This channel helped me decide to get my first digital piano. Very informative indeed. I'm extremely happy with my P125 for a week now and still learning as beginner. Hoping someday I can play classical piece soon. I will just keep practicing everyday to get there. You inspired a lot of people! 👏👏👏
I would suggest trying some of the pieces in Bach's The Well Tempered Clavier. The preludes are much easier than the fugues so it is possible to easily transition from beginner to intermediate level. Also, Beethoven;s moonlight sonata is great because it is simple enough to learn the passages in the slow or adagio movement fairly quickly, but complex enough to play expressively. Enjoy playing! and congratulations on acquiring your instrument.
I've not had a piano for 22+ years, and haven't played regularly for 30+ years. Now I'm old, I want to go back to playing a piano on a regular basis, again. I've decided a digital piano is best for me vs an acoustic one because I can play with headphones and not totally embarrass myself (to my neighbors) as I refresh my playing skills. Also, with headphones I can play any time of day or night. I have watched many of your videos on many models of digital pianos, and you have been a great help in my choice of a digital piano that is right for me and my checkbook. And for that I sincerely thank you. My choice? The Yamaha P125.....you just can't beat that sound, at that price point.
Exactly. I’m a jazz pianist and I’ve don’t gigs on it before with no issues. It doesn’t feel like a beginners keyboard. Lovely action and surprisingly beautiful sounds.
So I bought one of these today as my first instrument ever. Just so everyone know when u connect to your iPhone it plays any midi files and RUclips, Spotify or any other music U play on your phone. So u can play along with anything. Just FYI this is a great feature not really advertised.
Your ability to just play any style with all the various voices on this makes me very, very jealous! And yes, this P125 was perfect for me, an adult returning to playing piano. Even after getting my new acoustic, I still use it A LOT!
I’m a college student, with not much in the way of space or money yet, and my piano is back home. So I recently bought one of these during a Black Friday sale. I’m satisfied with it for what I need it for. It’s been great to get back into the swing of playing. I’ve been watching your videos for a couple months now, you’re an inspiration man for real. Cool to see you review this keyboard, the quality of this video and format is excellent! Love watching your videos. Gonna go play my P125!
@77Wells That is right, the greatest musicians ever !! They have the best rhythm and they are superior in all regards. We as anglo saxon know that. That is why we are jealous and envy those people. I am a white female. They even have rhythm in bed. Lol Have a great day.
@@HieronymousLex if i may ask, what was the sale, and how much of a discount did you get? Im currently in a similar situation as you, looking for a low end digital piano
I got mine last week. I absolutely love it! I have been away from the piano for many years and have an old Baldwin piano that needs a lot of work. This is perfect for my needs currently.
I have this piano and I love it personally!! It sounds better in person (this was before I heard the direct signal, which is basically spot on). it also has great reverb settings and lots of other settings hidden on the keys
I've been looking to move from my MicroKORG to a full 88-key digital piano and after going through multiple videos from different channels covering digital pianos in this price range I just want to thank you for making probably the most genuine and detailed review I've seen so far. This is true not only with the P-125 but your reviews of other digital piano's on your channel as well. I decided on going with the P-125 because your closing statements fit my intentions with a digital piano perfectly.
I got this piano for my 14th birthday, i was learning piano before this but it was small and didn’t feel or sound great, i’m so glad i moved up, i have improved a lot from it
Just bought this today...to use for our short road trips..we have a large Jeep..so no prob with space..but I just started learning 2 weeks ago and didn’t want to stop when we want to leave for a week or so. I wanted a full size to take when we go on these road trip jaunts..hopefully this will work out... but thanks so much for the detailed information. I went with this specific model..sounded good and one of the lowest weight wise..(26 lbs) and hopefully after a year or two will be upgrading to one of your more highly recommended keyboards..I really enjoy your reviews..Thank you!
I like how in depth you went into the functions that were mentioned in this vid, but there are others that you missed! Using just the voicing buttons (no hidden key diagram needed) you can layer any two instruments together! I.E. a synth and a E piano can simultaneously play through a single key press. Also, you can control many, if not all settings through an app which syncs to your P125. Very handy and definitely makes some changes less of a hassle. Other options would include splitting keys not just for bass but for any two sounds that you would like, again, no need for hidden key diagram. Hope this helps someone make a decision. It’s a great instrument. Enjoy :)
Hi James, here are a few beginner keyboards that I tried out last year at winter NAMM: 1. Casio Privia PX-S3000 Digital Piano $799. (This piano was my favorite and it got a lot of attention at NAMM). 2. Casio Privia PX-S1000 Digital Piano $599. (The little brother of the S3000). 3. Roland FP-30 Digital Piano $699. I really liked the PX-S3000. I was really surprised at how well it felt and played.
Love what you are doing here... I don't know how I made it 15 minutes into this review and only realized once you started playing moonlight sonata that I had youtube at 1.5x speed.
Hello ! 😃 Based on that review, and you comparaison with the Roland FP-30X, and the Kawai ES110, I bought this as my first piano. Thank you very much… 😃 Keep on doing those great reviews !
i have one of these instruments and i think it is perfect for my needs i am an older man who used to own a steinway model S and now all i want to do is practice some to keep my technique up to par an this keyboard is perfect for that i live in an apartment, so this piano is perfect for me it wasn't mentioned in the video that a pedal clavier is available with the standard three pedals that are on all real concert pianos the damper pedal on the right, the sostenuto pedal in the middle, and the soft pedal on the left all three work just like on a real piano this piano has put back within my reach in my old age and living in an apartment enough of a real piano sound and touch that i am extremely happy with it
@@icetech6 Hey don't give up....go and buy it if you want it!! I couldn't play a note , but bought a Yamaha E453 and i taught myself by watching youtube videos. Now I download the chords to my very favourite songs, and play them.....I play it almost every day.... Remember, you only live once!! GO AND BUY IT!!
If you used to have a Steinway S (aka a real grand), you might want to look into Roland's line of portable digital pianos (FP). I have an FP-10, and despite lacking support for the three pedals of a grand (it is available on the more expensive FP-30), it supports the sustain pedal and has a beyond amazing action for a piano this price. It has an albeit light, but still very present, double escapement mechanism (repetition mechanism), and its action is heavier than Yamaha's P line of digital pianos. If you have a store near you, you could go try different models. I would highly recommend it (and I am not paid by them :) )
Jean-Simon Desjardins I will upload a full review of a Roland FP-30 in the next week or so, although it has a nice action it has other short comings in it's price point.
@@ThePianoforever Between Yamaha P125 and Roland FP-30, which one would you recommend for a beginner player? I'm not quite sure which of the 2 is better, but I want to abandon my crappy Yamaha PSR F51!
I use the "little brother" to this keyboard, the Yamaha P-121 (73 key). I use it professionally. Have done OVER 65 paying gigs with it in 2019/2020 so really it is being used FULLY professionally. Let me tell you, It is an awesome keyboard. So versatile. Great sounding, solidly built and so, so light-weight --- only a little over 20 lbs. This is an Important feature for us "over-50" regular gigging musicians. We're an 80's band and the P-121 has some great 80's keyboard sounds (of course the DX-7 patches are great). Great acoustic piano feel and touch for such a small instrument. Excellent "old school" classic Rhodes & Wurly200 patches too. The electronics and technology in the P-121 is exactly the same as the big brother P-125, only difference is the keyboard length. Keys are the same size too. I would recommend it to anyone who wants top-notch keyboard/piano sounds and who requires lighter weight for gigging purposes. Both the Nord Stage and Kurzweil PCX3 probably have slightly better sounding piano patches and I would likely select either of the 2 over the Yamaha if I were doing a serious jazz gig. But for your standard rock/pop/soul/R&B type gig with people partying, dancing all over the place, and just having a good ol' time or for private practice or band rehearsals -- the P-121 is my go-to keyboard. I love this little thing.
I donated my Baldwin to a music college when I moved across country, I have been without a piano for a while and miss it...I live in a smallish townhouse and this might be a way to get back into it.
Hey James! Coming back to this video to say thanks for all of the great reviews you've made. They've helped a lot with my decision of which digital piano I should get and I decided to go with the P125, can't wait for it to arrive and to continue my piano progress on a much better quality instrument than the one I had before! :D
It's my 16 year old daughter's first electronic piano, but she has been playing since Kindergarten. It runs circles around the electronic piano made available to her for playing Mass. In some ways, the pipe organ on this is better than the real one - because of the weighted keys. This thing is pretty great, especially when you start recording the line out.
