Review and Opinion of the Yamaha P-515 and Where to Buy It?

Yamaha Corporation is a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, mainly musical instruments and electronic devices. Today we will thoroughly analyze the characteristics of the Yamaha P515 a digital piano with many and very good features. And this is the least we could expect from both the brand and the price of this luxurious musical instrument, reaching a price of €1399/$1500/£1,290, in short we introduce you a very powerful digital piano:

• 88 weighted keys with Natural Wood X and synthetic ivory (Weighted keyboard, is the weight that the keys of an acoustic piano have and that digital pianos try to imitate to equal the touch of it. The keys in the high register are heavier and in the high register less. This is different from the sensitivity on the keyboard which serves to regulate the volume of the note, but a weighted keyboard always has sensitivity on the keys)
• The Yamaha CFX Binaural engine has been used for sampling.
• Enhanced Virtual Resonance Modeling
• Key-off Tracks
• 256 notes of polyphony (Number of notes that can be played at once. This includes accompaniments that also consume notes. So if you play over an accompaniment more notes will be accumulated)
• 40 sounds (Different sounds of piano and other instruments)
• Duo function
• Split function (dividing the keyboard into two different instruments) or layer
• Dual function (Dual mode allows you to combine two sounds to create a more complete one. Typical is the combination of piano + stringed instrument sound)
• Reverb Effect
• Brilliance Effect
• Chorus effect
• Sounds demo preset
• 16-track recorder
• Internal memory
• Metronome (Basic study element to study and practice the tempo of a piece of music)
• LCD screen
• Transcription
• USB midi (MIDI allows you to do such wonderful things as connect your keyboard to your computer, record a sound track and with certain programs click through what you have played to musical notes on a score. MIDI tracks store the information of the musical notes)
• Bluetooth Technology
• USB for pendrives
• 2 hull exits
• Input for sustain pedal (The sustain pedal of a piano or keyboard is used to keep the note playing even if you stop pressing the key) and supports triple pedalboard
• Conventional MIDI
• Stereo input
• Stereo line output
• 2 powerful 15W + 5W speakers
• Acoustic optimizer
• IAC control for when you play too loud adjust the sound parameters
• A weight of 22 kg
• Includes lectern, power cord but no sustain pedal

As you can see it is a great instrument that has the best characteristics to be used live, in the studio or as a piano for practice. Talking a little about its NWX (Natural Wood X) keys, they are the same ones Yamaha uses for its grand pianos, made using the best woods that were dried with the only intention of making musical instruments, this gives us a greater resistance to possible malformations due to their use or abuse. The white keys have a synthetic ivory coating, while the black keys have a synthetic ebony coating. The feel of the release mechanism is also the same as that of a grand piano.

From its improved VRM (Virtual Resonance Modeling), we can comment that it is able to calculate the string state of the 88 keys it has continuously, and it also calculates certain resonances produced by the strings and also includes harmonics that sound both on the soundboard, the soundboard and the frame, thus adding brightness, sonority and complexity to the sound. And because it has no dampers, they continue to sound subtle, even after you have lifted your fingers from the keys.

With the 256 notes of polyphony we have to play any composition in front of us. Really the Yamaha P515 is a marvel that you can see in these 2 very powerful videos of the and then we go with the comparison tables:

 

Related post you can be interested in

• Ranking with the best digital pianos
• My selection of cheap musical keyboards.
• Basic concepts you need to know about digital pianos.
• The best resources to learn to play the piano by yourself.
• The best Yamaha Digital Pianos.

Now let’s compare the Yamaha P515 with its more common alternatives. Also at the end of the post you will find a section with the best shopping possibilities for this digital piano. But you can go directly to that part of the post by pressing the following button.

Yamaha P-515 vs Yamaha P125

As a first comparison we will have the following digital pianos: the Yamaha P515 with a price of €1399/$1500/£1,290 and the Yamaha P125 with a price of €566/$650/£518, with such a big difference that they cost almost twice as much as each other, we will see according to their characteristics who has the best value for money and what in your case fulfills as a good digital piano:

• Both digital pianos have 88 weighted keys, the Yamaha p515 with Natural Wood X technology and synthetic ivory, while the P125 has plastic keys. And they have sensitivity, which is the option of making dynamics when playing, when a note is pressed more strongly it sounds higher and while pressed less strongly it sounds lower.
• Both have a sound engine from their Yamaha brands, the 515, the Yamaha CFX Binaural and P125, the Pure CF.
• The P515 has 40 sounds and 256 notes of polyphony, while the P125 has 24 sounds and 192 notes of polyphony. Polyphony is the most notes that can sound simultaneously.
• Both have effects like Reverb and Chorus, and piano functions like Split, Dual, Layer and transposition and metronome.
• The P515 has a built-in 16-track recorder, when the Yamaha P125 has a 1-track recorder.
• Both have a USB connection for computers, to be used as MIDI controllers in a music composition or production program, and USB for pen drives.
• Both pianos have two headphone outputs, a stereo output, a line output, a sustain input with a pedal and a triple pedal input.
• The P515 has two powerful 15w + 5w speakers, weighing 22kg when the P125 has two 7w speakers, and weighs 11.8kg.
• Both include power supply and music stand.

