Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Just bought a Yamaha P105 and I'm surprisingly impressed

Hi guys,

I'm sure Vox appreciates this, I've been on a quest to find the best lightweight piano that suits me for gigs for some time. I recently got an RD64 which is a great piece of kit but I really should have known that I wasn't ever going to get on with just 64 keys.

I went to my local store to check out the Roland FP50 which I was intending to buy and to also check out the Casio PX350 (read good things on here) and the Yamaha P105. I wanted something with speakers and USB for my Ipad which I use for organs,electric pianos and other sounds.

I appreciate that these things are subjective, but I really loved the Yamaha. Whilst it still has the GHS action from the P95, the connection with the new piano sound is really sweet and seems to suit my playing style. Ultimately the Roland had a more impressive sound set (especially the non piano sounds) and a more dynamic feel for more subtle playing, however I found the action to be a bit too sluggish on faster repetitions as with the RD64 (same action)

Key actions are a subjective thing I know and I'm sure others may well reach different conclusions, but I'm really pleased with the Yamaha, it sounds great, it plays well and I've saved a heck of a lot of money compared to buying the other options.

Also the new piano samples sound good through my amp (Yamaha Stagepass 250m) I found with the Roland RD64 Supernatural piano that it didn't cut through so well at higher volumes and I had to use the enhancer effect and a bit of EQ to brighten it up.

So I wasn't expecting to buy the Yamaha but so far I'm really pleased with my decision. I've got a gig next week which will be a crucial test so I'll feedback afterwards.

I think its a decent board- (I returned mine after 2 frustating random incidents on shipments). It is quite expressive.

I had the P95 before and found the P105 to offer a better 2nd piano sound and improved Fender Rhodes

I think the P-105 is one of the best values out there. I had one for a month before returning it, and the only reasons for the return were that it was awkward to select/deselect splits, the speakers distorted with a split piano/acoustic bass at higher volumes, and the overall volume wasn't really loud enough for solo gigs without additional amplification. I'm going in the opposite direction from Toblerone, and have an FP-50 on order. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can live with the action.

I really think that Yamaha has done an excellent job at the price point, and I prefer the P-105's pianos to Casio's, even if the action isn't quite as refined. I picked up a cheap CDP-120 for throw-in-the-car rehearsals, but was tempted to spend the extra for the P-105 as it's good enough to use for amplified gigs, whereas the CDP is not (IMO). But I have kind of reached saturation point with giggable boards!

I have the older P85 and I agree that it's a solid, workhorse board.

Glad you like yours!

I'd love to try the Roland RD-64 as a travel/practice board. As lightweight as the P85 is, the fact that it's a full-sized/long keyboard makes public transportation with it difficult. In particular, I can't fly with it easily; it's cheaper to just send it by mail to my next destination, since I spend a few months of the year in another place.

However, the bright side is that the P85/95/105 are all so inexpensive (comparatively) that one needn't worry about damaging them so much .

What kind of music do you think the Roland RD-64 is best-suited for? I mainly play classical music but I have no idea what the action is like.

Toblerone, I have read your post, here:

I'm sure Vox appreciates this, I've been on a quest to find the best lightweight piano that suits me for gigs for some time. I recently got an RD64 which is a great piece of kit but I really should have known that I wasn't ever going to get on with just 64 keys.

I went to my local store to check out the Roland FP50 which I was intending to buy and to also check out the Casio PX350 (read good things on here) and the Yamaha P105. I wanted something with speakers and USB for my Ipad which I use for organs,electric pianos and other sounds.

I appreciate that these things are subjective, but I really loved the Yamaha. Whilst it still has the GHS action from the P95, the connection with the new piano sound is really sweet and seems to suit my playing style. Ultimately the Roland had a more impressive sound set (especially the non piano sounds) and a more dynamic feel for more subtle playing, however I found the action to be a bit too sluggish on faster repetitions as with the RD64 (same action)

Key actions are a subjective thing I know and I'm sure others may well reach different conclusions, but I'm really pleased with the Yamaha, it sounds great, it plays well and I've saved a heck of a lot of money compared to buying the other options.

Also the new piano samples sound good through my amp (Yamaha Stagepass 250m) I found with the Roland RD64 Supernatural piano that it didn't cut through so well at higher volumes and I had to use the enhancer effect and a bit of EQ to brighten it up.

So I wasn't expecting to buy the Yamaha but so far I'm really pleased with my decision. I've got a gig next week which will be a crucial test so I'll feedback afterwards.

__________________________________________________

Driving a piano is like driving anything. You have to adjust to the difference. I am fond of Yamaha. I have the P95 and it is just fine. I was in a store the other day and the 3 AvanteGrand or whatever they are called - one costing 12,000. I played all three, and to me they are great digital pianos but I was still happy with my P95 at $600. To me it is all about the playing. When you can play well enough to earn some dollars on the street or at a gig, you can save up enough to buy any digital you want or any acoustic you want, but until then, any one is good as you can you play it anytime you want.

Yes Tolberone I agree these P105 are wonderful!
After seeing foster12 videos on this site I knew I wanted the piano.
I have only played it for a short time but will get it when I have enough money.
It has a great sound and key feel and is easy to move around.

I really in hindsight did not gain anything in unloading my P95- as mentioned here- it worked- was durable. But the Rodent (aka Possum) here got to greedy.
Connection to playing was great.

