Yamaha has really changed the way pianos have been used with the introduction of its portable sets. Apart from being lightweight and easy to carry, these pianos also carry a number of great features that add value to every single penny of money spent on them. We are here to discuss the specifications and features of the Yamaha P125 along with its pros and cons.
Table of Contents
- Yamaha P125 Digital Piano Review
- The Overall Design of the Yamaha P125
- How Its Keys Feel Like
- Different Modes of Playing
- How the Piano Sounds
- Sound Amplification System
- Teaching Mode
- Yamaha P125 Connectivity Features
- Alternative Products
- Yamaha MX88 88-Key Weighted Action Synthesizer
- Yamaha MODX8 88-Key Synthesizer Workstation
- Yamaha P125A, 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano with Power Supply and Sustain Pedal, Black (P125AB) & LP1B 3-Pedal Unit for P125, P121 or P515, Black
- Yamaha YDPS54WH Arius Series Slim Digital Console Piano, Satin White
- Alternatives of Yamaha P125
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yamaha P125 Digital Piano Review
Features | Rating |
Performance and sounds | 9.5 |
Connectivity | 9.3 |
Build Quality | 9.2 |
Value for money | 9.6 |
What’s Best in Yamaha P125?
- Compact, portable, and lightweight design
- 192 note polyphony that helps the player never go out of notes
- 24 high-quality sounds from different instruments
- The realistic tone of the CFIIIS grand
- Excellent sound quality and speakers
- Compatible with the smart pianist app
What’s Lacking in Yamaha P125?
- This piano doesn’t come with a triple pedal unit or a stand.
- The P-125 features traditional plastic keys that look shiny but lack texturing on its surface.
Number of Keys | 88 |
Piano Sound | Pure CF Sound Engine |
Weight | 26 lbs |
Keyboard Type | Graded Hammer Standard keyboard |
USB to host connectivity | Yes |
Polyphony | 192 |
The Overall Design of the Yamaha P125
This piano is a perfect mixture of both traditional elements and modern design details. It features an elegant curve at its front panel and has a felt ribbon accent, in red color running across its keys. This would surely impress the older adults as these features mimic the traditional piano designs, with a minimalistic look.
This piano is of the highest quality plastic and is available in white and black colors. It is portable, you can take it to consorts, for parties, and even to school and college competitions and stage shows. It weighs just 26 pounds and its dimensions are roughly 52 x 11.6 x 6.5 inches, good enough to get fit on a narrow classroom desk.
Even if you place it on an old piece of wood, it still sounds great, as it has a special setting known as Table EQ, this helps to optimize the sound when the unit has to be placed and played on a flat surface.
As we said earlier, its control panel is simple in contrast to a column of keys on other pianos. There are just 14 buttons on the front panel of the piano and there are LED indicators built under them so that you know exactly what function is being played at the moment.
There are special buttons for different sound sections such as the bass, E.piano, strings, organ, piano, etc., and there are special buttons for rhythms, recording, metronome features, etc. The volume slider helps in increasing or decreasing the volume of the piano gradually. As there are limited automated options available, this keyboard is an ideal unit for those who wish to develop their inherent keyboard skills.
Most of the time, the pianist has to use the button + key combination to tune their songs and the P125 is compatible with the smart pianist app from Yamaha, which helps people to control the functions of the instrument with the help of a graphic interface.
Related Reading:- List of Best Yamaha Digital Pianos 2023
How Its Keys Feel Like
The pianist who creates the best music out of the keys in the instrument is aware of the placement of the keys and they know exactly which key to strike for a specific chord. It is highly important that their hands don’t flip off and touch the neighboring key instead.
The Keys of the Yamaha P125 feature a matte finish, which makes them the best piano for high humid situations. The pianist is able to have an authentic performance as their fingers are less likely to slip off the keys.
The keys of the piano follow the hammer standard action as that of acoustic pianos of ancient times. We can claim that the sound emitted from this 88-keyed piano renders a more natural feel and is definitely a great value for the money spent.
The keyboard is sensitive to touch, they feel heavier at the lower registers (at the proximal end) and lighter at the higher registers (distal end), just like the acoustic piano. The keys can alter the volume and timbre of the sound, depending on how hard or soft, you play its keys.
Beginners and those who are learning to play the piano should resort to medium touch sensitivity. As they get proficient, they can choose between the four touch settings – soft, medium, hard, and fixed. Remember that when you select the fixed setting, the piano resonates with the same volume of sound, irrespective of the force on the keys.
