Yamaha CP40 Review: Is It Worth the Money?
Are you looking to buy a digital piano? Want something light and easy to move around without compromising on quality?
Sometimes a keyboard just won’t cut it, but a real piano is cumbersome and doesn’t have the added functions of a digital instrument. You want something that feels and sounds like a real piano, with the added capabilities of sounds and effects.
The Yamaha CP40 is one of Yamaha’s most sophisticated stage pianos available on the market. It is an 88-key digital piano that is more lightweight than previous models. It has a huge range of functions as well as great sound quality.
If you are considering buying this piano you may want to do some research first. There are a lot of options out there and they don’t come cheap. Therefore, take a look at our review and think carefully before you make the commitment!
Yamaha CP40 at a Glance
Don’t want to read the full article, here’s a rundown of the specs of the Yamaha CP40.
Yamaha CP40 Key Features
- 15 CFIII Grand Piano sounds
- 247 voices
- 35 vintage electric piano sounds
- 62 VCM effects
- Hammer Action Keyboard
- 297 presets
- Layer, split and main solo functions
Product Specs
- 88 keys
- Size: 59.1 x 17.7 x 10 inches
- Weight: 36 pounds
Pros
- Lighted buttons for playing in the dark
- Stylish and sleek look
- Wide range of tones, voices and effects
- Lightweight
- 3-year warranty
Cons
- No built-in speakers
Our rating? 9/10. If you are looking for a great stage piano that is portable, feature-rich and good bang for your buck, we say go for it!
Why get the Yamaha CP40?
Let’s take a look at the Yamaha CP40’s top features in detail below.
Design
We love the sleek and stylish design of the Yamaha CP40. It comes in black and will look as professional and sophisticated in your living room as on stage. It is a classic Yamaha design and it is well made. It is comfortable to play and there are not really any complaints on the design front.
There is an LED light-up display screen which makes it easy to manage all the effects, volume, and sounds that you want. We also love the illumination feature of the keys so that you can see what you are doing in the dark. Playing a concert in a dark venue? You won’t need to ruin the ambiance with extra lighting when you have this feature.
Functions
The Yamaha CP40 has a large range of functions. You will not feel like you are missing out on anything from different voice tones to a range of effects. There are 15 different grand piano sounds so you can always find the perfect one. There is also a whopping choice of 35 vintage electric piano sounds.
We think that the 247 different voices are also more plentiful than you would ever need.
You can create a whole orchestra with just the piano and allows you the possibility of experimenting with different sounds and ideas. There are also functions like the layer function that allows you to play two sounds simultaneously from one key.
There is a split function that allows you to easily layer sounds by splitting the keyboard and managing everything through the LED screen.
You can switch patches as well as change volumes of different keys and turn effects on and off. One of the best things about all these functions? They are super intuitive to use. You don’t need to spend days reading the instruction manual. Just spend a little time looking at all the buttons, functions and the screen display. You will love how easy it is!
Keyboard
When you choose a piano, the keyboard is important. You want the keyboard to feel natural and like you are really playing a piano. The graded hammer-action keys are great and feel really smooth when playing.
They allow you a lot of subtlety when playing. They allow you to easily move from one to the next without thinking about it. The piano also has 88 keys which is great as there are many keyboards with fewer keys. You will get the full range of a piano with this keyboard, without the weight!
Sound
The sound quality of the Yamaha CP40 is excellent. Yamaha usually creates high-quality pianos but we think the Yamaha CP40 goes above and beyond. There are many different voices to choose from. You can find electric sounds as well as acoustic ones so you have total flexibility in the sound you create.
Some people found the organ sounds a little weak, but most are pretty good. The only downside of the sound is that there is no built-in speaker system like some other digital pianos have. This knocks off a few points from the score but it depends if you would use this feature much anyway.
Also, it comes with a stereo jack, so you can easily hook up a stereo when you need one. Which kind of removes the issue.
Compatibility
One of the main benefits of an electric piano over a traditional one is that you can create music, record it and store it. As well as edit it. This piano is no different. It has a USB port that allows you to store your musical creations. It has the ability to record music and even play it back.
It means all you need to experiment and create your own tunes is included right in the piano itself. It uses simple technology but it works well and it is really all you need. As well as being super easy to use.
Portability
While we have touched on this feature already, it deserves its own section. If you are a musician, it is highly likely that you will need to travel with your instrument. Perhaps you want to take it to your band practice.
Or maybe you move from location to location for concerts. Whatever the reason, you won’t have a problem with the Yamaha CP40. It is super lightweight and compact. You can move it around with ease.
Our verdict
To be perfectly honest… we absolutely love the Yamaha CP40! It doesn’t just have all the functions you need but it is a joy to play. The graded keys are realistic and smooth to play as well as sounding great. It is a shame that the piano has no built-in speaker but the sound is still pretty decent.
It has an intuitive design so you can really make the most of all the different functions with ease. We love the look as well which is sophisticated and cool.
It is a classic Yamaha but we actually prefer it to some of the sister models. And it is perfect for anyone that needs to transport their digital piano as it is surprisingly lightweight and portable.
Overall, we say go for it! You won’t find much better than the Yamaha CP40 when it comes to value for money.
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About the Author Linda Ritter
Linda Ritter is a passionate pianist and a songwriter for more than 7 years. With a Masters in Music, she has explored the world of music and has collaborated with several musicians and brands like Roland, Tune Core, and plenty of blogs.
