I have literally watched every TH-cam demo review and demo of the P-515, and this is without a doubt, officially, the best one. Thanks for taking the time to use decent lighting and sound, covering every key point clearly and concisely, and presenting like a professional. Thanks also for playing songs that musical simpletons like me can appreciate.
I am not a retailer nor work for Yamaha or any other brand. I have tried and owned other DPs in this category. The P 515 is the best. Bad reviews are from people who do not know how to adjust the voice settings. I only use the Classical acoustic pianos. The factory setting does not do justice to it. Use the function button to crank the volume to it's max 127, brightness up to your taste and (light 2) touch sensitivity from preset 64, I am using 76. This will already turn the sound from water to wine. Every adjustment done under "function" will be memorized after turning the piano off, but you have to enable this capability. See page 105 from the manual. Under the "piano room" button some settings are also memorized. I also set my Eq with -5 bass, +6 mid, +4 treble. If you don't like this DP, you will not like any other.
Some reviews have told the action is really heavy, one of the heaviest on any digital piano and even heavier than a real acoustic piano. I haven't played many different types of pianos so I can't really compare myself, so would like to hear some opinions about that. Is it so heavy that it's even hard to play some kind of music on it?
C Am F G obviously not - piano key weight varies. You need to try it out for yourself, the keys aren’t that heavy. You can play all types of music on this.
The settings you have are very bright , I like a bassier sounding piano with the treble set a little higher and usually leave the midrange alone , and a touch of bass it usually gives it a nice full sound .
I have watched so many videos about the Yamaha P-515. This is by far the most descriptive and most detailed review, it explains all of the stuff you need to know if you want to buy it and doesn’t have too much piano playing. i’m asking for this for Christmas. Thanks for the beautiful review.
I went to a local piano shop and I tried the P515 a couple days ago. I was very impressed with the sound and the aesthetics. Although I love my Roland LX-7 and wouldn’t part with it I can honestly say that Yamaha’s sampled sounds are outstanding.
Hi Tony, really Bonners you content channel. Might we expect a P-525 review any time soon? Would love to understand the differences between the P-525 and P-515 relative to keybed, UI, workflow, sound system, AWM2 improvements etc. Gratefully.
Yamaha had been a nice brand for a long while, but I've underestimated their potential of the p-series and looked to Kawai for a digital piano would hopefully suit my taste, but after learning about Yamaha's affordable, yet AMAZING addition to the p-series, I was more than happy to make the p-515 and the additional stand my main choice as a home piano.
Bonners Music - I really appreciate your close up of this displays (showing the buttons/menus on the keyboard) AND the inputs/outputs on the back!! I had to give you props man! I really appreciate your camera angles showing all the details you did throughout the video. I'll be back to watch other reviews from this channel! Thanks for making videos & sharing your thoughts! I've watched several review videos of various keyboards/portable pianos & yours is the first I've come across that shows/includes - shows close up views of the actual piano. Yeah, others showed the pianos - it was not near as 'close up' shots. I really appreciate that. Well done. Makes me wish I lived near you so I could come shop at your store!
I Have a Yamaha 515, it is a wonderful sounding electric piano. The last Yamaha I had was s P-250, about 18 years ago. I actually paid less for the 515.
After I bought a Kawai VPC 1 for my son and a Kawai MP11SE for myself, I decided to buy The Yamaha P 515 in case I need a wonderful Piano for on the go. Thanks to your review it was a very good idea to get one today.
So unfortunate that Yamaha still can't develop cross-platform apps for Android, iOS & Windows when there have been development tools for years. The P515 looks like a good model though, what the P255 should have been.
JDSoftware55 ~ are you sure, as I think that Android app is only applicable for Yamaha Digital Piano CSP-150/170 only. I have read reports from people saying "do not get this app for anything except CSP-150/170, it does not work with P125/P255 or anything else. This is only what I have read, as I will not buy an iPad just to work with this P515 and Google Play will not guarantee compatibility with any other Yamaha instrument.
I bought a Yamaha P515 Digital Piano back in July 2020. The sound of the CFX Grand piano is very beautiful and romantic, just like I want it!! Better sound than my upright piano!
There is an Android version of the smart pianist app available now. Also, you can access all of the additional voices without using the app - hold down the function key while pressing the OTHERS button, and you can access everything.
I've just recently played the Yamaha CLP 645, 685 (they didn't have the P 515 yet but they are close),Kawai ES-8 and FP90. As for the key action the Kawai ES-8 action felt a little plasticy, but totally playable. The Action from the Yamaha was ok, but not as good as the FP90 in my opinion. Soundwise for me the Yamaha sounds the best alongside the Kawai, whereas the Roland seemed a weaker. (tested with Headphones & Speakers) I've also tested the rythm function. On the Kawai the rythms are kinda bad, like don't get me wrong they sounded good, but the patterns themselves were just not my taste (Hip Hop sounded like kids TV music). Can't say much about the Yamaha ones, because they are not the same as in the P model. Edit: However I suggest you see for yourselves.
