Yamaha CP-33

This piano is very easy to use initially, like many others it's just a case of turning it on and all the buttons are intuitive. However if you want to adjust anything (like the voice 2 effect depth or octave offset) then it's a case of negotiating yamaha's function menu. Given there is only a 3 digit display, the menu is as good as it can be but is certainly frustrating without a bigger screen or the ability to call back presets. The manual is good though.

64 note polyphony is enough, more would be better. The action of the keys is one of the best things about this piano, it feels much more solid than similar pianos and really has the touch of something like a bechstein. The effects are good, particularly the reverb which is very crisp and sounds fantastic, the chorus, phaser, rotary speaker and tremolo are as expected. There are enough effects to create some unique sounds for most purposes after a bit of playing around. The piano is perfectly adequate for controlling a couple of midi devices but again setting this up is not that easy. The zone controls are incredibly useful.

It seems yamaha have put a lot of effort into the new grand piano sound and it has certainly paid off, this is the best of any stage piano I have heard. The sound blew me away and you would not be dissapointed if you bought the piano on the strength of the grand sound alone. Mono piano is a welcome addition and gets rid of the annoying phase cancellations etc when reducing the stereo mix. The vibes sound is definately an improvement from the p-series as are the bass sounds. Sadly the 4 electric piano sounds seem a bit thin and lacking compared to ones on previous models but they are ok if you play around with the fx. One of them unfortunately sounds like it's sole use is for playing the synth part in 'starlight express'...

panel lock button is handy but strangely on a piano that is meant for the stage ie. will be plugged into a sound desk, the volume control cannot be locked. I think it's a sound engineers worst nightmare to find the pianist keeps knocking the volume control. Otherwise the usual gripe about the external power supply is another thing to worry about. However the piano has a very high build quality and feels like it would be pretty hard to break, that's all I can say having only had the piano a few weeks.

Not needed yet!

This piano was worth every penny, it's strengths are the fantastic grand sound, the key action and the size, much smaller and lighter than the cp300. In my opinion yamaha still produce the best piano sounds. The electric piano sounds are not that good but I expect I will end up using an external midi device for those sounds anyway. The piano is well designed for it's purpose - a portable great sounding stage piano.

I found it very easy to use which is surprising since this is my first digital piano purchase. I like the look of this, not flashy, quite subdued.

Polyphony is 64. The keyboard feels very solid and the keys have the perfect... I don't know the right word... 'bounce' is all I can think of. I've tried some cheaper ones like the m-audio pro keys 88 which felt flimsy and I was wary of playing on it just in case I broke it in the shop. The sound of the Yamaha is the best so far. Pro keys sound very artificial; you can't forget you're only playing a digital, but Yamaha sounds way better. Some say they prefer the sound of the Roland Fantom, which costs ??1000 more, but I found it to be quite fake. I don't like the Korg sound at all. The grand piano 1 is my favourite sound so far. I do not like the mono piano, but if the 'master' volume is on, it sounds a lot better. However, the 'master' volume with the sound layer control does not do much to improve the grands, because they already sound excellent.

I like the touch of this piano, as it mimics acoustic pianos closely. It stil feels a bit light compared to some acoustics, but it actually feels heavier than the baby grand I tried. It is a solid instrument, and I am not afraid to pound away on it.
The shop assistant thought the more expensive cp300 had slightly better sample sounds, but is the difference really the extra money? I think the grands on this piano sound expressive and fluid.

I have only had this for a few days, I cannot say much about its reliability. It feels reliable, but fingers crossed it will prove itself to be true to the stereotypical Yamaha quality!

Cannot comment

It is a wonderfully solid piano. I am very happy with my purchase. After all, I could have saved money by buying a cheaper one, but there is no point because I will not enjoy playing my music. This, on the other hand, is worth every penny.

It's pretty simple, except the 'function' settings. You realy need the manual, if you want to change something there.
Typical issue:
Your DAW software turnes off the local control, and you only recognize it during the souncheck of your next gig... If you don't know, how to turn it back, and you don't have the manual with you, you are lost. (You may loopback your MIDI, as I did :) )

Ok, it does not have aftertuoch, but who cares? It's a stage piano...
External power supply... arghhhhhh....

Great. Just great.

