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oh dear.. means the legs will not be able to fit in the fiexed space.. argh!

thanks so much sid!

Sid et al, thanks for all your reviews and comments on the DGX620/YPG625.

Based upon your comments my local music store will have my money tomorrow. Just a couple of follow-up questions/queries though before I commit:

- Sid, you mentioned that you got a better pedal. Is there anything wrong with the one that comes as part of the package?
- I'm more a keyboard player and want to learn how to play the piano properly so pedals is a totally new concept to me. Pianos normally have three, so what purpose do they serve, and why has the DGX620 only got one?
- Has anyone got any comments on the colour scheme on the DGX620? I doubt if it will age very well!
- For some strange reason I can't get onto the Yamaha site to have a more detailed look at the YDP series. Can anyone advise on what essentially is the difference between these and the DGX620 as they seem to be alot cheaper.

Thanks

Hey Multi,

You only really need one for proper piano playing (the sustain pedal, the other two, una corda and sostenuto, is to reduce the volume and to sustain specific keys, nice to have but not really important).

The one that comes with the keyboard is workable but is more like a foot switch, I just wanted something with a lever that more closely resembled a real pedal.

I actually like the color, it's very tastefully done and doesn't get worse with time.

BTW, don't just go on my comments for your purchase, shop around and try out various keyboards first (see if you like the touch/sound) yourself. Casio has some new privias out with much better polyphony almost in the same price range.

Actually, the P70 and YPG are the cheapest weighted keyboards in Yamaha's lineup, the YDP range from the YPG's price up to $1500. The YDPs basically has the cabinet form, complete with integrated pedals, less bells and whistles (which I find I don't really use at all).

If you're just starting out and not sure if you're going to stick with it, and can't afford anything more expensive, then the YPG and Casio privias are still a good rec, just keep in mind that the YPG is a low end board, so if you can afford more, you might want to consider something better right off, like a higher end YDP or discontinued PF500 or a P140 or CP33 (or even CP300) for yamaha and certainly some of the newer offerings from roland and kawai slightly above this price range...Also keep in mind that you can often get some nice high end keyboards from the previous generation in the used market.

Mind you, I'm still happy with it (especially now that I've got it hooked up to my PC running a bunch of sampled pianos), but as I've progressed, I now wish I'd spent double the price to get something better (GH instead of GHS, more piano voices (less bells and whistles) and dynamic sampling and better speakers, etc etc etc ), on the other hand I did save $700 and still really haven't reached the limits of the YPG, yet

Rereading your comment, seeing as how you're coming from keyboard, the YPG actually may be ideal for you...the weighted piano is pretty decent, and it does have all the bells and whistles you're used to and can use...my niece loves to play with the pitch bend when I'm playing piano (unfortunately, that's the only time that and many other features on my keyboard gets used).

Sorry for confusing you further Just remember to go out and try it out first, good luck and keep me posted on what you come up with...

One final thought, regarding training for playing on an acoustic, I recently had a chance to play on an older acoustic upright console, and it didn't take me very long at all to get used to the feel. One criticism I've read (and that has some merit) is that the GHS weighted keys are on the light side compared to a real grand piano, so keep that in mind. Additional criticisms, if you turn the volume all the way up and play very loudly, occasionally, you do get some slight distortions, but if you just turn the volume down a little bit from the maximum, then no problem, finally no dynamic sampling and no audio line out.

FYI, here's a piece I'm currently working on, the recording was headphones to mic (that's why the hiss) using piano 2, will give you a good idea of the sound (there's 2 main stereo piano voices...piano 1 is more muffled/mellow, piano 2 clearer brighter)...

http://www.box.net/public/j7ibns31jb

Thanks for your response, Sid, and bloody excellent playing! Now that's what I want to be able to do (one day!)!

I'll definitely be sticking with it and I'm currently reviewing my finances to see how far I can really stretch, whilst still keeping me in food for the rest of the month! To be honest, a decent digital piano is what I'm after, and bells and whistles are secondary.

Your (again) comprehensive response made me realise (even more!) that there are still a few things that I need to fully research and understand before I part with my hard-earned cash.

Thanks again, Sid.

To everyone above-- thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been researching the YPG-625 (Sam Ash for $779) and DGX620 (Costco for $699) comparing them to others. My kids, beginners, will be the ultimate arbiters of what I offer them, but you have succinctly put it very much in perspective and saved me a heck of a lot of time and wrenching.
Again, thanks!
gh

gh,

Welcome! I hope you use the opportunity to sit in on a couple of your kids' lessons then grab a self-teaching book and learn to play yourself, seriously, why let the kids have all the fun!

Multi,

Glad I could help, and thank you for the nice compliment! Still haven't done it justice but I hope something of my love for the music and for piano came through. If that's determination I read in your post, then I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly it will come to you, just play music that you love and let that guide you. Come join us over in the adult beginner's forum once you've found your board, good luck!

