Yamaha EAD50 review: What is it?

In late 2017 Yamaha unleashed the EAD10 (Electronic Acoustic Drum Module) to an unsuspecting public. The surprise announcement was made at a Yamaha Drums Show held in Paris to commemorate 50 years of drum production for the Japanese company.

As many drummers reading this will likely already be aware, this magical box of tricks is essentially a microphone interface and trigger module rolled into one neat package. The compact sensor unit mounts to the rim of your bass drum and captures a stereo image of the whole kit from a central position using two small internal mics, arranged in an X/Y configuration. This unit also cleverly doubles as a bass drum trigger, allowing pre-recorded or electronic drum sounds to be mixed seamlessly with the acoustic kit sound.

Now, nearly a decade later we’ve welcomed the EAD50, which centres around the same functionality, whilst offering a massive number of additional features. Most importantly, the upgraded module is able to run up to five separate mic channels, acting as a mixer or mic interface in its own right.

The sensor unit has had a complete overhaul too, which despite fulfilling the same function as the original, now also boasts higher quality mic sensors optimised for drums, plus improved triggering capabilities.

This is achieved by picking up vibration from the bass drum’s hoop rather than the drum head, as is the case with the EAD10 sensor.

The new DSU50 unit uses a 5-pin stereo XLR output and a separate jack connection for the trigger output, rather than the dual A/B jack setup of the EAD10. It’s also available to buy as a standalone product (currently $399/£350) which Yamaha says can be used as an extremely compact pair of overheads for augmenting and further enhancing your overall kit sound. The XLR output also means the unit can be used universally with any mixer or interface as a portable, all-in-one drum mic.

Other key features of the EAD50 include multi-track USB recording, wireless app control, additional trigger inputs, independent audio outputs and Bluetooth audio input. There’s also an SD card slot which can be used for playback or recording.

For the record, the EAD10 is still available alongside its new bigger brother and retails for around $599/£500, nearly a third of the current EAD50 price tag, which is around $1,599/£1,399.

Yamaha EAD50 review: Performance & verdict

I found the initial setup to be straightforward and it took me very little time to get up and running, particularly when compared to individually mic’ing a full kit. After mounting the sensor unit to my bass drum, I connected it to inputs 1 & 2 of the module via the included XLR splitter cable (and jack cable for the in-built bass drum trigger), then plugged in and powered on the module.

Also included in the box are two standard XLR cables which can either be used to connect the master left and right outputs to a PA system or to connect microphones to the additional XLR inputs. This is ideal for dedicated snare, toms or overheads. The only thing you’ll need that isn’t included is a stand for mounting the module as you would with an e-drum module. There are plenty of options out there for integrating a module within a kit setup and thankfully at least the mounting bracket is included with the EAD.

There are 70 in-built presets or ‘scenes’ on the EAD50 module which showcases its capabilities across a vast range of styles. Ranging from more straight ahead studio sounds to reverb soaked stadium kits, dub reggae style delays to hefty EDM powerhouses. These make for great fun straight out of the box, but also serve as inspiration for filling the 200 user slots with custom creations.

Six LED rotary dials called ‘modifiers’ allow convenient control of assignable parameters such as reverb, compression, delays, EQ, filters, pitch and much more (this is twice as many as the EAD10). There are quick access menu buttons for scene, mic/trigger, click, recorder, live set and main menu - these call up the relevant controls on the small LCD screen to the right of the module.

A decent amount of real estate has been given to the mixer controls which I found made life a lot easier than poking around complex menus when making quick adjustments. Each of the five mic inputs can also be edited in regard to volume, panning, EQ, compression and effects. Trigger inputs can also be controlled in the same way by simply pressing the trigger button to switch the focus of the LED faders. The module also features handy physical faders for aux-in, click, mic/trig, master output and headphones output.

The only real downside of using a stereo mic setup is that control is lost over mixing the individual elements of the kit, except of course by physically playing them louder or softer. This is because the kick, snare, hi-hats, toms and cymbals are picked up by the same inputs through the stereo microphones within the DSU50. Therefore, any adjustments in terms of effects and EQ will apply to the whole kit. Thankfully Yamaha has considered this and the use of XLR inputs for the DSU50 means it can be replaced by individual kick and snare mics should that be a concern.

I experimented with this while repurposing the DSU50 as an overhead and it gave me more control over a mix, although I did still encounter limitations with the toms. This is where running triggers on the kick, snare and toms brings that individual control.

There are so many options with ten trigger inputs (compared to six on the EAD10) that countless configurations are possible. There’s also plenty of room to run external pads which can be used not only for samples such as hand-claps and the like but even controlling playback. The EAD50 is capable of running 4-track audio directly from an SD card without needing to import to the module.

There’s no question that the EAD50 is an expensive bit of kit. However, when considering its sheer versatility in terms of application, it actually begins to represent incredible value for money. Indulge me if you will: it’s a mixer, trigger module, sample pad, multi-track playback unit, USB interface, looper and potential e-kit module (it even has hi-hat control through the foot switch inputs). This makes it an immensely powerful tool for recording, live use, rehearsing and practising, teaching, live streaming and more.

Yamaha EAD50 review: Hands-on demos

Yamaha

Cowboy Drummer

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Yamaha EAD50 review: Specification

• Sound engine: SWX100 with 512-note polyphony and 2GB of ROM
• Effects & modifiers: Studio-grade effects and 6 assignable modifier knobs for reverb, FX, triggers, and compression
• USB audio: High-speed interface supporting up to 8-in / 10-out, plus USB MIDI
• Wireless: Bluetooth audio (for streaming backing tracks) and Bluetooth MIDI (for wireless parameter control)
• App integration: Compatible with the Rec’n’Share and EAD Touch apps
• Outputs: 2 x XLR (balanced main outs), 2 x 1/4" (L/Mono, R), and 8 x 1/4" individual balanced outs
• Inputs: 5 x mono combo jacks, 5 x dual/triple zone trigger inputs, and 2 x 1/8" aux inputs.
• Other ports: 2 x footswitch jacks, MIDI Out, SD Card slot, and 1/4" & 1/8" headphone jacks
• Contact: Yamaha

Yamaha has expanded its second-generation TransAcoustic lineup with concert and dreadnought acoustics, with or without cutaways, which look every inch the regular acoustic guitar and yet promising something altogether more modernistic thanks to the Japanese brand’s very smart onboard technology.

Over the years, Yamaha has enjoyed a long, storied reputation for building acoustic guitars that punch way beyond their price point, offering beginner to pro models, in all shapes and sizes, but none were quite like the TransAcoustic range.

These were different. These were acoustics with onboard effects, and in the case of the cutaway models here, Bluetooth support. The range of sounds you can get out of these is quite something.

The new models comprise the dreadnought cutaway TAG1C and concert-sized TAS1C, which are available in Natural or Sand Burst finishes, or the non-cutaway TAG1E and concert-sized TAS1E, which also offer Ultra Marine and Translucent Black as finish options.

The TAG1C and TAS1C present players with three different types of reverb, two types of chorus, and two types of delay, all controllable via mobile app. The TAG1E and TAS1E gives you two reverbs and one chorus.

These all share similar build DNA. All four models in this update have solid Sitka spruce tops with layered mahogany on the back and sides, mahogany necks and walnut fingerboards, and a measure up with a scale length of 25.59”. The nut measures 44mm wide. The nuts and saddles are fashioned from urea, bridge pins are ebony, and the pickguard is one of those minimalistic see-through jobs.

Yamaha has always shown good discipline in reining in the aesthetic – it is saving the fireworks for the tones.

Sound-wise, well, fundamentally the dread is the big-voiced boomer for the strummers, the concert-size tighter sounding, a bit more balance and top-end sparkle.

But the big story is that TransAcoustic tech. Definitely check out MusicRadar’s review of the TransAcoustic TAG3 C for more (the all-solid flagship model also has the looper function that these more affordable models don’t).

But in short, you have a rechargeable battery, actuators inside of the guitar, a set of simple controls mounted on the guitar’s shoulder and mobile app for deeper editing.

When the effects are dialled in, the actuators respond to your playing, creating a reverb, chorus or delay effect that resonates through the body and through the soundhole. No acoustic guitar amp required – this is sorcery.

Those with Bluetooth support allow players to play external audio through the guitar, too.

The TAG1E and TAS1E are priced £689/$879 street, the TAS1C are £1,129/$1,399, and a hard gig bag is included with all models.

For more details, head over to Yamaha.

What is it?

Yamaha isn’t necessarily the first name you think of when it comes to audio interfaces, with previous iterations of the company’s hardware usually coming out under the ‘Steinberg’ moniker. That might well change with the release of the Yamaha URX44V, which is very much a modern audio interface looking to make a play against bigger names in the space from Universal Audio, Audient, Focusrite, and others.

The URX44V features four mic preamps, two line outputs, and two main outputs for your studio monitors. It’s got a main USB-C connection for hooking up to a laptop or PC, a microSD card slot that can handle 16-channels of audio, as well as a USB-C sub that allows you to connect an external device like a smartphone or tablet. For content creators, it also has two HDMI ports with an input and a thru that are capable of directly taking a camera or capturing another device like a games console.

It’s not the usual lineup I’d expect to see on an audio interface, and for those who don’t need the extra connectivity, it also comes in a 2-channel and 4-channel version sans any video connectivity. The front panel features two headphone outputs, a connection for a headset, and an additional 1/8-inch aux input.

A 4.3-inch, full colour touchscreen dominates the top panel of the URX44V, alongside a master encoder. Beneath the screen are four endless encoders that control various parameters depending on what’s displayed on the screen. With these encoders, you can control DSP effects on the inputs like gates, compression, EQ, reverb, amp sims, and a voice changer.

Performance

Unboxing the URX44V and plugging it into my MacBook Pro M3, I initially struggle to get it to output sound, which is a first for me when using an audio interface. After updating the firmware and diving into the manual, I navigate through the onboard ‘wizard’ for setting it up for DAW recording, and then I’m able to get it to work with Pro Tools. You can save a bunch of these ‘scenes’ to the hardware for use in varying scenarios, whether you’ve got a streaming setup or you’re just recording your latest song.

Straight away, I’m pretty enamoured with the touchscreen. It’s a first for me on an audio interface, but it’s a very unique way of interacting with this particular type of music gear. In the setup process, I set up a scene that featured a direct input for my guitar, a DI from a Mesa/Boogie amplifier, and an input for a dynamic mic and a condenser microphone.

It gives you a lot of possibilities, no matter what your particular setup is, and the ability to save multiples will make it very useful for those who jump between different roles, so whether you’re a podcaster, streaming video games, or composing for video, the URX44V can act as your hub for all of your inputs and devices.

We’re a music-making site here, however, so I’ll focus on what we do best. Running the Mesa/Boogie amp into Pro Tools, I start by using the auto gain function to get it to set the levels for me, something I admittedly wouldn’t usually do. The feature asks me to play for a bit, so I hammer away at some spiky chords to ensure it catches the hardest transients, and set about playing with the level set, which it does so admirably.

It was about this time that the interface randomly switched itself off, which was surprising as it happened while I was playing. Booting it back up, I dive into the menu and disable the auto-power off, slightly miffed that it interrupted my session. The ability to shape the sound on the way in is something I do a lot in the studio, so having this at my fingertips in the home environment is a really cool addition.

The fact that it’s accessed via the interface itself rather than via plugins also gives it a bit more of a hardware feel that you’d get in a ‘proper’ studio. Pressing buttons and turning knobs, getting away from the mouse and keyboard, makes for a much more fun workflow, which made me more willing to jump into sculpting the sound on the way in versus dragging and dropping plugins onto the signal path.

Despite its myriad connectivity, I did find myself wishing it had an instrument input on the front like the vast majority of other interfaces in this price bracket. It’s something I’ve gotten quite used to from the interfaces I’ve reviewed. It’s not a deal breaker, but if you’re mainly recording at home, you might find yourself missing this.

Verdict

While I rarely use any reverb or gating on the way in, I found the EQ and compressor to be really powerful additions to my workflow while using the URX44V. Carving your sound on the way in is excellent for your overall workflow, and the hands-on feel this interface offers is really intuitive. Although I’m primarily a music-maker, I can appreciate that the ability to save multiple scenes for content creation, podcasting, and other creative endeavours makes it a very powerful interface indeed.

This particular version is probably a bit too much for the majority of music makers, who would be much better off with the URX22 or URX44, and the lack of an instrument input on the front feels like a miss to me as a guitarist. The fact that you need to set it up with a particular scene in order for it to work properly could also throw those who are newer to interfaces, so I’d appreciate it if this were made clearer in the manual.

MusicRadar verdict: The amount of flexibility on offer with the Yamaha URX44V is really incredible, with it meeting the needs of music-makers and content creators alike. It’s got bags of connectivity, and the touch screen makes for a tactile experience that lets you quite literally get hands on with your sound sources. For more advanced producers, podcasters, and streamers, the URX44V could be just the upgrade your home studio needs.

Hands on videos

Alternatives

Specifications

Everyone has their own favourite Doctor Who. Whovians, in particular, have very strong opinions on that one. Casual fans? Well, it’s hard to look beyond Jon Pertwee; he was Worzel Gummidge and Doctor Who. But guitarists might cite a more contemporary Time Lord, Peter Capaldi, whose Doctor could play a bit on the electric guitar.

It was Capaldi’s idea that the Doctor should play guitar, and the actor/musician has recently shared on Instagram the story of how he found the oddball retro electric that he played during his time as the 12th incarnation of the time-travelling sci-fi hero.

“I’d suggested that it might be fun if Doctor Who played the electric guitar,” he writes. “I imagined he could plug it into the TARDIS console and play very loudly and badly like a teenager.”

It all happened, as so many legendary gear finds happen, on Denmark Street, “the last outpost of Soho’s musical village”. On 17 December 2014, Capaldi, the show’s producer Derek Ritchie and director Daniel O’Hara headed into the venerable guitar emporium Hanks in search of vintage treasure.

Capaldi describes Denmark Street, aka Tin Pan Alley, then and now – as it was and ever shall be – most accurately, a place with “dewy-eyed youngsters and oldsters pressed up against the windows bewitched by some aged Rickenbacker deluxe, beckoning from within”.

When they arrived, Capaldi had a good idea of what kind of guitar Doctor Who should play, only there was a problem.

“I had cited an old Telecaster as the most likely candidate, but they rarely come with tremolos. The Doctor needs a tremolo arm,” writes Capaldi. “And their classic shape produces a sort of ‘get me I’m a rock star’ look, which I didn’t fancy.”

But this is Hanks. If you have ever visited, you will understand that this is the kind of store that you can find anything in. It’s the kind of store you’d go guitar shopping for Doctor Who, and what Capaldi and co found was a guitar so weird that it looks like it he really might have found it in the back of the TARDIS.

“Eventually in Hanks we came across this beauty. It has a whammy bar, mock pearl scratch plate, and funny switches, all of which conspire to give it a junk shop aura,” writes Capaldi.

The guitar in question will be familiar to Doctor Who fans. It might also be familiar to King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard fans, too, because Capaldi’s – nay, Doctor Who’s guitar is a Yamaha SGV-800, the oddball sibling to the oddball SG-2A that KGLW frontman Stu Mackenzie plays.

It’s a beauty, a sort of melted double-cut, with an extended lower horn and a headstock that’s so, well, un-shaped. It was nicknamed the ‘Flying Samurai.’

“I liked it because it looks like someone has had a Fender Stratocaster described to them and then gone off and built their own version,” says Capaldi. “Perfect. And it had a tremolo arm. I loved it. I used it for two seasons of Doctor Who and then, it disappeared.”

Where did it go? Capaldi can’t say. “Vanished in time and space,” he writes. But there are not so many of these around – surely it will turn up somewhere.

Capaldi lists this as the SGV-300. They have the same shape, same finishes, but the SGV-300 would have – arguably – been even better for the good Doctor, because it had this mutant bridge-and-middle single-coil hybrid design, which fused both pickups together (the SGV-800 has single-coils at the neck and bridge), and despite this off-brand bizarro Fender bolt-on vibe, it has the shorter 24.75” scale.

Speaking to the Guardian in 2021, Capaldi said he had envisioned an episode in which the Doctor travelled back in time and met Robert Johnson and Jimi Hendrix.

“I imagined the Doctor might have invented the wah-wah pedal,” he said. “We could’ve done an historical episode where he met Jimi Hendrix and introduced him to this piece of alien technology. I also thought there could be a great blues episode. When Robert Johnson meets the devil at the crossroads, the Doctor could discover something extraterrestrial going on.”

Capaldi tours the UK in February and March. See here for dates and ticket details.

What is it?

Few digital pianos are as recognisable as Yamaha’s Clavinova. Since the early 1980s, these instruments have been a staple in homes, schools, and community spaces; chances are you’ve seen one in a friend’s living room. Clavinovas have been at the forefront of digital piano engineering, always pushing the boundaries of technology to recreate the true experience of a real acoustic piano. After all, digital pianos are designed to be a more affordable, compact alternative to acoustic uprights.

The CLP-800 series is the new generation of the iconic Clavinova family, succeeding the much-loved 700 series. The new Clavinovas were unveiled in 2024 and are available in seven sizes: CLP-825, CLP-835, CLP-845, CLP-875, CLP-885, and two grand piano-shaped models, the CLP-865GP and CLP-895GP. The piano comes in three finishes: a simple matte black and two polished finishes, black and white, for that true upright look. It is worth noting that both polished finishes are more expensive.

Sonically, the CLP-885 is packed with new modelling technology. Like most Yamaha pianos, it features Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM), which recreates the sympathetic resonance that naturally occurs in a grand piano. Acoustic pianos are complex instruments; as sound travels through their various components and body, it creates a rich, colourful tone.

The CLP-885 also features Grand Expression Modelling, a technology designed to mimic how a pianist’s touch, through variations in intensity, speed, and depth, shapes the tonal expression of each note, just as it would on an acoustic instrument.

Loaded with a generous 53 different primary voices, 480 additional instruments sampled using Yamaha’s XG technology, and 14 drums and SFX kits, there are plenty of sounds to get stuck into. The two main piano sounds of the CLP-885 are sampled from the iconic Yamaha CFX, their flagship concert grand, a rich and colourful modern instrument, and the legendary Viennese grand, the Bösendorfer Imperial, a naturally warm and lush instrument. The CLP-885 features a collection of historical pianos, fortepianos, and vintage electric pianos and organs.

The CLP-885 is also designed with beginners in mind. It comes with 303 exercises by well-known methods such as Hanon, Beyer, Czerny, and Burgmüller. It wirelessly connects to the free Yamaha Smart Pianist app, opening up the possibility to access sheet music designed for learning with a tempo change function and left-hand/right-hand switching. Players can even import their own music, for which the app will generate sheet music.

Younger players will be able to fully embrace the learning capabilities of the CLP-885 as it’s compatible with the FC35 optional three-pedal unit, a set of three pedals, higher than regular ones, that function as an extension for small children so they can discover and practice pedaling.

The CLP-885 features the usual functions of a digital piano, such as metronome, effects, split, dual, etc. Still, a notable one is the Volume Limiter function, which allows players to set a maximum volume, ensuring that both children and adults can play without worrying about potential hearing damage.

Build and design

The CLP-885 is the top of the series if we discount the two GP (grand piano) models. It’s designed to look like an upright piano while offering a more compact size when compared to a classic upright. I’m happy to report this is a solid instrument that carries the presence of an acoustic unit with Yamaha’s signature craftsmanship, all in a simple and timeless design.

In my opinion, the CLP-885 looks stunning - especially in the polished ebony colourway. At a glance, it really does have the appearance of an acoustic instrument. Yes, it’s smaller than an upright piano, but it radiates a natural presence that is sure to blend into most rooms.

Apart from a nicely backlit and discreet power button and volume fader on the right-hand side of the keyboard, you won’t see anything digital on this piano. But with a simple tap on the left-hand panel, the touch sensor display lights up, allowing me to navigate through the various voices and functions. After a while, it dims down, making it easier to forget I’m playing a digital piano.

For me, the touch sensor display is both elegant and functional, making it easy to navigate through sounds and settings. It features two dedicated buttons for quick switching between the two main piano sounds, a small detail I know I’d appreciate if I were to use this piano long-term.

Now, one of the new features of the CLP-885 is its advanced pedal mechanism. Like a grand piano, the CLP-800 series includes three pedals - Sustain, Soft, and Sostenuto - equipped with Yamaha’s GrandTouch mechanism that recreates the resistance and response of a grand piano. The pedals are designed to offer a more realistic and comfortable playing experience than previous models, allowing for better control over pedalling technique.

The level of precision in the pedals deserves a special mention. Yamaha’s craftsmanship really shines through here, especially in the sustain pedal, which delivers an authentic grand piano-like experience, allowing for great nuanced and natural control.

I have to admit the CLP-885 blew me away. I knew testing a Clavinova piano would be a treat, but I wasn’t expecting to experience such a level of immersion. The CLP-700 series was a favourite of ours at MusicRadar, but the CLP-800 series changes the game again!

Playability

When I started playing the CLP-885, I almost had to pinch myself to remember I were playing on a digital piano, not an upright.

The keyboard of the CLP-885 features Yamaha’s latest technology, designed to deliver a truly organic playing experience. The keys are made of wood and are equipped with Yamaha's latest GrandTouch mechanism, offering greater dynamic depth. Additionally, the CLP-885’s keyboard includes counterweights for each key, ensuring a responsive feel across the entire range of the keyboard.

Essentially, lower notes feel heavier and higher notes lighter, just as they would on an acoustic instrument. In a traditional piano, counterweights help balance the hammer’s weight, providing greater control and nuance when playing softly. They provide a smoother and faster key return, which is essential for rapid articulations and quick playing.

The amount of detail in the key action and the way the sound responded to my playing was absolutely incredible. Yes, the keys are fairly heavy, but with the right articulation, I could achieve subtlety in my performances that I have struggled to pull out of a digital piano in the past.

The counterweight action is very impressive and adds to the immersive feel of the instrument. The wooden keys feel great, even though they might look cheaper than those of an upright.

Simply put, the keyboard of the CLP-885 was a pure joy to play.

Sound

A defining feature of the CLP-885 is its innovative sound projection system. Grand Acoustic Imaging is designed to ensure the most authentic experience possible without headphones - and I’m happy to report that it works.

This instrument is equipped with two powerful and well-balanced speakers. Still, Yamaha goes further with this model by using diffusers, waveguides and Bidirectional Horns to fully explore the physicality of an acoustic instrument, taking the digital sound back into the natural world - that way, the instrument delivers a more organic tone.

The Yamaha CLP-885 features spruce wood, the same material used in Yamaha's acoustic pianos. The sound travels through the spruce, ensuring superior tone quality. It should sound punchy, colourful and vibrant in any room.

To my ears, the speakers of the CLP-885 pack a real punch with strong bass, colourful lows, clear mids, and impressive highs. The instrument’s diffusion technology does a great job of turning a digital piano into a virtual acoustic one. The sound spreads naturally throughout the room with an organic response; I could even feel the low notes vibrating through my body. Your neighbours might not be happy with that, but the sound of the instrument is fully customisable through the app so that you can remove some of the bass if it’s too much for your room. However, would you really want to?

The CLP-885 comes with a wide range of sounds, and I thought the various alternative pianos, upright and fortepianos, sounded great. Some of the electric piano voices had a vibrant, realistic sound with true dynamic tonal variation. If you’ve never liked e-pianos because you’ve only played them on digital pianos, you might want to give these a try - they sound very organic.

Where the CLP-885 falls short, however, is in its headphone performance. The two main piano sounds are recorded using binaural technology, a recording method that captures sound the way the human ears naturally perceive it. By using special microphones placed at a pianist’s listening position, binaural recording creates a three-dimensional soundscape, making it feel as though the music is coming from the instrument itself rather than through headphones. When it comes to the other instrument sounds available on the CLP-885, they use Yamaha’s Stereophonic Optimizer technology, which delivers a more immersive and natural sound compared to standard digital modelling.

Now, I have to admit both the Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer samples are beautifully captured, with impressive depth and richness enhanced by VRM. The binaural sound adds realism and immersion, but strangely, the overall sound through headphones felt noticeably thinner compared to other Yamaha models. Playing multiple Yamaha pianos side by side left us wondering why the bass response was noticeably absent in the 885. Okay, it didn’t sound bad as such, but it certainly didn’t sound as full and rich as it did in the room.

Digital pianos are often disappointing when played without headphones, but not the CLP-885. If anything, you might find yourself preferring to play it without them.

Final verdict

What I look for in a premium digital piano is a seamless fusion of digital innovation and acoustic authenticity, and the CLP-885 brings me closer than ever to that vision. Yamaha has achieved an extraordinary level of immersiveness and realism, crafting an instrument that sounds closer to an acoustic piano and feels like one under your fingers.

The various learning features add real value to the instrument, providing access to music and exercises, while the seamless integration with the Smart Pianist app makes it a solid investment for the future, a real treat for every generation.

Yes, the CLP-885 isn’t cheap and sits at the premium end of the Clavinova 800 lineup. Still, if you’re looking for an outstanding alternative to an upright piano, an instrument to cherish for years to come, I highly recommend giving it a try.

Whether you're an experienced pianist, an enthusiastic amateur, or a curious beginner, the CLP-885 delivers an inspiring playing experience. In fact, this piano might just be the best digital piano I’ve played this year.

Hands-on demos

Specifications

• Dimensions: Width: 1,467 mm [57-3/4"] Height: 1,027 mm [40-7/16"] Polished finish: 1,029 mm [40-1/2"] Depth: 494 mm [19-7/16"]
• Weight: 90 kg [198 lb, 7 oz]
• Keys: 88
• Keyboard: GrandTouch
• Touch Sensitivity: Hard2, Hard1, Medium, Soft1, Soft2, Fixed
• Pedals: Damper (with half-pedal function), Sostenuto, Soft
• Polyphony: 256
• Number of Voices: 53 Voices + 480 XG Voices + 14 Drum/SFX Kits
• Bluetooth: Audio/MIDI
• Amplifiers: 45 W + 30 W + 25 W × 2
• Speakers: 16 cm with diffuser + 8 cm with diffuser + 2.5 cm (dome) with Bidirectional Horn × 2, Spruce Cone Speaker
• Power Supply: AC Adaptor PA-500
• Contact: Yamaha

The Yamaha CSP-255 is part of the iconic Clavinova range, a staple in digital piano manufacturing since the mid-1980s. Unlike the traditional CLP series, CSP (Clavinova Smart Pianist) pianos are designed for smart learning and versatility, offering a more engaging and accessible approach to learning. Launched in 2017, the CSP series was built to integrate seamlessly with Yamaha’s Smart Pianist app. The CSP-255 launched in mid-2023 alongside the CSP-275, CSP-295, and grand piano-shaped CSP-295GP, and it’s the most compact model in the range. It offers a space-saving design without compromising on features.

Clavinovas are designed as an alternative to traditional upright pianos, with a look that mirrors the shapes and curves of an acoustic instrument. While the CSP-255 is the most compact in the range, it still retains an imposing and elegant presence, offering a contemporary aesthetic that reflects the grandeur of an acoustic instrument. The function buttons are minimal and discreet. It comes in three finishes: black, white and a shiny and elegant polished ebony.

Once connected to the app, the CSP pianos transform into powerful learning tools. Users gain access to a vast library of songs, which can be played at adjustable tempos for easier learning. The sleek top panel of the keyboard also serves as a display, featuring Yamaha's Stream Lights technology that illuminates above the keys to guide your playing. Lights gradually appear and move down, indicating which keys to press, making learning more intuitive. You can also import music from your own library, and the app will generate sheet music and guide you with the Stream Light display. The app offers practice modes like tempo control, looping, and accompaniment adjustments, enabling focused practice. With interactive learning features, the app also provides instant feedback, making learning both effective and enjoyable.

The keyboard is made out of highly absorbent synthetic ivory and ebony keys, designed to replicate real wood grain for a natural feel and lasting comfort. Built with Yamaha’s latest Grand Touch-S technology, it mimics the authentic hammer action of an acoustic piano, allowing for a greater dynamic range and an immersive playing experience. 

The engineers at Yamaha have introduced Grand Expression Modeling technology in their latest CSP range. This innovative feature simulates how the tone of an acoustic piano is influenced by the player's touch. A slow, pianissimo key press creates a warm, mellow sound, while a faster, more forceful touch, still played pianissimo, generates a deeper, more solid tone. Essentially, this technology allows players to shape the instrument’s tone based on how they interact with the keys, offering a more dynamic and expressive playing experience.

The CSP-255's two main pianos are sampled from the CFX, Yamaha’s premier concert grand piano, known for its rich, full lows and bright highs. The second is sampled from the Imperial, Bösendorfer's legendary model, renowned for its beautiful tonal colours and warmth - making it the perfect instrument for romantic and moody music. Once connected to the app, we have access to 772 different voices as well as 47 drum kits and sound effects.

The CSP-255 fully embraces its smart capabilities, wirelessly connecting to the Smart Pianist app via Bluetooth for both audio and MIDI or through USB-C for a wired connection. It supports two pairs of headphones simultaneously and allows a microphone to be connected for direct vocal input. There's even a harmoniser that adds backing vocals in real time when you sing into the microphone. Everything can be recorded in multitrack, functioning like a mini DAW with a maximum of 16 tracks.

It also features three pedals (Sustain, Sostenuto, Soft), which can be used for additional functions like Glide and Style Start/Stop. The Smart Pianist app offers extensive features, including reverb, EQ, and instrument settings like lid position, damper resonance, and string resonance for a deeply customisable sound. You can also use the classic Split keyboard function and Dual Layer options, allowing you to play two instruments simultaneously.

Features and build quality

Designed for intuitive learning, the CSP-255 delivers an impressive performance that truly amazed us. The Stream Light feature is nothing short of revolutionary - a learning tool that once felt like science fiction. It acts as a built-in teacher, guiding you through notes in real time, allowing you to slow down or speed up as needed. This makes learning music more accessible, streamlining the process by making reading music easier and helping you see progress faster. Is this feature essential for more experienced players? Probably not. But if you're just starting your piano journey, it's a game-changer.

The CSP-255 unlocks even more features through Yamaha’s Smart Pianist app, offering a vast selection of instruments, reverbs, and sound customisation options that enhance your playing experience and spark creativity. Where the app truly excels is its vast repertoire of pieces to learn, along with the ability to import your own music, which is then transcribed into sheet music for you.

Now, despite being a contemporary instrument on the inside, Yamaha has gone for a fairly traditional aesthetic. The CSP-255 has a timeless look with a sturdy build; it’s a Yamaha, so we can trust its craftsmanship. The 255 model is fairly compact and should fit in most spaces. 

We especially liked the multiple page retainers on the music stand. With their sleek design, they securely hold even the most rigid sheet music in place - an often-overlooked but highly practical detail.

Playability

Beyond its Smart Piano features, the CSP-255 delivers an impressive playing experience with a natural feel and a beautiful dynamic range. Grand Expression Modeling technology adds to this, providing an organic touch response that allows for real tonal control - perfect for more advanced players. 

Whether you’re bringing out the warmth of romantic pieces or the expressive nuances of contemporary music, this piano lets you play them as they were meant to be played. And for jazz pianists? You’ll love the depth and responsiveness it offers! 

It’s worth noting that the other CSP pianos in the range use wooden keys as opposed to synthetic ones on the CSP-255.

Sound

While I found the speakers to be admirable, I feel they don't fully showcase the sonic potential of the CSP-255. While the bass is rich, the mids and highs come across as somewhat limited and boxy, which slightly detracts from the piano's exceptional craftsmanship.

When you connect a pair of headphones, however, you're in for a real treat! Both the Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial produce stunning sound, featuring rich harmonic detail and a natural response.

This is thanks to clever binaural technology that uses mic placement that mimics human ears to create the sensation of sounds coming from specific locations. This results in a more immersive and lifelike audio experience, pulling the listener into the various spaces in the Smart Pianist App. However, it's worth noting that binaural audio is only available for the two piano sounds.

Specifically, the Yamaha CFX offers a beautifully balanced tonal spectrum. Its bass notes are deep and resonant, providing a solid foundation that complements the piano's overall sound. The mids are clear and articulate, allowing for expressive melodies to shine through without being muffled. The high frequencies are bright and sparkling, adding a lively presence that captures the nuances of each note.

Thanks to this binaural sampling, the audio feels incredibly immersive - so much so that I found myself preferring to play with headphones on.

Now, as if the CSP-255 weren’t already packed with cutting-edge sound technology, it also features Yamaha’s Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM), recreating the natural resonance and harmonic interactions of an acoustic piano.

Final verdict

If you're looking to start learning the instrument but don’t have the patience for regular lessons, or if you want a more streamlined learning experience and are ready to invest £2,200, the CSP-255 may just be the best digital piano for beginners on the market. For advanced players who want a piano the whole family can enjoy, its impressive performance won’t disappoint. However, if you’re looking for a more traditional playing experience, you might want to explore the Clavinova CLP range.

The CSP-255 is designed as a Smart Piano while staying true to Yamaha’s tradition of crafting timeless and immersive instruments - and it truly delivers. Paired with the Smart Pianist app, it reaches its full potential, offering powerful and intuitive learning tools that make playing and practicing more engaging than ever.

It's an investment, but thanks to its advanced technology, it’s a safe one - designed to meet your playing needs for years to come.
 

