Excellent product review, of these two stage pianos. I am a pianist/keyboard player as well as a piano technician servicing acoustic pianos and authorized to service YAMAHA & Roland products. Both these company provide excellent dealer/ technician support and great parts availability, when needed! I highly recommend these two manufactures as their build quality is great, unlike the cheaper keyboard that are poorly manufactured.
Excellent review. You're obviously a Pianist and musician before you're a technician or engineer. You talked about the things which are relevant in a way which is easy to understand. 👍🏾
This is one of the most hones review on UA-cam. I had the RD 88 and returned for the CK 88. I was looking to "upgrade" to a synthesizer (modx8+ vs fantom 08), but I think this review has humbled me to stay the course with the CK 88, I really dont need that extra stuff that the arrangers/synthesizers have to offer (I can bare keep up with the CK88, LOL). Thanks for the review! I returned the RD 88 but everytime I see it at the store, I itch to get it back. I appreciate the RD 88 minimalistic layout. Who knows, I may end up like you with both :)
I don't know why Roland didn't indicate this but I have roland fp-30x and it has the same PHA-4 keyboard action as RD88 and keys are not only weighted but graded keys as well. At least I feel that the higher keys goes the lighter the action. Anyway thank you for your review and your lessons. Much appreciated! May God bless you!
Great video. Thank you for this comparison. Here are the numbers (I always test piano action with weights!) RD-08 (RD-88 numbers are very similar): Middle C (C4) - ~65g C7 - ~57.5g C6 - ~62g C3 - ~67g C2 - 67g 68g moves all the keys - some (below C2 in particular) with a small push C4# - ~?55g - ~68g (middle of black key) To get the sound C4 - ~ 86g (T) C7 - 82g (T) C6 - ~86g (T) C2 - 86g (T) C3 - ~89g (T) FP-30X: Middle C (C4) - >60g C7 - 85g/>80g to get the sound (T) (faint sound) My problem with PHA-4 action is its “clickiness” (the keys become very noisy after 2-3 month of intensive playing. I have a video illustrating it - Roland FP-10 (PHA-4) piano action noise test I much prefer Yamaha CK88 (and Yamaha GHS action) to any Roland digital piano with PHA-4 action. I had RD-08 (any many other Roland pianos) but I always came back to Yamaha (I had a few of their digital pianos as well, including P-515 and P-525). I prefer CK stage pianos to YC line. I definitely need MIDI IN because I use organ pedalboard! I use my CK for piano and pipe organ sounds but mostly with my piano and organ VSTs (as a MIDI controller with Digital Audio Interface). I actually have also CK61. Its action is much better for organ playing Michael Ps. GHS does not have escapement!
@@oldbeergangster2381 Thank you very much. I saw some of those greasing solutions. I believe that the biggest issue is that every PHA-4 keyboard develops this problem with time and Roland has not managed (or did not want to) address it once and for all. My last hope was the new RD-08. I have given up and returned it. It was my last Roland digital piano (PHA50 is much better in this respect but I prefer a lighter, portable keyboards so my only PHA50 action digital piano was FP-90X). Thank you again for your help. Michael
Where does the dgx670 stand compared to these? I bought one 4 months ago and I've been in love and can not stop playing. I love all keyboards though and always curious what my upgrades would be.
Im new to subject and planning to have my very first digital piano in this month.i have two model in my mind yamaha DGX 670 and ROLAND RD08 now from this two model which one you can recommend for me ❤
Hi, does the CK88's GHS key action feel clanky like the MODX8? I was looking for a GHS action for piano playing, but the MODX8 keybed felt cheap, clanky and wobbly. On the other hand Montage only had BHS with uniform weight throughout. Finally had to settle for a clavinova with GrandTouch-S action. Didn't know about the CK88 back then.
I personally prefer the Roland RD88. More uniform feel for my style of playing. You can do a few tweak to both to make them work for you. Montage feels decent. Nothing way better than the CK88
Great video👍 I have just purchased the Yamaha ck88, I attempted to connect the keyboard to my Mac laptop via usb cable to link with Abelton Live, but it states incompatible usb device on the keyboard screen, any idea what I’m doing wrong?
