Yamaha P80

Very easy to use, the main presets and functions are all accessible. (sounds, transpose, metronome...)

But you need to open the manual for more advanced (never used them in 6 years, except some midi stuff) settings. There is no graphical interface (only 4 character led numbers).

The P80 is for me a PIANO REPLACEMENT, to be played as is without messing around.

Poliphony is ok, never heard a missed note.

The ACTION is WORDERFUL, the main reason I bought P80 at the time.
Nothing else had this feeling, and it seems they did not make great improvements over time. Action is better than many cheap vertical pianos i played, so real...

I tried the midi interface to play other sounds, but did not spend too much time to map the velocity sent by the P80 to the sound on PC I wanted to use, so I did not have good results. Some other posts say the velocity sent is dependent on the P80 instrument selected, how awkward...

The sequencer is there, easy to use, minimal features, enough to hear yourself again for study...

Realistic sound. Perfect on headphones. I'm talking about Grand Piano. The other sounds are fun to use, but P80 IS Grand Piano.

If played through speakers, some notes in the mid-high register seem out of tune, and sound is not clear. But it's an amplifier/speaker issue: using more professional amplifiers, the problem disappears.

A personal guess: the stereo sound is recorded with some phase shifting and intensity delay, in addition to volume difference from left to right, so that the two outputs must be of high quality to keep the synch and make sound come out as intended (and heard in headphone)

Playing is a delight, expecially at night, thus using the headphones and getting the best out of the P80.

Always used it at home, never broke

Never used

If stolen, I would buy another or one of the newer models, I hope they still use or improve the same keyboard mechanics of P80.

I wish it had built in speakers, optimized for P80 sounds. If I attach external speakers, I need to look for upper quality systems, which is not always available.

I wish it had an always available "quick guide", engraved or printed somewhere (maybe on the plastic score panel?), to avoid opening the manual.

P80 for me works as a perfect piano replacement.

the best. i only wish there was a pitch bender, but that's just me. can't bite the hand that feeds

I cannot honestly imagine a better sounding piece of equipment

As long as you treat it with care, this is SO reliable

If you're looking for the best, you'd be crazy not to buy this. I've had it 4 years and I can honestly say it's a decision i will never regret. just be sure to take EXTRA good care of it - no bumping it, or dropping it even the SLIGHTEST bit. If you can help it, always travel with a case (preferably hard - although I use soft and there's been no damage. Any questions feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I love talking about how awesome this keyboard is.

Crappy interface for functions,

manual is very global and doesn't really give detaills

Very less midi functionality, absolutely no midi keyboard for change controll

the keys are crap, all the d's do break after a couple of years, so you have to open it up and glue all the broken pieces of the keys, and after 2 weeks they are broke again...

sounds are okey, but no multiple effect support and there are not alot of sounds

Totally not reliable...

Not yet tried...

The keyboard is for the most part easy to use, all except for changing the volumes when you do layer and splits. But other than that it is very simple. The manual explains everything well, this is a digital piano, so there is not much to know, (compared to Tritons and Fantoms) Most presets are good.

The keyboard comes with 64 notes of polyphony and being that the keyboard at most uses 2 voices per note, it holds up very well. The action is good, not as good as on a Clavinova or grand piano. Action is a little on the heavy side. It has some good effects, you can use 2 at a time 1 for reverb and the other for stuff like chorus, tremolo, delay, and something else.
No expansion capabilities at all. It has a 2 track sequencer, its not flexible, but it is pretty easy to use

Rock piano is the best, Classical piano is to dark. The Jazz and Grand piano is pretty good. The variations of all pianos are okay but not that great. The electric pianos are excellent. EP1 is a nice FM piano and EP2 is a rhodes sound. Strings are decent, organs are pretty good. On Jazz organ with the variation off it is in slow mode, with the variation on, its in fast mode, so its pretty easy controlling rotary speed. This keyboard could probably do best with most styles in which pianos are used. Organs and electric pianos are great, but I wouldn't use the P80 for them. Effects are decent. I just wish the keyboard had a better overall brightness and lighter keys so modern music would be easier

I've had this thing 5 years, its pretty reliable. Paints coming off, and its rusty in some spots, and the letters are fading, but other than that its doing good

Yamaha's customer support is not half as good as Roland or Korg. I think Korg has the best. Yamaha is slow and they hardly ever get back with you on stuff, and really aren't much help.