Hands-on demos

Yamaha Global

Kraft Music

Specifications

• Dimensions: Width: 1,412 mm (55-9/16"), Height: 1,041 mm (41"), Depth: 465 mm (18-5/16")
• Weight: 58 kg (127 lb, 14 oz)
• Keyboard: 88 Keys - GrandTouch-S
• Touch Response: Soft2/Soft1/Medium/Hard1/Hard2/Fixed
• Pedal: 3 -  Sustain (with half-pedal function), Sostenuto, Soft
• Key Cover Style: Sliding
• Music Rest: Yes
• Music clips: Yes
• Number of Voices: 772 Voices + 47 Drum/SFX Kits
• Polyphony (Max.): 256
• Bluetooth: Audio/MIDI (varies by country)
• Amplifiers: 40 W x 2
• Speakers: 16 cm x 2
• Power Consumption: 50 W
• Contact: Yamaha

Timothée Chalamet has been nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, a movie in which he disappears into character via an array of jaw-dropping, period-correct Gibson acoustic guitars – but should he take home the Oscar on 2 March, he might want to thank Yamaha too, because he learned to play on one of its entry-level models.

Speaking to MusicRadar, Larry Saltzman, the session ace who taught Chalamet to play, recalls the actor didn’t even have a guitar when he first approached him for lessons. “I told him, ‘Show up without a guitar. I have a couple of guitars for us,’” says Saltzman.

Both were eager to get started. Time was of the essence. Saltzman says Chalamet knew a couple of chords but was otherwise a complete beginner, and when he turned up at his door in November 2019, the pair had just four months to prepare for the shoot.

Chalamet needed a guitar of his own. By this point in his career he had already been nominated for an Oscar for his role in Call Me By Your Name. He was hot property. Chalamet could have chosen any guitar in the store, but hot or not, a beginner player needs a beginner guitar.

“He went to Guitar Center here in New York, on [West] 14th Street, and he did an incredibly humble thing,” says Saltzman. “And again, this was pre-Covid, November or December of 2019. He did the most humble thing, he went in there and he bought a $200 Yamaha acoustic guitar. I loved that he showed up with a $200 guitar. He didn’t show up with a $2,000 guitar and he could have. I just loved that he did that. It’s humble.”

Behind the scenes, the production reached out to Gibson to supply the acoustics for the shoot. Gibson made a pair of custom J-50s to match Dylan’s original 1946 model.

Chalamet would also get the run of the more player-friendly Nick Lucas Special – a smaller-bodied 13th fret acoustic – and a number of J-45s, which were kept in a variety of different tunings. The production team even aged the acoustic guitar strings to make them play just like Dylan's.

Chalamet had his work cut out. There were a lot of songs to learn. He had a list of 30 to 40, not all would make the movie but his thinking was that the more he knew, the more of Dylan he knew. His choice of instrument, however, raised some eyebrows.

“I spoke to Jim Mangold, the director, about that,” says Saltzman. “Jim was asking, ‘Does he have a guitar?’ I said, ‘Yeah, he went and bought a $200 Yamaha guitar. And Jim goes, ‘That’s interesting.’ I said, ‘Look, if he shows up with it and I think it’s not appropriate we’ll go shopping and I’ll return it.’

“Well, he showed up with a $200 Yamaha guitar and you know what? It was very playable and sounded good. It was fine! And the other thing that was good about it was that you don’t really have to worry about an instrument like that and if it falls over it’s not the end of the world.”

There are many ways you can measure the efficacy of a beginner guitar but ultimately it comes down to two things. Did it help the player learn, developing them into a player? And is the player still playing?

Well, Bob Dylan has an idiosyncratic, squirrelly playing style that’s hard to get under your fingers. Nothing about the Covid era was lucky but when the production for A Complete Unknown was shut down, four months' preparation became four years, and Chalamet used that time to truly nail Dylan’s style. You have thousands of Dylanologists the world over waiting to pounce and the only complaint that got any traction online was an anachronistic microphone choice? Mission Accomplished. Also, Chalamet is still playing.

“He does and he will,” says Saltzman. “He got so into it and he got really good. He’s a musician. He’s a really good singer. He knows all about music intuitively and he’ll keep playing.”

A Complete Unknown is showing now in the UK. See here for screening details. A Complete Unknown: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features Chalamet’s performance of Bob Dylan classics and is out on 28 February, available for pre-order now via Columbia.

NAMM 2025: We can always trust Behringer to make a big splash with its announcements, and while its return to NAMM 2025 was huge news in itself, it's the company's all-new BX1 synth that's now stealing the headlines. But it's not quite the shock announcement, nor indeed the full-on clone, that you might think.

The BX1 is, on the face of it, a Yamaha DX1 clone with some extra bells and whistles thrown in, but when those extras happen to be multiple Yamaha CS-80-style components and a heap of effects, we're treading into new territory. This is no remake, but one of the most legendary synths ever released being recreated and married to the parts of another. You might even call it a 'new synth' if you were feeling particularly cavalier.

Also, Behringer's inclusion of the BX1 at NAMM is not quite the shock move that it first appears. The synth is appearing alongside the company's Prophet-5 remake, the Pro-16, and it turns out that those synths and others were the target of Behringer's redesign team as far back as 2018. The company announced on its Facebook page then that it had bought a number of pieces of vintage gear from UK popsters Tears For Fears, including a PPG Wave, Prophet-5 and - some reports said at the time - a Yamaha DX1.

With Behringer's Pro-16 (Prophet 5-a-like) and Wave (PPG) already announced, it was probably only a matter of time, then, before this DX1-a-like arrived.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's take a look at the original Yamaha DX1 and why it deserves all this re-attention, some 40 years after its release.

Only around 140 DX1s were ever produced, its then $14,000 asking price obviously limiting the synth’s potential market. The reason it was so expensive was partly down to the fact that it was essentially two Yamaha DX7s in one, along with a better interface to make accessing the synth’s FM synthesis innards that much more intuitive.

While you might think that two DX7s and an easier interface don’t warrant the original DX1's five-figure asking price - and we'd probably agree with you there - the synth understandably gained its legendary status thanks to its rarity, and recent second-hand asking prices have been astronomical. There's one for sale on Reverb, for example, for £53,000 as owned by Dire Straits. (A bargain price as it was £85,000!)

The Behringer BX1 certainly has that DX aesthetic, with the imposing design and feel of the original range, right down to the more welcoming DX1 front panel, with access to CS extras - notably the filters and envelopes - on hand via decent-sized screens. The synth includes a CS filter per voice, 32 notes of polyphony and multiple effects including reverb and chorus - all bonus features over the original.

The BX1 might result in another Behringer 'first', too. Rather than waiting for years for the synth to reach the shops following this prototype release – as we have for so many other Behringer synths in the past – BX1 might well be on sale as soon as next year. The prototype on show at NAMM 2025 appears to be mostly functional with just the effects section awaiting implementation.

As for the price? Well, you’ll have guessed correctly that it’s going to be way less than the original - and certainly a fraction of the ridiculous price that the originals are now commanding - but we’d expect it to come in at just over €/£/€/1000 to put it in line with Behringer’s other flagship synth clones.

Presumably we'll find out a bit more at some point on Behringer's website.

NAMM 2025: If you harbour even a passing interest in synth history, you'll know the CS-80: Yamaha's '70s classic is one of the most fabled instruments in music technology, an ambitious and formidably capable analogue poly renowned for its dual-layer multitimbral architecture, expressive ribbon controller and rich, cinematic sound. 

Few of us will have the chance to play this legendary instrument, however: not to mention the fact that the CS-80 weighs as much as a baby elephant, it's also one of the most expensive vintage synths money can buy, regularly fetching sums that stretch well into five figures on the second-hand market. As such, it's no surprise that scores of modern developers have attempted to capture the CS-80's spirit in software, including Arturia, Cherry Audio and Softube.

The latest to take on Yamaha's beloved behemoth is French developer XILS-lab, who has announced the release of a CS-80 emulation that balances an authentic recreation of the instrument's vintage character with a handful of contemporary bells and whistles, promising to give you a taste of "virtual Vangelis".

Though The Eighty is based on "meticulously modelled" oscillators and filters built from the ground up to mimic the CS-80's sonic characteristics, the synth's capabilities have been expanded with the addition of a third timbral layer which can be blended with the other two via its mixer section. Each layer has access to a single oscillator, along with zero-delay 12dB resonant high and low-pass filters, two envelopes, and an LFO, which can be routed via its mod matrix. 

Like its weighty forebear, The Eighty is equipped with polyphonic aftertouch, but features additional effects that go beyond the original's versatile chorus with delay, phaser, reverb, ring mod and EQ, complemented by independent routing options for extra flexibility. Also on the receiving end of an upgrade is the CS-80's arpeggiator, which XILS-lab has reimagined as a modulation tool as well as a melodic sequencer.

Available in AU/VST/VST3/AAX formats for macOS and Windows, The Eighty is available now for a discounted price of €89 until January 31st. 

Find out more on XILS-lab's website.

“It was like being The Beatles... on a much smaller scale.”

Keane’s musical linchpin and main songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley is recounting last month’s arrival at Lima Airport in Peru as part of the band’s “wild” South American tour.

“I’m not saying there were thousands and thousands of screaming fans waiting for us in Arrivals, but there was a decent sized crowd and they were screaming. It was the same in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina. The actual live shows have been equally crazy; mosh pits and the entire audience singing every word.

“Because we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our debut album in 2024, I found myself naturally looking back over those two decades, and being on that South American tour made it all seem slightly surreal. How had we got from loading all the gear into my knackered Ford Fiesta to playing shows in the foothills of the Andes?”

The album’s 20th anniversary is also marked with the release of a book, Hopes and Fears: Lyrics and History, which features photos, interviews, drawings, doodles and scans of the band’s scribbled lyric books.

“Obviously, working on a project like this book got us all thinking about the highs and lows of Keane and we had to admit that, between 2013 and 2018, it all looked a bit... bleak. Putting it simply, we’d sort of split up. We no longer felt we were on the same page musically and it looked highly unlikely that we’d ever be celebrating any kind of 20th anniversary.

“I certainly found that painful,” admits Rice-Oxley. “I’m sure we all did. We’d all invested a big chunk of our lives, our time and our love of music into the band. When you’re in a band and you have a decent amount of success, the band inevitably starts to define who you are. The band failing made me feel like I’d failed, too.

“Of course, loads of bands go through ups and downs, but the idea that Keane might never play together again made me feel very sad.

“Songs still got written during that period, but I was often working with other artists. You know what it’s like... a band splits up and the record company wants to put you together with some up and coming artist. Bits of it were enjoyable, but I’m too much of a hermit at heart. I don’t have the confidence to sit down in a room with someone I’ve just met and start swapping musical ideas. Even after all these years, I still get nervous when I’m sharing song ideas with the rest of Keane!”

Much was made about Keane’s line-up during that early spurt of success with Hopes and Fears: a three-piece, with Tom Chaplin on vocals, Richard Hughes on drums and Rice-Oxley on his trusty Yamaha CP-70 piano. No bass guitar, no lead or rhythm guitar.

“That line-up was definitely not planned,” laughs Rice-Oxley. “When we first got the idea of the band back in the ‘90s, we did the classic four-piece thing: bass, guitar, drums, vocals, with our mate Dominic on guitar. But Dom left and I ended up filling the space with piano and keyboards. Although it was meant to be short term, I quickly realised that I felt most comfortable playing the piano and that sound seemed to suit what we were doing.

“Some people still think of us as a three-piece, but Jesse Quin has been playing bass with us for 17 years. At first, I used to program basslines for the live shows, which was... OK. The problem is that anything programmed limits your flexibility on stage. It’s like being tied to a click track. As soon as I handed the bass over to Jesse, the songs had an immediate lift.

“My problem is that I tend to suffer from demo-itis. A lot of the song ideas started with just me, the piano and Logic but I would immediately get stuck into adding strings, basslines and drums. The structure and feel of the song became quite fixed in my head and I wasn’t leaving enough space for Tom, Richard and Jesse to bring in their own ideas. What Jesse does with the bass is tons better than anything I could do and it’s the same with Richard and Tom. These days, I don’t find it so hard to let go and the songwriting process is much more of a band thing. I just concentrate on the CP-70.”

A mainstay of the mellow sound that graced many a (late-) ‘70s and ‘80s album, the 300lb CP-70 was used by every band from Toto, Led Zeppelin and Genesis to the Grateful Dead, Billy Joel and A-ha.

“I am lucky enough to own several amazing synths and keyboards - CS-80, Mellotron, Juno-6; every time I’m struggling with songwriting, I convince myself that I need a new toy! - but I’m most at home with the CP-70. I first came across it when I was reading George Martin’s 1983 book, Making Music. It sounded like an interesting take on what is essentially a real piano, so I started looking around and I found one just outside London. It had a few holes and several bits missing, but it sounded fantastic. Quite dirty and rough around the edges.”

Is Rice-Oxley an effects-heavy piano player, then?

‘I go through phases,” he says. “On Hopes and Fears, it was quite clean, but on Under The Iron Sea [2006], I started sticking it through all sorts of guitar pedals. Live, I actually use a bank of Line 6 Pods... you can create some pretty mad sounds on there!”

So does Rice-Oxley have multiple CPs… and if so, how many?

“‘Ha ha! I keep getting asked that question and, to be honest, I’ve lost count. At the moment, I think I’ve got about eight or nine. I do have a favourite but that can change. A few years back, I had one that sounded perfect. Foolishly, I decided that it was looking a bit tatty and sent it away to be overhauled. Big mistake! I’m sure all sorts of musicians have done it. Although your favourite instrument comes back all shiny and beautiful, it sounds completely different. I’d got used to how the effects pedals responded, the slightly out of tune feel, the way the hammers hit the strings. All of a sudden, my piano sounded posh!

‘I’ve now got a great keyboard tech who looks after them and keeps them healthy without taking away their character. I’m not sure what the secret is... every year, pour a few pints of beer over it and empty a couple of ashtrays onto the strings. Finally, throw it out the back of the tour bus. Ah, that’s more like it!”

To coincide with the 20^th anniversary of their debut, Hopes and Fears, Keane have just released Hope and Fears: Lyrics and History, a hardback book featuring the album’s lyrics, plus exclusive interviews and pictures.

Tim Rice-Oxley on the albums and songwriters that have shaped Keane’s sound

The Smiths

“One of the biggest influences on the whole band is the Smiths. I can remember so many days when we’d be travelling up the M1, listening to The Queen Is Dead and Hatful of Hollow. You had these very energised, melodic tracks, with Morrissey’s incredibly melancholy vocals over the top. I always thought the Smiths influence was a bit too obvious on the first album but, luckily, we never got busted.”

Kraftwerk

“Looking back for this 20th anniversary thing reminded me of how much electronic stuff seemed to creep into our songs. I’m sure that came from Kraftwerk’s Man Machine album. Driving around London, late at night, with Neon Lights on the car stereo.”

Röyksopp

“They were the other side of Keane’s electronic influence. In particular, their first album, Melody AM. Again, it’s all about the mixture of melody - sometimes, very strange melodies - and atmosphere.”

Andy Dunlop from Travis

“This might sound a bit weird, but Andy is the biggest influence on me when it comes to piano playing. The trouble is that... I’m not really much of a pianist. You look at people like Elton John, Rufus Wainwright or Tori Amos and they can do the most amazing things on the piano. With me, it’s more about trying to fill in the space where the guitar would be. Imagine fingerpicked melodic guitar soundscapes played on a piano. Andy is brilliant at that. And can I just add that Travis are one of our most underrated bands; Coldplay have openly admitted that they used to listen to Travis all the time.”

Taylor Swift

“I’m speaking for myself here, but I seem to be listening to her a lot. Yes, I know that everybody in the world is a fan and it’s hard to find someone who didn’t go to see her on the Eras Tour, but behind all the headlines and the obvious hits, she is an incredible songwriter. In a few years’ time, when all the hype has died down, people will start noticing some of those album tracks - the ones that don’t get played at the stadium shows - and there’ll be a whole new level of respect coming her way.”

I get the feeling this year there have been some of the best synth deals during Black Friday and Cyber Monday that we’ve seen for a while. Both US and UK retailers have had some absolute crackers and I think I’ve found another in what might be one of the year’s most misunderstood synth products.

Let’s rewind the clock 11 months and head back to those sun-kissed January days in Anaheim, more specifically, to the launch of the Yamaha Seqtrak at the NAMM show. You can’t deny it, it was quite exciting.

Here’s a company that isn’t as prolific as it once was in the synthesizer space, dropping something akin to the design house of Teenage Engineering. A standalone production groovebox with synth, sampling, drum and sequencing capabilities all wrapped up in a minimalistic design. Very TE altogether, and that’s even before we get to the lack of screen, reliance on an app and a Visualizer feature.

The Seqtrak bedazzled us in its rather lurid orange and light grey colourway, with a more subdued double dark grey version also available. Our interest was instantly piqued and we’ve wanted to check one out ever since, but are still yet to have a really good look.

However, from what we’ve seen around the web, there seems to be a lot of mixed feelings about the Seqtrak, almost reminiscent of when Yamaha launched its Reface keyboards. The Refaces have long since been vindicated and are standing the test of time, but it got me thinking, will we be able to say the same thing of the Seqtrak in a few years?

Unfortunately, my crystal ball doesn’t look that far ahead, but what I can say for sure is that this deal at PMT makes testing those waters far more palatable. The one thing guaranteed to turn folks against a product is a lofty price, so when I clocked the Seqtrak in the double dark grey guise down to a mouth-wateringly low price of £199, I just had to let you know about it.

Now, since writing this article, the price has snuck up ever so slightly to £208.95, but PMT has just dropped a site-wide extra 5% off dropping the Seqtrak down to just £198.50, but there are only a few hours of Cyber Monday left, so you’d better hurry just in case this one disappears.

Need to know

Yamaha is definitely a familiar name in acoustic guitar, but what's the TransAcoustic part all about?

The reality of being a guitarist is most of us are playing on our own most of the time, so it's understandable we seek inspiration to motivate us in those moments. When Yamaha introduced the first TransAcoustic models in 2016 with the LL-TA dreadnought and LS-TA concert, it wanted us to explore how an acoustic guitar can inspire us in new ways – by adding effects that don't need an amp or pedal to be heard.

No amp? How does that work?

TransAcoustic technology was something the Japanese company first developed with pianos a decade ago, before turning their attention to acoustic guitar to offer reverb and chorus effects that you can dial in with controls on guitar, and hear them applied to your playing. It's best for Yamaha to explain the science here…

"Two actuators installed on the inner surface of the guitar resonate in response to the vibrations of the strings,” it explains. “The vibrations generated by the actuators are then transmitted to the body of the guitar and to the air in and around it, resulting in authentic reverb, chorus and delay sounds that actually radiate from within the body.” Isn't science wonderful?

So six years on, what's changed with the TAGC 3?

Despite the name, the TransAcoustic TAG3 C is the beginning of the second generation of TransAcoustic guitars. The guitar itself is described by Yamaha as "an entirely new guitar design featuring new body materials".

The first-gen rollout saw more affordable laminate back and sides models and even a nylon-string guitar, but this goes back to the more premium solid wood approach of those 2016 models that launched this technology. Now Yamaha has added delay, Bluetooth app control and audio streaming, plus looping. The guitar comes in two finish options too – Natural, and the Sandburst I'm looking at here.

The new features seem to have necessitated a change in how the guitar is powered too – it now comes with its own proprietary magnetic USB cable to charge an internal Li-on battery, whereas the previous TransAcoustics used a pair of AA batteries.

But what's the point of the app?

It's very useful actually – it allows you to select between different reverb, delay and chorus modes, as well as changing some settings for the onboard looper – that can be controlled (in part) by tapping that 'o' shape you can see below the soundhole.

Specs

Launch price: $1,699.99/£1,639
Made: China
Body shape: Dreadnought cutaway
Body top: Solid Sitka spruce
Back and sides: Solid mahogany
Neck/shape: Mahogany
Scale/length: 25 9/16" (650mm)
Nut/width: Urea / 1 3/4" (44 mm)
String spacing at bridge: 55.5mm
Fingerboard/radius: Ebony/Body depth: 125mm
Finish: Include all finishes available in range
Bridge/pins: Ebony/ABS
Tuning machines: Open gear Champagne-Gold
Electronics: TransAcoustic (SYSTEM76) with built-in chorus, delay, reverb, looper and tuner
Controls: Line-out level, reverb, chorus, reverb, delay, looper level, tap sensor for ending loop record
Weight: 5.7lb/2.58kg
Case: Yamaha Hard Bag
Left-handed options: No
Contact: Yamaha

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

Yamaha knows how to build acoustic guitars, and previous TA models have impressed us as appealing guitars, before the technology they showcase. The gloss finish of the TransAcoustic TAG3 C holds up its end, with the Sandburst offering a darker hue in the hand than the press pics reflect. The blue ripple inlay on the soundhole adds an unexpected but classy subtle glimmer of colour and the choice of edge fret markers keeps things pretty minimal on the neck.

The decision to use open gear tuners gives this guitar a decided mix of traditional look and contemporary with its satin neck and electronic side. But it works – Yamaha is good at this kind of thing because they've put years into it.

A touch of the unusual is found on the top of the body: you may be wondering what the small dark wood inlaid circle on the lower bout is all about too. All will be revealed.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★½

The playability isn’t such a doozy with this test guitar. The matte neck finish is hugely appealing to the touch, as is the fairly slim carve (the shape isn't stated by Yamaha but feels a C to me). It promises smooth transitions, but the action here is one of the highest I can recall on a review acoustic in recent memory.

Measuring at 2.60mm on the low E and 2.20mm on high E from the 12th fret (while fretted at the first) confirms the surprising and disappointing decision to ship this with such a challenging setup. It certainly makes chords and notes resonate with warmth, but slows down runs to explore the enhanced access of the cutaway.

I say warmth because the TAG3 C really has an appealing low-end unplugged. That’s not a given with dreadnoughts, especially with mahogany in the mix, but there’s something quite satisfyingly played-in about the response here, with the softer, rounded high-end helping chord work feel full.

That’s all very well, but the electronic possibilities are what's going to be the real sell here. Previous Transacoustics offered reverb and chorus that could be dialled in to the player's taste, powered by a pair of AA batteries. Now there’s a lot more going on…

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★½

I'm going to talk about sounds here, but also usability. Because I think with the Yamaha TransAcoustic both are heavily interlinked, more so than most electro-acoustic guitars out there right now. And what may seem like a small thing at first, really matters in the grander scheme of potential ownership.

As I mentioned previously, the TAGC 3 C has an internal (non-user removable) lithium-ion rechargeable battery that’s charged via a proprietary USB cable that features a magnetic connection to the guitar. On the one hand, players don't have to worry about a constant supply of AA batteries, on the other, this guitar offers 5.5 hours of use under "typical operating conditions" from a charging time of up to 4.5 hours. That doesn't seem like a great ratio in 2024 to me – and I believe it starts to raise question marks over this guitar's practicality as a stage instrument.

What if you forget to charge the battery between gigs? Well, Yamaha states that the electronics can be used while charging so that's something. But carrying a power pack in your pocket with a lead coming out of it while playing guitar… it doesn't seem very smart or something us guitarists are used to having to do.

Another concern I have is the cable itself – you can't just nip to the local electronics shop and pick one up. Lose it and you can't charge this guitar and use it for its intended purpose. You'd need to contact Yamaha for a replacement. This isn't something even USB-C smartphone users have to contend with in 2024. Guitars aren’t cell phones, of course, but even those tend to offer alternative third-party charging cable options.

In a musicians' world of replaceable and readily available XLR and IEC 'kettle' leads, this kind of move seems regressive for me, even when the technology it powers is clearly a step forward. So to reiterate; what may at first seem like a small thing will matter every time you need to find the cable and charge it. It's a similar criticism the Fender American Acoustasonic models faced from some quarters, but even Fender had the decency to use a universal USB cable.

Some of the live potential here is at least enhanced here by placing a new line out level control inside the soundhole, and the controls on top expand the previous three rotary controls to four. Like previous models, the guitar ships with a plastic label on top of these to show which control serves each effect – but once that comes off you'll have to remember what does what. I think some kind of permanent indicators – however low-key – would have been useful for this second-generation TransAcoustic.

Each rotary knob serves as the level control for reverb, chorus, delay and loop level, while pressing down on the buttons activates functions including the tuner, Bluetooth and loop recording. I feel you may need the online manual to get started properly on this as it's not quite intuitive enough. But there's also a whole new level of control with the TAG Remote mobile app that has launched with this model.

This is the first Transacoustic to offer app connectivity, and that’s good news for getting more out of the sounds here. I also found it connected to the guitar via my Pixel 7 Pro Android phone reliably – at one point catching me unaware when I'd accidentally played Spotify on my phone and the music came on through the guitar's soundhole.

Yes, it can do that – which is an alternative to using a separate speaker to jam along to for sure. But back to the effects, the app opens up new modes and parameters for them that take this TransAcoustic model deeper into the effects side than previous models.

You get Hall, Plate and Room reverb, digital or analog-style delay and even a detune mode on the chorus, in addition to the kinds of parameters like Decay you’d expect on an effects pedal. Since the TransAcoustic launched, competition like Lava's 'smart' guitars and the latest ToneWoodAmp has expanded the scope for players (see my Also Try section) so this kind of expansion isn't just necessary for Yamaha to stay in the throng, but great for players too.

I think the reverb and sounds of the TransAcoustic TAG3 C are an improvement over the previous generation, though the caveat with the new delay mode is that the lower-end character of the guitar muddies the audibility of repeats at the lower frets. Indeed, the repeats in general could be brighter from both delay modes but that's perhaps a drawback of the acoustic technology involved here. Still, the tap-tempo – accessed by literally tapping the delay control/button – is handy and intuitive. Holding that same button down longer activates the tuner.

The looper look longer for me to feel comfortable with. While you use the main controls to activate the looper (with recording kicking in when you start playing), you actually stop the recording by tapping the circle shape on the guitar. You can adjust the sensitivity of this within the app, but it's obviously a different experience to using a looper pedal.

Once you get used to activating the looper, it's a really handy tool for practice and working on creative ideas. Ten of your loops can also be stored and recalled via the app, but the amount of overdubs you can layer with the looper is unlimited.

Yamaha TAG3 C TransAcoustic guitar: Verdict

Six years on, the TransAcoustic project has expanded here and despite my reservations about the battery charging situation, Yamaha states that in the longer term, "The internal battery can be replaced at a certified Yamaha service centre."

I think that a specific drawback of this guitar could make it unsuitable for regular live use, but it’s still an inspiring acoustic for the home. I have concerns about guitars with rechargeable power sources and relatively short battery life in general, as I've pointed out. And there's no passive pickup to fall back on, so players will need to make sure they keep things topped up on the power side.

But for a home instrument, this is an especially creative tool to have on hand and holds its own – high action on our test model aside – even with the electronics off.

With plenty of very impressive competition on the acoustic side in this price bracket, the outlay here is really about the latest Acoustasonic technology. It really needs to be tried and considered by players to see if it's a genuinely long-term attraction or something you're happy to let your pedalboard handle.

MusicRadar verdict: Reservations about the proprietary cable and rechargeable battery's live practicality aside, this is a notable step forward for the TransAcoustic series in terms of features – but you need to decide if the effects are worth the outlay for your ambitions.

Yamaha TransAcoustic TAG3 C guitar: Also try

Yamaha TAG3 C TransAcoustic guitar: Hands-on videos

Michael Lemmo for Yamaha Guitars

Martina Blazeska

• The best acoustic guitars to buy now

Welcome to MusicRadar's deals of the week, where we'll share with you the very best offers from around the web on some of our best-rated musical equipment. As the name suggests, we'll bring you a new batch of exciting discounts every week, so be sure to check back regularly to see what we've uncovered and stay ahead of the game.

As we enter November, the Black Friday music deals are rolling in thick and fast. Guitar Center is kicking things off with up to 40% off in their massive Pre-Black Friday Sale. This mega sale also includes 25% off digital pianos, 40% off recording bundles and up to $200 off select Fender guitars and basses. 

Meanwhile, over at Positive Grid, you can score an impressive up to 50% off a whole host of amps and software in their Black November Sale. This sale includes hearty discounts on the likes of the original Spark, Spark Mini, Spark Live, Spark Cab and more. 

UK Editor's picks

US Editor's picks

Looking for more bargains? Check out more recommended sales below:

• Thomann: Shop hot deals
• Andertons: Here's the very best offers
• Fender Shop: Shop discounted Strats & Teles
• Sweetwater: Latest deals at Sweetwater
• IK Multimedia: Save on iRig and AXE I/O
• Musician's Friend:  Up to 50% off 
• Plugin Boutique: Save big on plugins
• Positive Grid: Smart amp sale
• Reverb: Save big on top brands
• Waves: All plugins $29.99

How we choose our deals of the week

Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gear-related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our deals. 

Our mission is simple - to help you make the best buying decision, find the right gear at the right price, to make the best music you can. 

For us to recommend a deal it has to be a product we rate that’s been reduced to a genuinely great price or part of a truly fantastic bundle. It’s also important that we only recommend retailers that we trust. 

You can see more of our product recommendations in our buyer's guides and reviews.

Why you can trust our choices

Our editors and writers are all experienced musicians and experts in their fields. They have a deep understanding of the categories that they cover, which means that you can trust their choices when it comes to recommending products. 

We pride ourselves on the independence, quality and reliability of our testing processes and the reviews it produces. It’s what has made us the world’s leading music-making publishing company. You can find more details on how we test some specific key product categories, but the principles apply across the board, rigorously assessing build quality, functionality, playability and, of course, sonic performance.

We cover a lot of the big sales events throughout the year, including Memorial Day, Black Friday, 4th of July sales and Amazon Prime Day, and we have a good view of which products are likely to receive the biggest discounts and when, the prices they’ve been in the past and which deals are genuinely worth a look.

Where are the best places to shop?

Online shopping is definitely a lot easier and more secure than it used to be, and we like to recommend a small handful of online retailers who have a sterling reputation and offer fantastic benefits like fuss-free returns, great customer service and, in some cases, full checks and setup of guitars before they are dispatched. So, all the deals we’ll recommend on this page are from retailers that tick these boxes. 

What sort of deals should I look for?

Great deals come in all shapes and sizes. There are a few key types to look out for:

• Single item - A single product with a great discount
• Site-wide discounts - A single discount percentage on a large range of products across a site
• Discount codes - Load your basket to a certain value and redeem a discount code for money off your basket contents
• Added value deals - These include multi-buy discounts, or additional products or software for free when you buy certain items

An extensive collection of instruments and memorabilia belonging to bassist Bootsy Collins is going up for sale on music platform Wax Poetics. 

Along with a variety of records, pieces of clothing and various bits of memorabilia, the Bootsy Collins Collection features several musical instruments and pieces of studio gear, including Collins' personal Yamaha DX7 synthesizer. Though the DX7 was used live for Bootsy's Rubber Band and on studio recordings like 1997's Fresh Outta 'P University, it's unfortunately seen better days, and is not in working order. 

Other instruments in the auction include a 32-key Melodica used by Bootsy's Rubber Band and a Farfisa FAST 5 61-key organ used by Bernie Worrell, Maceo Parker, and Richard “Kush” Griffith on tour with Bootsy’s Rubber Band. 

Fans also have the opportunity to purchase a number of Collins' bass guitars, including a signed Warwick RockBass Bootsy Collins Space Bass, a consumer version of the custom bass guitar, kitted out with 165 LED lights, Warwick designed for Collins in 2012. Only 200 of the guitars were made. 

Also up for sale is a glass case containing a guitar smashed by Collins when opening Cincinnati's Hard Rock Casino in 2021. Perhaps the most intriguing item in the lot is a slip for a $5 fine issued to Collins by James Brown Productions, dated April 17, 1970; only a few weeks after Bootsy made his stage debut with James in Columbus, Georgia. 

"James Brown was famous for running a tight ship, to the point that he made a practice of docking his band members’ pay for slight infractions like running late, failing to meet his standards for grooming, or missing a note," reads a statement from Wax Poetics. "Incredibly, these fines were meticulously documented by James Brown Productions in the form of 'Road Expense' slips like this one."

"This slip from Bootsy's time with the J.B.'s, dated April 17, 1970—just one month after he joined the band—reflects a fine of five dollars, and a running debt of $20. The signatory is David McCarthy, a long-time business manager and accountant for James, who later went on to manage the Apollo Theater. 'I remember these days, but I wouldn't trade them for the world,' Bootsy says. '20 bucks to play with James? I'll do it!'"

Known for his larger-than-life character and significant contributions to funk music, Collins shot to fame as part of James Brown's band in the early '70s before joining George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic. Renowned for his extravagant style and prodigious instrumental talent, Collins is one of the 20th century's most iconic bassists. 

If you're interested, don't hang about - the sale ends Sunday November 10th. 

Find out more on Wax Poetics.

Yamaha has updated its groundbreaking TransAcoustic series with the TAG3 C, a cutaway dreadnought acoustic electric guitar that has onboard effects and Bluetooth connectivity that allows you to stream audio and play it through the guitar’s soundhole.

This is a dramatic expansion of the TransAcoustic concept. Models such as the FG-TA have presented players with chorus and reverb. But a looper? And Bluetooth?

The latter allows you to stream audio from your smartphone/mobile device etc and the two actuators inside the body will process that information and play the audio through the soundhole. Very impressive.

Also impressive is the expansion of the onboard TransAcoustic effects. The TAG3 C might well put your pedalboard out of commission with delay, chorus and reverb all onboard – and there is a looper.

It’s like the marketing blurb says, the next-gen TransAcoustasonic provides the “entire creative process of listening, playing, and creating is brought together in a single guitar”.

If this all seems a bit too 2024 for you let’s look at the fundamentals. Taking the Bluetooth, the looper and all of the electronics out of the question, this is a nice cutaway dreadnought with an all-solid build. Knowing Yamaha, it will be a very tidy build, too.

The tonewood recipe is also quite reassuringly familiar, with solid Sitka spruce on the top, solid mahogany on the back and sides. The fingerboard is ebony, as are the bridge and pins, with the nut and saddles fashioned from urea.

