If you like music, you might want to check out my second channel "Milan Recording Studios". Feel free to subscribe and hit the bell icon if you want to! ua-cam.com/channels/u1LrpmWwK1ztTvIayRar9w.html
Hi James! Would it be possible to please toba review comparing the FP60X with the P515? I know the FP90X is Roland's flagship, but it's not in the same price range, and I'm sure there are other people out there with the same question. Thanks!
I am somewhat impressed. The best sounding electric keyboard I have heard in 52 years of Piano playing (Started at 11 years old) and will be 64 years old this month. I played the Yamaha DX 7 years ago at church and loved its sounds. I have been playing Church & Southern Gospel music most of my life. I am also a minister. I have an 18-year-old Casio WK-1600 that I still play. I lost my Yamaha piano in a flood in 2008. I have never replaced it. I said a while back I have never found an electric keyboard that I liked, I think this is the best I have heard.
You are going to love this one. I’m 42, and I’ve been playing forever. I stopped when I first had my kids, and I had the old clav yamaha. It only had like 8 sounds on it, but it sounded very great. Since, I’ve been kind of picky. I have a dgx 650 around here, and it doesn’t even come close. It’s brass sound sounds nothing like the demos inside of it. The flute, namely, is the one with which I had the most problems. But I digress. The p515 is something you’’ll not regret getting. Preacher’s kid, here, btw. More importantly, a Christian.
today I called up a piano store near me to ask about the cheapest DP they had with decent action, and I kid you not they told me I had been watching "that American guy" when I told them I saw somewhere that the Casio px s3000 had issues with weighting between the black keys and the white keys, James's influence is really growing out here.
Ha snap! he’s definitely riled people up I got the same although I’m UK based. The lady gave me a proper rollicking for listening to one guy on YT whose clearly sponsored by Yamaha and was unfairly comparing it to far more expensive models 🤣needless to say I didn’t buy from there
@@samm9477 the guy from the store gave me a whole speech about how acoustic piano actions and digital piano actions were fundamentally different, and how James didn't handle the situation properly, all of this for trying to ask about how much a kawai es110 costs.
sum dude I have a Kawai ES8 to sell you? I like arranger keyboards. The ES8 is wonderful. The rhythm section is on the right. I am used to a rhythm section on the left. Thus, my Kawai is for sale. The Kawai piano sounds wonderful, and the action is terrific, very realistic.
I just bought a p515 off of the several reviews and comparison videos you made. Thank you so much for providing such a wonderful service to people like me who are trying to get into playing and don't know where to begin or how to judge our options!
I started watching your channel to get some ideas for a beginner piano. Now I’m just coming back to watch and hear you play. Your delivery is very good. Your music is effortless. Thank you for putting these out for us to watch.
Loved this review. I upgraded from the P125 to the P515 about a year ago. Some people whinge that the action is to heavy but I just don't see what the fuss is. I just adore this instrument. Everyday it graces my large lounge room and consider it the perfect instrument for what I do which is piano improvisation.
I have just purchased the P515 and although it’s way out of my league it’s just what I need. An amazing yet simple piano. And you my good man have demonstrated what a fine instrument it really is, when left in the hands of an exceptional pianist.Thank you for the video and your wonderful recital., you are truly gifted.
I purchased P515 last month, so my daughter and I could start learning to play the piano. I've had the keyboard for over two weeks now and simply love it. While the keys are a bit heavy, they are still very comfortable, and I find them easy to play. My daughter, who is 10, hasn't even noticed the weight. This keyboard sounds fantastic, looks wonderful in person, and is very well built. I also purchased the L515 Yamaha stand and plan to buy the 3-pedal accessory at a later time. I considered going with the P125 but wanted a keyboard that my family could use as our skills grew. I'm thrilled with my selection.
You absolutely made the right choice. Great instruments instigate the student to learn more and better, because there will be more features to discover. The closest to an acoustic piano, the more you will notice the infinite possibilities to express yourself through the instrument.
HI James, firstly, I really like your honest reviews and I think this is what consumers need when trying to work out what they may need/want in a piano - digital or acoustic. Secondly I really appreciation your positive attitude and persistence when everyone is in need of hope at time in the world. Hope you are well and OK. (Oz down under)
I absolutely adore Erik Satie, and when James played from the Minecraft soundtrack at 33:51, I knew this keyboard was set in my heart. Like, the sound was just perfect, quite frankly Yamaha did an excellent job with their acoustic piano sounds.
I picked one of these up for Christmas a few months ago after literally months - almost a year - of research, comparisons, testing, etc. what won me over was the sound. The absolutely stunningly realistic cfx piano sound and the warm bosendorfer (spelling?). Hours of blind testing and I always kept coming back to the p515 as sounding the most realistic. It’s not just the tone but the way the notes interact with eachother, as if they’re resonating in a real soundboard. The action feels fantastic! I’m not sure the wood inlays actually so much, but the range of intensity between a light touch and a heavy strike is dramatic. It’s not just volume but the actual tone (yes I know a lot of pianos have a few different velocity samples, but this seems like an infinitely fine gradient). ... There’s a few other features that add to the value and helped with the decision, but ultimately it was the tone and the action. These features are the 16 track recorder and the piano room. I also want to add: while the main two pianos are of course the best, don’t sleep on the others; the ballad piano has a great sound to it and the bright is arguably better than brightening the cfx in piano room. Also, get the stand with the 3 petals. The keyboard has a weird effect where holding sustain on certain instruments that should stay “on” (like a pipe organ or synth lead) actually do a fade-out sustain like a piano. With the middle sostenudo (spelling?) pedal, you can get a proper always on sustain. Oh! And to get to the additional sounds, hold function and hit other.
so true man... its just like with av receivers. People are just blindly gonna hate yamaha without even auditioning and just believe everything thats on the internet and make their decisions accordingly...
I agree! I tried a whole bunch of different DP's and this won me over because it sounded so good (CFX at the time, but I have grown to really like the Bosendorfer! I've had it for a little over a year now and still loving it! The action feels really nice and solidly comfortable. My only gripes have been that I sometimes wish the action were a bit lighter and its really annoying that you can't save your sound settings so every time I power back on I have to go in and tweak the settings if I want that particular sound again.
Glad you like it James! I bought one when they first came out. I love it. Its the best sounding keyboard I've owned along with the awesome touch. Wish they were around 30 years ago when there were hundreds of gigs to play.