@@uni8894 got mine about 3 weeks ago, yes you can, i need a bit of adaptation, its kinda slippery for me, cos i usually play accoustic piano (bought this so that i can practice night time)
My friend got one of these to use for his solo shows. It sounds great through his small Yamaha mixer into a pair of 12" powered speakers. Very useful instrument for paying small to medium venues without walking in with a $3k instrument. It has all the sounds he needs for his show, and he has setup presets on his i-phone and uses it to quickly change the configuration of the keyboard on the fly. Very helpful when you want to use a piano sound with a strings pad but you don't want to spend the time during your live show adjusting the individual volumes. Set this up as a preset on your phone then one touch during your show gets you the sound you want. I think this is a very good buy for the money. Go back just 4 or 5 years ago and you would not find instrument like this one for double this price. To me, this keyboard can take you a long way into becoming a player before you "outgrow" it. My friend is a classically trained musician who owns a VERY costly piano, but that is for the studio only. He loves taking this keyboard out on the road with him because it plays great, sounds great, and is only a modest investment to have. One thing to mention though, it does not come with a case. If you are going to do any real gigging with this you will NEED to have a good case for it. The road is not kind to any instrument no matter how well it is built.
Thanks for the review. I have a close relative to this keyboard, the Yamaha DGX660, and as an adult beginner (less than 2 years right now), it is a good instrument. Of course, you always dream on the real thing (a Grand Piano), but for my level, it is more than enough for years to come
I also got p-125. The sound is so realistic which I like most about it. I uploaded some songs using p-125. Great for the beginners and pros who need alternative.
Had a P115 for 3 years but on trying this one I felt it was superior in several ways, especially the quality of the sounds when played through a good PA system. I use it on accompanying and jazz quintet gigs, and am grateful for its 12 Kilogram weight. [ Important for those over 70 ] Supplied pedal is a piece of crap so it's worth buying a decent one which does not run away. Usually available for around $20.
Thanks for this video! My daughter has the Roland FP-30 and my oldest son is taking his first piano lessons this weekend. I’ve been having a lot of fun with the Roland but I think I want to buy one of these Yamaha P125’s. You make great review videos and you play fantastic! New subscriber here. Thanks again!
When I was looking around for an entry-level model for a friend, there was one thing I noticed immediately when playing models made by Roland and Yamaha: the way piano sounds die out when compared to an acoustic piano, specifically when the sustain pedal is NOT used. It's way too fast and sounds very unnatural. Even to my ancient Roland 3000S does that right. With every decent synth you can program this behavior yourself (ADSR), but apparently not with most affordable electric pianos. According to some the Korg SP-280 does not suffer from this flaw, but I still haven't been able to find a shop where I can check this out for myself. Just try it: keep your foot off the sustain pedal, play a chord on a real piano, hold it, and listen to the way the sound dies out: it's slowly and gradually. Then try the same on an entry-level electric piano. Personally I found it very annoying, but hey, maybe I'm just nitpicking.
Buying one of these for my sister, as she wants me to teach her to play. I had a P105 for a while and loved it. This has greater polyphony and some other interesting upgrades, but the excellent keyboard feel is the same. As I recall the sampled piano sound engine is the same as well, but the speakers are better (headphones sound better anyway). I'm definitely going to have some good playing time on it too. She'll love it.
My vote is for the line out. The presence was much more pronounced. By the way, it was good to see you on a fairly decent instrument. The Williams demo was apparently torturous
I bought one of these last year to learn on and have been quite happy with it. I agree with James though, the internal speakers are tinny. I run mine through a USB interface to a small pair of monitors. One thing James didn't mention is that you can put the piano in dual mode to use two voices at the same time. Not a huge thing, but it can be nice.
Hi James, It's good that you are reviewing "affordable" pianos. Your reviews of concert grands are very interesting but the market for concert grands is vanishingly small, for most of us just a dream. I owned a Yamaha P125B and when I sold it by auction on eBay, to trade up to a Yamaha P515, I was astounded by the amount of interest and number of bids! There is definitely huge interest in affordable pianos. Every home should have one! It's a pity that you threw the user manual back into the box because you missed a useful feature of the P125B. Most people buying a digital keyboard will already own a smartphone, either Apple or Android. Yamaha provides a free "app", Smartpianist, that can control the functions of the P125B (and others of their keyboards). Using Smartpianist is like having a screen built into the keyboard, except that there is no added cost when buying the keyboard because it utilises the screen already in your pocket. You are absolutely correct about the shortcomings of the keyboard, speakers and pedal on the P125B. The P515 is much better, though twice the price.
Yamaha keyboard numbering is based on organ keyboards. The lowest note on an organ keyboard is C1. That's the second C on an 88 note keyboard. I hope that makes sense. 😸
I am just getting started in piano after a 45 year absence and am looking far a "piano" keyboard as my retirement gift to myself. After looking at various cheaper units, I came across the P125 at the local music store, a great chain by the way. I didn't have too much time to ask about it and try it out but looked it up online when I got home. I was almost convinced by the various reviews that this would be ideal for me but your detailed and positive review has me sold on it. Thank you for the great explanations and demonstration. It is a pleasure listening to you play that Beethoven.
I have the earlier P-105 model. Very similar to this, same height, same on-board speakers, sounds similar, action looks similar, and yes the keys are weighted but not as heavily as other boards. The USB function on a board like this is awesome: You can plug in to the internet and play along with RUclips selections. And yes, in a pinch, you can use these Yamahas to gig.
Ive played the p-105 (very similar to the one featured above) for years and I'm VERY happy w it. Ive never owned a $3000 keyboard to really compare like him but I did learn on and play baby grands at churchs regularly when I was starting (became the choir accompanist for 4 years so I've got experience in nice acoustic insturments). For ppl on a budget I think this is a GREAT choice. And once u get alittle past this price point u get diminishing returns when it comes to the piano functions imo. Anyways...Ive dragged it around town and its never broke. Action is very nice for a keyboard, I'm tall so I like the extra height he spoke ab. And the Yamaha samples (sound of it)are NICE they were way ahead a few years back in that department imo. Others have caught up and maybe surpassed by now, but it's still very good. The on board speakers are tuned good I like the treblesound they have he said theyre tinny I say sparkly lol. If ur outputting u may want to eq abit in my experience. The only Bad thing ab this piano IMO is the stock sus pedal. But that's an issue w most... but u can get a good one for 29.99. And I would STRONGLY suggest this...
Nice review James--I love your playing style and presentation! I have been looking at keyboards for a while and trying some out. The P125 keyboard and app combination has the features I would like have and I ordered the Yamaha P125 today from Sam Ash. From the Cleveland, Ohio area--Cheers to James from James Biro!
Hi James, I think you would be quite surprised at the quality of the sound specifically for pianos, if you used a pair of Adam Audio A7X's or A78's to play through. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!
I’m laughing as I listen to your comments re: Yamaha’s note numbering system. I play professionally, and over the years have owned several Yamaha K/B’s & pianos. In speaking to others, I’ve learned it’s actually a fairly well-known Yamaha quirk. (Not unlike the reversed polarity thing btwn Casio & Yamaha pedals). When I teach and help a student setup a new Yamaha K/B, I always have to re-label Middle C in their instruction manuals from C3 to C4. 🤷🏼♀️ It’s just a Yamaha Thing! Great review, BTW...Thanks! I own a P125 and fully agree w/your assessment.
Outstanding! Well done! You answered all the questions that I had from watching both performances and comparisons of instruments. I may not remember this instrument but I will not forget you.
Terrific video James. I didn't think you would be interested in reviewing the lower end keyboards, so this is a nice surprise. Like other commenters, I would love it if you could review the Roland FP10. I looked at the Yamaha P125 when I was looking for an entry level keyboard, but went for the Roland FP10 because I liked the action better, it had a superior sound (to my untrained ear), and it had - I'm not sure how to describe it - ivory-feel keys. As noted by others, the FP30 has more sounds to choose from and a dedicated line out (with FP10 you plug an external speaker into the earphone jack), but its components, and the action, are the same as the FP10 which is about $300 CDN cheaper ($999 CDN, which is $699 US). Like the Yamaha, the pedal is unsatisfactory, and I bought another one to replace it. I paid $699 CDN, which is about $525 US, so it is within your stipulated range. Thanks again for this. Really helpful.
