Yamaha P45 Review Digital Piano: Is It A Good Choice for Beginner?
In today's digital piano industry, Yamaha is a cult name with many popular piano lines. The Yamaha P45 is one of the most popular entry-level pianos available. Since its launch in early 2015, P45 has received many positive reviews, but its competitors are now more powerful. So is the Yamaha P45 still a good choice?
This article of ours will analyze and share all information about P45 and give you the most honest Yamaha P45 review. Follow the article to get the information you need.
First, Maybe You Concern
Detailed review of Yamaha P45
To learn more about the Yamaha P45 we will take you through the whole thing about this piano, from design and key action to sound and accessories.
Design
The control panel is neatly designed with power buttons, function buttons and a volume slider
The first thing we judge a piano for is its design. Although P45 is a product in the popular segment and does not have too many outstanding features in design, it contains many advantages that make players excited.
Appearance
The first is the appearance of the P45. Honestly, the Yamaha P45 doesn't have the best looks, but it does have a nice look with a simple and sophisticated design. Classic black and white colors and a plastic frame with a matte finish can also bring out the musical inspiration a piano should have.
The appearance is not outstanding but it is enough to be a good piano.
Music rest
The design of the Yamaha P 45 also gives it very good portability. You can easily remove or install this piano. Even when you put it on, the stand stays in place and stabilizes the piano.
The music frame is big enough to put two sheets of A4 paper side by side. However, you need a device to hold the pages in place as this piano does not have page holders. Most entry-level digital pianos don't have this feature, so this is probably not the downside of the P45.
Control
In addition to the general design, the control panel area is also carefully designed. You can change the sound, fine-tune the instrument using the function buttons, and turn on the metronome.
The control panel is neatly designed with power buttons, function buttons and a volume slider. However, not all buttons are labeled by the manufacturer. Sometimes you have to tinker with it yourself, learn to know and remember what that unlabelled button is for.
You don't need to worry too much about the design of the control panel. If you have any customization needs that are still not satisfied you can use Manual user, it will help you to solve the problem on the control panel.
Keys
Yamaha P45 digital piano has a total of 88 keys made from plastic. They are well made and flexible during use. Although plastic keys are commonly found on low-end digital pianos, this key has had a minimal amount of oscillation.
The outside of these plastic keys is shiny. Although it looks nice, it can cause slippage after a long use time.
Dimensions and weight
The Yamaha P-45 is quite competitive in size and weight, measuring 133cm (about 52 inches) long by 30cm (12 inches) wide and 16cm (6 inches) high. You can use the P45 in many positions, like a portable stage piano with this compact size.
P45 is also fairly lightweight, about 11.5 kg. You can move it by yourself easily as well as carry it conveniently and quickly.
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Key action
Although the instrument belongs to the popular segment, the manufacturer is also very interested in developing technology for the Yamaha P-45. This piano features Yamaha's Graded Hammer Standard GHS technology on 88 keys. The keys have actual weights and are weighted according to the keys. For example, when touching the bass keys, you will feel they are heavier than the treble keys.
The Yamaha P45's key action is rated as good by many players, it gives players the same authentic feel as quality acoustic pianos.
If you need to change the touch sensitivity, you can adjust them to suit your preferences. This piano also has some key travel noise, but it's much better than other entry-level pianos.
The biggest downside of the P45 is probably that it is equipped with two sensors. You will find it harder to play fast repetitive notes, and sometimes you won't be able to control the sound the way you want.
Sound
The indispensable feature of every piano is its sound. The sound of the Yamaha P-45 is considered to be quite excellent. It has up to two piano sounds, probably many people will love its variety of sounds.
Each type of sound P45 possesses has its own character. Piano sound 1 belongs to classical music and piano sound 2 will be suitable for pop music genres. You'll probably find this a bit weird, but it totally works.
Each key on the P45 is recorded on 10 different tonal levels. Depending on how you play and the difficulty of that key, you can get 10 different tones. This variety is further extended as this piano also offers several other instrumental sounds. You can explore this list of instruments in the keyboard's features.
The sound of this piano has nothing to blame, but the speakers are quite weak and thin. The Yamaha P45's build has only two 6-watt speakers, so they can't produce the best sound quality. If you use headphones or connect external speakers to this piano, you can get a much better sound. The reverb change setting is also a way to help you fine-tune the sound. However, you need to study how to do it through user Manuel to get the best results.
Despite some limitations, the P45 Yamaha is already a good piano for its price point and segment. You can have more experience with music.
Feature
[caption id="attachment_945" align="alignnone" width="716"] If you want to get the most out of the P45, consider buying a good pair of headphones for better sound[/caption]
Given the affordable price tag and entry-level digital piano segment we don't expect too much from the P45's features. This piano has no internal recording, no Bluetooth and no battery life. It comes with polyphony limited to only 64. Perhaps these limitations come from its age when it was developed decades ago.
However, the P45 Yamaha still has outstanding features that make you amazed, here is the list:
Sound:
2 Grand pianos
2 Electric pianos
2 Harpsichords
2 Pipe organs
Strings
Vibraphone
Key sensitivity:
Fixed: turns off key sensitivity
Soft
Medium (default)
Hard
Reverb settings (each with 10 levels):
Room
Hall 1
Hall 2
Stage
Modes:
Dual-mode: two instruments sound simultaneously
Duo mode: split the keyboard to identical halfs
Polyphony: 64
10 Demo songs and 10 piano songs
USB to Host port
Accessories
The Yamaha P45 digital piano also requires accessories, the most basic being a power adapter, sustain pedal, and a track stand.