As we can see, they are two digital pianos of the same brand and with very similar functions, although the Yamaha P 515 always has the advantage in its functions and features, of course, it is almost twice as expensive and the Yamaha P 125.

We are going to put the features of each of these pianos in 2 different columns to make it easier to see the differences and then from these will come the videos.

Now a video of the Yamaha p125:

If you are interested in knowing more, we invite you to our review of the Yamaha P125.

Yamaha P-515 vs Kawai ES8

As a first comparison we have the following digital pianos: the Yamaha P515 with a price of €1399/$1500/£1,290 and the Kawai ES8 with a price of €1.175/$1650/£1,099, with a not so big difference of 233 euros. We will see according to their characteristics who has the best value for money and what in your case meets as a good digital piano:

• Both digital pianos have 88 weighted keys, the Yamaha p515 with Natural Wood X technology and synthetic ivory, while the Kawai with hammer action, pressure point simulation, and triple sensor. And they have sensitivity, which is the option to make dynamics when playing, when a note.
• Both have a sound engine of their own brands: Yamaha, the Yamaha CFX and Kawai, the Harmonic Imaging XL. We’ll talk about both of them later on, and in the video below you can also compare the sounds of each digital piano.
• The Yamaha has 40 sounds and 256 notes of polyphony, while the Kawai has 34 sounds and 256 notes of polyphony. Polyphony is the most notes that can be played simultaneously.
• Both have effects like: Reverb and Chorus, and piano functions like: Split, Dual, Layer and transposition and metronome.
• The Yamaha has a built-in 16-track recorder, when the Kawai has a 2-track recorder.
• Both have USB connections for computers, to be used as MIDI controllers in a music composition or production program, and USB for pen drives.
• Both pianos have two headphone outputs, stereo output, line output, sustain input with pedal (included only on the Kawai) and triple pedal input.
• The Yamaha has 2 powerful 15w + 5w speakers, a weight of 22Kg, when the Kawai has 2 15w speakers, and a weight of 22.5Kg.
• Both include power supply and music stand, when the Kawai only includes a sustain pedal.

You can see its features where each piano has an advantage in a certain function, when the Yamaha has a little more power in its speakers, a wider track recorder, the Kawai includes the sustain pedal.

We will also talk about the sound engines of each instrument, as we already mentioned the Yamaha P515 has the Yamaha CFX sound engine which refers to the grand piano with the same name with more than 17 years of development. The CFX delivers brilliant highs, powerful basses with incredible dynamic range and the power to project over a full symphony orchestra.

While Kawai gives us the Harmonic Imaging XL sound engine, when we play a note using dynamics, not only is its intensity changed, but also the character of the note and the overall performance. Therefore, using the Kawai Shigeru (Kawai’s best product), not only each note is recorded individually, but also on various levels of expression from pianissimo to fortissimo.

We are going to put the characteristics of each of these pianos in 2 different columns to make it easier to see the differences and then from these will come the videos.

First a video review of the Kawai ES8:

And now a video comparing both digital pianos where you can see the sound of each one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q5zDY4lcRk

If you want to know more about this model don’t miss our review the Kawai ES8.

Yamaha P-515 vs Roland FP-90

Now we will compare two digital pianos of different brands: the Yamaha P-515 with a price of €1399/$1500/£1,290 and the Roland FP-90 with a price of €1.659/$2000/£1,499, arriving at a considerable difference of 260 euros that are worth considering, verifying what each one offers for its respective value, here we go with the face-to-face:

• Both digital pianos have 88 weighted keys, the Yamaha p515 with Natural Wood X technology and synthetic ivory, while the Roland with PHA-50 technology emulates the keys of a piano very well. And they have sensitivity.
• Both have a sound engine of their own brands: Yamaha, the Yamaha CHX and Roland, the SuperNATURAL. In the video below you can compare the sounds of each digital piano.
• The Yamaha has 40 sounds and 256 notes of polyphony, while the Roland has 350 sounds and 384 notes of polyphony. That’s a big difference. Polyphony, that’s the most notes that can be played simultaneously.
• Both have effects like: Reverb and Chorus, and piano functions like: Split, Dual, Layer and transposition and metronome.
• The Yamaha has a built-in 16-track recorder, when the Roland has a recorder that works with the USB stick connected, having more freedom and space.
• Both have USB connections for computers, to be used as MIDI controllers in a music composition or production program, and USB for pen drives.
• Both pianos have two headphone outputs, stereo output, line output, input for sustain with pedal (included only in the Roland) and triple pedalboard input.
• The Roland FP90 has a microphone input, which can also be modified with voice effects.
• The Yamaha has 2 powerful speakers of 15w + 5w, a weight of 22Kg, when the Roland has 4 speakers of 60w in total, and a weight of 23.6Kg.
• Both include power supply and music stand, when the Roland only includes a sustain pedal.