Well if it was lost or stolen I probably wouldn't buy it again cause I have a Fantom and a Triton so I use them, and the P80 just sits in the basement (finished) basement of the church. But you never know when you might need it. I've been playing for 10 and 1/2 years, and I also own a Roland Fantom X8, Roland Juno-D, Korg Triton Classic, Yamaha S03, M-Audio Keystation. I looked at other keyboards, but I liked this one the best, it was pretty affordable but that was because I got it on closeout

Very simple. Only difficulty is with functions--the three digit display is very limiting and you need the manual for reference. It also forgets your settings when you turn it off, so I have to reset the reverb and touch sensitivity every time I play.

Everything you need, nothing more, nothing less. For it's time, it was great. Mine is at least 5 years old.

See other reviews for detailed features.

I've had this thing for over 5 years now. No matter what new digital piano comes out, and no matter what the hype surrounding it, this P-80 is STILL the best sounding, most expressive digital piano out there. I've tried Kawais, Rolands, even GEMs. They're all full of shit. Even the newer Yamahas don't sound as good as this.

People (including myself) tend to complain about the short sustain on upper register notes. But the decay sounds NATURAL, unlike the fake sounding ring on their newer digital pianos.

This is also one of the few digital pianos out there that nails the physical dynamics of the damper pedal. Here's the test: Play a chord while holding down the sustain pedal. Release the chord but keep the pedal down. The chord sustains, right? Now depress those same keys all the way down, but slowly enough so that they don't play the notes again. Now release the pedal while holding down the notes. On a real acoustic piano, the notes would continue sustaining. And the P-80 does this. But 99% of digital pianos, including most of Yamaha's other models, don't get this right. (It's basically a way of getting the sostenuto effect without using a sostenuto pedal.)

I'm a pianist, and I don't care about the other sounds. Reverb is descent. Action is more expressive than most digital pianos, but not at all like the real thing. (Again, no matter what the hype, I've never tried ANY digital piano that came anywhere near the feel of a real piano. Not Kawai, not GEM, not Yamaha, not Roland.)

Been pounding out Rachmaninoff on it for over 5 years, and it's held up quite nicely.

Who knows?

If it had 128 notes of polyphony instead of 64, some more sustain while retaining a natural decay, and a somewhat more realistic action, then this would be a dream instrument. Given its shortcomings, it's still better than everything else I've tried, even "flagship" models costing more than twice as much.

Previous electronic keyboards I have used were complex to set up, and neede elaborate sequences to be followed to get any sound at all. With the P-80 I just switch on and play. I like the absence of menus - Individual controls for eachg feauture is by far the best for ease of use.

64 note polyphony is fine - after all there are only 88 notes on the keyboard. It is a definite i provement on 32 which cause problems in much classical piano music

The MIDI capabilities are rudimentary, but I wanted a portable piano thta I can also use with headphones for intensive practive without disturbing everyone for miles around. If I wanted MIDI I'd have bought a MIDI controller

The feel of the keys is good, but not perfect. There is a bit of "springiness" that you don't find on a grand piano.

The ability to record is useful, both for playing concertos, and for objective assessment of my performances. The other features and instruments don't interest me much, but they are easy to use and fun.

The instrument responds with the right level of volume and timbre for the weight and speed that the keys are struck - just like an acoustic piano.

The piano sounds are convincing in the bass and middle register, but the upper registers have a definite electronic sound to them, and do not sustain as long as on a genuine acoustic. They are good enough, but still obviously not the real thing.