Hey sid,

Nice playing. I enjoyed reading your review.
I have a question about the key action of the DGX620.

I bought the DGX620 about 4 months ago and I really enjoyed playing on it. But recently I noticed that the keys that I use the most have become a bit loose and quite noisy. When I play passages that require repeated hitting of those keys or when playing staccato, those keys make plastic clicking noises, not like the ES4's clicking black keys, but the sound of the plastic keys making contact with the weight. It feels like there is a slight gap between the keys and the weight beneath them. When hitting those keys, I can feel some vibration from the keys touching the weights. It's like when you hit those keys, the keys travel a slight distance, make contact with the weights, and then push the weights down. I don't quite know how the hammer mechanism works, so what I'm saying might not make sense. But thats how it felt when playing those keys. Have you experienced something like this on your DGX620/YPG625, since you have owned it for longer that I have. I do play on it quite extensively. Should I be worrying about this or does this happen on all digital pianos some point in time? Don't get me wrong, I love my DGX620.

Oh, and which EQ setting did you put your DGX620 on when you did the recording? It sounded really nice.

I might post some recordings later when I have time.

Thanks

Hi Honnli,

I haven't owned it much longer than you, only since September. I haven't noticed that the action or the noise has changed since I got it. I do agree with you, it has always been noisy on the fast passages.

I just tested it with the sound off. The downward attack seems pretty consistent (no gaps), resistance all the way down until it thumps against whatever stops the key from further travel, then if released entirely, it will bounce back to rest and then bounce slightly a second time against whatever finally stops it (is it this second bounce and clacking that you're refering to?). Most of the clacking noise seems to be from this second stop and slight secondary bounce as the key comes back to rest position rather than the thump at the bottom, also the clacking seems more noticeable on the lighter treble keys at the far right end.

Usually I have the sound almost at max and don't really notice the noise, it's only when I have my headphones on that it's noticable (particularly to other people). Now you have me worried Not sure if this is what you're refering to...my guess is it's probably this secondary bounce at the top as the key comes back to rest that you're feeling when playing fast? (but this should be consistent across all keys and not just the ones played most often...)

You could try it out on a new machine at the store to see if it's the GHS action or whether something is wrong with your keyboard.

I always leave the EQ on 2, I never bother changing it to headphones when I record this way (perhaps I should since I use the headphone out)...but it's a moot point now, recently got several sampled vst pianos for the PC (two steinways, a bosendorfer, a bechstein and a steingraeber!) so I'll be doing all my recordings via midi going forward

BTW, write a review if you have time, warts and all, should be useful for other people. Looking forward to your recordings!

that's correct.

I bought it 2 months ago and don't regret. The touch feels great with very realistic pianissimos and fortissimos and everything in between, the speakers are impressive, 500 builtin voices -- including Grand Piano Live, Grand Piano Warm Live (more lively equalized sound), several other choices of acoustic and electric pianos as well as harpsichords for accurate Bach playing -- the MIDI saving to USB thumbdrives is lovely.

Living in a small apartment, I had no choice but to go digital. It's actually a blessing: I can put on the earphones and have some arpeggio sessions without bothering the neighbours...

Now that you talk about it, the box says: weighted graded hammer action. I don't now if that's the same as HE, whatever that is, but the keys certainly display a very authentic feel of a real acoustic piano, by that I mean the bass keys are more "heavy", resistant to touch than the treble keys, which are "lighter".

Overall, I feel the keyboard is very piano-like, but more on the soft side than the heavy side. But then again: the acoustic piano I had at home in my youth had a lighter touch in comparison to my teacher's piano, so that's just a matter of taste of the manufacturer, I guess.

It certainly doesn't get in the way nor feels fake, that's for sure.

The 32 polyphony limit may be an issue once I get to Liszt pieces, but by then I'll probably have a DGX2480 at home.

A very good piano in my opinion.

I noticed these clanks too. Seems nothing to worry about, as long as volume is right and it doesn't break.

Also, such mechanical noises don't appear in recordings.

BTW, after reading this thread I decided to play around with some menu settings and discovered the almighty Reverb Volume Settings. Put it above 40 and you're in for a thrill! Also choose the appropriate ambience setting in another option (Room, Hall etc)

Thanks for the reply, sid. Well, that's not exactly what I was referring to. It has nothing to do with the thumping against the bottom or the clacking when the keys return to the top. Those doesn't bother me that much. Let me say it this way. If you tap the keys, with or without pushing them all the way down, like when playing staccato notes, the keys vibrate off the weight underneath, making a clicking sound. I don't know. It's hard to explain. Umm...can you test it by tapping those keys that you use the most and see if there are any clicking sound?

I'll try and put up a review and recordings in the coming week.

Thanks again, sid.