DUDE YOU ARE INSANE! BEST REVIEW EVER MAN. the skills your showing and the calm voice you bring with that fits the whole vibe is just so enjoyable to watch.
That truly is a gigging machine, with studio quality sounds. You could play just about any type of gig in any genre with the onboard sounds. Not that long ago, people would trade or sell various body parts to have a keyboard like this.
I really appreciate your videos. I purchased my Yamaha P515 a few weeks ago after having played it, the Roland RD2000 and FP-90, and Kawai ES8 and having watched about every video I could find. Your NAMM review of the P515 knocked me off the fence and I made the purchase. I have owned a Yamaha P120 for 17 years. It has been a wonderful piano and the P515 is a natural upgrade. I really love the Smart Painist app. It allows me to save registrations for different songs to use in live performance and makes adjusting the instrument levels in layers and splits much easier. The XG voices are not as good as the primary samples but I found some strings and pads very useable. They are easily accessed in Smart Pianist but can also be used by holding the "function" button and pressing the "others" instrument button. Thank you, again for making informative videos that really helped me in my purchase decision. Take care and God Bless!
I! Love! This! Piano! I just bought mine the other day, and it’s beautiful. I can’t stop playing it for it’s piano sounds. They are very close to a real piano, and it’s not hard for a totally blind person to learn how to use. If I can ever get it hooked up to my phone, when I can breathe, I’ll come back and put a comment herre about that. Anyway, great review, and I love this thing. My second piano in the house! My favorite!
This is the one I ended settling on. A lot of reviews I watched were pretty positive, so I ended up pulling the trigger. I haven’t played in many many years and wanted something that would be great for getting back into piano and still allow for room to grow. Thanks for doing the review as confirmation of my initial thoughts.
Thank you for this review James! I've watched quite a few of your reviews over the past couple of months and I finally decided on my first piano, which will be the P-125 thanks to your review of it. Now I'm looking at DP to upgrade too when I need an upgrade down the road. I'm definitely eyeing the P-515. Your reviews are the most helpful reviews out there. For price comparison, the P-125 is 799.99 CAD, and the P-515 is 1,999.99 CAD.
Great instrument. However, your play ing is the star of this review. Astonishing. Your part rendition of the 3rd movement of 'Moonlight Sonata' was wonderful. I hope someday to be able to play half as well as you.
I have one in white...I love it. What I like is when use it with the Yamaha smart pianist app on my iPad it opens up a plethora of functions, one of my favorite is Smart Pianist can analyze a song on your playlist and write out the music/chord chart and you can then play along and learn the song.
I have to say that your treble "test piece" is absolutely beautiful. It would make a very nice recording piece on its own. Thanks, too, for your excellent reviews.
It is a piece that I work on from time to time and will one day do something with it for a larger project. I get asked all the time for the sheet music, but not for an unfinished piece.
Had my P515 for a year now and I’m very happy with it. I supplement the built-in speakers with a small subwoofer. Together they give a really nice full sound.
The NWX action is heavy but once you’re used to it you can get some nice dynamics - although it can be difficult to play at an even volume close to the fallboard. I was able to audition the P515 back-to-back with a Kawai NV10 which totally killed it on key-action (but the NV10 is 6x the price so not really a fair comparison) but I actually preferred the Yahama CFX & Bosendorfer samples to the Kawai sounds.
James, I just started learning 10 days ago, but I am spending about 4 to 5 hours a day learning, so I am making great headway. It is so much fun and I can't learn fast enough. I want to not only learn how to play, but I also want to learn all of the electronics......midi, modules, recording, daws, etc......
Hi, James, Thanks for your many reviews, you are really a great resource for piano players, particularly for novices like myself. You were ahead of the curve by putting these out, with the need to shut down storefronts. I would wager that a lot of your viewers are using your reviews to plan and make purchases now that we can't go in the stores to give them a try. I bought a P515 several months ago and I think it is a great instrument. I have it connected to a Roland KC350, which, in combination with the onboard speakers, gives it a tremendous sound, particularly in the bass. One thing I would like to point out is that you can modify the sound of any of the settings using the Equalizer and Piano Settings. My favorites are the CFX with the bass turned up, midrange flat and the treble turned down and the Bosendorfer with the bass flat, the mid-range +2 and the treble +1. The latter gives what seems to me to be the sound most like an acoustic piano but that obviously is going to vary from user to user. You can also adjust Damper, String, Aliquot, and Body resonances. I have all those boosted. In summary, you have a lot of options to play with. I don't think you can save settings so you can switch easily but you can have the keyboard save the last setting, otherwise, it will go back to the CFX with no changes.
Amazing instrument. I have played it for 1 year and a half now and I love it. Also it is not so expensive considering everything that Yamaha has packed inside.
Thank You!! I am new to playing the piano and I first found your videos in early April whe I decided to invest in one. Your videos are great and after speding hours watching videos on which one to buy I always went back to your first review of the 515 and bought one last month and love it. Thank you for the new review love your erik satie pieces..future goals!!
Finally found it! Classical music: Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on a Yamaha P515. The nuances in the dynamic attack are only audible in classical pieces. This makes my purchase decision easier.
After seeing the p515 review from the NAMM show, I purchased the p515. Now after days of using it, I come to watch to full review again. I really like it and would recommend it to anyone who's considering a long term DP companion.
Hey man, nice review. Had the 515 for about 18 months. Very happy. Btw whilst the cursor keys don’t scroll back to the beginning when cycling thru the various patches, the individual groups buttons do, so it’s much easier to use those when selecting the voices. Cheers
One thought: if you're getting a digital strictly for home use, it may make sense to build yourself a - now I'm not sure what to call it - a hutch? - that the keyboard would fit into. It could include shelves for music and such, and integrated into it could be a full length, deep music stand with slots cut out to accommodate plastic retainers so you could hold open a music book. One advantage of such an arrangement is that it would be easy to cover the keyboard and stand separately, if yours, like the P515 you're demoing, doesn't have a way of closing the keyboard.
I have this keyboard and I agree it is the best one in its class I have ever played. I love it. I didn't mention this before but I appreciate your candid review of the Casio PX-3000 and the weighted keys issue. I was planning to buy it until I saw your video review and I'm glad I did. I changed my mind about buying it.