Interesting ... I am a classical piano student but am also into jazz and composition. I have so far tried Roland fp90 and Kawai ES8, but not the Yamaha models as I was in desperate search for a digital piano to balance my work load. In the end I went with ES8 for a subjective reason. Don’t get me wrong, Yamaha’s upgrade on the latest P515 model is exceptional, especially the limitless options and features but my priorities were on repertoire and focusing on developing technique. I have owned Yamaha psr E413 with a built in track sequencer, but I found that once I started I couldn’t stop ... it led to me focusing on the wrong things and getting too carried away with the fun, resulting in me not being able to prepare repertoire for learning or performance standard. I have decided to look at computer options for composition software as I can schedule and structure my time more effectively when I have separate equipment for a general set up versus trying to do everything on one instrument😊🎹
I'd love to buy this but I wonder why is it on b-stock category so often? It means people have bought it and returned it and you can buy it a bit cheaper for a full warranty still.
Wonderful, thorough review - Thanks! Can you give me your impression of the velocity response? It's a rarely discussed aspect of digital pianos, but is actually one of the most important elements in giving you an authentic experience. For instance, on the Kawaii VPC1 (a controller, not an actual digital piano), one of the big selling points is the degree of velocity sensitivity.
Many thanks Tony, an informative video with a good selection of well played music. The video largely responsible for me purchasing a Yamaha P515 Elite Package from Bonners Music in the current sale and I look forward to receiving the instrument in a few days time. All the best Keith
Hi Keiths, please tell me, what are your impressions and experience with the Yamaha P515?. What about Roland FP90 and Kawai ES8 against this P515?. Thanks!.
Tony, many thanks for your video, the piano and your playing sound great and helped inspire me to recently purchase a P-515 Elite Package from Bonners Music. I also purchased a Yamaha KS-SW100 Sub Woofer at the same time and consider it well worth the cost and to my ear definitely adds great depth to bass and mid-range frequencies. It is a shame that there does not appear to be any way of using a simple potentiometer based expression pedal to control the volume of the instruments organ voices through the internal speakers. I guess that this might be possible through use of MIDI but without a lot of research would not know for certain. I hope that you produce further videos of the P-515 at some stage. All the best Keith
Great video as always. I'm in the US so I can't check it out at your store but your videos are the best. I hope the price is good but the wooden keys make me assume it will be expensive. Also, I hate how Yamaha refuses to make Android versions of their app. iOS is only like 16% of the smartphone market. Yamaha should realize by now that most people use Android and make an Android version.
You're talking about smartphones. If we are talking about tablets, then iPad is a king and no-brainer. I'm a long time Windows and Android user (smartphone). But I have an iPad Pro 12.9" (2017), which is great to work with sheet music (forScore app). Kawai also makes their piano apps only for iOS. And I like this fact. And again, I'm a long time Android user, but I don't care about Android when talking about tablets.
Kougeru well, thats because android is unsafe and easilly hacked. Nothing is more safe then ios. Next to that android tablets are allready nearly extinct because of this.
Алексей Щёголев Jules Berkhof that's all irrelevant because this app works on phones as well. Other demonstrations for this piano have shown it (by Yamaha employees even) on the phone. So my point still stands. And Android is less secure than Apple but not really by much. Don't pretend you don't know that Apple has had more data breaches and hacks than Android companies have. Samsung makes great Android tablets. I prefer Surface (play Steam games) but their marketshare is basically nothing and Microsoft killed Windows Phones.
I own the Yamaha P-105. They sampled the CFIIIS Grand and I think it sounds awesome. Very present and rich. But, I am not satisfied with the "plastic" keys. They are noisy and "toy-like." Your word "anemic" in the P-515 is concerning to me. I've always considered the Yamahas to have the best sounding sampled-keyboards, so your comment surprised me. (I don't know how a sampled $180,000 Yamaha 9' Grand could sound anemic?) Are you familiar with the CFIIIS sampled sound?
@@ThePianoMan1953 My main keyboard was/is a Yamaha CP33, which now only serves as a MIDI controller, for sampled pianos on a PC. So there is some perspective to my earlier comment. In general I have become dissatisfied with the sound of most Yamaha portable pianos, below about $1,000. They do a better job of the sampling in their non movable digital pianos and products like their discontinued CP4/CP1, and their recent CP88/YC88. To be specific, with the less expensive keyboards, the things I hear are less realism, cos many of the natural quirks of a piano(slight inconsistencies) have been smoothed out in the sample pre-processing, and timbre between soft and loud notes is limited. My honest opinion, whomever is releasing such poor sounding products at Yamaha, does not serve the music community well. With the kind of volumes they sell, of these lower cost portable pianos, they have an opportunity to create instruments that make you want to play them and not stop, the mark of a good digital piano. But I can understand that Yamaha must dumb down their cheaper keyboards to avoid competing with their more sonically pleasing and more expensive digital keyboards (portable and non portable). Commerce. Nevertheless there should be some bar below which they should say no - this does not sound good enough, but guess if the consumer is willing to pay, thinking they have bought a "piano", knowing no better, Yamaha will create these crippled sounding products and sell them. Business.
Hi Tony, your demonstrations are always fun to watch. I have a question about the P515. Is it possible to layer two pianos for example cfx grand layer with Bosendorfer or other Pianos from the Piano category?
Great review - thank you. Just a polite correction - you mean 'clavinet' not 'clavichord', which is a different instrument entirely. The clavichord was a very gentle/quiet Renaissance keyboard instrument. If Stevie had used that to play 'Superstition', he would have hardly been able to hear it as well as see it......