Check out: Yamaha YDP-184 Arius Series Flagship Digital Piano Review
Different Modes of Playing
There are totally four modes to choose from when you buy the P125 piano. Apart from the whole keyboard mode, the three additional modes are the dual-mode, split mode and
If you want to create the sounds of two different musical instruments for your stage show, then you can choose the dual mode. In this mode, when you press a key, two sounds of two different instruments, for example, the guitar and piano play together.
By resorting to the split mode, you actually divide the keyboard into two halves on the left side you play the guitar and on the right, you play the piano. There is no layering of music tones here as that of dual-mode.
The Duo mode or the twin mode or partner mode splits the board into two equal parts and helps in duet play. It creates a feeling that the entire piano is divided into two 44 keys pianos. This function is meant for teachers, who can make two students play the same note at one time from the same piano.
How the Piano Sounds
Here comes the most important feature of the P125 piano. Every time you strike the keys, you listen to the high-quality pure CF sound engine of the CFIIIS concert grand. Each of the sounds is recorded at different velocity levels to recreate the sound range and richness of the acoustic piano.
This piano also incorporates organic elements such as string resonance, key-off simulation, etc to enrich the sound quality and to make it sound more natural. You will love the depth, realism, and richness of the sounds this piano creates. The Yamaha P125 has 24 built-in tones (six sounds with 4 tone variations each).
Polyphony or the number of notes this piano could produce at the same time is about 192 notes. Thus, you could never run out of notes with this piano. Other pianos at this price point struggle to create 128 notes.
Check out this complete demo of Yamaha P125 on YouTube.
Sound Amplification System
The P-125 features a newly redesigned speaker system. It has four speakers, two on either side. Two of them are 12 cm, full-range speakers, whereas the other two are 4 cm tweeters. All four ensure crystal clear sound quality even at higher frequencies.
The speakers are capable of creating 14 W power, good enough to fill a small size auditorium with great sound amplification. Apart from the table EQ feature, this piano has a sound boost feature, which helps in getting the chords sharper and louder.
The intelligent acoustic control, the proprietary technology of Yamaha helps in adjusting the frequency response for better and clear audibility of both the high and low register notes.
Teaching Mode
The P125 has a library of 50 preset piano chords of famous composers. You can listen to these songs and use them to practice as well. You can divide the keyboard into half, while the first half plays back, you can play the song live on the other.
For listening and evaluating your own performance, you can take advantage of its recording and playback feature. You have to record the chords in MIDI format and transfer the same to the PC. You can also play two independent tracks and play them together as a single song. You can also import songs from the computer in MIDI format and store them on this piano to learn the song and practice it.
Yamaha P125 Connectivity Features
The Yamaha P125 features two headphone jacks, a USB jack to host port, sustain pedal jack, and Aux jacks. The headphone jack is at the front left side of the piano which helps to plug two pairs of headphones at a time.
The Aux out connects the piano with external audio equipment like an amplifier, mixer, PA system, etc. The USB to host jack connects the piano with a computer to exchange MIDI data and songs.
Accessories
The piano does not come with a stand but comes with a music rest feature. Other accessories with the piano are the sustain pedal or footswitch, AC power adaptor, and owner’s manual.
Alternative Products
Yamaha MX88 88-Key Weighted Action Synthesizer
A versatile and feature-rich keyboard that provides a realistic playing experience, a variety of sounds, and performance features is the Yamaha MX88 88-Key Weighted Action Synthesizer. The Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) keyboard of the MX88, which mimics the feel of an acoustic piano, is one of its notable characteristics. As a result, it is a fantastic option for pianists seeking a digital substitute without compromising the playing experience. The keyboard is also velocity-sensitive, so the intensity with which you strike a note will affect its volume and timbre. The synthesizer includes more than 1,000 top-notch sounds from Yamaha’s Motif series that span a variety of musical genres.
The user-friendly controls and interface make it simple to access and modify the sounds. Further performance characteristics of the MX88 include an integrated arpeggiator, a 16-part multi-timbral mode, and several effects processors. It is a fantastic option for both live performance and studio recording because of these features. The MX88’s dedicated DAW remote mode, which lets you operate your digital audio workstation (DAW) directly from the keyboard, is another benefit. For musicians who utilize their keyboard as a MIDI controller, this capability is extremely helpful. The Yamaha MX88 88-Key Weighted Action Synthesizer is a great option for both seasoned musicians and aspiring artists, in general.
It is a flexible tool for live performance and studio recording because of its realistic piano-playing experience, variety of sounds, and performance features. The main drawback is its cost, which some musicians could find to be too high.
