agree?) when playing neoclassical, new age, calm/relaxation/sad piano tunes, which are the kind of music I mostly play. Do you believe there might be any downside from leaving it set to "hard 1" as default setting in terms of "training my playing" correctly? P.S. I'm extremely happy with this piano. I'll check mine tomorrow to see if the G6 shows the same issue and will let you know. Thank you. Greetings from Italy.
Hello again Massimo, thank you for your kind comment!:) I also started with hard 1 also actually, before switching to Medium, harder touch helped me shape a smoother sound transitions on slow Bach pieces, for example. Yes, piano/pianissimo dynamic is definitely easier to control on "hard 1". I do not see any downsides to finger training (as long as you keep your fingertips "focused"), only that you would need to adjust a bit when playing on a lighter keyboard, to achieve the same quiet sound will require a little more effort form your finger , than you use on harder touch. Btw, I finally checked out that pianist you mentioned in your previous comment, and he definitely puts his heart into it, I can hear that! Although, it is not the genre I normally listen to. Yet, I really enjoy Eric Sati's music, if you don't know his music, I recommend, I think you will like it! French, late 19th-early 20th century. Regrading Beethoven's 3rd movement of the Moonlight, I have not played it yet, but perhaps some day I will play! Cheers from New York!
@@Dariafortepiano Ciao Daria! "playing on a lighter keyboard, to achieve the same quiet sound will require a little more effort form your finger , than you use on harder touch" You probably meant LESS effort, I assume, right? How come you went from hard 1 to medium? Thank you, New Yorker ;-)
Hi Massimo! Sorry it took me long to reply. I actually meant exactly what I said:) you comment motivated me to make a video about this topic! I hope it will help answer your question, since it is an important point. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-l7rIak6vqg8.html I went to Medium because I wanted to have an equal challenge for controlling my quiet and loud sound. Best, Daria
@@Dariafortepiano Ciao Daria. I assume that when you said playing on a lighter keyboard will require more effort" you meant it as more effort to control the velocity, whilst what I meant was less physical effort to press the keys.
Good for you! I still remember anxiously waiting for mine too, not as long as you though...almost there! I hope you will like it as much as I do. cheers!
I’m debating between this Yamaha P515, and Kawai’s new ES920, which is in a similar price range. This review is definitely swaying me towards the Yamaha, it looks to have all that I’m looking for in a digital piano.
Many thanks for sharing your thoughts about this magnificent instrument, love the way you go into the good as well as the bad details. Did you get a chance to compare her to the Korg G1 Air? And does the Yamaha digital piano has the same slightly heavier key action like the 'standard" yamaha acoustic grand piano's compared to for instant the Steinway, at least that was what I experienced years ago when I got the opportunity to practice on both of these grand pianos. looking forward looking at your other videos, take care :)
Hi Andy, firstly please forgive the delay in response. I have not tried the Korg model you mentioned, I have only tried one Korg model, 3 I think. The key action as I remember was on the lighter side. This p515 action is not as heavy as the Yamaha acoustics, but can be heavier than some older Steinway models, as you said they are often relatively light vent on a grand piano. Many people mentioned that p515 is heavy for them, I do not think it is that bad, but it depends on your preference. I really liked that action for the price range that it is! Hope it helps. Thanks for watching my videos!🙏🏻 😊
Action and Response is the most important with me because , besides the sounds that comes with the keyboard , I lan on using an electronic piano to trigger sounds on computer software piano sounds that are so amazingly fantastic . Also because sounds on keyboard CMS go out of date , but with software sounds they cost just fractions but yet have Great Fantastic Sounds . But I must, and want to have a very excellent action and response . It’s nice to have very nice sounds in board as well ... but sooner or later the in boards sounds will go out of date . But with software, sounds can be update to latest sounds for fractions of cost of a great hardware keyboard ...
Hi Clyde! I totally agree with both sound and action being very important. And of course, no keyboard sound can compare to a real acoustic instrument in the room, that's a downside, action is easier to replicate in that way. And yes, using a computer sound library/ sound bank to connect with the piano is also a great option, sadly I do not own any at the moment. The good ones are a bit pricy. I have one I use for my notation software, but of course, if I could afford Berlin Phil sounds I would be thrilled! One day:) in regards to the actual piano sounds going out of date, I am pretty sure there is an option to upgrade the firmware to a newer version, when it becomes available, but not sure if its free or you need to pay something. Cheers!