Having had this keyboard for about 6 months, it's really interesting to see this video. It's funny hearing you talk about the speakers so highly, because I almost never use them; I use them with headphones, and I think it sounds even better, ESPECIALLY with the CFX grand sample. I use the CFX probably 99.9% of the time, with the exception of the occasional moment playing around with one of the others for a specific tune.
@@celpabedn If you can afford it, it will absolutely make your playing experience more enjoyable, I speak from experience, after purchasing this piano, I tripled how much time I spend on the keyboard.
I have one in white...I love it. What I like is when use it with the Yamaha smart pianist app on my iPad it opens up a plethora of functions, one of my favorite is Smart Pianist can analyze a song on your playlist and write out the music/chord chart and you can then play along and learn the song.
I'm always impressed with the Bosendorfer sound and so glad there's a digital piano at a reasonable price that has at least a variation of it. I just wish Yamaha would create a digital piano that would have the extra keys found in the Bosendorfer concert grand 290 Imperial and sampled from that piano.
James, I am late to the party here. Just got this piano today - partly based on your strong recommendation. Pretty much sold out everywhere, my dealer just got one in and I snapped it up immediately. Great action, excellent acoustic and epiano / organ sounds, clean user interface, solid speakers. And as usual very high Yamaha fit and finish standard. If Yamaha is listening, please make your packing a bit more robust... my box arrived with a big hole in the side, luckily there was no damage. Thanks again James for a very informative review and solid endorsement of this fine instrument.
James already did a review on the ES8 actually, not an in-depth review like the usual, but still, although the comparison is something I would very much like to see :) ua-cam.com/video/lq1pySAe3D8/v-deo.html&ab_channel=ThePianoforever
So glad you show packaging....I used to work for Celestion speakers in QA years ago, I had amazing hearing....but one of my tasks was to book speakers out of the warehouse and drop them on the floor from a height of 1M and report back. I did the same for a £3000 pair of Kef speakers and never booked them back into the warehouse...we kept them in a corner of the factory to play early Hip-hop and Dr Dre. Happy Days.
I enjoy the pod cast. I find it highly informative and I'm sure a Yamaha music division merchandiser to whom I shared this podcast link agrees. I would suggest boosting the volume of the podcast.
I decided to purchased the P515 after watching your review of the Casio Privia PX S3000 and i'm glad i did,it was worth it spending the extra $$ for the P515.I'm loving the piano and i like this review of it.Thanks.
: The Yamaha P-515's CFX Grand has something called binaural sampling, meaning that the sound of the CFX, when headphones is plugged in is completely different than the normal sound, to simulate playing in front of a real piano. 2: Try holding down the function button and pressing the others voicebutton simutaniously, and then you'll get to about 480 XG voices to play with, a long with about 20 drum kits. This voices are also used for playing back midi-files.
You're a pro, man. Thank you so much. I've been researching on what to buy to upgrade from the P115. I was thinking the MODX8, but that had way too many features that I wouldn't use. I caught this video and I love the sound bank here. Plus, you play with such incredible expression! I can't believe all this detail is coming from a digital piano! I just purchased the P515 because of this video. You are a stellar reviewer!
I got this piano and I've been playing it for a week now. It is fantastic. But I like it even more when I edit the stuff with piano room and function menu a bit. I play with headphones most of the time, I got mid class ones and I actually cannot notice much difference when I unplug the phones and plug in again, so the binaural sound works like a dream. Definitely worth the 1245 euros I paid for it. Some people have told the touch is really heavy. I don't have almost anything to compare it to, but the touch is not a problem to me. I actually like it.
Late to the party, but the lack of smooth changes seems to be typical for Yamahas as it's also present in my CLP-320 which is a decade old now :) Thank you for a fantastic review, hope this will be replacing my Clavinova soon.
I got my P515 the same day as you did this review! what timing! i went off your previous review to purchase the instrument without trying it and am pleasantly surprised. I've just had it for two days and I love it! (The Bluetooth speaker function is a huge bonus in a piano like this) Now back to my Scribain, Bach, and Schubert! I got this for practicing my works as I have limited access to acoustic pianos and am very happy with the progress dps have come in the past few years.
I own the DGX-660 and absolutely love it. Amazing instrument love being able to put chorus, reverb and adjust my enviroment and the mic settings with the compressor and chorus are just perfect
I got the 515 after seeing your prior review and have been very pleased with it. I am using the wooden stand. I have been using the pedal that comes with the instrument , which is of good quality. I did get the three pedal unit but haven’t installed it yet. Thanks for the fine review and great playing!
Hi James I want to thank you for your channel I've learned, and am still learning a lot from you I've seen pianos I've never heard of and love the vintage acoustic examples you've shown us My main reason for the comment is to thank you for this review of the Yamaha P-515 I love it👏 The NWX action is superb I called Yamaha with some questions and have to say that their customer support is fantastic They sent me a survey after the phone call.....yes an actual phone call I'm so glad there are some companies .....very few, who still have phone support Keep up the great work Cheers Dave
Thank you Mr. Shaw cross I have been considering a digital piano. Hearing you play the yamaha p515b I have fallen in love with it! Thank you for your help! Adrian.. canada
I was thinking of getting this DP after watching your review at the NAMM2020 and as soon as I saw this, my mind was set. Ordered it today! I have played for more than a decade and found myself without a piano the last 7 years. Was looking for a good semi-portable piano to get back in the game! Fingered crossed!
I think a great addition to your videos would be an intro of "Who is this built for?" I know I kinda had no idea that higher price did NOT equal more realistic piano, and I went with a Korg Krome that I hate, but it wasnt built for a classical pianist. Back then, I didnt do much shopping around. I had a price range, and I saw a touchscreen+hammer action 88 and clicked add to cart. anyway just a thought. Im not stalking you lol. I recently decided I am in the market for both acoustic and digital and you have the best, unbiased videos.
Hey James! You are the only person I trust on piano opinions. Do you plan on doing a comparison between the Yamaha P-515 and the Kawai newcomers ES 520 and ES 920? That would be really nice!
James, You know my criteria, the instrument has to have the ability to move me emotionally. This one is amazing, especially that last piece after the Satie., what is it? I want to hear more by that composer. This was a great review, I've always felt that a musician who intends to perform there whole life deserves a keyboar5d like this one, especially with space limitations. Cheers, Rik Spector
I think you are referring to one of the lovely original songs in Minecraft surprisingly enough, titled simply "Sweden", you can google it to confirm :).