I have an FP-10. I like it, but there are some downsides. After several months of use, I am noticing some of the keys starting to rattle. Not super loud, but I've read other accounts of this online. I'm not sure how the Yamaha compares in keyboard noise problems. Both suffer from the same unusually thick/tall design for some reason. The P125 instruments look a lot more varied and fun. I can barely tell the difference between the FP-10's 4 piano sounds.. The 2 EP and organ sounds are poor, I really wish it had the P125's Rhodes and Wurlitzer at least. Not to mention Yamaha looks like it has a really cool tablet app. That said, a phone or tablet is the easiest way to address any keyboard's sound or software shortcomings - there are plenty of high quality instrument apps. With any entry level piano having decent key action, you can use an iPad to turn it into any kind of instrument, synth or whatever you want. So while I kind of wish I had taken a closer look at the P125 or FP-30, the iPad easily makes up for that. So I think if I were to buy again, I would first look at feel and durability. I'd also consider sound-less controllers like the Hammer 88 if they are better quality and then use an iPad for all sounds.
@@spacejack400 I totally agree that the piano, organ etc. sounds are disappointing. Haven't had any problems with rattling keys (yet). I am a complete beginner with degenerating neurological problems, so I will never be an accomplished pianist, but I really enjoy it.
I miss not using my Yamaha P-150 (Same as the P-200 version), because it has great digital sampled sounds and also the buttons are much closer to the keyboard, so I can layer another keyboard directly on top, like an organ with the two keyboards together. I got a new Yamaha MODX8, but it is more than I needed and the 80's piano still does not come close to the popular original FM piano on my old Yamaha P-150. My only complaint is that the MODX8 is very bulky and big, but light weight than my old Yamaha P-150.
I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but you are actually able to combine sounds by pressing two buttons at the same time. So you can get a rhodes sounds with strings or any other combo.
Thanks for this extensive review! I have two requests, some options I'm considering for a portable solution. First the Roland FP-30 (or FP-10), and 2nd the "Studiologic numa compact 2x". The latter is smaller and can be powered by a USB powerbank, but I'm not sure that the keys are really piano-ish. I'll have to find a battery power solution for the FP's if the Studiologic doesn't qualify. I use an "LD Systems MAUI 5 GO" amplifier so the built-in speakers are not a big issue. Maybe a small background on why.. every year we have a few funerals (also weddings) at our church, and often I'm asked to do the audio, which includes taking along my keyboards where I usually play the organ while a pianist does a great job on my cheap "waterfall" keyboard (hiding allot of frustration I guess). A better piano-ish keyboard would be a great upgrade, and I'd also like to get used to a real piano feel myself. It has to be 100% portable though, sometimes I only get 15 minutes to set it up (especially funerals, no one turns up to open the doors until there's a crowd waiting in the rain)... By the way, I don't need a full review like this one, if you just play them in some store and share your thoughts on what you think, it would help.
Great, in-depth review as always 👍 I've had this piano since it first came out as I wanted light and portable for gigging - and it is. The voices are great as you'd expect and easy to select on the fly. And with line-outs it's good for live work. Sadly I have never got used to the action. Just too light for me and it still trips me up when improvising, and generally feels odd. I've played the piano since I was 8 and have always preferred a heavier "meaty" action. Best touch so far was my old Korg SP250 - quite chunky to play. Once live gigs start happening again post-Covid, I'll trade down to the older P60 or similar with the better GH action. I'll have to suck up the weight increase and lower polyphony.
I also own the CP88 and I can honestly say that the CF piano on the P125 blows away the CF on the CP88. Much better decay, and the action is matched better to the CF sample on the P125.
I own this keyboard for 10 months now. I play it every day for hours. Here are my honest thoughts about the P-125: It's a great beginner/intermediate board. The sounds are OK, but don't expect the higher level stuff here. All the functions are simple and working just as they should. No fancy stuff, pure functionality. The different metronomes, rhythms, demos are all useful and one touch away. Since it has just a few buttons and lights, it has a more solid look than it actually is. You can leave it uncovered in the living room and will look nice. Also notable, that the KEYBED is NOISY, but maybe it's because I use it with very low volume in my apartment when practicing. Oh the volume: this thing is LOUD. I can't even use it above half the way up, because it's too much for me. It might even enough in a coffee shop or small bar, but I didn't try it yet. The sound is good for practicing, but in a band or for recording you might want some additional enhancement, which this lacks. The Smart Pianist App is simple but functional, I use it for the quick reverb and touch sensitivity settings when practicing. It's also very easy to record pieces with it to the cloud and share with others. I use it a lot with Garage Band running on the tablet, providing the backing track. By default it will work as a master keyboard, but also have it's own voice, so you can create nice layered sounds, but you can mute the keyboard's own sound with a push of a button and use only the sounds of whatever app you are using. It also works as a speaker for any content, just hook up a device trough USB and you are done, so you can ditch an expensive wireless speaker. It was designed for piano sounds, and for that is great, but since I'm not an audiophile, I cannot judge the other sources. For me it's more than good. It has double headphone slots too, which is handy if you want to practice with others. I also carry it around a lot. I bought a soft bag and foldable stand/chair combo. I can load the whole stuff in my car in one round (keyboard in one hand, stand and chair bound together in my other hand). I could list a lot of other thing, but I don't have the time right now. And one last thing, not specifically to this board, but in general: Buy the keyboard you need, not the one in your dreams! Be honest to yourself and keep in mind what will you use it for. Don't buy something with functions you won't even use. The sound is in the hands and not in the machine. You might argue with it, but it the end it's true. I'm saying this while I'm waiting for my KORG SV-2. It's not hypocrisy, that has soul, while this is just a very reliable tool which I would highly recommend to anyone without a doubt.
Out of your experience , will you help a little bit please? Im about to buy a piano and undecided between es110, p125 and fp30 , classical music is my passion so which one do you think fits this type best?
Thanks for the fine review. I have this keyboard on order right now. Also as a side note -- you can connect an iPad - or iPhone to this keyboard and gain access to a ton of 'stuff' -- don't know if other devices work or not - heard that they do, but need cables/adapters to do the job. don
I found that sometimes when I do this the sustain will "invert", so every key is sustained by default and pressing the pedal will stop the sustaining. I just turn it off and on to fix this, however may be some cool practical applications!
All yamaha keyboards detect polarity during initial turned on. So if u plugged in after that period, it will not set the polarity properly. Just restart the piano.
In regards to how the middle C is named. In Brazil we have followed the French cultural models for the most of the 20th century. Unless things have changed more recently (yes, we have gotten more Americanized in the last 40 years), we have always called the middle C as C3.
I gutted my baby grand and completely refinished it and placed the p-125b into the key slot. I had to shave off a small amount of the keyboard to make it fit. This is a beautiful piece of furniture and it sounds good enough for me. Thanks for a great video.
great review as always - I am considering it over better keyboards because of weight issues I gig in a rock band and this would work and work for jazz type gigs I do - Weight is so important to me and I also dont want too nice of a keyboard as it will get knocked about es110 is also nice but I like yamaha gear - cheers and thanks for all your videos
It’s not a bad piano sound although beter troughs the direct line or amp but I miss depth, it’s to flat for my taste. For some people it’s maybe a starter or so but not my taste. Thank you for sharing.
Firstly congratulations to you for the channel .. really liked the simple and yet so useful review of the product .. actually I am thinking of buying this piano for myself so I have a few things to ask .. 1. Would it be better to wait for some time expecting Yamaha to launch the successor of this model (2018)in the near future looking at their trend in timeline ( every 3 years ) and also because ‘summer NAMM 2020’ is just around the corner ? 2. Although I am not much experienced in this but from all what I could research I understood that ‘Action of the keys’ and ‘sound quality’ are the two most important things .. so I would be so thankful if you share your experience a little more elaborately .. is the ‘GHS action’ and those ‘7 watt amplifiers’ and 4 speakers sufficient enough to give that ‘FEEL’ ? .. are there some other options in the same price range which I should consider ?
Your reviews including this one are awesome and very helpful for me to make decisions with not only various sounds but also a lot of other information which other reviews don't include. If you could review Korg D1, that would be great. It may not be in the same category but it seems to be a good candidate as an entry level digital piano too with a high-quality key action and sounds within the same price range.
