New Yamaha Digital Piano, P-515

[SeaGtGruff]

I just found out about Yamaha's newest model in their P series, the P-515, which was unveiled at the Summer 2018 NAMM. It has nearly twice as many (40 vs. 24) high-quality "main" voices as its predecessor, the P-255. Plus, it has 480 XG voices and 18 kit voices (drums and SFX). If I'm not mistaken, it's the first P model to include XG voice compatibility. It's like a marriage of the P and DGX lines, but with XG voices rather than XGlite voices.

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/pianos/p_series/p-515/index.html

[pjd]

Hi --

Thanks, Michael!

The P-515 looks like a terrific instrument. I always liked the eye, hand, key, sound connection in the P-2xx series. Looks like a very nice extension. It supports Smart Pianist.

A bit of a shame that they left out the PSR/Tyros voices (including a few SArt) from the CSP series. In Yamaha-land, a piano is always a piano.  At $1500 USD street, it's a heck of an instrument even without the extra voices, etc.

All the best -- pj

[SeaGtGruff]

I likened it to a marriage of the P and DGX lines, but it might be fairer to call it a step from the P line toward the CLP/CVP lines. There's still no word on whether there will be a new DGX model soon, if ever.

From what I heard in the Bonners video about the P-515 that I watched last night, it sounds like the XG voices can't be accessed from the panel controls, but must instead be accessed by connecting an iPad and using one of Yamaha's apps to browse through the list of XG voices and select one. I can already imagine we'll be hearing Android, Linux, and Windows users screaming bloody murder about that, but I'm fairly certain that the XG voices can be selected via any MIDI application.

[pjd]

Hi Michael --

I think Smart Pianist is needed to reach all of the voices in the Clavinova CSP, especially the good ones.

I search for Smart Pianist and found it in the Google Play app store. The Android version is 1.0.0, dated May 31, 2018. It supports the CSPs and the review section is already accumulating complaints about lack of support for the NU1X and P-125. Yamaha just barely made their commitment to deliver Smart Pianist for Android ("by the end of May.") But, they probably made schedule by not supporting the newest keyboards.

No Data List for the P-515 yet.

Take care -- pj

[gogo]

Yamaha are regurgitatung the same stuff. That's actually the well known CLP-585 in a new cabinet. Besides, at 22kg it's barely portable, I mean, one can easily move it within a room but it's not something I could easily disassemble and put in my car. Does P stand for "Portable"? The amplification is very limited compared to the CLP models. It will fit nicely in a home where the Ikea furniture is preferred.

On the positive side, the keyboard is good, it is not the lesser GHS, GHE, GH, GH3 or whatever the marketing team has come up to. The "Natural X wood" (another lovely term) is actually playable which is a strong + for the model. And there is a handful of other marketing terms - "escapement", "smooth release", "virtual resonance modelling", "key-off samples". I am yet to see Petroff releasing an acoustic piano with "escapement" and "smooth release". The digital era needs these terms to confuse the buyer and upsell the more expensive model.

Bearing in mind that the speakers of my "high-end" CLP-575 are a total disappointment for a Yanaha product, I would not consider the modest amplification a problem - one is going to buy external speakers for a better sound anyway.

A strong - is that there is not a keyboard cover, the keys will catch dust.

Regarding the inability to select the XG voices from the panel - why would anyone want to play them? This is just a low-quality set of samples from the 20. century. They are there just to provide some possibilities for backing tracks. I mean, the player can download a midi file and play along.

I am positive about the product. Looks like a nice instrument for exercising, a very good option for a beginner, a preferred choice in a small flat.

[SciNote]

A long time ago, I discovered that, with an upright piano, if I held down the middle pedal -- which releases the dampers on the left side of the keyboard -- and then hit a quick, hard chord on the right side, after playing that chord, the undamped strings would resonate in a way that almost sounded like a choir.  I always wondered if something like that could be simulated electronically, and I'm wondering if the resonant-simulation features of this keyboard would do just that.

[Jewel Palmer]

Hello Michael   I have just purchased the P115 and am very happy with it.    I have the Tyros 5 and spend more time on it but I was missing having a piano and the P115 suits me fine.

Melodies

[daniel.frisch@posteo.de]

A long time ago, I discovered that, with an upright piano, if I held down the middle pedal -- which releases the dampers on the left side of the keyboard -- and then hit a quick, hard chord on the right side, after playing that chord, the undamped strings would resonate in a way that almost sounded like a choir.  I always wondered if something like that could be simulated electronically, and I'm wondering if the resonant-simulation features of this keyboard would do just that.

Indeed, the "Virtual Resonance Modeling" (VRM) feature of the P-515 does exactly that, and it sounds quite realistic.

From what I heard in the Bonners video about the P-515 that I watched last night, it sounds like the XG voices can't be accessed from the panel controls, but must instead be accessed by connecting an iPad and using one of Yamaha's apps to browse through the list of XG voices and select one. I can already imagine we'll be hearing Android, Linux, and Windows users screaming bloody murder about that, but I'm fairly certain that the XG voices can be selected via any MIDI application.

The XG voices can actually be selected on the instrument: You have to press [FUNCTION] and [OTHERS] at the same time, then you get a menu with categories Piano, Organ etc. Then go inside a menu and select the XG voice of your choice.

The keyboard feels absolutely realistic - might actually be heavier than some real pianos.

I also like the recording functions: you can record MIDI to the internal memory. Or you can connect a USB stick and record MIDI or audio wave data on ist. You can also connect the P-515 to a PC via USB like a sound card. You can also connect it to smartphones via Bluetooth and playback something on the instrument for practicing.

[voodoo]

I just found out about Yamaha's newest model in their P series, the P-515, which was unveiled at the Summer 2018 NAMM.

I purchased the P-125 and I am very happy with it. It has only 11 Kg and sounds very well, even using the builtin speakers.

The main differences as compared to the P-515 are:

* third of the price (550@ instead of 1500€)
* half of the weight (11 kg instead of 22 kg)
* only CF grand, no Boesendorfer. But for me, the CF sounds way better than the piano sound of the Genos.
* only two parts, allowing for split OR layering. The P-515 allows split AND layering at the same time.

I use the P-125 now for many gigs. Rehearsal with choir works without additional speaker. For gig I use one or two Bose S1 Pro. Split and Layer functions work very well.

As compared to similar models form other brands, the Yamaha has one advantage: All voice switching including split and layer works very smoothly with dedicated buttons. You can do this while playing with the other hand. No function key plus piano key combination needed for voice switching.

And the number of 24 voices is very cool. I use many new voices like piano + synth pad layer, rock organ, Rhodes or DX piano. etc. The earlier models only had 12 voices.

It has standard effects reverb and chorus and one insert DSP for distortion or leslie. However, the leslie speed of jazz organ is only switchable by the 3-pedal-extension, not by standard pedal and not by any other controllers. So it is not useful for stage usage.

Uli

[voodoo]

Some pics of the P-125.


[attachment deleted by admin]

[SteveL]

These are great pictures!  Photography as another hobby?