A transparent pickguard adds to the unfussy aesthetic though there is a circle design on the lower cutaway that should alert you to the fact that this is not your garden variety acoustic. The open-gear tuners are a nice old-school touch on what is very much a new-school instrument.

Now, back to the electronic stuff. The good news is that these added features do not treat too heavily on the design of the guitar.

Like most acoustic electrics, there’s an end-pin jack. The controls for the effects are mounted on top-side of the guitar, and include tap tempo and a tuner. When you dial in your reverb, delay or chorus sound, the actuators respond accordingly to the vibrations of the strings and there you have it, effects.

There is an input for the charging cable (and you will have to use Yamaha's TransAcoustic cable for this) on the shoulder of the guitar, and it is a pity that this hasn't been secreted inside the soundhole or perhaps down beside the end-pin.

The looper is very clever. Not only can you create loops of your playing, allowing you to lay down a chord progression to play over, you can also use the guitar percussively, tapping out a beat on the guitar’s body and then saving that as a loop to play over. Magic.

Yamaha is offering the TAG3 C in two finishes, Natural and a sunburst. It is priced £1639 and ships in a hard-shell guitar case. For more details, head over to Yamaha.

45 years on from its release, Yamaha’s CS-80 synth seems more popular than ever. Ownership of the original hardware, though, is the preserve of the lucky few, so the market for software emulations is potentially huge.

Now Softube has joined the likes of Arturia and Cherry Audio in releasing its own version of the CS-80. In fact, the so-called Model 77 (the number denoting the year in which the CS-80 was released) actually emulates a couple of other CS synths, too: the CS-50 and CS-60.

Softube claims to have “component modelled and accurately articulated every detail” of the three instruments, but up on the surface, it’s also simplified the interface to make it easier to tweak your sound. While the Model 77 is dual-layer, the focus stays on one layer at a time, and the various sections are laid out to reflect the signal flow.

There’s also an additional ageing slider that you can adjust to dial in oscillator drift and variations in filter cutoff, pulse width and envelope time. So you can go for a stable, modern sound or a wobbly, vintage one (or something in between).

If you want those classic CS sounds - they’re all over Vangelis’s Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire soundtracks and ‘80s classics such as Billie Jean, Africa and Human Nature - you’ll be delighted to know that all the factory presets from the three original synths are here, as is support for polyphonic aftertouch.

Stereo processing, DAW sync and a reverb are onboard, too, and you also get seven modules from Softube’s Modular and two from its Amp Room guitar and bass software.

The Model 77 is available now for the introductory price of €99 (regular price €159) and runs on PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats. Find out more and download a demo on the Softube website.

Yamaha C40II review: What is it?

For beginner guitarists, the choice of which acoustic guitar to start with has never been greater. Many are drawn to nylon-string classical guitars thanks to their soft strings and easy playability. Options from brands like Fender, Epiphone, Tanglewood, and even retailers' own brands offer incredibly affordable models that are just as playable. However, one beginner's classical guitar has been at the top of the food chain for decades, Yamaha’s C40.

The Yamaha C40, currently priced around £120, has long been a go-to choice for budding guitarists, and it’s easy to see why. Now on its second generation, the C40II features a fully laminated construction, with a spruce top and locally sourced tonewoods for the back and sides. Its 'CG' body shape, a signature of Yamaha's classical guitar range, offers slightly slimmer shoulders and a less protruding lower bout, giving it a traditional yet comfortable design. 

Part of Yamaha's extensive range of acoustic guitars, the C40 sits at the entry-level end of the spectrum, designed specifically for beginners. Being a nylon-string guitar, the C40 is naturally suited for those interested in classical and flamenco styles of music. But can it go beyond that? After all, a beginner’s first guitar needs to be versatile, as exploring different techniques and genres is a fantastic way to expand your skill set.

Despite its modest price, Yamaha’s renowned build quality is evident, making the C40 a reliable and durable choice for those just starting out. But does its reputation as one of the best beginner acoustic guitars hold up in practice? We’re here to find out.

Having helped hundreds of learners select their first acoustic guitar, and having been a beginner myself, I’m well-positioned to put the C40II through its paces. By focusing on key factors for a successful beginner’s guitar, such as comfort, ease of play, durability, tuning stability, and value for money, we’ll see how the C40II measures up against other available options.

Yamaha C40II review: Performance & verdict

Design 

So, the C40II looks a bit different from your typical steel-string guitars like dreadnoughts or grand auditoriums. That’s because it’s rocking Yamaha’s 'CG' body shape - no prizes for guessing that stands for Classical Guitar. 

With its classic shape, it sports slightly slimmer shoulders and a less protruding lower bout, giving it a distinctive yet familiar classical vibe. For slightly longer arms, it's really comfortable. I had no trouble with the body size, but if you are buying this for a five-year-old, they may have difficulty sitting comfortably due to the lower bout.  
When it comes to materials, the C40II sticks with the usual choices you’d expect for a beginner acoustic guitar. It features a fully laminated construction, with a laminated spruce top and 'locally sourced tonewood' for the back and sides. While spruce typically has a brighter appearance, our review model has a slightly more 'aged' look, adding a touch of class. However, there is no pickguard on the surface, which may cause problems for clumsy learners playing with a plectrum - so parents be warned, it is highly likely to pick up the odd scratch or two.  

The bridge and fingerboard are both made of rosewood, providing a dark hue that complements the ‘aged’ top nicely. However, while exploring the fingerboard, I encountered the first slight issue, specifically with the frets. They are undeniably scratchy, and running a finger across the fret ends revealed that they also felt a bit sharp. While this is not entirely surprising for a guitar at this price, smoothing out these details could have made a big difference.

Like the back and sides, the neck is also locally sourced tonewood and is finished in a satin finish. The satin made the neck incredibly smooth and it was very comfortable, beginners won’t find any issues here with a sticky neck. As far as stability goes, we have no complaints. The neck held up very well and felt reassuringly sturdy. Although the materials used in the C40II are reasonably modest, there is no denying that Yamaha’s exceptional build quality is on display here - this classical is built to last. 

The C40II comes with Yamaha’s own chrome RM-1252X tuning machines, set up in a three-by-three layout. For a guitar at this price, they hold tuning surprisingly well. Since beginners often struggle with pulling strings out of tune while learning chords, the RM-1252Xs are a real asset, doing an excellent job of keeping the guitar in tune. That said, while tuning up, we did notice that the G-string tuning machine was slightly loose, but it didn’t seem to affect the accuracy of our review model. 

Sound

So we have established what goes into creating the C40II, but how does it sound? Well, for a fully laminated, affordable beginner’s guitar, it’s pretty darn good. There’s a comforting warmth and mellow tone that sounds appealing whether you are fingerpicking or strumming chords. When fingerpicking, the note separation is impressive and distinctive, giving budding classical guitarists a really great start.

When strumming cowboy chords, the C40II lacks some of the bass response you would typically get from a jumbo or dreadnought, so don’t expect a huge booming tone. However, the spruce top adds a bit of high-end sparkle that is pretty sweet to our ears. 

Overall, the C40II is tonally versatile enough to cover classical, flamenco, and modern styles well until a learner is ready to take the next step.

Playability 

In terms of playability, the C40II doesn’t let you down. It has offered a reliable playing experience since its inception, and our review model was no different. The action was comfortable, being very low straight out of the box. Combined with the soft nylon strings, it takes minimal effort to play a note, which will encourage beginners, both young and old, with its ease of playability.

The neck is relatively thin and flattens slightly as you reach the fingerboard edges, making it easier to reach chords. The smooth satin finish allows for effortless movement up and down the neck, and when it comes to fret spacing, there’s plenty of room for even the clumsiest fingers. 

However, all this extra room may make it a bit awkward to navigate for smaller hands, as the strings are quite far apart. Couple this with the flat fingerboard radius, and it could be uncomfortable for very young beginners. That said, it was totally manageable for me and, in fact, made fingerpicking incredibly easy.

Final verdict 

There’s no denying that when the C40II arrived at our door, it sparked a few nostalgic pangs of yesteryear. Back in my school days, there was always a smattering of C40s in the music classroom. Admittedly, as a kid obsessed with Stratocasters, I didn’t pay them much attention - but maybe I should have! 

After reviewing this modest guitar and spending plenty of hours with it, it’s easy to see why the C40 has spanned generations of learners. It’s durable, affordable, easy to play, and stays in tune. What more could a beginner need? 

Yamaha C40II review: Hands-on demos

5 Minute Music

Guitarman Guitar Gear Demos

Yamaha C40II review: Specifications

• Body Shape: Yamaha CG Shape Classical
• Top Material: Spruce
• Back & Side Material: Locally Sourced Tonewood
• Neck Material: Locally Sourced Tonewood
• Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
• Bridge Material: Rosewood
• Nut & Saddle Material: Urea
• Scale Length: 650 mm (25 9/16")
• Nut Width: 52 mm (2 1/16")
• String Spacing: 11.8 mm
• Tuners: Chrome (RM-1252X)
• Body Finish: Gloss
• Neck Finish: Matte
• Contact: Yamaha

The vision of a future archive, staffed by soulless machines, tasked with curating and categorising the myriad fragmented memories of human emotions – and becoming baffled by the task – is an artistic conceit that resonates deeply in 2024. With the onrush of AI-fuelled plugins, DAWs and all-out generative music engines, a machine-led future, scrutinising human art and emotional expression in a way such as this, seems almost inevitable.

For Stockholm-based artist Moonilena, this concept proved a fruitful starting point for her own creativity. On her new ambient album, Minnet, Moonilena – real name Marlena Salonen – harnessed a selection of tools across both hardware and software, to build a dark yet tantalising listening experience that wallowed in the space between signal processing theory, and human emotion.“I wanted to make a concept out of memory,” Marlena tells us.

“I was studying signal theory and I was really fascinated by quantisation errors that occur when you go from analogue to digital. A signal might come through interpreted by a machine, similar to the original one, but with its intent obfuscated. With large amounts of data and over longer periods of time, this in a way also leads to distortion of memory. Kind of akin to memory loss. So, basically, the concept for the album is an artistic interpretation of these phenomena of degenerated memory and memory corruption.”

Marrying ambient, lo-fi and sound design concepts with an enormous sense of space, harnessed from an abandoned iron ore extraction facility in Mimerlaven, Sweden, Minnet is an arresting listen, merging layered harmonies with drone textures and those aforementioned ‘broken-down’ sounds.

It’s a development of a journey that has spanned a multitude of shapes, from dream house (on previous EP, Tiny Portals) to avant-garde sound design and tape-loop concocted pieces (on 2019’s split LP with Atonet, Boiling Sea), We wonder how the writing process of this ambient, almost sci-fi-leaning Minnet began?

“I was doing a show for a festival in Norberg, Sweden, and it was based in the really old Mimerlaven mining facility. It’s a space that had a really long reverb tail, so I couldn’t play my older stuff really at the festival, which is more rhythmic and drum-based. I wanted to create something special to perform in this facility.”

Moonilena’s machine data mining concept had a synergy with the space, and the ideas that make up the album’s eight tracks began to form. Central to the creative toolkit is the rather unconventional Yamaha TG33. This classic 32-voice digital FM synthesiser from 1990 proved a tricky one to program however, requiring the assistance of a rather slick software bridge. “I actually used Coffeeshopped Patch Base to create patches in my Yamaha TG33,” she says.

“[The synth] is a really old unit and is really hard to program as the screen is really small. So, I used Patch Base a lot. With that you can get a much better overview of the different parameters, and how the operators interact and shape the sound. The TG33’s waveform bank is made up of sampled sounds that are very lo-fi. They sound a bit weird – so Patch Base enables me to manipulate them and stretch them out and stuff.

“It also has a randomising button that is called Roll The Dice, which can generate some really interesting sounds, but since basically all parameters are randomised, sometimes that can make things sound really bad – so you have to adjust it a bit. Before I got Patch Base, it took me about three hours to figure out how to remove a voice from a preset, it was so hard to program!” 

We have to ask why Marlena doesn’t just plump for a soft synth? “Everything is ‘perfect’ in software, and often that can be a bit boring. I like gear with personality. Maybe it’s because I’m a bit older,” she continues. “If I was a bit younger I’d probably use software more, but yeah, it doesn’t matter if it’s digital, and I mean, the software is also digital. I like the hissing sound that the TG33 makes, it adds so many extra qualities that I like. It feels more real in some weird way.”

The stone's dream

Whilst the main sonic shaping was driven by this marriage of control software with classic hardware, the other tools that Marlena relied on included her main Logic-based workflow, and a plethora of Melda plugins: “I used Logic as my main DAW. I only know Logic, but I tried to switch to Ableton Live recently.

“I started out making punk music when I was younger, so I think Logic felt a bit more suitable for the stuff I was making back then. It’s how DAWs should work, I think – like a tape recorder. Ableton Live looks a little scarier. I’m on Logic Pro 10.7.4 and I’m probably going to stay there for a while since everything is stable. Why update?”

Marlena’s other tools spanned wares from the likes of Melda Production, FabFilter and iZotope. “I also used Waves Kramer Master Tape plugin,” Marlena tells us. “I do have an actual reel-to-reel, but it always breaks down, so when I found this I realised it was much more useful. I tend to put it on things like synth pads.” Marlena also used Soundtoys’ versatile creative effect plugin Crystallizer as a replacement for her previous Swiss-army knife Melda’s MGranularMB plugin, converting signals and instruments via a combination of pitch shifting and reverse echo. 

One of the album’s most memorable cuts, the hypnotic Stenens Dröm (which translates as ‘The Stone’s Dream’) features a pulsing beat at its heart. Notably, it’s the only part of the record to have a beat. We ask Marlena why that is, and whether, as a more abstract, artistically-aligned creative, she has to fight the urge to add more conventional elements and structures such as beats and melodies? “I always want to put beats on stuff,” she admits.

“This time, I made the choice to not use so many beats because I needed to think about the space – beats just sound like mush when you’re dealing with the sort of reverb tail I was working with. It’s cool when it works, but it’s really hard work. There are a lot of artists who’ve been struggling with that, I didn’t want to put myself through it. To put the beats together for Strenens Dröm, I used an old Korg Electribe drum machine, and then I used Melda MTurbo Delay.”

We wonder what piece Marlena would cite as her favourite part of the album? “It’s so hard [to decide], I did it as one big piece, really. When I worked on the album I had been working with an artist and had been making soundtracks for her projections. I was so used to just making one giant piece with its parts all being quite seamless. That idea fed through to this album.”

Having said that, she does have a track that she’s particularly pleased with: “I think for me, the third track – Dom Bor Under Taket – is my favourite. It’s inspired by a family of swallows that live on my roof. The title translated means ‘They Live Under the Roof’. I made these robotic, swallow-like sounds that was really similar to how they sound.”

The track’s inspiration slides into the broader thematic concern of the record, with the machine-world trying to understand, and replicate, the natural: “When I was making that track, I’d read that scientists were making bird noises in the forest because there’s a few breeds that are dying out, and it affects the other animals. I had this idea of walking in the forest, and these large speakers would be playing bird sounds. It’s actually quite a scary thought.”  

Making Moloton

We ask Marlena if she can take us back to the beginning of her journey and detail how she grew into the artist that she is today? “First, I started out playing in a punk band with my sister. I played bass guitar, but that didn’t last long. Then I got into art school after high school.

“I was studying visual art, but then we had this sound course which really inspired me, so my bachelor degree work became mostly sound-based. My teachers were a bit disappointed! There was some audio/visual stuff but it was mostly sound. After that, I started learning how to make sound art and music on my own.” 

Marlena keeps the visual art strand alive though, by creating most of the cover art for artists on her label, Moloton, which she co-runs with fellow musician Linus Hillborg (aka Atonet).“The label started in 2017,” she says. “We just felt there was a lot of good music in Stockholm that wasn’t being released – it was hard for people who made more ambient and avant-garde-leaning records to get their stuff heard. I thought it was a big shame. A lot of them were my friends, and people around me who were making music.”

Marlena has collaborated with both Linus and artist Sonja Tofik; we wonder if collaboration is an important part of her creative life? “I think it’s really fun. I like providing the audio/music component for visual artists. I don’t like playing live so much, it can be fun, but I like to stay in the background!”

Salonen admits that it can be quite hard to really make music with somebody else, “But it’s also fun,” she stresses. “I did a collaborative record with the artist Sonja Tofik and that was when Linus and I first started the label. We had our first merch table at a festival and we realised that we kind of had too few releases to fill the table up at that point. So me and Sonja did the collaboration just to have one more release, but it turned out really nice. Anyways, I personally think it’s generally easier to write music by yourself.” 

Space and time

In the world of Moonilena, space is a critical character. “Spaces have always been important to me. I’ve also worked on more art-angled sound installations, but the thought process there is more to get sound to work in a room, whereas this is making sound for the room. I thought it’d conjure a better mood, like a deserted liminal space mood to it. It’s eerie but still calming. It has a church-like feeling, but in a depressing way!” 

As much of the work captured on Minnet was designed to be performed at the Mimerlaven facility, few additional reverbs were used. “The space has a really long reverb tail, so I tried to not use any additional reverbs at all when working. The impulse response was from the room itself.

“First I used a ‘Warehouse’ impulse response preset within Audio Ease’s Altiverb, but then I got hold of an impulse response recording from the actual space, made by composer Daniel M. Karlsson, which he had put up for free on his website. Once I had that, I used it on everything. It was such fun to work with, I kept wondering how certain sources would sound on it.”

As Marlena says, having a virtual version of that space was akin to having the room safely packaged in her computer. “I wasn’t sure how it was going to sound, depending on where you were standing in the room. I was trying to use Melda’s MGranularMB because I wanted to make sounds that had interesting tails. [When mixing] the final record, I added a few more reverbs into the mix.”

Among the myriad studios that Marlena worked at was EMS (Elektronmusikstudion). “They have everything there. I was working with some other artists there, but in my spare time, I worked on Minnet.” 

With this reactive and unpredictable use of space, we wonder if Marlena has an idea of what the final track will sound like as she’s making it, or whether she’s open to being led by experimentation? “Both – sometimes I start by experimenting, but sometimes I might have a short story in the back of my mind. As I say, I started out as a visual artist and wanted to make comics before getting into music. With that in mind, I usually have an imagined short story in my head when I’m making stuff to generate inspiration.”

So how did Marlena know when a track was finally completed? “I just knew if it felt that I liked it,” Marlena tells us. “I have a big problem with that. I never think stuff is done, but I had the pressure on this as I had to get it ready for the festival. I recently had a baby, also, so my boyfriend was like, ‘you’re crazy to burn yourself out like that, just use old material for the show!’ But I had to do it. I think that was a good motivation. I had a short time-frame so I couldn’t really over-work it.”

Creative curation

As Marlena intends listeners to experience Minnet as one cohesive piece, we wonder what her views are on the modern streaming-dominated landscape, and the (perhaps overstated) lack of engagement with albums as a medium by listeners who might be more concerned with building their own playlists?

“I’ve done a lot of work as a DJ,” she says, “and I think people get so greedy, they pick and choose the best songs from the whole album, but they miss the [bigger] picture when they do that. I think it’s kind of changing, now – after the pandemic, people are more open to listen to music at home, and appreciate culture a bit more than they did before, I think.”

Marlena continues: “I really don’t like streaming in general, mostly because it makes you listen to bad music. Everything is there so you can often get into rabbit holes of nostalgia. I guess it can be good if you know how to use it. I mostly listen to records. I do like DJ mixes, though – they can have the same quality as a record. If it’s a nice selection – there’s creative curation and you can also tell a story, or set a mood in a good way.”

So, what’s next on Marlena’s agenda, following the release of Minnet? “I’m actually working with a new exhibition in collaboration with another artist right now, and also trying to make a new record. If I make a sad record then I immediately want to start making a happy record, then I’ll want to do a sad one again! It will have a different vibe.

“I was the same when I was a visual artist – I’d paint with one pallet, then change it for the next piece, then change back. Keeping things fresh. That’s why I like chance-based creativity. If I know something too well I get really bored with it – it keeps the mystery if I don’t know what it’s doing!”

Moonilena's Minnet is out now on Moloton.

Yamaha Storia I review: What is it?

Acoustic guitars have followed the same rinse-and-repeat aesthetic since their inception. We’re talking ivory bridge pins, natural wood tops, nickel tuning pegs – you get the idea. But what about the sophisticated, trendy type? What choice do they have? After all, god forbid your guitar doesn’t match your modern minimalist living room. Well, Yamaha has the answer: the Storia I.

Jokes aside, it’s refreshing to see Yamaha approach acoustic guitar design differently. The Storia I was purposefully developed to elevate your living space decor. If you’re after an instrument that doesn’t look like an eyesore when lying dormant, then the Storia series is a very viable option. Especially if you have a fed-up roommate getting on your back.

That said, Yamaha hasn't just focused on aesthetics with the Storia I. They've also packed it with player-friendly features, ensuring it's not just a pretty face. Whether you're concerned with playability, tone, or comfort, the Storia I has you covered.

As well as fashionistas, Yamaha has aimed the Storia I at newbie and intermediate players looking for a good looking beginner acoustic guitar at a more attractive price point. Advanced players, who are expected to pay 'advanced' prices, have a plethora of options for nice-looking guitars. Yamaha wanted to spread the good looks all around, no matter your playing level or bank account status. I spent many an evening with the Storia I, and here’s everything I thought was great, and perhaps not so great.

Yamaha Storia I review: Performance & verdict

Design & features

The Storia I has a bound concert body or an ‘FS’ body shape in the Yamaha vernacular. This shape is smaller than a dreadnought, making the Storia I an undeniably comfortable guitar to play. Beginners and intermediates alike will feel right at home here without a protruding lower bout digging into their strumming arm.  

Furthermore, its compact size makes it ideal for a guitar stand in the living room or hanging on the wall, as it doesn’t take up much space. I found it ergonomically dinky while playing on the couch, and its lightweight nature made it easy to pick up time and again. 

Each guitar in the Storia range features a distinct interior soundhole colour, a unique touch that certainly helps the Storia stand out from the crowd. Our review model's solid spruce top is finished in a unique semi-gloss ‘off-white’ hue, which pairs exceptionally well with the light-blue inner soundhole. The top is complemented by laminated mahogany back and sides, a fairly standard specification at this price point.

The neck is nato, a relatively inexpensive option but in terms of durability, it performs admirably, there were no issues with tuning stability. The fingerboard is walnut and on our review model, it appeared somewhat anaemic. However, the rolled fingerboard edges offer an extremely comfortable playing experience with no sharp fret ends in sight and add a premium feel. Additionally, the quirky synthetic ivory inlays, with their washer-like design and fancier twelfth-fret inlay, look excellent.

The hardware also offers a unique, trendy alternative. Both the bridge pins and open-gear tuning machines are finished in a luxurious Champagne-Gold colourway, tying all these subtle, fashion-forward features together. Although, if you break or lose a bridge pin, good luck getting a matching replacement.

Playability 

Unsurprisingly to those familiar with Yamaha, the Storia I we tested was perfect straight out of the box. There wasn’t a blemish in sight and the action was nice and low whilst never buzzing when digging into those cowboy chords.  Being a player who is very partial to open tunings, it didn’t take long to experiment with different tunings and the Storia’s action held up incredibly well, it barely budged.

The neck was very easy to grip, it had a slim profile, common for modern acoustic guitars, but the rolled fingerboard edges alongside the smooth-to-touch semi-gloss finish made playing up and down the neck effortless. 

The string spacing feels quite narrow, so perhaps those with chunkier fingers may take a moment to adjust their playing to the crowdedness, but for me, it made those usually uncomfortable chord stretches a lot easier.

If there was a slight detractor with our review model, it was the scratchy frets. This is quite a common issue with guitars at this price point, and a bit of fret polish should do the trick. However, it did make those initial string bends feel a bit rough and abrasive.

Tone

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise about this fashion-forward acoustic guitar is the tone. Being a concert body shape, it sits quite prominent in the mid-range, but thanks to the solid spruce top, there is plenty of Yamaha’s signature crisp, high-end sparkle. The Storia I projects well for a guitar of its size and the note separation was clear enough to make it a truly viable option for fingerpickers. 

While the concert body shape of the Storia I doesn’t deliver the deep bass response of a boomy dreadnought, it’s not designed to. Instead, it offers a balanced and nuanced tone. There is an agreeable amount of depth here, and if you’re after a guitar that sounds good enough for those sing-along-friendly three-chord classics, the Storia I will do that incredibly well and a little bit more. When I began playing powerful open-tuning chords, the resonance took me by surprise, and the harmonic overtones were punching well above its price tag.

Plugging the guitar in is a different story. Now, complaining about the guitar’s pickup at this price point is perhaps a little unfair, but Yamaha’s passive undersaddle pickup leaves a little to be desired. Tonally, it feels a little meek and lacks the warmth and power that is present in the guitar's unplugged tone. I, for one, wouldn’t be opposed to paying a little more for an entry-level active Fishman pickup. 

Final verdict

Yamaha set out to create a statement guitar that's a comfortable decor piece - one your roommate won’t complain about lying around. However, with the Storia I, they've also made a surprisingly playable, well-constructed, and impressive-sounding instrument that is easily a top contender for one of the best acoustic guitars under £500 on the market right now. 

Traditionalists may turn up their noses, but with rolled fingerboard edges, a lightweight concert-shaped body, a passive undersaddle pickup, and a solid spruce top, this modern beauty bridges an interesting gap between fashion and instrument craftsmanship. All for a wallet-friendly price - what’s not to like? It certainly gets a thumbs-up from us.  

Yamaha Storia I review: Hands-on demos

Alamo Music Center

George's Music

Yamaha Storia I review: Specifications

• Body Shape: Concert
• Top Material: Solid Spruce
• Back Material: Mahogany
• Side Material: Mahogany
• Neck Material: Nato
• Fingerboard Material: Walnut
• Fingerboard Radius: R400mm (15 3/4”)
• Nut Width: 43mm (1 11/16”)
• String Spacing: 10.0mm
• Bridge Material: Walnut
• Bridge Pins: Brass
• Tuners: Open Gear Champagne-Gold
• Electronics: Yamaha passive undersaddle pickup
• Contact: Yamaha

Yamaha Pacifica Standard Plus PACS+12M review: What is it?

Conceived in the early nineties, Yamaha’s Pacifica, certainly in its lowly 112 format, became one of the world’s best-selling electric guitars. But there’s been no new range update for over a decade. Until now. What’s changed? Pretty much everything.

This new Indonesian-made Standard Plus, uses a solid alder body with the typical Pacifica-style modern S-style outline but there’s a more rounded forearm contour here and a shaped, more comfortable heel – the four screws that secure the neck to the body sit in recessed washers rather than a neckplate – which gives a less production-line look and feel. The neck is subtly widened too and now measures just over 42mm at the nut – all other Pacificas use a relatively narrow 41mm nut width, something that many haven’t enjoyed over the years. Added here too are medium gauge stainless steel frets on the modern 350mm (13.75 inch) radius maple or rosewood fingerboard.

Along with Gotoh’s excellent 510 two-post vibrato and rea-locking tuners, the big new thing here are the Reflectone pickups designed in collaboration with the UK’s Rupert Neve Designs who, of course, have huge experience in the Pro Audio sector. Then there’s Yamaha’s Acoustic Design Technology (also used on the Mk II Revstar designs) that allows them to “devise wood-routing techniques that increase body resonance and improve the transfer of vibrations between neck and body.” The visible results, albeit under the scratchplate, are an almost F-shaped grouping of machined grooves plus a reduced-height bar between the switch and rotary controls in the rear electronics cavity. Does that really make a difference? Yamaha believes so.

Yamaha Pacifica Standard Plus PACS+12M: Performance & verdict

While there’s plenty of new technology at play here, the Standard Plus comes across as a very well-turned-out instrument with ultra-precise machining and finishing. It’s a good weight for the style too at 3.81kg (8.38lb), not fashionably lightweight or over heavy, and the now pretty mainstream feeling slab-sawn maple neck, with a pretty classic ‘slim C’ profile, certainly isn’t vintage-big but fits the more modern style of the fingerboard radius and stainless steel frets. Our sample featured the all-maple neck, and with these overall improvements, not to mention its satin finish, it’s a considerable improvement over the more run-of-the-mill Pacificas we’ve played over the years.

The guitar has a pretty vibrant unplugged ring, too, and is well set up; the fretwork is superb, and once the strings were stretched, the tuning stability from the vibrato is spot-on, thanks in part to a very well-cut Graph Tech Tusq top nut.

All good stuff but it’s hardly earth-shattering until, that is, you plug in. Whatever secret sauce or voodoo has contributed to their design, the Reflection pickups, especially the neck and middle single coils, sound like they’ve been ‘produced’ compared to the perfectly good but rawer-sounding SE Silver Sky we used as a reference. Yes, they sound very Strat-like: bright, scooped but with a percussive attack that isn’t over sharp and big, but balanced. 

It’s perfect for clean-machine modern dance or funk – has Nile Rogers heard these? – or Mayer-esque chime and detail. The bridge humbucker obviously adds some thickness but is well balanced, again with that smooth, detailed clarity. Unlike many HSS guitars of this type, it is very well matched in terms of output with those single coils.

Unlike a Stratocaster the Pacifica employs just a master volume and tone. The volume has a very usable treble bleed circuit which retains the clarity as you pull it back a little while the well-voiced tone control also engages a coil-split for the bridge pickup (voicing the humbucker’s slug coil) via its pull-switch. We get hum-cancelling in the mixed positions too, though obviously not with any solo single coil selected or when the bridge humbucker is split and voiced on its own. Again, that’s pretty standard stuff but it’s well done and really plays well with those pickups.

Overall, it might look like a standard Pacifica with a new lick of paint. But it’s a lot more than that and a typical-for-Yamaha carefully considered and executed design voiced extremely well, not least for recording, and very pedalboard friendly too.

Yamaha Pacifica Standard Plus PACS+12M: Spec

• PRICE: £1,259
• ORIGIN: Indonesia
• BODY: Alder
• NECK: Maple, slim C profile, bolt-on
• SCALE LENGTH: 648mm (25.5”)
• FINGERBOARD: Maple/13.75” radius
• FRETS: 22, medium stainless steel
• PICKUPS: Yamaha Reflectone HH7b humbucker (bridge), Reflectone HS7 single coils (neck and middle)
• CONTROLS: Master volume, tone (with pull-switch coil split for humbucker), five-way lever pickup selector switch
• HARDWARE: Gotoh 510T FE-1 vibrato, Gotoh locking tuners – chrome-plated
• LEFT-HANDED: Not this model
• FINISH: Ash Pink (as reviewed), Black, Sparkle Blue
• CASE: Gig-bag included
• CONTACT: Yamaha

Yamaha's acoustic guitar legacy is continuing with the reveal of its new flagship acoustic model, the FS9. The high-end Japanese-made guitar follows the dreadnought FG9 and is available it two iterations, the FS9 R (an Indian rosewood body) and FS9 M (African mahogany body). And the concert-sized model is being touted as an ideal companion for singer-songwriters.

At $6,780 and $6,620 for the FS9 R and FS9 M, respectively, they also represent a serious investment. Though street prices are already coming in significantly under those figures at around $4,100 and $4,000. 

The FS9 features Adirondack spruce tops with tapered edges, said to provide structural strength while allowing the body to vibrate more efficiently.

That idea carries forward with the decision to combine bolt-on and glued construction with the neck join. Not only does Yamaha claim it increases the body vibration of the FS9, but it improves maintainability – allowing the neck to be removed if necessary.

The Japanese aesthetic is showcased in details including the fingerboard inlays that resemble traditional Kumiki woodworking and the rope-shaped inlay and purfling of the rosette.

Tonally, the FS9 aims for "strong projection and clear top end" that is ideal for articulate arpeggios when accompanying vocalists. While the rounded V-shaped neck semi-gloss polyurethane for smooth playing, the body's thin nitro finish to minimise the impairment finishes can have on vibrations. 

• For more information visit Yamaha and Sweetwater . Check out the FS9 in action with artists David Ryan Harris and Sophia James below. 

Well, it's the beginning of a new month, which can only mean one thing - it's time to take a deep dive into Thomann's 70th birthday sale and see what goodies have been added. Thomann is adding to this sale every month from March until the end of September with enticing offers, exclusive anniversary models, and limited edition versions of popular products.

Now, some offers will also only be available for the first ten days of each month, so be sure to check the Thomann site regularly to see what new goodies have been added before they disappear.

So with that said, it's the start of a new month, which means the sale has just received a fresh batch of discounts. So it's only right that we take a deep dive into what’s on offer and select a few of our favourites.

First up is the stunning Gibson LP 57 Custom 3PU Bigsby VOS, which is down from £5,964 to £5,190! Guitars don't come much more elegant than the Les Paul Custom - and this '57 reissue is about as good as it gets. With its trio of humbuckers and subtly aged Bigsby, this guitar is as versatile as it is gorgeous.  

On the hunt for something more metal? Well, the Schecter 70th Anniversary Demon-6 ASB might be the right axe for you. With its stunning grey burst finish, Active HB-105S pickups, and fast maple neck, this guitar makes short work of gut-punching riffs. 

For budding pianists, we have the Yamaha PSR-EW310. This entry-level keyboard is ideal for newbie players looking for a dependable instrument to learn on. 

Of course, there are loads more musical bargains on offer, so we implore you to visit the Thomann site to see them all. 

It's nearly two years since the synth and soundtrack legend Vangelis passed away, and while he didn't grant many interviews in his life – especially studio ones – we've unearthed a 40-year-old-gem that reveals many of his production likes… and dislikes. 

Perhaps one reason that Vangelis rarely spoke on music matters was that when he did, his quotes would sometimes land him in hot water.