I've got a Williams Allegro 2 that I've had for 3 years. It's excellent, and I bought it in order to practice with a low volume level to avoid disturbing the neighbors. My main piano is a Mason and Hamlin 50-inch upright that I bought new in 1981. The piano I bought 3 years ago cost me about $230.00. It's been replaced by the Allegro III that you can get from Musician's Friend for 279,99.. It has 2 noticeable features that I didn't get on my Allegro 2 namely the better music rack and bluetooth. But I'm satisfied with the grand piano sound of mine. Both models have organ with a simulated leslie vibrato sound that is controlled by the sustain pedal. Maybe if you had time you could check out the Williams line. It's affordable. My keys are weighted and the keyboard is a full 88 keys.
Congratulations on owning a Mason and Hamlin model 50, easily one of the best uprights money can buy. I love them to pieces. As for the Williams instruments, I have had positive experiences with exactly 0% of the models I have tried. They always seem to be broken, and only appear to be a step or two above a toy piano. I may review them in the future, and as always, expect an honest review. I can understand your need for it, because of the volume slider, but I have found there to be better options, in a similar price point.
I am, at best, an intermediate piano player...and I think this instrument would be WONDERFUL for me to have...I had a P-60 Yamaha (was stolen) and LOVED it. I actually had friends that played that said they would rather play that instrument than their real piano..since then, I have gotten a "real" peiano (a Baldwin spinnet)...I replaced my stolen electric with an electric Williams instrument...You wanna talk about a "tinny" sound? oh, hell....the only thing I like about it is that it doesn't need to be tuned every year...
Heres a request for a review you weren't expecting: Using Soundbars intended for TVs with digital keyboards. I'm not sure how you'd procure a couple of them to review. I suggest watching videos comparing the relative merits of soundbars in general. I'm pretty sure you'd need a 2.1 channel one with a subwoofer. More channels than that would be superfluous. I'm actually thinking of making a custom wood keyboard stand with a soundbar strategically attached. I'm thinking the music stand should mounted just above the soundbar somehow. It should have good "near field" speakers and the sub needs to have quick, accurate response. That would seem to indicate a sealed enclosure for the sub, but no one makes those with soundbars (not compact enough). You can be sure the guys that design the electronics and the software for digital pianos do so with high end monitors attached to they output. They do so cringing at the thought that they will have to put internal speakers in the keyboard. I think that for someone who wants good sound, the function of the internal speakers is to add a bit of vibration feedback you can feel through your hands while most of the sound you listen to comes from a couple of boxes 6' or 8' away. If you've watched any of the Keyscape videos, you'll see that Eric Persing has a couple of Genelec 1032 studio monitors behind the guest that's playing the keyboard controller. Try pricing those! ONE of them costs as much or more than the retail price of a high end digital piano. That's why many digital stage pianos don't have internal speakers. (While you're checking prices, try a Genelec 1234AM)
I really enjoy your videos! Thanks for producing them! I am one of those frustrated piano students who wished he had practiced more as a kid. The new electronic pianos are just amazing, IMHO, compared to the beat-up upright I had as a kid. I've listened to a number of these electronic pianos and have been impressed with the sound and even the feel. I can't say these will ever compete with a good acoustic but, for the price and maintenance factors, they are hard to beat. I do have a question. Invariably, these keyboards have a number of organ sounds. I am primarily interested in piano, but the organ voices are reasonable. How do you control the volume while playing the organ sounds? With a piano, it is degree in which one plays the keys, but organ keys are on/off. I don't think there is a "swell pedal" (?), nor does the sustain substitute for one. Short of fiddling with the slider volume, how does one control the organ volume while playing? This seems to go unanswered on any of the reviews of electronic pianos I've seen. Thanks!
Some keyboards are compatible with aftermarket swell pedals, which can be connected to the instrument and give you control over the dynamics with your feet. Not all keyboards will have this ability, though.
Doesn't sound bad for a practice keyboard. Like you said though, the dynamics are a tiny bit off... but hey, it's a keyboard - not a piano. Yamaha stuff is usually pretty good for the money no matter the product.
James, Thank you. It sounded better the more you played it, I guess I was getting used to the sound. You mentioned the stiffness toward the back of the black keys, but how was the overall feel, light medium or what, and does it really matter with an instrument in this price range? Cheers, Rik I hope you and your family have a healthy, happy Christmas and New year!
If enough of my followers would like me to review more keyboards in this price range and ask me to I might just do that. I think it would be nice to do some direct comparisons.
The buzzing sound in the right speaker is actually not uncommon for light, plastic, sound chambers. Open up the cover, play and see which parts are generating that sound. Then tighten things up if necessary, add rubber, bostik, etc to dampen it. Avoiding touching anything that might carry electricity. Wear gloves if you are not sure.
Hey man good afternoon, love to see your reviews and keep loving the piano. I wanted to ask a question about choosing a particular piano for my personal piano playing. I am a classical music player who would love to find a keyboard that could give me expression when I play and an amazing acoustic piano sound to make me feel like I’m playing a real acoustic piano. I saw your video on the Kawai mp11se and I would love that keyboard for my classical music.I would like to start composing my songs and I would like a keyboard that could give me the freedom to press a note softly and get amazing response from the instrument. Since I know you are an amazing musician can u let me know what keyboard I could look on the get this quality. Thank you so much blessings.💯🙂 enjoy ur day also!
There actually is some confusion about the numbering of octaves, as in France the reference A4 sound (440 Hz) is often named La3... And there are people numbering octaves so that middle C is called C5 and reference A is called A5. As for me, I have always used the standard numbering, starting at C0 at appr. 16 Hz (not audible), A0 being the lowest key on a standard piano at 27.5 Hz), even when using French names of notes. This gives a frequency of appr. 2^(n+4) for C_n (it is around 2.2% over that value if A4 is at 440 Hh)
The numerical designation of keys (e.g. C0 vs C1) appears to be a Yamaha thing. I've encountered it on my MOXF8 when splitting the keyboard and defining ranges.
This channel helped me decide to get my first digital piano. Very informative indeed. I'm extremely happy with my P125 for a week now and still learning as beginner. Hoping someday I can play classical piece soon. I will just keep practicing everyday to get there. You inspired a lot of people! 👏👏👏
My followers inspire me.
@@ThePianoforever poetic.
How's the journey going?
I would suggest trying some of the pieces in Bach's The Well Tempered Clavier. The preludes are much easier than the fugues so it is possible to easily transition from beginner to intermediate level. Also, Beethoven;s moonlight sonata is great because it is simple enough to learn the passages in the slow or adagio movement fairly quickly, but complex enough to play expressively. Enjoy playing! and congratulations on acquiring your instrument.
Hey how is the sound quality ? Does it get better by using external speakers with sub
I've not had a piano for 22+ years, and haven't played regularly for 30+ years. Now I'm old, I want to go back to playing a piano on a regular basis, again. I've decided a digital piano is best for me vs an acoustic one because I can play with headphones and not totally embarrass myself (to my neighbors) as I refresh my playing skills. Also, with headphones I can play any time of day or night.
I have watched many of your videos on many models of digital pianos, and you have been a great help in my choice of a digital piano that is right for me and my checkbook. And for that I sincerely thank you.
My choice? The Yamaha P125.....you just can't beat that sound, at that price point.
Don’t feel embarrassed! Turn it up :)
Oh my god!!! Me too! Exactly the se case.
A lot of people don't have a lot of money. That could be fine for somebody who can only afford $600, not just a beginner.
Exactly. I’m a jazz pianist and I’ve don’t gigs on it before with no issues. It doesn’t feel like a beginners keyboard. Lovely action and surprisingly beautiful sounds.
True. When playing in gigs, I don’t think people would know the difference.
So I bought one of these today as my first instrument ever. Just so everyone know when u connect to your iPhone it plays any midi files and RUclips, Spotify or any other music U play on your phone. So u can play along with anything. Just FYI this is a great feature not really advertised.
Your ability to just play any style with all the various voices on this makes me very, very jealous! And yes, this P125 was perfect for me, an adult returning to playing piano. Even after getting my new acoustic, I still use it A LOT!
I’m a college student, with not much in the way of space or money yet, and my piano is back home. So I recently bought one of these during a Black Friday sale.
I’m satisfied with it for what I need it for. It’s been great to get back into the swing of playing. I’ve been watching your videos for a couple months now, you’re an inspiration man for real.
Cool to see you review this keyboard, the quality of this video and format is excellent! Love watching your videos. Gonna go play my P125!
