Yamaha CLP digital pianos...

Hi...

I'm going to buy a digital piano and I'm thinking about Yamaha CLP series... Any suggestion?

Also from the catalog, all the CLPs are Graded Hammer keys, except CLP990, which is Natural keys. What are the differences? Which one is better?

Thanks a lot.

On 6/1/02 4:35 PM, in article

There is a Yamaha CVP user group at www.cvpug.com where you might ask this question. The CVP is the 'ensemble' version of the Yamaha digital piano line but shares components like keyboards and some of the sounds with the CLP. Beware - the user group is fanatical about Yamaha products!

For what it's worth, I considered the CLP990 before buying a Roland 1077. The keyboard definitely has a different feel from the other models. I didn't like it as well - too light for my taste. But keyboard feel is very idiosyncratic, you really need to try it.

The 990 has a much larger piano sample than the others - I think almost 70 megs. I thought it had the best sounding ROM-based piano sample of any digital I tried. I did not like either the sound or the visual aesthetics of the ear-level speaker arrangement, however.

From the Yamaha web site: Natural Keyboard In addition to unrivalled sound, the CLP-990 delivers unbelievably realistic touch with the 'Natural Keyboard' featuring spruce keys. As with the highly acclaimed GH (Graded Hammer effect) keyboard of all other Yamaha Clavinovas, key weight is graded from heavier in the lower registers to lighter in the higher, exactly like a grand piano. However, in the 'Natural Keyboard', this grading is in 8 steps as opposed to 4 in the GH keyboard. For even more realism, this new keyboard also uses a new hammer action that lets you actually feel the hammers and cushions as you play. What's more, there are two sensors - one under each hammer and one under each key. The hammer sensor detects velocity, while the key sensor detects when the damper is on or off. The result is the same feel and response as a grand piano's keyboard when playing fast, delicate passages. Add to this the warmth and texture of natural wood keys, and you have touch and control that is closer than ever to the real thing.

For what it's worth, I tried out a Yamaha CLP-990 the other day, as well as a Roland HP-557. I wanted to like them, because my apartment situation won't really allow me to have an acoustic piano. I found them to be about equivalent in terms of touch quality. They were both great for digital pianos, but I wouldn't say either of them had 'unbelievably realistic touch.' In particular, I didn't feel that either of them were good enough to satisfy my urge for an acoustic piano, and that in terms of the action and feel and control, I would much rather have a pretty good upright (for about the same price) than either of these.

I already have a Yamaha P-80, and I'm sticking with that for now. Both the Yamaha CLP-990 and the Roland HP-557 feel better than the P-80, but not enough better to make me stop wanting an acoustic piano, which means they're not worth the extra cost to me. Of course, you have to decide for yourself how good you think the action is.

rif

ps. I also tried a Yamaha GranTouch, which I also felt was about as good as the Yamaha CLP-990 or the Roland HP-557.