The only problem is you have to own, or buy an iPad ~ Android app will not work with the P515. Such a shame that Yamaha cannot agree with other manufacturers to have an app other than for iPad.
Super demo. I will definitely put one of these near, if not at the top of my 'to buy' list once my studio is finished and good to go. One point do the organ voices have a controllable Leslie effect facility?
Thank you! I don't believe the Leslie speed can be controlled. There are three tonewheel type organ voices and one them has slow Leslie in the sample, whilst the other two appear to have been sampled with a fast Leslie. The Kawai ES8 is a similar type of product as the Yamaha but it has a more advanced effects system and allows Leslie speed to be controlled by one of the footpedals.
Hello! I grew up with a baby grand steinway. I now live in a small apartment and have been searching for a small digital piano with a good sound quality and realistic piano feel. I'm trying to decide between P515 and YDP S54 and don't have any stores near me to try them out. Which would you suggest?
This is a great upgrade. The thing is though, the CFX's sound, and the CX and SX as well, is tinged with a long decay. And that's where you hear the colors. That is what makes those pianos so characterful and give them a singing quality. The digital versions seem to have only about 60 percent of the decay. So, while it sounds something like a CFX acoustic (through speakers), it doesn't give the full quality. Still, it's a fraction of the acoustic piano's price without the maintenance, so it's a decent tradeoff. I played the YDP-184 Arius with the CFX sound (sounds exactly like this piano), and sort of got it to "sing."
Benjamin Smith I have a CLP 635 and believe me.. just turn up damper resonance to 10 (only that one) and the piano sings!!! sounds soooo much more like a real grand with that setting. I use it with every piano sound
Jort Rinket: Fantastic. A singing piano sound is what's most important to me. I was thinking of getting a YDP-184 because it is like a somewhat-decontented CLP635 (no escapement, no Bosendorfer, no binaural). This piano has all of that, plus the CLP645's wood keys. However, is this psychological, or is there a difference between the sounds of the consoles vs. the slabs. It just seems to me the consoles sound better? But they shouldn't, they just add wood to the same piano. Yes, the VRM and Piano Room are essential to making the Yamaha digitals sound better. That's why I don't like the CLP625, it lacks both.
Benjamin Smith Actually, have you tried the YDP-184? Because I tried the CLP 645 with same keys and actually I didnt like it! Yes, the woode white keys feel great BUT.. the black keys are still plastic. and when you play you really feel that diffirence between those keys! its really annoying! thats why I went for the 635. No it doesnt have wooden keys but at least all keys are the same material which makes the overall feel of the piano still better imo.
The YDP184 feels exactly like the CLP635. Well, almost exactly. It doesn't have the escapement when played softly. I don't know what Yamaha doesn't make the black keys wood as well. This piano, the P515, will probably have the uneven wood white and plastic white keys as well.
Does this have smooth transitions, for example holding a chord with the sustain pedal while switching to another sound? Read somewhere that FP90 can't do that.
You guys need to open a store further north, the vast majority of the UK is north of your current stores. I live in Cheshire, but I'm not going to drive +200 miles to visit your stores on the south coast and south London because it costs a fortune in fuel not to mention the time element. Please tell me you have plans to branch out so you can service the rest of the UK market. I underline this point because keyboards need to be played and experienced, especially when you're talking about a several thousand pound investment.
What Arius model would be the equivalent in sound quality/functionality to this new Yamaha model? would you recommend to buy this one instead of a Arius YDP 143? Great video, many thanks!
Hello! The Yamaha P515 has been based on specifications within the Clavinova Series Pianos, namely the CLP645. This model is 4 models higher than the YDP143 and as such is not comparable in any way. The YDP143 is a very basic Cabinet style digital piano recommended for beginners on a budget just starting out. The P515 is a Portable digital piano with a wooden key action, a plethora of sounds and features that can be used at home or in a live environment when performing. I recommend getting in touch with us in store to speak to one of our Piano specialist to get the best advice based on your needs.
The YDP184 is closest, but it doesn't have the NSW action. As Bonners said, this piano has the specs of the premium Clavinova CLP645. The YDP143 is way inferior to this piano.
Hi, which key action is more confortable, reliable and which feels more balanced and better playing near at the fulcrum, between this P515 and Roland FP90?... Thanks!...
No, the P515 has the same CFX and Bosendorfer samples but uses more modelling techniques (string resonance for example). The CP88 sounds thinner and is more suitable for live-bands. The P515 sounds richer/warmer and is the better choice for solo piano performances or recording. If you want to get an impression of the 'ambient/new age' qualities of the CFX sample of the Yamaha P515 you can listen to the track 'Particles'. th-cam.com/video/aZuckRAB-UE/w-d-xo.html Enjoy!
I was planning on buying the DGX 660 however I’ve been seriously looking into the P515. Other then it is double the price do you feel it has the same amount of features and is it that far above the DGX 660 I would really like to hear your opinion?
You can certainly connect the triple pedal and a separate Aux pedal to the P515 as they use different connections, however it is unclear whether both will work simultaneously as we no longer have one here to check this. They are arriving in October! We suspect that the triple pedal may cancel out the Aux Pedal.