Thanks Nathan. Usually this is a plug and play for Mac computers. For window, you'll need to install the drivers. Also, another hack is if your Audio I/F has a MIDI port, then you can connect the CK88 directly to it
Yes, very easily as long as the controller has the standard 5-pin MIDI connector (some controllers only have USB connectivity to use with a computer). Then it’s just a matter of selecting the appropriate MIDI channels on both keyboards.
@JeremyRobberechts nice! And can I use the CK for piano and split a Hammond and a Rhodes, for example, or a synth and pad for the controller? I dunno if that sounds obvious as heck but I was just wondering if it's just that simple or if I'm going to buy these stuff just to frustrate myself 😅
@@SamStormsKBD The CK88 has three parts. Each part is on its own MIDI channel, so if you wanted to have 2 parts on the controller with a split, you would need a controller that can manage splits. All sufficiently advanced MIDI controllers are capable of that, but the implementation varies between manufacturers.
@@JeremyRobberechts that's exactly what I wanted to know. So the settings of the split is up to the controller, not to the main controller, right? I'll check that in the controllers on my list. Thanks!
Both mid-range actions (you need the RD-2000 or YC/CP-88 for the best actions). That will be of interest if you're buying this primarily for piano, as the PH-4 and GHS actions that these boards use are... OK, but far from a proper piano action. The GHS action is the same one Yamaha used on the MODX. Perfectly playable and weighted, but a far cry from their top-of-the-line action used on the CP/YC. Other than that, it's largely classic Yamaha vs. Roland. Roland have stuck to their baffling combo of small screen yet enforced menu-diving, but give you tonnes of sounds (even if you have to tweak their pianos to get them to sound decent, as many say.) Yamaha nail almost everything yet for some reason always skimp on the number of sounds/patches they ship in the box, but their pianos are great out of the box. If you can afford it, the YC88 or RD-2000 are going to do way, way more than these boards, plus have a way better action, but they are a notable step up in price so you get what you pay for (much less portable, though.) I have the YC and it's a sound design dream (as is the RD-2000, which is a beast of a machine - stage piano only begins to cover what it can do.)
Thanks for your thoughts. Carrying these things at Indian gigs can be extremely challenging, especially at festivals. I really enjoy the feel of both and prefer Virtual Instruments for the sounds as I'm primarily a sound engineer. I like the fact that things upgrade and you can always pick and choose sound modules based on new developments. RD-2000 was definitely on my radar!
Nice work … bought a Korg D1, love the unit itself but they included a piece if crap; 1/2 the length of a normal one, sustain pedal …. completely frustrating. Good review 👍
Complimenti per il video hai un nuovo iscritto dalla Sicilia!!! Vorrei un tuo consiglio devo acquistare un piano digitale da usare a casa e per alcuni piccoli eventi (pianobar) dove per il 90% utilizzerei piano e voce quindi mi serve un piano con ingresso microfono e con speakers potenti!! Non ho trovato molte alternative al roland fp 90 x il tuo parere é molto importante per me grazie mille e di nuovo tantissimi complimenti!!
I initially bought the RD88, but just wasn't pleased with the pianos. Great feel, but tinny sounding higher notes. I ended up trading it back in for a CK88. I currently play a YC88 and wanted a backup, so I was a bit jaded. The YC88 is pure heaven for piano, although I'm having some key problems after only 3 years. IMO, the CK88 is light years ahead of the RD. The 3 layering live time feature is nothing short of amazing! But to be fair, I have to say it's downright insulting for Yamaha to not include a pedal with every piano. I don't understand why they would sell a piano that's no good right out of the box. It's a cheap skate thing to do to its customers, and surely doesn't help their image. Hey Yamaha! Ever ordered a big thick milkshake only for you to find, going down the road, that they left out the straw?? A car with no throttle? A cigar with no lighter? A meal with no silverware? Hellloooo?
