Pianos and Keyboards » Grand Piano

Yamaha YPG 635 Review

Nige — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 18:15:55 +0000

You’ll be playing the Yamaha YPG635 in under 3 minutes from the moment you open the box, set it up, turn it on and click to the built in 6-track sequencer with pre-recorded songs. Tickle those ivory’s and experience a well designed keyboard that has the power of a full band at your finger tips.

INSTRUMENTS. Just imagine a keyboard designed to give you a great selection of authentic sounding instruments so convincingly real you’ll have a hard time keeping away from this keyboard. The more you play the more you’ll have a hard time of letting it go.

PLEASE YOUR CREATIVE SIDE. This is one of the best electronic pianos in this range. The weighted keys make all the difference, especially to those of you who are used to playing classical music. With an amazing 130 instruments, 360 XG voices and 12 drum kits to choose from, you’ll never run out of ideas for playing songs that will make you sound great

LCD DISPLAY. The YPG 625 also has a LCD display, it is used for the display of the lyrics as well as the notations and the LCD even comes with a backlight. It comes with the style of Yamaha and has a voice technology. It can be connected to other USB storage devices as it has USB connectivity.

SONGS. The songs which you compose are stored in the YPG 625 and the screen displays the lyrics of those songs which are XF compatible. This keyboard has as many as 30 built in songs and there are even 70 more songs in the CD-ROM, this is the education suite that is provided with this keyboard. It also comes with a wooden stand which will help you to place the keyboard at the right height.

BENEFITS. Keyboard and Product of the Year (Music & Sound Retailer)

GHS (Graded Hammer Standard) weighted action keyboard w/88 keys — giving you greater control of how your music sounds

Includes stand, sustain pedal, power adaptor, music rest

503 XGlite/GM voices including a “Live” stereo grand piano sample – giving you infinite possibilities of how you want your music to sound

Full arranger capabilities with 160+ styles and a performance assistant packs powerful accompaniment — like having an extra pair of hands playing along with you to give your song a rich and complete sound

16 track sequencer for recording with 30 internal songs built in that will get you instantly playing along with these favourite songs

Yamaha Education Suite w/interactive lessons for keyboards skill development

Large blue backlit display with Score and Lyric display – read music with ease – no more struggling to try to read a screen that’s just too small

USB TO DEVICE: connect optional USB storage devices (for jump drives,..)- safely store your music on a portable device and take it with you as a back up

Dimensions (W x D x H) – 55.9″ x 18.3″ x 6.1″.• Weight with keyboard stand: 39 lbs. 6 oz – travel ready

Refined piano touch means you’re always in control of each note – make your song sound the way you want it to.

Portable so you can take it anywhere you want – take it to the camp, cottage — you’ll never bet without your keyboard.

Yamaha AvantGrand N3

admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:42:11 +0000

The Holy Grail of sounds for the electric piano has been creating the sounds and playing experience of the concert grand piano. Has the Yamaha AvantGrand N3 found the right mix of sound and playability. Keyboard mag gave a first look review of the piano.

The conclusion was:

“Yamaha has set a new benchmark for what’s possible in a grand piano substitute, and by a dramatic margin. The elephant-in-the-room question is, “But is it worth the price?” One naysay is that you can find a more-than-decent baby grand for the same money or less. Having lived with an N3 for six weeks, and repeatedly compared the N3 at my local piano store to many sizes and makes of acoustic grands in the showroom, I found I needed to step into the six-foot (and at least $30,000) league to hear something compelling enough to make me forget that the AvantGrand will never need tuning nor react to temperature and humidity, and can be turned down for quiet practice. Point being, the AvantGrand sounds and plays so authentically that even purists who’ve historically dismissed such standard digital piano selling points have ample reason to think again. With aplomb, Yamaha has pulled off not just a major technological leap, but a seeming contradiction: a virtual piano for people for whom nothing but a real piano will do.”

So they seem impressed by the piano and what it can do. The advantages of having a digital piano, quiet practice, control over sound. With the feel of the grand piano.

The only con that is mentioned is the “lack of multitimbrality, arranger features, and lesson functions” that are sometimes included in top of the range pianos.

