Yamaha CP40 review
One of the names that is synonymous with musical instruments is Yamaha, the company that’s equally well known for manufacturing motorcycles. While the two products might seem to have nothing in common, Yamaha’s prowess at production is undeniable.
First introduced in 1976, the Yamaha CP stage piano series combines the company’s years of experience with pianos and the modern needs of today’s keyboard players. The so-called “electric grands” have revolutionized live musical performances by the ease in which the piano sound can take its show on the road to contemporary concert performers.
Our Piano Comparison Guide
Below, enjoy our interactive piano buying guide. Here, you can see how the Yamaha CP40 stacks up against some of its peers on the market:
| Photo | Model |
|---|---|
 | Roland RD-88 |
 | Nord Stage 3 |
 | Casio PX5S |
 | Nord Piano 5 |
 | Yamaha YC88 |
 | Nord Grand |
 | Casio PX-560 |
Yamaha Digital Piano Review: CP40
Proving that the quality of Yamaha transcends time and style, recent Grammy-award winners, from country’s Lady Antebellum to Chick Corea’s jazz music, have used Yamaha for their music. Even Elton John, the Piano Man, plays Yamaha. And the CP40 stage piano, a Yamaha 88-key digital piano, offers sounds based on one of Yamaha’s premium collection grand pianos, the Yamaha CFIIIS.
The evolution of technology has given modern music a versatility that enhances live performances. For musicians, the digital piano allows for portability in a format that’s manageable for setting up so that live performances can recreate the sound that an audience expects.
A stage piano, like the brand new Yamaha CP40, is a type of digital piano that can recreate the sound of an upright acoustic piano. The digital piano manages this accomplishment by sampling, or digitally recording, every note that a real piano can produce, and then storing the sound recordings on the digital piano’s memory chips. The musician presses a key, and the matching recorded note is played back. It’s a case of art imitating art, and the sound that’s produced is no longer disdained the way it was when digital pianos first entered the musical market in the 1980s.
Founded in 1887 by Torakusu Yamaha, the company originated as a piano and reed organ manufacturer, but after World War II, the company turned from music to motorcycles while remaining the largest manufacturer of musical instruments in the world. Digital pianos tout the authenticity of their sound, comparing it to an acoustic piano, while celebrating its size, which makes it easier to transport.
That establishes the versatility of Yamaha, but what about the digital pianos themselves? One of the models that gets high marks from musicians is the Yamaha CP series. When asked why Yamaha’s CP series is his go-to stage piano, musician Chuck Leavell, who has played with the Rolling Stones and the Allman Brothers, explains that the Yamaha model is as realistic a piano sound as he can find—especially in a rock and roll setting.
Below, please check out some of the best selling digital stage pianos currently available online:
| BEST SELLERS |
|---|
| 1) Casio PX-560 |
| 2) Nord Piano 5 |
| 3) Roland RD-88 |
| 4) Korg D1 |
| 5) Roland RD-2000 |
Features of the CP40
The intuitive interface of the CP40 means that the sounds you need when you’re playing can be quickly accessed. The category select feature lets you call up your favorite sounds, or the ones that you use the most.
The CP40 has the capacity to store your favorite sounds, not only for piano, but also for strings, organ, bass, clavinet, and pads. This sound bank means that you can draw on a wide range of music for whatever your performance needs. A professional musician whose work depends on being able to deliver what the customer wants must have this kind of versatility in his or her instrument.
No matter how dark the stage, with the CP40’s large lighted buttons, a musician can easily split and layer the sounds to switch from a full piano, a piano that has a split bass sound, or a piano voice that’s layered with strings. With the touch of a button, you can go back to playing piano across the full keyboard, thanks to the main solo function.
The Yamaha CP series scores well overall with performers, so you can’t go wrong with whichever model you choose.
Digital Piano Dictionary
But before we explore more of the merits of the CP40, and find out how it compares to the Yamaha CP4, you might want to check out some terms in the digital piano dictionary.
- “Voices” refers to the number of different sounds, ranging from a few to hundreds, that are available on the digital piano model.
- Key split is a digital piano feature which makes it possible for the musician to dedicate one sound to the keyboard’s lower half, for instance, choosing the sound of an upright piano, and another sound to its upper half, perhaps a piano or an electric piano sound, which could allow the digital piano to have a jazz sound.
- Fully weighted means that the keyboard matches the weight a musician can expect when playing an acoustic piano. The hammer action keyboard both imitates a piano keyboard’s weight, but also imitates its feel as it moves the hammers.
- Graded hammer action means that the heavier weights are toward the bass end of the keyboard, and the lighter weights are toward the treble end. Someone who is accustomed to play an acoustic piano could have a difficult time trying to adjust to a non-weighted keyboard.
- Dual mode or layer means that one sound is placed on top of another; for instance, the piano sound over the strings.
Now, let’s move into a comparison of the CP40 and the CP4.
Yamaha CP40 vs CP4
In this section, let’s go over some of the major differences that distinguish the Yamaha CP4 and the Yamaha CP40, which are both quality stage pianos.
Here are the features of the Yamaha CP4:
- 45 grand piano sounds
- 341 voices
- 47 vintage electric pianos
- 62 virtual circuit modeling effects (VCM)
- 43 presets
- Large lighted buttons to make splits and layers easier
- 88-note natural wood graded hammer action
- 38.5 pounds
- Price: $2,000+
The Yamaha CP40 features:
- 15 grand piano sounds
- 247 voices
- 35 vintage electric pianos
- 62 virtual circuit modeling effects (VCM)
- 297 presets
- Large lighted buttons to make splits and layers easier
- 88-note graded hammer action
- 36 pounds
- Price: $1,500+
There you have it, a comparison of two of the best of Yamaha’s CP series of stage pianos. Depending on your needs as a musician, either model will provide the stage experience that you and your audience expect.
Taking Care of Your CP40
Not only is the CP40 portable, but it’s surprisingly easy to care for. However, if the instrument is in a place where it undergoes an abrupt change in temperature, that brings the risk that condensation will build up inside.
If the CP40 has been stored in either below zero temperatures or above 100 degree temperatures, you need to let the instrument gradually transition to the new temperature in order to avoid problems of condensation building up.
Conclusion
The Yamaha CP Stage Series is part of the Yamaha tradition of excellence in music. Musicians who’ve worked with other digital pianos find that the CP40 is like having a portable version of Yamaha’s CFills grand piano, and the Yamaha experience shows in the sound. Your Yamaha C40 sounds like an acoustic piano, with one important improvement: you can carry the CP40 under your arm!
For more about Yamaha pianos on sale today in the marketplace, you should always make sure to visit Amazon.com for the best possible prices.
Also, click here if you’re interested in learning what some of the best Yamaha digital pianos on the market are, and how they all compare to one another.
And for more digital piano reviews, don’t forget to visit our Digital Piano Review Guide homepage to be directed to the review of the piano you’re most interested in knowing more about.
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