HI Bonners. Besides the quantity of the sound/rhythms what are the major improvements over the P255? The user interface looks less easy to use to me and I didn't like the appearance of the connections for aux output wobbling, which need to last a lot of use if you are gigging.
Hi Adrian. The P515 has the same user interface that you would find on the Yamaha Clavinovas. Having the screen does make the navigation of the features incredibly easy, but of course, you can connect it to your iOS or Android device and use the Smart Pianist App to make things even easier. The speaker system is also larger on the new P515, giving better clarity and more depth at the lower end. Lastly, it has a wooden key action, making this a great option for any pianist wanting an authentic piano action within this price range. The particular instrument featured in this video is one of Yamaha's own prototypes and will have been subjected to much use over the last few months with various demonstrations and testing being done on it all around the country, so I wouldn't be at all worried about its ability to hold up well with regular gigging. If you have any further questions feel free to contact us directly.
Thank you for the great review! I do have a question. You said that compared to the P255 it's a much better keyboard. Among other features, it clearly has a more sophisticated piano action than the P255. How would you compare the feels of these keyboard actions? Does it have a lighter-feeling action? Or does the action make it weightier than the P255? I'd assume the wood action makes it lighter and more expressive than P255, but I don't want to assume. Thank you!!
Syed Hasnain - they are certainly narrower to Roland’s PHA50 action...on the PHA50 I can play in between the black keys without touching them whereas on the P515 I can touch them.
Hi friends!, i'm looking the best and faster key action and finger to sound connection for classical and jazz, between the Roland FP90 or Yamaha P515. Thanks!...
I have literally watched every TH-cam demo review and demo of the P-515, and this is without a doubt, officially, the best one. Thanks for taking the time to use decent lighting and sound, covering every key point clearly and concisely, and presenting like a professional. Thanks also for playing songs that musical simpletons like me can appreciate.
Hi Michael, thank you very much for your comments! If we can be of any help, please do not hesitate to call our Piano Department on 01323 636140.
I agree. It helped me decide to buy the P-515 for my daughter.
I am not a retailer nor work for Yamaha or any other brand. I have tried and owned other DPs in this category. The P 515 is the best. Bad reviews are from people who do not know how to adjust the voice settings. I only use the Classical acoustic pianos. The factory setting does not do justice to it. Use the function button to crank the volume to it's max 127, brightness up to your taste and (light 2) touch sensitivity from preset 64, I am using 76. This will already turn the sound from water to wine. Every adjustment done under "function" will be memorized after turning the piano off, but you have to enable this capability. See page 105 from the manual. Under the "piano room" button some settings are also memorized. I also set my Eq with -5 bass, +6 mid, +4 treble. If you don't like this DP, you will not like any other.
U N I ? What does this mean?
@@uni8894 The P515 is better than the ES8 but the ES8 is awesome in its own way
Some reviews have told the action is really heavy, one of the heaviest on any digital piano and even heavier than a real acoustic piano. I haven't played many different types of pianos so I can't really compare myself, so would like to hear some opinions about that. Is it so heavy that it's even hard to play some kind of music on it?
C Am F G obviously not - piano key weight varies. You need to try it out for yourself, the keys aren’t that heavy. You can play all types of music on this.
The settings you have are very bright , I like a bassier sounding piano with the treble set a little higher and usually leave the midrange alone , and a touch of bass it usually gives it a nice full sound .
If anyone’s wondering, the song in the beginning is called Shine on Through by Elton John
The first thing I liked on this demontration/ review👌
I have watched so many videos about the Yamaha P-515. This is by far the most descriptive and most detailed review, it explains all of the stuff you need to know if you want to buy it and doesn’t have too much piano playing. i’m asking for this for Christmas. Thanks for the beautiful review.
As usual, very professional demonstration!
Thanks Chuck. Your kind words mean a lot
Chuck I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this piano when you get a chance to try it and also to compare it to the Kawai ES8 which I know you love.
PianoManChuck ,,here un mexico waiting for your review
same here, cant wait for your review, really need your opinion about the action
I hope Bonner's realize what a super demonstration guy they have. Best on TH-cam.
Such a beautiful digital piano. Sounds like a real 9 foot concert grand piano.
.... just bought Yamaha P515 from your online store now . Thank you for all reviews .They were very helpful !
I went to a local piano shop and I tried the P515 a couple days ago. I was very impressed with the sound and the aesthetics. Although I love my Roland LX-7 and wouldn’t part with it I can honestly say that Yamaha’s sampled sounds are outstanding.
Best review video on the P515 I have seen. Great demonstration of the features and their usage. Much appreciated!
If I was owner of yamaha ill hire this guy asap, professional in everyway.
Totally, prolly one of the best reviewer online. If i lived in England, i'd go to their shop, no question.
I have bought this a year ago. I am very happy with the piano.
Hi Tony, really Bonners you content channel. Might we expect a P-525 review any time soon? Would love to understand the differences between the P-525 and P-515 relative to keybed, UI, workflow, sound system, AWM2 improvements etc. Gratefully.
Thank you for this comprehensive review that filled in a few pieces of missing information about this keyboard. Clear and well presented.
Yamaha had been a nice brand for a long while, but I've underestimated their potential of the p-series and looked to Kawai for a digital piano would hopefully suit my taste, but after learning about Yamaha's affordable, yet AMAZING addition to the p-series, I was more than happy to make the p-515 and the additional stand my main choice as a home piano.
