Buying a new digital or acoustic piano comes with a lot of questions. If you’ve been wondering as to which one should you go for, reading detailed acoustic grand piano ratings or digital piano reviews of some of the most well-known ones in the market can help.
Keeping this in mind, today, we are bringing to you a detailed Yamaha P45 review with all its pros and cons to help you figure out if it’s the best for you.
So, let us get started:
About Yamaha P45
The p45 is an 88 note weighted hammer action digital piano that can be compared to a traditional piano well with a built in lesson function. It is aimed at people who are learning to play the piano or keyboard, and also for more experienced players who may be looking for a second digital piano. The p45 has 4 speakers, 2 x 8w + 2 x 5w.
The speaker configuration gives it a rich and full sound, however the mid range is quite weak. This instrument has a fairly natural piano sound, but would benefit from a few modifications or additions to make it a more versatile instrument.
This digital piano has a USB port that can be used to connect your MIDI keyboard so you can use it as an input device to the computer. It also has a MIDI out port so you can connect it to other MIDI equipment such as sound modules, or computers. You can do this via USB or with a standard MIDI cable.
The Yamaha P45 is part of the same line of pianos as the Yamaha P71. The notable difference being that piano P45 has speakers and a built-in lesson software.
Specs
- 88 note keyboard with hammer action, USB to host and MIDI in/out connections.
- Sound: stereo sound from 4 speakers.
- Weight: 41.9 lbs. (18.11 kg)
- Dimensions: 23 ” x 9″ x 12″
- In The Box: Headphones, AC adapter, 2 x AA batteries, user manual
Features
Sound Quality
The Yamaha p45 has 4 speakers which the company says provides the user with a rich and full sound like a real piano makes. We agree to some extent but there are problems too. The mid range is weak compared to other parts of this piano’s sound which make it sound thinner than it should be. However, it has fantastic sound features if you’re not looking for something extra professional.
Keyboard
The Yamaha p 45 has a fairly natural and good keyboard action. The graded hammer standard keys feel light and the touch is very responsive which makes it easy to play for both beginners and younger players. It has a full range of features including two buttons for shifting the octave range, transpose, key split and layering.
Connectivity Features
The Yamaha p 45 keyboard has a number of connectivity features including USB, standard MIDI controller out and headphone ports. This allows you to connect it easily to other devices. It also has an input jack for connecting an mp3 player or smart phone which is useful if you want to practice or rehearse with backing tracks that are played through your device.
Lesson Function
This is a useful feature and one of the most effective we’ve seen in terms of helping students learn. It allows you to choose from 3 different types of lesson mode: hand mode, left hand mode or right hand mode. The student can then choose an accompanying song via the display screen which has different levels to it that can be chosen based on individual ability. This feature alone makes this keyboard worth its price.
Other Features
The Yamaha P 45 has two music modes which are useful for practicing or learning-aloud purposes. There is also a couple of educational games on the keyboard that may be suitable for very young beginners learning to play piano. The panel above the keys makes it easy for you to navigate through different functions and features.
Price
The Yamaha P45 is an affordable digital piano that matches the level of a traditional piano fairly well. However, it doesn’t come with a stand which adds to the overall price. This could be seen as an advantage to some people as this keyboard takes up very little space and looks fairly compact compared to other digital pianos in its class.
Pros
- This is a well-built piano with a good feel to the keys.
- The quality of sound is decent and comes from 4 speakers, 2 x 8W + 2 x 5 W located behind the headrest of the piano. The piano sound is fairly natural and not excessively bright or tinny. This makes it ideal for learning as you don’t have to worry about the sound being too harsh and unpleasant.
- It comes with a decent number of internal sounds such as electric piano, organ and harpsichord. You can also combine some of these sounds together for even more variety. This makes it a good instrument for an experienced player looking for a second keyboard or beginner who needs a variety of different instrument sounds.
- It is fairly easy to learn and play
- You can use it very easily with or without headphones.
Cons
- The speakers are small and located under the headrest of the piano, which means that you can’t hear them if you sit too far back. This makes it good for playing at close range with headphones only.
- It has very few advanced features such as layered sounds, split keyboard functionality or transpose buttons so it is not suitable for experienced players. This may be a drawback if you need to use it in an ensemble or band set up.
- It doesn’t come with a stand. The Yamaha P71 comes with a stand and sustain pedal, and is therefore slightly more expensive than the P45 which only has the piano itself and headphones.
- The Yamaha P45 only has one pedal which is the standard damper pedal that comes with all digital pianos and keyboards. This is a bit of a letdown as it limits the dynamics you can produce.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a second keyboard or beginner who needs a keyboard to practice on at home, then the Yamaha p45 is an ideal choice as it has a number of useful functions that make it easy for players to learn and play.
It has one pedal which limits your ability to play but this issue can be overcome by connecting it via USB to a sustain pedal or using an external means of sustaining notes such. For the price, this instrument provides good value for money if that’s all you’re looking for.