Superb Portable Piano

Advantages: Superior natural sound quality, not bulky, new interesting and useful features
Disadvantages: none

...Yamaha P-85S Digital Stage Piano is the best thing that our church acquired. The antiquated piano that has been with at the church since it was established is too bulky and heavy so the Board decided to buy a portable piano for our outdoor church programs and activities. We have always trusted Yamaha brand when it comes to musical instrument but I never imagined this Yamaha P-85S Digital Stage Piano could be this enchanting. This is marvelous with its superior, natural sound quality that inspires all the musicians and singers in our Church. It is conveniently slim with a built-in speaker which makes it easy to pack and bring anywhere. Its elegant black color matches the splendor of the sound it creates. It also has innovative useful features that makes it more exciting like it's sound recording feature that allows you to play back...

wonderlily 18.11.2008 · Read review
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Review of Yamaha P-85S Digital Stage Piano

Yamaha Upright Pianos

Advantages: Quality and cost.
Disadvantages: Doesn't quite have the status of the similar size Steinway piano.

...I have been able to compare the largest Yamaha Upright with the equivalent pianos from Steinway and the mass produced Boston (marketed by Steinway) These pianos look identical in size and shape. If you are a serious musician, and you keep in practice, you will probably prefer the Steinway. This has a firm touch, giving an experienced player a wider dynamic range and range of expression. The Boston is identical, but about half the price of the Steinway, and has a lighter touch. The largest Yamaha upright is also identical, and has a lighter touch than the Boston. It is between a quarter and a third of the price of the Steinway. Used Steinways and Bostons are rather difficult to locate, and if they have been reconditioned it is important to establish who has done the work, as a used piano is only as good as the technician...

johnalderton 28.02.2001 · Read review
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Review of Yamaha Upright Pianos

Yamaha CP300 Stage PIano

Advantages: reasonable price, reasonable sound, portable, built-in amplification & speakers, USB port
Disadvantages: no music rest supplied, a few dodgy-sounding notes around D4

...Other than from an economic angle, I was never a fan of Yamaha acoustic pianos. So back in the 1980s it came as no surprise when their digital instruments failed to impress me. In my opinion Yamaha pianos sounded too 'wooden' at the top end. They had none of the 'singing' tones common to European pianos like Blüthner, Bösendorfer or Bechstein. However, after moving into an apartment in 1996 I was obliged to get a piano that took cans and chose a Technics PR900, which in my view was the nearest thing to an acoustic piano. It sounded like some of the best German pianos I had played. Early incarnations of this model had a very annoying background 'static', only noticeable when the piano was silent. By 1998 this static had been fixed by Technics. But in 1996 it was driving me so crazy that I sent the PR900 back to the store and got...

jasonford 31.12.2008 (09.04.2009) · Read review
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Review of Yamaha CP300

Another great piece of kit from Yamaha!

Advantages: Looks, Sound quality, Smart media capability
Disadvantages: Sustain pedal, keys - slightly "keyboard" feel

...As a keyboard player of some 15 years looking to make the step to playing the piano properly I ventured out onto the high street to investigate the products available. I have used Yamaha products all my life, including various keyboards and my guitar effects processor so naturally I looked primarily at Yamaha products (that said knowing I couldn't afford to splash out on a Clavinova yet!!) In my local music shop I found the DGX range (currently the -305 and -505 as far as I'm aware) and tried it out for a while. I instantly fell in love with it! The sound of the grand piano is superb and the interface is extremely easy to use. These digital pianos really sound like the sort of thing you would pay thousands for. Dont be fooled by the £500 RRP on the 505, within hours I had returned home and ordered myself one for around £360...

NLC757 05.01.2005 · Read review
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Review of Yamaha DGX505 Digital Grand Piano

Yamaha Clavinova CLP 120

Advantages: Full piano length keyboard and its cheaper than a real piano
Disadvantages: You need a mains supply nearby

...I bought this digital piano about 3 months ago and its great. At the time I was on my grade 6 in piano and was getting a bit fed up of my little keyboard of having too few keys and not having two pedals so I persuaded my dad in letting me buy a digital piano. This is much better than a normal piano because you don?t have to ever tune it and it is much cheaper to buy in the first place. It is about £1000 cheaper than a normal piano and so in the long run will save you a lot of money including the money saved in hiring a tuner. It will always work and be in tune unless you get a power cut but that?s very unlikely. Some other advantages of it are the other sounds other than just a grand piano. There is a guitar and even a choir. Now you won?t get different sounds with real pianos. You are even able to transpose the sound. This...

meawinner 20.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of Yamaha Upright Pianos

Look at me singing Yamaha's praises!