Bonners Music - I really appreciate your close up of this displays (showing the buttons/menus on the keyboard) AND the inputs/outputs on the back!! I had to give you props man! I really appreciate your camera angles showing all the details you did throughout the video. I'll be back to watch other reviews from this channel! Thanks for making videos & sharing your thoughts!
I've watched several review videos of various keyboards/portable pianos & yours is the first I've come across that shows/includes - shows close up views of the actual piano. Yeah, others showed the pianos - it was not near as 'close up' shots. I really appreciate that. Well done. Makes me wish I lived near you so I could come shop at your store!
Any time I layer with strings, I have an expression pedal to control the string volume. It adds immense dimension and expression.
I Have a Yamaha 515, it is a wonderful sounding electric piano. The last Yamaha I had was s P-250, about 18 years ago. I actually paid less for the 515.
I’m obsessed with the p515
Me too. ;) I'm going to buy it, no other way round. :)
I just got one!! It’s on backorder from where I got it but I’ll definitely be happy when it comes.
👍 Your choice of music is superb for each piano sound demonstration. It's really a musical gift, I say. The flourish is a nice touch too.
Bösendorfer sounds AMAZING.
@Chamb Gabi wtf is wrong with you mate... stop spewing shit for no reason.... I've seen you in other comments too
What an outstanding musician/pianist!
After I bought a Kawai VPC 1 for my son and a Kawai MP11SE for myself, I decided to buy The Yamaha P 515 in case I need a wonderful Piano for on the go. Thanks to your review it was a very good idea to get one today.
Spud Chuffington jones Yes for on the go, the other two are just to heavy 🧐🤔😎😎😂
Easily the best keyboard review I have ever seen on TH-cam.
So unfortunate that Yamaha still can't develop cross-platform apps for Android, iOS & Windows when there have been development tools for years. The P515 looks like a good model though, what the P255 should have been.
Completely agree. I played this instrument last week and it is above and beyond what my P-255 is in every area!
Its available for Android as well. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.yamaha.smartpianist&hl=en_US
JDSoftware55 ~ are you sure, as I think that Android app is only applicable for Yamaha Digital Piano CSP-150/170 only. I have read reports from people saying "do not get this app for anything except CSP-150/170, it does not work with P125/P255 or anything else. This is only what I have read, as I will not buy an iPad just to work with this P515 and Google Play will not guarantee compatibility with any other Yamaha instrument.
I bought a Yamaha P515 Digital Piano back in July 2020. The sound of the CFX Grand piano is very beautiful and romantic, just like I want it!! Better sound than my upright piano!
There is an Android version of the smart pianist app available now. Also, you can access all of the additional voices without using the app - hold down the function key while pressing the OTHERS button, and you can access everything.
I'd love to see a direct comparision of this piano next to for example KAWAI ES-8
Yes please
Yes, me too!
I've just recently played the Yamaha CLP 645, 685 (they didn't have the P 515 yet but they are close),Kawai ES-8 and FP90.
As for the key action the Kawai ES-8 action felt a little plasticy, but totally playable. The Action from the Yamaha was ok, but not as good as the FP90 in my opinion.
Soundwise for me the Yamaha sounds the best alongside the Kawai, whereas the Roland seemed a weaker. (tested with Headphones & Speakers)
I've also tested the rythm function. On the Kawai the rythms are kinda bad, like don't get me wrong they sounded good, but the patterns themselves were just not my taste (Hip Hop sounded like kids TV music). Can't say much about the Yamaha ones, because they are not the same as in the P model.
Edit: However I suggest you see for yourselves.
Interesting ... I am a classical piano student but am also into jazz and composition. I have so far tried Roland fp90 and Kawai ES8, but not the Yamaha models as I was in desperate search for a digital piano to balance my work load. In the end I went with ES8 for a subjective reason. Don’t get me wrong, Yamaha’s upgrade on the latest P515 model is exceptional, especially the limitless options and features but my priorities were on repertoire and focusing on developing technique. I have owned Yamaha psr E413 with a built in track sequencer, but I found that once I started I couldn’t stop ... it led to me focusing on the wrong things and getting too carried away with the fun, resulting in me not being able to prepare repertoire for learning or performance standard. I have decided to look at computer options for composition software as I can schedule and structure my time more effectively when I have separate equipment for a general set up versus trying to do everything on one instrument😊🎹
I'd love to buy this but I wonder why is it on b-stock category so often? It means people have bought it and returned it and you can buy it a bit cheaper for a full warranty still.
This beautiful CFX sound is almost similar to NI Noire VST. I really like both 👍
Exactly the kind of short and to-the-point overview I was looking for. Thanks!
I think this fellow could make anything sound amazing!!!
Just bought this piano. Can't wait to play it! Your video has helped tremendously.
What are your thoughts on it 2 years later??
@@westontrimble7882 I love it like it was yesterday.
@@ronchiles399 great to hear! I just put an order for one in and can't wait to get it!
The Wa ter Fountain track is on David Foster's 'Symphony Sessions'.
Shine on Through. Elton. Very nice.
Well spotted! One of his lesser-known tunes but it has a beautiful chord progression
Wonderful, thorough review - Thanks!
