Yamaha YDP-223

This is very easy to use. The only "learning curve" would be learning how to use the Functions, which is strange, but not too hard.

The piano, voices and recording 2 tracks are intuitive. Once you find out how to get the Demo and prerecorded 50 songs going, that's easy too.

The manual is ok, but the problem with Yamaha is in NOT giving you a schematic. Their attitude is "you're too stupid to know technical stuff, call the Pros" They make you pay for it.

I haven't edited patches yet, but their NOT using a USB is a bit out-of-date.

However, read the features for my thoughts on that.

The polyphony for this price range is apt. The keyboard action is very good. Not as easy as a Roland, not as hard as a real piano, but something inbetween. Yamaha excels in keyboard action if you like playing a real piano.

Built in effects are good. If you want more, invest in a Motif Rack ES or something, money well spent.

I particularly like the fact that there are AUX inputs, which most low end piano's lack (so you can go to an external sound processor and trigger them with the keyboard and get the sound back out the speaker. The Function for doing this is a bit weird, but it can do it)

All function changes reset with the power, but are quick enough to set back. MIDI in/out is a must in my book. The AUX out is both RCA and 1/4 inch (the in's are 1/4) and one is flat, so that is EXCELLENT feature for this price range.

The recording is a nice feature for a kid learning. The preset songs are a really nice thought, and the sheet music, although in a bad binder for sheet music, is a real nice addition.

There are advanced features that give it a 10 rating though. One is the ability to change tunings to a number of historical types of tunings. If you know what those are, it's a super cool feature to play with. If you don't, then don't worry about it. But Bach had to deal with it, so you can see where he made great inputs into Western music.

The choice of instruments is decent given the price range.

The given sounds are pretty cool. Although the strings are pretty bad (Yamaha is KNOWN for making great string sounds, but you won't find them here, go to the Motif Rack ES for the good ones) The Organs are real nice, although the low end is a bit weak (you can't simulate the pedals like on their high end organ sounds, again on the ES) but the Harpsichord is THE BEST i've ever heard. Perfect capture.

Now to the Piano sound. The Piano sound is good for this model and even models 1000 more. The speakers are strong enough to capture their pianoness well.

HOWEVER, they aren't up to the standards of the older clavinova's. Somehow, Yamaha took the best piano sound on earth and screwed it up by not allowing enough sample time for decay. How to tell? Play a high end C minor chord and hold it on suspension. After a natural decay of about 2-3 seconds, it becomes a FAKE synthetic sound that holds. BAH, terrible.

But don't think you'll get better in the under 3-4k range. This is as good as it gets, but if you are into recording piano by itself, buy an older Clavinova (mine is 1990)

If you put the piano in a mix, it's hidden. If you don't hold chords in suspension for long (like you are a vivaldi or joplin freak) you're fine too.

That's why the 8. But don't be fooled, for todays technology, and the various pianos you can choose from, this one doesn't differ much, and in fact is better than the Roland Piano, the Casio Piano, the Korg piano, and even other Yamaha piano's (like the new NIGHT one which has HORRIBLE compression on it's hard hit decay when you lift the key on headphones and recordings, not on their speakers which hide the effect)

I'm rating this sound based on past Yamaha's. They used to decay better because they had a longer sample time. Come on Yamaha, memory is CHEAP, give us a better decay and suspension and FIRE those guys who get your sound now that say "It's a good middle ground for the money" BAH it is.

My Clavinova lasted 17 years. Not shabby. These seem reliable.
If Yamaha didn't make their mother boards obsolete after 5-10 years and actually GAVE you a schematic, or allowed it online, it would be better.
But I'd give them the best in the industry on reliability.

This is spotty. They have 2 kinds of support. One is the person who tries to help you in any way they can. Go Yamaha! The other is the jerk who thinks "YOU AREN'T A LICENSED TECHNICIAN" and so you shouldn't talk to certain people or do certain things.

Hey jerks! I OWN this thing. It's like my house. I can do my OWN electrical work LEGALLY. I don't need to hire an electrician for every job.

Besides, I talked to 2 of your local "technicians" one who works out of his house and he doesn't even solder! What a technician. If he can't purchase your whole mother board he says it's "obsolete" even though it may just be a trigger chip that you incedentally sell.