I have it in two months, so I don't know. It's ok so far.

I had a P80 before, and I experienced the so called key-breaking issue.
3 years after the garantee, the changed the full keyboard mechanics for me, so I can't say any negative about Yamaha support.

Regarding to CP 33 no experiences yet, but I hope the same attitude...

Great value for your money.
If it were lost or stolen, I would buy it again.

Very easy to use. It's alot like the P-90, in that there is not much you can do with it. Apparently it has some additional midi capabilities that the P-90 does not. The manual is very clear.

I like the keyboard action for playing acoustic piano. That, and the light weight, were the selling points for me. The action is relatively heavy, and I like that. I can go between this and a real piano without too much adjustment.

The sounds are very similar to the P-90. If it is upgraded, my ears can't tell. I like the piano sounds, and the clav is alright (though unplayable on this keyboard action). The rhodes and wurly don't compare to a Nord Electro. I haven't tried using the Mono Piano yet, so I don't know if it will make any difference during a live gig, which is what Yamaha says it is good for.

Wall-wart is the only concern.

I actually wanted to get a P-90, but it is discontinued. I'm done breaking my back carrying keyboards that weigh over 40 lbs. I won't do it anymore. The CP-33 is almost as light as the P-90 and has the basically the same soundset, so it will work for me.

Easy to use as a table lamp. Plug it in, switch it on.

There are many advanced features, the manual covers these comprehensively. CP-33 has decent midi control functions for a stage piano.

The first grand piano when you switch it on sounds absolutely stunning. You need decent headphones/equipment otherwise it will sound rubbish.

Other presets for different instruments are ok; I have little interest in them so will not comment further.

This is sold as a stage piano, so we???ll discuss this first.

The polyphony is more than enough. You will never be able to get this piano to drop out in any way that is audible, so much so that the question of polyphony is no longer relevant. (I???ve even tried to make it drop out, and it won???t).

The keyboard action is astonishing. It is so real, so perfect I can???t quite believe it. Previous Yamaha digital pianos were accused of having a too weighty action. This has been addressed. More so than this, it is the action of a very expensive grand, much more than I would be able to afford even if I bought a real piano.

The MIDI capabilities are excellent for a stage piano. Arguably more than you???d need. USB midi connection as well as standard. Pitch/mod wheels on the keyboard. It is worth noting that this keyboard does not offer after touch, but then again neither do real pianos. Regarding this point, if you were buying a midi controller you wouldn???t spend this much anyway.

One thing I think is missing on such a high end item is SPDIF/digital out of some kind. All audio outputs are analogue which I feel is a bit silly on a digital instrument. I would definitely have used a digital out as the main hookup if it were available.

The grand piano sound is absolutely stunning. I honestly cannot get my head around it. It is has warmth, depth, resonance, things that are normally associated with electronic instruments. It feels real. It responds beautifully to playing and is incredibly versatile. The clarity is astonishing. With decent headphones, if you close your eyes you would think you were playing the most amazing grand piano. I do believe that this is the first digital piano that has really cracked it; it???s not just a practice aid or a ???piano alternative???, this is actually an instrument you can keep and love.

It has reverbs and timbre settings, and a ???variation??? button. These do what you???d expect, and give you a variety of different feels if you fancy a change. I haven???t got bored of the standard piano yet.

I would just say one thing, when I first plugged it in I listed to it through some cheap headphones (about ??15 I think) and was really disappointed. I tried my Sennheiser CX300???s which I used with my ipod and that was a revelation. You need decent quality equipment to get the most out of this piano.

The one last thing I would say is that there is very slight ???amplifier hiss??? (the low level hiss you can hear in speakers that tell you they are on). While this is acceptable, on very high end equipment you don???t get this, and I am fussy enough to wish it wasn???t there.

I cannot comment on the reliability because I have not had it long enough. It seems to be very well built. The CP33 is supposedly the professional line of pianos, and this is a step up from the P140. I never tried the P140, however all other Yamaha stage pianos I have tried seems ???plasticy???. This does not. This is serious bit of kit, and has matching build quality.

If there is one build quality/reliability gripe I have, I wish the power supply was built into the body. The power supply has a flimsy cable and connects by a guitar stomp box type plug. I can guarantee that the first time someone trips on it it will break. Yamaha, if you read this, build the power supply into the body next time.