Thank you for your review of the Yamaha P515! It helped me decide to buy one myself. I mean if it is good enough for you as a classical pianist, it must be good enough for me as a happy amateur. I remember one of the entertainer Victor Borges jokes: Now we are going to play Boris Godunov. And what is good enough for Boris is good enough for you…
I took the plunge and bought the P515 couple of weeks ago even though I knew your review was coming. I honestly think that this is one of the best digital Piano at its price point. I am going to use it mostly as a Piano and the two sound samples, CFX and Bosendorfer, are just awesome. The P515 keyboard action (NWX) also has an Escapement feature that the lower end models do not. It is very subtle and you dont notice it much. I was considering the Roland FP90 but, due to the close down these days, could not find a place that was open and had both. Beside the FP90 is $500 more. The FP90 has more features that I would never use and I have read the action is even lighter. I have also read someone commented here on this channel that the slightly heavier action of P515 is better for long term muscle building and helps in eliminating the keybedding issue.
CRAIG T. BARTH, MA, CCC-A It refers to directing unnecessary pressure into the keybed after you have already played the note. It causes an unnecessary strain and muscle fatigue.
Im sorry, I think the UA-cam deleted my comment. I was saying that Chopin's inspiration was the Italian Bel Canto, and he loved Pleyel pianos so much because of its crystal clear tone, as opposite as the Bösendorfer with all that mellowness and dark tone. Considering Bösendorfer was founded in 1828 and Chopin died in 1849, I dont think he was impressed by the Bösendorfer pianos. He loved Pleyel and played Broadwoods while touring across the Europe also.
Thank you. This instrument has been my target #1 for about a year now and I was waiting for your review of it before making any decision since I really appriciate your knowledge. Could occationally get this for around 1200 euros (1300 dollars) here in Europe as a customer return product or B-stock as they call it. This is actually the only thing I have been wondering about. If it is so good, why do they return it back to the shop so much? :D Anyway, that price is about the max I am willing to pay for a digital piano even though I could possibly get a better instrument if I paid 2 or 3x more but no, not going to do that. So I guess this is a perfect one for this price and this review pretty much confirmed it.
@@ThePianoforever Hey man just one thing. That song that you use to test all the pianos you play. Any news on progress and if we can ever buy the sheet music for it? Thanks
UA-cam tracks what you watch. So the more videos you watch from someone, the more of those videos it starts recommending, including every new video from that source. It's as if you subscribed, except you haven't.
I tested a P515 and was immediately impressed by its aesthetics and CFX sound sample. If I didn’t already have a Roland then this Yamaha would’ve been picked up. Good review!
@@craigt.barthmaccc-a4598 No, its not actually! Thd FP-80 is way older and have IvoryFeel S Action, while the FP-90 have PHA-50. I sold my HP603 with same action to purchase the P515 but Im still waiting for it. I can give you my impressions if you guys want!
You are a pleasure to watch play. I'm trying to decide between this and a DGX670. This has sealed the deal, I'm going for this one (dgx speakers are only 6w).
You play incredibly well, and that's why I'm totally confident with your in depth reviews. I myself bought a P515 some months ago, but I find it not so easy to fine tune to get the best of it. I found some parameters to have a really big impact on the sound. Even when you play quiet and light (with the CFX for example), the sound is really still outstanding. As I just read in another post that you use defaults settings unless clearly told, I think the "issue" is on my side: I have to familiarize myself with the P515 (I owned a Korg Havian30 for 4 years, before the P515)... James, your review P515 versus ES8 will be really exciting ...
If you like music, you might want to check out my second channel "Milan Recording Studios". Feel free to subscribe and hit the bell icon if you want to!
ua-cam.com/channels/u1LrpmWwK1ztTvIayRar9w.html
Hi James!
Would it be possible to please toba review comparing the FP60X with the P515?
I know the FP90X is Roland's flagship, but it's not in the same price range, and I'm sure there are other people out there with the same question. Thanks!
The best piano reviewer, ever! Period. Please never stop making videos.
The videos are great. Yours are as well PiXimperfect. I try to catch them all to keep my PS skills up to speed :)
"Yamaha is my favorite piano/motorcycle company."
I actually have 2 of their pianos and 1 of their motorcycles. Can report all are excellent
😂
I have a Yamaha bass guitar, acoustic guitar, and motorcycle.
I heard they made tanks too.
Yamaha makes literally everything. Saxophones, flutes, motorbike clothing. Samsung has a military though, so Yamaha doesn't have one over on them.
I am somewhat impressed. The best sounding electric keyboard I have heard in 52 years of Piano playing (Started at 11 years old) and will be 64 years old this month. I played the Yamaha DX 7 years ago at church and loved its sounds. I have been playing Church & Southern Gospel music most of my life. I am also a minister. I have an 18-year-old Casio WK-1600 that I still play. I lost my Yamaha piano in a flood in 2008. I have never replaced it. I said a while back I have never found an electric keyboard that I liked, I think this is the best I have heard.
You are going to love this one. I’m 42, and I’ve been playing forever. I stopped when I first had my kids, and I had the old clav yamaha. It only had like 8 sounds on it, but it sounded very great. Since, I’ve been kind of picky. I have a dgx 650 around here, and it doesn’t even come close. It’s brass sound sounds nothing like the demos inside of it. The flute, namely, is the one with which I had the most problems. But I digress. The p515 is something you’’ll not regret getting. Preacher’s kid, here, btw. More importantly, a Christian.
today I called up a piano store near me to ask about the cheapest DP they had with decent action, and I kid you not they told me I had been watching "that American guy" when I told them I saw somewhere that the Casio px s3000 had issues with weighting between the black keys and the white keys, James's influence is really growing out here.
"The American Guy" .. I like it lol
Ha snap! he’s definitely riled people up I got the same although I’m UK based. The lady gave me a proper rollicking for listening to one guy on YT whose clearly sponsored by Yamaha and was unfairly comparing it to far more expensive models 🤣needless to say I didn’t buy from there
@@samm9477 the guy from the store gave me a whole speech about how acoustic piano actions and digital piano actions were fundamentally different, and how James didn't handle the situation properly, all of this for trying to ask about how much a kawai es110 costs.
sum dude I have a Kawai ES8 to sell you? I like arranger keyboards. The ES8 is wonderful. The rhythm section is on the right. I am used to a rhythm section on the left. Thus, my Kawai is for sale. The Kawai piano sounds wonderful, and the action is terrific, very realistic.