Can you give me your impression of the velocity response? It's a rarely discussed aspect of digital pianos, but is actually one of the most important elements in giving you an authentic experience.
For instance, on the Kawaii VPC1 (a controller, not an actual digital piano), one of the big selling points is the degree of velocity sensitivity.
quite a thorough and professional demonstration. very nicely done!
Many thanks Tony, an informative video with a good selection of well played music. The video largely responsible for me purchasing a Yamaha P515 Elite Package from Bonners Music in the current sale and I look forward to receiving the instrument in a few days time. All the best Keith
Hi Keiths, please tell me, what are your impressions and experience with the Yamaha P515?. What about Roland FP90 and Kawai ES8 against this P515?. Thanks!.
piano/strings sounds really mellow 👍🏾
Love that intro song! "Shine on Through." -Elton John!
I don't know much abt pianos but i have has the chance to play a few different one and with the sound of this one and everything i fell inlove lol
Fan of Tony here also! I would love to hear what digital piano you personally prefer to use.
Love your videos! Would be really helpful if you kindly do a comparison between Roland FP90 and this new Yamaha P 515! Thanks!
Great Review - So I bought the p 515 in Austria .
I am sold. I am going for this beast instead of the crappy iPhone.
Tony, many thanks for your video, the piano and your playing sound great and helped inspire me to recently purchase a P-515 Elite Package from Bonners Music. I also purchased a Yamaha KS-SW100 Sub Woofer at the same time and consider it well worth the cost and to my ear definitely adds great depth to bass and mid-range frequencies. It is a shame that there does not appear to be any way of using a simple potentiometer based expression pedal to control the volume of the instruments organ voices through the internal speakers. I guess that this might be possible through use of MIDI but without a lot of research would not know for certain. I hope that you produce further videos of the P-515 at some stage. All the best Keith
Great video as always. I'm in the US so I can't check it out at your store but your videos are the best. I hope the price is good but the wooden keys make me assume it will be expensive.
Also, I hate how Yamaha refuses to make Android versions of their app. iOS is only like 16% of the smartphone market. Yamaha should realize by now that most people use Android and make an Android version.
You're talking about smartphones. If we are talking about tablets, then iPad is a king and no-brainer. I'm a long time Windows and Android user (smartphone). But I have an iPad Pro 12.9" (2017), which is great to work with sheet music (forScore app). Kawai also makes their piano apps only for iOS. And I like this fact. And again, I'm a long time Android user, but I don't care about Android when talking about tablets.
Kougeru well, thats because android is unsafe and easilly hacked. Nothing is more safe then ios. Next to that android tablets are allready nearly extinct because of this.
Алексей Щёголев Jules Berkhof that's all irrelevant because this app works on phones as well. Other demonstrations for this piano have shown it (by Yamaha employees even) on the phone. So my point still stands. And Android is less secure than Apple but not really by much. Don't pretend you don't know that Apple has had more data breaches and hacks than Android companies have.
Samsung makes great Android tablets. I prefer Surface (play Steam games) but their marketshare is basically nothing and Microsoft killed Windows Phones.
I think it is because of the Android's awful support on processing audio and MIDI.
probably Yamaha tried to make the App for Android and was not satisfied with the results!
The layout and the screen seems to be very similar to the roland piano layout, especially the way the sounds are categorized into broad groups
YAMAHA P-515 ESPECTACULAR PIANO. WONDERFULL MARAVILLOSO. HERMOSO PIANO BEAUTIFUL PIANO. HI FROM CULIACÁN SINALOA MÉXICO
Is the reason why it's so much heavier than lower end Ps like the P95 or 125 due solely to the wooden keys?
Damn you’re an awesome piano player
This review was really goood! I just wanted to ask piece did you play at 5:40 because it sounded really nice.
That Yamaha CFX sound takes getting used to, on all sampled versions on all Yamaha keyboards. Anaemic is what comes to mind...
I own the Yamaha P-105. They sampled the CFIIIS Grand and I think it sounds awesome. Very present and rich. But, I am not satisfied with the "plastic" keys. They are noisy and "toy-like." Your word "anemic" in the P-515 is concerning to me. I've always considered the Yamahas to have the best sounding sampled-keyboards, so your comment surprised me. (I don't know how a sampled $180,000 Yamaha 9' Grand could sound anemic?) Are you familiar with the CFIIIS sampled sound?
@@ThePianoMan1953 My main keyboard was/is a Yamaha CP33, which now only serves as a MIDI controller, for sampled pianos on a PC. So there is some perspective to my earlier comment. In general I have become dissatisfied with the sound of most Yamaha portable pianos, below about $1,000. They do a better job of the sampling in their non movable digital pianos and products like their discontinued CP4/CP1, and their recent CP88/YC88.
To be specific, with the less expensive keyboards, the things I hear are less realism, cos many of the natural quirks of a piano(slight inconsistencies) have been smoothed out in the sample pre-processing, and timbre between soft and loud notes is limited. My honest opinion, whomever is releasing such poor sounding products at Yamaha, does not serve the music community well. With the kind of volumes they sell, of these lower cost portable pianos, they have an opportunity to create instruments that make you want to play them and not stop, the mark of a good digital piano. But I can understand that Yamaha must dumb down their cheaper keyboards to avoid competing with their more sonically pleasing and more expensive digital keyboards (portable and non portable). Commerce.
