Quick Review: From Yamaha’s P series, Yamaha P45 is one of the most affordable digital pianos that the brand has produced. With this price tag, the quality of the sound and its features are never compromised. This price tag indeed is a good welcome instrument for students who are just starting to play the piano and a good addition to their collection for professional piano players.
When choosing a keyboard, most piano players would look for the ones which have a simple and straightforward panel. More will be discussed in a while, but one notable feature on this digital piano is its keyboard, which has a common navigation which is usually seen in an entry-level piano board.
- It is cheaper compared to other digital pianos
- It has 88 fully weighted keys
- Easy to use and is perfect for beginners
- Comes with 10 realistic instrument sounds
- There is no built-in recorder that comes with it
- The speakers are a bit too weak for live performances
- The headphone jack is inconveniently placed on the back
- The footswitch is a bit flimsy
Its keyboards are realistically weighted. In the higher notes, the keys are lighter while in the lower keys it is heavier. This makes it easier to play even if you are transferring from a digital Yamaha P45 to a full-sized acoustic piano. It also comes in a matte finish to ensure that there will be no risk of slipping even when you are playing for a longer period of time.
The keys are also beautifully finished. It comes with a four setting for key sensitivity. With this, you can adjust the sensitivity according to your own liking.
Contents
Sound
As an instrument manufacturer, Yamaha is famous for their AWM dynamic sampling technology. By this feature, it replicates a high-quality sound of an acoustic instrument. Like the sound from a full concert grand piano, that’s what the P45 stereo sound is.
Compared to its predecessors, the P45 is improved from 32 to 64 notes. For this reason, this newer model can keep in memory twice as many notes. The best part? a 64-note polyphony keyboard is enough to allow you to play complex classical pieces.
Built-In Speakers
Yamaha P45 features 2 x 12 cm, built-in speakers. The sounds it produces is loud enough to practice in a small room and perform live in front of a few people. However, if you plan to play live along with other instruments, it is recommended that you use an external amplifier. The sound can be a little weak for occasions such as this.
In addition to this, the sound quality through the onboard speakers is pretty good as well. This especially considering the size of the instrument. Although it is a bit small, the sound remains clear and you cannot hear any distortion of the sound even if you put the volume on max.
Dual Mode (Layering)
Yamaha P45 has dual-mode layering. Imagine, you can layer another instrument sound with a piano which you can experiment on sounds. You can also adjust the balance of the sounds between instruments on dual mode.
Another fun feature is you can split the keyboard into two sections. It only means that you can have another person to play with, on one keyboard. The thing is, you cannot split the keyboard between 2 different sounds. Instead, you can still play on dual-mode another instrument along with the piano.
Fine Tuning
Like any other digital piano, you don’t need to worry about tuning. It comes with a standard A440 pitch. In addition, fine-tuning allows you to customize the pitch of the entire keyboard in 0.2Hz increments.
Metronome
P45 also has a great feature like a built-in metronome which keeps the tempo steady for you. This is a good training feature to develop fundamental skills to keep up with the sense of rhythm. When you are comfortable enough with the rhythm, there’s an auto power-off function for the metronome.
Drawbacks
In every product not limited to instruments, most have cons and drawbacks. Like any other model, the P45 also has some of which it provides alternatives.
First, Yamaha P45 does not have a built-in recorder that is loud enough speaker for a bigger crowd. But, you can always use the connectors to record it on your computer and plug an amplifier for louder sound.
Second, this keyboard does not feature moisture-absorbing key-tops. This means that it does not provide a grip or feel of an Ebony & Ivory keys. Instead, it features a matte finish which provides the grip when the keys become moist.
Lastly, recording and playback are not available on this model. It does not have a built-in audio recorder, but USB connection is available. You can use it to record your music instead.
Verdict
Before my final verdict, whatever you choose for a digital piano, there’s always pros and cons. You just need to find the best one that fits you and a keyboard that has a great feature. And this Yamaha P-45 has its great feature and alternatives for what it lacks.
For you who want to learn the piano, a digital piano from Yamaha is the best choice, as it is lightweight and easy to operate. Though it only has the basic set of features it is pretty much everything a beginner could ask.
In addition, as a beginner that is on a budget, the P45 is a great choice! It is simple, easy to use, has 88 fully weighted keys, and has that very realistic piano sound, what more could you ask for?