"When I've said things in the past," he told Sounds International magazine in 1979, "good about one person and bad about another, it's always got me into trouble. So now I avoid talking about who, why and when."

The interviews were rare, then, but when you did get one, they'd usually be highly entertaining as the Greek composer let rip on certain pet loves and hates.

And why not? Vangelis certainly earned the right to do and say whatever he pleased over a career that would span six decades, and see him achieve massive success in bands (like Aphrodite's Child), as a duo (with Jon Anderson), as a solo artist (with a dozen albums), and, of course, as a soundtrack composer.

Just say his name and you'll hear those haunting and majestic themes from Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire, just two movies he scored from over a dozen. (And if you don't hear them, just press Play here.)

The interview we've unearthed via Muzines from 1984 is a wide-ranging Vangelis chat in Electronics & Music Maker magazine. In it he bigs up the Yamaha CS-80 synth used in so many of his soundtracks, calling it, "the most important synthesiser in my career, and for me the best analogue synthesiser design there has ever been".

However, at the time he saw the synth market as being slightly underwhelming, picking on Yamaha's flagship DX7, for example, and calling it "nice" but a "commercial little toy". He then declared its popularity as being on a par with an average car. 

"A popular instrument, it is to the synth world what the Renault 5 is to cars," he said, but then added: "The Renault 5 was a hit because it was very versatile and you could park it anywhere. What I really don't like about it is that, for Yamaha, it's a step back from the CS-80."

There was also some insight into Vangelis' other synths and their history. His first was "a Korg 700 monophonic. It's a lovely little machine: I still have it."

And finally on the synth front, Vangelis even tried to predict the future, stating that while 1984 wasn't exactly a vintage year for the synth, maybe the future would deliver the synth he believed Yamaha should have made.

"When Yamaha created the CS-80,"Vangelis said, "I expected them to refine it and improve it, make it lighter, put new sounds on it, but they didn't. I think what I'm saying will make more sense in 10 or 15 years' time.

"By then, someone somewhere should have created The Instrument – the ultimate synthesiser. I don't mean in terms of sound, because we can create anything we want these days, but in terms of being an extension of the performer – a true performance instrument."

"If you look at the piano," Vangelis explained, "it's the result of about 200 years' continuous development, but there's not one synthesiser that's been developed over anything like that length of time. 

"When a synthesiser comes out, it's Top of the Pops for two years, then it's scrapped and replaced by another one with more memories or whatever. When manufacturers stop adopting that attitude, that's when they'll get closer to creating the sort of instrument I'm after - a true performance synthesiser."

Last but not least, Vangelis had it in for another piece of studio technology, then in its infancy, the computer…

"In terms of communication, computers are the worst thing that has happened for the performing musician. Why? Because you have to learn to talk to the computer. Having to talk to a piece of equipment moves you one step away from spontaneous creation, things are no longer immediate. When you want to play a piano, you just sit down and play it - you don't have to talk to it."

We've never spoken to a computer, aside from shouting at it maybe, but this was 1984 and computers were not exactly the studio tools we know and love today (most of us). What Vangelis was talking about the process of inputting data to get anything out of the all new Fairlight or Emulator samplers. 

"The new Emulator is a bit of a let-down to me," he said. "They should have fitted a bigger, better keyboard, and made it more human, easier to use."

Certainly, interviewer Dan Goldstein seemed bemused by Vangelis' tech tirade, but did point out that a composer who produces such warm and human synth music should also be one who puts "immediacy and response highest on his list of synthesiser priorities".

It is, after all, those traits in his music that Vangelis will be remembered for, and for many years to come. We're still waiting for "The Instrument – the ultimate synthesiser" he predicted, though. 

• Read more: "It's a great synth, for sure, but $25,000 great? No chance": 5 stupidly expensive vintage synths (and how to get their sound for free)

Dexed is one of our favourite free synth plugins, being a highly accurate software emulation of the Yamaha DX7 FM synth. Now, though, it looks like things are turning full circle, as Dtronics is taking the Dexed code and packing it into a hardware synth known as DT-DX.

There’s actually another step involved in the process here, as DT-DX is based on a DIY Raspberry Pi synth called MiniDexed. The Dtronics version appears to be a less barebones, more fully-formed affair that you don’t need to build yourself.

Synth Anatomy reports that this will be an 8-part multitimbral instrument with mixing options at the output stage, plus the facility to detune each instance independently. Compressor and reverb effects are set to be included, too.

One thing that might deter deep-diving DXers slightly is the interface, which looks like it comprises little more than a push-knob and a two-line display. As such, it’s not going to be great for realtime control, but if you just want to browse and play presets, it might do the job.

Round the back you’ll find audio and MIDI connectivity along with USB ports for power and hooking up a MIDI controller keyboard.

We’re still waiting for a price and release date, but presumably these will soon be forthcoming on the Dtronics website. The company already has a dedicated controller for the DX7 known as the DT7.

 Julia Holter’s work is about synthesis in its purest form. The California-based musician is gifted as a lyricist and musical worldbuilder, weaving in literary themes, concepts and reference points, from Greek mythology (Ekstasis) through to belle epoque Paris and the film Gigi (Loud City Song). 

But she most notably of all shines when it comes to all things phatic and unspoken in both her vocals and composition. Holter’s true genius comes from a process that she describes as akin to “drawing feelings”. 

The Domino Records artist knows a thing or two about conjuring atmosphere – in both her grandiose performances and the technical skills to translate that to record, as lead producer on most of her discography. 

Despite being the child of a folk musician and an academic, her childhood musical turning points will be familiar to many – the Beatles and film music. Educated at the “casual and cool” CalArts as well as the more academically rigid University of Michigan, Holter experienced musical formation in an array of formats. 

Yet somehow, the virtuosity of expression that Holter possesses is anything but studied. And on the way up her time spent with bedroom synthpop kingpins (Ariel Pink) and eccentric autodidacts (Linda Perhacs, whose backstory deserves its own piece) nourished her capacity to embrace the jagged edges of musicianship too. 

Moreover, and something that MusicRadar readers will truly empathise with, is the significance of her discovery of self-production. As she told the Financial Times in 2019, “I started recording, and that freed me up a lot. That’s where a turning point happened where I had confidence. I didn’t have to communicate to anyone and I realised that I enjoy expressing myself performance-wise, which I never was aware of. I thought I was an introvert. But I got to express more poetically and freely by recording, and I loved the process.”

Holter’s discography and its relationship with the 3-minute song structure is complicated. Have You In My Wilderness turbo-charged her Spotify listening numbers in some respects, before follow-up Aviary took a more avant-garde reprise. 

But the constant of both is, without doubt, that dedication to synthesis and sonic distillation of passing emotion. So while the explanation for the title of new album Something in the Room She Moves – that the flipping of words in the title when playing around in Logic simply appealed to her sense of humour – might be disappointing to Beatlephiles, it’s also completely on brand. 

When creating Evening Mood, she deliberately set out to recreate in musical form the feeling of oxytocin – the hormone associated with being in love in all of its forms. If she hadn’t very much succeeded in doing so, that would seem like a bold quest, but with her experience and mastery of textures, timbres and deft ear for their placement in a mix, if anyone was going to pull it off, it’s Holter.

We were lucky enough to be present for an unveiling of the new record in the setting of Tileyard Studio’s Dolby Atmos-bedecked Gallery the day before our interview with the good-humoured Californian, and had plenty of questions…

Tell us a bit about the album’s overriding themes..

“It’s perfect to focus on the production for me because that was the starting point. More than the poetic themes I was thinking about that. This one I went deep for sure. I think I was mostly going for a visceral feeling. That was more important to me than a story. The themes revolve around the labour of love. Being in love versus faraway love and troubadour love. The love that’s real that has difficulties and changes you. So poetically that is a theme but also the importance of change and transformation.”

Many of your albums take literature or media forms as a startpoint. Were there any particular focal points for this new one?

“I was mostly trying to capture feelings around the above. That sounds general but that’s different to other approaches.”

You’ve said that you like to “draw emotions”, eg how you were trying to capture the feeling of “oxytocin”? What is your process for sound design?

“I wanted the record to have lots of continuous pitch instruments, like fretless bass. Dev Hoff’s bass played a big role in this record. And I used the Yamaha CS-60, Blade Runner synth, one of my favourites – it wasn’t mine but in the studio. And we did a lot of drum programming. I was working with the drummer Beth Goodfellow but then I would filter her work very heavily with GRM plugins – using the resonance plugin. Super-filtered sound, bringing up the resonance and making it metallic sounding. That’s in Talking in a Whisper and Evening Mood. 

"So lots of filtering and atmosphere. Creating a fluid world, or something. And it’s kind of a warm sound in general in this record, whatever that means. Also the CS-60 has this ribbon controller that has this ability to do lots of glissandi and portamento that’s just so good. You hear that on tracks like Ocean where I play a lot with it. There’s something where it can go all the way down [impersonates a whale]. I love that. Kate Bush’s productions in particular influenced me. 

"She was really involved in every aspect of the music. Breathing [released 1980, from the album Never Forever] is a track which was something I was curious about the production for. That era of bass and synthesisers. And the topic of a foetus breathing air after a nuclear fallout. I think the thing with breathing so much with Covid is a good example of something going on recently that had an effect on the record.”

The fretless bass really does stand out on the album. Were there other particular instruments to note?

“Flute and piccolo is something that I hadn’t worked with before [played by Maia (aka Sonjia Denise Hubert Harper) on the album]. There’s no real answer why I wanted flute but I really wanted it. I think because I wanted to sing breathily and high pitched. 

“One thing I haven’t mentioned before is other than the bass, there are no strings on the record. Unusual for me. So that’s of note. Lots of wind. Maia and Chris Speed [saxophone, clarinet] are both really accomplished in jazz and improvisation, very abstractly doing their own things. Those two were amazing. My partner Tashi Wada played the Prophet and OB-X. He recently got the Oberheim. So that sounds really nice. He plays bagpipe on one track. It’s subtle [on Sun Girl].”

What’s your favourite instrument to work with?

“The obvious one is keyboards as it’s my main one. I love strings but I thought it was interesting not to do it this time.”

You’ve spoken about how you made the move from composition to production headspaces. Can you expand on that?

“There was an obvious connection between composition and what you do in production. In composition you’re looking at orchestration and organisation. Timbres, and ranges of instruments. So much of production is thinking about organising sounds in a similar way to on a sheet of music. The types of textures. 

“For me there has always been this grey area between production and writing because it’s always been part of the writing in a way. So it’s confusing sometimes to separate it out. So much of Evening Mood is about production and the story that tells. It worked similarly with Sun Girl.” 

Is your process of putting an album together any different to how it was when you started?

“For me it’s about trying things. I don’t have a big idea. I sit down with a keyboard and I put on a vocal mic so that there’s a vocal and keyboard recording at the same time. I don’t usually have a preconceived idea of what I want. I come up with something. And I start to follow what I’m doing.”

In terms of collaborators, how do you seek people out? Is it specific or à la carte?

“Generally it’s the same group but sometimes I switch it up a bit and try new things. I am the main producer on the track but there’s also Kenny Gilmore. He is with me for a lot of stuff. He is doing the recording engineering and mixing. I loved working with him because he’s so talented and gets my music. I think he was actually at my first concert ever. I just think because he knows the music and is so fun to work with, he knows how to make all sounds sound good. He knows about the layers of percussion and that stuff. To really bring them out. Sounding rich and full.” 

Because you’re so involved in the choices yourself, how does collaboration feel for you?

“No it’s great. Kenny will do stuff on his own too. But I work on stuff on my own at home and then send it to him. I wouldn’t be good at that. I have mixed my own music before and it’s OK but it sounds a lot better when he does it.”

Being such intimate music, choice of studio must have been important…

“We recorded mainly at 64 Sound in Highland Park in Los Angeles and I did most of the stuff there. I recorded a lot of keyboard stuff at home.”

What’s your home studio like?

“It’s not soundproof but it’s more like an office. My little Apogee Duet interface which is ancient. Not very exciting and very messy. Stuff everywhere.”

What’s your desktop like?

“I’m really simple. Just Logic. I tried Ableton Live briefly. And Pro Tools. Text Edit for all of my lyrics”. 

Is there any particular gear on your wishlist?

“Some kind of newer version of the CS-60 would be great. I believe what I’m thinking of is a spin-off of the Black Corporation’s Deckard’s Dream [possibly Deckard’s Voice]. The smaller one, but it was less pivotal? I’d like either one of those anyway!”

What would you save in a fire?

“Probably my hard drive. I don’t have that much gear. My Nord which I bought in 2012. Not because I don’t want to buy more but it somehow doesn’t occur to me!”

How do you plan your onstage setup? Your music being often less about repetition than organic movement…?

“I prefer not to have a lot of pedals. I did looping at an early stage. But I prefer not to have anything strange in any way when I’m onstage. Simple. Sometimes I even just play the keyboard. And when I’m with the band it’s also fine just to do that. For me the fun of performing is getting lost in the music. I don’t like thinking too much.” 

Julia Holter’s Something In The Room She Moves is out on Domino on March 24th. 

NAMM 2024: In one of the most exciting gear announcements made in the lead-up to NAMM 2024 so far, Yamaha has unveiled a new product that looks like it could be one of the stars of this year's show.

Seqtrak is described by Yamaha as a "standalone music production studio" and comprises a step sequencer, drum machine, sampler and several software synths. The portable device is equipped with a microphone, speaker and rechargeable battery, along with a companion app that allows the user to dive into detailed sound editing.

Seqtrak's interface is divided into three sections; on the left we have drums, in the middle is the synth and sampler, and the coloured section on the right handles sound design and effects. The drum section is made up of seven tracks (kick, snare, clap, two hi-hats and two percussion sounds) that can be loaded up with sounds from Seqtrak's sample library, which contains 2000 sounds in total, or with the user's own samples through the Seqtrak app. 

The device offers three polyphonic digital synth engines; two of these make use of Yamaha's AWM2 (Advanced Wave Memory) technology, which is a sample-based subtractive synth engine found in a number of other Yamaha products. The other, named DX, is a four-operator FM synth engine based on the sounds of the classic Yamaha DX7 synthesizer. 

Each of the synths can switch between mono, poly and chord modes and melodies can be played in via Seqtrak's seven keys, which can be assigned to customizable scales. The device's step sequencer can also be used as a chromatic keyboard. The sequencer itself holds six patterns per track of up to 128 steps that can be dialled in through the 16 steps on Seqtrak's interface.

Seqtrak's sampler can record audio via the built-in microphone or the stereo mini-jack input, resample internally, or play back samples loaded in via the Wi-Fi and USB-C connections. Sounds can be processed through an array of effects that includes 12 types of reverb, 9 types of delay, modulation, distortion and compression, a 5-band master EQ and low-pass and high-pass filters on each track. 

Though it's described as a standalone music-making device, Seqtrak notably lacks a screen, and detailed sound editing will be easier to access through the Seqtrak companion app, which runs on macOS, Windows, iOS and Android. The app also offers a visualizer which turns your tracks into graphics that respond to the music; we can't help but note a similarity to Teenage Engineering's OP-Z here, which bears more than a passing resemblance to Seqtrak in its sleek and minimalist design. 

Seqtrak is available in two colour schemes, grey and black and a striking white and orange. In addition to the audio in and USB-C port, it's equipped with a headphone out, MIDI in/out and Bluetooth MIDI for linking up with other gear and mobile devices. 

At $599, Seqtrak should make a worthy challenger to similarly priced devices such as Elektron's Digitakt and Digitone that offer an abundance of music-making potential in a portable package, and an affordable rival to more expensive grooveboxes like the Teenage Engineering OP-1 field.

Find out more on Yamaha's website. 

NAMM 2024: When Prince died in April 2016, he was in the midst of what was being billed as his Piano & A Microphone tour, which saw him perform solo reinterpretations of some of his greatest hits. Tragically, his death came just a few shows into what would turn out to be his final musical project, but one of the legacies of this is a custom-made Yamaha piano that Prince planned to use on further dates around the world.

Now, for the first time, this is set to leave Paisley Park, Prince’s former Minneapolis studio complex, as it goes on display on the Yamaha booth at the Winter NAMM Show.

“2024 is the 40th anniversary of Purple Rain,” Charles F. Spicer Jr, a managing member of Prince Legacy LLC and longtime friend of Prince’s, tells the Yamaha website. “This event will be the stepping stone to a year’s worth of celebration of Prince’s life, and the phenomena we know as Purple Rain, both the album and the film. It is only fitting that we recognise the partnership between Yamaha and Prince that created this instrument, so starting at NAMM we plan to turn the world purple again.”

When commissioning the piano, Prince’s request was for a custom purple version of the company’s C7X Silent Piano, which he was already familiar with. There was also a special technical requirement; Prince wanted to be able to dial in a specific string sound at various points in his performances, as he was used to doing on his Yamaha Motif X.

“He was doing that for sustain,” confirms Scottie Baldwin, Prince’s Front of House engineer on the Piano & A Microphone tour. “He was using it as a means of sustaining a chord so he could change keys and things like that. Sometimes he would do it during a song, but often he would use it at the end of a song, knowing that a grand piano only sustains for so long, but a string patch would carry on until he made his next move and decided what song he was going to play next.”

Because Prince had requested one of Yamaha’s Silent Pianos, which have a setting that stops the hammers from hitting the strings and instead triggers an internal sound engine via MIDI, it was possible for Yamaha’s engineers to install the strings sound that Prince wanted into the piano before it was shipped.

“In order to get the effect of fading strings in, he’d manually switch between the Grand Piano sound and the Grand Piano / Strings patch,” Baldwin confirms.

Prince’s friend Kirk Johnson, meanwhile, reveals that the star was very specific about the shade of purple he wanted the piano to be. “He and I walked around the Paisley Park building and picked the couch colour he liked best,” he says, “and that’s the swatch he sent to Yamaha.”

And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Prince piano without his famous symbol, which sits right in front of the player on the fallboard, just above the keys.

Sadly, Prince’s time with his new piano was brief. It was delivered to Paisley Park in early April 2016, and he died on 21 April. It’s believed that he was pleased with the instrument, though - on 12 April, he tweeted a photo of it, and he did manage to use it for just one brief performance.

“On 16 April, 2016, Prince invited a small crowd to a music party at Paisley Park,” says Chris Gero, Yamaha director and Chief Artist Relations Executive. “The piano was covered with a purple cloth. Then he dramatically pulled the cloth off the purple piano. He played chopsticks first, then a few minutes of classical music without singing. He finished with the piano and did not play again publicly.”

If you’re heading to NAMM, be sure to check out Prince’s piano at the Yamaha exhibit on the third floor of the Anaheim Convention Center.

The iconic black enclosure and white woofer of Yamaha monitors are frequently found in home studios all over the world, and over at Guitar Center, you can get up to 25% off the full range of HS studio monitors and subwoofer. Including the HS5, HS7, HS8, and HS8S subwoofer, it’s the perfect opportunity to seriously upgrade your studio setup for less.

The HS5s have been sitting pretty in our best studio monitors guide for a while now, and I’ve owned a set of HS5s for around four or five years. But when I first excitedly unboxed them, placed them on my studio monitor stands, and played some of my mixes through them I was dismayed. My mixes sounded like crap. I’d been mixing on studio headphones for a long time and it was clear that I’d been missing a trick in the process.

Moving forward four years, I’m still no Eric Valentine, but my mixes are now good enough to have been used in legitimate projects, and that’s largely due to honing my craft on the HS5s. Of course, as they’re smaller speakers you won’t hear anything much lower than around the 80Hz mark, so if you’re working in bass-heavy genres you’ll need to use them in conjunction with a good set of studio headphones - I use the Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO when I need to reach into sub frequencies.

The HS5s are perfect for small rooms, which makes them great for home studio aficionados like myself. If you want to learn more about them then have a look at our Yamaha HS5 review where they got a hefty four and a half stars out of five. We’ve also got a review of both the larger HS7, HS8, and the HS8S subwoofer models too if you’re interested in those. 

Yamaha P-145 review: what is it?

With their follow-up to the ubiquitous P-45, the renowned piano manufacturer continues their commitment to covering the full breadth of the price and feature spectrum. Yamaha's P series of digital pianos aims to reproduce the sound and physical response of an acoustic piano with a minimal footprint, and this approach has proved to be wildly popular with space-conscious musicians. As Yamaha's most basic model of the P series - targeted squarely at beginners - the P-145 delivers where it counts. 

Yamaha's mission statement with this instrument is clear - a no-frills digital piano with only the bare minimum of features and a laser-focus on playability and affordability - and just like the preceding P-45, Yamaha has mostly succeeded, outside of a few odd design choices which we'll address later on.

The most notable difference between the P-145 and its predecessor is size. Yamaha has managed to shave off an impressive 60mm and 400g from an already compact design, leaving this model with an exceptionally efficient form factor. The new Graded Hammer Compact keybed replaces the Graded Hammer Standard found in the P-45 and is the main factor allowing for a reduction in overall size. 

An AC power supply, attachable music rest, and footswitch sustain pedal are provided along with the piano itself, giving you everything you need to get started. Yamaha also offers the LP-5A pedal unit to expand the P-145's capabilities, which integrates elegantly with their accompanying L-100 keyboard stand. 

Yamaha P-145 review: Performance & verdict

Design

Despite its sleeker form, the casing of the P-145 remains just as robust and reliable as the P-45 and is likely to survive the wear and tear of daily use for years to come. Convenience is the P-145's greatest strength, and physically there's very little to improve on here. With its light but sturdy casing, moving the instrument between rooms or homes makes owning an acoustic piano seem like a Kafka-esque nightmare by comparison. 

In terms of gigging, Yamaha seems intent on presenting the P-145 as a truly "portable" instrument. While that may be comparatively true, it's still a little too heavy and unwieldy to be giving guitarists a run for their money. 

That said, it's worth pointing out that the P-145 does come in lighter than its competitors, with the popular Casio S-1000 clocking in at 11.2 kg and other professional stage pianos such as the Nord Stage 4 and Yamaha CP-88 hitting the 18kg mark. 

Other than its slim new body, the design of the P-145 is nearly indistinguishable from its predecessor, with a clear emphasis on substance over style. We are sorry to say this is an exceptionally bland instrument on an aesthetic level. 

Now, whilst this is unlikely to be an issue for those looking for a barebones digital piano, it wouldn't hurt to inject the design with a touch of personality, something which acoustic pianos offer in spades.

Playability

As we touched upon earlier, Yamaha has replaced the Graded Hammer Standard weighted keybed of the P-45 with their new Graded Hammer Compact model, and as the name might suggest, the main difference here is the size. That's no knock against the P-145, though, as the older keybed it is based on was already excellent at this price point. 

For the uninitiated, "graded" refers to the nonlinear response of an acoustic piano's keyboard, with lower notes having a slightly different action to the higher register. It's a subtle difference that isn't immediately noticeable but helps add a layer of realism to the instrument. 

In this regard, the P-145 is every bit as responsive and weighty as the GHS keybed of the P-45. Inside an acoustic piano, a complex chain reaction of mechanical movement is set in motion with every press of a key, and the GHC keybed of the P-145 is another admirable attempt from Yamaha at replicating that sensation.

However, one minor complaint that has carried over from the P-45 is the glossy finish of the white keys. This shiny and smooth surface can make the keys slippery during fast passages. It's an issue which can be offset by spending a lot of time with this particular keyboard, but for anyone encountering the P-145 less regularly, it can take some getting used to.

Features

Everything we've discussed up to this point ultimately comes to nought if an instrument doesn't deliver in the sound department, and for the most part, the P-145 holds up where it counts. The onboard speakers are weighty and powerful, which is especially impressive considering the keyboard's smaller footprint. 

Yamaha has included an option they call Sound Boost to get the most out of the inbuilt speakers, which after some digging through the manual, appears to be a simple gain increase coupled with some psychoacoustic trickery - and it works surprisingly well. 

The piano sounds benefit especially from this feature, with maximum volume approaching that of an acoustic piano whilst also seeming to enhance the available dynamic range. We'd recommend keeping this option on for any environment where disturbance to others isn't an issue. 

A 1/4" headphone output allows for silent practice. However, for an instrument so heavily geared towards beginners, a 3.5mm jack might have been a better choice to avoid anyone without studio headphones needing to purchase an adapter. That said, we do understand that Yamaha wants you to hear the piano in all its glory, and a brilliant set of digital piano headphones will come with the larger jack. 

All ten sounds included with the P-145, along with an inbuilt metronome and some other global settings, can be selected using the solitary function button along with a combination of key presses. It works perfectly fine, but with such a small selection of sounds, I'm not sure why each one couldn't have had a dedicated button, as this would help add some detail to an incredibly sparse front panel design. 

Along with the headphone output, which doubles as a line out for live performance, the back panel accepts a sustain pedal or the aforementioned LP-5A pedal unit, the latter of which impressively allows for half-pedalling. The LP-5A input was previously only available on the more expensive P-125, so its inclusion here offers a great value option for the budget-conscious buyer who needs a realistic set of pedals.

Sound

Let's now take a look at the sounds themselves. The two included grand piano models, sampled from Yamaha's full-size concert grand CFIIIS, are clear and consistent with an acceptable level of realism. The sounds don't respond particularly expressively to velocity, and players looking for a digital piano especially suited to more dramatic and nuanced material may find themselves disappointed with what's on offer here. 

It's important, however, to keep things in perspective when reviewing a beginner-centric instrument at this price point. In that regard, the P-145 covers the sonic territory of the piano with enough detail to be perfectly serviceable for players at the start of their musical journey. 

My only other gripe with these two pianos is that they are incredibly similar in tone and timbre, and it may have been a smarter choice to offer a full-spectrum grand alongside a softer piano more suitable for pop and folk styles.

The first electric piano, undoubtedly modelled on a Fender Rhodes, is easily the best of the remaining eight sounds and a perfectly acceptable emulation - although it is by no means a plausible replacement for the real thing. It is particularly unconvincing in the higher registers, where it begins to sound less "Rhodes" and more "ice cream van". 

The other electric piano included in the P-145 is a clear 80s throwback, similar to a preset you'd find on the DX7, Yamaha's quintessential digital synthesiser, which dominated the sound of 80s pop. It's great fun to play and it may have its place in modern productions, but for us, it's so evocative of a bygone era that we couldn't find a use for it outside of pure pastiche.

Next, are the twin pipe organs, which are surprisingly characterful. The first organ has a more subdued tone, most suitable for subtler material, whilst the second has the bright and present tone of an "all stops out" organ. It's especially fun to play high figures and flourishes with these sounds, but they come with one major limitation - they don't respond to velocity and due to the absence of an expression pedal input, this means dynamics are impossible. 

A harpsichord and accordion are the last two keyboard instruments included with the P-145's sound library. In regards to the harpsichord - it's adequate. The higher octaves are distractingly plasticky and with even the most basic material, it's not very convincing, but this is obviously not a sound anyone is buying the P-145 for. The accordion is surprisingly good with a nice tonal balance, and in an ensemble, it's likely to be an acceptable stand-in for the real thing.

The two remaining sounds packaged with the P-145 are emulations of a Chinese bamboo flute known as the Dizi and a string ensemble. Unfortunately, this is where the quality really drops off. The Dizi, in particular, is so unpleasant to listen to, we couldn't think of a single situation where it would be useful. 

What's so baffling about the Dizi's inclusion is that it replaces the perfectly usable vibraphone sound found in the P-45 - an instrument which also maps to an 88-key piano keyboard far more naturally. 

The string ensemble suffers a similar fate for the same reasons, and whilst it can be argued that these are sounds that most users will rarely need, it begs the question of why Yamaha bothered to include them at all. I'd have much preferred they spent that time improving the quality of the piano emulation.

Final verdict

Yamaha's P-45 was most definitely one of the most popular beginner pianos on the market and one of the best Yamaha digital pianos. It was robust, compact and offered players an authentic feeling instrument at a stellar price.

The latest iteration stays within the guidelines of the previous unit but manages to shrink the model to an even more compact size, making it more portable and manageable to move around.

Now, it's safe to say that not all the sounds were a hit with us. We found the core piano tones to be more than serviceable, but beyond that, there was very little to get excited about. 

If it sounds like I'm being a little harsh on the P-145, it's because it gets a lot of things right, and with a few small tweaks, Yamaha's introductory model for the P series has the potential to be the definitive beginner digital piano. As it stands, the P-145 is most definitely dependable - if a little uninspiring at times - and for most beginners, that will be enough. 

Yamaha P-145 review: Hands-on demos

Gear4music Keys and Piano

Better Music

Yamaha P-145 review: Specifications

• Keys: 88 weighted, graded hammer action keys, touch-sensitive keyboard
• Polyphony: 64-note polyphony
• Sounds: 10 onboard voices including pianos, electric pianos, and strings
• Effects: 4 levels of reverb
• Features: Sound boost, Dual/Layer functions, Duo mode
• Connections: Headphone input (1/4 inch jack), Sustain pedal, USB to HOST MIDI
• Speakers: 2 x 7W Amplifiers, 2 x 12cm Speakers
• Included: Yamaha PA-150B mains power supply, FC5 sustain pedal and music rest
• Weight: 11.1kg
• Dimensions: 132.6 x 26.8 x 12.9cm
• Contact: Yamaha

Yamaha NP-15 review: what is it?

First things first, the Yamaha NP-15 is a great model for newcomers. It's competitively priced and made with beginners in mind. It has unweighted but touch-sensitive keys, making playing effortless without requiring a lot of technique - perfect for beginners looking to jump-start their learning and make their overall first experiences with piano fun. 

The no-frills design means there isn't a fancy LED display, just a sober - but oddly satisfying - volume knob and ten discrete control buttons. We must admit, we like the minimal look and both colour options - black and white. The simplicity of the design is continued through to the sound of the piano. Yamaha has opted for quality over quantity here, with the keyboard coming loaded with 15 high-quality voices featuring the sound of Yamaha's iconic full-concert grand piano. 

Weighing in at just 5.2kg, the NP-15 is a particularly lightweight model. It's also compact and battery-powered, making it ideal for transporting and storing away - great if you don't intend on the keyboard becoming a permanent fixture. 

It has two 2.5W built-in speakers that are certainly loud enough and sound very nice in our living room. Alternatively, headphones can be plugged in for quiet practice. It has the capability to record and playback your piano compositions and comes preloaded with 25 not-so-cheesy songs that you can play along to. 

The keyboard can be connected via USB to use as a MIDI controller or linked to Yamaha's 'Smart Pianist' app, which can enhance your playing experience. 

Although Yamaha offers a range of stands, you do not get one included in the box. This keyboard also doesn't include a sustain pedal. However, you do have the option to connect one. 

Yamaha NP-15 review: performance & verdict

Design and style 

The Piaggero series is Yamaha's entry-level piano range, and despite being affordable, it still comes with Yamaha's years of experience making top-quality instruments and audio equipment. As soon as it's out of the box, you know you're holding an instrument made with a real savoir-faire; feeling sturdy and well-made. 

It looks the part, too. The design is minimal, while elements such as the red felting that sits along the base of the keys, the matt black finish and the pleasing knob give the piano an understated and classy look. 

You can trust that this piano's small price tag isn't the result of cheap manufacturing but rather of the simplicity of its design. The name Piaggero comes from merging the words' piano' and 'leggero' - meaning 'light' in musical terms. The name illustrates Yamaha's intention to offer simple and lightweight instruments at an affordable price, and we think they've nailed it.

Playability and feel 

I would normally suggest that novice players choose an 88-weighted key piano, but the NP-15 has made me reassess this assertion. This model might just be the perfect beginner keyboard. 

On an acoustic piano, the keys - due to the complex mechanism - have a weighted action when pressed, which allows for a greater expression in the dynamic of each note. Of course, electronic keyboards tend to try their hardest to recreate that feeling, but this keyboard doesn't. Instead, it has touch-sensitive keys. These lighter keys still allow you to play dynamically but without the need for any finger strength or articulation techniques - making the NP-15 incredibly easy to play and instantly fun.

The NP-15 only has 61 keys which you may think would limit what songs you can play, but it should be enough if you're playing jazz tunes or pop accompaniments. After all, even great composers such as Mozart and Chopin composed music on keyboards that only had four or five octaves. Be that as it may, if you're looking for some extra keys, the NP-15 has a big brother, the NP-35, which has 76 keys.

Sounds and tone

Now, what's new with the NP-15 compared to its predecessor, the Piaggero NP-12? Five new sounds. You can choose from 12 high-quality voices, ten that are also on the NP-12, plus five brand-new ones. 

In total, there are three pianos, three e-pianos, three organs, two harpsichords, vibraphone, acoustic strings and two pads. With the exception of the strings - which don't sound very authentic, in our opinion - the others sound pretty good, with a lot of depth and surprisingly rich harmonics. 

Our only wish is that these could be modernised. It does feel like the range of sounds, particularly the electric pianos, haven't been updated since the '90s - maybe they're waiting for them to come back into fashion? 

We would have preferred that they ditch one of the harpsichord sounds for a more trendy dreamy felted piano or one of the e-pianos for a contemporary plucky synth sound; kids now would probably prefer to play Harry Styles than Stevie Wonder. 

With all that said, the keyboard does offer enough sonic flexibility with the choice of six reverbs, allowing you to recreate the sound of three different concert halls, a cathedral and a small room with an option to adjust their depth. You can also easily customise the damper resonance when using a sustain pedal which will affect how long the notes will ring when sustained. Very neat.

The NP-15 has slightly larger speakers than the previous model, but they have the same power, so the difference in volume is minimal. You can, of course, plug in headphones if you want privacy or to stay friendly with your neighbours. 

Features and extras

The NP-15 is a little over a metre long, so it doesn't take up much space at all. It's also extremely lightweight, clocking in at a mere 5.2kg. This makes this humble keyboard easy to move around and ideal if you plan on storing the piano when it's not being used. 