Nevertheless there should be some bar below which they should say no - this does not sound good enough, but guess if the consumer is willing to pay, thinking they have bought a "piano", knowing no better, Yamaha will create these crippled sounding products and sell them. Business.
How would this compare to the MP11SE for someone who wants to invest in a good digital piano to learn on for a number of years?
In my experience (with both models) the Kawai MP11SE is a step above (keybed, design quality, piano sound, more knobs to change sounds etc. )
I love Yamaha P515.. Bossendoffer is the best sounds..while CFX doesnt suit to the heaviness of the Tiklados of P515
Hi Tony, your demonstrations are always fun to watch. I have a question about the P515. Is it possible to layer two pianos for example cfx grand layer with Bosendorfer or other Pianos from the Piano category?
You can access all those 100s of other sounds without iPad by pressing "Function" and "Others" button.
Great review - thank you. Just a polite correction - you mean 'clavinet' not 'clavichord', which is a different instrument entirely. The clavichord was a very gentle/quiet Renaissance keyboard instrument. If Stevie had used that to play 'Superstition', he would have hardly been able to hear it as well as see it......
The only problem is you have to own, or buy an iPad ~ Android app will not work with the P515. Such a shame that Yamaha cannot agree with other manufacturers to have an app other than for iPad.
The sound really. Awesome
6:54 The Secret of My Success - Water Fountain - David Foster
Thanks mate. Been looking for this one.
ES8 or P515....bit confused
Super demo. I will definitely put one of these near, if not at the top of my 'to buy' list once my studio is finished and good to go. One point do the organ voices have a controllable Leslie effect facility?
Thank you! I don't believe the Leslie speed can be controlled. There are three tonewheel type organ voices and one them has slow Leslie in the sample, whilst the other two appear to have been sampled with a fast Leslie. The Kawai ES8 is a similar type of product as the Yamaha but it has a more advanced effects system and allows Leslie speed to be controlled by one of the footpedals.
Very tempted to buy this from your store... how does the action compare to the RD200 from Roland... thanks.
Wow bonito piano quisiera tener uno asi
What a nice demo, thank you!
Great review, thank you so much. It made my decision much easier. Im buying this Piano!
Thank you for the great review! Really enjoyed your beautiful playing also.
Hello! I grew up with a baby grand steinway. I now live in a small apartment and have been searching for a small digital piano with a good sound quality and realistic piano feel. I'm trying to decide between P515 and YDP S54 and don't have any stores near me to try them out. Which would you suggest?
Really excellent presentation. Well done.
This is a great upgrade. The thing is though, the CFX's sound, and the CX and SX as well, is tinged with a long decay. And that's where you hear the colors. That is what makes those pianos so characterful and give them a singing quality. The digital versions seem to have only about 60 percent of the decay. So, while it sounds something like a CFX acoustic (through speakers), it doesn't give the full quality. Still, it's a fraction of the acoustic piano's price without the maintenance, so it's a decent tradeoff. I played the YDP-184 Arius with the CFX sound (sounds exactly like this piano), and sort of got it to "sing."
Benjamin Smith
I have a CLP 635
and believe me.. just turn up damper resonance to 10 (only that one) and the piano sings!!! sounds soooo much more like a real grand with that setting. I use it with every piano sound
Jort Rinket: Fantastic. A singing piano sound is what's most important to me. I was thinking of getting a YDP-184 because it is like a somewhat-decontented CLP635 (no escapement, no Bosendorfer, no binaural). This piano has all of that, plus the CLP645's wood keys. However, is this psychological, or is there a difference between the sounds of the consoles vs. the slabs. It just seems to me the consoles sound better? But they shouldn't, they just add wood to the same piano. Yes, the VRM and Piano Room are essential to making the Yamaha digitals sound better. That's why I don't like the CLP625, it lacks both.
Benjamin Smith
Actually, have you tried the YDP-184?
Because I tried the CLP 645 with same keys and actually I didnt like it!
Yes, the woode white keys feel great BUT.. the black keys are still plastic. and when you play you really feel that diffirence between those keys! its really annoying! thats why I went for the 635. No it doesnt have wooden keys but at least all keys are the same material which makes the overall feel of the piano still better imo.
And yes you are right about the VRM. You need that feature to change the damper resonance and all of those other settings
The YDP184 feels exactly like the CLP635. Well, almost exactly. It doesn't have the escapement when played softly. I don't know what Yamaha doesn't make the black keys wood as well. This piano, the P515, will probably have the uneven wood white and plastic white keys as well.
Thanks for such a helpful review! 🙏
in controls, voices and features.. this seems identical to the p-125... but with a much better keyboard and touch..
Does this have smooth transitions, for example holding a chord with the sustain pedal while switching to another sound? Read somewhere that FP90 can't do that.
You guys need to open a store further north, the vast majority of the UK is north of your current stores. I live in Cheshire, but I'm not going to drive +200 miles to visit your stores on the south coast and south London because it costs a fortune in fuel not to mention the time element.
Please tell me you have plans to branch out so you can service the rest of the UK market. I underline this point because keyboards need to be played and experienced, especially when you're talking about a several thousand pound investment.
You never know......
Can you set volume level in the internal speakers and the main output independently?