You did no mention the Roland's "scenes" capability. This video by Roland shows that "scenes" can use 3 patches similar to the the Yamaha. ua-cam.com/video/BGyiaMqmy1U/v-deo.html
@ Great pianos, sir! However, when it comes to serviceability, I prefer Yamaha keyboards since they’re serviceable almost everywhere. I couldn’t find Roland service centers in the South, especially in Andhra Pradesh, so I tend to lean towards Yamaha. By the way, how did you learn classical piano? I haven’t found any mentors here
It sounds like the Yamaha would be the better buy , it has better organs and draw bars , the piano's also sounded better on the Yamaha, it would be the better buy even if you had to buy the pedals.
Thanks for this video - I'm enjoying your playing! Especially the rocking Organ riffs!!! I'm using a great Studiologic Numa Compact 2X, love it. But the CK looks cool too now! - The 3 things keeping me on my Studiologic are: 15 pounds for the 88-key version, Aftertouch! and the fact that I have lots of (great) sounds programmed on the Numa. But the Yamaha looks pretty sweet! Thanks again.
Very true. The only concern for me is the semi-weighted feel and the weird looking pitch bend! And might be a little clicky for studio recording. At least from the experience of using the Studio Logic SL88
The RD88 with its 3 thousand sounds is useless in computer production because it is not multitimbral in 16 parts, it would be better to have fewer high quality supernatural sounds in the ROM memory than all these useless zencore sounds that cannot be used in a 16-track sequencer.
I really liked your way of explaining and your humor :) Keep up the nice Content ;)
Thank you Von Beruf! 😄
Do check out this video as well: ua-cam.com/video/s_wsHwo4IJg/v-deo.html
You are so blessed to have a mom as church organist
Totally agree Prasanjith. The amount it taught me in my formative years, especially with choir singing was priceless
Excellent product review, of these two stage pianos. I am a pianist/keyboard player as well as a piano technician servicing acoustic pianos and authorized to service YAMAHA & Roland products. Both these company provide excellent dealer/ technician support and great parts availability, when needed!
I highly recommend these two manufactures as their build quality is great, unlike the cheaper keyboard that are poorly manufactured.
Thanks for the input, Steve! 😊
Yamaha ck88 totally crushes the RD88 for my use case thanks for the detailed analysis
Great choice Merlijn! 🙌🏼
You're welcome.
Excellent review! Thank you a lot!
Glad you enjoyed it!
The graded weighted keys on the Yamaha is the main game changer for me.
Yeah! But the Roland still feels great to me
All my questions answered in one video! Thanks Jason!
Glad to be of help Geo! 😊
Great comprehensive review, thank you 😊
Thanks & Welcome, James! 😄
Excellent review. You're obviously a Pianist and musician before you're a technician or engineer. You talked about the things which are relevant in a way which is easy to understand. 👍🏾
Wow, thank you so much!
thank you for your useful and detailed comparison reviews.
Glad to help! 😁
This is one of the most hones review on UA-cam. I had the RD 88 and returned for the CK 88. I was looking to "upgrade" to a synthesizer (modx8+ vs fantom 08), but I think this review has humbled me to stay the course with the CK 88, I really dont need that extra stuff that the arrangers/synthesizers have to offer (I can bare keep up with the CK88, LOL). Thanks for the review! I returned the RD 88 but everytime I see it at the store, I itch to get it back. I appreciate the RD 88 minimalistic layout. Who knows, I may end up like you with both :)
Sounds like you have some great gear. I bet that RD88 is calling to you. I know the feeling.
i loved this review and i have now decided on the yamaha !
Awesome, I'm happy this helped! 👍🏼
I don't know why Roland didn't indicate this but I have roland fp-30x and it has the same PHA-4 keyboard action as RD88 and keys are not only weighted but graded keys as well. At least I feel that the higher keys goes the lighter the action. Anyway thank you for your review and your lessons. Much appreciated! May God bless you!