The best review I've seen of this keyboard! Quick question though: I considering buying this keyboard coming from a small semi weighted keyboard, so I was wondering if I have to worry about the top of the keys becoming harder to press when playing difficult chords? If the top of the keys do become harder to press, would it end up becoming a problem, or is it easier to manage? Thank you in advance!
Hi @InkLand and thank you for your question, its a good one. Depends on how frequently these types of chords are happening. If it is in the entire piece and you have to keep playing in this uncomfortable position close to the inner part of they, you would get tired on an acoustic as easily as on the P515. Definitely would be more demanding for your fingers. But if we are talking about usual chords, like B- flat major for example, it is not that high and uncomfortable. Usually in piano repertoire (at least classical music) these types of uncomfortable positions (for example something like RH: playing A (with thumb)-C#-E (would be quite close to the fingerboard) -F#-A# chord) where we are going to play close to the fingerboard are not very frequent, and you get used to them. Your hand will learn to adjust and to handle it. 👍🏻
Okay I have a question please. You said you love to help so I hope you reply. (1) How did you connect the piano to your computer so you could play for RU-vid. I suppose piano sound is line-in (you didn't use a mic. you used a cable). So how did you do that? And (2) after connecting to the computer, what software did you use to record the piano sound? And (3) how did you make your video mix with the video from your phone and combined into one video? (7:50) That's pretty cool.
Hi Leo, thanks for your questions. The answer will be more simple than you probably imagined, sorry to disappoint. So I did not connect p515 to my computer, I simply recorded directly into the piano, pressed record button and converted it into audio file,, just like I mention in the video. I simply linked audio with my video on the phone. The cable that I showed you can use, if you want to use p515 as a midi input for DAW systems. I use Logic Pro and also Finale notation software. It should be compatible with both. But I have not tried it myself. Regarding the last question I watched tutorials on youtube how to use iMovie, and have two video as the same time, thus feature is called "picture in picture", you can Google that im sure some tutorials will come up. Hope it helps. Cheers!
Hi, nice review. Quick question: what do you think of the output via the speakers? My experience with digital/stage pianos is that they sound beautiful/excellent with a headphone, but they don’t sound very good over their own speakers or external speakers like studio monitors.
Hi Paul, Thank you for your feedback and question! I personally think for my needs (In my small room, or even when I made a video outside in the garden, the speakers were just fine in terms of power. In my room I usually play on about mid way through the volume knob. When outside- full volume. I tried with external monitors, they worked great too. In headphones they sound different and you feel more proximity to he sound, but the speakers themselves are good, in my opinion.
Thanks so much for this Daria. I am trying to hone in my choice and it's down to a few, this being one of them, the new Kawai ES920, supposedly a fairly big improvement on the ES8, and either the Fp 60x or 90x , both also big improvements on the original 60 and 90. Personally, O totally agree with you that the Yamaha sound far better to me. I've always liked their balance acorss the whole keyboard.
You are welcome! I heard about this new ED920, would be curious to try it! But I generally dont like Kawai too much as opposed to Yamaha sounds. ..FP x? Nice. Haven't heard of those. I hope their sound will not be as synthetic as FP 90....which was honestly disappointing to my ear...good luck with your choice!!
I am so super happy to have ran onto your wonderful review of this brilliant Yamaha P515. Can you please record the entire Chopin piece that you have well demonstrated please. Also, do you think the Yamaha CLP-795GP is of same quality in sound and touch as I’m in the market to either get the Yamaha CLP-795GP or the Yamaha AvantGrand N1x as I’m also a classical pianist as well. Ms Daria, I absolutely loved you review and you presentation of just a wonderful keyboard with such honesty and professionalism. Good Bless You
You killed it with this review format. You should do more unbiased reviews. Perhaps you could get loan units I think you will do really great in this area.
Hi Daria, thanks so much for your detailed review! Super helpful, especially coming from someone who is evidently so proficient. I have a question about the key action. I tried it in a store and it seems that the key requires a lot of force to start it moving, but once it is moving it requires only a medium amount of force. So it has a big initial resistance (static weight) compared to its resistance during travel (dynamic weight). The ES8 action is the opposite. One potential problem with the P515 action could be that you have to press so hard to start the key moving that it is then very difficult to play the note piano/pianissimo because they key is already moving too fast. What do you think about this? Do you think it matters? Do you have any problems practicing pieces that require lots of sensitivity and quiet control? Thanks so much.
