Yamaha P105 Review
Welcome to the world of musical brilliance with the Yamaha P105 Review, a digital piano that takes your playing experience to extraordinary heights. With its exceptional sound quality, authentic touch, and extensive range of features, this instrument is designed to ignite your passion for music and unlock your true potential.
Featuring Yamaha’s renowned expertise in acoustic piano craftsmanship, the P105 captures the rich and expressive tones of a grand piano with remarkable accuracy. Its Advanced Wave Memory (AWM) sampling technology recreates the subtle nuances and dynamics of acoustic instruments, delivering a truly immersive and lifelike sound experience.
One of the standout features of the Yamaha P105 is its Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) keyboard. This meticulously designed keyboard emulates the touch and feel of an acoustic piano, with heavier key resistance in the lower register and lighter resistance in the higher register. This authentic touch response allows for precise and expressive playing, enabling you to convey every emotion in your music with absolute clarity.
With a wide range of instrument voices to choose from, including grand pianos, electric pianos, organs, strings, and more, the Yamaha P105 empowers you to explore various genres and styles of music. Whether you’re a classical virtuoso, a jazz enthusiast, or a pop musician, this versatile instrument offers a sound palette that caters to your artistic vision.
PureCF-Sampled Piano
Experience the unmatched beauty and authenticity of the PureCF-Sampled Piano. Immerse yourself in the rich and expressive sound of a world-class Yamaha concert grand piano, meticulously recreated for your musical enjoyment.
Pianist styles
The Yamaha P105 caters to a wide range of pianist styles. From classical elegance to jazz improvisation and contemporary experimentation, this versatile digital piano empowers pianists to express themselves authentically in their preferred style. With its authentic touch, expressive sound, and extensive features, the Yamaha P105 is the perfect companion for pianists of all genres.
Worked in Drum Patterns
The Yamaha P105 offers a wide selection of versatile drum patterns to enhance your musical performances. With its built-in rhythm accompaniments, you can effortlessly add dynamic and engaging drum beats to your playing. Whether you’re practicing, composing, or performing, the diverse range of drum patterns in the Yamaha P105 provides a solid foundation and brings your music to life. Explore the rhythmic possibilities and elevate your playing with the Yamaha P105’s impressive drum patterns.
128-Note Polyphony
Experience the power and depth of the 128-note polyphony feature in the Yamaha P105. With this impressive capability, you can play intricate and layered compositions without worrying about notes dropping out. The abundant polyphony ensures that each note is rendered with exceptional clarity and richness, allowing you to create complex and expressive musical arrangements. Let the Yamaha P105’s 128-note polyphony expand your creative possibilities and bring your performances to new heights.
Shrewd Acoustic Control
With advanced technologies and meticulous engineering, this digital piano provides precise control over the acoustic characteristics of your sound. Adjust and refine the resonance, brightness, and overall tonal qualities to suit your preferences and create a truly personalized playing experience. Harness the power of shrewd acoustic control with the Yamaha P105 and unleash the full potential of your musical expression.
Assignable Split Voice
Unlock new creative possibilities with the Yamaha P105’s assignable split voice feature. This innovative function allows you to divide the keyboard into separate zones and assign different voices to each section. Whether you want to layer contrasting instrument sounds or create a unique combination, the assignable split voice feature gives you the freedom to explore and experiment with a wide range of sonic possibilities. Elevate your performances and delve into a world of musical versatility with the Yamaha P105’s assignable split voice function.
FEATURES OF THE YAMAHA P105
Sound Sampling
This digital piano utilizes advanced sampling technology to capture the rich and nuanced tones of acoustic instruments with remarkable precision. From the warm and resonant sound of a grand piano to the expressive timbres of strings, organs, and more, the Yamaha P105’s sound sampling capabilities bring your music to life with exceptional clarity and depth. Immerse yourself in a world of lifelike sound with the Yamaha P105 and let your creativity soar.
Canny Acoustic Control
Discover the remarkable canny acoustic control of the Yamaha P105. This digital piano is equipped with advanced technologies that allow for precise manipulation of acoustic parameters. With a keen attention to detail, you can adjust and refine the resonance, brightness, and overall tonal qualities to create a customized and captivating sound. The canny acoustic control of the Yamaha P105 empowers you to shape your music with finesse and bring your performances to life with unparalleled clarity and expression.