The included sustain pedal is a binary pedal, it has only two modes, on or off, and there is no half-pedal function. Sometimes you will feel helpless because it is difficult to keep it in place other than the tape or stick it on the floor.
In addition to the above basic accessories, you need to buy a stand for this piano and a bench to sit on. If you want to get the most out of the P45, consider buying a good pair of headphones for better sound.
It is possible to combine the P45 with a speaker system or studio monitor. You should prepare the jack in advance to not interrupt the performance.
Pros and Cons
[caption id="attachment_944" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Exquisite design, compact and easy to move and disassemble[/caption]
To help you have a more concise and understandable Yamaha P45 review, we will give you the pros and cons of this piano.
Pros of Yamaha P45
A good key action for beginners
m great grand piano sound
Solid, durable construction
Exquisite design, compact and easy to move and disassemble
Perfect traction on the keys
Easy to control and use
Includes 10 diverse tones
Advanced wave memory sampling technology
Reasonable price
Cons of Yamaha P45
No recording inside
No AUX output, no Bluetooth connection, some features are still limited
Weak speaker
Two censors
Awful sustain pedal
Need to buy extra racks and chairs
Who should buy a Yamaha P45?
The Yamaha P-45 is the perfect piano for beginners or those on a budget. It's not the best quality piano, but its features and sound are definitely better for your money. This piano is perfectly suited to help you develop fundamental skills in the early stages of learning.
It's also a great choice for those who want to try their hand at the piano but aren't quite sure what their passion is. The low price makes this hobby not affect your life much.
However, the Yamaha Digital Piano P 45 is not suitable for intermediate or higher level pianists. Due to the limited polyphony and the use of two sensors in the key action, the sound when playing fast or repeating the keys is not clear and difficult to control. The limited chroma also makes classical music unsuitable for this piano. If you are a pianist then the P45 is really not a perfect choice.
The special thing is that the disadvantages of P45 really do not affect beginners. If you are a newbie who wants to try your hand at the piano or have fun playing the piano, the Yamaha P45 is a great choice.
Alternatives
Since the birth of Yamaha P 45 Digital Piano, the popular segment of pianos has been loved by many people. Other manufacturers also released a lot of products in the same segment as the P45. The most prominent competitors like Casio, Korg or Roland. If you do not want to choose Yamaha then we will suggest you some of the best alternatives below:
Yamaha P45 vs. Casio PX-160
[caption id="attachment_941" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The Casio PX-160 able to replace the P45 completely[/caption]
Coming from the famous musical instrument manufacturer Casio, the PX-160 deserves to be a serious competitor of the Yamaha P45 with many extreme features. Many reviews suggest that the Casio PX-160 really offers more value than the P45.
The key action of the Casio PX-160 is much more advanced than the P45. It has a 3-sensor action that is more efficient and easier to control the sound than the dual sensor of the P45. Compared to the P45 Yamaha , which only has 64 complex tones, the Casio PX-160 has 128 complex tones, double what the P45 has. That is what makes the timbre and sound of the Casio PX-160 more diverse and welcoming.
Casio's standout feature is probably the internal recording feature that any pianist needs. This is considered the biggest plus point that makes the Casio PX-160 able to replace the P45 completely.
In addition, the keys on the PX-160 are also designed to be very useful. They hold hands and have the ability to absorb moisture effectively. Of course, when there are more advantages and upgrades than the P45, the Casio PX-160 also has a slightly higher price point. You will have to spend some extra money but I still recommend the Casio PX-160.
Yamaha P45 vs. Korg B1
[caption id="attachment_942" align="aligncenter" width="700"] The Korg B1 actually wins the P45[/caption]
Coming to another alternative to the Yamaha P 45 you will find the Korg B1 is an equal choice. These two instruments seem to be equal on every front, from the sound engine quality to the price point.
Neither has internal recording, and the keys don't have Ivory or Ebony keys. However, in terms of many internal sounds and songs to choose from, the P45 Yamaha will beat Korg B1. Yamaha also has an extra USB jack, while the Korg B1 does not.
However, many people will still choose the Korg B1 because its speakers are a bit better than the P45. Its speaker system is not necessarily the best but has improved a lot compared to the Yamaha P45. In addition, the pedals of the Korg B1 are very durable and work very well, it even has a half-pedal feature. Regarding the quality of this accessory, the Korg B1 actually wins the P45.
Yamaha P45 vs. Roland FP-10
[caption id="attachment_943" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The Roland FP-10 is rated quite well and the ability to provide polyphony is superior to the P45[/caption]
The ultimate alternative comes from the manufacturer Roland. The Roland FP-10 is rated quite well and the ability to provide polyphony is superior to the P45. This version of the FP-10 is really a shortened version of the Roland FP-30. Therefore, you can feel the sound and key action of the Roland FP-10 just like the FP-30.
It actually performs better than the P45 in terms of sound. Not only is the sound quality and detail more detailed, the Roland FP-10's timbre has also improved greatly with the number of polyphonic 96 more than the P45's 64 polyphony.
Neither of these pianos has the ability to record internally, but the Roland FP-10 has Bluetooth for better support during connection with external devices. Overall, we can still evaluate the Roland FP-10 as a better alternative than the P45.
Conclusion
Although it has been around for a long time, the Yamaha P45 is still considered one of the good choices for low-cost pianos. At its release, this piano was considered the best instrument for new piano players for many years in a row. Currently, many other manufacturers have launched great alternatives with superior features, but many people are still very satisfied with the Yamaha P45. It has all the basic features of a user-friendly budget piano. Hopefully, our Yamaha P45 review can help you have a more accurate view of this piano. We hope you find the right piano for you soon.