Yamaha P95 Review

pros

• The instrument comes with a few really good quality sounds (the piano ones are especially life-like, clear and vivid). Yamaha use their AWM (advanced wave memory) dynamic stereo sampling technology - this involves recording the notes of real pianos at different intensities and then "mapping" these recordings to the keys. The result being a digital piano where the notes not only become louder with more force, but also subtly change in timbre.

• The P95 has 88 notes and hence can handle pretty much anything in the repertoire.

• 64 note polyphony. What is a polyphonic keyboard? Polyphonic refers to notes that are sounded together (a monophonic keyboard can only play one note at a time). Some people consider 10 polyphony as adequate because we only have 10 fingers. However, this is not true for two reasons:-

1. Once we start to use the pedal to "blur" notes and passages together, many more notes than just 10 will be playing.

2. If you are using this keyboard (or any digital piano) in layered mode, then the instrument will be playing double the amount of notes that your fingers (and pedal) are requiring. Hence the larger the polyphony number is, the better!

• Graded hammer standard (GHS) keyboard. This means that the keys respond differently at the top of the keyboard than they do at the bottom - more like a real grand piano.

• A relatively light and portable digital piano. Weighing in at 26.5 lbs. and 7 oz. and with a depth of 295mm and a height of 151.5mm this makes for an instrument that is easy to move around.

• Variable touch sensitivity. The user can choose between hard, medium, soft and fixed. Ideal for helping to match the preference of the player and their experience with other weighted keyboard instruments they may have played.

• Duel voices. It's possible to combine two sounds together to create a fuller sound. E.G. piano with strings or electric piano with one of the acoustic piano settings.

cons

• The instrument is only capable of recording one song. What happens if you have two really good composition ideas for songs? Although your performances could be stored on computer via the MIDI out, this is a little clumbersome and not ideal. Shame Yamaha didn't use some of the memory for the pre-set songs (there's 50 of them) for space for your own material instead.

• The "choir" setting is a little nasty! (Not many keyboards get this one right).

• Built in speakers (2 x 6 Watt power) - this amplification is generally sufficient for most home settings. However, even at maximum it is not very loud. (Nevertheless, the keyboard has the option of a stereo out for connecting to a P.A. or stereo system).

• No USB port. This means that if you want to use the keyboard as mother keyboard for a computer system, or transfer files, you'll also need to buy a USB to MIDI adaptor.

verdict

This is an instrument that invites expression and will bring out the best from your playing. One of the best digital pianos for the money currently on the market, and does all the basics - quality of sound, touch sensitivity and control - really well. Just a shame that you can only record one song!