With a more upscale grand piano sound and even more compact dimensions than its predecessor, the Yamaha P-225 should score points not only within its series.
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Pros and Cons
With a more upscale grand piano sound and even more compact dimensions than its predecessor, the Yamaha P-225 should score points not only within its series.
Within Yamaha’s Portable series, P models with a 200 in their name were once heavy 30-pound behemoths. The Yamaha P-225, however, comes after a 100 model, the P-125 – and is even slightly less bulky than its predecessor. The “Graded Hammer Compact” type keyboard, GHC for short, makes this possible – it replaces the GHS (“S” as in “Standard”).
In comparison with the P-125, the P-225 comes with a new case and four built-in speakers in new positions. Yamaha also restructured the – still display-less – control panel, though without adding any new buttons. While this instrument of the 1000 Euro class was built into a plastic chassis, the workmanship seems neat. Furthermore, a narrower base, on which the rest of the piano body rests, hides the two connector panels.
Less problematic with the two headphone jacks on the front left, but more so with the rear panel: you can only reach the connections – sustain and triple pedal, USB-to-Host (incl. USB audio/MIDI), stereo outputs for standard jack and the power supply socket – from the rear of the Yamaha P-225. However, this design also has one advantage: The connected cables barely protrude above the upper part of the case and are thus quite protected.
The Portable Piano is delivered, including a music stand and foot switch, as well as the external power supply. You can choose between a white and a black version. Optionally available are a stand and a triple pedal unit – permanent installation is possible. With this, the P-225 not only passes as a fashionable home piano, but the pedal unit alone also makes this accessory a gain in terms of playability.
The Yamaha P-225 is equipped with a simple foot switch for the sustain function. You can play with it, but it does not exactly create a piano feeling. Unfortunately, the manufacturer cuts costs here, so you should plan on getting an optional sustain pedal right away.
While Yamaha still uses the “Pure CF” sound generation in the predecessor, the P-225 is the first model below the 1000-euro mark to receive their CFX concert grand sound. This sound from the in-house Clavinova series is also found in the expensive P models 515/525 and S500.
This upgrade makes the mid-range P model a clear contender for the position of best-sounding portable piano in its class. The excellent grand piano sound comes with realistic string, damper, and cabinet resonances (here: “VRM Lite,” i.e., not adjustable in detail). Also convincing in the length of the samples and the decay, it is available in three other variants: a live-oriented as well as a more muted sound, and a mid-emphasized bright piano.
The grand piano already sounds coherent via the built-in playback system alone. A special feature in this price range is the use of four speakers, which the predecessor had as well. The sound, coming from both rear and front speakers on the P-225, is pleasantly transparent and present despite little amplifier power. It remains undisturbed even at full volume.
The new keyboard plays very familiarly well and with decent resistance. Like the GHS, it is one of the heavier-weighted manuals. The repetition of the GHC is just as good, and you quickly warm up to it. You have to do without textured top layers, at least the black keys have a matte finish for better grip.
For piano lessons, there is also the duo function, which makes the grand piano sound playable on each half of the split keyboard. Accordingly, there is a second headphone jack.
Just as with its predecessor, the P-225’s 24 sounds are sorted into six groups with four entries each. In each group, there is one main sound and three “variations” – but behind them are often completely independent sounds. Selecting sounds is well-solved, even without a display.
In addition to the four grand piano sounds in “A.Piano,” the “E.Piano” group again contains Fender Rhodes, DX7 piano, and a Wurlitzer sound, as well as a synthetic electric piano with a surface component. The “Organ” section provides a jazz and a rock organ Hammond sound alongside a church organ in two registrations.
The “Clv./Vib.” section features a funky clavinet and a vibraphone with tremolo next to a realistic harpsichord and its octave version. Realistic stereo strings in a dynamic and slow variation, a nice choir sound, and a universal synthpad occupy the “Strings” group.
You can quickly layer many of these sounds by pressing two of the group buttons simultaneously. If desired, you select variations of the sounds beforehand. Layering two sounds of the same group is not possible with this method, however. Thanks to 192-voice polyphony, you can also play layered sounds with full confidence.