Yamaha MODX8 88-Key Synthesizer Workstation
A strong and adaptable keyboard with cutting-edge technology, simple controls, and a realistic playing experience is the Yamaha MODX8 88-Key Synthesizer Workstation. It is a great option for seasoned musicians, sound designers, and budding artists because it has a variety of high-quality sound and performing options. The MODX8 stands out for its newly created Motion Control Synthesis Engine, which enables real-time synthesis and manipulation of different sound sources. Yamaha’s acclaimed AWM2 and FM-X sound engines are combined in the engine, offering a wide variety of sounds and textures that cover a wide spectrum of musical genres. The 88-key graded hammer action keyboard on the MODX8 also replicates the sensation of an acoustic piano.
Because the keyboard is velocity-sensitive, the intensity with which you strike a note will affect its volume and timbre. As a result, it’s a fantastic option for pianists seeking a digital substitute without compromising the playing experience. A wide variety of musical genres are represented by the synthesizer’s more than 2,000 high-quality sounds, which vary from acoustic and electric pianos to strings, brass, and synthesizer sounds. The user-friendly controls and interface make it simple to access and modify the sounds. Further performance characteristics of the MODX8 include an integrated arpeggiator, a 16-part multi-timbral mode, and a number of effects processors.
It is a fantastic option for both live performance and studio recording because of these features. The MODX8’s connection with Yamaha’s FM Essential mobile app, which enables you to create and exchange sounds with other MODX users, is an additional benefit. Also, the app offers a variety of guides and resources to help you make the most of your synthesizer. The Yamaha MODX8 88-Key Synthesizer Workstation is a top-notch keyboard that provides a realistic playing experience, a variety of sounds, and performance characteristics. It is a great option for professional musicians, sound designers, and budding artists due to its Motion Control Synthesis Engine, user-friendly controls, and compatibility with the FM Essential mobile app.
The main drawback is its cost, which some musicians could find to be too high. The MODX8 is unquestionably a viable option if you’re seeking a top-notch synthesizer workstation that can handle any musical genre or style.
Yamaha P125A, 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano with Power Supply and Sustain Pedal, Black (P125AB) & LP1B 3-Pedal Unit for P125, P121 or P515, Black
The P125A’s Pure CF Sound Engine, which utilizes Yamaha’s famed CFIIIS 9′ concert grand piano sound, is one of its notable characteristics. Even the pickiest listeners will be impressed by the rich, nuanced sound this sound engine offers. Electric pianos, organs, and strings are just a few of the various high-quality sounds available on the P125A. The P125A is convenient to set up and use immediately out of the box because it also includes a power supply and sustains pedal. The LP1B 3-Pedal Unit, which offers a variety of pedal possibilities for experienced players, is one of the accessories for the piano that are compatible with a variety of other accessories.
With a variety of pedal selections that mimic an acoustic piano’s pedals, the LP1B 3-Pedal Unit is a fantastic addition to the P125A. You may create a variety of expressive and nuanced performances with the help of the unit’s sustain, soft, and sostenuto pedals. The P125A’s lightweight and compact form, which makes it simple to travel and set up in a variety of locations, is another benefit of the device. Also, the piano offers a variety of connectivity options, such as USB and MIDI, that let you link it to a variety of hardware and software.
As a result, anyone seeking a high-quality digital piano that provides a realistic playing experience and a variety of functions should check out the Yamaha P125A and LP1B 3-Pedal Unit. The P125A is a great option for both beginning and advanced pianists thanks to its Pure CF Sound Engine, 88-key weighted action keyboard, and accessory compatibility. Advanced musicians now have an additional layer of adaptability thanks to the LP1B 3-Pedal Unit, enabling them to deliver expressive and subtle performances. The Yamaha P125A and LP1B 3-Pedal Unit is unquestionably something to think about if you’re searching for a high-quality digital piano that can develop with you as your talents advance.
Yamaha YDPS54WH Arius Series Slim Digital Console Piano, Satin White
The gorgeous Yamaha YDPS54WH Arius Series Slim Digital Console Piano in Satin White combines classic grand piano style and feel with cutting-edge digital technology. The YDPS54WH’s design and functionality are a result of Yamaha’s expertise as a leading brand in the musical instrument industry for more than a century. The YDPS54WH’s slim shape, one of its standout qualities, makes it a fantastic option for anyone who wants a full-sized digital piano but has limited room. The instrument is slightly shallower than a conventional grand piano, measuring a little over 15 inches deep.