Casio goes Streisand effect! :)
I just bought a p515 off of the several reviews and comparison videos you made. Thank you so much for providing such a wonderful service to people like me who are trying to get into playing and don't know where to begin or how to judge our options!
Minecraft Soundtrack at 33:50. That was surprising, but makes perfect sense! Loved it!
2 in a row too
Okay, I've buried my bank card in the yard and locked myself out of Amazon. Ready to watch.
I started watching your channel to get some ideas for a beginner piano. Now I’m just coming back to watch and hear you play. Your delivery is very good. Your music is effortless. Thank you for putting these out for us to watch.
Loved this review. I upgraded from the P125 to the P515 about a year ago. Some people whinge that the action is to heavy but I just don't see what the fuss is. I just adore this instrument. Everyday it graces my large lounge room and consider it the perfect instrument for what I do which is piano improvisation.
Best 40 minutes of my day. I really like that treble test piece of yours. I'm glad you filled it out a bit more. Thanks for doing these.
I have just purchased the P515 and although it’s way out of my league it’s just what I need. An amazing yet simple piano. And you my good man have demonstrated what a fine instrument it really is, when left in the hands of an exceptional pianist.Thank you for the video and your wonderful recital., you are truly gifted.
I purchased P515 last month, so my daughter and I could start learning to play the piano. I've had the keyboard for over two weeks now and simply love it. While the keys are a bit heavy, they are still very comfortable, and I find them easy to play. My daughter, who is 10, hasn't even noticed the weight. This keyboard sounds fantastic, looks wonderful in person, and is very well built. I also purchased the L515 Yamaha stand and plan to buy the 3-pedal accessory at a later time. I considered going with the P125 but wanted a keyboard that my family could use as our skills grew. I'm thrilled with my selection.
You absolutely made the right choice. Great instruments instigate the student to learn more and better, because there will be more features to discover. The closest to an acoustic piano, the more you will notice the infinite possibilities to express yourself through the instrument.
Also, congratulations on your purchase! Have a great journey, you and your daughter, through the amazing world of the piano
HI James, firstly, I really like your honest reviews and I think this is what consumers need when trying to work out what they may need/want in a piano - digital or acoustic. Secondly I really appreciation your positive attitude and persistence when everyone is in need of hope at time in the world. Hope you are well and OK. (Oz down under)
I absolutely adore Erik Satie, and when James played from the Minecraft soundtrack at 33:51, I knew this keyboard was set in my heart. Like, the sound was just perfect, quite frankly Yamaha did an excellent job with their acoustic piano sounds.
I picked one of these up for Christmas a few months ago after literally months - almost a year - of research, comparisons, testing, etc. what won me over was the sound. The absolutely stunningly realistic cfx piano sound and the warm bosendorfer (spelling?). Hours of blind testing and I always kept coming back to the p515 as sounding the most realistic. It’s not just the tone but the way the notes interact with eachother, as if they’re resonating in a real soundboard. The action feels fantastic! I’m not sure the wood inlays actually so much, but the range of intensity between a light touch and a heavy strike is dramatic. It’s not just volume but the actual tone (yes I know a lot of pianos have a few different velocity samples, but this seems like an infinitely fine gradient). ... There’s a few other features that add to the value and helped with the decision, but ultimately it was the tone and the action. These features are the 16 track recorder and the piano room. I also want to add: while the main two pianos are of course the best, don’t sleep on the others; the ballad piano has a great sound to it and the bright is arguably better than brightening the cfx in piano room. Also, get the stand with the 3 petals. The keyboard has a weird effect where holding sustain on certain instruments that should stay “on” (like a pipe organ or synth lead) actually do a fade-out sustain like a piano. With the middle sostenudo (spelling?) pedal, you can get a proper always on sustain. Oh! And to get to the additional sounds, hold function and hit other.
so true man... its just like with av receivers. People are just blindly gonna hate yamaha without even auditioning and just believe everything thats on the internet and make their decisions accordingly...
I agree! I tried a whole bunch of different DP's and this won me over because it sounded so good (CFX at the time, but I have grown to really like the Bosendorfer! I've had it for a little over a year now and still loving it! The action feels really nice and solidly comfortable. My only gripes have been that I sometimes wish the action were a bit lighter and its really annoying that you can't save your sound settings so every time I power back on I have to go in and tweak the settings if I want that particular sound again.
The mad man actually played the lick to demo the Jazz grand. 10/10.
Glad you like it James! I bought one when they first came out. I love it. Its the best sounding keyboard I've owned along with the awesome touch. Wish they were around 30 years ago when there were hundreds of gigs to play.
DUDE YOU ARE INSANE! BEST REVIEW EVER MAN. the skills your showing and the calm voice you bring with that fits the whole vibe is just so enjoyable to watch.
That truly is a gigging machine, with studio quality sounds.
You could play just about any type of gig in any genre with the onboard sounds. Not that long ago, people would trade or sell various body parts to have a keyboard like this.
I really appreciate your videos. I purchased my Yamaha P515 a few weeks ago after having played it, the Roland RD2000 and FP-90, and Kawai ES8 and having watched about every video I could find. Your NAMM review of the P515 knocked me off the fence and I made the purchase. I have owned a Yamaha P120 for 17 years. It has been a wonderful piano and the P515 is a natural upgrade. I really love the Smart Painist app. It allows me to save registrations for different songs to use in live performance and makes adjusting the instrument levels in layers and splits much easier. The XG voices are not as good as the primary samples but I found some strings and pads very useable. They are easily accessed in Smart Pianist but can also be used by holding the "function" button and pressing the "others" instrument button. Thank you, again for making informative videos that really helped me in my purchase decision. Take care and God Bless!
I! Love! This! Piano! I just bought mine the other day, and it’s beautiful. I can’t stop playing it for it’s piano sounds. They are very close to a real piano, and it’s not hard for a totally blind person to learn how to use. If I can ever get it hooked up to my phone, when I can breathe, I’ll come back and put a comment herre about that. Anyway, great review, and I love this thing. My second piano in the house! My favorite!