Awesome! Many thanks for giving this a view 🙏🏽 Like I said, I don't find the action very graded but it's still a dream to play on!
Great video. Thank you for this comparison.
Here are the numbers (I always test piano action with weights!)
RD-08 (RD-88 numbers are very similar):
Middle C (C4) - ~65g
C7 - ~57.5g
C6 - ~62g
C3 - ~67g
C2 - 67g
68g moves all the keys - some (below C2 in particular) with a small push
C4# - ~?55g - ~68g (middle of black key)
To get the sound
C4 - ~ 86g (T)
C7 - 82g (T)
C6 - ~86g (T)
C2 - 86g (T)
C3 - ~89g (T)
FP-30X:
Middle C (C4) - >60g
C7 - 85g/>80g to get the sound (T) (faint sound)
My problem with PHA-4 action is its “clickiness” (the keys become very noisy after 2-3 month of intensive playing.
I have a video illustrating it - Roland FP-10 (PHA-4) piano action noise test
I much prefer Yamaha CK88 (and Yamaha GHS action) to any Roland digital piano with PHA-4 action. I had RD-08 (any many other Roland pianos) but I always came back to Yamaha (I had a few of their digital pianos as well, including P-515 and P-525). I prefer CK stage pianos to YC line.
I definitely need MIDI IN because I use organ pedalboard!
I use my CK for piano and pipe organ sounds but mostly with my piano and organ VSTs (as a MIDI controller with Digital Audio Interface).
I actually have also CK61. Its action is much better for organ playing
Michael
Ps. GHS does not have escapement!
@@oldbeergangster2381 Thank you very much. I saw some of those greasing solutions.
I believe that the biggest issue is that every PHA-4 keyboard develops this problem with time and Roland has not managed (or did not want to) address it once and for all. My last hope was the new RD-08. I have given up and returned it. It was my last Roland digital piano (PHA50 is much better in this respect but I prefer a lighter, portable keyboards so my only PHA50 action digital piano was FP-90X).
Thank you again for your help.
Michael
The new Roland Juno D8 has everything I need
Yes! It's a great Keyboard Marvin!
Where does the dgx670 stand compared to these? I bought one 4 months ago and I've been in love and can not stop playing. I love all keyboards though and always curious what my upgrades would be.
Both Yamaha keybeds are identical. The sound libraries are different.
Im new to subject and planning to have my very first digital piano in this month.i have two model in my mind yamaha DGX 670 and ROLAND RD08 now from this two model which one you can recommend for me ❤
Both are really good. But from a weight perspective, these are much better. They also sound and feel great!
Hi, does the CK88's GHS key action feel clanky like the MODX8?
I was looking for a GHS action for piano playing, but the MODX8 keybed felt cheap, clanky and wobbly. On the other hand Montage only had BHS with uniform weight throughout.
Finally had to settle for a clavinova with GrandTouch-S action. Didn't know about the CK88 back then.
I personally prefer the Roland RD88. More uniform feel for my style of playing. You can do a few tweak to both to make them work for you. Montage feels decent. Nothing way better than the CK88
The CK88 and MODX8 are the same action (GHS), I believe.
Great review.
Glad you think so Edwards!
I love my ck88.. I can zone out in my living room for hours..
True! And it's so tweakable!
Thank you 🙏
Most welcome John 🙏🏼
Great video👍 I have just purchased the Yamaha ck88, I attempted to connect the keyboard to my Mac laptop via usb cable to link with Abelton Live, but it states incompatible usb device on the keyboard screen, any idea what I’m doing wrong?
Thanks Nathan. Usually this is a plug and play for Mac computers. For window, you'll need to install the drivers.
Also, another hack is if your Audio I/F has a MIDI port, then you can connect the CK88 directly to it
Thank you 🙂
Can you Midi easily the CK to a controller with light keys in order to use the Hammond on it?
