Yamaha P-S500

[mixermixer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2kpBFQK-a4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO6ed2_ttm8

Hot ****! Is this the cheaper Clavinova CSP Looks like you can't import in but heck, no pricing yet but bet its below $5000 LOL.

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/pianos/p_series/p-s500/index.html

[pjd]

Interesting instrument! Kind of an upscale DGX.

Thanks for posting the links. This model hasn't made it to the Yamaha USA site -- a Europe first announcement.

I posted a few more thoughts at:

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/p-is-for-piano-yamaha-p-s500-digital-piano/

Retail looks to be about 2100 Euro. Maybe $2000 USD in the States when announced?

All the best -- pj

[Amwilburn]

Europe/Japan, stuff is usually a few months ahead of North America, alas. Yeah Paul, it sure looks like a portable CSP150 to me. Very interesting... I wonder if they'll continue with the "existing styles only" philosophy for their minimalist designs?

Mark

[Keyboard Master]

Wow that's really Cool. Love it.

[mixermixer]

Necro'ing my thread. Looks like it's available in the USA now, $2000 USD is correct. Hard pill to swallow but heck a cheaper CSP! I'm contemplating splitting the purchase with my brother since this will be for home use.

[mixermixer]

My brother bought it for $1600, looks like they are running a discount. He has a samsung android tablet and looks like smart pianist app works on it. I'll wait until I get home from work to see and hear it for the first time. He just bought the keyboard, no stands or pedal unit as we already have a stand and a yamaha pedal.

This is replacing an old Roland piano that we donated to a church.

[pjd]

Hi --

Have fun with the new keyboard! Yamaha haven't gotten many into USA shops, so I haven't had a chance to try one.

The advertised price dropped to $1600 USD on September 1, probably due to slack sales during its first year on the market. It is now the same price as the P-515. Both have CFX, Bösendorfer and VRM. The S500 has a GHS keyboard while the P-515 has the much better NWX keybed. If the S500 had the NWX, I would have bought one by now. 

The P-S500 secondary voices are roughly equivalent to the PSR-SX600 (based on a quick browse of the Data List PDFs).

Yamaha will drop a new P-525 model in the next few months...

All the best -- pj

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/random-weekend-thoughts/
http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-p-525-on-the-way/

[mixermixer]

Hey PJD,

So a quick review of the keyboard, coming from a PSR/tyros/CVP background, the interface is honestly cumbersome and I don't really like the limited style intro/ending. I think the styles sound like it's coming from PSR S970 series generation? On the other hand, my brother loves it, he caught on quick in the style department and is using the full keyboard to trigger the style which I assume is AI full mode for the rest of us. We both liked the piano room. Key action is OK, I have not tried the NWX but I think it's lighter compared to CVP which is heavy IMO. I think my brother is satisfied with the purchase. Now to find a bag for the occasional gig.

4/5 but to me it's more of a 3/5.

[pjd]

Hi --

Thanks for the quick feedback! I'm glad that your brother is enjoying his new keyboard. Proves there is a niche for instruments with a simplified user interface. Some people are turned off by all the buttons, options and whatnot.

According to the P-S500 Parameter Chart in the Data List, there might/should be a way to change from AI full keyboard to fingered, etc. Maybe through the Smart Pianist app?

That darned Smart Pianist app is incredibly uninformative if it isn't connected to a Yamaha keyboard that it recognizes. Makes it hard to figure out what is possible. The S500 downloads page has a PDF called "Smart Pianist Specifications". It shows the specific Smart Pianist features supported by specific Yamaha keyboards. The chart is missing important info; the "Style" feature is only one line and no details!

I wonder if Smart Pianist will eventually support adding new styles to the CSPs and S500?

Yeah, that 2 line by 16 character display must be like looking through a keyhole. Reminds me of editing voices on the 1990's TG-500 module. 

Take care -- pj

[mixermixer]

Quick add, in the styles, there are some nods to the very first tyros model, some styles there were imported to the keyboard here. Basically they could be taking tidbits of Tyros styles and implementing just the intro 1 and ending 1.