Casio PX-720 – Dark or Light

admin — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:53:15 +0000

Casio PX-720

The PX-720 and PX-720C have been designed to bring you the ultimate in style and playability. The PX-720 comes in two colour options both with the Tri-element AIF Sound Source that delivers perfect richness and tone for grand piano quality. With 128-note polyphony and Scaled Hammer Action the PX-720 presents the finest in sound and key touch.

The Casio PX-720 uses newly developed sound source that gives the sound of a fine grand piano and uses 128 note polyphony from a “Stereo sampled Tri-element AIF Sound Source”.

Features

88 Note Scaled Hammer Action Piano Keys
128 Note Polyphony (max). for Real Piano Feel and Sound
New AIF Sound Source
11 Digitally Sampled Stereo Piano Tones
Modern Lightweight Design with Lid
Metal 3 Pedal Unit Included
60 Built in Songs
Digital Effects: DSP/Reverb/Chorus/Brilliance
Song Record and Playback function for practicing
MIDI for PC Connection/Downloads
Boxed Bass-reflex audio system
Headphone socket x 2
Output: 8W + 8W
Weight: 29kg with stand
Size (WxDxH): 1,369 x 298 x 789mm (with stand)

Woodhouse Stools Solo Adjustable Stool

admin — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:07:48 +0000

Piano Stool

Woodhouse Stools Solo Adjustable Stool (BlackGloss w/ Black Dralon Top)

57cms long x 33cms wide. Height Adjusts from 48cms to 56.5cms. An adjustable stool with wooden rim top and tapered legs.

Also available with Regency Legs or Cabriole Legs.

Roland HP109 Digital Grand

admin — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:02:32 +0000

Roland HP109

Good vibrations from an acoustic cabinet

With its gorgeous audio system for a surprisingly natural sound projection, the HP109 delivers a truly realistic grand piano sound. Thanks to its acoustic body construction and several discreet vents for a natural spread of the sound waves, the HP109 provides a simply stunning omni directional sound diffusion.

The natural touch

The HP109 incorporates Roland’s acclaimed Progressive Hammer-Action Keyboard with the natural touch and response of a top-notch acoustic grand piano. This keyboard even reproduces the escapement characteristics of a grand piano, with the same slight “click” feel. The HP109 faithfully responds to each delicate nuance of your fingers.

Looking great

With its elegant polished-ebony minigrand cabinet, the HP109 is the perfect balance of beauty and functionality. No matter where you plan to use it—at home, in a hotel lounge, or at a fine restaurant—it will please the eye, caress the ear, and strike with its sheer elegance!

Realistic piano resonance

The HP109 features several functions that reproduce the complex resonance cluster of a grand piano, for a remarkably authentic and detailed sound image. The dynamic Key Off Resonance function re-creates the delicate sound of the damper touching the strings upon key release, and replicates the residual reverberations of the soundboard and woodwork. The String Resonance feature re-creates the subtle and varied sympathetic string vibrations when a key is pressed while other keys are still being held.
Damper Resonance reproduces the “free-vibration” sound of the strings when the damper pedal is pressed. It also simulates the typical amplification that occurs when you press the damper after hitting a note. Of course, the damper and soft pedals have a continuous response (“half-pedaling”), allowing you to obtain just the right amount of damping or attenuation at all times. In short: the HP109 is as realistic as it gets.

Grand Space: three-dimensional depth

A sonic wealth with a three-dimensional quality and presence… that’s the core of Roland’s Grand Space feature, which adds richness, vibrancy and warmth to your playing. Best of all, this effect can also be experienced through headphones, creating the impression that the sound is generated further down the soundboard of an acoustic grand piano.

An amazing Accent Pedal

The HP109’s assignable Accent Pedal function enables you to add exciting accents to your music, and thus to expand your expressive register without changing your technique or playing style. Simply press the center pedal while playing with both hands to add a second sound (“acoustic layering”). Another possibility for this pedal is to add harmonies that are sounded one octave above the notes you play, which can be used to add a brilliant climax to your music. Dynamic performances have never been easier.