Big benefits over an acoustic piano (apart from the obvious ones of portability and silent practice) are that the instrument is always in tune, that the action is consistent through the whole range with gradually reducing weight from bass to treble, and that there are no hammer felts to harden or develop grooves. I find it better than most acoustic pianos for developing tonal control and sensitivity.

My P-80 has one small fault. The E flat below middle C occasionally sticks in the up position, usually after the instrument has been stored or transported on end. It is easily released by jiggling it about and coudl probably be properly repaired quite simply, but I don't relish opening up the case myself (and probbly doing some serious damage), or seeking out an instrument technician tht could repair it for me

Apart from that it is completeely dependable and I'd have no problem performing on it without a backup

I have no experience of Yamaha's customer support.

I have been playing piano for 35 years and have played on all the top name grands (Bechstein, Bluthner, Steinway, Bosendorfer) as well as many lesser brands. I own a good quality upright piano. I used to have a Fatar Studiologic 1100 keyboard. It had excellent action, touch sensitivity and after touch, but it needed an external sound generator and was rather fussy and time consuming to set up - which is why I eventually sold it.

For practicality (built-in sound, instant-on) I much prefer the P-80, though I think the keyboard action on the Fatar was marginally better.

If my P-80 were lost or stolen I would certainly consider getting another, or a later model from Yamaha, but I would also check out the competitio to see if anyone has produced a more realistic treble sound in an equally usable and convenient package

It is definitely worth what I paid - but then I bought mine second-hand. I don't know if I would have paid the full retail price for one.

It has been and still is, a tremendous help to me. I like to put in 4 or more hours of practice a day. I could not do that on an acoustic piano. It would be quite impractical in a small house shared with other people. With the P-80 I just plug in headphones, or turn the volume right down on the practice amp, and practice for as long as I like. I also often work away from home, and it is convenient to be able to take a practice keyboard with me.

I would recommend it to any beginning or improving pianist. How good you get depends entirely on how many hours of meaningful practice you accomplish. Future super-stars work at the keyboard for 8 hours a day for several years to develop their amazing skillss. An instrument like this provides the means to do that without driving everyone around you mad!

Generally very easy to use and the manual is clear. My only complaint is that features I commonly use (such as local on/off) take more keystrokes than I'd like.

This an electronic piano and the polyphony (64) is generally more than sufficient. The multiple piano sounds offer nice choices. The built-in reverb and brightness slider are good and allow some tailoring of the sound. The ability to set resistance on the keyboard is a very nice feature, although the keyboard itself is a bit spongy.

The MIDI features are generally adequate. However, the piano will not accept a panning signal from the computer nor can you split it into multiple MIDI transmit zones - of course it's not a controller.

This piano is great for rock and pop music. The expressiveness and sounds of the pianos on this instrument are excellent, particularly the Grand and Jazz Piano. The Rock Piano itself sounds less than stellar on its own but works pretty well in a blues, blues rock or country mix.

The other sounds on this baby - easy piano, organ, etc. - aren't worth anything but you don't buy it for that. If you want a great, inexpensive electric piano, this is a strong contender.

This piano is very dependable and I have often gigged with it without a backup.

Have dealt with Yamaha on other instruments and it's support has been very helpful. Not had to deal with the co. on this one.

If I lost this piano I'd buy it again or one of its successors in the Yamaha P line. I've been playing for about 30 years and really love the piano sounds on the P-80 in combination with its relatively light weight for an 88-key elec. piano. I've had it for several years now and felt no need to replace it. I own a Yamaha SY-85 and TG500 and a Windows PC with Gigastudio and many sound samples.

The presets? I just turn it on And go. I do a lot of gigs with this thing and have had it for 5 years. The manual, like all manuals, are complicated so I looked at it 3 times in 5 years. But like I said, the beauty of the P80 is you turn it on and go!

