No, not exactly. I'm very aware of the ranges of various instruments. You should vertainly be able to play C below middle C on a trombone!

Maybe I forgot about the Bass trombone. Maybe Yamaha was going for that, or maybe a cross between bass and tenor trombone?

To make it sound like the tenor trombone we all know and love, I can't play louder than mezzo piano on D below middle C or lower. That helps a lot. For some reason, I've noticed trombones get softer in the low range, while a tuba gets fat and loud.

The harp is the opposite. With the harp voice, you have to play high notes pianissimo. I've played a little harp (very little) and if you pluck the high strings as hard as humanly possible, you get what you get on the Yamaha at about mp. Any harder than about p on the Yamaha gives you a very hard, piano-like sound. Punching up the reverb a little helps the harp too.

I think I can work with the trombone and the harp. I should probably not play them now for a week, then try again. I might be getting used to the Yamaha sounds.

The violin I can't work with. The YPG violin sounds almost (not quite) exactly like the YPG cello played an octave higher. The problem is a cello, when played way up in the stratosphere, doesn't sound anything like a violin. It gets strained and unstring? like. Tremelo sounds more like a breath instrument (more AM than FM). And there's a breath attack between middle C and G when you play the violin too loud! The violin does SOMEthing when you bow too hard, but it's not a breath attack!

I'll have to go to GC and try the violin on their DGX-505. I can't believe it was THAT bad... Seems like I would have remembered.

I also have an issue with Yamaha's "support beam." It might come down to their use of the word "portable" again. I'm going to start another thread about that. I'd be glad to hear your reaction, and George K's.

Rick

I just bought the YGP 625 yesterday. I liked the keyboard action and all the different features it came with. What I'm very disappointed with is the quality of the piano sound. In the store it sounded OK. But, that was in a high ceiling room, and some guy 2 rows over was going nuts on a drum set. Once I got it home where I could really hear it, I winced. The best way I can describe it is muddy. On any of the Grand piano settings, you get what I feel is a muddy sound. I havent found a way to get a sharp and clear tone out of it, even messing around with the Master EQ options. Now I'm faced with either eating a 15% restocking fee from Sam Ash, or finding a way to get a better sound out of what I've got.If I could feed the output into something that would give me a better sound, I'd be willing to do that, at some point. (as long as it doesn't cost me more than freakin piano itself.) What are my options? Would I be better off to eat the restock fee and buy a keyboard and sythn combo?

I'm surprised.

The two Live! grand piano sounds are really superb, to my ears. Also, I have to say that EQ settings greater than 2 are definitely too bright when heard through the onboard speakers, IMO.

The comment I've heard in the past is that Yamaha pianos are too BRIGHT, compared to Roland and Korg. I haven't heard the muddy comment.

There is a tiny lag -- you'd measure it in milliseconds -- on a grand piano, compared to an upright. It comes from the fact that the sounding board isn't staring you right in the face, as it does on an upright. I can hear this on the YPG-625 -- a bit of realism in their sample that doesn't bother me at all. Might you be reacting to this?

Make sure both speakers are working, as most of the low sound comes from the left speaker. Also try different volume settings. The acoustics in your practice room might also be a factor. Try listening through headphones. Also make sure the keyboard has exclusive use of one electrical outlet. The manual warns that failure to do so could harm sound quality. I didn't find that to be true in my apartment, but the quality of electricity varies in different cities.

But when all is said and done, if you don't like it you don't like it. Options? The store where I bought my 625 has a policy that you can return a keyboard within 30 days for full store credit. This means if I hated the YPG, I could return it and have them order a Roland FP-2 or whatever, and just pay the difference. Wouldn't hurt to ask.

Since this is apparantly your first post here, welcome to the forum!

Rick

I went out and bought a nice Koss headset to use with the Keyboard. WHAT-A-DIFFERENCE!!! All of a sudden I've got this wonderfully clear grand piano sound. For the $750 I paid for the keyboard, it's astounding to me that Yamaha would cheap out on the friggin external sound system. Maybe mine is defective, but I dont think so.

