Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Yamaha CP88 vs P515

Hi All!
I came across new Yamaha stage piano just couple of days ago. I've been searching for a digital piano for a while now, I was reeeeeealy close to buying P515, but there was just something not right with (not to go into details), and I just couldn't make a choice (and I've been checking out dozens of dps in last three months).

Cp88 came along with the January's NAMM. I have not touched it yet as most of the stores in my city are fed up with me already:)) Plus I'm not sure if an of those have it on display. But I was wondering (after watching all of the YT presentations) if this is in fact the best option (all those are my opinion only):
- it has a great sounding classical pianos (I love Bosendofrer)
- it has very intuitive interface and it looks clear and simple
- it's sturdy, very nice looking (as opposed to P515 which to me for 2018 it looked plasticky and like it was still lost somewhere in the 90s, aweful buttons and tiny bluish screen, yuck, sorry...)
- I have Yamaha HS7s to use with the dp which I think will work great (as opposed to P515 crappy speaker system)
- I love a synthesiser part of the piano, and the face that master section can be applied to each individually
- I tried P515 couple of times and each time there was something off with the sound (I checked the latest discussion about P515 here, sounds familiar)

Now, I did like those options that P515 offered (the beats, 16 track recorder, connection with SmartPianist and all this), but I wanted to reach out to you and see what you think about comparing these two instruments (key action is the same, sampling is the same, the rest is a bit different). Yes, I know they serve a bit different purpose and prices are different but still...If CP88 had the beats, ability to connect via Bluetooth/wifi then it would be like perfect marriage of those two.:)

What do you think? Anyone already owns CP88?

The last I heard, the CP88 has no string resonance. And voice selection on the CP88 is pretty limited. I wouldn't buy it.

With options for modulation settings for each of the sections, plus a master section, I'd say it has some cool options. It might not have millions of sounds, but then again I don't think I personally need those. The string resonance is an interesting point though...

I have owned a CP88 for about two weeks now.
The piano sounds are really good. It is extremely user friendly and very simple to operate. You practically don't need the manual that comes with it as it's pretty easy to figure out. I get really tired of having to read a novel every time you buy a new keyboard (try the Kronos) but as I say, it's all very simple.
The onboard CP80 sample is a pretty good effort by Yamaha. Just soak the sample with a bit of reverb and you have that guy from Genesis.
The real selling point of this stage piano for me is the keybed. It's possibly the best feel I have played from any stage piano on the market.
Well worth investing in in my opinion.

At the beginning of this year, I was torn between the CP88 and the P-515... I bought the P-515 just for one thing: String Resonance!

IMHO the CP88 has that "old-synth" vibe in it, with those very old-style switches and numeric display on the top of those big colored buttons, but at the same time it looks sturdy and professional. It's a stage digital piano, so it has to be sturdy:




The P515 is an home digital piano (of course you could use it on stage too), so it has internal speakers but doesn't have the dozens of buttons, sliders and knobs of the CP88. IMHO even the P515 is a sturdy product, but not as sturdy as the CP88:



Personally, as a stage piano I would give the best looks prize to the MP7SE (and IMHO it's a great stage piano too). It has a very clean design for a stage piano... Buttons, knobs and sliders are neatly positioned on its top surface, it looks sturdy and it has a more piano-like shape:




I have a feeling that you have already chosen what you want. IMHO consider other brands too.

As you said yourself they are 2 distinct products for different uses. If you love the multi-layering and real-time control of sound parameters, you have to go with a stage piano. If you want just to play with a good piano sound, a DP like the P515 (or the Kawai ES8, Roland FP90, etc.) should be your choice.

P.S.: bluish screen are common in most digital pianos. Even the CP88 has that bluish screen... Personally I like that blue background color in those cheap displays.

Hi,

They are not comparable.
The CP88 is a "band" stage piano. This means there is no sympathetic string resonance, and no binaural sampling. The Yamaha CFX sample without these effects sounds like the CP4 stage piano from 2009: quite lifeless compared to modern stage pianos.

Yamaha chose not to include a decent piano sound and instead to focus the instrument towards people playing in a noisy band, where a bright sound that cuts through the mix is more important than realism.

The P515 isn't a stage piano, lacking much of the functionality you get from such instruments.

If it is a portable piano you want, then you need to at
P515
Kawai ES8
Roland FP90

If you want a top action and some advanced features, try
Kawai MP11SE.

If you want a good stage PIANO with all the finctions, then try:
Kawai MP7SE
Roland RD2000
Korg SV2
Korg Grandstage
Nord Piano 4
Nord Grand
Kurzweil Forte

These all have decent piano sounds, unlike the CP88.

Only consider the CP88 if you want something only to gig with. In my opinion, the Nord Grand is better than the CP88 for live band use.

Cp73/Cp88 has a nice and vibe U1 upright sample, even with the limited features samples on the CP line, they sound killer.
It’s a shame that they didn't include U1 on the CLP 700 Yamahas.

For me, a strong(very strong indeed) point on Nord it’s the beautiful upright samples.

Before you make a decision between these two Yamahas, consider other options. For example, the Kawai MP11SE is an excellent keyboard or "stage" piano, and the Roland FP-90 can be used both on the stage and in the home.

Last year I visited a music store and for nearly 2 hours tried out loads of keyboards.
They had a CP73, CP88 and P515.

I didn’t do any prior research and assumed being in a similar price range would have the same keyboard. The keyboard on the CP73 felt good (definitely acceptable) but I was surprised that when I switched to the CP88 it definitely felt better....more piano like....the CP73 has balanced weight keys where as CP88 has graded weight.