(Driving a piano is like driving anything. You have to adjust to the difference. I am fond of Yamaha. I have the P95 and it is just fine. I was in a store the other day and the 3 AvanteGrand or whatever they are called - one costing 12,000. I played all three, and to me they are great digital pianos but I was still happy with my P95 at $600. To me it is all about the playing. When you can play well enough to earn some dollars on the street or at a gig, you can save up enough to buy any digital you want or any acoustic you want, but until then, any one is good as you can you play it anytime you want)


I agree that it's about the playing and often people get caught up in the displacement activity of coveting gear rather than focusing on what they can do with it, but respectfully, you've kind of missed the point of my post.

I am a pro player and I already own plenty of high end gear, but due to a back problem (from all those years of humping around 30kg pianos!) I've been seeking the best blend of portability and quality. This is inherently a tricky compromise, because the really decent actions tend to weigh more.

Finding something light weight involves a degree of compromise and having tried many options, the Yamaha P105 so far seems to be the best choice with the least compromise for my needs.

The P95 is ok but the lack of line level outputs wasn't ideal for gigs and the P105 has a much better piano sample set. Although the action is supposedly the same, it feels slightly smoother with better dampening so perhaps they've refined something in the manufacturing process or tweaked it a bit.

What I find really cool about the P105, is that you can run a sub woofer or amp through the outputs and still monitor via the internal speakers, this gives a really great sound when practicing.

I also like the feel of the P-105, and find it's action to be quieter than on those Casio's I've owned, which include the PX-330 and CDP-120. But it all comes down to personal preference.

I just read the P-105 doesn't have standard 5 pin MIDI IN / MIDI OUT. Can you tell me what USB jack is on the P-105... is it a USB "b" jack (B is square shaped)

Thanks!

It's standard "B" (same as all USB-equipped boards).

Thanks, Vox. That's what I thought but wanted to make sure. Next door they are asking about how to connect it directly to a KB with standard MIDI to use as a controller. I don't know if that is possible.

You can get usb-midi cables, but I suspect most of them are the other type of usb connector. Alternatively there are little boxes that can do it for you, eg: I have an older version of one of these:
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MIDISPORT2x2AnniversaryEdition.html

Actually, it's not as easy as that, and the only boxes that will do what you want (as far as I know) are a Kenton and an iConnect Midi box. Both are pretty expensive, I think $100-180 or thereabouts.

This is why, as nice and convenient as a USB connector on a keyboard can be when using a computer, standard MIDI is much more flexible, and with a cheap adapter can interface with anything.

This didn't prevent me from buying a P-105 myself because it's a great keyboard. Standard MIDI would have been the 'icing on the cake'.

I have the opposite issue, my controller is so old it doesn't have usb.

Apologies if sending people to other forums is verboten, but there's a similar informative thread over at the Keyboard Corner (haha, perhaps that's your thread for all I know!)

I'd guess that midi is more used for live than studio these days, since in a studio you are typically using a computer (and thus can get usb into it and control tracks and synths on the outbound midi side). So I guess the P105 is supposed to be a "home keyboard" and they figure it won't need midi (?) It's unfortunate as I can't imagine it would add much to the cost and it would make the machine more versatile for some people. Sometimes companies over-think the whole idea of "this product does that, this other product will be used instead in this case" etc. Not saying I know for sure why this was done, just taking a guess. Obviously they made a decision that they felt was in their best interest, it's not like they forgot to put it on! Time will tell if it's a good decision. It would indeed stop me from buying it if I otherwise felt it fit my needs.

Nahh - your find - a lot of cross-members here and on KB anyway.

I'm not sure if it's a cost thing or they just figure everything is going computer.. It can't cost much to add 5 pin MIDI I/O - I've seen really low cost keyboards with it - $200-$300 home models.

Lack of MIDI I/O may not matter to a lot of users, but I'm guessing there will be a fair share of people who get the P-105 home and go: OH CRAP! Where's the MIDI???

Eh eh... thanks Ahmediy.

I'm grateful for your listening and positive opinion.

All the best

The newer low cost DPs just have MIDI-to-USB built in, therefore the internal MIDI ports are already occupied. When adding USB ports for home use, manufacturers don't think of computers, but of iPhones (and not Android devices). For the same reason, they now add flimsy 3.5mm audio jacks.

Although from my POV it doesn't make any sense: Dedicating a smartphone which costs more the digital itself exclusively to DP use isn't going to happen, it makes more sense to spend that money on a better instrument which also gets you native MIDI back. Connecting and disconnecting a phone or tablet all the time is impractical too. For that manufacturers would have to add wireless options, but Bluetooth is useless for MIDI/Audio because of its latency.

Casio now starts adding touchscreens to their instruments and maybe one day we will see apps running on entry level digital pianos too. This is BTW where we are headed with technology in the long term: Making devices smart themselves, not connecting them to mobile phones using wires.

Scott --

If there's a computer available, the easiest / cheapest thing to do might be:

. . . Get a MIDI-to-USB converter (something from M-Audio would do);

. . . Install MIDI-OX software on the computer;

. . . Connect the USB-B port on the P105 to the USB-A port on the
. . . computer with a "USB printer cable";

. . . Connect the MIDI-to-USB converter's "MIDI Out" cable to the
. . . "MIDI In" jack on the thing you want to control
. . . from the keyboard;

. . . Use MIDI-OX to connect the P105's output to the M-Audio's
. . . MIDI input, with a "virtual cable" _inside the computer_.

This sounds like something out of Rube Goldberg, and I haven't tried it. But it's inexpensive, and has a good chance of working.

This problem is one of the reasons I bought a PX-350, which has 5-pin MIDI jacks.

There is also a USB-to-MIDI converter available now: http://www.kentonuk.com/products/items/utilities/usb-host.shtml