I'd have gladly thrown in another $25 for them to put in a better sound output.

Of course, this is the same company that cheaped out and didn't supply a USB cable with the unit either. You have to go buy that separately.

Otherwise, so far, I'm loving the thing. The keyboard is responsive and easy to play. Many neat features and sounds to work with. All and all, for the price I just don't think you can beat it.

As we all know piano sounds are very subjective. Some to my ears sound great, while the same paino to another person sounds "muddy" or something along those lines.

However, one thing is clear--a poor internal speaker system can reduce the sound quality. If that's the case then I'd would only assume Yammaha would use a better quality speaker and amp for the YPG "especially considering these are designed for home use". It would be different if it was for stage use, and had good quality outputs.

You may find that simply hooking up to a better speaker system (sometimes a good stereo sysem makes a huge difference).

For me I think the biggest let down on the new models isn't sounds, keys, ect. Rather I find it unacceptable that Yammie didn't include simple midi jacks on any of the models. That YPG 625 would make a very nice controller if it had simple midi in/out jacks and not just USB.

Personally I think Yammie didn't want the YPG sales to take away interest in the new CP33. That board is a digital, but it's also advertised as having "comprehensive midi functions"--basically making it a great controller as well--However, that board sells for $1,299, and the YPG is going for less than $800. With the YPG you'll get great graded hammer action, some nice Yammie sounds with a few extra goodies, and boy wouldn't that board also make a great controller???

I can see someone buying one of these over the CP33 if it had midi in/out. I could be wrong, but that's a reason I see why Yammie didn't include that basic feature.

Squeak

Forgot to add this... Even though I have an 88 key weighted synth I strongly considered the new YPG-625, but I know I'd eventually want to midi it to something (not just a computer either)--I'm talking about drum machines, samplers, external hardware sequencers and so on.

It's the lack of midi jacks that stopped me from buying the YPG. Some may consider this a minor missing feature, but there are just as many who feel it's a major missing feature as well

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 07-03-2006).]

In my opinion and from what I've read, the YPG-625 is basically a DGX-505 with graded hammer keys and 4 more voices, and the 505 itself is a let down to DGX-500 having 120 less voices, no midi and no floppy drive.

The YPG - 625 is certainly a good first keyboard but I am not paying 800 euros for the same low-end voice set just to get a hammer action. It's a pity that for the 2nd time they offer us the same product with very small improvements.

But who cares, after all this is a consumer product and one is expected to upgrade every time they come up with the newer model. It's the same as with digital cameras. I'm wondering how many people are playing their game.

George.

George,
Exactly my friend! It's all in upgrades, and fancy advertising. Yammie at the heart is a business. They're here to make money! If they give you what you want.., you won't buy the next keyboard (that's most often just a re-pack of the original with minute changes, and a bigger price tag).

For me I'm done buying keyboards that offer very little from one model to the next. I'm saving my pennies for the Mediastation. For less than the Tyros 2 I can have a keyboard that won't require me to shell out $3,000 for the new lemon fresh model. In today's market it makes more sense to me to have a keyboard like this, and it's easier on your wallet Again just my opinion.

Squeak

One more thing to try.......
Hit the Function Button.......
Push either the arrow up or arrow down buttons (just under the data wheel) until you see "Master EQ Type"......
Use the + or - buttons to select one of the 5 different pre-sets. These will drastically change the way the pianos sounds coming from the internal speakers.
I found when the keyboard first came into my store that I heard way to much bass coming from the lower keys and by changing the settings to a different pre-set, I liked the sound much more when playing the piano sound.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

That is not the case. According to the French saying:

L'apetit vien an mangean, Apetite comes as you eat.



[This message has been edited by George V (edited 07-03-2006).]

The speakers in my YPG-625 are absolutely superb. In fact, I think they might be adequate to gig in a large hall. And I can hear very little difference through headphones. You either have a defective unit, or electricity inadequate to power the speakers, or very strange acoustics where you play, or ... something.

I don't think they could have improved on the speakers with another $250, let alone $25.

Rick