As we previously mentioned, the stand doesn't come as standard, but Yamaha does make a couple of options that can be purchased separately. If you are after a single-braced stand, then the PKBS1 is ideal, for a more sturdy alternative, the double-braced PKBX2 works a treat, and lastly, if you want something a little more bespoke, the L3C is a fantastic option. 

As there are only 61 keys, naturally there's an octave shift function. You can switch by holding down the 'metronome’ key and the keys on your keyboard simultaneously; however, we did find this to be a little clumsy. Having the typical '+' and '-' buttons found on a MIDI controller would make this way easier to navigate - especially while performing.  

The Yamaha NP-15 also features a metronome and the choice of three different tunings - 414.8 Hz, 440.0 Hz, and 466.8 Hz. However, the metronome doesn't allow you to select specific tempos, so you will have to dial it in by ear. 

Regarding connectivity, the NP-15 has a USB port allowing you to connect to a computer, transforming the keyboard into a MIDI controller. Although, if you were using it for studio productions, you might want to find a more specialised keyboard that has more features, such as a mod wheel, pitch control, pads, etc. That said, for beginner pianists, that's unlikely to be a concern. 

Newbies will be happy to know that it's possible to connect to two of Yamaha's popular piano apps, Smart Pianist and Rec'n'Share. Not only will this be sure to enhance your playing experience, but you can also easily record and film yourself playing so you can track your progress. But unfortunately, you will need to purchase the UD-BT01 MIDI Bluetooth connector in order to do this.

We have to mention that other models in a similar price bracket, such as the Roland GO-61P, come with built-in wireless connectivity, which is something you might want to consider if you think this is a feature you will be using a lot.

Lastly, we need to discuss the price. Now, for us, this might just be the NP-15's biggest selling point. Retailing for just under $/£300, it really is an impressive price point for such a fantastic instrument. 

Final verdict

So is the NP-15 a massive upgrade from the NP-12? Well, not really. Yamaha has stuck to the winning formula of the original unit but tweaked it ever so slightly by adding five new voices and a few other minor details. 

However, this superb beginner keyboard is easy to recommend for those taking their first steps into the wonderful world of digital pianos. 

Nevertheless, the older NP-12 is still available at select dealers and with sizable discounts applied while they make space for the arrival of this shiny new model, the NP-12 could be a better investment until they disappear from stores completely. 

Yamaha NP-15 review: hands-on demos

MusicRadar

Yamaha Global

Yamaha NP-15 review: Specifications

• Keyboard: 61-note touch sensitive (Box Type)
• Polyphony: 64-note Polyphony
• Effects: Digital Reverb (6 Types)
• Connectivity: USB-to-Host, Sustain pedal, Headphones
• Dimensions: Width 1,052mm (41-7/16"), Height 104mm (4-1/8"), Depth 260mm (10-1/4")
• Preset Number of Voices: 15 (Concert Grand, Mellow Grand, Bright Grand, DX E. Piano, Stage E. Piano, Vintage E. Piano, Organ Principal, Organ Tutti, Jazz Organ, Harpsichord 8', Harpsichord 8’+4', Vibraphone, Strings, Strings Pad, Synth Pad)
• Power Supply: AC Adaptor (PA-130) 12V or 6 x "AA" size batteries (alkaline, manganese, or Ni-MH rechargeable batteries)
• Power Consumption: 3.5W (When using PA-130 AC adaptor)
• Contact: Yamaha

Yamaha P-125a review: What is it?

A step up from the entry-level P-45 model in the company’s lineup, the Yamaha P-125a is a fully-weighted, 88-key portable stage piano that features 24 piano, electric piano and other ‘bread and butter’ voices, a 2-way speaker system that fires both upwards and downwards for an expansive piano sound and 20 drum rhythms and auto-generated bass patterns to play along with.

The P-125a replaces the previous P-125 model, the only apparent difference being that audio is no longer transmitted digitally through the USB port. We’re not sure what prompted the decision to remove this function. Still, unless the lack of a built-in audio interface is a deal breaker for you, it doesn’t detract from the P-125a’s extraordinary piano sound and playability.

The physical footprint of the P-125a is not a lot larger than the keyboard itself, with a slim control panel running the full width of the instrument and housing speakers situated at each end. The surprising dimension is the height - presumably to accommodate the 2-way speaker system and the weighted keyboard mechanism, the chassis is pretty tall, giving the instrument a height, when placed on a flat surface, of 16.6cm. Since this is a portable piano, Yamaha have done an excellent job of keeping the overall weight down to a manageable 11.8kg. There are plenty of recesses on the underside to get your fingers into, making it easy to lug the unit around, but it’s only capable of running on mains power - no batteries here.

Round the back, we have a pair of L/R auxiliary outputs, a USB to host port and sockets for a sustain pedal and Yamaha’s bespoke LP-1 three-pedal unit (sold separately). The rear connectors are tucked away so far back into the recess on the underside of the piano that you have to practically invert your entire upper body to get to them from the player’s point of view, but thankfully the two 6.3mm headphone outputs are located more accessibly on the front of the instrument, on the left-hand side.

Our review model included a power supply, music rest and a footswitch-style damper pedal, but we were also sent an optional FC3A pedal that looks and behaves more like a regular piano damper pedal, with support for half-pedalling. Also available as an extra alongside the LP-1 pedal unit is the L-125, a flatpack wooden stand that turns the P-125a into more of a traditionally-styled console piano for those who require a more permanent setup.

Performance and Verdict

Yamaha are one of the few top digital piano manufacturers that also have a long tradition of crafting acoustic instruments, and it shows particularly well in the case of the P-125a. Its main selling point was always going to be its principal grand piano sound, so after powering the unit on and waiting a few short seconds for boot time, it’s reassuring to discover that it is excellent. You wouldn’t really expect anything less from Yamaha, and it certainly lives up to expectations. Derived from their famous 9’ CFIIIS concert grand, it’s just a delight to play when partnered with the supremely playable and responsive GHS keyboard.

The keys have a really premium feel - the weighting is perfectly balanced and graded heavier from left to right, while the non-textured keytops deliver an authentic playing experience that’s truly evocative of an acoustic grand. It’s quite a heavy action, a great workout for the fingers that intermediate to advanced players will love. Beginners may find it a little challenging, but no less so than your average acoustic piano, and, just like an acoustic, well worth persevering with.

The control panel boasts a mere 14 slimline buttons and a functional horizontal volume slider, a minimal look that has been achieved by the implementation of many of the keys taking on secondary roles as function selector switches. A single sheet quick start guide contains reference charts as to what all these functions are, and although this is not a practise that I’m particularly a fan of, it is a recognised way of keeping manufacturing costs, and therefore end-user costs, down, and thus represents a small compromise when measured against the combination of that sublime piano sound and wonderful keyboard.

Find your voice

Six of those minimal buttons are for sound selection. You have categories of Piano, E piano, Organ, Clav/Vib, Strings and +Bass, with four variations of each that are selected by repeated presses of the relevant category button. If I were to nitpick, I was surprised to find no Yamaha CP-80 electric grand voice on board a Yamaha instrument of this calibre - instead the 4th slot in the E-Piano category is filled with a sort of Roland D50 Fantasia-type synth sound, which seems a peculiar choice. 

The Wurlitzer sound has a baked-in fast tremolo that you can’t remove, and the string sounds all suffer from the common Yamaha peculiarity of not sustaining indefinitely with the damper pedal held down, but the four acoustic piano voices (Grand Piano, Live Grand, Ballad Grand and Bright Grand) really shine and secondary players like the harpsichord, vibraphone and clavinet sounds are perfectly serviceable. 

A ‘Table EQ’ mode can be engaged to optimise the sound when using the piano on a flat surface like a desk or table rather than a stand. This presumably affects the sound output from the speakers on the underside of the instrument, shifting focus to the top speakers, and seems to do its job effectively.

The P-125a includes the usual dual voice, duo, and split modes. Duo mode divides the keyboard into two identical four-octave ranges, handy for teaching purposes, while dual mode lets you layer two voices together to be played simultaneously - like grand piano and strings, for example. Split mode, engaged by pressing the +Bass button, places one of the four available bass sounds in the left of the keyboard while maintaining the selected instrument voice in the right. 

There are 20 onboard rhythms to play along to (although you’ll need to consult the user guide for clues on how to access these) and in a surprise twist, auto-accompaniment in the form of a bass part that follows your playing.

Smart Pianist

The P-125a is compatible with the free Yamaha Smart Pianist app that allows you to control many of the piano’s functions using a connected smartphone or tablet. Since this model doesn’t have Bluetooth, you’ll need a suitable cable in order for this to work - I found that a USB to Apple Lightning connector did the trick with my iPad. 

With the connection established, the tablet screen acts as a large colour display for the piano, taking control away from the panel buttons and placing it on the screen in a far more accessible format. You can then use the tablet to change voices, volumes and reverb effects, play through the demo songs and access a few of the more inscrutable features like the onboard song recorder a little more easily. For instance, from the front panel alone, it’s impossible to tell which rhythm you currently have selected, so having a tablet connected makes it much easier to see what’s going on.

Final verdict

While we were going to press with this review, Yamaha announced the release of two new models in the P-series range - an update to the entry-level P-45 called the P-145, and the P-225, destined to replace the P-125a reviewed here. So why would we publish a review of an outgoing model? Simply because with its outstandingly accurate Pure CF sound engine and premium GHS keyboard, the P-125a is a wonderful instrument not just to play but also to listen to. It’s just so good - the only thing I could really find fault with was the lack of a classic Yamaha CP-80 electric grand voice.

Clearly, the product of a combination of more than a century of acoustic piano craftsmanship and modern technology and expertise, if the absence of the audio interface is no big deal for you, the P-125a is an excellent instrument that will still be available for some time yet while its replacement finds its way into global supply chains. The new model isn’t expected to reach US outlets until fall 2023, so you may well be able to snag a bargain over the coming months.

Yamaha P-125a review: Hands-on demos

Sweetwater

Yamaha Global

Merriam Music

Yamaha P-125a review: Specifications

• Dimensions (W x D x H, mm): 1,326 x 295 x 166
• Weight: 11.8㎏
• Keys: 88 full-size, weighted hammer action GHS (Graded Hammer Standard)  keyboard, matte finish on black keys
• Polyphony: 192 
• Number of Tones: 24
• Speakers: 2 x 7W
• Power Supply: 12V DC
• Connectivity: 2 x 6.3mm headphones jack, 2 x 3.5mm stereo aux output, USB to Host, Sustain pedal input, pedal unit connector
• Contact: Yamaha 

NAMM 2023: Yamaha has unveiled its new flagship FG9 acoustic guitar, offering the super classy dreadnought with a choice of two builds.

The FG9M pairs its solid Adirondack spruce top with mahogany on the back and sides, the FG9R offers an Adirondack spruce and Indian rosewood cocktail. Both look sublime, redolent of the minimalist craft the brand has become renowned for.

The FG9 models are made in Japan, and if you look closely you’ll find some subtle nods to traditional Japanese culture, such as the kumiki-insired fretboard inlays and the ebony and rope inlay and purfling pattern on the rosette. 

The design is subtle and clean, with natural gloss nitrocellulose finish to let the wood shine, and a tortoiseshell pattern pickguard. That nitro should age nicely over time, as should the all-solid wood build. Acoustics like this only sound better with age. And that sound, says Yamaha, should be right up any songwriter’s alley. 

It’s calibrated to complement your vocals. Yamaha has tapered the edges on those Adirondack spruce tops, which it says provides “structural strength while also allowing the body to vibrate more efficiently”. As ever with dreadnought acoustic design, the secret lies in splitting the difference between articulation and power, and holding the both in equilibrium.

The one-piece mahogany neck has been redesigned with a high-precision bolt-on/glued-in hybrid construction to improve both body vibration and the maintenance of the instrument. It has been given a semi-gloss poly finish. Under the hood, the FG9 models feature scalloped X-pattern bracing. 

Their scale lengths measure 25.56”, with both guitars measuring 44mm across the nut. Both saddle and nut are bone. Fingerboards and bridges are ebony. Yamaha has opted for a set of open-gear Gotoh SXN510 tuners in Cosmo Black for both models. 

There are no electronics, so if you want to go amplified you will need to get yourself an acoustic guitar pickup – this being NAMM season, there are new options all the time, with LR Baggs announcing a non-invasive stick-on HiFi pickup system this week that features a dual-bridge plate sensor system that could do a job here.

The FG9 ships in a hard-shell guitar case, and strung up with a set of Elixir Nanoweb 80/20 Bronze Lights – great acoustic guitar strings, sure, but isn’t the first thing we all do when we get a new guitar home is change the strings? That’s part of its initiation. Anyway... Both FG9 models are priced £3,299 street. 

For more information and pics – including some of the tech-informed design process – head over to Yamaha.

I really do think we're currently living in the golden age of digital pianos. The technology housed in these digital instruments is improving by the year, meaning the tone and feel are edging ever closer to their acoustic brethren.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the wonderful world of digital pianos. I’m a former music retail manager, and I spent nearly 10 years in the industry, helping musicians find the right digital piano. I have since shifted away from selling musical instruments and now use my years of experience writing for MusicRadar, reviewing the latest models and hand-crafting buyer's guides.

My comprehensive buying guide will break down what I believe are the best digital pianos available right now in 2026, from high-end instruments that will take centre place in any room to small, discreet pianos that won't take up too much space.

Currently, my top pick is the stunning Kawai CA901. This gorgeous piano perfectly blends charming good looks with fantastic playability and Kawai’s world-famous build quality to create the best digital piano on the market right now. If you're a beginner, I highly recommend the Casio Privia PX-S110. This compact model is extremely affordable and well-crafted, with a light yet satisfying key action.

To ensure you’re making an informed decision, I’ve included playing demos of some of the pianos in this guide. For the videos, one of our piano experts, Quentin Lachapèle, played the same three pieces across three voices on each instrument.

If you're new to digital pianos, I have also included in-depth FAQs further down the guide to help you through the process of purchasing your first piano.

Best digital piano overall

Build: The Kawai CA901 is a digital piano that feels like a true acoustic upright, both in its looks and tactile response. Its cabinet is compact yet robust, with a premium finish that cleverly disguises its digital nature. All 88 keys are constructed entirely from wood and feature finely textured surfaces that mimic ivory and ebony. The Grand Feel III action is a highlight, offering a long key pivot, graded metal counterweights, triple sensor detection, and let-off simulation. The soft-fall fallboard, discreet anti-glare touchscreen, and a choice of elegant finishes (including polished and satin options) round out the package.

Sound: I think the CA901’s SK-EX Rendering sound engine sets it apart from the compettion, blending multi-channel, 88-key sampling with resonance modelling to capture the essence of the flagship Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand. The true wooden soundboard, driven by transducers, vibrates just like an acoustic piano and adds a physical dimension that’s rarely found in digital instruments. The six-speaker, 135-watt system, including top-mounted diffuser-equipped speakers and tweeters, creates a wide, immersive soundstage that fills the room. Piano voices are rich, detailed, and full of character. Headphone performance is superb thanks to a dedicated amplifier and spatial sound processing, ensuring that late-night practice remains inspiring.

Performance: From the first touch, the CA901’s key action impresses, delivering dynamic control and expressive nuance that rival many acoustic grands. The tactile feedback from the let-off simulation and counterweights, combined with the comfortable key surfaces, encourages long, expressive playing sessions. The pedals feel solid, with half-pedalling supported for authentic classical technique. The wooden soundboard’s physical resonance, especially in the lower register, adds an organic quality that bridges the digital-acoustic divide.

Best for families

Build: The Clavinova range made its debut way back in 1983, and it’s fair to say that the technology has progressed significantly since then! While the original Clavinova digital pianos looked somewhat piano-like and sounded great for the time, the new 800 series is in a completely different league. This piano feels incredibly sturdy, robust and impeccably made.

Sound: The remarkable thing about this piano is its ability to make you forget it's an electronic instrument. The sound emanating from the cleverly concealed speakers is so authentic that, combined with the skillfully designed keyboard action, it genuinely feels like I'm sitting at an acoustic piano - and a high-end one at that.

This piano offers two exquisite grand piano sounds. The primary sample, sourced from a Yamaha CFX Concert Grand, is outstanding. It captures a rich, bright tone and a delicate ambience, all thanks to Yamaha's Virtual Resonance Modelling technology.

Performance: The groundbreaking 800 series features the latest technology developed by Yamaha to perfectly recreate the feel and sound of an acoustic piano. In my tests, I found the GrandTouch key action with its Linear Graded Hammer emulation offers a truly authentic touch that will easily convert anyone sceptical of digital pianos.

As you’d expect, digital pianos offer a wealth of features that simply aren’t possible with a traditional acoustic piano. For example, the CLP-885 offers you the ability to connect your device via Bluetooth and play along with your favourite songs - or turn your piano into the best Bluetooth speaker in the house. You can also plug in a set of digital piano headphones, meaning the rest of your family doesn’t need to hear you attempt Für Elise one more time.

Looking for other options? Take a look at our guide to the best Yamaha digital pianos.

Best for sounds

Build: Available in four different wood finishes - light oak, dark rosewood, charcoal black and white - the HP702 resembles a somewhat shortened traditional upright acoustic piano, with the exception of high-tech digital controls, of course. This elegant-looking piano will become the centre point of any room it's in, and thankfully, I think it's well-made enough to stand up to years and years of frequent play.

Sound: If Roland is known for one thing - it’s their outstanding sounds, and the SuperNATURAL sound engine proves Roland knows how to replicate the complex sound of a piano. This incredibly sophisticated tone engine not only delivers fantastic piano sounds but a whopping 324 voices, as well as limitless polyphony (when using piano category sounds).

Performance: It’s almost a given that it is going to sound great, it’s made by Roland, but how does it feel? Well, the PHA-4 Standard keyboard offers a great playing experience. The action isn’t as heavy as the Yamaha and isn’t as light as the Casio, so it’s perfect for players seeking the middle ground. The textured keys lend an extra level of authenticity and feel great under the fingers.

So if you’re looking for a terrific-sounding digital piano that won’t completely break the bank, then it’s worth considering the Roland HP702. Read our guide for more top-choice Roland digital pianos.

Best slimline

Build: Yamaha’s Arius range of digital pianos sits below the Clavinova range in terms of features and affordability, and as such, is the number one choice for piano teachers, students or anybody else who wants a great-sounding, compact digital piano that isn’t going to break the bank or overwhelm the space in the room. As you'd expect from Yamaha, the YDP is very well put together, and thankfully, it's an easy piano to assemble, too.

Sound: The successor to Yamaha’s incredibly successful Arius YDP-144, the YDP-145 is the cheaper of the two full-sized models in the range. The main reason for the Arius’ popularity is a stunning main piano sound derived from a real, top-of-the-line Yamaha CFX acoustic grand piano, mated to a brilliantly playable Graded Hammer Standard keyboard. These were the two standout features in our tests.

Performance: There’s no Bluetooth on board and only 10 sounds to get to grips with, but you do get all the other essentials - an elegant sliding wooden keyboard cover, folding music desk, two headphone jacks and three pedals - in a choice of White, Rosewood & Black cabinets. Overall, the YDP-145 delivers the authentic piano experience you'd expect from Yamaha in spades.

Best beginner piano

Build: The highly anticipated upgrade of the S1000, the new PX-S1100, enhances its predecessor by incorporating the modern features that today’s aspiring pianists crave. This 88-note, fully weighted key piano is ideal for those seeking an affordable instrument that does not compromise on quality. The one word to describe the appearance of the S1100 is sleek. The glossy finish and subtle display result in a rather handsome-looking piano that is modern and contemporary.

Sound: With an upgraded speaker system, the PX-S1100 offers a significant improvement over its already excellent predecessor. I must admit, I was very impressed with the tone produced by this rather small piano. With a clear and punchy sound it's also surprisingly loud. The bass response is most impressive, especially when you consider how small the cabinet is.

Performance: A standout addition to the PX-S1100 is its capability to stream audio and MIDI wirelessly with the included WU-BT10 USB adapter. This innovative feature can transform your practice sessions, allowing you to play along with your favorite songs and access popular online piano lessons effortlessly.

If you’re in search of an affordable, durable piano equipped with smart connectivity, the Casio PX-S1100 is an excellent choice.

Best on a budget

Build: Overall the Korg LP-380U feels very robust and is actually made in Kyoto, Japan. This adds a level of quality not seen in other digital pianos of this style, and while we aren’t massive fans of the plastic base on the foot pedals, the rest of the piano feels top-notch.

Sound: The LP-380 offers healthy 30 onboard sounds divided up into three banks of 10 accessible by the buttons on the front control panel. As you'd expect, there's the usual assortment of acoustic grand piano samples, as well as electric pianos, harpsichords and strings.

Performance: The Korg LP-380U has to be the slimmest option on this list, at only 26cm in-depth, meaning it can be squeezed into the smallest of spaces. Not only is it small, but with the lid closed, it will easily blend into its surroundings, looking more like a sideboard than a piano.

Housed inside this tiny cabinet is the acclaimed RH3 (Real Weighted Hammer Action 3) key action. This superb action is, in fact, graded, meaning all the weight of the keys changes as you move from the lower to the higher notes, just like a real piano. With the addition of the Key Touch Control, you can even select one of three sensitivity settings, so you can perfectly set the touch of the piano to your preference.

Best hybrid

Build: Okay, so Casio might not be your first thought for a high-end digital piano, but the Celviano GP-310 may just be the most authentic option on this list. This beautiful piano utilises a real hammer action, which is built in conjunction with one of the most prestigious names in pianos, C. Bechstein, and even uses the same Austrian spruce.

Sound: While this may not have as many sounds as others on this list, the included sounds are sublime. The three main piano voices - Berlin, Vienna and Hamburg - offer a trio of classic piano sounds perfect for almost any situation.

Performance: We absolutely loved the tactile feedback of the hammers moving inside the body of the piano, as it's exactly what you come to expect from an acoustic piano. This feature ultimately leads to a more satisfying playing experience that you don't get on other pianos on the market.

So if you’re in the market for a digital piano with a truly authentic action, then do not overlook the Casio Celviano GP-310 Grand Hybrid.

Best for advanced players

Build: From afar, the Roland FP-E50 may look like a reasonably standard digital piano, but get closer and you'll realise that it is way more than that.

The technologically advanced FP-E50 proves why Roland is at the top of their game, delivering an instrument just as comfortable as the home's main piano as it is a powerful synth or even an arranger keyboard.

Sound: The FP-E50 goes above and beyond with its additional sounds. Roland’s latest ZEN-Core engine is in play - yes, it's the same one that’s used in the company’s high-end synths! - and, as well as the expected acoustic and electric pianos, strings, organs and pads, you also get a multitude of modern synth tones and drum sets.

Performance: But don't worry, it still very much feels like a digital piano. Featuring the beloved PHA-4 keybed - with Escapement and Ivory Feel keys - the FP-E50 will happily go toe-to-toe with any other piano on this list.

Best for contemporary style

Build: Considering how many digital pianos are on the market, you’d think there would be more variation in the looks department. Unfortunately, most opt to mimic their acoustic counterparts, and while that works for most people, some players are looking for a stylish addition to their home as well as a playable instrument.

That’s where the new Casio PX-S7000 comes in. This sleek and modern instrument is designed to complement your room's decor and even comes in three finish options black, white and the rather striking Harmonious Mustard.

Sounds: The PX-S7000 takes advantage of Casio's Multi-Dimensional Morphing AiR Sound Source to produce its 400 voices. Among the standard piano, electric piano and organ voices, there are also 11 tones designed to sound like the pianos from hit songs, including Coldplay and Adele. When it comes to grand pianos, there are three main voices to choose from - Privia Grand Hamburg, Privia Grand New York and Privia Grand Berlin - with each having its own sonic characteristics.

Performance: Now, it’s not all style over substance, as this piano more than delivers on playability. Casio’s Smart Hybrid Hammer Action Keyboard feels incredibly responsive and offers a very satisfying playing experience, while the Multi-Dimensional Morphing AiR Sound Source delivers a massive range of tones.

Spec comparison

Glossary of terms

I know that the terms used when talking about digital pianos in this guide can be confusing. So, before I dive into the buying advice, here are the meanings behind common terminology you'll see in this guide and beyond.

Key action refers to the mechanism that controls how the keys of a digital piano feel and respond when played. It encompasses all aspects of the movement of the keys, including weight, resistance, and how it responds. Since digital pianos are designed to provide a more compact and affordable alternative to upright pianos, their keyboards are engineered to replicate the feel and response of an acoustic piano keyboard. When we test a piano, the key action is often the first thing we pay attention to; does it feel organic? Is there enough resistance for expressive playing? Do the keys return quickly enough for fast and technical playing?

Weighted keys, semi-weighted keys, or lightweight keyboard, these terms are often used to compare the keyboards of different piano-like instruments, such as acoustic or digital pianos, to those of synthesisers, portable keyboards, or entry-level pianos. The mechanism that triggers the hammers to hit the strings in acoustic pianos gives the keys more resistance and a slightly slower rebound than a synthesiser. Digital pianos often replicate this feel, with "weighted keys" designed to emulate the natural weight of an acoustic instrument, with lower keys feeling slightly heavier than higher ones. A "lightweight keyboard" refers to much lighter and easier-to-press keys, offering little to no resistance, making them more suitable for synthesisers or keyboards designed for portability and ease of play. A "semi-weighted" keyboard is a middle ground, offering some resistance but less than fully weighted keys, often preferred by beginners.

Hammer action refers to a specific mechanism inside an acoustic piano. Pressing a key causes a hammer to strike a string (in an acoustic piano) or a digital sensor (in a digital piano). Hammer action contributes to the weighted feel of the keys. Hammer action creates a natural resistance and rebound that a high-end digital piano will try to emulate.

Touch sensitivity and dynamic sensitivity are terms often used interchangeably to describe how a piano responds to different speeds and levels of force when a key is pressed. The speed and force with which keys are pressed directly impact the volume and tone of the notes played. A soft touch will produce a quieter, warmer tone, while a harder press will make a louder, brighter sound. The greater the "touch sensitivity," the wider the range for dynamic expression in piano playing. More experienced players will look for more expressive instruments for a broader range of key sensitivity.

Velocity is a term widely used in music production. It refers to the data that translates how a key is pressed and for how long into digital information. The harder the key is pressed, the louder and brighter the note will sound. Simply put, high velocity translates to a louder note, while low velocity produces a softer one. Although you will frequently find the term velocity in music production on a digital piano, it mainly comes into play when customising the instrument's settings. Most keyboards will allow us to adjust the "velocity curve" (also called the "sensitivity curve"), which affects how the keys respond to touch. A linear velocity curve ensures an even response across the keyboard, meaning the volume directly correlates with the pressure applied. A concave curve requires more pressure to achieve louder, brighter sounds, making it ideal for softer, more expressive playing. On the other hand, a convex curve allows for louder, brighter sounds with less effort, which tends to be ideal for pop music.

Polyphony refers to the number of notes a digital piano can play simultaneously. We will often find in the specs list of a digital piano that the polyphony is listed as 192, which means that it is possible to play 192 notes at the same time. But what is the point if a piano only has a maximum of 88 keys? Well, suppose we hold the sustain pedal and play lots of notes. In that case, the polyphony will matter because it will dictate how many notes we can play before they disappear and are replaced by the newly played notes. Although it is very unlikely you will ever reach the 192 limit, the number of polyphony will add to the realism of the instrument.

Modelling technology is an advanced method that digital piano makers use to simulate how an acoustic piano produces sounds. The modelling technology will focus on recreating the resonance when sound travels through an acoustic piano. But also how strings vibrate and the different harmonics that naturally happen in a real piano, which add to the instrument's timbre and tone. Through clever engineering, digital pianos now emulate the different sonic interactions that occur in pianos.

Sampled sound refers to the method of recording used to craft the different sounds available to play on digital pianos. To offer an immersive and realistic experience, each note is carefully recorded or sampled at different dynamics and playing styles so that the way we play on the keyboard will trigger the different samples, resulting in more organic playing.

Voices/tones are the different sounds available to play on a digital piano. For example, you will find a piano voice, often several e.piano voices and many others.

The sustain pedal is the most used of the piano pedals. You might have noticed that pianos have pedals, and the one on the right is called the sustain pedal. Its function is to hold the notes for longer for more emotional playing. You might sometimes find it called "Damper" or "Damper Pedal". This is because its mechanical function is to lift the dampers off the piano's strings to let them ring. Acoustic pianos have little bits of wood and felt that sit against the strings so they don't ring. When we press a key, those dampers lift to let the string ring and fall back to stop it from ringing too long. So, the sustain pedal helps us control the length of notes that can ring. It is an essential part of the piano.

The soft pedal and the sostenuto pedal are the other two pedals you might find on a digital piano. The soft pedal, sometimes called "una corda", is the left pedal. On an acoustic piano, it shifts the hammers slightly to the left or right, pushing them to strike only one of the multiple strings given to each note. You might not be aware, but pianos have more than one string per note: high strings will have three, strings in the middle will have two and low strings just one. By only hitting one string, the notes will sound a lot softer. Many classical pieces will call for the soft pedal to be used. The sostenuto pedal, found in the middle, is often featured on grand pianos and will only sustain the notes held down when we press the sostenuto pedal. This allows for even more control and selection of sustained notes. Many digital pianos now come with all three pedals to offer an authentic grand piano experience.

Damper resonance refers to the natural acoustic resonance that happens when we play with the sustain (damper) pedal held down. By pressing the sustain pedal, every string in a piano will be free to vibrate, so all sorts of harmonic resonance occur, adding to the instrument's richness. In recent years, the modelling technology for damper resonance has increasingly been delivering impressive and immersive results.

Reverb is the term used to designate the digital recreation of the sound of a room. Digital pianos often come equipped with different room emulation that we can select and sometimes customise, allowing us to play in large rooms like churches and concert halls and more intimate piano bars and studio booths. Playing a digital piano can be such an incredibly immersive experience when using headphones.

Transpose refers to the ability to shift the keyboard's pitch. For example, transposing +1 means moving the pitch of the notes up a semi-tone. Simply, it means that playing the note C on the piano will sound like C#. This function is very commonly found in digital pianos. It allows players to easily change the key of a song without having to relearn the piece, which can be very useful when accompanying singers. If you learned a song in C major but the singer feels more comfortable singing in C# major, you can simply use the transpose function and shift +1 and play the piece the way you learnt it!

How to choose a digital piano

First and foremost, you need to consider the size of your space. Digital pianos come in various shapes and sizes, from slimline units that will most likely fit in any room to upright pianos that look just like the real thing. So, measure the space before you make a purchase.

Next, you need to think about the key action. This is how heavy - or light - the keys feel to play. Now, there are no rules here, pick an action that feels right to you. If you feel more comfortable on a piano with a light touch, that’s fine. At the end of the day, the more comfortable you feel, the more you’ll play!

Lastly, consider extra features. You may want a digital piano with built-in Bluetooth to connect to your smart device, or perhaps you need two headphone outputs for lessons. Each piano brand offers a unique set of features, so make sure you look into these before you buy.

Want to know more? We answer common digital piano queries in our digital piano FAQ.

FAQs

How do I match a digital piano to my room’s style?

As an experienced digital piano sales professional, I’ve helped countless customers find the perfect instrument - not just in terms of sound and features but also in aesthetics. A digital piano is more than a musical tool; it’s a piece of furniture that should complement your home’s style.

Here’s an in-depth guide to ensuring your piano enhances your space. -

1. Consider Your Room’s Overall Style

Before choosing a digital piano, take a step back and analyse your room’s design. Here’s how different styles influence your piano choice:

Modern and minimalist homes: Matte black, white, or sleek high-gloss finishes.

In my opinion, clean lines, subtle curves, and neutral colours match a minimalist aesthetic the best. Look for a slim cabinet with hidden controls to keep things looking neat and tidy.

Classic and traditional homes: Dark wood tones like rosewood, mahogany, or walnut.

Simple, timeless pianos with wooden textures and traditional cabinet designs blend well with antique or classical interiors.

Rustic and farmhouse styles: Light wood and natural finishes.

Soft, organic tones work well in farmhouse aesthetics. Opt for a lighter wooden stand, and in my opinion, it's best to avoid glossy finishes.

Elegant and luxurious styles: Polished ebony or polished white.

These finishes give a sophisticated, high-end look that enhances elegant interiors.

2. Choose the right size and shape

The size of your piano should complement the scale of your room.

Small Spaces: Compact models like the Roland FP-30X or P-145 fit well in apartments without overwhelming the decor.

Medium Rooms: Console-style pianos, such as the Yamaha YDP series, blend well with standard-sized living rooms.

Large Spaces: Upright digital pianos such as the Yamaha CLP-885 or Casio GP-310 will work in larger living rooms, becoming the focal point of that space. Of course, if you have a very large room, you'll want to consider an even larger instrument - a grand piano is sure to add a touch of class and grandeur to expansive rooms.

3. Consider your lighting and placement

It's worth remembering that high-gloss finishes reflect a lot of light. This can be overwhelming in certain spaces with lots of natural light. I've found that matte finishes can work better - plus, they are a lot easier to keep clean! Conversely, a dimly lit space can really benefit from a highly polished piano. For example, a glossy white piano can brighten the area and create a focal point.

Read more about styling a digital piano from a professional interior design expert.

• Digital piano vs acoustic piano
• Digital piano vs keyboard

Meet the experts

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With more than 17 years of experience, MusicRadar is the premier music-making website in the world. Run by musicians for musicians, we offer expertly written gear round-ups and high-quality, authoritative reviews by an extensive team of highly experienced industry professionals.

Below you'll find more information on the expert authors of this guide.