@77Wells That is right, the greatest musicians ever !! They have the best rhythm and they are superior in all regards. We as anglo saxon know that. That is why we are jealous and envy those people. I am a white female. They even have rhythm in bed. Lol Have a great day.
Tim Kane 😬
@@HieronymousLex if i may ask, what was the sale, and how much of a discount did you get? Im currently in a similar situation as you, looking for a low end digital piano
I got mine last week. I absolutely love it! I have been away from the piano for many years and have an old Baldwin piano that needs a lot of work. This is perfect for my needs currently.
I have this piano and I love it personally!! It sounds better in person (this was before I heard the direct signal, which is basically spot on). it also has great reverb settings and lots of other settings hidden on the keys
I've been looking to move from my MicroKORG to a full 88-key digital piano and after going through multiple videos from different channels covering digital pianos in this price range I just want to thank you for making probably the most genuine and detailed review I've seen so far. This is true not only with the P-125 but your reviews of other digital piano's on your channel as well. I decided on going with the P-125 because your closing statements fit my intentions with a digital piano perfectly.
Honesty in review is supreme and makes the viewing meaningful. Thanks for the good review.
I wish every instrument review was like this
I got this piano for my 14th birthday, i was learning piano before this but it was small and didn’t feel or sound great, i’m so glad i moved up, i have improved a lot from it
Thanks for your reviews. Competitors of the Yamaha P125 are: Roland FP30, Kawai ES110, Casio PXS1000, and Casio PXS3000.
Just bought this today...to use for our short road trips..we have a large Jeep..so no prob with space..but I just started learning 2 weeks ago and didn’t want to stop when we want to leave for a week or so. I wanted a full size to take when we go on these road trip jaunts..hopefully this will work out...
but thanks so much for the detailed information. I went with this specific model..sounded good and one of the lowest weight wise..(26 lbs) and hopefully after a year or two will be upgrading to one of your more highly recommended keyboards..I really enjoy your reviews..Thank you!
I like how in depth you went into the functions that were mentioned in this vid, but there are others that you missed! Using just the voicing buttons (no hidden key diagram needed) you can layer any two instruments together! I.E. a synth and a E piano can simultaneously play through a single key press. Also, you can control many, if not all settings through an app which syncs to your P125. Very handy and definitely makes some changes less of a hassle. Other options would include splitting keys not just for bass but for any two sounds that you would like, again, no need for hidden key diagram. Hope this helps someone make a decision. It’s a great instrument. Enjoy :)
Hi James, here are a few beginner keyboards that I tried out last year at winter NAMM:
1. Casio Privia PX-S3000 Digital Piano $799. (This piano was my favorite and it got a lot of attention at NAMM).
2. Casio Privia PX-S1000 Digital Piano $599. (The little brother of the S3000).
3. Roland FP-30 Digital Piano $699.
I really liked the PX-S3000. I was really surprised at how well it felt and played.
Love what you are doing here... I don't know how I made it 15 minutes into this review and only realized once you started playing moonlight sonata that I had youtube at 1.5x speed.
Hello ! 😃
Based on that review, and you comparaison with the Roland FP-30X, and the Kawai ES110, I bought this as my first piano. Thank you very much… 😃 Keep on doing those great reviews !
Hey, cool! 😁 glad you liked the videos!
i have one of these instruments and i think it is perfect for my needs
i am an older man who used to own a steinway model S
and now all i want to do is practice some to keep my technique up to par
an this keyboard is perfect for that
i live in an apartment, so this piano is perfect for me
it wasn't mentioned in the video that a pedal clavier is available
with the standard three pedals that are on all real concert pianos
the damper pedal on the right, the sostenuto pedal in the middle,
and the soft pedal on the left
all three work just like on a real piano
this piano has put back within my reach in my old age
and living in an apartment
enough of a real piano sound and touch
that i am extremely happy with it
@@icetech6
Hey don't give up....go and buy it if you want it!!
I couldn't play a note , but bought a Yamaha E453 and i taught myself by watching youtube videos. Now I download the chords to my very favourite songs, and play them.....I play it almost every day....
Remember, you only live once!! GO AND BUY IT!!
Yep...I think its all you need.
If you used to have a Steinway S (aka a real grand), you might want to look into Roland's line of portable digital pianos (FP). I have an FP-10, and despite lacking support for the three pedals of a grand (it is available on the more expensive FP-30), it supports the sustain pedal and has a beyond amazing action for a piano this price. It has an albeit light, but still very present, double escapement mechanism (repetition mechanism), and its action is heavier than Yamaha's P line of digital pianos. If you have a store near you, you could go try different models.
I would highly recommend it (and I am not paid by them :) )
Jean-Simon Desjardins I will upload a full review of a Roland FP-30 in the next week or so, although it has a nice action it has other short comings in it's price point.
@@ThePianoforever Between Yamaha P125 and Roland FP-30, which one would you recommend for a beginner player? I'm not quite sure which of the 2 is better, but I want to abandon my crappy Yamaha PSR F51!
I use the "little brother" to this keyboard, the Yamaha P-121 (73 key). I use it professionally. Have done OVER 65 paying gigs with it in 2019/2020 so really it is being used FULLY professionally. Let me tell you, It is an awesome keyboard. So versatile. Great sounding, solidly built and so, so light-weight --- only a little over 20 lbs. This is an Important feature for us "over-50" regular gigging musicians. We're an 80's band and the P-121 has some great 80's keyboard sounds (of course the DX-7 patches are great). Great acoustic piano feel and touch for such a small instrument. Excellent "old school" classic Rhodes & Wurly200 patches too. The electronics and technology in the P-121 is exactly the same as the big brother P-125, only difference is the keyboard length. Keys are the same size too. I would recommend it to anyone who wants top-notch keyboard/piano sounds and who requires lighter weight for gigging purposes. Both the Nord Stage and Kurzweil PCX3 probably have slightly better sounding piano patches and I would likely select either of the 2 over the Yamaha if I were doing a serious jazz gig. But for your standard rock/pop/soul/R&B type gig with people partying, dancing all over the place, and just having a good ol' time or for private practice or band rehearsals -- the P-121 is my go-to keyboard. I love this little thing.
Hi, Rat Ghost!
Does this piano output enough low frequencies via it's built in speakers?
I donated my Baldwin to a music college when I moved across country, I have been without a piano for a while and miss it...I live in a smallish townhouse and this might be a way to get back into it.
Hey James! Coming back to this video to say thanks for all of the great reviews you've made. They've helped a lot with my decision of which digital piano I should get and I decided to go with the P125, can't wait for it to arrive and to continue my piano progress on a much better quality instrument than the one I had before! :D
Outstanding evaluation. Exactly the critical OCD type evaluation I was looking for...Thanks!
Bought this on Black Friday for 499 and it is the best keyboard for the price no doubt. I am in love with it.
Where?! I am looking for Black Friday deals this year and hoping to find one for this piano
It's my 16 year old daughter's first electronic piano, but she has been playing since Kindergarten. It runs circles around the electronic piano made available to her for playing Mass. In some ways, the pipe organ on this is better than the real one - because of the weighted keys. This thing is pretty great, especially when you start recording the line out.
I own one of these. It's done me great on for my first year! No complaints here
@@uni8894 got mine about 3 weeks ago, yes you can, i need a bit of adaptation, its kinda slippery for me, cos i usually play accoustic piano (bought this so that i can practice night time)
Does it have speakers?
@@sarahmountstudios3188 i know this is soo late and you've prolly found the answer but just incase, yes it does have speakers
@@alis2068 It's nice of you to answer regardless - it might help someone else!
Ive had mine for almost 8 years, it’s still working great :)
My friend got one of these to use for his solo shows. It sounds great through his small Yamaha mixer into a pair of 12" powered speakers. Very useful instrument for paying small to medium venues without walking in with a $3k instrument. It has all the sounds he needs for his show, and he has setup presets on his i-phone and uses it to quickly change the configuration of the keyboard on the fly. Very helpful when you want to use a piano sound with a strings pad but you don't want to spend the time during your live show adjusting the individual volumes. Set this up as a preset on your phone then one touch during your show gets you the sound you want. I think this is a very good buy for the money. Go back just 4 or 5 years ago and you would not find instrument like this one for double this price. To me, this keyboard can take you a long way into becoming a player before you "outgrow" it. My friend is a classically trained musician who owns a VERY costly piano, but that is for the studio only. He loves taking this keyboard out on the road with him because it plays great, sounds great, and is only a modest investment to have. One thing to mention though, it does not come with a case. If you are going to do any real gigging with this you will NEED to have a good case for it. The road is not kind to any instrument no matter how well it is built.
thanks for the informative post. I have a Yamaha p105 and will probably soon "outgrow" it. most likely i'll end up getting the p125.