This is the one I ended settling on. A lot of reviews I watched were pretty positive, so I ended up pulling the trigger. I haven’t played in many many years and wanted something that would be great for getting back into piano and still allow for room to grow. Thanks for doing the review as confirmation of my initial thoughts.
Thank you for this review James! I've watched quite a few of your reviews over the past couple of months and I finally decided on my first piano, which will be the P-125 thanks to your review of it. Now I'm looking at DP to upgrade too when I need an upgrade down the road. I'm definitely eyeing the P-515. Your reviews are the most helpful reviews out there. For price comparison, the P-125 is 799.99 CAD, and the P-515 is 1,999.99 CAD.
Great instrument. However, your play ing is the star of this review. Astonishing. Your part rendition of the 3rd movement of 'Moonlight Sonata' was wonderful. I hope someday to be able to play half as well as you.
I have one in white...I love it. What I like is when use it with the Yamaha smart pianist app on my iPad it opens up a plethora of functions, one of my favorite is Smart Pianist can analyze a song on your playlist and write out the music/chord chart and you can then play along and learn the song.
@@BassKlef1 is the app compatible with android os?
@@bruceerogan3662 No
Love how you just spontaneously pick different music for different voices.
I have to say that your treble "test piece" is absolutely beautiful. It would make a very nice recording piece on its own. Thanks, too, for your excellent reviews.
It is a piece that I work on from time to time and will one day do something with it for a larger project. I get asked all the time for the sheet music, but not for an unfinished piece.
Had my P515 for a year now and I’m very happy with it. I supplement the built-in speakers with a small subwoofer. Together they give a really nice full sound.
The NWX action is heavy but once you’re used to it you can get some nice dynamics - although it can be difficult to play at an even volume close to the fallboard. I was able to audition the P515 back-to-back with a Kawai NV10 which totally killed it on key-action (but the NV10 is 6x the price so not really a fair comparison) but I actually preferred the Yahama CFX & Bosendorfer samples to the Kawai sounds.
James, I just started learning 10 days ago, but I am spending about 4 to 5 hours a day learning, so I am making great headway. It is so much fun and I can't learn fast enough. I want to not only learn how to play, but I also want to learn all of the electronics......midi, modules, recording, daws, etc......
I own a couple of the keyboards you've tested. You're spot on. I especially appreciate the little nuances you add. Nice job!
Hi, James,
Thanks for your many reviews, you are really a great resource for piano players, particularly for novices like myself. You were ahead of the curve by putting these out, with the need to shut down storefronts. I would wager that a lot of your viewers are using your reviews to plan and make purchases now that we can't go in the stores to give them a try.
I bought a P515 several months ago and I think it is a great instrument. I have it connected to a Roland KC350, which, in combination with the onboard speakers, gives it a tremendous sound, particularly in the bass. One thing I would like to point out is that you can modify the sound of any of the settings using the Equalizer and Piano Settings. My favorites are the CFX with the bass turned up, midrange flat and the treble turned down and the Bosendorfer with the bass flat, the mid-range +2 and the treble +1. The latter gives what seems to me to be the sound most like an acoustic piano but that obviously is going to vary from user to user. You can also adjust Damper, String, Aliquot, and Body resonances. I have all those boosted. In summary, you have a lot of options to play with. I don't think you can save settings so you can switch easily but you can have the keyboard save the last setting, otherwise, it will go back to the CFX with no changes.
Roland makes great Keyboard amps and we have two KC 350's here in the studio (KC400 replaced the KC350).
Aah I'm so happy you made this review, thank you! Have been trying to save up for one of these for a long time.
Amazing instrument. I have played it for 1 year and a half now and I love it. Also it is not so expensive considering everything that Yamaha has packed inside.
After waiting since February 2021, they called today and said my p515 in white has arrived, I’m excited
Thank You!! I am new to playing the piano and I first found your videos in early April whe I decided to invest in one. Your videos are great and after speding hours watching videos on which one to buy I always went back to your first review of the 515 and bought one last month and love it. Thank you for the new review love your erik satie pieces..future goals!!
Finally found it! Classical music: Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on a Yamaha P515. The nuances in the dynamic attack are only audible in classical pieces. This makes my purchase decision easier.
You can actually access the full GX midi sounds by holding function and pressing other. I think there are over 400 of these sounds.
After seeing the p515 review from the NAMM show, I purchased the p515. Now after days of using it, I come to watch to full review again. I really like it and would recommend it to anyone who's considering a long term DP companion.
Yes, I feel like it would probably be reliable and serve the user well for many years.
Hey man, nice review. Had the 515 for about 18 months. Very happy. Btw whilst the cursor keys don’t scroll back to the beginning when cycling thru the various patches, the individual groups buttons do, so it’s much easier to use those when selecting the voices. Cheers
One thought: if you're getting a digital strictly for home use, it may make sense to build yourself a - now I'm not sure what to call it - a hutch? - that the keyboard would fit into. It could include shelves for music and such, and integrated into it could be a full length, deep music stand with slots cut out to accommodate plastic retainers so you could hold open a music book. One advantage of such an arrangement is that it would be easy to cover the keyboard and stand separately, if yours, like the P515 you're demoing, doesn't have a way of closing the keyboard.
Dude I'm new to your channel but I'm absolutely loving these in depth reviews, keep 'em coming :)
Edit: Also, your playing is phenomenal!
I have this keyboard and I agree it is the best one in its class I have ever played. I love it. I didn't mention this before but I appreciate your candid review of the Casio PX-3000 and the weighted keys issue. I was planning to buy it until I saw your video review and I'm glad I did. I changed my mind about buying it.
Someone told me to try the casio that he was talking about in that other video. I’m glad I didn’t. Went with this one.
Having had this keyboard for about 6 months, it's really interesting to see this video. It's funny hearing you talk about the speakers so highly, because I almost never use them; I use them with headphones, and I think it sounds even better, ESPECIALLY with the CFX grand sample. I use the CFX probably 99.9% of the time, with the exception of the occasional moment playing around with one of the others for a specific tune.
Would you say it's too good to buy to learn piano, maybe a grade better...
@@celpabedn If you can afford it, it will absolutely make your playing experience more enjoyable, I speak from experience, after purchasing this piano, I tripled how much time I spend on the keyboard.
Hi! What headphones do you use to get great sound?
@@loisfein4321 Sennheiser
@@karenlee29 which model of seinnheiser please ?