A variety of instrument tones

The HP109 Minigrand comes with 36 realistic instrument sounds, including electric pianos, harpsichord, organ, strings, and many others. Thanks to the Split function, you can play different sounds with your left and right hands, while Dual mode allows you to play two sounds simultaneously.

Educational features

The HP109 is also ideal for budding pianists. Not just because it boasts a recorder and an adjustable metronome that helps you to develop your sense of rhythm and timing, but also thanks to its Twin Piano mode that divides the keyboard into two separate “instruments” (zones) that can be played in exactly the same register. This is what teachers and students have been waiting for.

Downloads:

Specifications:


Keyboard
	Keyboard	88 keys (Progressive Hammer-Action Keyboard with Escapment)

	Touch sensitivity	Touch: Light, Medium, Heavy, Fixed Hammer Response: Light, Medium, Heavy, Off

	Keyboard modes	Whole, Split (Split point adjustable), Layer/Dual (volume balance adjustable)
Sound Generator
	Max. Polyphony	128 voices

	Tones	36 variations in 5 groups + 4 tones for Acoustic Layering

	Temperament	8 types, tonic selectable

	Transpose	-6 to +5 (in semitones)

	Effects	Reverb (10 levels), Chorus (10 levels), Grand Space, Dynamic Emphasis

	Piano Resonace	Key Off Resonance, String Resonance, Damper Resonance

	Acoustic Layering	Yes

	Accent Pedal	Yes
Metronome
	Beat	2/2, 0/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 7/4, 3/8, 6/8, 9/8, 12/8

	Volume	10 levels
Recorder
	Tracks	2

	Songs	1 (storable)

	Note storage	Approx. 10000 notes

	Tempo	Quater note = 10 to 500

	Resolution	120 ticks per quarter note

	Control	Play/Stop, Rec, Tempo, All Song Play, Track Select

	Internal Songs	68 Songs + 14 Tone Demo Songs
Others
	Other functions	Song Backup, Panel Lock, Memory Backup, Factory Reset

	Rated Power Output	50 W x 2

	Speakers	20cm x2, 5cmx2

	Display	Beat LED, 7 segments, 3 character (LED), Headphone Indicator

	Control	Volume, Brilliance

	Pedals	Damper (half-pedal recognition), Soft (half-pedal recognition), Sostenuto (function assignable)

	Connectors	Output jacks (L/Mono, R), Input jacks (L/Mono, R), Headphones jack (Stereo) x 2, MIDI In connector, MIDI Out connector, USB connector (MIDI)

	Key lid	Yes

	Power consumption	110 W

	Accessories	USB installation Guide CD-ROM (Roland Digital Piano USB Driver), Roland 60 Classical Piano Masterpieces, Power Cord, Owner’s Manual
System requirements for USB
	Windows	Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition / XP Professional / 2000 Professional / Me / 98 / 98SEComputer: Windows-compatible personal computer equipped with a USB portCPU / Clock: Pentium®processor 200 MHz or higher (Pentium®processor 400 MHz or higher on Windows®XP)Memory (RAM): 64MB or more (128MB or more on Windows® XP/2000)Incompatible Chipset : VIA Apollo BX, VIA Apollo MVP3, VIA Apollo MVP4

	Macintosh	Operating System: Mac OS 9.0.4 or later, Mac OS X v10.2 or laterComputer: USB ready Apple® Macintosh® CPU / Clock : PowerPC G3 233 MHz or higherMemory (RAM): 64 MB or more (128 MB or more on Max OS X)* Mac OS 9: Requires OMS 2.3.5 or later, or FreeMIDI 1.35 or later.* Mac OS X: The digital piano will not operate in the Mac OS X Classic environment, and will be unusable while the Classic environment is running.

Size and Weight ( with lid closed )
	Width	1,380 mm	54-3/8 inches

	Depth	1,078 mm	42-1/2 inches

	Height	945 mm	37-1/4 inches

	Weight	90.0 kg	198 lbs. 7 oz.

Size and Weight ( with lid open )
	Width	1,380 mm	54-3/8 inches

	Depth	1,078 mm	42-1/2 inches

	Height	1,583 mm	62-3/8 inches

	Weight	90.0 kg	198 lbs. 7 oz.