Yes, very easily as long as the controller has the standard 5-pin MIDI connector (some controllers only have USB connectivity to use with a computer). Then it’s just a matter of selecting the appropriate MIDI channels on both keyboards.
@JeremyRobberechts nice! And can I use the CK for piano and split a Hammond and a Rhodes, for example, or a synth and pad for the controller? I dunno if that sounds obvious as heck but I was just wondering if it's just that simple or if I'm going to buy these stuff just to frustrate myself 😅
@@SamStormsKBD The CK88 has three parts. Each part is on its own MIDI channel, so if you wanted to have 2 parts on the controller with a split, you would need a controller that can manage splits. All sufficiently advanced MIDI controllers are capable of that, but the implementation varies between manufacturers.
@@JeremyRobberechts that's exactly what I wanted to know. So the settings of the split is up to the controller, not to the main controller, right? I'll check that in the controllers on my list. Thanks!
@@SamStormsKBD That’s right! 👍 🙂
Both mid-range actions (you need the RD-2000 or YC/CP-88 for the best actions). That will be of interest if you're buying this primarily for piano, as the PH-4 and GHS actions that these boards use are... OK, but far from a proper piano action. The GHS action is the same one Yamaha used on the MODX. Perfectly playable and weighted, but a far cry from their top-of-the-line action used on the CP/YC. Other than that, it's largely classic Yamaha vs. Roland. Roland have stuck to their baffling combo of small screen yet enforced menu-diving, but give you tonnes of sounds (even if you have to tweak their pianos to get them to sound decent, as many say.) Yamaha nail almost everything yet for some reason always skimp on the number of sounds/patches they ship in the box, but their pianos are great out of the box.
If you can afford it, the YC88 or RD-2000 are going to do way, way more than these boards, plus have a way better action, but they are a notable step up in price so you get what you pay for (much less portable, though.) I have the YC and it's a sound design dream (as is the RD-2000, which is a beast of a machine - stage piano only begins to cover what it can do.)
Thanks for your thoughts. Carrying these things at Indian gigs can be extremely challenging, especially at festivals. I really enjoy the feel of both and prefer Virtual Instruments for the sounds as I'm primarily a sound engineer. I like the fact that things upgrade and you can always pick and choose sound modules based on new developments. RD-2000 was definitely on my radar!
But, they are twice the price, much heavier and have no inbuilt speakers. So not so ideal for many gig situations or environments with no PA.
Nice work … bought a Korg D1, love the unit itself but they included a piece if crap; 1/2 the length of a normal one, sustain pedal …. completely frustrating. Good review 👍
That's a bummer. I hope you can find a decent pedal, ideally one that works on most keyboards. Thanks for watching the lesson!
Yamaha p225 It's cost 65k and It's light weight. I am happy with that.
Awesome choice for sure! And Yamaha is a trusted brand
Hello.. i do suggest you to get a lappel mic which suits very well for your purpose.. and it will deliver more stable sound of u...
Not able to find a decent one but will mostly be going for the Rode Wireless Pro soon!
@@nathanielschool yup.. I was also coming to say that.. Rode is the commonly used one... It will be great with it..
Jason, thank you for the insightful video. Can you share your comments on RD-08 and FP E50.
Not used those Rebin. Not used the FP series. Roland 88 keys is generally great! By the latest one
Thank you
You're welcome, Harold! 😊
Check out this playlist for more tech related content: ua-cam.com/play/PLrNNL05e9FT-7u8DJ8u51gnSLa9AOX6OA.html
The Arturia 88 feels disgusting
Great video btw. I really liked it
Many thanks Pedro!
U are the best my friend from The Church of the Living God of Leland,MS ( US)
Thank you James! 😊
Complimenti per il video hai un nuovo iscritto dalla Sicilia!!! Vorrei un tuo consiglio devo acquistare un piano digitale da usare a casa e per alcuni piccoli eventi (pianobar) dove per il 90% utilizzerei piano e voce quindi mi serve un piano con ingresso microfono e con speakers potenti!! Non ho trovato molte alternative al roland fp 90 x il tuo parere é molto importante per me grazie mille e di nuovo tantissimi complimenti!!