How we test digital pianos

It's essential that we put the instruments through several tests to ensure they are worthy of being included in this guide to the best digital pianos. There are so many digital pianos on the market, and only the instruments we rate highly will make it on the list.

When we receive a digital piano for review, we start by asking ourselves the following questions:

• How easy is the piano to play?
• Are the sounds inspiring and varied?
• Is the unit easy to navigate without reaching for the manual?
• Is the digital piano well-made and robust?
• And does the piano offer the user good value for money?

Below you'll find a more detail of our testing criteria.

Playability: The first test - and most important for us - is how the piano feels to play. This is, of course, a combination of the key action as well as the feel of the physical key. To test the key action, we'll first play the piano at various dynamics - and musical styles - to see how the instrument responds. A good digital piano should feel as close to an acoustic piano as possible and most definitely not like a keyboard.

This goes hand in hand with the texture of the keys themselves. The best digital pianos go out of their way to recreate the feel of real ivory and ebony, resulting in a more authentic playing experience.

Sound quality: Next up is the sound. We will carefully go through the list of inbuilt voices while paying close attention to the frequency range of the speakers. A real piano produces a massive range of tones, from extreme lows to fierce highs, and while a digital can't recreate this perfectly, we should be getting close with today's technology. It's also important to try the piano via headphones, as this is how many players will practice.

Features: Next, we will go through any extras included with the piano. The pedals, audio outputs, MIDI compatibility and any accompanying app are all tested to see how they compare to the rest on the market at the respective price points.

Build quality: Of course, we need to examine the piano's overall build quality. It's crucial for the instrument to exude a sense of robustness and solid construction. We also look for pianos to be easy to build and put together.

Value: When evaluating a piano, the last part of the equation is value for money. It's not just about the features and performance but also about whether it's worth the price. We'll carefully combine our thoughts on all the above sections - from design and functionality to performance and sound - and weigh them against the digital piano's price to determine if we think it's worth the investment.

Read more about how we test digital pianos.

About our playing demos

Filming locations
There's no getting around it, most digital pianos are heavy, and that makes them cumbersome to ship. That’s why we have two methods for shooting our playing demos.

When we are filming multiple models from the same brand, it makes more sense to shoot on location at a music store or the brand's showroom. These shoots are uninfluenced by the brand or retailer. This approach allows us to capture video of several pianos at once without the need to transport large instruments across the country.

However, sometimes it isn’t possible to shoot on location, and in those cases, we film at our dedicated photo studio based in Bath, UK.

Capturing the audio
To keep things simple, we perform the same three pieces on each piano. We have composed the music specifically for our demos, designing three distinct pieces to showcase the best of each piano's voice. The audio is captured either through the dedicated line output or via the headphone out. This method keeps the audio clean and ensures it sounds exactly as it would in your own headphones, without being coloured by the acoustics of the filming space.

Post-processing
As you would expect, we do apply some post-processing to the audio once it is captured, but we keep this to a minimum. A little compression is added to help maintain consistent volume levels throughout the demos, but absolutely no EQ or post effects such as reverb are applied. The audio is left sounding as it did during capture, with just enough compression to keep things consistent across different pianos.

Recent updates

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Yamaha DTX10K-X review: What is it?

In recent years we’ve witnessed electronic drum sets growing larger (both in popularity and physical size), with a new breed starting to closely resemble acoustic drums. This trend can be seen across many major brands which include Roland’s VAD range, Gewa’s G Series, Pearl’s e/Merge and more. Yamaha’s latest addition to this ready-for-the-stage e-kit market is the new flagship DTX10 series which, as the Japanese company states, “boasts the beauty of real drums”.

Available in Real Wood or Black Forest finishes, the wooden shells go some way to giving the DTX10 an acoustic kit aesthetic (also helped by the chrome Yamaha lugs) however a middle ground is struck between the more low-profile electronic pads and the deeper toms that we all recognise from our acoustic kits.

There are two variants of the DTX10, one of which comes with mesh heads and the other Yamaha’s proprietary TCS (Textured Cellular Silicone) heads. The DTX10K-M and DTX10K-X both feature two 10” and one 12” tom pads, 12” snare pad, 12” bass drum pad, 13” hi-hat, 13” and 15” crash cymbals. Both kits are powered by Yamaha’s DTX-PROX module which is brimming with incredible features such as high quality samples, individually assignable multi-fx, space for 1000 user samples, recording to USB memory, recording via USB audio, Bluetooth audio (brilliant for playing along to tracks from a smart device), equaliser and setlist creation, to name a few. The setup is completed with a heavy duty Hex-style rack (RS10-HXR) plus stands for the hi-hat and snare pads. 

Yamaha DTX10K-X review: Performance & verdict

For review we have the DTX10K-X in Black Forest finish, complete with Yamaha’s TCS heads. These unique heads feature a textured silicone playing surface full of tiny air bubbles which Yamaha says makes it play closer to that of an acoustic head. In practice the pads play extremely well and offer a surprising amount of rebound, although less so than a mesh head. For those that complain that mesh heads are too bouncy, the TCS could be just the ticket. They also produce very little acoustic sound when struck.

The cymbal pads are tri-zone (except the hi-hats which are dual) which means separate triggering for the bell, bow and edge of the cymbals. As with previous Yamaha e-kits this is possible through a single stereo jack cable which is not necessarily the norm across all manufacturers. Unfortunately, however, with this configuration there is only one spare trigger input on the module, so not a huge amount of room for expansion.

In terms of general playability the DTX10K-X is absolutely fantastic. The cymbal 13”, 15” and 17” cymbal sizes compliment the 10” and 12” pads perfectly and the kit doesn’t feel small despite these relatively compact dimensions. It certainly doesn’t sound small either thanks to the top-end samples delivered by the DTX-PROX module. Unlike some other e-kits the rims of the dual-zone toms are programmed as rimshots - enormously enhancing the overall feel of the kit and proving rather addictive to play.

The module itself is relatively plug-and-play, although extra time spent tweaking the trigger parameters to your own playing style will be greatly rewarded. We found that we had to dig in on the toms more than usual while the cymbals are the opposite by default. Thankfully multiple trigger settings can be saved and recalled for different playing situations. For example, quiet practice at home vs full-on gig mode, or even a configuration that uses acoustic triggers. On a similar note, it’s worth mentioning that any changes to kit settings need to be saved before advancing to a different kit or powering down the module otherwise they will revert to default.

The module has 70 built-in kit presets which for the most part are made up of fantastic acoustic samples. These are balanced with a number of electronic style kits which seem to be mostly there to showcase the vast effects available within the DTX-PROX. These can be dialled in using an LED rotary dial alongside compression and ambience (taken from the actual room mics of the recorded samples). There is also space for an enormous 200 user kits.

Kit editing is made easy by more rotary dials which allow quick access to the mixer, instrument changes, tuning, muffling and effects. There are also physical faders for audio ins, click, master output and phones. The menu system takes a little getting used to but the physical dials are ideal for speedy changes.

Finally, the Live Set feature allows combinations of kit, tempo and audio files to be set up in a custom setlist. This will no doubt be welcome news to those wanting to use the DTX10K-X on stage, particularly if running backing tracks.

Yamaha DTX10K-X review: Hands-on demos

Yamaha_Global 

Drummers Only

Sweetwater 

Yamaha DTX10K-X review: Specifications

• Acoustic shells: 10”, 10”, 12” dual-zone toms, 12” tri-zone snare (with positional sensing) and 12” bass drum pad
• Anti-swivel cymbals: 13” and 15” tri-zone crashes, 17” tri-zone ride (with positional sensing) and 13” dual-zone hats
• Heads: Textured Cellular Silicone (TCS)
• Kits/sounds: 70 kit presets and room for 200 user kits, up to 1000 user samples 
• Other features: Bluetooth audio, USB audio, record to USB memory (max 90 mins), up to 8 direct outputs, powerful Multi FX and ambience settings, Live Set function, heavy-duty RS10-HXR rack, professional grade headphone amp, built-in training functions, full dot LCD
• Supplied software: Cubase AI
• Contact: Yamaha 

Yamaha DTX8K-M review: What is it?

Following the release of the DTX6 kit series in 2020 (read our Yamaha DTX6K3-X review), at the tail end of 2021 Yamaha unveiled the new DTX8 range which promised to not only deliver amazing sounds but also the looks to back them up with the use of real wooden drum shells.

In terms of Yamaha’s electronic drum set lineup, the DTX8 is second only to the new flagship DTX10, which boast the more capable DTX-PROX module, larger trigger pad dimensions and a heavy-duty metal Hex Rack. The DTX8 kits come complete with the DTXPRO module (also part of the DTX6 kit range), but there are plenty of shared features between the PRO and PROX modules. These include Kit Modifier knobs which enable quick editing of ambience, compression and effects, recording directly to USB memory for up to 90 minutes in a single audio file, user sample import of up to 1000 files and a powerful multi-FX engine. Other standout features of the module include over 700 individual samples, 40 preset kits with room for 200 user creations, 10 training functions including 37 play-along tracks, audio and MIDI via USB plus a professional grade headphone amp.

Like the DTX10, the DTX8 setup is available in two finish options - Real Wood and Black Forest - with a choice of two playing surfaces; Mesh or Yamaha’s TCS (Textured Cellular Silicone) heads. Yes you read that correctly, Yamaha is now offering 2-ply mesh heads as an option on its e-kits, which is news that will be welcomed by many.

Yamaha DTX8K-M review: Performance & verdict

The DTX8K-M kit we have been sent for review is comprised of three 10” toms, a 12” snare pad, a new 7.5” KP90 bass drum pad, two 13” crashes, 15” ride and 13” hi-hats. The toms are dual-zone with the rim triggers programmed for the most part with actual rimshot sounds (rather than the metallic rim clicks found on other modules) which goes a long way to enhancing the versatility of sound and therefore overall playability. 

The snare has three zones with the rim being split into sections, enabling rimshot and cross-stick sounds depending on where the outer rim is struck. Positional sensing also offers more nuance toward the outer edges of the main playing surface. The cymbals are all three zone (except the hi-hats which are two) meaning they are capable of separate bell, bow and edge triggering - we found this particularly impressive considering that only one cable is required for each pad. 

We found the 13” crash pads to be slightly on the small side but they do feel in proportion with the compact nature of the whole kit. The 15” ride is large enough to have some sway and, like the snare, also features positional sensing. The setup is completed by a sturdy plastic rack, metal tom and cymbal arms, and comes supplied with separate snare and hi-hat stands.

The birch ply shells are unsurprisingly of a high-quality considering Yamaha’s pedigree in acoustic drum shell making. Despite, of course, having no impact on the sound, the shells are a welcome addition and, alongside the separate hi-hat and snare stands, help the setup feel much closer to that of a ‘real’ kit. It’s a shame they’re not a bit deeper, but looking at current market trends we’d wager that might be coming further down the line.

The module houses 40 kit presets but leaves room for a whopping 200 user creations (just make sure you save any changes made before advancing to the next kit). The 40 presets include a mixture of fantastic acoustic samples alongside some more electronic orientated kits. Many of the samples are shared with Yamaha’s higher-end DTX-PROX module and both in fact use the same audio engine.

As excellent as the factory presets are, there is ample opportunity for exploration through the menus, switching or layering sounds, adding custom samples, applying effects, tweaking the mix and much more. We had some trouble finding certain parameters at first but soon got into the swing of the DTXPRO setup.

We found the Kit Modifier controls to be a stroke of genius and gave us a huge amount of control at the touch of a button (or turn of a knob). The ability to dial in the actual ambience taken from the recording studios in which the samples were created is a real treat. This makes for a more natural drum sound and is a process that’s been setting software-based VST instruments apart for years.

Yamaha DTX8K-M review: Hands-on demos

Yamaha_Global 

Drumtec TV 

Yamaha Drums (official) 

Yamaha DTX8K-M review: Specifications

• Acoustic shells: Three 10” dual-zone toms, 12” tri-zone snare (with positional sensing) and 7.5” KP90 bass drum pad
• Anti-swivel cymbals: Two 13” tri-zone crashes, 15” tri-zone ride (with positional sensing) and 13” dual-zone hats
• Head type: Mesh
• Kits: 40 kit presets and room for 200 user kits
• Sounds: 712 individual samples, up to 1000 user samples
• Other features: USB audio, record to USB memory (max 90 mins), powerful Multi FX and ambience settings, professional grade headphone amp, built-in training functions, full dot LCD
• Software: Supplied with Cubase AI
• Contact: Yamaha

• GEAR EXPO SUMMER 2022: all the latest gear from NAMM and beyond

NAMM 2022: Yamaha has expanded the finish options for its THR30II Wireless desktop guitar amp, offering the feature-packed amplifier in new black and white colourways. Now, a new paintjob on an amp would not ordinarily be headline news but the THR series is different.

Originally debuted in 2011 then updated a year later with the redesigned and upgraded THRII models, it changed how we thought of the guitar amplifier. 

Here was a compact digital amplifier with a range of convincing sounds in a format and design that would make it a superb option for the domesticated guitar playing. This was the amp that could fit on your desktop, the so-called ‘third amp’ – the hi-tech practice amp that could also be used for home recording.

But what sealed the deal for many players was that its aesthetics had a home audio vibe that made it look perfectly at home – park it beside your hi-fi, the Blu-ray player or the TV and it’d look the part.

Indeed, one of the few caveats in MusicRadar’s 2022 review of the 30-watt THR30II was the lack of finish options. Hitherto, Yamaha had only offered the THR30II in cream With new black and white finishes, the 10th anniversary models address those complaints, and for any guitar player whose house is populated by Sonos devices, these would fit right in.

Nothing has changed with the functionality. These are still the same amps. That means you have a heap of features for practice and home recording. There are 15 digital guitar amp models, five core amps – Special, Hi Gain, Lead, Crunch and Clean – with a three-way mode switch to offer Classic,  Modern and Boutique voicings. 

There is also a trio of bass amps, and valve, condenser and dynamic mic models for acoustic electric guitars, plus flat voicings at your fingertips, programmable sounds, onboard effects, and a respectable 30-watts of power – and you can take it anywhere, hooking it up via the Line 6 Relay G10T transmitter (sold seperately) to go wireless.

The Extended Stereo Technology technology means you get a big, wide sound from a small guitar amp, and you can stream audio via Bluetooth or play it through the auxiliary input.

The new black and white variants of the THR30II Wireless are available now, priced £499 / $549 street. See Yamaha for more details.

Owning one of the best semi-hollow guitars is something that every guitarist should do in their lifetime. There’s something about a semi-hollow guitar which screams sophistication and class - even if you play the world’s dirtiest riffs on one. Semi-hollow guitars have a set of characteristics which are impossible to recreate on any other guitar, and as a result, it's the type of guitar you should always keep in your collection, whether it’s for unplugged home noodling, that last-minute jazz gig call-up, or just because they look and sound beautiful.

The semi-hollow guitar became the axe of choice for many of the guitar world’s greatest players. B.B King, John Lennon, Chris Cornell, John Scofield - they’ve all employed the warm, open tones of the semi-hollow guitar to find their tonal nirvana - whether that means embracing the semi-hollow’s super clean and acoustic-like properties, or ramping up the gain to make it sing.

As you’d expect, these guitars blur the lines between old-school hollowbody electric guitars and solid-bodied alternatives, and it’s for this reason that they deliver such huge versatility when it comes to the tones you can coax out of one.

This guide is designed to help you find the very best semi-hollow guitar for you, regardless of your budget. We’ve included 10 options ranging from roughly $/£250 to £/$2,500, so you should find something to suit your needs and wants. They’ve been organised in price order, from low to high, to make your search a bit easier.

We’ve included some expert buying advice at the end of this guide, so if you’d like to read more about the best semi-hollow guitars and what to know before buying one, then click the link. If you’d rather just get to the products, then keep scrolling.

Best semi-hollow guitars: Our top picks

Choosing a set of top picks from this product list is tough. All of these guitars, in our opinion, are the best in their price categories - so you’ll be getting a top-tier guitar no matter your budget. We do have a few favourites, however.

If you’re working on a budget, then we’d 100% recommend you go for the Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster. Modelled on the Fender Starcaster of 1976, the Squier version brings you the trippy offset look and impressive Classic Vibe build quality with a tone to match, all for under $450/£400.

For intermediate players or those with a little more cash to splash, we’d suggest you go for either the Epiphone Sheraton-II Pro or the Fender Jim Adkins JA-90. If the ‘335’ vibe is what you’re after, then, in our opinion, there’s nothing better than the Sheraton under roughly $/£1,000. The JA-90 is a killer thinline Telecaster equipped with two P90s, and is the signature model of Jimmy Eat World’s Jim Adkins - meaning it can handle either end of the gain spectrum quite happily. You won’t get such a huge, open sound from it due to the body being smaller, but if you don’t play much clean stuff, then this guitar is a great choice.

For those who are either pro players or just have much larger budgets, then we’d point you towards either the Yamaha SA2200 or the Strandberg Salen Jazz NX. The SA2200 is perfect for those who prefer traditional specs, and with Yamaha build-quality and attention to detail being some of the best in the business, the SA2200 outperforms any other readily available, off-the-shelf competition. The Strandberg Salen, while being a totally left-field choice, is arguably the perfect semi-hollow electric guitar for the modern guitarist. It’ll still do all the classic old-school jazz and blues tones, but its true capabilities go way beyond those of any other semi-hollow guitar.

Best semi-hollow guitars: Product guide

When it comes to semi-hollow electric guitars, Ibanez’s Artcore Series is one of the industry’s most popular. This particular model, the AS53, is the most affordable in the Artcore range, but the performance it delivers is far from cheap.

The body is made from sapele - a type of mahogany - and as such brings a warm, tasteful resonance into the fold. The neck is made from nyatoh, which is not only comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, but it also helps to deliver a slightly brighter, top-end ring. This combination of woods not only sounds exotic, but when combined, helps to provide a balanced tone that will help you in just about any musical context.

The pickups onboard are a pair of Ibanez’s own Infinity R ceramic humbuckers, which, for the money, can cover a surprising amount of ground with ease. The bridge pickup has an impressive amount of fight in it when paired with a gainy amp, and the neck pickup has a rich, creamy tone in both clean and distorted scenarios. Granted, you could spend another £/$100 and leapfrog into the next category of quality, but if your budget is strict, the AS53 is a great choice.

The Fender Starcaster is one of the coolest looking semi-hollow guitars out there. Initially introduced in 1976 and made until 1980, the Starcaster proved divisive at the time. Having found popularity on the vintage and rare market in more recent years, it was reintroduced by Fender in 2013 - and Squier after that - enabling you to get a semi-hollow guitar full of ‘70s Fender vibe for less.

The Classic Vibe build quality is frankly incredible when you consider how much one of these guitars will set you back. Not only does the guitar feel solid and well built, but the level of finish is impressive too. The fret edges are tidy, the hardware is designed and engineered well and puts any ‘cheap hardware’ worries at ease, and the neck, while comfortable, is a handful. It’s not overly large or hard to manoeuvre around, but where some slim necks feel like they’re about to break, this one is reassuringly strong. The finishes on offer are virtually flawless, and the Walnut finish especially looks sophisticated and classy.

Now, there’s something about the combination of Wide Range humbuckers and a semi-hollow guitar that excites us. Wide Range humbuckers are designed to cover - you guessed it - a wide range of frequencies, and when you take this ‘open’ sound and implant it into an already huge sounding semi-hollow body, the tones you’ll get back will impress you no end. It’s a little frustrating that we can only get a maple fingerboard, as we think Laurel or Pau Ferro would look great and offer a slight tonal variation - but we’re being picky.

Gretsch is undoubtedly one of the biggest brands when it comes to semi-hollow and fully hollow bodied guitars. Played most often by the kings and queens of country, rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll, their semi-hollow Streamliner series brings the allure of the semi-hollow guitar to the more budget end of the scale.

The G2622-P90 is a pretty large-bodied semi-hollow guitar reminiscent of the ‘335’ style - but looks are where the comparisons stop. The Gretsch has a mahogany body and a neck made from nato, and when combined, they blend to create a tone which has plenty of depth and warmth - something which we love from a semi-hollow. The pickups, on the other hand, are shimmery-sounding P90s - large single coil pickups - which entertain a much brighter and more defined tone than a set of humbuckers. It’s worth noting that any single coil pickups are going to create some extra background noise, making this guitar a little more lively than others with the volume up.

Although the Streamliner range is one of Gretsch’s more affordable products, this guitar feels anything but cheap. The hardware is incredibly solid, with the ‘V’ stoptail both looking great and providing a strong, secure anchor point for your strings to vibrate through the top of the guitar. The tuners are well-made and offer a reassuring amount of resistance - and it’s this kind of attention to detail that makes us enjoy playing this guitar. It feels like it’s all about the playing experience, and none of the worries and woes we may accumulate through playing a cheaper instrument.

The Epiphone Sheraton-II Pro is one of the finest Epiphone-designed guitars of all time, in our opinion. Having been played by the likes John Lee Hooker, Noel Gallagher, Emily Wolfe and The Edge, the Sheraton has plenty of pedigree - and we’d say there’s nothing that really does what the Sheraton does for under $/£1,000. Let’s take a look at it, then.

With a body made entirely of layered maple, and a 5pc neck made from maple and walnut, the Sheraton II Pro is a bright sounding, exceptionally resonant guitar. The sound characteristics of maple are bright, punchy and snappy, and it’s these characteristics, when combined with the inherent warmth and low-end of the Sheraton’s body size, which bring an impressive amount of clarity to the tone of this guitar. The ProBucker 2 and 3 pickups bring most of the tonal goods, with their coil-splitting capabilities really adding to the versatility of the Sheraton-II Pro.

The gold hardware not only adds a tasteful, sophisticated touch to this guitar, but the finishes on offer - as well as the level of finish - is genuinely exceptional. The ‘block and triangle’ fingerboard inlays and the ornate headstock inlay takes this guitar from good to great, and honestly, you’d have to try very hard to find something better than this for under a grand.

Although Fender has primarily made its name from the wide range of solidbody guitars on their product roster, the Thinline Telecaster has become a favourite with those who want some semi-hollow action, while keeping that name on the headstock.

The JA-90 is the signature model of Jimmy Eat World’s Jim Adkins, and while you may think that this guitar is just a pop punk machine, let us pleasantly surprise you. With a pair of Seymour Duncan P90s onboard - implanted in the semi-hollow ash body - the tone provided is bright and precise, with an impressive amount of low-end grunt. The Tele is not usually recognised for its tonal depth, but thanks to the semi-hollow construction, this Telecaster bucks the trend.

This Telecaster, with the positioning of the pickup selector, four volume/tone controls and the 24.75” scale has a bit of a ‘best of both worlds’ vibe to it - the bite and grunt of a Fender Tele, and the string tension and tweakabilty of a certain brand beginning with ‘G’. While this may not suit all Fender fans, this is a guitar which was born out of going against the norms.

Guild is one of those brands that has seemingly been around forever. Whether it’s their acoustics, solidbodies, fully hollow or semi-hollow guitars we’re raving about, we know that the quality of each instrument will be exceptional - and the Starfire VI is no exception to that rule.

The Starfire range from Guild provides huge helpings of ‘60s feel. The large, double-cutaway body is reminiscent to that of the ES335, and as such the playing experience is largely similar, but the AAA flamed maple body brings with it a sweet brightness. This brightness gets balanced out by the sheer size of the Starfire VI’s body - and with it, comes a warm, balanced tone. The 3pc maple/walnut neck with ebony ‘board offers an enjoyable, smooth and rewarding playing experience which is a dream, especially after a quick setup.

The pickups on the Starfire VI are worth a mention here, too. Originally designed in the 1960s, the LB-1 ‘Little Buckers’ were Guild’s answer to the single-coil, and they provide a jangly, hum-less tone which enables note clarity to be pushed to the fore. You’ll struggle to find that sometimes muddy, washed out neck pickup tone that happens with other semi-hollow guitars.

If you’re familiar with Ben Weinman or either of his bands, you’ll know that the Dillinger Escape Plan and Suicidal Tendencies guitarist does some frankly ridiculous things with his guitar. In such extreme settings, it’s surprising that Weinman chose a semi-hollow guitar - but we’d use this for just about anything if we had one, too.

The LTD BW1 has a spec sheet to die for. The materials alone are spectacular, with the body made from resonant, rich mahogany, topped with a gorgeous flame maple cap. The neck is a 3-piece maple construction with an ebony fingerboard, and, when all combined, the BW1 produces one hell of a tone. The mahogany/maple combination is always a strong one when it comes to guitar building, as it ensures a great balance between warm and punchy tones. Topped off with a brace of Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers which are coil-splittable, you’ll be coaxing all sorts of tones out of this guitar.

Aside from those factors, one of the BW1’s main selling points is the Evertune bridge. Offering a virtually indelible level of intonation and tuning accuracy, this unit is truly exceptional. Granted, it can feel a little unnerving until set up correctly for your playing, but once we had it sorted, we were away. A quick disclaimer - this guitar is not really suitable for those who prefer the more traditional aspects of life. This instrument has the potential to be both controllable and absolutely insane - but we’re happy to chance it for the opportunity to play one.

Yamaha guitars have a reputation for being some of the best made instruments around. Yamaha build quality in all aspect of their company is nigh-on unbeatable, which fills us with hope when considering the SA2200 is a semi-hollow guitar sitting close to the $/£2,000 mark.

The laminated sycamore body is a welcome departure from the world of maple and mahogany - bringing a tone which is still rich in many different areas. It has depth, clarity and precision on another level to most semi-hollow guitars. An ebony fingerboard ramps up the warm tone, and helps to tone down some of the lively top end you may get here. The proprietary alnico pickups are designed to make the SA2200 as truly versatile as it can be, and when you consider the coil splits too? Well, this guitar really is well-made.

Our only criticism of Yamaha guitars is that they are made almost too well, in a sense. On the flipside, it’s their extra precision and ‘perfectness’ that makes them so incredible in the first place. The SA2200 does feel and sound a little bit clinical at times - but it instills bags of confidence in the player.

Although the youngest brand on this list by quite some way, in its relatively short life Strandberg has been a hive of innovation. Rethinking and redesigning the electric guitar neck, for one, is a fairly bold statement of intent - and they're onto something.

The Salen is inspired in looks by a certain single cutaway guitar created by Fender in the early '50s - and although the Salen is about as close as you'll get to a solidbody guitar in this list, that's where the similarities end. The 'Jazz' iteration of the Salen features two Strandberg MF Classic humbuckers, which provide a huge wealth of tonal capabilities, from clean and low-gain delicacy to roaring high-gain response. The semi-hollowness of this design allows for a much more open and mid-heavy tone to come out, all while keeping the feedback-killing properties of a solidbody guitar.

Strandberg is responsible for one of the most radical, yet ingenious guitar innovations we've seen in decades. Christened the 'EndurNeck', this is a neck profile which makes ergonomic, painless playing something truly achievable. It took us some getting used to, but the flat spot on the neck really makes sense after an hour or so of playing. It's positioned so that your playing style remains how you like it, but it also nudges you onto the path of comfortable, efficient playing. If you're willing to try something new, then you need to play one of these.

The Gibson ES-335 is by far the most iconic of all semi-hollow guitars. Since its inception, the ES (Electric Spanish) range has forged the path that all other semi-hollow guitars have followed. This Satin range of 335s offers vintage vibe, modern reliability and a tone we all love.

This 335 is a collection of high-end tonewoods. The body of this guitar is made from a 3-ply construction of maple and poplar, with a maple centreblock and a premium mahogany neck making up the rest of the wrap sheet. These tonewoods go together to deliver a sweet, balanced tone which has as much top-end as it does low-end warmth. The pickups - two T-Type humbuckers - are mounted into the hard maple centreblock, which not only gives them a stable mounting spot, but also helps to produce that classic rock 'n' roll bite in the tone. The neck pickup, much like other dual-'bucker Gibson guitars, excels both with and without gain, depending on what you're after.

This guitar is, essentially, an ode to the classics with a few twists. The hardware and overall build quality, you'll be pleased to know, has stayed impressive - and with modern engineering and guitar building techniques, it's also grown and developed. Playing a 335 is a difficult experience to explain. It feels old-but-new, classic-but-modern, and calm-yet-crazy. For the price tag, we'd have liked a little bit more from Gibson - perhaps a set of PAFs or a more ornate finish - but we can't really fault this 335.

Read the full Gibson Memphis ES-335 Satin review

Best semi-hollow guitars: Buying advice

What is a semi-hollow guitar? 

A semi-hollow guitar, as you can probably deduce from the name, is an electric guitar that is not entirely hollow. Like a hollowbody guitar, they often feature f-holes and produce a warm, rich tone with acoustic-like qualities, but unlike a hollowbody, a semi-hollow electric guitar has a centreblock which is connected to both the top and back of the guitar.

Not only does the centreblock produce a solid mounting spot for the pickups and bridge and a little more structural strength, but also helps to reduce the amount of feedback your guitar may produce when playing at high volumes. This is because the centreblock essentially acts as sound absorption, and stops air from bouncing around inside the guitar like it would in a fully hollow guitar.

What genres are semi-hollow guitars good for? 

While semi-hollow guitars are most often seen in the hands of Blues and Jazz icons, they are underrated, highly versatile guitars that can handle most genres.

Semi-hollow guitars do excel with a clean tone and a touch of reverb, thanks to their added low-end warmth and resonance - attributed to the larger body and the air reverberating inside - but when you incorporate a bit of gain into your tone, everything becomes accentuated. A semi-hollow guitar has a greater frequency response than a solid-body guitar, and when these extra frequencies are combined with the harmonic excitement of a bit of overdrive, you’ve got an instrument that will provide a huge, rich tone. Paired with the right pickups, and you’ll even get some mean grunt out of your bridge pickup, a la Dave Grohl.

Much like a full hollowbody guitar, the extra air inside the body makes a semi-hollow guitar quite a volatile thing when you crank up the volume or gain. This is counteracted by the centreblock, which kills the feedback - allowing you to play ‘on the edge’ with a little more confidence.

As a result, semi-hollow guitars are great for heavier styles as well as the more clean-focussed styles of jazz, soul, blues and funk. They might not cope well with really extreme styles of metal, but they don’t exactly have the quintessential ‘metal’ look, either - so this isn’t really an issue.

Do I need to use an amp with a semi-hollow guitar? 

The short answer here is yes. Semi-hollow guitars might also be referred to sometimes as ‘semi-acoustic’ - but this only refers to the hollowness of the body, similar to an acoustic guitar. Like any guitar, it’ll still make a noise if you play it without a guitar amp, but in order to get the best out of your semi-hollow guitar you’ll need to plug it in. It’s still an electric guitar at the end of the day, and hearing the tone from those pickups will be much more rewarding than playing it unplugged.

Granted, a semi-hollow guitar will be louder than a solid one when played without an amp, so practising without an amp is fairly common, and can even help you improve the cleanliness of your playing. As soon as you start jamming or rehearsing with other people however, you’ll want to plug in and turn up the volume a bit.

Which brands make the best semi-hollow guitars? 

Nearly every guitar brand has made a semi-hollow guitar in their time, but some are just that bit better than others. This may be down to pedigree of the brand, the players that have adopted a guitar or brand, or just sheer intrigue. Most of the time, if a brand makes good solidbody guitars, then they’ll make good semi-hollow guitars too.

The brand most well known for their semi-hollow guitars has to be Gibson. The ES-335 is one of - if not the - most iconic semi-hollow guitars to ever exist, and the roster of artists that use one only solidifies its status as the most famous. There are brands that make better, more high-quality instruments, but the most memorable and iconic brand has to be Gibson.

If you want top-quality performance and pedigree but without the Gibson name, then Yamaha’s semi-hollow guitars are worth your attention. The SA2200 is one of the most impressive semi-hollow guitars on the market, with a build quality and attention to detail which outdoes all the competition at that price point. Yamaha is a company which has its whole reputation built on impressive sound and build quality, as well as precision engineering - so you know you’ll be getting a great guitar regardless of the price point.

Brands such as Guild and Gretsch also make some of the very best semi-hollow guitars. Both brands have a long and rich history of making these sorts of instruments, with many country and rockabilly players opting for either of the two brands as a vehicle for their tone. Gretsch guitars often have a brighter, more ‘bitey’ tone to them thanks to their pickups, and Guild’s pickups of choice tend to be a little smoother and warmer sounding. Both brands are now currently owned by Fender, and while they still make a wide range of high-end guitars, their cheaper, budget-friendly ranges are more popular than ever.

If you’re someone who appreciates innovation and modern technology, but still wants an old-school sound, then Strandberg is a brand you’ll want to pay close attention to. While their semi-hollow range is very limited (to one model), the Salen Jazz is an exceptional guitar. It’s comfortable, well-balanced due to its headlessness, and the EndurNeck profile waves goodbye to wrist pain and uncomfortable playing experiences. LTD also manages to blend the classic and modern worlds in the BW1, adopting modern technologies like Fishman Fluence pickups and an Evertune bridge while keeping the old-school mahogany and maple combination.

Find out more about how we test music gear and services at MusicRadar.

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It's safe to say if you are on the hunt for the best digital piano for beginners, you aren't short of choice. It seems a new budget-friendly piano gets released every other month. Now, while it's nice to have options, it can make it very difficult to navigate this extremely crowded market. Well, allow us to make your decision a little easier. Arguably the two most popular stage pianos are the Yamaha P-45 and the newly released Casio CDP-S110. Therefore we've put these titans of the piano world head to head to see which comes out on top. 

On paper, it would appear these two pianos are pretty evenly matched – sharing a price point, feature set and even general look – but there are certainly benefits and drawbacks of each piano. So, let's take a deep dive into each of one and see if we can crown a winner. 

Yamaha P-45 Vs Casio CDP-S110: At a glance

Yamaha P-45 Vs Casio CDP-S110: Features

When it comes to digital pianos, there are certain features we've come to expect from these hi-tech instruments – and these two pianos are almost identical if you were to compare them purely on specifications.