Adaptable Connectivity
Experience the versatility and convenience of adaptable connectivity with the Yamaha P105. This digital piano offers a range of connectivity options, allowing you to seamlessly integrate with other devices and expand your musical possibilities. Whether you want to connect to a computer for recording and music production, hook up external speakers for a larger sound, or connect to headphones for private practice sessions, the Yamaha P105’s adaptable connectivity ensures that you can easily connect and customize your setup to suit your specific needs. Enhance your musical experience and explore new avenues of creativity with the adaptable connectivity of the Yamaha P105.
Pianist Styles
From the timeless elegance of classical piano to the vibrant rhythms of jazz, and the contemporary creativity of modern genres, pianist styles offer a diverse range of artistic possibilities. Whether you prefer the delicate touch of Debussy, the improvisational prowess of Herbie Hancock, or the innovative sounds of contemporary pianists, each style carries its own unique character and interpretation. Embrace the beauty of pianist styles and embark on a journey of self-expression and musical exploration.
Couple Mode
This innovative function allows two players to share the keyboard simultaneously, creating a harmonious and collaborative playing experience. Whether you’re practicing with a duet partner, teaching piano lessons, or simply enjoying a musical duet with a friend or family member, the Couple Mode on the Yamaha P105 ensures that both players can play independently and express their musicality together. Discover the joy of musical connection and shared creativity with the Couple Mode feature on the Yamaha P105.
PROS AND CONS
The Yamaha P105 delivers a remarkable sound experience, thanks to its renowned Pure CF sampling technology, which captures the awe-inspiring tones of the esteemed CFIIIS acoustic grand piano. This instrument boasts excellent touch responsiveness, enhancing its authenticity and making it a delight to play. Additionally, its lightweight design allows for easy mobility between practice sessions, home use, or performances. The keyboard provides a natural feel, akin to an acoustic piano, without the plastic surface typically found on digital keyboards.
To facilitate practice sessions, the Yamaha P105 offers convenient features such as Duo and Split Function modes, allowing for collaborative playing or dividing the keyboard into different sounds. With headphone jacks included, you can practice privately without disturbing others. The majority of customers express complete satisfaction with the device, reporting no flaws. However, some users express a desire for additional speakers or accessories to further enhance their experience.
Pros
- Authentic Sound: Thanks to the Pure CF sampling technology, the Yamaha P105 delivers a rich and realistic sound that closely resembles that of a grand piano. The nuanced tones and expressive capabilities allow for a truly immersive playing experience.
- Responsive Touch: The P105’s keyboard is designed to provide a responsive touch that mimics the feel of an acoustic piano. With graded hammer action and varying key resistance, it offers a genuine playing experience, enabling precise control and expression.
- Portability: Weighing in at a manageable weight, the Yamaha P105 is highly portable. It allows for easy transportation between practice sessions, home use, or even performances, making it a convenient option for musicians on the go.
- Natural Feel: The keyboard of the P105 is designed to replicate the natural feel of an acoustic piano. Its keys offer a tactile experience, without the plastic-like surface commonly found in digital keyboards, ensuring a comfortable and familiar playing sensation.
- Practice Enhancements: The Yamaha P105 is equipped with useful features such as Duo and Split Function modes, which facilitate practice sessions and collaboration. Additionally, the inclusion of headphone jacks allows for private practice without disturbing others, making it an ideal choice for late-night or shared living situations.
Cons
While the Yamaha P105 offers numerous advantages, it is important to consider a few limitations
Bottom Line
The Yamaha P105 offers the grandeur of a magnificent piano with a perfect balance of robust features that enhance musicality without overwhelming the user. Its ultra-portability allows for easy transportation, and its affordable price makes it accessible to a wide range of musicians. In summary, if the P-105 had an internet meme, it would be “Simplicity at its finest: You’re doing it right.
Sound and Feel
In the realm of digital pianos within this price range, the Yamaha P105 stands out with its impressive speaker configuration. While some pianos in this category may have a single full-range speaker on each side, the P-105 goes a step further by incorporating separate woofers and tweeters.
This design ensures a vibrant reproduction of low frequencies while maintaining exceptional clarity in the treble range. Just like the keys of an acoustic piano, the P-105 features graded action, meaning the lower register offers a more weighted feel, while the higher keys respond with a lighter touch. Moreover, the instrument offers four adjustable response settings—soft, medium, hard, and fixed—allowing you to customize the speed response according to your playing style and preference.
One of the standout features of the Yamaha P105 is its remarkable grand piano sound, known as Pure CF due to its sampling from the CFIIIS concert grand model. This sound is a breath of fresh air, delivering a solid, articulate, and resonant tone. The instrument offers two acoustic piano sounds, encompassing both mellower and brighter variations that Yamaha is renowned for. These piano sounds exude fullness and richness, exhibiting an extensive harmonic and dynamic range. In fact, they rival the quality of sounds found in digital pianos that cost twice as much.