The YDPS54WH has a thin design but weighs over 100 pounds, making it a robust instrument despite this, giving it a stable and secure feeling when in use. The YDPS54WH’s gorgeous Satin White finish lends a touch of refinement to any space. The instrument will keep its stunning appearance for many years to come thanks to the finish’s strength and ease of maintenance. The YDPS54WH has a sleek, contemporary style with a simple interface that is simple to use. The Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) keyboard from Yamaha, which mimics the feel of an acoustic piano, is found on the YDPS54WH. Like an acoustic piano, the GHS keyboard has weighted keys that need varying amounts of pressure to press.
The feeling of playing the instrument becomes more genuine and lifelike as a result. Moreover, the keyboard is touch-sensitive, thus the amount of pressure used to push the keys affects how loud a sound is produced. Yamaha’s Pure CF sound engine, which simulates the sound of a Yamaha CFIIIS concert grand piano, is featured in the YDPS54WH. This indicates that the piano-like sound the instrument generates is deep, real, and true. The player can personalize their experience by adjusting the tone utilizing the instrument’s numerous parameters. Other digital features of the YDPS54WH include a metronome, recording capabilities, and a selection of pre-set instrument sounds. These characteristics make the instrument very adaptable, enabling the user to experiment with many musical sounds and genres.
Overall, the Satin White Yamaha YDPS54WH Arius Series Slim Digital Console Piano is a superb instrument that fuses conventional design with cutting-edge technology. Its small size makes it an excellent option for anyone with limited room, and its real feel and sound make playing it enjoyable. The YDPS54WH is a top pick for musicians of all abilities due to Yamaha’s attention to detail and commitment to quality in every element.
Alternatives of Yamaha P125
- Kawai ES110 Piano
- Roland FP-30 Digital Piano
- Yamaha P45 Digital Piano
- Casio PX-160 Digital Piano
- Best Digital Pianos & Keyboards for Beginners
- Best Budget Digital Pianos Under $500
Conclusion
Yamaha synthesizers are renowned for their excellent sound, adaptability, and user-friendliness. Many sound engines, comprehensive modulation options, and potent sequencing and arpeggiation tools are just a few of the many features they offer. Yamaha synthesizers are a great option for live performances and studio production because they can easily be integrated with other digital audio gear. Yamaha has a variety of synthesizers to choose from, from sophisticated workstations like the Montage and MODX to portable mini-synths like the Reface series, to fit a variety of demands and price points.
Electronic, pop, rock, and film scores are just a few of the musical styles that use Yamaha synthesizers. Yamaha synthesizers are digital signal processing (DSP)-based musical instruments that produce sound. One of the top synthesizer producers is Yamaha, and musicians, producers, and sound designers use their equipment extensively worldwide. In general, musicians and producers that want powerful synthesis abilities and high-quality sound frequently choose Yamaha synthesizers. Yamaha synthesizers provide artists and sound designers with countless creative options because of their extensive feature sets and simple user interfaces.
We can summarize that the Yamaha P125 is one of the best in the entire range of digital pianos from Yamaha (Yamaha YDP-103, YDP-144, YDP-164, etc..). Apart from being compact and user-friendly it also poses an elegant design that you will resist taking your fingers off it. It does not have a complex console and looks simple and neat in its exteriors, but surpasses its precursors with regard to its features.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What Distinguishes A Keyboard From A Synthesiser?
A keyboard is a type of musical instrument with a series of keys that, when pressed, make sounds. On the other hand, a synthesizer is a sort of electronic keyboard that uses digital signal processing to create and alter sounds. Although keyboards are a feature of all synthesizers, not all keyboards are synthesizers.
2. Which Keyboard Models Does Yamaha Offer?
Digital pianos, portable keyboards, and arranger workstations are just a few of the keyboards that Yamaha has to offer. They also provide specialized keyboards, such as stage pianos and MIDI controllers.
3. A Yamaha Motif Synthesizer: What Is It?
High-end sound engines, huge sound libraries, and potent sequencing and arpeggiation skills are all hallmarks of the MOTIF series.
4. What Distinguishing Qualities Does A Yamaha Synthesizer Have?
Yamaha synthesizers are a great option for live performances and studio production because they can easily be integrated with other digital audio gear.
5. The Yamaha Montage Synthesizer Is What?
It includes significant sound-shaping capabilities, including motion control and real-time control of many parameters, and has two sound engines, FM-X and AWM2.
Thank You for the amazing Yamaha P125 piano review. I was so confused about whether to buy it or not. But now I have already ordered this digital piano from Yamaha as I always wanted a lightweight piano with most acoustic sound. And this decision has come after days of research. I also looked into other lightweight models of Yamaha, but P125 seems to be the best option available at this price.