Both the Yamaha P-45 and Casio CDP-S110 feature 88-notes and weighted keys – making either piano a suitable choice for those looking to learn the instrument. While there are differences in the feel of the keys – we'll cover that later – both instruments provide a perfect starting point for young and older players alike, and you don't have to worry about running out of notes. 

Both pianos offer the fairly standard 64 note polyphony and come with ten in-built voices. Now, while the tones in each piano vary ever so slightly, they do cover pretty much the same ground. Grand piano, electric piano and strings are all represented, and both pianos do a great job at recreating each of them. 

And the similarities don't end there, with both pianos featuring headphone sockets, audio outputs, USB-to-host and even come with a basic sustain pedal. 

Winner: Really, it's impossible to pick a winner purely on feature set, so we'll have to call this one a draw.

Yamaha P-45 Vs Casio CDP-S110: Build quality and design

Okay, so let's now turn our attention to how well these two pianos are built. As you'd expect, both pianos are made of plastic and are reasonably robust. However, the Casio is ever so slightly lighter – coming in at only 10.5kg – and that is primarily due to the fact that it's quite a bit thinner than the somewhat chunky P-45. As a result, while neither feels flimsy, the P-45 definitely feels more rugged. 

In terms of looks and design, it's fair to say that the Casio is sleeker. The minimalist control layout and more compact frame mean it instantly looks more modern when compared to the P-45. The Casio would quite happily sit on a desk with no problems at all, while the chunky nature of the P-45 means the Yamaha feels more at home on a keyboard stand. 

Winner: Overall, the keybed on both products feels durable and well put together. Both pianos are well designed and thought out, but we have to give the points to Casio for its elegant design and compact nature.

Yamaha P-45 Vs Casio CDP-S110: Playability

Arguably one of the most critical elements of any instrument is how it feels to play, and this is where the P-45 and S-110 diverge the most. Now, don't get us wrong, both of these pianos feel great, but they do feel very different. The Casio, while responsive, has a fairly light action, perfect for those looking for a piano with a delicate touch. This soft touch is ideal for beginners and young players, as they don't need to press the key as hard to get a note to sound. 

On the other hand, the Yamaha has a firmer action, more akin to an acoustic piano. Now, obviously, it's not going to feel exactly like a traditional piano, but it's certainly closer than the Casio. So, with that in mind, it is safe to say that the P-45 will suit the player seeking the familiar feel of a piano. In addition, the P-45 takes advantage of Yamaha's GHS key action, which attempts to recreate the graded feel of a real piano. In the most basic sense, this technology is used to vary the weight of the keys as you move from the heavier bass notes to the lighter treble notes. So, with that in mind, we'd say the Yamaha has the more authentic feel out of the two. 

Winner: For us, this round goes to the Yamaha P-45. The slightly heavier nature of the keys results in a much more satisfying playing experience. There is also more 'growing room' in the Yamaha. As a beginner player progresses, they may find themselves longing for the heavier touch of a real piano, so it just makes sense for us to start with the Yamaha, to begin with.

Yamaha P-45 Vs Casio CDP-S110: Sounds

Okay, so as we alluded to above, the type of sounds found in both of these pianos is very similar, but which unit sounds the best? Well, let's focus purely on the grand piano settings – which, let's be honest, is the sound you'll use 99.9% of the time. 

Both the CDP S-110 and P-45 have fairly convincing grand piano voices. Each piano does a great job of capturing the nuances of these harmonically rich instruments. From deep bellowing lows and sparkling highs, the entire frequency range is represented. That said, both pianos have somewhat small speakers, therefore, they sound much better when used with a good quality set of headphones - it's worth checking out our guide to the best headphones for digital piano if you don't have a set. 

Winner: If we were to crown a winner, then we'd have to give it to Yamaha, as the Casio can sound a little 'hi-fi' at times. To our ears, the Yamaha sounds more natural and, in some settings, sounds fuller and richer. We feel if you are practicing for extended periods of time, the P-45 would be less fatiguing on your ears. 

Yamaha P-45 Vs Casio CDP-S110: Final verdict

It's really incredible just how closely matched these two pianos are. From features to price, on paper, they are almost identical. In reality, though, they feel very different to play, and that should be a significant consideration if you're looking to purchase a new piano. 

While neither of these instruments feels terrible to play, which is right for you comes down to personal preference. For those looking for a softer response, then the Casio is certainly the piano to go for. That said, for those seeking the more familiar touch of a 'real' piano, then the Yamaha would be our go-to. 

Finding your first beginner keyboard can be a nerve-racking experience. There are so many keyboards to choose from (like, literally hundreds), and it's not easy knowing where to start. But fear not. We've found the best Yamaha Piaggero NP-12 deals out there, so you can pick up one of the most popular home keyboards for a bargain price.

Most modern electronic keyboards come jam-packed with an array of features, from drum beats and accompaniment to light-up keys and a list of sounds as long as your arm. The Yamaha Piaggero NP-12 forgoes all of this, favouring a compact and sleek design focussed purely on the essential sounds you need to learn the piano. Let's dive into the best deals online today, as well as discuss what makes the NP-12 the perfect beginner keyboard and one of the best Yamaha keyboards available today.

• Want to know more? Check out our Yamaha Piaggero NP-12 review
• Enhance your rig with the best keyboard stands

The best Yamaha Piaggero NP-12 deals

The Yamaha Piaggero NP-12 fills a much-needed gap in the market. Before, budding pianists had the choice of an all-singing-all-dancing home keyboard, a bulky digital piano or a full-sized acoustic piano. 

Yamaha has designed this elegant looking keyboard around the essential elements you need to learn to play the piano with no distractions. Gone are the banks and banks of redundant sounds, in favour of 10 very usable voices (Piano1, Piano2, E.Piano1, E.Piano2, Organ1, Organ2, Strings, Vibes, Harpsichord1, Harpsichord2). 

Among these voices are two grand piano options, sampled from one of Yamaha's most iconic concert grand pianos. This impressive sound engine definitely gives Yamaha a leg on the competition at this price point. 

The NP-12 features 61 keys, making it considerably smaller than a standard piano - which typically has 88. It may have fewer notes, but Yamaha hasn't compromised on the size of those individual keys. The full-size, waterfall-fronted keys are perfect for novice piano players getting used to the instrument while feeling familiar to experienced pianists. The distinct styling of the keys gives the NP-12 a piano look, helping it stand out from the other home keyboards in the Yamaha catalogue. 

One feature that is becoming more and more essential on home keyboards is connectivity. The NP-12 can easily be used as a MIDI controller via the USB port located on the keyboards back panel, making it perfect for your home studio. 

Don't worry if you aren't quite ready to record yet - there is still plenty you can do with the NP-12. Yamaha offers a wide range of apps designed for beginners that work perfectly with the Piaggero series of keyboards. Digital Piano Controller, Metronome and NoteStar can be accessed through your iOS device (and a Lightning Camera Adaptor), unlocking the potential of your new instrument. 

The Yamaha Piaggero NP-12 offers fantastic value for money, a simple user interface, and world-class sounds. Whether you're a beginner just starting out, an experienced player needing a smaller instrument or a producer looking for a new MIDI controller, you'll find something to love about the Yamaha Piaggero NP-12.

The best Yamaha NP-12 deals: Alternatives

If you love the look of the NP-12 but find yourself longing for more keys, then a great alternative would be the Yamaha Piaggero NP-32. This keyboard features everything that makes the NP-12 so appealing, but with 76 Graded Soft Touch keys. Perhaps it’s a piano with full 88 notes and weighted keys you’re after - then it's worth taking a look at the Yamaha P-45. This piano may be bigger than the NP-12, but it does benefit from a more authentic piano key action - meaning you won't need to upgrade it as fast as the NP-12.

• Don't forget about these essential piano accessories

You don't need us to tell you that Yamaha is an industry leader in the world of pianos. The Japanese manufacturer dominates with high-spec digital pianos, show-stopping grand pianos, as well as an array of stage-ready instruments. Now, if you fancy taking your first steps into the wide world of Yamaha pianos, then your first port of call is most certainly the Yamaha P-45. This instrument may be the entry-level point into the vast Yamaha catalogue, but it most definitely lives up to the prestige of the rest of the range. 

For players just starting out on their piano journey, it's vital to opt for an instrument that gives you all the necessary features to learn, without hindering your progress. That means 88-notes, fully weighted keys, sustain pedal and high-quality sounds. Luckily, the P-45 ticks all of these boxes and does so without breaking the bank! 

So without further ado, let's get stuck into the best deals online today, as well as discuss why this is arguably one of the best digital pianos for beginners and professional performers alike.

The best Yamaha P-45 deals

The affordable digital piano space is an incredibly crowded one, with many instruments vying for your attention. Now, while there are many quality budget digital pianos on the market, the leader of the pack has to be the Yamaha P-45.  

This insanely popular stage piano is designed to mimic the feel of an acoustic piano, utilising Yamaha's GHS action to bring a familiar feel to a compact and lightweight instrument. Yamaha has even gone as far as to recreate the graded feel of an acoustic piano by altering the weight of each key as you move from the bass side to the treble side. This results in a very satisfying playing experience no matter your current ability. 

As for sounds, Yamaha has decided to go with quality, not quantity. Coming loaded with ten voices, the P-45 has considerably less than other pianos on the market, which can see preset sounds go into the hundreds. Now, this is in no way a bad thing. Yamaha has cleverly included only the sounds players want, meaning there are no unwanted voices you simply won't use. As you'd expect, this piano comes with built-in speakers and despite their small size, the two 12cm drivers do a pretty good job of reproducing the low frequencies found on a piano and are more than loud enough for home practice. 

Need a piano on the go? Well, this Yamaha may be the perfect option. Weighing in at a mere 11.5kg, the P-45 is effortlessly moved from place to place, whether that's to piano lessons, jam sessions, or even gigs. 

Not sure if the P-45 is the piano for you? Well, check out our full Yamaha P-45 review to see exactly what we thought of this favoured digital stage piano. 

The best Yamaha P-45 deals: Alternatives

Like we said above, this price category is overflowing with options from a wide range of brands, but if you are looking for an upgraded version of the P-45, you may want to stick with Yamaha and opt for the P-125. This piano shares many of the same qualities as its little brother but includes extra voices - 24 instead of 10 - and has the ability to upgrade to a full piano pedalboard with the addition of the Yamaha LP-1. 

For those looking to step away from Yamaha, the Casio CDP-S100 - or its newer counterpart the Casio CDP-S110 - is a very viable option, as this piano shares an almost identical price point and even several features with the P-45. That said, the Casio is considerably thinner and is ever so slightly lighter than the P-45, coming in at only 10.5 kg. So if portability is a significant consideration, then you may wish to go for the Casio. 

Don't forget about these essential piano accessories

• Need more information? Check out our guide to essential piano accessories
• Sit comfortably with one of the best piano benches
• Enhance your rig with the best keyboard stands
• Hear your piano in all its glory with the best headphones for digital piano

Yamaha PSS-A50 review: What is it?

Originally produced between 1980 -1997, Yamaha’s famous PSS range of ‘Portasound’ personal keyboards were renowned for bringing portable music creation to the masses. Cut to today and the Portasound name has been resurrected with a range of three 37-key mini keyboards sporting the PSS model designation, the others being the PSS-E30 Remie and the PSS-F30. Perhaps the most grown-up of the bunch, the A50 appears to have been targeted at making dance music for teenagers, but under the hood there seems to be plenty on offer for all ages, with big-league features such as a velocity-sensitive keyboard with adjustable touch response, portamento, arpeggios, motion effects and a phrase recorder packed into a small body.

With its smart, piano-black finish, the A50 shares the same rounded-corner housing, single built-in speaker and diminutive form factor as its siblings. While the cheaper E30 and F30 are clearly intended as beginner keyboards for young children however, the A50’s more advanced feature set gives it a slightly broader appeal. Of the three, this is the one to go for if preschool, potty training and Pokemon are all a distant memory.

It runs on four AA batteries or USB power and you can also opt to purchase a separate USB power adapter. You do get a USB cable in the box, but there are no batteries included, which seems a little stingy and might cause some consternation on Christmas morning, before the realisation kicks in that you can power the unit from a computer’s USB port or even more usefully, from a mobile phone power bank.

Yamaha PSS-A50 review: Performance & Verdict

Although its toy-like form factor makes it fantastically lightweight, portable and therefore brilliant for kids, the A50 is much more than just a toy. Despite it having fewer sounds than the F30, the motion FX, arpeggios and phrase recorder are this keyboard’s biggest draws. The sounds themselves, derived from the same sound bank found in Yamaha’s more expensive PSR-E series keyboards, are remarkably good quality for a keyboard in this price bracket - they’ve seemingly gone for quality rather than quantity here. There are only four piano sounds for instance - one acoustic and three electric - but they’re all excellent and very usable for an instrument of this stature. The same philosophy goes into the rest of the sound library, which features a sprinkling of hand-picked examples sifted into conventional categories such as Organ, Guitar, Bass, Strings, Woodwind, Brass, Synth Lead, Synth Pad and Drums. The sounds in each category are scrolled through by repeated button presses until the start of the cycle loops back around to the first sound in that set. Scrolling is one-directional, so if you miss your target there’s no option but to keep pressing until you roll back around to it.

Although the front panel is well laid out, the glossy black fascia is a bit of a magnet for dust and fingerprints, with the grey-on-black silk screen text on the front panel a little difficult to read, especially in low light - we feel a brighter colour might have worked better. All information and setting status is conveyed via a cryptic, three-digit, seven-segment LED display, so a read of the manual will eventually be required to decipher messages such as ‘Son’ and ‘PoF’

A Shift button gives you access to all of the settings that employ the keys on the keyboard as switches. Labelled above the keys, these include mainly MIDI-based functions such as control change, program change, local on/off (for when using the A50 as a MIDI controller) transpose, tuning and metronome settings, phrase volume and velocity response.

Once you get the hang of how the front panel operates, it’s time to dive in and experiment with some tunes. There’s a single-track Phrase Recorder for looping and playing back recorded phrases, although we found it quite tricky to figure out how to manipulate the recording process so that there was no gap when the recorded phrase was looped. The keyboard does retain the recorded phrase when powered off, however, and also transmits the recorded data over MIDI, making the A50 a useful sketchpad for capturing spontaneous ideas on the move for polishing up later in a DAW.

In the ‘mess about before opening the manual’ test the A50 performed well - we were able to coax some reasonable results out of the phrase recorder relatively quickly, confirming the fairly intuitive nature of the front panel controls. The user guide itself, when finally consulted, proved to be clear, concise and well thought-out, giving up its secrets with a series of diagrams over just a few pages.

Inherited from the Yamaha Reface series of boutique synths, the keyboard itself is definitely one of the most playable mini-key equipped keybeds we’ve come across, and the excellent velocity sensitivity, with four response levels to choose from, is a real bonus, making it one of the best around at this price.

There’s no input for a sustain pedal, but you do get a Sustain button, which latches on when pressed to add a sustain effect to the current sound. The effectiveness of this varies from sound to sound. This doubles as a portamento switch when used in conjunction with the Shift button. This effect is not editable, but does behave more or less as you’d expect, introducing a swoopy glide between notes that is more pronounced the further apart successive notes are on the keyboard.

Arpeggios 

A big selling point of the A50 is the arpeggio feature, which lets you trigger a selection of 117 onboard musical and rhythmic phrases and backing patterns, plus 21 drum patterns, by pressing keys on the keyboard. Although the patterns themselves are well programmed, in practise this feature proved to be a little limited - it’s not really an arpeggiator as such, as all of the patterns are pre-programmed and non-editable. Selecting a new voice automatically selects the default arpeggio for that voice which, although intended to be helpful, can be annoying if you find a pattern you like but just want to change the sound it’s playing.

You can keep the arpeggio going with the arpeggio hold button, after which you can play along using a different sound, but if you want to change chords it’s a two-handed process of holding down the arpeggio hold button while changing chords. And if you want to play a particular pattern with a sound other than that which it’s matched to, that’s a whole other sequence of button pushes. So, unlike the conventional auto-accompaniment that we’re used to with some of Yamaha’s larger models, the arpeggio feature, although good fun, is not quite as flexible as we’d hoped.

Motion FX 

Aside from the arpeggios, the motion FX are one of the more entertaining aspects of the A50. The effects are momentary, meaning that they only operate as long as the button is held down, and each effect exhibits its own behaviour. There are ten types of filter effect, and twelve each of the pitch and modulation effects.

The filter effects are mainly resonant filter sweeps, pitch effects range from quick bends up and down to proper slowdowns and speedups, while modulation effects take care of various forms of vibrato and tremolo. 

An interesting feature of the A50 that we really weren’t expecting is that the motion FX not only work on the internal sounds, they also transmit over MIDI when using the unit as a MIDI controller. Depending on the synth you’re using it with, this can have some really interesting results  - we tested it without any expectation that it would work and were pleasantly surprised when it did.

Yamaha PSS-A50 review: Verdict

Overall, leaning into the ‘my first synth’ territory, Yamaha have pitched the A50 at the teen market pretty well, offering a fun and entertaining taste of some more advanced synthesis features such as portamento, filtering and modulation but without any complex editing involved. For us though, its main appeal is lightweight, portable instant-on access to a few great sounds via a brilliant, velocity-sensitive keybed at an affordable price, all of which, when combined with its capable MIDI functionality, makes the A50 a great viable prospect as a throw-around notepad for songwriters. 

Yamaha PSS-A50 review: Hands-on demos

Keen on Keys 

BoneZone 

Rimmers Music 

Yamaha PSS-A50 review: Specifications

• Keys: 37 high quality mini keys 
• Touch Sensitivity: Adjustable (Soft / Medium / Hard / Fixed) 
• Speaker System: 1 x 8cm, 1.4W 
• Presets: 40 voices, 2 Drum kits 
• Arpeggios: 138 types 
• Polyphony: 32 Notes 
• Functions: Motion FX, Sustain, Portamento, Phrase Recorder 
• Audio Output: 3.5mm headphone jack 
• MIDI I/O: Micro USB 
• Power: 4 x AA Batteries, USB bus 
• Colour: Black 
• Dimensions: 506 (W) x 201 (D) x 54 (H) mm 
• Weight: 1.2 kg 
• Contact: Yamaha

Yamaha has extended its TransAcoustic family with a pair of cutaway acoustic guitars joining the series. Featuring the same onboard effects and electronics, the FGC-TA and FSC-TA acoustics are the first cutaway models in the range, and are being offered in two different body sizes.

The FGC-TA has what Yamaha calls a Traditional Western-style body, which is to a say a cutaway dreadnought shape in all but name, and the FSC-TA, which has a more compact concert-size body. 

Both guitars have solid spruce tops, with mahogany on the back and sides. Yamaha has used nato – or eastern mahogany for the neck – and rosewood for the 15.75” fingerboard. So far, so very conventional, but it’s the TransAcoustic Series’ electronics that give it its USP, offering onboard reverb and chorus effects from a trio of shoulder-mounted controls.

Like all models in the TransAcoustic range, the FGC-TA and FSC-TA come equipped with a System 70 preamp and an SRT Piezo pickup positioned under-saddle. The piezo transfers the guitar’s vibrations to an actuator mounted on in the interior of the guitar’s back, which then transmit them through the body of the guitar and use its frame to create natural reverb and chorusing. That's right: you don’t have to plug them into an acoustic guitar amp to enjoy the effects.  

The tech was developed by Yamaha’s acoustic piano division and has been quietly revolutionary for acoustic guitar players. No one will forget the first time the LS-TA came into the office. Check out Yamaha's introduction video below for an idea of how this sounds in practice.

The TransAcoustic tech might be very clever but luckily we don’t have to be to use it. There is one knob for chorus, one for dialling in room and hall-sized reverbs (anywhere past noon on the dial gives you hall reverb), and a line out volume control that doubles as a TransAcoustic switch. Simply hold it down for 0.3 seconds or longer and the effects come online. All this is powered by a 9V battery that’s housed in an integrated end-pin jack.

The guitars are priced £840 and are being offered in a trio of finish options. The FSC-TA is available in Vintage Tint, Brown Sunburst, and Ruby Red, while the FGC-TA comes in Vintage Tint, Brown Sunburst, and Black finishes.

See Yamaha for more details.

Whether you’re thinking about purchasing a new beginner electronic drum set, you’re in the market for a nearly silent home practice kit to help maintain neighbourly relations, or you have a brand new electronic drum set in a box at home and you're struggling to decipher your kick drum tower from your cable loom, the prospect of setting up an electronic drum kit can feel pretty daunting - but it doesn’t have to be.

The drum experts on the MusicRadar team have built countless e-kits in our time and we know the do’s, don’ts and things to consider from personal experience. 

So, with our expert guidance on how to set up an electronic drum set, plus a few handy power user tips to get the best from your kit, you’ll be set up and ready to start playing in no time.

1. Where are you going to put your e-kit? 

First of all, it’s important to think about where you’re going to put your electronic drum set. They’re pretty quiet - especially compared to a full on acoustic drum set - but not completely silent, and the sound of drumsticks on rubber or mesh pads, or your bass drum pedal pounding through the floor can turn you into public enemy number one with family and neighbours pretty quickly. 

If you live in a terraced or semi-detached house, then try and avoid placing your kit against adjoining walls. It’s one of the most simple and effective forms of keeping the noise down, and you’re much less likely to upset a neighbour or two.

It may be unavoidable, but set up your kit downstairs if possible. Us drummers tend to put a lot of force into a bass drum hit or hi-hat pedal stomp when we’re getting into a song, and that sound will quickly annoy people on the floor below you.

If you live in a flat with neighbours below you, don’t fret. It’s not an ideal situation, but there are ways of reducing your sound levels to a minimum. Gadgets such as Roland’s NE10 ‘Noise Eater’ - a platform with rubber feet - help to dampen the sound of your pedals by raising them off the floor and isolating the sound your pedals create. German retailers Thomann even make a full podium to put your whole e-kit on. A simple rug under your kit can help mitigate some of the vibrations, too; just make sure it's big enough to accommodate the full footprint of your kit.

We’d also suggest biting the bullet and having a word with your neighbours. For drummers, nothing beats good neighbourly relations, and being open about the fact you’ve purchased a drum kit and discussing some mutually agreeable playing windows can keep things smooth.

Now this one sounds obvious, but make sure that wherever you position your e-kit, it’s close to a power output. It’ll need to be plugged in and powered up for you to use it, so ensure that you’re within easy reach of power, and not stretching your power supply as this could damage it. You may need to invest in a quality extension cable if your kit is going to be at a distance from the nearest power source.

2. Make some space for your e-kit 

Once you’ve picked a room of the house, consider where in that room you’d like to put your e-kit. They don’t take up as much space as an acoustic kit, but once you’ve added a few extra elements to the equation - like yourself sitting on a drum stool, a book up on a music stand and a stick bag on the floor, you’ll find the room fills up more than you’d think.

Think about how big you are, and about how you might be setting up your kit - do you like your toms and cymbals to be a reasonable distance away from you, for example? We’d advise you to overestimate on space, as it’s always best to have more than you need. If you try to cram your kit into a small space, you’ll sacrifice on the playing experience.

And finally, do you want your kit facing a wall - which will make it easier to sit down at - or facing out to the room - harder to access, but it means you can look your audience (family members, the cat) in the eye. 

When you come to the point of actually building your e-kit, clear as much space as you can. Having plenty of room makes things a lot easier so you can spread the parts out and keep things in order. If you’re tight on space, you could even build it in a different room or maybe outside - as long as it stays dry. Electronic drum sets, especially beginner-friendly ones, are designed to be lightweight and foldable and should happily fit through the doorway of your designated drum room.

3. Unboxing your kit

The next step is to unpack everything. One of the main issues with e-kits is that some of the parts look the same, so we’d recommend taking stock of everything and double checking against the instructions. There’s nothing more annoying than spending ages putting something together, only to find out part of it is missing.

Most kits will come with the necessary tools needed for assembly. These will most likely be allen keys, small screwdrivers or a drum key. A drum key is a great tool to have with you at all times as a drummer anyway, so if your e-kit doesn’t come with one, we’d recommend buying two or three. You can never have too many.

4. Build the rack first

When you get round to building your e-kit, we’d always suggest building the rack section first. This is the foundation of your entire kit and without it, you’ll have nothing to attach your cymbals, drum pads or module to. Make sure the rack is even and stable, with all the feet perfectly in contact with the floor. This can be a fiddly job, but it’s worth taking the time to get it right to avoid wobbles once everything else is mounted - you’ll thank us in the long run.

Our biggest tip here is to follow the instructions - you may get lost without them. Many moons ago we learned the hard way when a 45-minute kit build took us 5 hours. It’s easy to put parts in the wrong place, or upside down and setting up your e-kit wrong can make a surprisingly big impact on the overall playability and future adjustability when a wing nut is out of reach. By mounting your drum or cymbal pads the wrong way, you can turn a playable kit into a muscle-straining mess, which will negatively impact your playing and progress.

It’s important to not over-tighten the bolts and wing screws of your new drum set. Most connecting pieces are made from plastic, and are more likely to break or perish if you put too much pressure on them. Make sure they’re tight enough that your kit is sturdy, but don’t go full Hulk on it.

5. Mount the pads, place the pedals 

Once your rack is built, you can go ahead and start mounting the drum pads. We like to do a mock-up first, to ensure that the positioning of everything is as we want it. The beauty of electronic drum sets is that you can adjust and move things around whenever you like, but this is a great starting point. Leave the cymbal pads off for now, as it’s much easier to access each screw, lug or wingnut on the drum pads with the cymbals off the kit.

So, how do you know what’s the best position for your drum pads and pedals? Sit down on your drum stool with the snare drum pad between your legs, just like you’d sit at the dinner table. Have a look at where your feet naturally fall, and put your pedals there - bass drum pedal on the right, hi-hat pedal on the left, unless you’re a left-handed player and are setting the kit up in the opposite direction. The glory of setting up your own drum kit is that you can make it fit around you - so don’t compromise on your comfort. 

Then you can start thinking about cymbal placement. Repeat that last step with your cymbals - get them into comfortable positions, ensuring you’re not having to reach uncomfortably to strike them - and you’re ready to go. It’s worth noting that on an acoustic drum set, your hi-hat cymbals would be mounted on a stand with the hi-hat pedal directly beneath the cymbal - so if you’re going to be playing both types of kit, it’s worth trying to keep things like that as realistic and consistent as possible.

6. Attach the module and connect the pads 

Now it’s time to mount your e-kit module to the rack and connect everything up. Take a look at the instructions or pictures of the kit to see where the module should go - usually to the left of the hi-hat, although newer Yamaha kits house the module on the right - and how it should mount. Usually you will get an additional dedicated bracket that enables you to attach the module securely to the rack.

Now, grab the supplied cables. Some beginner and intermediate e-kits will come with a cable ‘loom’ or ‘snake’, where the individual cables for each pad convene at a single DB25 connector that plugs into the back of your module. This is a great way to keep your e-kit cables neat and tidy, and certainly speeds up the setup process. More expensive e-kits will have separate cables for each pad and module connection, which slows down setup, but makes adding new pads and triggers easier.

Start by plugging the main connector straight into the module, and then you’ll be able to start connecting your cymbals and drum pads. The cables will be labeled ‘kick’, ‘snare’, 'crash 1' etc to help you assign the correct cable to the correct pad. It’s worth noting that some pads and cymbals on higher-end e-kits might have multiple inputs, for separate bell, bow and edge triggering on the ride cymbal, for example, so make sure you’re plugging into the right one. It’s not the end of the world, but it can get pretty annoying when the sound you want isn’t the one you’re hearing (or you don’t hear any sound at all!).

You might also want to tidy up the cables on your e-kit at this stage if, like us, you have a thing about tidiness. Some e-kits come with Velcro straps to tie your cables together, but if not, a bit of black tape will do the trick - and you won’t even notice it. Wrapping your cables around the tubing of your rack is also a neat trick - but don’t do it too tightly, or you may damage them. At the higher end select kit even feature internally routed cabling for the ultimate in clean lines. 

7. Do you need anything else? 

You’re almost ready to go - but here are a few more things you’ll need to consider before you can play:

You need a way of hearing your e-kit
E-kits don’t have built-in speakers, so you’ll need either some headphones for drummers, or a dedicated electronic drum amp. Speaking from experience, acoustic guitar amps can also do a fantastic job of amplifying your electronic drums. The Marshall AS50D and Blackstar Sonnet 120 are both designed to pump out a really full frequency spectrum - usually for acoustic guitar and vocals - but this full sound makes e-kits really pop. They’re cheaper than most PA speakers too, which is a bonus.

Drumsticks
It seems obvious, but a pair of drumsticks is a pretty essential tool for any drummer. Some e-kits come with free sticks in the box, but if you’re serious about playing, then investing in a few more quality pairs is a great idea. If you play acoustic drums as well as electronic, we’d advise that you use the same sticks, or get two pairs that are the same. We want the playing experience on an e-kit to be as similar to an acoustic kit as possible, so the transition between the two is easy.

There are plenty of companies making specific electronic drum set sticks, but we’d honestly avoid them. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it - and there’s nothing wrong with a regular drumstick.

Bass drum pedal
Bass drum pedals can catch a lot of people out. They all look largely the same and they do the same thing, but the difference in quality can be huge. If your electronic kit doesn’t come with one, we’d recommend spending at least $/£50 on one. It’s much easier to play with a smooth feeling, solid pedal that you can adjust to your liking - and it’ll make learning techniques a lot easier. They are interchangeable too, of course - so whether you’re playing an acoustic kit or a different electronic kit, you can use the same pedal.

Double-bass drum pedals may come up in conversation, and if so, they’re worth a look. If your drumming family member or friend (or yourself) likes a bit of heavy metal, then a double-bass drum pedal is where the party’s at. They can be expensive though, as it’s basically two pedals joined together.

Some e-kits don’t have massive bass drum pads to accommodate two beaters, so be careful when choosing your pedals. The Roland TD-07DMK has a wide bass drum pad built into the rack, so most double pedals should work happily. The Alesis Nitro Max, on the other hand, only has one central sensor in its bass drum pad, so it’s not the most double-bass friendly e-kit.

It’s also worth noting that some e-kits don’t require a bass drum pedal at all, instead coming complete with a bass drum controller pedal rather than the typical bass drum pedal and pad combo.

Drum throne
Honestly, you can’t beat a good drum throne, and it’s a far better option than grabbing a non-adjustable chair or stool from around the house. They’re a truly underrated bit of gear and getting yourself a decent one can save you from years of back and hip issues. Without the correct support for your joints (especially your lower back and pelvis), things can get pretty nasty - so a fairly small investment is worth it in the long run. Again, $/£50 is about what you’d expect to spend on a decent, padded throne.

8. Get playing

So there you have it! Your electronic drum kit is all set up. All there is to do now is pull up your drum throne and get playing. Dive into the different sounds built into your module. Mess around with the metronome and other learning tools. Connect up your smartphone, load up Spotify and just jam! At the end of the day, drumming is all about having fun. It’s been said that staying in time with the band is a good thing, but what use is that if you’re not enjoying yourself?

Yamaha Guitalele GL-1 review: What is it?

As cute as a labradoodle puppy, as practical as a mule and with a name as daft as a zonkey, at first glance it's hard to see where the Yamaha Guitalele GL1 fits in. A mad guitar/ukulele mutation, it’s neither here nor there, not one thing or another. 

But somehow, like the labradoodle, it makes sense. I dare anyone to pick one of these things up without breaking into laughter or attempting to play a simple tune. It's just tremendous fun.

So, how do you pronounce Guitalele? In truth, we're not sure but some people insert an 'r' or a double 'h' sound in the middle – Guitahh-lele. We're musicians, not linguists, so in public we take the coward's way out and refer to it simply as the GL1, which works for us.

Despite its name, and the similarities in size, in terms of construction the Guitalele is far more classical guitar-like than ukulele. Like a uke, nylon strings are the order of the day (it's not strong enough for steel strings, so please don't try), but there are six of them versus the ukulele's four, and they're tensioned with decorative, classical-style side-mounted machine heads.

Most ukes get a big part of their characteristic sound from 'reentrant tuning', which means that the third string is the bass string, often C, and the fourth string (the one nearest your chin) is tuned a fifth up to G. As you can imagine, playing the uke is like learning a whole new instrument whereas, for guitar players at least, playing the Guitalele is just like playing the guitar, albeit one made in Lilliput.

Size aside, the significant difference between the guitar and the Guitalele is its ADGCEA tuning, which is entirely due to its short 433mm (17") scale length. Fortunately, these tunings share the same intervals as the guitar so, in effect, it's like playing a guitar at the fifth fret. If you're moving from a guitar to a Guitalele you'll get used to it very quickly. If you're moving from a ukulele to a Guitalele it will still feel somewhat familiar because the top four strings share the same notes – GCEA but with the G tuned up as previously explained.

Top end Yamaha acoustics are handmade in its Hamamatsu custom shop in Japan, where a small team of master luthiers spend most of their lives endlessly tapping bits of wood to ascertain their acoustic characteristics. It's safe to assume that no Guitalele has ever been near the Hamamatsu workshop, let alone been tapped by a master luthier, but the build quality is remarkably good for a sub $/£100 instrument.

They're actually made in Yamaha's own Indonesian factory. Tops are spruce, while back and sides are made from meranti, a locally sourced tonewood with similar characteristics to mahogany. The neck is also meranti, with a rosewood fingerboard. Visually, the quality of the woods on our example is excellent, with even grain and no knots or blemishes.