The only effects I really use is the split with bass in the left and jazz piano in the right and let me tell you, using the right amp ( Roland kc300, 350, 500, ) this is as close to the real thing as you can get, upright bass and grand piano for jazz standards and straight ahead, especially if you know how to play left hand bass!

Like I said before the bass is awesome with the correct amp and the jazz piano is great. The electric is o.k. The expressiveness works well to me and the touch is definetly real piano like.( I play classical so I know)

Again, 5 + years and many, many gigs 3-4 nights a week every week
and my only complaint was the afore-to-mentioned key-sticking problem
that cost me over the years a few hundred bucks to have repaired until I recently took it in for a yet again stuck key and the shop called me and said yamaha would replace the entire key assembly , which they did. I wish I would have known that a few years ago.
I have used this baby for 5 years and never needed a backup.

Like I said, I did get a major repair which makes me wish I 'da just contacted Yamaha in the first place!

If it were lost ( how the heck do you lose an 88 key keyboard...on the other hand I did "misplace" 2 100 Watt Amps ) or stolen ( don't even go there ) I would definitely buy it again, although I would definitely consider something exactly like it with onboard drum kits.
Then I would be a one man trio.
I use a Roland KC300 to play it through and a Kawai GB2 session trainer drum machine.

I HAVE NOT TRIED MIDI YET..BUT HOPE TO SOON. THIS PIANO IS SIMPLE TO USE BUT BE SURE YOU HAVE ALL THE PLUGS AND MONITORS THAT DON'T COME WITH THE P-80. ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE FIRST TRYING IT ON A SUNDAY! THE MANUAL IS A MUST WHICH IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON-LINE.

64 POLYPHONY IS OK, EXCEPT PLAYING FULL TWO HANDED CHORDS WITH STRING AND PEDAL CUTS OUT WHEN PLAYING FAST.TOO MUCH FOR 64 TO HANDLE? I USE JAZZ PIANO WITH STRING ON THE 17 TO 18 MIX SETTING. LEARN HOW TO USE THOSE MIX SETTINGS.

REALISTIC SOUNDS! COME ON, YOU CRITICS...SPRING FOR A GOOD AMP (LIKE THE ROLAND KC350 OR KC550. FOR GOOD STUDIO OR SMALL HALL SOUND ALSO PLUG IN YOUR MONITORS AND SUBWOOFER IN THE RCA HOOKUPS! THATS RIGHT,BOTH AT THE SAME TIME (AND THE P-80 HAS ENOUGH OUTPUTS!). PIANOS NEED THE RANGE OF HIGHS AND LOWS! THE AMP IS A MUST AND IS THE "OTHER HALF" OF YOUR SYSTEM.

HAD IT FOR 3RD YEAR NOW...USUALLY STAYS IN ONE PLACE...OCCASIONALLY LUG IT TO A GIG IN A SOFT BAG.(SHOULD HAVE TAKEN UP HARMONICA)sSOUNDS GREAT SOLO AT COCKTAIL HOURS.

NO NEED YET

MIGHT LOOK FOR THE SAME THING WITH MORE INSTRUMENT SOUNDS..P-90 OR EVEN A MOTIF W/88 KEYS

Brianless. Plug it in and your good to go.

The action on the board and the weight are the reason I bought the board in the first place. Great!

I play in a rock band and the rock piano works best for me. The rock organ is pretty good and when you press the "variation" button is give you a leslie simulation effect. The strings aren't bad as well as the electric piano. Howevever, when using the electric piano press the "Hard" button so because if you play too hard the volume suddenly increases.

I have had the P80 for about 5 years now and it has never failed me. I gig with is about 3x's per month and transport it with the Yamaha soft case to/from practice. This keyboard is a workhorse.

I had a few keys sticking. Not sure why but I play very hard and after 5 years it my be normal wear/tear. I called my local Yamaha repair shop and they called Yamaha for me and described the problem. In 3 weeks I had a BRAND NEW P80 shipped to me.