In addition to its impressive piano sounds, the Yamaha P105 also offers a range of non-piano sounds that expand its versatility. These include realistic Rhodes drawbar organs, pipe organ, harpsichord, a string pad suitable for layering, and electric and upright basses, catering to your left-hand accompaniment needs.
Highlights
Are you ever in need of adding more depth to your chord progressions? With the Yamaha P105, you can explore a variety of options to enhance your musical ideas. Whether you’re playing simple bass notes or intricate harmonies, the ten Pianist Styles are there to provide accompaniment, intelligently following your notes and harmonies as you play. These styles act as a virtual companion, enhancing your performance across all instrument sounds, not limited to just the piano.
Additionally, the P105 offers a selection of separate drum patterns, providing ten different rhythms to jam along with. And when you create something truly remarkable, the built-in two-track MIDI recorder allows you to capture your composition.
Thanks to the USB-to-host connection, you can easily transfer your musical creations to your computer as MIDI files for further work in a digital audio workstation (DAW) or sequencer. Furthermore, the stereo 1/4″ line outputs make it a breeze to connect to your recording interface, speakers, or mixer. This feature simplifies the process of recording a songwriting session or even a live performance, eliminating the need for complex setups involving stereo headphone outputs and Y-cables, which are commonly required by other relatively advanced pianos and portable keyboards.
The two-part harmony mode is perfect for lessons, enabling the teacher and student to split the keyboard and play identical phrases within the same note range. This eliminates the need to play in different octaves, as one would have to do on an acoustic piano or on any digital instrument lacking this feature. The assignable split function is also incredibly user-friendly.
For instance, if you desire a bass sound in the left hand and a vibraphone sound on the right, simply hold down the L button while pressing the Bass button, and then hold down the R button while pressing the Vibraphone button. The keyboard will split at the default F# below middle C, and you can easily adjust the split point by holding the L button and pressing a key of your choice.
On the Gig
Taking the Yamaha P105 to a recent gig was a revelation for me, especially considering its compact size. As a petite musician, it’s always been a challenge to transport an 88-key weighted digital piano on my own. Since acoustic pianos are often unavailable at the venues I perform, I rely on bringing my own keyboard. In the past, I’ve used my older Yamaha P-60, which has a very authentic sound but weighs around 40 pounds. Carrying it, along with a stand and accessory bag, became a tiresome task, as I couldn’t stack the P-60 behind me and make just one trip.
To overcome this hurdle, I’ve resorted to borrowing portable keyboards from friends, but I’ve often been disappointed by their lackluster grand piano sounds. However, the Yamaha P105 changed the game. I effortlessly placed it in its soft case and carried it on my own. One trip was all it took!
During a specific performance with my piano and violin duo, we didn’t have the full rhythm section we typically have, which meant our sound would feel less complete. To compensate, we took advantage of the P105’s two-track recording feature. This allowed us to incorporate bass lines and musical ideas that I couldn’t play simultaneously with my primary piano parts. For certain songs, I recorded the passes live and could play and pause them as desired, similar to using a looper pedal. For our first song, I pre-recorded the bass line on one track and an additional piano part on the other before heading to the gig. It was wonderful to enhance the music in a live setting this way.
In terms of amplification, the sound quality was pristine. The P105’s Intelligent Acoustic Control performed exactly as advertised through the venue’s P.A. system. This real-time automatic EQ ensures that your sound remains well-balanced, as if it’s being adjusted by a sound engineer based on your volume and playing speed. Similarly, the keyboard’s action sensitivity and speed response remained consistent throughout the night, resulting in a consistently solid sound. This is a feature not to be taken for granted in venues with varying acoustic properties, P.A. equipment, and numbers of musicians on stage.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the Yamaha P105 proves to be a remarkable digital piano that combines outstanding performance, portability, and versatility. Its exceptional sound quality, thanks to the Pure CF sampling technology, provides a refreshing and authentic piano experience. The weighted action of the keyboard adds to the instrument’s realism, offering a responsive touch that mimics that of an acoustic piano.
Overall, the Yamaha P105 stands as a remarkable choice for pianists of all levels, from beginners to professionals. Its impressive sound quality, portability, and versatile features make it a reliable and enjoyable instrument to play. Whether you’re practicing at home, performing on stage, or recording in a studio, the Yamaha P105 delivers a remarkable piano experience that will inspire and captivate musicians alike.