I simply love the Yamaha piano sounds. This one is certainly no exception.
The review is amazingly detailed. Many people buy pianos like this!
True. Nice sound, portable, and most of all, affordable.
Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays. Your one of my favorite musicians on RUclips because you use a education specetive towards your music.
Thanks for the in-depth, very articulate review! Recently I've bought one as a first piano and I've been enjoying it so far.
Thanks for the review. I have a close relative to this keyboard, the Yamaha DGX660, and as an adult beginner (less than 2 years right now), it is a good instrument. Of course, you always dream on the real thing (a Grand Piano), but for my level, it is more than enough for years to come
I also got p-125. The sound is so realistic which I like most about it. I uploaded some songs using p-125. Great for the beginners and pros who need alternative.
@@Albert.Schlosser yes you can connect 2 headphone/headset to this piano
Thumbs up for having learned 3rd movement of Moonlight Sonata. Respect.
Had a P115 for 3 years but on trying this one I felt it was superior in several ways, especially the quality of the sounds when played through a good PA system. I use it on accompanying and jazz quintet gigs, and am grateful for its 12 Kilogram weight. [ Important for those over 70 ] Supplied pedal is a piece of crap so it's worth buying a decent one which does not run away. Usually available for around $20.
Thanks for this video! My daughter has the Roland FP-30 and my oldest son is taking his first piano lessons this weekend. I’ve been having a lot of fun with the Roland but I think I want to buy one of these Yamaha P125’s. You make great review videos and you play fantastic! New subscriber here. Thanks again!
When I was looking around for an entry-level model for a friend, there was one thing I noticed immediately when playing models made by Roland and Yamaha: the way piano sounds die out when compared to an acoustic piano, specifically when the sustain pedal is NOT used. It's way too fast and sounds very unnatural. Even to my ancient Roland 3000S does that right.
With every decent synth you can program this behavior yourself (ADSR), but apparently not with most affordable electric pianos. According to some the Korg SP-280 does not suffer from this flaw, but I still haven't been able to find a shop where I can check this out for myself.
Just try it: keep your foot off the sustain pedal, play a chord on a real piano, hold it, and listen to the way the sound dies out: it's slowly and gradually. Then try the same on an entry-level electric piano. Personally I found it very annoying, but hey, maybe I'm just nitpicking.
Buying one of these for my sister, as she wants me to teach her to play. I had a P105 for a while and loved it. This has greater polyphony and some other interesting upgrades, but the excellent keyboard feel is the same. As I recall the sampled piano sound engine is the same as well, but the speakers are better (headphones sound better anyway). I'm definitely going to have some good playing time on it too. She'll love it.
My vote is for the line out. The presence was much more pronounced. By the way, it was good to see you on a fairly decent instrument. The Williams demo was apparently torturous
I love how the unboxing is sped up just enough so that you can imagine James is just moving really fast
I bought one of these last year to learn on and have been quite happy with it. I agree with James though, the internal speakers are tinny. I run mine through a USB interface to a small pair of monitors. One thing James didn't mention is that you can put the piano in dual mode to use two voices at the same time. Not a huge thing, but it can be nice.
Hi James, It's good that you are reviewing "affordable" pianos. Your reviews of concert grands are very interesting but the market for concert grands is vanishingly small, for most of us just a dream. I owned a Yamaha P125B and when I sold it by auction on eBay, to trade up to a Yamaha P515, I was astounded by the amount of interest and number of bids! There is definitely huge interest in affordable pianos. Every home should have one!
It's a pity that you threw the user manual back into the box because you missed a useful feature of the P125B. Most people buying a digital keyboard will already own a smartphone, either Apple or Android. Yamaha provides a free "app", Smartpianist, that can control the functions of the P125B (and others of their keyboards). Using Smartpianist is like having a screen built into the keyboard, except that there is no added cost when buying the keyboard because it utilises the screen already in your pocket.
You are absolutely correct about the shortcomings of the keyboard, speakers and pedal on the P125B. The P515 is much better, though twice the price.
Yamaha keyboard numbering is based on organ keyboards. The lowest note on an organ keyboard is C1. That's the second C on an 88 note keyboard.
I hope that makes sense. 😸
I am just getting started in piano after a 45 year absence and am looking far a "piano" keyboard as my retirement gift to myself. After looking at various cheaper units, I came across the P125 at the local music store, a great chain by the way. I didn't have too much time to ask about it and try it out but looked it up online when I got home. I was almost convinced by the various reviews that this would be ideal for me but your detailed and positive review has me sold on it. Thank you for the great explanations and demonstration. It is a pleasure listening to you play that Beethoven.
best in direct line bro so smooth
Oh man the joy of opening up new equipment :)
I have the earlier P-105 model. Very similar to this, same height, same on-board speakers, sounds similar, action looks similar, and yes the keys are weighted but not as heavily as other boards. The USB function on a board like this is awesome: You can plug in to the internet and play along with RUclips selections. And yes, in a pinch, you can use these Yamahas to gig.
Martin Brady what do you think about the sounds?
Ive played the p-105 (very similar to the one featured above) for years and I'm VERY happy w it. Ive never owned a $3000 keyboard to really compare like him but I did learn on and play baby grands at churchs regularly when I was starting (became the choir accompanist for 4 years so I've got experience in nice acoustic insturments). For ppl on a budget I think this is a GREAT choice. And once u get alittle past this price point u get diminishing returns when it comes to the piano functions imo. Anyways...Ive dragged it around town and its never broke. Action is very nice for a keyboard, I'm tall so I like the extra height he spoke ab. And the Yamaha samples (sound of it)are NICE they were way ahead a few years back in that department imo. Others have caught up and maybe surpassed by now, but it's still very good. The on board speakers are tuned good I like the treblesound they have he said theyre tinny I say sparkly lol. If ur outputting u may want to eq abit in my experience. The only Bad thing ab this piano IMO is the stock sus pedal. But that's an issue w most... but u can get a good one for 29.99. And I would STRONGLY suggest this...
Nice review James--I love your playing style and presentation! I have been looking at keyboards for a while and trying some out. The P125 keyboard and app combination has the features I would like have and I ordered the Yamaha P125 today from Sam Ash. From the Cleveland, Ohio area--Cheers to James from James Biro!
I just got this one for Christmas and I love it
Do you experience the distortion or buzzing on the internal speaker he was talking about in the video?
Question does it feel like a piano and can you make notes louder and softer with touch?
@@ZOD4 no it doesn't
@@aus822 yes
Hi James, I think you would be quite surprised at the quality of the sound specifically for pianos, if you used a pair of Adam Audio A7X's or A78's to play through. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!
I’m laughing as I listen to your comments re: Yamaha’s note numbering system. I play professionally, and over the years have owned several Yamaha K/B’s & pianos. In speaking to others, I’ve learned it’s actually a fairly well-known Yamaha quirk. (Not unlike the reversed polarity thing btwn Casio & Yamaha pedals). When I teach and help a student setup a new Yamaha K/B, I always have to re-label Middle C in their instruction manuals from C3 to C4. 🤷🏼♀️ It’s just a Yamaha Thing! Great review, BTW...Thanks! I own a P125 and fully agree w/your assessment.
Outstanding! Well done! You answered all the questions that I had from watching both performances and comparisons of instruments. I may not remember this instrument but I will not forget you.
Terrific video James. I didn't think you would be interested in reviewing the lower end keyboards, so this is a nice surprise. Like other commenters, I would love it if you could review the Roland FP10. I looked at the Yamaha P125 when I was looking for an entry level keyboard, but went for the Roland FP10 because I liked the action better, it had a superior sound (to my untrained ear), and it had - I'm not sure how to describe it - ivory-feel keys. As noted by others, the FP30 has more sounds to choose from and a dedicated line out (with FP10 you plug an external speaker into the earphone jack), but its components, and the action, are the same as the FP10 which is about $300 CDN cheaper ($999 CDN, which is $699 US). Like the Yamaha, the pedal is unsatisfactory, and I bought another one to replace it. I paid $699 CDN, which is about $525 US, so it is within your stipulated range. Thanks again for this. Really helpful.