Excellent comparison taking into account that the difference is 260 Euros, we see how the Roland has many advantages starting with the amount of sounds and its great output of 60 Watts in total, with a power like this you could play very well in a closed room, like a bar, restaurant, etc. In addition to having the microphone input function. Now we’ll talk a little bit about the sound engines of these pianos, as we already reviewed the Yamaha CFX, now we’ll review Roland’s SuperNATURAL.

As Roland herself says, the SuperNATURAL sound engine has a multi-sampling system, where each note has a unique sample to control its pitch, intensity and release. It also has the characteristic of having a curve without jumps in its intensity range to have a dynamic more emulated to a real acoustic piano. Finally, at the release of each note, the SuperNATURAL sound engine does not create loops of the same sound, but a release similar to that of an acoustic piano. To better understand here is a video of the sound engine only:

We’re going to put the characteristics of each of these pianos in 2 different columns to make it easier to see the differences:

And now a video of the Roland FP-90

If you want to know more about this model don’t miss our review of the Roland FP-90.

Yamaha P-515 vs Yamaha CP88

Finally we will have a comparison of two Yamaha digital pianos: the Yamaha P-515 which as we already know has a price of €1399/$1500/£1,290 and the Yamaha CP88 which has a price of €2.069/$2500/£1,890, they have a big difference, about 600 Euro, which for obvious reasons should have better and more features than the previous one. However we will see which one is better for you and your needs. Let’s compare them:

• Both digital pianos have 88 weighted keys, the Yamaha p515 with Natural Wood X technology and synthetic ivory, while the Yamaha CP88 with NW-GH3 has many improvements such as progressive hammers and real weights on each key, giving even more realism to the emulation of an acoustic piano. Both have sensitivity.
• Both have a sound engine from their own series: the Yamaha P515 a Yamaha CFX engine. And the Yamaha CP88 has an AWM2 (Advanced Wave Memory 2) engine. In the video below you can compare the sounds of each digital piano.
• The Yamaha p515 has 40 sounds and 256 notes of polyphony, while the Yamaha CP88 has 57 sounds and 128 notes of polyphony, not counting its 160 live set sounds with which we can create sounds (like a synthesizer). Polyphony, is the largest number of notes that can sound at the same time.
• Both have effects like: Reverb and Chorus, it is worth mentioning that the Yamaha CP88 has many more effects. Both have also piano functions like: Split, Dual, Layer and transposition and metronome.
• The Yamaha P515 has a built-in 16-track recorder, when the Yamaha CP88 has a recorder that works with the USB stick connected, having more freedom and space.
• Both have a USB connection for computers, to be used as MIDI controllers in a music composition or production program, and USB for pen drives.
• Both pianos have two headphone outputs, stereo output, line output, input for sustain with pedal (included only in the Yamaha CP88) and triple pedal input.
• The Yamaha P515 has 2 powerful 15w + 5w speakers, weighing 22 kg, when the Yamaha CP88 has no built-in speakers, it only works with the outputs, and weighs 18.6 kg.
• A big difference is that in the Yamaha CP88 we have an integrated interface for recording directly to a computer and a music production program.
• Both include power supply and music stand, when only the Yamaha CP88 includes a sustain pedal.

Let’s also analyze as we have done with the previous digital pianos, the sound engine of the Yamaha CP88 where we have the AWM2, which highlights the amount of

57 voices that are divided into:

• (Yellow Section) 10 Acoustic pianos: including three high-end concert grand pianos: Yamaha CFX, Yamaha S700 and Bösendorfer; two upright pianos: U1 and S7.
• (Red Section) 14 Electric Pianos, some of which are CP80, 76Rd, 75 Rd, 73 Rd, Wr, among others.
• (Green Section) 33 “Sub”, which are sounds of strings, synthesizers, organs, harpsichords, FM pianos, basses, brasses and so on.

and quality of voices that it has as a factory, but that we could still modify with the great amount of parameters that it offers us.

It also has the SSS (Seamless Sound Switching) feature, which allows the change of voices when switching from one performance to another without sound cuts or effects of the initial performance. It is very useful to play live, seen from its LC screen.

Finally, the integrated “one-to-one” interface allows real-time interaction for sound creation. No programming is required, no searching through menus. The CP interface is intuitive and allows you to split the keyboard, create layers or shape the sound quickly and easily directly from the front panel.

Well, as we told you from the beginning the Yamaha CP88 is a great instrument that perhaps only experienced and professional pianists will have the pleasure and desire to acquire due to its high price and professional features, where we will have many more features to work with. However, the Yamaha P515 is also an excellent option for professionals.

We will put the characteristics of each of these pianos in 2 different columns to make it easier to see the differences:

And now a video of the Yamaha CP88:

If you want to know more about this model don’t miss our review of the Yamaha CP88.

Where to buy Yamaha P515

Amazon

• Free Shipping and possibility of shipping in one day with Amazon Premium.
• Full Guarantee but they are no experts in music equipment.
• Sometimes better price.
• He’s got worse stock than Thomann.

Thomann

• Free Shipping.
• Full warranty. If you have any problems, they take care of everything.
• 100% reliable payment.
• Leader in trouble-free shipping.
• Usually Best price.
• Best Reputation: They are the leading online store in Europe and have the best catalogue and information.

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