Thanks again, Sid. Following your valuable feedback I've decided to cut back on the shopping for a few weeks and have just ordered a P140 after spending a few hours in my local shop, trying out everthing that was available!

Cheers

Multi,

Congratulations! You must be very excited. That's a nice board, and should last you well past the point when you turn pro Hope you can survive the next couple of months on the new diet


Honnli,

I tried that experiment, staccato tapping, no sound other than the thumping at the bottom and clacking at the top when the key returns to rest, sorry

Please delete this post.

Sid,

That's alright. Thanks for testing it out.
I went to the music store today and tried the DGX620 there. It doesn't have the clicking sound that I described, but it's pretty new, the keys felt very firm compared to mine. While there, I also tried some of the Casio digital pianos and I found that some of them, the CDP-100 in particular, also have the clicking sound. So it seems there's nothing to worry about.

Cheers

Alright, as I promised, here's my review of the DGX620.

I bought it about 4 months ago and was satisfied with it. I was looking for a budget 88-key weighted digital piano for silent practice at night and the DGX620 served me well. In this price range, I also looked at the Casio Privia series and the P-70, however the Casio's didn't feel right and the P-70's voice changing method is too awkward IMO.

The GHS action is lighter than a grand piano but it is more than adequate. I own a Yamaha acoustic upright and the DGX620's GHS action feels very similar to it. I have no trouble switching back and forth to to my upright. I recently played an upright at my school which haven't been regulated in a while, and I must say it is easier to play pianissimos on my DGX than on the school's upright. The keys are very responsive and the sound responds very well to my playing.

The Live Grand Piano and Live Warm Grand sounds are very well done and sound authentic. The other voices are also quite good, the String Ensemble in particular, which I use a lot with the piano sound. However, with the 32 polyphony, note stealing are noticeable when using dual layer mode with the main stereo piano and an accompanying voice. I have not yet noticed any note stealing in piano solo though.

The DGX620 is very user-friendly. The menu is simple yet clear and easily understandable. I don't have to browse through the manuals to change the settings as everything is clearly laid out in the functions menu. I can't comment on the Yamaha Education Suite or the Performance Assistant Technology as I don't use them. The onboard 6-track recording feature is very useful, though I have not used it much. Although the DGX620 only carries 2 6W speaker, the sound they produce are rich and clear. However, on my unit, notes of some frequencies distort through the onboard speaker. I mostly practice with headphones so this is not an issue for me. The DGX620 looks very modern and fits well with the rest of my furnitures.

Here are a few recordings I did on my DGX620:

Piano 2 (brighter piano solo)
http://www.box.net/shared/sd4ioekl9v

Piano 2 & String Ensemble
http://www.box.net/shared/n7pbk3qfp3

Piano 2 & XGlite Stereo Choir (this is recorded in 2 tracks with the onboard recorder because most XGlite voices doesn't decay when the sustain pedal is held down)
(I used panel sustain for the choir track)
http://www.box.net/shared/zia5d1tks1

I hope my review is helpful to those considering the DGX620/YPG625. It is a very good and well built digital piano for its price and I'm happy with mine.

Honnli,

Wow, you sound awesome, I loved all three but the first is my favorite (do you have a midi file of that performance I could have?).

You really sound like a pro, was it your own arrangement? And how long have you played piano?

After hearing you, I really know I haven't pushed mine anywhere near its limits. Very well played!

Sid,

Thank you for your nice compliment. Actually, those are not my arrangements. They're arranged by a video game and anime pianist who call himself Piano Squall. You can find midi files and sheet music of his arrangements on his official website here . Just go to the Sheet Music section to get those. My first recording is called Change the World, and the second and third is called Bratja. The midi file is included in the zip files.

I guess I should introduce myself a bit. I'm from Taiwan and I'm currently living in Australia. I'm 20 this year. I haven't been playing the piano for long. I took piano lessons about 8 years ago and got up to grade 2 before stopping. I stopped playing because I moved to Australia and didn't have my piano with me at that time. When my piano arrived, which was 2 years later, my interest in piano playing subsided. I haven't been playing for the past 6 years but I took up playing again last October after hearing Piano Squall's music. It was his music that inspired me to continue playing the piano.

So, yeah, I haven't been playing for that long.
Cheers

Edit: Oh, wait. The midi files have been taken down. Anyway, here are the midi files for the recordings:
Recording 1 midi file
Recording 2 midi file

Thanks, Honnli, for the link. I keep telling myself that when I have time I'll do the Elfen Lied song

By the way, if you ever want more audience/feedback for your music, come post this in the monthly piano bar over in the adult beginners forum, you're really talented, I for one, would love to hear more recordings from you.

Thanks again for pointing me to the sheets, I'm trying to study various chord patterns/arrangements so this should come in handy, again, loved the sound.

Awesome, thanks for the midis

No worries, sid.

Glad you enjoyed the recordings. I'll try and do more recordings when I have time.