Topic by Ecaroh

  • Avatar
  • Ecaroh
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Finland
  • Registered: 21-06-2009
  • Posts: 461

Topic: Yamaha YC88/CP88

Hi,

I am about to buy a new stage piano with decent onboard sounds and paying attention to keyboard touch as well. One quite interesting option is YC88. Has anybody here have any experience with it about the sound and keyboard action quality? Another probably little more grandlike would be CP88 but it lacks some other features like organ.

For comparison thr best piano actions from other brands are:
Roland PHA-50 (for example RD-2000)
Kawai MP11 (too clumsy and heavy to carry for gigs)
Nord Grand 2 (action from Kawai)


EDIT: Yamaha works also as an usb / midi audio interface so you can play plugins like PTQ and mix them with onboard sounds with one cable. This might be very nice addition in my setup

Last edited by Ecaroh (20-09-2025 08:29)

Ecaroh's Website

Reply by daniel_r328

  • Avatar
  • daniel_r328
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 27-07-2025
  • Posts: 64

Re: Yamaha YC88/CP88

In my experience, DP key actions are pretty subjective so you should definitely try them out yourself. That said, I have heard that people really do like the Nord.

Also bear in mind that some keyboards have a more complete implementation of the midi protocol (polyphonic aftertouch is a common obsession), so you may want to compare on that level if this matters to you

Reply by Pianistically

  • Avatar
  • Pianistically
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 12-07-2023
  • Posts: 257

Re: Yamaha YC88/CP88

daniel_r328 wrote:

In my experience, DP key actions are pretty subjective so you should definitely try them out yourself. That said, I have heard that people really do like the Nord.

Also bear in mind that some keyboards have a more complete implementation of the midi protocol (polyphonic aftertouch is a common obsession), so you may want to compare on that level if this matters to you

Daniel I think poly AT matters for synth players and most of the keyboards that use it apart a few exceptions are non hammer action keyboards such as the ASM hydra synth who is the reference at the moment . It seems to me that the OP is essentially looking for an instrument primarily made for piano players with additional sound banks for live playing .  Regarding  the above list mentioned , I agree with you about the Nord, my favourite is the Nord G2 but the price is quite a deterrent. If you use VSTis , you can get more or less the same keyboard action with a Kawai ES920 and the combo ES920 +pianoteq is very compelling at a very competitive price .

Last edited by Pianistically (20-09-2025 12:39)

Reply by Ecaroh

  • Avatar
  • Ecaroh
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Finland
  • Registered: 21-06-2009
  • Posts: 461

Re: Yamaha YC88/CP88

daniel_r328 wrote:

In my experience, DP key actions are pretty subjective so you should definitely try them out yourself. That said, I have heard that people really do like the Nord.

Also bear in mind that some keyboards have a more complete implementation of the midi protocol (polyphonic aftertouch is a common obsession), so you may want to compare on that level if this matters to you

Personally I am not interested synth stuff here nor After Touch. (I have enough synths already) My main goal is to find best balance of portability, piano action and decent piano/e-piano onboard sounds. I have found some interesting comparisons, reviews and blind tests from YouTube and based on those I got interested in YC/CP-line. Of course it would be best to go and test these in real life but problem is nowadays that it’s practically impossible. In my country it seems that there’s no place to test YC/CP itself not to mention to compare it to its rivals (Nord, Roland, Korg, Kawai). That’s why I try to gather a picture of it by asking different opinions if there are any. Of course I understand very well that people appreciate different things and there’s no ”ultimate truth” which one is the best but I believe here on the PTQ forum there’s much appreciation to best possible piano actions. I have had quite many Rolands and Nords but never owned any Yamaha…

Ecaroh's Website

Reply by Pianistically

  • Avatar
  • Pianistically
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 12-07-2023
  • Posts: 257

Re: Yamaha YC88/CP88

Ecaroh wrote:
daniel_r328 wrote:

In my experience, DP key actions are pretty subjective so you should definitely try them out yourself. That said, I have heard that people really do like the Nord.

Also bear in mind that some keyboards have a more complete implementation of the midi protocol (polyphonic aftertouch is a common obsession), so you may want to compare on that level if this matters to you

Personally I am not interested synth stuff here nor After Touch. (I have enough synths already) My main goal is to find best balance of portability, piano action and decent piano/e-piano onboard sounds. I have found some interesting comparisons, reviews and blind tests from YouTube and based on those I got interested in YC/CP-line. Of course it would be best to go and test these in real life but problem is nowadays that it’s practically impossible. In my country it seems that there’s no place to test YC/CP itself not to mention to compare it to its rivals (Nord, Roland, Korg, Kawai). That’s why I try to gather a picture of it by asking different opinions if there are any. Of course I understand very well that people appreciate different things and there’s no ”ultimate truth” which one is the best but I believe here on the PTQ forum there’s much appreciation to best possible piano actions. I have had quite many Rolands and Nords but never owned any Yamaha…

it that helps I played a cp88 a few years back . The keybed is identical to the YC88 is the NW-GH3 which is basically the same action than in P515 but they have removed the escapement simulation , as you don’t really need it for stage purpose . The action is on the heavy side , but that being said it is quite responsive . However , you must try it before buying it as it is not everyone taste . Personally I liked this action and when I tried a clavinova CLP745 for a live event the action although lighter was disappointing compared to the GH3 .  So if you don’t mind heavy actions , you might find it quite good. YC88 is more popular on stage because it has the VCM engine and organ controls . There are a lot of reviews on the music player network ( keyboard corner) .  For what it’s worth . Just an opinion .

Reply by dickiefunk

  • Avatar
  • dickiefunk
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 30-06-2012
  • Posts: 66

Re: Yamaha YC88/CP88

I own a CP88 and tried the Roland RD2000 and Nord Stage Stage 3.Of these three I preferred the CP88. The action on the CP is the closest to the Kawai upright I play most days of the week. The Roland RD2000 had the lightest action of the bunch and the Nord didn’t feel as natural as the Yamaha.
Yamaha have added a few new piano samples over the recent firmware updates which include the Hamburg, CFX2 and Bosendorfer Imperial +. I find the piano samples respond smoother and more naturally with the keybed compared to the Nord.

Reply by Luc Henrion

  • Avatar
  • Luc Henrion
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 02-05-2007
  • Posts: 940

Re: Yamaha YC88/CP88

Sorry to disturb, but I don't like the Nord, and I'm only half satisfied with the Yamahas I've tried. Even though the Roland is lighter, its response reminds me more of my real piano (an old Gunther 6" grand). Just my two cents, of course, but it shows how important it is to form your own opinion by trying them out.

Luc Henrion's Website

Reply by dickiefunk

  • Avatar
  • dickiefunk
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 30-06-2012
  • Posts: 66

Re: Yamaha YC88/CP88

Just goes to show how an individuals preferences can vary greatly based on which acoustic pianos they normally play. Also the age and wear of the pianos action varies a lot depending on how much the piano has been used and maintained over the years.
I find the action of the RD2000 feels more semi weighted up than fully weighted. I do find the samples respond well to the action on this piano though. At work I mainly play both Kawai and Yamaha uprights and often play a Yamaha grand there aswell. The CP88 feels close to the Kawai upright. The Yamaha upright feels similar and the Yamaha grand’s action is heavier.
In addition to the Yamaha CP/YC88 I also really like the action of the Kawai digital pianos. These are occasions where I would have liked a slightly heavier action than the CP88 which the Kawai’s have.

Last edited by dickiefunk (10-10-2025 11:29)