Then when I moved back and forth between the CP88 and P515....the difference was more subtle but my preference was the P515 felt slightly better.

Agree with the earlier comments...you really need to test the actions yourself. I even tested a FP90 and RD2000. Eventhough these have the same action switching back and forth I preferred the RD2000. My top 2 actions that day were RD2000 and P515....kept swapping back and forth and it as quite difficult to pick a winner....more different than better.

However if I was forced to choose I preferred the P505. Heavy initial inertia needed but a fast smooth spring back....felt like I could play quick pieces easier.

The CP88 is a stage piano for a gigging piano player. I think it is the best in the market currently for that particular niche, and my son just bought himself one which he received today for just that purpose. He is thrilled with it so far.

The combination of the following factors make the CP88 the best instrument for a gigging pianist, in my opinion:

- very good selection of a gigging pianist's most needed sounds, including very good grand and upright pianos, great Rhodes and Wurlis, decent Clavs, usable bass, pads and some other general purpose sounds (organ not so much, but playing organ on a weighted keybed is already far from ideal)
- one-to-one interface for easy and fast manipulation of those sounds, including dead simple layering and splits
- moderate weight and robust construction, including great wheeled soft bag
- very good keyboard touch/feel, not as good as the 75 lb Kawai MP11SE but very, very good for 41 lbs
- built-in audio interface, which he will use to add an iPad for synth sounds and otherwise augment the sonic palette
- 1/4" audio ins, which he will use to connect a Crumar Mojo 61 clonewheel (great board to pair with the CP88 for both sounds and action, if you are willing to consider a two-board setup)
- balanced XLR and 1/4" stereo outs (both of which are active), so you can send a combined output signal to FOH without a DI box, and use the 1/4" outs for stage monitors
- built in pitch bend and mod wheels (ok, sticks), which not all piano-focused instruments include, but are needed for playing synth leads and other types of instruments if you use it as a master controller
- upgradeable OS with semi-regular sound updates- a first for Yamaha stage pianos
- Yamaha's reputation for durability and longevity

For predominantly home or studio use, the MP11SE and P515 have their advantages and might be preferable. The Nord Grand is extremely expensive and lacks some features above, while the RD-2000 is great, but different, mostly in that is far more complicated and lacks the immediacy of the one-to-one interface. It is also heaver and wider, which are relevant if you gig frequently.

^ Best post of the thread.

If I were still playing in pop/rock bands gigging, I would have bought the CP88 probably over a year ago. I still prefer the P-515 for home or if I had a jazz trio gig.

Nord Grand is insanely expensive and has the priciest dedicated soft case in the history of electronic keyboards ! You really have to be a red fan to invest that kind of dough is a stage piano that will be probably replaced in a couple of years.. For strictly piano and my context, I hear and feel the P-515 smoking it for a lot less money.

The RD-2000 sounds good by itself, through phones, but I hated it in a controlled studio environment with a Jazz Sextet.

It sounds like you are a home player ( similar to probably 90% on PW) but like to layer sounds. CP88 is more versatile in that regard.

"The last I heard, the CP88 has no string resonance." I own both and there is a distinct difference in the piano sound. The p515 is much nicer and I assume it's the string resonance. I love a lot of what my cp has but wish it had the string ressonance.

CP88 U1 and C3 Aged are beautiful.
Piano samples from Yamaha that you only can find in the new CP series.

You can signup and vote for the idea here.

I had the same dilemma and went for the CP88 on the strength of its keybed. It's by far the best I have tried. Piano sounds are nothing to write home about. Use the CFX with a well crafted reverb addition and you are kind of OK, not really good but still. To my ears in any case the P515 was a little bit better (yes, string resonance) but not enough to outweigh the better keybed I got from CP88. Most of the times I use the CP88 with Garritan CFX and I am completely happy.

The Nords of the world IM are overpriced. Keyboard not good at all even on the grand. Piano sounds OK but again not as good to justify the price.

Enjoy.

It's worth noting that the advantage of binaural sampling is only relevant for headphone use. (That's not to say you might not like it through speakers, but if you do, it's probably not because of the binaural recording method.)

It is pricey, but one thing I'll say for Nord is that you're less likely to feel the need to replace it in a few years, because in general, the new piano samples they come out with can still be loaded into the earlier models. (Whereas in most cases, if you own a Yamaha, Kawai, Roland, Korg, Kurzweil, whatever, and they come out with a new model with a new piano sample, the only way to get the new sample is to buy the new model.)

The Kawai MP7SE can layer up to 4 sounds. It has better piano sounds than the CP88 for classical repertoire or acoustic jazz, and has a virtual tonewheel emulator for organs instead of samples. It is significantly cheaper than the CP88 as well.

The CP88 is 9 lbs lighter, an advantage for the gigging keyboard player. The CP73, in addition to being even lighter, has an action optimized for electric pianos, and may be attractive to a gigging rock keyboard player who uses EPs a fair bit.

An interesting look at the CP88 by a classically trained pianist...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChG05wnkymk

Interestingly, the CP88 comes with the FC3A damper pedal WITH half-damping support, whereas the P515 comes with the FC4A, which doesn't support half-damping.
The P515 is supposed to be the more 'pianistic' board since it has escapement simulation, whereas the CP88 hasn't. Otherwise, both keypads are very similar but it strikes me as odd that Yamaha would bundle a half-damper pedal with a stage piano and not with a digital 'home' piano...