Until you get a training program for your own "technicians" tell those few support personnel to come off their hobby horses.

But for you few who go the full lenght in customer care, I salute you!

Yamaha, start listening to your recorded messages and weed out those unhelpful personnel.

I rate this a 10 because of it's Bang for the Buck. I've compared it to every other piano currently on the market (fall 06) and since I'm looking for AUX in/out it's the cheapest that offers it with a decent stand and all 3 pedals.

If you are traveling on the road and/or using external speakers, you can find a decent buy in the Casio's and the Rolands under 1300, but for a stand up piano for your kid to learn on or you to enjoy at home yourself, this is the best under 2500 that money can buy UNLESS you buy a used Clavinova for that price or under.

Read about the older models that you can find used. Yamaha piano's are reliable enough to purchase used, and if you can afford it, I urge you to do JUST THAT!

Bought this for my daughter 2 years ago and haven't looked back. She just plays it as it is, we never used the MIDI. It is a piece of furniture, it does not have a cheap look or feel to it, and it sounds fantastic for what it is. You cannot go wrong with this for learning or just for having a good looking good sounding piano for the buck. If you want special effects, get a drum machine for 99 bucks and a $35 solid state amp and rock on. Ebay has tons of them, and you won't have two signals on the unit screwing up the sound.

It's very well made and very easy on the eyes. Plays like a dream and very responsive to touch.

Details are to be found else where, I just wanted to give Yamaha and THIS particular item a 'thumbs up'. My daughter has no problems playing any other piano learning on this. Like I said, the 'feel' is great, and very expressive for digital. I looked at a lot of others, and this was the best feeling and sounding of the lot for the money.

2 years and counting, it sits in my living room and is played every day.

haven't had to contact them for any reason

Worth every penny. I play guitar, have for the last 40 or so years. I know what feels and sounds good. This does both. You get what you pay for in just about every thing you buy, and in my humble opinion, I could not have done better for my daughter as far as digital goes. It's not an upright, nor is it a grand. It is what it is and that is very, very acceptable. It also came with a bench, although it has no compartment.

Easy to Use. Must Assemble the cabinet. Assebly easy, but the keyboard unit is heavy and requires two people.
Sounds great, feels great.
This unit is identical to the (higher priced) CLP-120

64 Poly. Weighted Keyboard (88 keys)
some wuilt in effects - 14 voices, accompany etc.
No expansion but MIDI in/out/to host
MIDI works fine hooked it up to apple's garageband with no problem.

Sounds great.

Seems reliable for me as a home user playing jazz

N/A so far

Seems like a good digital piano for a novice/home user like myself. It has the weighted hammer action and feels like a real piano. I bought it at a large guitar store chain (you should be able to figure it out from that description) and paid $300 off the sticker price (they made me an offer to go up from the YDP-113, which they were out of). You should be able to get the same deal if you ask.

Very easy to take home and setup.
Excellent manual.
Includes bench.

64 note polyphony
Piano action (heavy). Feels better than most other digital pianos. Feels like a GOOD piano every time.
Standard midi in's and out's.
Attractive console.
Great sounds, simple features, easy to use.
Does not have full accompianment (drums etc).
Very good basic digital piano that looks good enough for your living room.
Same features as CLP-120.
Could use louder speakers.

14 basic sounds (each with its own demo song).
50 piano songs built-in (with song book).
The usual effects.
2-track recorder.

Solid Yamaha quality.

Havent called.

Excellent value considering price.

Good for my mother, not too expensive, not too complicated, looks good enough for the living room. Plays like a dream.

Straightforward piano. I don't own the unit yet, it's between the P120 and this.

Heavy action like a piano. I preferred this to the Rolands I tried (FP3 and RD150). The ROlands felt springy. The features were all I was looking for, though expansion capabilities would have been nice.

Grands sounded sweet. Feel was nicer/different than the Rolands I tried. I could make music on this for hours.

Not sure, the unit felt heavy though when I tilted it on one side. I expect it to hold up just fine.

Never dealt with them.

Great piano. There are other far more expensive units out there. The Roland RD700 was not available, and I would have also like to have tried the Yamaha S08 (synth). THis does seem to fit the bill, I just need to find a way to get it home, because I hate allowing other people to handle heavy though fragile electronics.