My go-to strategy for testing this involves layering the default piano preset with strings. With the orchestral ensemble set to a low volume, this creates an epic, rich soundscape that works really well for vocal-led pieces.

Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) keyboard action is a type of keyboard technology used in digital pianos. It is designed to replicate the feel of playing an acoustic piano, by providing keys with a heavier touch in the lower range and lighter touch in the higher range, just like an acoustic piano. One other significant area in which the CLP and YDP ranges differ is in the number of sounds on offer. The YDP-145 has ten sounds on board, so the emphasis is definitely on quality rather than quantity here. Aside from the main CFX grand piano sound, there are two alternative piano voices - Mellow Grand and Pop Grand - to choose from. Although there are versions of the famous DX7 E-piano and a more than acceptable Fender Rhodes-style sound, we were a bit disappointed to find no Wurlitzer EP200 patch - no impromptu covers of Supertramp’s Logical Song or Queen’s ‘You’re My Best Friend’ for us! The RP701/F701 also includes Roland’s SuperNATURAL sound engine, which combines conventional sampling with some nifty software modeling to produce its piano sounds. While some might describe the piano tones as ‘sterile’ due to their clean, close-mic’d sound, I’d still consider them perfect for practice and general use.

FlowKey is one of the world's most popular apps for learning to play the piano. Even beginners can learn to play a wide array of songs on their acoustic piano, digital piano or keyboard in next to no time. The flowkey piano app is the ideal companion for those starting to learn the piano. Choose your favourites from a wide range of songs and start playing right away or learn in the traditional way with one of the many tutorials available. If you’re someone who does some recording from time to time, this is an awesome feature, and I sincerely hope that more manufacturers start including it in their products.

The Yamaha YDP145 digital piano replaced the massively popular YDP144 and they have made some great improvements to the sound, feel and features. The YDP145 has a nice responsive 88 key weighted graded hammer action that absorbs the player into the piano. You have 10 sounds to choose from and you can dual sounds together too! Available in different finished (all with a pull out key cover) it makes a lovely piece of furniture. Its compact size and value for money price point make it a great choice for many people. Highly respected by teachers and recommended all over the world, this piano is considered excellent for any one wishing to learn the piano or accomplished pianists too. I think this piano is great value and plays well. MASTER TUNING. The central tuning of the keyboard can be changed in steps of 0.2 Hz. The default pitch is the standard 440.0Hz for Middle A. Put simply, that means that the GHS key action has weighted keys so the lower notes are heavier than the higher notes, as is typical on an acoustic piano. Duo mode splits the keyboard into two halves, each sharing the same octave range. This is primarily designed for teachers who teach one-on-one lessons, where they can sit alongside their students for convenient demonstrations. You should get an instant answer on whether your application has been successful, though in some rare cases Klarna or V12 may need to look at the application in more detail.The YDP 145 is compatible with Yamaha's smart pianist app which allows you to control the instrument using your Android or iOS device. Access all the functions with the simplicity of your touchscreen with this free app. The app also gives you access to the piano room function which allows you to adjust even more settings associated with the piano voices to suit your own personal taste. In an acoustic piano, the way the cabinet, soundboard and strings resonate together when you play makes up a huge part of the behaviour and character of the instrument's sound. Virtual Resonance Modelling technology (VRM) is Yamaha's system for modelling this behaviour in their digital pianos, and as you'd expect, they've got it down to a very fine art indeed. All 4 of the reverb algorithms described above sound nice, adding a noticeable, but not overbearing tail decay to each sound, with some damping of the higher frequencies to avoid the shimmer effect you’d get from poorly tuned reverbs.

All products in Yamaha’s Arius YDP lineup support the Smart Pianist companion app on iOS and Android. The Yamaha YDP-145 is a solid mid-range digital piano that offers a range of useful features for players of all skill levels. It has a realistic sound quality and adjustable touch response, as well as a solid build quality that can withstand regular use. If an item can not be repaired, a similar alternative product or cash discount (as defined in this policy) will be offered The controls themselves are not the issue. The buttons and knobs share the same quality construction I’d expect from a world-leader in piano manufacturing. The issue is the limited quantity of the controls.The YDP-145 features a piano Voice sampled from Yamaha’s flagship CFX concert grand piano—a renowned piano that delivers sparkling highs and a powerful resonant bass combined in a superbly expressive sound. The YDP-145 comes with a minimal set of connectivity options, but the essentials are there for those who need them. The organs are also decent, with the jazz organ feeling particularly rich thanks to its simulated rotary speaker. It’s just a shame that you can’t tweak the rotary speed. The new onboard technology corrects the sound balance according to the volume, ensuring a more natural sound is generated that’s gentle on your ears. This is also teamed up with their Stereophonic Optimizer– a truly amazing piece of technology.

There’s also an orchestral string ensemble. In isolation, these strings are a bit overwhelming, and there’s little to no dynamics that you can control. The effect simply limits the maximum output volume to a predefined threshold, which will protect from ear damage due to overly loud amplitudes. Players can also customize the keyboard’s response to their individual playing styles with the YDP-145’s adjustable touch sensitivity. This means that whether you are a beginner or an experienced pianist, you can set the keyboard’s touch response to your liking, providing you with the ideal playing experience. As a result, the Yamaha Smart Pianist App is a valuable addition to the Yamaha digital piano owners’ arsenal of tools, as it enhances the functionality and versatility of the instrument in general. Pros and Cons of the Yamaha YDP-145 Intelligent Acoustic Control (IAC) provides a full, balanced sound with rich lows and clear highs even at low volume. Whilst playing at low volumes, one will often struggle to hear the bass and treble in as much detail as normal. Yamaha's IAC function automatically adjusts the sound whilst the volume control makes fine adjustments to the speaker system, ensuring that you can always enjoy the utmost sound quality even at low volumes. Immerse yourself in your playingWith the Stereophonic Optimizer, when you plug in your headphones, the sound is less tiring – so you can play for even longer. One big difference here is Casio’s Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II key action. It’s name is a mouthful, but the key action itself is pretty good. In my opinion, these surpass Yamaha’s GHS keys in terms of realism and playability. You may wonder how it is possible to have 32, 64, or even 128 notes playing simultaneously, if there are only 88 keys and we never play them all at once. The Yamaha Clavinova CLP-735 has all of the features and functions of the YDP-184 but with a better, and noticeably less heavy key action with faster response plus many more things you can do with the piano. The Clavinova CLP-735 also has the addition of a beautiful European Bosendorfer grand piano sound not available in the Arius pianos, and comes with a much longer warranty.