Hi Benji, and thanks for your great question! I am having a similar discussion with Emery Wang (you can find his comments here too), so he is suggesting that the perhaps is is easier to execute quite sounds on a keyboard, or this keyboard due to the absence of all the parts which pertain to the key action of acoustic pianos, that way eliminating the initial "bite" of the key. Here is a quote from the article he mentions form Keith Jarrett , who is asked about the modifications he did to his piano before a certain recording session. JARRETT: "Well, no. It's actually more complicated than that. There's a thing called the breakaway, which is like surface tension on water. Every piano that's stock from any company that I know of has a breakaway. In other words, when you first push the key down, it's harder, and then it's not. So if you wanted to play very, very soft, you still would be taking a giant risk because you'd have to press hard first. And then you'd have to let up before you hit the string. And that's what every pianist is dealing with all the time. And I heard about someone who was able to, using little springs and a whole barrage of ideas, including taking all the parts out of the piano and weighing them all and making them exactly the same weight - every little piece of wood and metal, I guess, all the bushings - everything had to be the same exact weight first. Then he has a way where that breakaway doesn't exist, but the action's the same weight resistance against your finger. So it's a more - like, a more liquid action when you press down. If you want to play loud, you can still play loud. But there's not that initial snap. You don't need to snap the key. So if you listen to "The Melody At Night, With You" on a good system, you notice the dynamic range is pretty wide for a piano recording that sounds so closely miked. And I think that's a lot to do with that action." So, from my experience with the instrument, I tend to agree with you. It does have the initial resistance, "breakaway point", which makes it closer to the acoustic piano experience, then many other keyboards which do not have that feature. Yes, you do need to work harder to execute a beautiful and nuances quiet sound, however, this pays off much more (IMO) especially with the CFX sound bank, meaning, for your fingers efforts you are able to achieve a wider pallet of soft sound gradations and more nuances color transitions in the p-pppp range than an average acoustic piano. I do care a lot about the sound and work a lot with color and quite sounds. Particularly voicing in quite chords is tricky, but this is the beauty, you can achieve so much color, just need to work for it. On a simpler action keyboard these nuances are simple not possible. I am happy to post some more nuanced pieces with wide range of dynamic gradation as an illustration. Give me a couple days. I hope this answers your question a bit. Cheers!
@@Dariafortepiano Thanks! That was a very insightful answer. This "breakaway" is exactly what I was talking about. Many of the nicest grands I have played have the opposite ("liquid") quality, and my teacher who is a classical concert pianist insists that this liquid quality (very little resistance at the top of the key, followed by increasing resistance further down) is one of the crucial features for a top-class piano action. But it sounds like you are saying that the breakaway is actually a good thing, at least on the P515 with its variety of quiet tone colours. Perhaps practising quiet control on an instrument with a breakaway is so demanding that quiet control becomes very easy on a well regulated acoustic grand that has the "liquid" action, so that an action like the P515's is ideal as a practice instrument?
So do you use it with external speakers? Great review, but would have been additionally nice to actually hear the difference with the upper G key sound, instead of you just saying there is a difference in the sound with the jack plugged in & external speakers used. And, does using headphones fix the problem? Thanks!
@@Dariafortepiano Then how do you know using external speakers fixes the problem? Better to show than tell. Thank you for confirming that using headphones also fixes the problem.👍
Hi and thank you for your feedback! This is very common question in this discussion:) I guess I should have covered this in the video, my bad. There are a few responses already on that topic here, so feel free to flip throw them quick. So base line is that it depends on where you are coming from. Acoustic piano or a digital keyboard with lighter action? For me its not too hard, its actually perfect. I come from a heavy acoustic action pianos, I grew up with a very tough one. Not all acoustics are the same either. For example I have recently tried a Steinway and Yamaha grands where action was lighter than my p515, and a Kawai, where the action was much tougher than P515. Comparing to other keyboards: p515 it is definitely has much harder that Yamaha P 125 action for example. I think the Roland fp 90 (if I remember correctly) is a bit easier to manage than P 515. Yet, there is a way to regulate the action stiffness a bit, by switching between light and hard. but it will also effect the level of dynamics responses. I hope this helps! Cheers!
@@Dariafortepiano thanks a lot for responding, I'm currently using a Yamaha Keyboard, and need to upgrade to a digital piano. Maybe I should start with a lighter key action, before the harder like the one of P515. Thanks for your time 👊🏿
I understand. Then check out the Yamaha P125 , it might be a good one for you. Still weighted keys, but light enough! Roland fp 30 is another nice one, but has definitely heavier keys than p125. good luck with your search!