I have one in white...I love it. What I like is when use it with the Yamaha smart pianist app on my iPad it opens up a plethora of functions, one of my favorite is Smart Pianist can analyze a song on your playlist and write out the music/chord chart and you can then play along and learn the song.
I'm always impressed with the Bosendorfer sound and so glad there's a digital piano at a reasonable price that has at least a variation of it. I just wish Yamaha would create a digital piano that would have the extra keys found in the Bosendorfer concert grand 290 Imperial and sampled from that piano.
I love the bosendorfer sound so much
Excellent review. I've actually watched multiple times just for the playing.
I bought one in January (a blem, $250 off) and I love it. I have been playing the crap out of it during lockdown.
blem = minor blemish, not affecting the instrument's performance.
Man listening to that on headphones was beautiful. That last piano sound you were reserving. Man wow. The treble. Wow. The sustain.
Wonderful instrument. I really like how you choose your music to demonstrate its abilities. Very touching!
James, I am late to the party here. Just got this piano today - partly based on your strong recommendation. Pretty much sold out everywhere, my dealer just got one in and I snapped it up immediately. Great action, excellent acoustic and epiano / organ sounds, clean user interface, solid speakers. And as usual very high Yamaha fit and finish standard. If Yamaha is listening, please make your packing a bit more robust... my box arrived with a big hole in the side, luckily there was no damage. Thanks again James for a very informative review and solid endorsement of this fine instrument.
I’m waiting for your Kawai ES8 review and then a comparison with this instrument to help me decided on which to go for. Thank you!
James already did a review on the ES8 actually, not an in-depth review like the usual, but still, although the comparison is something I would very much like to see :)
ua-cam.com/video/lq1pySAe3D8/v-deo.html&ab_channel=ThePianoforever
I have a full review of the ES8 on the way.
@@ThePianoforever I would also be interested in the direct comparison with the ES 8 and the ES110 please
ES8 is 5 years old now, so I'd either get the Yamaha or wait for next Kawai which might be around the corner
So glad you show packaging....I used to work for Celestion speakers in QA years ago, I had amazing hearing....but one of my tasks was to book speakers out of the warehouse and drop them on the floor from a height of 1M and report back. I did the same for a £3000 pair of Kef speakers and never booked them back into the warehouse...we kept them in a corner of the factory to play early Hip-hop and Dr Dre. Happy Days.
I enjoy the pod cast. I find it highly informative and I'm sure a Yamaha music division merchandiser to whom I shared this podcast link agrees. I would suggest boosting the volume of the podcast.
I decided to purchased the P515 after watching your review of the Casio Privia PX S3000 and i'm glad i did,it was worth it spending the extra $$ for the P515.I'm loving the piano and i like this review of it.Thanks.
Rick Soma I’m in the same boat (almost). There aren’t any available for online purchase at my local music/piano centre
Your Bösendorfer pronunciation has become spot on
: The Yamaha P-515's CFX Grand has something called binaural sampling, meaning that the sound of the CFX, when headphones is plugged in is completely different than the normal sound, to simulate playing in front of a real piano.
2: Try holding down the function button and pressing the others voicebutton simutaniously, and then you'll get to about 480 XG voices to play with, a long with about 20 drum kits. This voices are also used for playing back midi-files.
i just bought one after your excellent review
You're a pro, man. Thank you so much. I've been researching on what to buy to upgrade from the P115. I was thinking the MODX8, but that had way too many features that I wouldn't use. I caught this video and I love the sound bank here. Plus, you play with such incredible expression! I can't believe all this detail is coming from a digital piano! I just purchased the P515 because of this video. You are a stellar reviewer!
I got this piano and I've been playing it for a week now. It is fantastic. But I like it even more when I edit the stuff with piano room and function menu a bit. I play with headphones most of the time, I got mid class ones and I actually cannot notice much difference when I unplug the phones and plug in again, so the binaural sound works like a dream. Definitely worth the 1245 euros I paid for it. Some people have told the touch is really heavy. I don't have almost anything to compare it to, but the touch is not a problem to me. I actually like it.
Congrats for reaching 40,000 subscribers :D
Thanks! :D
Late to the party, but the lack of smooth changes seems to be typical for Yamahas as it's also present in my CLP-320 which is a decade old now :) Thank you for a fantastic review, hope this will be replacing my Clavinova soon.
I got my P515 the same day as you did this review! what timing! i went off your previous review to purchase the instrument without trying it and am pleasantly surprised. I've just had it for two days and I love it! (The Bluetooth speaker function is a huge bonus in a piano like this) Now back to my Scribain, Bach, and Schubert! I got this for practicing my works as I have limited access to acoustic pianos and am very happy with the progress dps have come in the past few years.
I loved listening to you play it. You make me wish I could afford this keyboard. Thank you for your review.
I own the DGX-660 and absolutely love it. Amazing instrument love being able to put chorus, reverb and adjust my enviroment and the mic settings with the compressor and chorus are just perfect
I recorded a full review of a DGX-660 yesterday and will upload it soon.
@@ThePianoforever cant wait! Love my dgx so much
I got the 515 after seeing your prior review and have been very pleased with it. I am using the wooden stand. I have been using the pedal that comes with the instrument , which is of good quality. I did get the three pedal unit but haven’t installed it yet. Thanks for the fine review and great playing!
Awesome review!!! Im sold and Ive made my mind up now. One wicked piano !!!!!! luve it !!! Thank you
Haha! 34:15 is from Minecraft!! Even though I don't know who produced the piece. Beautifully played!
It was made by c418
Hi James
I want to thank you for your channel
I've learned, and am still learning a lot from you
I've seen pianos I've never heard of and love the vintage acoustic examples you've shown us
My main reason for the comment is to thank you for this review of the Yamaha P-515
I love it👏
The NWX action is superb
I called Yamaha with some questions and have to say that their customer support is fantastic
They sent me a survey after the phone call.....yes an actual phone call
I'm so glad there are some companies .....very few, who still have phone support
Keep up the great work
Cheers
Dave
Thank you Mr. Shaw cross I have been considering a digital piano. Hearing you play the yamaha p515b I have fallen in love with it! Thank you for your help! Adrian.. canada
It's a delight to hear you play
There's always a time where I forget James can play really well. That minecraft piece was fantastic!