A double bass, available without as well as with cymbals, an electric bass, and a fretless bass, occupies the sixth sound group, “Bass”. You can only play these four bass sounds in split settings. Here, a sound from another bank is always present on the right side of the keyboard.
You can adjust the four reverb effect types, which are simulating rooms from clubs to large concert halls in intensity. In addition, certain sounds feature modulation effects such as chorus and rotary speaker, but they are fixed and permanently assigned.
All additional sounds seem handpicked and of high quality. The same applies to a realistic drum set that has been integrated for the playback of 20 rhythms. These drum grooves, from rock and pop to Latin, include an automatic bass track that follows the harmonies you play with the left hand. A motivating feature for jamming that could have come with more rhythms.
The P-225 does not do without a transposer and metronome. It also features a small two-track recorder for MIDI recording of songs, particularly for recording the right and left-hand voices separately. However, there is only storage space for one user song. For ambidextrous rehearsing, Yamaha’s 50 “Classical Musical Masterpieces” are available again. You may already know these from their in-house Arius home pianos.
The P-225 is compatible with Yamaha’s free “Smart Pianist” app. Thanks to the Bluetooth interface, the piano can wirelessly connect to a mobile device with the app – in contrast to its predecessor.
This software makes more than 300 additional MIDI practice tracks available and also features notation and a note-tracking display. With the app, you can record songs not only as MIDI but also as audio files and then, using a tablet or smartphone, back up numerous recordings. Further, you can play back a song library on the external player via the piano speakers.
As always, the app also shines with its control function: The touch display of the mobile devices makes adjusting settings on the Yamaha P-225 super convenient. Setting parameters on the piano itself – such as changing the metronome tempo or the volume and octave positions of the two-layer sounds – only works by simultaneously pressing the keyboard keys and the function button.
Furthermore, the manufacturer recommends using the “Rec’n’Share” app for quickly creating video clips of your performance and sharing them online. Made famous by Yamaha’s e-drums, this app’s functionality will supposedly extend further to the keyboard area. You first record the video using the camera of a smartphone or tablet. Afterward, you can easily edit the video and audio track in the app to prepare your work for YouTube and social networks.
You can accomplish audio and video recording as described above quite easily using the Rec’n’Share app. The USB connection not only transmits USB MIDI as its predecessor but also digital audio signals. This also allows playing online lessons or the sound of piano apps such as Pure Piano via the Yamaha P-225’s speaker system. While you do not need any audio cables apart from a USB cable, a Camera Connection Kit for iOS devices or an OTG adapter for Android devices is required.
The less expensive P-145 is Yamaha’s second compact model with the GHC keyboard. It offers the multisample of a Yamaha CFIII grand piano, including damper resonances as the main sound. This sounds a bit more sober than the noble CFX sound, and you can only play it with a polyphony of 64 voices. The Yamaha P-225, on the other hand, comes with the VR lite and can, therefore, reproduce string resonances in greater detail.
With two speakers, the built-in playback system is also simpler, and ten voices reduce the sound selection to the bare minimum. Unfortunately, the P-145 does not have separate outputs, so you have to use a headphone jack for external amplification. Bluetooth is not on board, but USB (cable connection) is.
Compatibility with the Yamaha apps allows retrofitting of learning and recording functions. A stand with a triple pedal is also optionally available for this model. The P-145 is a budget alternative to the P-225, which is better equipped in many respects.
With pianists, Yamaha’s inexpensive P models have always been a popular alternative to expensive stage pianos, permitting them to fit musically. With excellent Clavinova CFX grand piano sound as a noticeable upgrade, the Yamaha P-225 will continue this trend.
You quickly warm up to the GHC keys, and the other features of the compact and comparatively light piano – from the sound selection to the app operation, including the USB audio/MIDI function – also leave a well-rounded impression. A small point of criticism: In this price range, a decent sustain pedal should come with the piano instead of a footswitch.
Pros and Cons
Henrik Bruns
Compared to the predecessor, the CFX sound is a noticeable upgrade.
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