Never dealt with them.

I would absolutely buy it again if it were lost/stolen. It is worth what I paid. It is also worth the premium on the P-series (the P140 retails for about ??100 less, and you???d be stupid to get that and not this. I have not tried the P140 however I do believe it is very ???furniture like??? and has a plasticy feel. CP 33 is solid metal).

I tried comparing it to rolands, older Yamahas and few other randoms. The top of the line roland is very nice. It is also very expensive. I preferred this. The older Yamahas are good but when you hear this in comparison you realise they have had their day. If you don???t believe me, get some decent headphones (I stress, decent headphones not an amp or whatever) and try it out at a store. It is a no-brainer.

It helps me make music because it is so easy to use.

Gripes re: power supply and digital outs mentioned above.

This is very easy to use. I'm primarily a pianist, so I don't deal much with other patches. The manual is easy to understand. I simply didn't have the resources to get a roland rd-700sx, so I looked around and really liked the CP piano sound. That and the action is very suitable for me. It didn't take but a few days to get used to the action of the keyboard

Nothing special in terms of effects...no expansion..again the action is nice once I got used to it, having played roland RD's and FP's for the past 6 years. I never mess with MIDI so I can't give a review.

I've already used G Piano1 on recording software...the resonance is outstanding. I wish there were stronger string sounds, but I didn't expect much from them on this piano.

I haven't gigged that much with it yet. Like other reviewers, I too wished they had placed the power supply in the board. Those little wall power supplies scare me because I've had many products die on stage because of that flimsy wire coming out of the power supply getting crimpped and damaged from road wear. I love the roland sounds and roland products but have always liked the sounds of the Yamaha P series. And with the price under 1200, I couldn't pass on buying the CP-33. The word on the casing actually says stage piano, so I assume this is marketing to us who actually gig quite a bit.

haven't dealt with them yet.

if this were lost, I would definately try to get the CP-300...I want the built in speakers, although...the cp-33 is light and easy to setup/teardown. But as for now, this will have to do and I'm very pleased so far.

Just turn it on and play it.. nothing complicated here
Excellent portable stage piano @ 38lbs.

It's 64 note polyphone. The action is the closest I've seen to a grand piano. Reverb, echo are all panel switches Contains 2 zone controls.

Very good piano sound... much improved over the P90
The Rhodes, Wurly, and Clav sounds seem a stepup from the P90 too.

I don't use the Hammond sound, it's just not that authentic or playable for me.

The other sounds are very playable but I don't user them.

We its probably pretty good.

The are available.. The unit does not ship a music rest and the Customer Support states the CP33 and CP300 don't ship with music rest. Futher, Yamaha does not make a music rest of this model. I find this very confused, because both models come with mounts for music rests.. but you just can't get them from Yamaha. So their customer support works, but they couldn't tell me how these mounts are used.

Purchase in July 2006. A step up from the P90 as far as the piano sounds and keyboard actions. The Rhodes and Wurly sounds are also improved. It's a few pounds heavier, and bigger than the P90.

I suspect the P90 had some mechanical problems because everything is mounted on a circuit board on the left side. The CP33 is bigger but the output connectors seem more secure.

Software version? It just came out, so, whatever was factory installed as of 8/10/06 or so.

There are no patches to edit, it's a digital piano. I havn't needed the manual yet.

64 note polyphony. Keyboard action is OUTSTANDING. (I hadn't played it before purchase, and trusted Yamaha's action I'd used before on the P-120. I was not let down.

Built in effects? Yes. Reverb, Chorus, Tremolo, Rotary, all very nice. Gives the voices specific character.

Expansion? I don't see anything for it.

MIDI Capable. 4 zones split into 2 sliders. MIDI In/Out/USB. Touch response is adjustable.

No sequencer, but it's not a workstation. It's a piano. Want a workstation? Korg TR!

Reaction to velocity / aftertouch is phenominal. All instruments are realistic, and multisampled. Works well for all genre's requiring piano (amazing) / organ (ok) / choir / strings / harpsichord / vibraphone (extra nice) / etc.......

Onboard effects are nice for what they do. Color the original multi samples. It reacts to my playing extremely well.