I have an FP-10. I like it, but there are some downsides. After several months of use, I am noticing some of the keys starting to rattle. Not super loud, but I've read other accounts of this online. I'm not sure how the Yamaha compares in keyboard noise problems. Both suffer from the same unusually thick/tall design for some reason. The P125 instruments look a lot more varied and fun. I can barely tell the difference between the FP-10's 4 piano sounds.. The 2 EP and organ sounds are poor, I really wish it had the P125's Rhodes and Wurlitzer at least. Not to mention Yamaha looks like it has a really cool tablet app.
That said, a phone or tablet is the easiest way to address any keyboard's sound or software shortcomings - there are plenty of high quality instrument apps. With any entry level piano having decent key action, you can use an iPad to turn it into any kind of instrument, synth or whatever you want. So while I kind of wish I had taken a closer look at the P125 or FP-30, the iPad easily makes up for that. So I think if I were to buy again, I would first look at feel and durability. I'd also consider sound-less controllers like the Hammer 88 if they are better quality and then use an iPad for all sounds.
@@spacejack400 I totally agree that the piano, organ etc. sounds are disappointing. Haven't had any problems with rattling keys (yet). I am a complete beginner with degenerating neurological problems, so I will never be an accomplished pianist, but I really enjoy it.
I miss not using my Yamaha P-150 (Same as the P-200 version), because it has great digital sampled sounds and also the buttons are much closer to the keyboard, so I can layer another keyboard directly on top, like an organ with the two keyboards together. I got a new Yamaha MODX8, but it is more than I needed and the 80's piano still does not come close to the popular original FM piano on my old Yamaha P-150. My only complaint is that the MODX8 is very bulky and big, but light weight than my old Yamaha P-150.
Great summing up, yr voice is so clear, thanks !
Love this piano! Gotta have it!
I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but you are actually able to combine sounds by pressing two buttons at the same time. So you can get a rhodes sounds with strings or any other combo.
You add a bunch of things to consider, like 14:20 with volume issues, for any keyboard.
Thanks for this extensive review!
I have two requests, some options I'm considering for a portable solution. First the Roland FP-30 (or FP-10), and 2nd the "Studiologic numa compact 2x". The latter is smaller and can be powered by a USB powerbank, but I'm not sure that the keys are really piano-ish. I'll have to find a battery power solution for the FP's if the Studiologic doesn't qualify. I use an "LD Systems MAUI 5 GO" amplifier so the built-in speakers are not a big issue.
Maybe a small background on why.. every year we have a few funerals (also weddings) at our church, and often I'm asked to do the audio, which includes taking along my keyboards where I usually play the organ while a pianist does a great job on my cheap "waterfall" keyboard (hiding allot of frustration I guess). A better piano-ish keyboard would be a great upgrade, and I'd also like to get used to a real piano feel myself. It has to be 100% portable though, sometimes I only get 15 minutes to set it up (especially funerals, no one turns up to open the doors until there's a crowd waiting in the rain)...
By the way, I don't need a full review like this one, if you just play them in some store and share your thoughts on what you think, it would help.
After quite some more research, I'm considering the KAWAI ES 110 instead, has built in monitor speakers and audio out, and great reviews.
Very well priced keyboard excellently reviewed. Good Job.
Great, in-depth review as always 👍 I've had this piano since it first came out as I wanted light and portable for gigging - and it is.
The voices are great as you'd expect and easy to select on the fly. And with line-outs it's good for live work.
Sadly I have never got used to the action. Just too light for me and it still trips me up when improvising, and generally feels odd. I've played the piano since I was 8 and have always preferred a heavier "meaty" action. Best touch so far was my old Korg SP250 - quite chunky to play.
Once live gigs start happening again post-Covid, I'll trade down to the older P60 or similar with the better GH action. I'll have to suck up the weight increase and lower polyphony.
I also own the CP88 and I can honestly say that the CF piano on the P125 blows away the CF on the CP88. Much better decay, and the action is matched better to the CF sample on the P125.
Great video 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Thank u from Brazil! 🇧🇷
For the price, it's really a pretty decent sounding piano.
I own this keyboard for 10 months now. I play it every day for hours. Here are my honest thoughts about the P-125:
It's a great beginner/intermediate board. The sounds are OK, but don't expect the higher level stuff here. All the functions are simple and working just as they should. No fancy stuff, pure functionality. The different metronomes, rhythms, demos are all useful and one touch away. Since it has just a few buttons and lights, it has a more solid look than it actually is. You can leave it uncovered in the living room and will look nice. Also notable, that the KEYBED is NOISY, but maybe it's because I use it with very low volume in my apartment when practicing. Oh the volume: this thing is LOUD. I can't even use it above half the way up, because it's too much for me. It might even enough in a coffee shop or small bar, but I didn't try it yet. The sound is good for practicing, but in a band or for recording you might want some additional enhancement, which this lacks. The Smart Pianist App is simple but functional, I use it for the quick reverb and touch sensitivity settings when practicing. It's also very easy to record pieces with it to the cloud and share with others. I use it a lot with Garage Band running on the tablet, providing the backing track. By default it will work as a master keyboard, but also have it's own voice, so you can create nice layered sounds, but you can mute the keyboard's own sound with a push of a button and use only the sounds of whatever app you are using. It also works as a speaker for any content, just hook up a device trough USB and you are done, so you can ditch an expensive wireless speaker. It was designed for piano sounds, and for that is great, but since I'm not an audiophile, I cannot judge the other sources. For me it's more than good. It has double headphone slots too, which is handy if you want to practice with others. I also carry it around a lot. I bought a soft bag and foldable stand/chair combo. I can load the whole stuff in my car in one round (keyboard in one hand, stand and chair bound together in my other hand). I could list a lot of other thing, but I don't have the time right now.
And one last thing, not specifically to this board, but in general: Buy the keyboard you need, not the one in your dreams! Be honest to yourself and keep in mind what will you use it for. Don't buy something with functions you won't even use. The sound is in the hands and not in the machine. You might argue with it, but it the end it's true.
I'm saying this while I'm waiting for my KORG SV-2. It's not hypocrisy, that has soul, while this is just a very reliable tool which I would highly recommend to anyone without a doubt.
Out of your experience , will you help a little bit please? Im about to buy a piano and undecided between es110, p125 and fp30 , classical music is my passion so which one do you think fits this type best?
Hey! Would you tell how do you make it to play content and songs from the USB?? I didn't understand it =( THANK YOU =)
Thanks for the fine review. I have this keyboard on order right now. Also as a side note -- you can connect an iPad - or iPhone to this keyboard and gain access to a ton of 'stuff' -- don't know if other devices work or not - heard that they do, but need cables/adapters to do the job. don
Hey! Do you like it? Does it have any proplems i'm trying to buy one and wanna make sure it's the best choice
I believe if you plug in the sustain Jack after the power is turned on the sustain will not work. Plug in everything first then turn on power.
I found that sometimes when I do this the sustain will "invert", so every key is sustained by default and pressing the pedal will stop the sustaining. I just turn it off and on to fix this, however may be some cool practical applications!
All yamaha keyboards detect polarity during initial turned on. So if u plugged in after that period, it will not set the polarity properly. Just restart the piano.
@@starannosc That's what has happened to me too! I have to keep plugging in and out, but that doesn't happen too often to make me upset.
just don't step on the pedal when turning on the piano
happened today with our new p45. Turned it off then on and it’s fixed.
In regards to how the middle C is named. In Brazil we have followed the French cultural models for the most of the 20th century. Unless things have changed more recently (yes, we have gotten more Americanized in the last 40 years), we have always called the middle C as C3.
Thank you so much for that demonstration and great advice. You shown some incredible skills and also very informative that helped indeed!
I gutted my baby grand and completely refinished it and placed the p-125b into the key slot.
I had to shave off a small amount of the keyboard to make it fit. This is a beautiful piece of furniture and it sounds good enough for me. Thanks for a great video.
great review as always - I am considering it over better keyboards because of weight issues
I gig in a rock band and this would work and work for jazz type gigs I do - Weight is so important to me and I also dont want too nice of a keyboard as it will get knocked about es110 is also nice but I like yamaha gear - cheers and thanks for all your videos
It’s not a bad piano sound although beter troughs the direct line or amp but I miss depth, it’s to flat for my taste. For some people it’s maybe a starter or so but not my taste. Thank you for sharing.