I was thinking of getting this DP after watching your review at the NAMM2020 and as soon as I saw this, my mind was set. Ordered it today! I have played for more than a decade and found myself without a piano the last 7 years. Was looking for a good semi-portable piano to get back in the game! Fingered crossed!
What a beautiful piece of music. Thank you for sharing it.
I think a great addition to your videos would be an intro of "Who is this built for?" I know I kinda had no idea that higher price did NOT equal more realistic piano, and I went with a Korg Krome that I hate, but it wasnt built for a classical pianist. Back then, I didnt do much shopping around. I had a price range, and I saw a touchscreen+hammer action 88 and clicked add to cart. anyway just a thought.
Im not stalking you lol. I recently decided I am in the market for both acoustic and digital and you have the best, unbiased videos.
I just got my new Yamaha P-515. So anxious to start lessons and play. Thank you 😍
I hope you like it!
The sound is excellent! BLESSED BE!
I think the action of the keys is very important for the training. Thanks for the video James!
I would love a tour of your studio one day. Great content as always!
I will be buying either this or the Kawai ES8!...nothing more comes close.
Hey James! You are the only person I trust on piano opinions. Do you plan on doing a comparison between the Yamaha P-515 and the Kawai newcomers ES 520 and ES 920? That would be really nice!
James,
You know my criteria, the instrument has to have the ability to move me emotionally.
This one is amazing, especially that last piece after the Satie., what is it?
I want to hear more by that composer.
This was a great review, I've always felt that a musician who intends to perform there whole life deserves a keyboar5d like this one, especially with space limitations.
Cheers,
Rik Spector
You might like Everyone Loves Bill Evans. Check it out here on y.t.
I think you are referring to one of the lovely original songs in Minecraft surprisingly enough, titled simply "Sweden", you can google it to confirm :).
When you played that section of the Moonlight Sonata I felt my soul leave my body
Thank you for your review of the Yamaha P515!
It helped me decide to buy one myself.
I mean if it is good enough for you as a classical pianist, it must be good enough for me as a happy amateur.
I remember one of the entertainer Victor Borges jokes:
Now we are going to play Boris Godunov.
And what is good enough for Boris is good enough for you…
More than the instrument, mesmerized by your playing................wow...........
I took the plunge and bought the P515 couple of weeks ago even though I knew your review was coming. I honestly think that this is one of the best digital Piano at its price point. I am going to use it mostly as a Piano and the two sound samples, CFX and Bosendorfer, are just awesome. The P515 keyboard action (NWX) also has an Escapement feature that the lower end models do not. It is very subtle and you dont notice it much.
I was considering the Roland FP90 but, due to the close down these days, could not find a place that was open and had both. Beside the FP90 is $500 more. The FP90 has more features that I would never use and I have read the action is even lighter. I have also read someone commented here on this channel that the slightly heavier action of P515 is better for long term muscle building and helps in eliminating the keybedding issue.
Please define kebedding issue?
CRAIG T. BARTH, MA, CCC-A It refers to directing unnecessary pressure into the keybed after you have already played the note. It causes an unnecessary strain and muscle fatigue.
Your a beautiful player and human being, thanks for sharing
The Bosendorfer sample is also perfect for Chopin pieces. And you should have compared it with wearing headphones
I would go for the CFX anyday to play Chopin, as well as Bechsteins and of course the Pleyel itself.
Im sorry, I think the UA-cam deleted my comment. I was saying that Chopin's inspiration was the Italian Bel Canto, and he loved Pleyel pianos so much because of its crystal clear tone, as opposite as the Bösendorfer with all that mellowness and dark tone. Considering Bösendorfer was founded in 1828 and Chopin died in 1849, I dont think he was impressed by the Bösendorfer pianos. He loved Pleyel and played Broadwoods while touring across the Europe also.
Thank you. This instrument has been my target #1 for about a year now and I was waiting for your review of it before making any decision since I really appriciate your knowledge.
Could occationally get this for around 1200 euros (1300 dollars) here in Europe as a customer return product or B-stock as they call it. This is actually the only thing I have been wondering about. If it is so good, why do they return it back to the shop so much? :D
Anyway, that price is about the max I am willing to pay for a digital piano even though I could possibly get a better instrument if I paid 2 or 3x more but no, not going to do that. So I guess this is a perfect one for this price and this review pretty much confirmed it.
Thanks for these reviews. I never realised I wasn't subsrcibed, but I am now.
Thanks for the sub!
@@ThePianoforever Hey man just one thing. That song that you use to test all the pianos you play. Any news on progress and if we can ever buy the sheet music for it? Thanks
When I feel it is done.
UA-cam tracks what you watch. So the more videos you watch from someone, the more of those videos it starts recommending, including every new video from that source. It's as if you subscribed, except you haven't.
I tested a P515 and was immediately impressed by its aesthetics and CFX sound sample. If I didn’t already have a Roland then this Yamaha would’ve been picked up. Good review!
Which Roland do you have?. I have the FP 80, which is almost identical to the FP 90. Same action.
@@craigt.barthmaccc-a4598 No, its not actually! Thd FP-80 is way older and have IvoryFeel S Action, while the FP-90 have PHA-50. I sold my HP603 with same action to purchase the P515 but Im still waiting for it. I can give you my impressions if you guys want!
New subscriber. Thanks very much. Professional reviews. Really appreciate them.
Came for the review, stayed for the piano playing.
FINALLY!!! I’ve been waiting for this one!!
Thanks JPS!!!
Love the gear, came for the playing!
I have one and love it. I would recommend it.
Love your reviews and love, love, love hearing you play. How in the world do you remember all the music
?
You are a pleasure to watch play. I'm trying to decide between this and a DGX670. This has sealed the deal, I'm going for this one (dgx speakers are only 6w).
I know nothing about piano but I enjoy your videos! I'm from Knoxville!
Diggin those Ray Manzarek chops on the rock piano
You play incredibly well, and that's why I'm totally confident with your in depth reviews. I myself bought a P515 some months ago, but I find it not so easy to fine tune to get the best of it. I found some parameters to have a really big impact on the sound. Even when you play quiet and light (with the CFX for example), the sound is really still outstanding. As I just read in another post that you use defaults settings unless clearly told, I think the "issue" is on my side: I have to familiarize myself with the P515 (I owned a Korg Havian30 for 4 years, before the P515)... James, your review P515 versus ES8 will be really exciting ...