It's in a metal casing. I have a Gator G-Tour slim case for it. I have to gig without a back up because I don't have the cash for one. It's paired with my Korg TR though, so I'll always have a keyboard. 39 lbs?! INCREDIBLE!

Never contacted.

Wow. Incredible action. IMHO Yamaha recreates real pianos the best, and this is no acception. It's a piece of work in a metal casing, but still weighs in below 40 lbs. Should it turn up missing? I'd replace it as soon as I can afford it again. I've been playing 12 years on an upright. My first keyboard was the Korg TR, and while that thing is a beast of its own, the feel is what I needed. The two go hand in hand.

The piano triple samples are fantastic. The mono piano shines through the band PA. Vibraphones are AMAZING. I don't think my 'board lock' button works, but it doesn't matter. With my TR above it, I doubt I'll accidently hit a wrong button.

If I could add one thing to it, it would be the recording tracks that are available on the Yamaha P-120.

It's inspiring. Makes me feel like I'm sitting at the piano I learned on. Even though the CP has heavier action than my upright, but that's in part to the 100+ years of age it has. Amazing.

Plug it in, turn it on, presets sound great - especially the mono piano in live situations.

I would give it a 10 - because it has everything I need. However in the overall, and comparatively, I'd give the cp300 a 10 for features, but I'd never use 90% of them anyway if I had a cp300, which is why I opted for this, and why it's a 10 for me, but I'm giving it an 8 overall.

If you want more sounds, you can hook up external midi tone generators, though for what I do, it's got everything I need.

Expressiveness is awesome. Effects are great. This would work from everything from classical to rock - though not electronica/dance as the included instruments are limited to reproductions of acoustic instruments really.

The touch is great, the feel is solid.

So far so good, gig without a backup.

Have never needed Yamaha support so far...hope I never do.

Seems to strike a balance between portability/function/price. What do I wish it had? The same price and size the CP33 has, but the features of the CP300. But realistically, it's got everything I need for recording & gigs. Great standalone and great sounding piano/organ/strings, great touch and expressiveness - feels just like a piano (with the option to negate touch sensitivity all together if you want) and very portable.

Compared this to the Roland offerings, and the feel and overall functionality and sound of this tipped the scales for what I was looking for.

Very easy to use with a simple interface for the 2 midi zones.

Presets sound better than the P-120 IMHO for the 2 main piano sounds
the rhodes is better and there is a Wurli, don't think the P-120 had a Wurli. Clav seems maybe alittle beefier. The organs are the same as the 120. A Marimba was added and I liked that. I do use it!

I don't like Yamaha's 'Function' edit interface.

The Manual is pretty good.

Polyphony is 64, could have been 88 but not for $1299 I guess.

The effects are limited but sound good.

No expansion....($1299)

Thank GOD they added the Midi zones, I needed them badly on the P-120 and they figured the market out and plopted it in and of course I bought it. I hate that, but hey!

No seq, I did think it had the "light" seq that the P-120 had ... I was alittle disappointed bout that... but really no biggie for me!

I'm using this for blues and causuals. My P-120 was a mainstay, I expect the same for the CP33.

Wish it had pressure though, hey it was fairly cheap and the main piano sounds very good. IT's not a P-250/CP300.... but in some ways it's better (smaller , lighter e).

The P-120 was pretty good.... expect the same here for the CP33 realiability.

Yamaha always seemed "too" corporate to me, but they make great stuff!

The previous reviewer was a little harsh I thought. For gigging "on the run" it's probably the perfect stage piano. It's not a studio ax.

My only negatives are these:

1. -Doesn't send Vol. Midi CC from the pedal only Expression (my Voce V5 will still need my Erni Ball Vol. pedal (rats, I was hopeing for Vol/Exp)). Put the Midi Zone Slider sends Vol. for all of you non Pedal players.

2. External Power supply.

Positives:

1- Great Usuable Piano/EP Sounds, w/good Clav, Marimba, Usuable in a pinch Organ and Bass (good Bass with Ride)...

2- 2 Midi zones

3- light and relatively small

4 Very Very comfortable/ responsive / triple layer piano sample sound set and action.


It's a winner piano, I thought the last reviewer was a nut (IMHO) but we need those kinda people to keep things honest I suppose and the MFG's on their toes.