Firstly congratulations to you for the channel .. really liked the simple and yet so useful review of the product .. actually I am thinking of buying this piano for myself so I have a few things to ask ..
1. Would it be better to wait for some time expecting Yamaha to launch the successor of this model (2018)in the near future looking at their trend in timeline ( every 3 years ) and also because ‘summer NAMM 2020’ is just around the corner ?
2. Although I am not much experienced in this but from all what I could research I understood that ‘Action of the keys’ and ‘sound quality’ are the two most important things .. so I would be so thankful if you share your experience a little more elaborately .. is the ‘GHS action’ and those ‘7 watt amplifiers’ and 4 speakers sufficient enough to give that ‘FEEL’ ? .. are there some other options in the same price range which I should consider ?
Your reviews including this one are awesome and very helpful for me to make decisions with not only various sounds but also a lot of other information which other reviews don't include. If you could review Korg D1, that would be great. It may not be in the same category but it seems to be a good candidate as an entry level digital piano too with a high-quality key action and sounds within the same price range.
Just got mine and I love it. Thank you for helping me make this decision.
I've got a Williams Allegro 2 that I've had for 3 years. It's excellent, and I bought it in order to practice with a low volume level to avoid disturbing the neighbors. My main piano is a Mason and Hamlin 50-inch upright that I bought new in 1981. The piano I bought 3 years ago cost me about $230.00. It's been replaced by the Allegro III that you can get from Musician's Friend for 279,99.. It has 2 noticeable features that I didn't get on my Allegro 2 namely the better music rack and bluetooth. But I'm satisfied with the grand piano sound of mine. Both models have organ with a simulated leslie vibrato sound that is controlled by the sustain pedal. Maybe if you had time you could check out the Williams line. It's affordable. My keys are weighted and the keyboard is a full 88 keys.
Congratulations on owning a Mason and Hamlin model 50, easily one of the best uprights money can buy. I love them to pieces.
As for the Williams instruments, I have had positive experiences with exactly 0% of the models I have tried. They always seem to be broken, and only appear to be a step or two above a toy piano. I may review them in the future, and as always, expect an honest review. I can understand your need for it, because of the volume slider, but I have found there to be better options, in a similar price point.
I am, at best, an intermediate piano player...and I think this instrument would be WONDERFUL for me to have...I had a P-60 Yamaha (was stolen) and LOVED it. I actually had friends that played that said they would rather play that instrument than their real piano..since then, I have gotten a "real" peiano (a Baldwin spinnet)...I replaced my stolen electric with an electric Williams instrument...You wanna talk about a "tinny" sound? oh, hell....the only thing I like about it is that it doesn't need to be tuned every year...
Heres a request for a review you weren't expecting: Using Soundbars intended for TVs with digital keyboards.
I'm not sure how you'd procure a couple of them to review. I suggest watching videos comparing the relative merits of soundbars in general. I'm pretty sure you'd need a 2.1 channel one with a subwoofer. More channels than that would be superfluous. I'm actually thinking of making a custom wood keyboard stand with a soundbar strategically attached. I'm thinking the music stand should mounted just above the soundbar somehow. It should have good "near field" speakers and the sub needs to have quick, accurate response. That would seem to indicate a sealed enclosure for the sub, but no one makes those with soundbars (not compact enough).
You can be sure the guys that design the electronics and the software for digital pianos do so with high end monitors attached to they output. They do so cringing at the thought that they will have to put internal speakers in the keyboard. I think that for someone who wants good sound, the function of the internal speakers is to add a bit of vibration feedback you can feel through your hands while most of the sound you listen to comes from a couple of boxes 6' or 8' away. If you've watched any of the Keyscape videos, you'll see that Eric Persing has a couple of Genelec 1032 studio monitors behind the guest that's playing the keyboard controller. Try pricing those! ONE of them costs as much or more than the retail price of a high end digital piano. That's why many digital stage pianos don't have internal speakers. (While you're checking prices, try a Genelec 1234AM)
Very nice playing! I have this digital piano, think it is a good value, and personally prefer it over the P515 in regards to action and sound.
Agree.
the CFIII sample sounds waaay nicer than the CFX imo. I owned a CLP 635.
I really enjoy your videos! Thanks for producing them! I am one of those frustrated piano students who wished he had practiced more as a kid. The new electronic pianos are just amazing, IMHO, compared to the beat-up upright I had as a kid. I've listened to a number of these electronic pianos and have been impressed with the sound and even the feel. I can't say these will ever compete with a good acoustic but, for the price and maintenance factors, they are hard to beat.
I do have a question. Invariably, these keyboards have a number of organ sounds. I am primarily interested in piano, but the organ voices are reasonable. How do you control the volume while playing the organ sounds? With a piano, it is degree in which one plays the keys, but organ keys are on/off. I don't think there is a "swell pedal" (?), nor does the sustain substitute for one. Short of fiddling with the slider volume, how does one control the organ volume while playing? This seems to go unanswered on any of the reviews of electronic pianos I've seen. Thanks!
Some keyboards are compatible with aftermarket swell pedals, which can be connected to the instrument and give you control over the dynamics with your feet. Not all keyboards will have this ability, though.
Hi James! It would be wonderful if you could also review Yamaha Arius YDP-144 and compare it with P125. :-)
Would you consider doing a review of the Kawai ES110?
You are really talented... Cheers James!
always great reviews.. thank you
Doesn't sound bad for a practice keyboard. Like you said though, the dynamics are a tiny bit off... but hey, it's a keyboard - not a piano. Yamaha stuff is usually pretty good for the money no matter the product.
Thanks for this extensive review!
James,
Thank you.
It sounded better the more you played it, I guess I was getting used to the sound.
You mentioned the stiffness toward the back of the black keys, but how was the overall feel, light medium or what, and does it really matter with an
instrument in this price range?
Cheers,
Rik
I hope you and your family have a healthy, happy Christmas and New year!
If enough of my followers would like me to review more keyboards in this price range and ask me to I might just do that. I think it would be nice to do some direct comparisons.
Top notch review!
Very good board. I bought it and return it after about a couple of weeks. I decided on getting the Yamaha MOXF8. I needed more sounds :)
The buzzing sound in the right speaker is actually not uncommon for light, plastic, sound chambers. Open up the cover, play and see which parts are generating that sound. Then tighten things up if necessary, add rubber, bostik, etc to dampen it.
Avoiding touching anything that might carry electricity. Wear gloves if you are not sure.
Plug the sustain pedal in before turning keyboard power on. The keyboard works out what type of switching is used (nc or no)
Hey man good afternoon, love to see your reviews and keep loving the piano. I wanted to ask a question about choosing a particular piano for my personal piano playing. I am a classical music player who would love to find a keyboard that could give me expression when I play and an amazing acoustic piano sound to make me feel like I’m playing a real acoustic piano. I saw your video on the Kawai mp11se and I would love that keyboard for my classical music.I would like to start composing my songs and I would like a keyboard that could give me the freedom to press a note softly and get amazing response from the instrument. Since I know you are an amazing musician can u let me know what keyboard I could look on the get this quality. Thank you so much blessings.💯🙂 enjoy ur day also!
The best action in a keyboard is the Kawai MP11se, it's about $2,700.00 and honestly worth it!
ThePianoforever thank you for the response, have a Blessed day💯
There actually is some confusion about the numbering of octaves, as in France the reference A4 sound (440 Hz) is often named La3... And there are people numbering octaves so that middle C is called C5 and reference A is called A5.
As for me, I have always used the standard numbering, starting at C0 at appr. 16 Hz (not audible), A0 being the lowest key on a standard piano at 27.5 Hz), even when using French names of notes.
This gives a frequency of appr. 2^(n+4) for C_n (it is around 2.2% over that value if A4 is at 440 Hh)
Piano tuning is not linear (I dont know why, I suppose low strings would be too long)
The numerical designation of keys (e.g. C0 vs C1) appears to be a Yamaha thing. I've encountered it on my MOXF8 when splitting the keyboard and defining ranges.
Very helpful review!
25:07 It's a rendition of Roland D-50's "Staccato Heaven"
Excellent presentation. Thanks !
We need a review for Yamaha ydp-144 and ydp-164, which is only slightly more expensive than the P-125
Merci ! 😃 Another great review ! 😃