Workmanship is very tidy too, with no lumps, cracks or gaps to be found anywhere. Even the kerfed linings are free of glue remnants. The finish across the entire instrument is matt, which looks classy enough, if a little plain on our Natural version, but if you want to make more of a visual splash then you can choose from Persimmon Brown, Tobacco Brown Sunburst and Black. Care has obviously been taken to apply the finish as thinly and evenly as possible, so as not to swamp or dampen the sound.

Yamaha Guitalele GL-1 review: Performance & verdict

Playability is surprising. The action on our example is slightly on the high side, but then this is a nylon-stringed instrument. Frets are even, with no sharp edges, the nut material is clearly cheap, but the slots are well cut. Intonation is spot on too, no doubt helped by the compensated saddle.

The 48mm (1 7/8") nut width is generous enough for most fingers, after all many Strats come in at way less than this. However, the Guitalele's scale length does dramatically shorten the distance between the frets, which can make playing a bit cramped. If you're used to playing down the 'dusty end' of a regular guitar then you'll be fine, but if not it may take a bit of getting used to.

So, does it sound like a musical instrument or a cheap novelty plaything? In its favour, the Guitalele is lightly built and subsequently beautifully resonant. If your ideal tone is that of a fine cedar-topped classical guitar then you'll be disappointed, but reframe your expectations and you'll discover the Guitalele has a charm all of its own.

It's zingy and jangly, like a good uke, but its classical roots – notably those bass strings – endow it with more warmth and depth. Strum it for any length of time and, just like a uke, the tone can eventually become irritating (sorry, uke players) but it responds really well to classical or fingerstyle pieces. With the right composition, it can sound almost lute-like – in a good way! 

This is where the Guitalele scores over a ukulele, and I fully appreciate we're comparing apples with oranges here. It can tackle a much broader repertoire, and it can cope, if not excel, with a wider range of musical styles.

The Guitalele is a fun instrument for fun times. It's crying out to be left on the sofa, ready to be played on a whim. It's pleading to be taken out on camping trips, so it can accompany your drunk mates. Like any loveable mongrel, it just wants to be friends.

Yamaha Guitalele GL-1 review: Hands-on demos

YourGuitarSage 

Rimmers Music 

Yamaha Guitalele GL-1 review: Specifications

• Scale Length: 433mm (17")
• Body Length: 319mm (12 9/16") 
• Total Length: 698mm (27 1/2") 
• Body Width: 229mm (9")
• Body Depth: 70mm (2 3/4") 
• Nut Width: 48mm (1 7/8") 
• Top Material: Spruce
• Back/Side/Neck Material: Meranti
• Fingerboard Material: Rosewood 
• Fingerboard Radius: Flat 
• Bridge Material: Maple 
• Nut and Saddle Material: Urea 
• Tuners: Chrome, side-mounted 
• Body Binding: Black
• Body And Neck Finish: Matt
• Strings: Nylon
• Gig Bag Included: Yes
• Contact: Yamaha 

What is it?

Yamaha certainly knows a thing or two about pianos. Whether it’s first-class grand pianos, life-like digital recreations, or compact practice instruments, they are always built to the highest standards. The P-45 may be Yamaha’s entry-level point into their piano line, but it certainly doesn’t scrimp on quality.

The P-45 is a compact portable piano designed to feel as authentic to a real piano as possible. The inclusion of Yamaha’s GHS (graded hammer standard) key action offers a familiar touch, and like an acoustic piano, the weight of the keys changes as you move from the bass notes to the treble notes. This results in a very satisfying playing experience for beginners and professionals alike. 

Weighing in at only 11.5kg, this compact piano is easily moved from place to place, whether that’s to piano lessons, jam sessions, or even gigs. The in-built speakers offer a rich sound on the go, while the headphone out makes it possible to practice in peace and quiet. 

The Yamaha P-45 comes with a basic sustain pedal and power supply and also has the option to upgrade from a keyboard stand to a piano-style stand (L-85) to complete the elegant look. 

Performance & Verdict

It feels like the digital piano market is saturated with entry-level portable pianos aimed at beginners. However, the Yamaha P-45 successfully cuts through the noise, delivering a well-built, fantastic-sounding instrument perfect for the novice player or even the professional looking for a compact instrument to practice on. 

The first thing that has to be said is just how solid the P-45 feels - not that we’d expect anything less from Yamaha. The main body of the piano is robust and would most definitely stand up to the stress of gigging. The quality of the keys is up there with more expensive offerings from Yamaha - albeit a little lighter in touch compared to the Clavinova range. The matte texture on the black keys is a nice touch, but the white keys can feel a little too smooth. That said, at this price point, it’s hardly a big complaint. 

The graded element of the key action is pretty subtle. This isn’t something beginner players will immediately notice, but it’s a worthwhile inclusion from Yamaha. So what is a graded action? Well, simply put, this is when the low notes are weighted slightly differently from the higher ones. This mimics the way an acoustic piano behaves. These little touches all add up to a more authentic feeling instrument. 

So let’s talk about the sound. Overall the sounds contained within the P-45 are great - the grand piano in particular. Although 10 voices is a lot less than some other beginner pianos on the market, each sound here is very usable. Yamaha has cleverly included sounds players actually want, meaning there are no unwanted voices you simply won’t use. The single button interface means choosing a sound is very simple, and the minimal approach leads to a sleek, uncluttered look. 

A must-have for playing the piano is a sturdy sustain pedal, and while the Yamaha does come with one in the box, you can hardly call it sturdy. This rather basic pedal is a bit of a letdown as it isn’t the most responsive. Yamaha does offer an upgrade in the form of the FC4A/FC3A, and we highly recommend paying the extra and upgrading the pedal. Don’t get us wrong, the included sustain pedal will do for beginners, but you’ll soon outgrow it. 

On the topic of outgrowing elements of the P-45, it’s worth mentioning that it only has the ability to receive a single pedal and not the three found on larger pianos. Although you can purchase a piano-style stand for the P-45, you can’t upgrade to a full pedalboard. Its big brother - the Yamaha P-125 - does have this feature, so if you fancy having the full functionality of a piano, then it’s worth keeping this in mind. 

Lastly, let’s go over the connectivity. Again, the P-45 can seem a little limited compared to others on the market. Still, we can’t help think this is by design and not simply an oversight by Yamaha. For example, as you’d expect, there is a headphone output on the back for silent practice, but this also doubles as your main out for use live. Now, while it would be nice to have a separate line out for the gigging musician, it has to be said that the P-45 is clearly designed with the beginner in mind. So for most players, the headphone output is more than enough - not to mention it helps keep the cost down. 

Also located on the rear of the unit is a useful USB connection. This can be used to turn the P-45 into a powerful MIDI controller, and it’s a handy feature for any budding home producer.

So, if you’re on the lookout for a fully weighted keys piano that won’t take up too much space, and is built to last, then look no further than the Yamaha P-45. This fantastic piano may not be perfect, but at this price, it’s arguably the best on the market and won’t let you down.

• The best Yamaha P-45 deals online right now
• The best Yamaha digital pianos available today
• Looking for a keyboard? Well check out our best Yamaha keyboards guide
• Our pick of the best digital pianos for beginners
• Our pick of the best digital pianos under $1,000/£1,000

Hands-on demos

Yamaha Music Europe

Dawsons Music

Sweetwater

Specifications

• Dimensions: 1326x154x295 (mm)
• Weight: 11.5kg 
• Keys: 88 Graded Hammer Standard
• Polyphony: 64 
• Number of Voices: 10
• Speakers: 12 cm x 2
• Power Supply: PA-150B
• Connectivity: Headphones, Sustain Pedal, USB to Host
• Contact: Yamaha    

What is it?

The Yamaha Piaggero NP-12 is a rather strange product to categorise - is it a keyboard or a piano? Well, we believe it's trying to be a little of both. Its compact and lightweight nature clearly puts it squarely into the realm of an affordable home keyboard, whereas, the piano-sized keys and high-quality sounds make it a valuable option for the budding pianist. 

Most of the other home keyboards on the market come loaded with an extensive bank of sounds - but let's be honest, you aren't exactly going to use that marimba setting all that much, are you? The NP-12 takes a refreshing approach, focusing on just 10 high-quality voices. These are Piano1, Piano2, E.Piano1, E.Piano2, Organ1, Organ2, Strings, Vibes, Harpsi1, Harpsi2. Of course, as you'd expect, you can layer two of these sounds together to create more complex voicings.

The 61 full-size, waterfall-fronted keys - although not weighted - are touch-sensitive and are perfect for novice piano players, and the handy record button allows you to capture your practice session so you can track your progress.

The NP-12 is designed with the modern player in mind, giving you the ability to connect to an iOS device via the USB port (and lightning camera adaptor). This gives you access to a wide range of Yamaha apps such as Digital Piano Controller and NoteStar.

Performance and verdict

The first thing that strikes us when getting the Yamaha NP-12 out of the box is the build quality. Although, that shouldn't be all that surprising, considering it's made by Yamaha. Whether they're making beginner keyboards, electric guitars, drums, or motorbikes, they do it to the highest standard. This sleek little keyboard feels robust and sturdy enough to be carried around without fear of it being easily damaged. That said, if you’re planning on keeping it in one place at home, we’d recommend investing in one of the best keyboard stands.

The next thing we turn our attention to is the keys. Overall they feel great and definitely look the part. We can imagine the piano-like styling and size of the keys will keep most piano teachers happy, as well. Although don't let the look fool you, these keys aren't weighted at all, which may put a few people off. That being said, they are touch-sensitive and fairly reactive. So if you're a complete beginner or looking for a functional keyboard that easily transportable, then we believe this key action will be more than serviceable.

The entire ethos of the NP-12 is to be as simple as it can be, with only the sounds and buttons you really need - and we must admit we love this. The lack of excess buttons and screens gives this keyboard a modern look that makes it stand out in the crowded home keyboard market. All ten of the sounds are of really high quality and all incredibly usable. The highlights have to be the grand piano sounds, modeled after Yamaha's famous concert grand and the rather authentic and fun electric piano sounds. You do have the option of layering two sounds together, which can be inspiring. Combining the strings with one of the grand pianos is particularly lovely for adding some depth to your sound.

This keyboard does feature a handy record function for recording a song and playing it back - ideal for those using the Yamaha NP-12 for learning the piano. This can really take your practice session to the next level, by allowing you to analyse your playing and pinpoint problem areas in your technique. You could also use this feature to record the left-hand parts and play the right-hand melody over top. Although, bear in mind that you can only have one song stored on the keyboard.  

The Yamaha NP-12 does come with its own in-built speakers, which for their size sound pretty good, albeit a little lacking in the bottom end. For the best results, we recommend a good set of studio headphones, so you can hear the sounds in all their glory.

Yamaha is clearly marketing the NP-12 towards the beginner piano player, and we think that's a smart move. That being said, it is a little disappointing that there's no sustain pedal included in the box. Now, we aren't looking for a full piano-style pedal at this price point, but it would be a nice touch if they supplied the Yamaha FC5A that comes with the Yamaha P-45. This isn't a big complaint, a sustain pedal won't exactly break the bank, but as your skills develop you will need one to get the best out of this keyboard.

For us, the Yamaha NP-12 is a fantastic compact keyboard that behaves like a piano. It's the perfect option if you're just starting out or you're tight on space. The ten onboard sounds are more than enough for most players and are of the high quality you'd expect from Yamaha.

Hands-on demos

Sweetwater 

PMT 

Specifications

• Keyboard: 61-note
• Polyphony: 64-note Polyphony 
• Effects: Digital Reverb (4 Types)
• Connectivity: USB-to-Host, Sustain pedal, Headphones 
• Dimensions: Width 1,036mm (40-13/16"), Height 105mm (4-1/8"), Depth 259mm (10-3/16") 
• Preset Number of Voices: 10 (Piano1, Piano2, E.Piano1, E.Piano2, Organ1, Organ2, Strings, Vibes, Harpsi1, Harpsi2) 
• Power Supply: AC Adaptor (PA-130) or 6 x "AA" size batteries (alkaline, manganese, or Ni-MH rechargeable batteries)
• Power Consumption: 8W  
• Battery Life: 16 hours (with alkaline batteries)
• Contact: Yamaha 

It’s fair to say that Yamaha knows a thing or two about keyboards. The Japanese company has been manufacturing instruments since the 1880s and was responsible for making 54% of the portable keyboards sold around the world in 2019. But what are the best Yamaha keyboards you can buy today, and what makes them so special?

The sheer number of Yamaha keyboards can be overwhelming for those thinking of making a purchase, so we’ve narrowed our focus down to the company’s beginner-friendly arranger keyboards (to find out what’s meant by an arranger keyboard, check out our buying advice section).

This rules out professional stage keyboards like the new CP88, beginner digital pianos such as the P-125, Yamaha’s well-established range of synthesizers, including the MODX and the Motif, synth workstations like the Montage range, and also the wallet-busting Genos arranger keyboard.

Quick list

Best Yamaha keyboard overall

Pushing the portability envelope somewhat at a hefty 8.1kg, the PSR-SX600 is the lowest-priced model in Yamaha’s SX range of pro-level keyboards. Blurring the lines between a portable arranger and a proper workstation keyboard, it packs in a lot of high-end features, justifying its status as the most expensive instrument on our list. Real-time control over a range of user-assignable settings, an informative 4.3” TFT colour LCD screen, two powerful 15W speakers and 128-note polyphony are just a few of the highlights here.

There are a staggering 850 voices on tap, 73 of which are the new Super Articulation type, giving extra authenticity to guitar, sax, trumpet, organ and string sounds. With a whopping 415 styles, a playlist organiser, accents and unison features, plus 100MB of expansion memory to load new sounds onto, the PSR-SX600 offers a whole world of musical adventure to explore.

Best budget pick

Known as the YPT-270 in some markets, the PSR-E273 is the entry-level product in Yamaha’s E-series of arranger keyboards. Its more-affordable price tag is reflected in the lack of some of the more sophisticated features found on the PSR-E373, such as velocity-sensitive keys, MIDI capability, LCD backlighting, and the ability to split and layer sounds across the keyboard.

You still get a lot for your money, though, including 61 full-size keys, 401 sounds from Yamaha’s renowned AWM sample library, and 143 styles to play along with. With 112 songs, Yamaha’s built-in lesson feature will help you to polish your playing skills, and there’s even an entertaining ‘guess the note’ quiz mode.

The PSR-E273 represents great value for money and would be a lot of fun for any young player starting out.

Best for beginners

Available in two wood-effect finishes – dark walnut or maple – the PSR-E360 is one of Yamaha’s more-stylish keyboards (you can also get a plain black version). But there’s a lot of substance behind that smart exterior, with 384 voices, 130 auto-accompaniment styles and a 112-track Song Book on board.

There’s a nine-step Yamaha Education Suite lesson function, a recording feature (though it’s only good for 300 notes per track) and an auxiliary input for connecting an external audio source. You can even play alongside a friend, thanks to a duo mode that splits the keyboard into two halves, each with its own middle C.

Best for kids

Something a little different, the PSS-A50 does not come with a standard auto-accompaniment feature. Instead, it has a phrase recorder, an arpeggiator and what Yamaha calls ‘motion effects’ – pitch, filter and modulation features that can be called up instantly by pressing a button.

Incredibly lightweight and portable, the PSS-A50 boasts a velocity-sensitive keyboard with 37 mini-keys, 40 decent sounds taken from Yamaha’s pricier E-series of keyboards, plus a USB-to-host connector that enables it to be used as a MIDI controller. The aforementioned arpeggiator is a useful addition, though each sound has its own default pattern, so if you change sounds the pattern will change too. This could be awkward if you wanted to audition the same pattern with different sounds.

Best for pianists

Yamaha’s piano-making pedigree is second to none, and this portable piano-style keyboard is a brilliant solution for kids to learn on, or for more mature pianists who don’t have room for a full-size piano.

The Piaggero NP-15 – like its larger, 76-key brother the Piaggero NP-35 – is a lightweight, synth-action keyboard that delivers a lifelike, AWM-stereo-sampled piano sound. There are only 15 voices on offer, and no auto-accompaniment, but if you want something you can just walk up to, switch on and play, you won’t find anything better for the money.

Also available in eye-catching white, the Piaggero NP-15 boasts a 7,000-note song recorder, enabling you to capture and play back your performances.

Read our full Yamaha Piaggero NP-15 review

Best for retro tones

One of four retro-themed mini keyboards in the Reface range – the others being an FM synthesiser (the Reface DX), an organ (the Reface YC) and an analogue synthesizer (the Reface CS) – the Reface CP is a tiny, modern tribute to Yamaha’s 1970s electric pianos.

The feature set is impressive, with a bunch of retro keyboard sounds – including two types of Fender Rhodes electric piano, a Wurlitzer piano, a clavinet and a 1970s toy piano – vintage drive, tremolo, chorus, phaser, delay and reverb effects, plus 128-note polyphony.

There’s no auto-accompaniment, but the Reface CP sounds fantastic and is great fun to play – it even has rotary controls for effects and sound selection, just like the originals.

Buying advice

With a couple of exceptions, all of the models on our list fall into the ‘arranger keyboard’ category. An arranger keyboard is one that has built-in accompaniments you can play along to. These ‘backing tracks’ have traditionally had a whiff of the uncool about them – who could forget those clunky-sounding 1970s home organs played by pensioners? These days, though, the tiny digital musicians sequestered away in the bowels of your keyboard are pretty sophisticated, and although it’s still possible to sound like a Nintendo videogame intro screen if you really want to, that’s no longer the most likely outcome!

Here are some things to look out for when buying a Yamaha keyboard:

Voices 

Arranger keyboards usually come with a wide selection of voices (sounds), enabling you to reproduce practically any instrument you can think of, from acoustic guitars to zithers. Just bear in mind that quantity isn’t always a measure of quality – it’s better to have fewer usable voices than hundreds you’ll never bother with.

Styles 

A style is a set of backing instruments and ready-made parts that play along with you as you hold down a note or chord with your left hand – so the more styles a keyboard has, the more choice you’ll have as to how your backing band plays. Modern keyboards can offer hundreds of styles, some of them pretty sophisticated and current-sounding.

Keys 

Most of the keyboards on our list have 61 keys, offering a five-octave span that’s wide enough to play with both hands. Most will be velocity-sensitive, allowing for dynamic expression according to how hard or softly you play the keys. Some keyboards offer 76-key versions for the more advanced player, while other, smaller ’boards sport only 37 mini-keys for a more-portable or kid-friendly solution.

Super Articulation 

Super Articulation is Yamaha’s term for a sampled sound that emulates the behaviour of a real instrument by including certain nuances you’d expect to hear. These might include string squeaks on an acoustic guitar voice, or the sound of a saxophone player taking a breath between notes. Previously the preserve of Yamaha’s higher-end keyboards, the technology has now started to trickle down into some of the less-expensive models.

Speakers / headphones 

The majority of the instruments featured here have built-in speakers, so don’t need to be plugged into an amp or one of the best PA speakers in order for you to hear what you’re playing. All the keyboards in this guide also feature a headphones output for those all-important silent practice sessions.

Power supply 

Since many of the keyboards featured here offer portability as a major selling point, many can be powered by AA batteries. However, most also enable you to use mains power via a standard power supply or USB.

How we choose

Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gear related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.

When choosing what we believe to be the best Yamaha keyboards available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.

First and foremost, we are musicians, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best Yamaha keyboards on the market right now.

Find out more about how we test music gear and services at MusicRadar.

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What is it?

It’s been a long time since we last saw a new electronic drum set from Yamaha. So long, in fact, that a lot has changed, and you could be forgiven for wondering if Yamaha had moved away from e-drum development altogether. Contrary to this is the EAD10 which, since its introduction in 2017, has become a must-have hybrid product for those wanting to record and trigger from an acoustic drum kit, making both tasks incredibly easy, with great results too. 

Naturally, we’re hopeful this approach has extended to its Yamaha’s DTX6 series kits. The line is offered in three configurations, all centred around the same DTX Pro sound module. Starting with the most affordable DTX6K-X, which comes equipped with rubber TP70 tom pads, rubber KP65 bass drum pad, 10” crash and ride cymbals plus a 10” hi-hat pad and foot controller. Next up is the DTX6K2-X, which gets you a cymbal pad upgrade to 3x 13” PCY135 cymbal pads, replaces the KP65 with the posher KP90 bass drum pad and throws-in a traditional stand-mounted hi-hat pad. Finally, there’s our review model: the DTX6K3-X.

This is the flagship of the series, and as such gives you the same spec as the mid-level DTX6K2-X, with an upgrade in the form of Yamaha’s TCS (Textured Cellular Silicone) pads across the three toms and snare drum. Experienced drummers will know that Yamaha has a strong reputation in the hardware department, and the RS6 rack that comes with the kit follows this tradition. It’s lightweight yet sturdy, with the pads attaching to their collars via Yamaha’s hex-rod mounts and a thumbscrew on the bottom of each pad. While the rack is one of the most important features of any electronic kit, it’s also the least interesting. So, we’ll park it and move on by saying that you won’t have any problems with pads shifting around while you play.

• Start today with the best beginner electronic drum sets
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Performance and verdict

The pads

With all of the pads mounted to the frame and connected by the neatly arranged and labelled cabling system (they’re individual jacks, but they come cable-tied together to avoid an instant rat’s nest), we’re ready to put stick to pad! First though, the DTX Module greets us by taking us through its pad setup wizard which is as simple as telling it which iteration of DTX6 we’re using. It then sets itself to respond accordingly to the pad configuration.

Scrolling the preset menu is a great way of getting a handle on the features the brand is most proud of, as well as acclimatising with the overall kit setup, so that’s where we start.

If you’ve never played Yamaha’s TCS surfaces before, you’ll be wondering how they stack-up compared to mesh or solid rubber pads. The easiest way to describe TCS is somewhere in-between. The white surface is matte, with a textured finish (hence the name) that’s spongier and more forgiving than the harder rubber pads that come with more affordable kits. However we would say that the vibrations are more noticeable than we’ve experienced with mesh pads, and there is a slightly louder acoustic thud to them too.

The tom pads share the same TCS surface, however while the uniform sizes from the rack tom to the floor tom make it possible to get everything positioned into a fairly compact arrangement, we do find ourselves wishing that the snare and floor tom were a bit bigger.

Meanwhile, the bass drum pad gives a feel of its own. The depth of the pad makes it rather substantial, and the velcro/spike grips means that it’s lifting our carpet before it moves anywhere. Unlike the cheaper KP65, the KP90 features a multi-layered cushioned surface. Hitting it with our beater gives a spongy response, to the point that we have to adjust our bass drum pedal settings from the just-above-wrinkle tuning we’re used to on our acoustic kit in order to get a bit more bounce. We also found that we had to experiment with placement when using our double pedal in order to place both beaters in the sweet spot for balanced hits. With these tweaks out of the way, it’s extremely comfortable to play and gives you real confidence in your bass drum strikes.

The cymbals

Finally, there’s the cymbals. The hi-hat is a joy to play, giving us a pad that is the same size as many peoples’ acoustic hi-hats. It responds well to our pedalling, and is lighting-quick when switching between closed and open settings. On that note, we didn’t have to make any adjustments to our hi-hat stand: it just works. Likewise, the cymbal pads react with a similar response. 

They’re three-zone (edge, bow and bell) and are also chokable. We love the fact that Yamaha’s mounting system includes a retaining post to stop them spinning and stressing the cables, plus the choke switching is less temperamental than on some e-cymbals. There’s a definite sense that you’re choking the cymbal, and we didn’t experience any miss-switching.

Yamaha DTX Pro module

Onto the module, then, and it’s clear that Yamaha has put a lot into the DTX Pro. As well as now-common features such as a USB interface, on-board recording and training options, there’s a strong investment in sound too. Not only does it feature over 700 sounds on-board, many of which have been recorded specifically for this module, but there are a lot of options for processing the sounds within the box.

Every pad features a channel strip including EQ, transient adjustment, compression and insert effects. These work per-pad so you can dial in the right amounts for your individual voices. But the big news is the Kit Modifier controls. There are three dedicated controls on the module for ambience, compression and effect. Ambience dials-in actual, captured room ambience up to the 50 percent mark; after this you get a blend of the studio room sound, and digital reverb.

Compression works independently of your channel compression settings and can range from gentle to full-squash (EAD users will be familiar with a similar effect). The effect control, meanwhile, works as a macro control, dialling in whatever you’ve assigned as the DTX Pro’s master effect, as well as the two send effects. The send effects are governed by how much you send from each individual pad in the mixer section. So, for example, you could apply a master reverb to the entire kit, send your snare and kick to a delay for some Levee-style grooves while sending the toms to a flanger on the second processor, and then determine the overall level of all three effects by turning the one Effect knob.

It doesn’t stop there though, because Yamaha is seemingly wise to the fact that many drummers want to trigger custom samples. The DTX Pro lets you do this via a USB socket on the back, but in order to do so requires a little bit of in-depth knowledge of the DTX’s handling of Instruments and voices.

Each zone of a pad can have up to four voices - labelled A, B,C and D - assigned to it. These can either come from internal sounds or using custom samples. The way the sounds are played back can be designated by choosing a stack (all sounds at once), alternating (cycling through the samples every time you hit) or as velocity layers (different sounds at different velocities). Further to this, using Yamaha’s User Voices feature, you can import 10 sample layers per voice.

Why would you do this? Well, say you have a set of velocity-layered snare drum samples you’d like to trigger from a pad zone without connecting to your computer. Using this function allows you to import 10 individual samples, then define the velocity point that they switch, making for some very realistic possibilities. Factor in that we’re only talking about the ‘A’ voice here, you could do this another three times on the same zone. This means that when you hit the snare drum in a particular zone, the module will choose from one of four samples within that velocity range, so you aren’t just triggering the exact same sound each time you hit. 

Still with us? Well hold on to your hat as we remind you that we’re still only considering one zone of a pad. You can apply the same concept to every single zone on the kit, meaning that you could import 120 velocity layered samples onto the snare pad for total dynamic control of snare head, rim and cross-stick samples.   

It’s fairly confusing, but put simply, if you’re wondering if you can import custom drum sounds, or chop up melodic/instrumental phrases to this module, the answer is yes! However, given that the DTX Pro features a USB interface for computer connection, a software solution for sample import/management would help make things less confusing. 

That said, for sound, feel and overall playing experience, this kit is a ‘must try’.

Hands-on demos

Yamaha_Global

Simon Edgoose 

Better Music 

Drums Bonedo 

Specifications

• Pads: 1x XP80 8” snare pad, 1x KP90 7.5” bass drum pad, 1x RHH135 13” hi-hat pad, 3x XP70 7” tom pads, 3x PCY135 13” cymbal pads 
• Sounds: 712 
• Kits: 40 preset, 200 user (expandable via USB memory stick) 
• Effects: EQ, Compression, Transient Adjust, Insert (per-pad), Ambience, Effect 1, Effect 2, Master Effect, Master EQ/headphone EQ
• Connections: Trigger inputs 1-14, Midi out, USB to host, USB to device, Output L/R, Aux in, Headphone out, power  
• Contact: Yamaha  

Yamaha has expanded its hugely popular THR series of desktop guitar amplifiers with the THR30IIA, which offers a fully wireless amp experience for acoustic guitar players.

The THR30IIA arrives in the familiar format, with its metal top plate and grille, and plastic bottom and rear panel finished in shades of brown that are to acoustic guitar amplification what green is to cheese and onion crisps. 

A 30-watt stereo amplifier with two 3.5" speakers, the THR30IIA has a lot of clever modelling tech to help you find your tone. There are three microphone models: dynamic, tube and condenser with additional tone modes for nylon string guitars and an all-purposes Flat setting. 

Yamaha has again been generous with the onboard effects. Here you will find compression, chorus, a studio-quality delay and reverb.

The top panel should look familiar to anyone who has played through on the THR electric guitar amps. There are five buttons aligned across the top for saving your presets, a button for Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to stream music through the amplifier. There is a tap-tempo button for time-based effects that doubles as a tuner if you hold it down.

The amplifier's various models are controlled via five-way rotary dial, beside which you'll find a three-way Stereo Imager switch. There is a 3-band EQ, with a tone blend knob so you can adjust how much of the THR30IIA's tone stack is in the mix

Yamaha says its Extended Stereo Technology (EST) makes for a more immersive experience when using the amp's stereo effects or listening to music (one thing the THR series does very well is double as a stereo, meaning fewer complaints when you leave your amp in a shared living space).

Of course, you can take it anywhere with you. There is a built-in rechargeable battery and should you buy the optional Line 6 Relay transmitter, you can enjoy a fully cable-free performance – a good option to have should you have to execute a neat little two-step to avoid tough customers when out busking in the high street.

With an onboard Yamaha D-PRE mic preamp, buskers might well find this a compact, travel-friendly amplifier.

The THR30IIA is compatible with Yamaha's Rec'n'Share app (iOS/Android), has a MIDI input for footswitch control, you can adjust settings via the THR Remote app for Mac, PC and mobile devices, and it ships with Cubase AI for PC/Mac and Cubasis LE for iPad. 

Elsewhere, you've got 1/4" and XLR combo mic inputs, stereo 1/8" aux input and headphones out, plus 1/4" line-level outputs. 

The THR30IIA is priced $869 and ships November. See Yamaha for more details.

What is it?

Over the years, Yamaha has built and designed a number of impressive electric guitars but only ever one signature model, the Yamaha Pacifica 1611MS.

Originally launched in 1998 – then under the designation 1511MS – the 1611MS truly is a one-off for the company and something of a head-scratcher. Why is no one shouting about this guitar more often? Built for Grammy-nominated jazz guitarist Mike Stern, it regularly gets overlooked in "Best ..." lists and for no good reason.

It truly is a one-off. It's Yamaha's only single cut, comprising a lightweight ash body, a bolt-on maple neck and maple 'board – all cut from the one piece of maple, with no separate slab for the fretboard. 

In size and proportions, it is very much the T-style, albeit with a slightly shallower body at 44.5mm, with a little binding and a sharper, deeper cutaway on the treble horn. There's the truss rod adjuster buried under the 'guard, the skunk stripe on the back of the neck. There is a hint of the offset about it, too.

The feel is old-school Telecaster, with a 7.25-inch radius fingerboard quite a radically different proposition to the flatter 'boards of the other Pacificas we've played and loved. But then, those Strat-esque Pacificas are very different beasts.

Elsewhere, we've got an ashtray-style bridge plate housing a string-through-body six-saddle bridge – a welcome departure from the three-saddle setup, or so says the stickler for intonation.

And while the T-style control setup is similar – three-way selector, volume, tone, we've got a hot-rod pickup pairing of a Seymour Duncan HotRails single coil-sized humbucker in the bridge and a zebra ’59 standard-sized humbucker in the neck.

Performance and verdict

The vibe of the 1611MS is eerily vintage. The fingerboard is oil-finished and will require a bit of love. It'll wear in well. The block heel is usually dispensed off in these modern reinterpretations but it stays here. It's no real barrier to the upper-frets anyway, as the lower cutaway is that bit deeper.

As far as weight goes, at 6.6lbs, the 1611MS is very kind to the back. The neck shape is interesting. It's a C-profile, 21.5mm at the first fret, tapering out to 23.2 at the 12th. That feels a little more modern, and certainly there no notes were choking out when bending further up the neck.

If the T-style illusion is building, it's dispensed a little when we plug in. The pickup choice transforms the 1611MS, and even during the usual throat-clearing open chords it presents itself as more Les Paul than Telecaster, with a thicker warmer voice that of course makes more sense if you are intending on playing jazz.

On the bridge pickup, much of the sharp edges of a Tele's treble is planed off, replaced by the extra oomph and width of a humbucker. The detail and clarity is still exceptional. On the neck, there is jazz tones on tap, but you can easily dial in some great neck lead tones, nuanced, and vocal.

In the middle position, with both pickups pressed into service, there is so much territory to explore, only supporting our suspicions that, while this might have been built with a jazz player in mind, this is a guitar for all seasons.

It's crazy to think that this has been kicking around for 22 years now, having been subtly refreshed in 2016 with Yamaha's IRA (Initial Response Acceleration) technology, which “shakes off the stress often found in new guitars and makes them extremely vibrant and responsive”.

There is no one style that recommends itself to the 1611MS. From its simple, classic build to clever pickup choice, it's a sumptuous T-style with humbuckers that invites the explorative player to find their own voice. 

In turn, we'd encourage Yamaha to find theirs and shout a little more loudly about this model. It deserves to be celebrated; it deserves to be played more. 

MusicRadar verdict: The Yamaha Pacifica 1611MS is deserving of a much higher profile. It is an exceptional instrument that balances the vintage appeal of a T-style with a functionality that makes it fit for all kinds of styles.

Hands-on demos

The Music Zoo

Yamaha

Specifications

• ORIGIN: Japan
• TYPE: Single-cutaway solid-body electric
• BODY: Light ash
• NECK: Maple bolt-on
• SCALE LENGTH: 648mm (25.5”)
• NUT/WIDTH: Synthetic bone/40.53mm
• FINGERBOARD: Maple, black dot markers, 184mm (7.25”) radius
• FRETS: 22, medium jumbo
• HARDWARE: Hardtail 6-saddle bridge w/through-body stringing, vintage-style tuners – chrome/nickel-plated
• STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 54mm
• ELECTRICS: Seymour Duncan Hot Rails single coil-sized humbucker (bridge) and zebra ’59 standard-sized humbucker (neck), 3-way lever pickup selector, master volume and tone
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 3/6.6
• OPTIONS: None
• RANGE OPTIONS: It remains the only single-cutaway Pacifica in the Yamaha range. Other Japanese-made models include the Revstar RSP20CR (£1,496), the long-running SA2200 (£1,978) and the modern SG 1800 trio at £3,200 each
• LEFT-HANDERS: No
• FINISHES: Natural (as reviewed). High gloss body, oil-finished neck
• CONTACT: Yamaha