What Arius model would be the equivalent in sound quality/functionality to this new Yamaha model? would you recommend to buy this one instead of a Arius YDP 143? Great video, many thanks!
Hello! The Yamaha P515 has been based on specifications within the Clavinova Series Pianos, namely the CLP645. This model is 4 models higher than the YDP143 and as such is not comparable in any way. The YDP143 is a very basic Cabinet style digital piano recommended for beginners on a budget just starting out. The P515 is a Portable digital piano with a wooden key action, a plethora of sounds and features that can be used at home or in a live environment when performing. I recommend getting in touch with us in store to speak to one of our Piano specialist to get the best advice based on your needs.
The YDP184 is closest, but it doesn't have the NSW action. As Bonners said, this piano has the specs of the premium Clavinova CLP645. The YDP143 is way inferior to this piano.
Hi, what model will be the same to have in home ? I mean with wooden keys too. THanks
Amazing review. Thanks for sharing. Which is the name if the sing you play at 6:50? Thanks at advance.
Hi, which key action is more confortable, reliable and which feels more balanced and better playing near at the fulcrum, between this P515 and Roland FP90?... Thanks!...
Which would you advise---ES8 or 515---for a beginner home pianist, playing classical/mixed genres? I currently have an ES5.
Hi, does the P-515 produce the same piano sound as compared to CP-88 (with the same type of piano)? Please advise me, thank you!
No, the P515 has the same CFX and Bosendorfer samples but uses more modelling techniques (string resonance for example). The CP88 sounds thinner and is more suitable for live-bands. The P515 sounds richer/warmer and is the better choice for solo piano performances or recording. If you want to get an impression of the 'ambient/new age' qualities of the CFX sample of the Yamaha P515 you can listen to the track 'Particles'. th-cam.com/video/aZuckRAB-UE/w-d-xo.html
Enjoy!
I was planning on buying the DGX 660 however I’ve been seriously looking into the P515. Other then it is double the price do you feel it has the same amount of features and is it that far above the DGX 660 I would really like to hear your opinion?
B Drones of course. The p515 is waay above the DGX 660 in terms of sound.
Hi, how does it compare with the Yamaha CP1/CP5?...
Can. you have both a three pedal unit AND an aux. pedal hooked up to this DP at the same time? Nice video and expressive piano playing!
You can certainly connect the triple pedal and a separate Aux pedal to the P515 as they use different connections, however it is unclear whether both will work simultaneously as we no longer have one here to check this. They are arriving in October! We suspect that the triple pedal may cancel out the Aux Pedal.
great demo...thanks bud!
Intro from E.J. single man album 👌
Excelente, hace rato esperaba este teclado, cuando estará en Colombia ?
Cesar Augusto Hurtado Hurtado creo saldra en septiembre
Hello, is the cable to connect the iPad to the piano included?
What about the Studiologics Numax Piano GT?
HI Bonners. Besides the quantity of the sound/rhythms what are the major improvements over the P255? The user interface looks less easy to use to me and I didn't like the appearance of the connections for aux output wobbling, which need to last a lot of use if you are gigging.
Hi Adrian. The P515 has the same user interface that you would find on the Yamaha Clavinovas. Having the screen does make the navigation of the features incredibly easy, but of course, you can connect it to your iOS or Android device and use the Smart Pianist App to make things even easier. The speaker system is also larger on the new P515, giving better clarity and more depth at the lower end. Lastly, it has a wooden key action, making this a great option for any pianist wanting an authentic piano action within this price range.
The particular instrument featured in this video is one of Yamaha's own prototypes and will have been subjected to much use over the last few months with various demonstrations and testing being done on it all around the country, so I wouldn't be at all worried about its ability to hold up well with regular gigging. If you have any further questions feel free to contact us directly.
Thank you for the great review! I do have a question. You said that compared to the P255 it's a much better keyboard. Among other features, it clearly has a more sophisticated piano action than the P255. How would you compare the feels of these keyboard actions? Does it have a lighter-feeling action? Or does the action make it weightier than the P255? I'd assume the wood action makes it lighter and more expressive than P255, but I don't want to assume. Thank you!!
Nice. Sad that Bonners don't deliver outsaid UK :(
Hi. Whereabouts are you? We deliver to many countries within Europe.
@@bonnersmusic Lithuania
Tony, P515 or CLP735 ? Please
Very good presentation. Thanx
Very nicely presented. Thanks
Wish they did the clear music stand on the P-125.
Hi I would like to ask if with my p515 I can control via midi a modx6 to use as a layer. Thanks
If I was to use this with smart pianist, do I need to get a special adapter to use it with Bluetooth?
Does the P515 have actual full wooden keys or just half wood keys/wood sides?
Can someone please indicate the name of the demo song that the P-515 piano plays in the CFX-Grand section?
Hello Tony, Are the keys shorter/narrower on the P-515?
Syed Hasnain - they are certainly narrower to Roland’s PHA50 action...on the PHA50 I can play in between the black keys without touching them whereas on the P515 I can touch them.
jamiecw74 , Many thanks. Valuable information that is not mentioned in any direct review.
Hi friends!, i'm looking the best and faster key action and finger to sound connection for classical and jazz, between the Roland FP90 or Yamaha P515. Thanks!...