Either of these will be best for you Raf! Great to have a support from Sicily 🙏🏼
Yamaha is definitely my top choice over Roland every time 😊
Yeah! It's a super brand!
CK if you want features. RD if you want pro quality.
That makes sense. The build quality of Roland is amazing
FP-30x can play music via bluetooth on to its speakers! RD-88 doesn’t have that? Strange!
Yeah. That would be a very good feature to have. Plus the keyboard seems way too tall!
Rd88 used can be found for 700 usd, half the price of the new ck88
Ahh that's super cool to know!
I initially bought the RD88, but just wasn't pleased with the pianos. Great feel, but tinny sounding higher notes. I ended up trading it back in for a CK88. I currently play a YC88 and wanted a backup, so I was a bit jaded. The YC88 is pure heaven for piano, although I'm having some key problems after only 3 years. IMO, the CK88 is light years ahead of the RD. The 3 layering live time feature is nothing short of amazing! But to be fair, I have to say it's downright insulting for Yamaha to not include a pedal with every piano. I don't understand why they would sell a piano that's no good right out of the box. It's a cheap skate thing to do to its customers, and surely doesn't help their image. Hey Yamaha! Ever ordered a big thick milkshake only for you to find, going down the road, that they left out the straw?? A car with no throttle? A cigar with no lighter? A meal with no silverware? Hellloooo?
You did no mention the Roland's "scenes" capability. This video by Roland shows that "scenes" can use 3 patches similar to the the Yamaha. ua-cam.com/video/BGyiaMqmy1U/v-deo.html
That's very cool to know! Will check it out!
pha-4 is superior action over yamaha ghs action. actually roland is more piano like than yamaha
It's absolutely amazing Ajay. Even enjoyed their weighted MIDI Controller back in the day
@ Great pianos, sir! However, when it comes to serviceability, I prefer Yamaha keyboards since they’re serviceable almost everywhere. I couldn’t find Roland service centers in the South, especially in Andhra Pradesh, so I tend to lean towards Yamaha. By the way, how did you learn classical piano? I haven’t found any mentors here
It sounds like the Yamaha would be the better buy , it has better organs and draw bars , the piano's also sounded better on the Yamaha, it would be the better buy even if you had to buy the pedals.
Sure! It seems more versatile. The Roland also has it's featured though. But I mainly use all this via MIDI in any case!
Roland is cheaper, more polyphony, more sounds. To me it’s just a matter of taste. To me, Roland is a better choice.
Thanks for this video - I'm enjoying your playing! Especially the rocking Organ riffs!!! I'm using a great Studiologic Numa Compact 2X, love it. But the CK looks cool too now! - The 3 things keeping me on my Studiologic are: 15 pounds for the 88-key version, Aftertouch! and the fact that I have lots of (great) sounds programmed on the Numa. But the Yamaha looks pretty sweet! Thanks again.
Very true. The only concern for me is the semi-weighted feel and the weird looking pitch bend! And might be a little clicky for studio recording. At least from the experience of using the Studio Logic SL88
Nord Grand 2 blows these away.
Maybe so in terms of sound (subjective imho). But these are light weight and more affordable
@@nathanielschool Feel and action are important and the Nord Grand 2 is superb.
Not comparing the pricey and heavy others in this tech minded overview for EVERYONE!
All talking no playing..... 😢
This lesson doesn't need much playing! It's more of a tech video no?
@nathanielschool they are musical instruments though right?
👍
Thanks very much Kishore 🙏🏽
The RD88 with its 3 thousand sounds is useless in computer production because it is not multitimbral in 16 parts, it would be better to have fewer high quality supernatural sounds in the ROM memory than all these useless zencore sounds that cannot be used in a 16-track sequencer.
True that Adrian! But it still has great Piano action and the MIDI integration for Live Performance is super simple. That was the point of buying this
It's for stage.