Advantages: Responsive, beautiful tone, elegant
Disadvantages: Hard to clean, loud!

...I have been playing the piano since I was 4 years old, and having had little luck with second hand pianos, I decided to spend most of my savings on this little baby! I can tell you it was worth it, I am a musician, not just a pianist, I understand why and I will try and explain to you in as much detail as possible the reality of this instrument. Yamaha have been manufacturing musical instruments for years, and are NOT a cheap option as imports generally are. These are top of the range models, they look beautifully finished and every detail is thought out. My Yamaha shines in the sun, and gleams even when dusty. It is a real focal point in any home, not only is it an instrument but it is a piece of furniture. One downside to this piano is the stats of its size: FEATURES 88 keys, 3 pedals (centre pedal: sostenuto) Height...

princess_lu 16.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of Yamaha U3 - 52 Acoustic Upright U Series Piano

Drive away with a brand new Yamaha

Advantages: Beautiful instrument, slightly weighty keys, good practice piano
Disadvantages: Slighly stiff pedals on mine, but adjusted with time

...Until recently I owned a Yamaha baby grand, which sadly had to be sold when we moved house. It was one of the best pianos I have had the chance to play, and had a beautiful tone, despite being placed in one of the worst rooms in the house (i.e. near the boiler!) I have played numerous other pianos over the years, usually Steinways and the occasional Globe, but this, as was said in previous reviews, was the best practice piano I have played. The keys are a slightly heavier than other types of piano, and require a bit of weight to be placed on them in order to get a good sound. I like this, however, as I like to feel I am really physically *creating* the sound, as opposed to simply drifting across the keys. The pedals were a bit stiff when I first started playing though, the soft pedal, particularly stiff, but that gradually worked...

ihatebroccoli 07.12.2000 · Read review
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Review of Yamaha Grand Pianos

THE PIANO TEACHER - (LA PIANISTE)

Advantages: Excellent physcological study of character.
Disadvantages: Grim, brutal, shocking scenes of a sexual nature.

... The Piano Teacher The Piano Teacher is a subtitled film of the Phycological Drama genre. Released in 2001 it is also known by it's French name La pianiste. Directed by Michael Haneke, it is based on the novel by Die Klavierspielerin which won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 2004. Graphic in it's content this film delves into the darker side of sex, including fetishism, bondage, and sado/masochism. It also touches on the delicate subject of genitalia self harm. This is not a light film, and is not recommended for family viewing. ~ I will be reviewing FILM ONLY Synopsis This is a tale revolving around a professor at a music conservatory in Vienna. Her name is Erica and she is played played by the wonderful actress Isabelle Huppert, Who has an impressive 75+ films under her belt. Erica is...

Morning_Becomes_Electra 20.01.2008 (25.01.2008) · Read review
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Review of The Piano Teacher

Clavinova Piano Orchestra at Your Fingertips.

Advantages: Sounds like a real piano - well several differents ones. Many other instrument sounds.
Disadvantages: Takes a lot to learn about the inbuilt technology..

...a Clavinova Piano? Clavinova is the brand name from Yamaha. It is an electric piano, that looks and feels like and acoustic one, yet is lighter and takes up much less room. It comes in a wood effect or glossy piano black colour, which is what I opted for. How does it differ from a digital piano? The difference between a digital keyboard and digital Clavinova piano is the size. The digital keyboard is great if you wish to transport it to different places whether it be a room in your house or to the home of family or friends. The Clavinova piano, has a full-sized piano (88-note) keyboard and the keys are weighted to feel more like an acoustic piano. The weighted keys of the clavinova piano are preferable, especially for youngsters and new beginners because they strengthen the fingers and train the student into becoming a "proper...

derek-j-a 22.11.2008 · Read review
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Review of Yamaha Clavinova CVP405

Let the piano do the talking

Advantages: interesting story, excellent acting,
Disadvantages: expected more

...I went into this movie knowing about the oscars it had won and having been recommended by several friends, I expected something good. As a fan of period films, this movie is set in the 1850's, New Zealand. Ada (Holly Hunter) is a mute who with her young daughter Flora(Ann Paquin) braves the dangerous journey across the world. We see the movie start with them landing with all their belongings, including the priceless piano. Life begins in the leafy forest with her new Husband, Stewart (Sam Neill). Life is not what she expected in this remote area. Things take a turn for the worse when her new Husband sells her piano a neighbour, George (Harvey Keitel). George however, tells Ada she may earn back her piano by giving him piano lessons. Through the lessons, we see a turbulant but intreging relationship form. This movie wasn't what I...

rafomania 16.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Piano (DVD)