Review: Yamaha P-45 – Portable Piano

For years, Yamaha’s P Series portable pianos have been popular with band musicians due to their appealing concept: a good grand piano sound and a solid keyboard in an affordable instrument. Of all the models, the Yamaha P-45 is the entry-level piano par excellence. Furthermore, it makes a Yamaha piano available for less than $400. Is that even possible?

With a weight of 11.5 kilos and very compact dimensions, the Yamaha P-45 is easy to store and transport. The manufacturer offers an optional stand that turns the black entry-level piano into a digital upright suitable for living rooms. Although it lacks a triple pedal, the instrument comes with a power supply, a simple foot switch for sustain, and a music rest. The 88-note “Graded Hammer Standard” keyboard is found on several other Yamaha pianos, including the “big brother,” the Yamaha P-125—an interesting digital piano in its own right.

The Successor: The Yamaha P-145!

The Yamaha P-45 has been an enormous success: it has been the entry-level bestseller for eight years. Starting in July 2023, the P-45 will be succeeded by the P-145. With its improved piano sound and contemporary features, the P-145 is poised to become the next big sales hit.

Yamaha P-45 – Reduced to the Essentials

The P-45 offers ten sounds, including two acoustic grand pianos as the main sounds. The first sound, “Grand Piano,” is suitable for all occasions: A well-balanced sampled concert grand piano with the typical aesthetic Yamaha sound and a relatively natural tonality. “Grand Piano 2” is a brighter version with more emphasis on the midrange. The 64-note polyphony falls within the normal range for this price category. However, if you are looking for a digital piano for beginners, you will find more powerful instruments in this regard.

Good Sound & Keyboard

The weighted 88-note hammer-action keyboard provides an adequate amount of resistance while playing. Meanwhile, the piano sounds are pleasantly dynamic and expressive. Three dynamic curves allow you to adjust the keystroke dynamics, and the matte black keys even have a slight “ebony feel.”

While the two built-in 12 cm speakers work well and are mostly noise-free, a power of 2 x 6 watts limits what they get out of the grand piano sounds. External amplification is only possible via the headphone jack. Otherwise, there is only a USB-to-host port for connecting to a computer or iPad.

What Else?

The P-45’s control panel is limited to an on/off button, a volume control, and a grand piano/function button. You can only select grand piano sound number one directly; all other operations require the keyboard and the “Function” button. The same applies to selecting the other nine sounds.

The selection includes a Fender Rhodes and an FM electric piano sound, two church organs, two harpsichord variants, a vibraphone, and a synthetic string sound. The sound quality is satisfactory. In “Dual” mode, you can layer two sounds and adjust their volume. There is also a reverb effect with four types. In “Dual” mode, you can assign one of these effects to one of the two sounds. In “Duo” mode, “Grand Piano 1” becomes available in two independent keyboard halves in the same octave range. This allows for four-handed playing. While the P-45 also features an integrated metronome, it does ot offer a recorder.

Rather than a sustain pedal, the P-45 comes with a simple foot switch. You can play with it, but it is not ideal. For a better experience, you’ll need to purchase the appropriate accessories (e.g., the Yamaha FC3A).

Conclusion: Entry-Level Bestseller

The Yamaha P-45 offers the company’s reliable digital piano features at an affordable price. This is certainly due in part to the abundance of low-budget, Chinese-produced instruments on the German market. If you’re looking for a digital piano for under $500 and are watching your budget, you can’t go wrong with the P-45! Its sound and keyboard quality are just right.

Yamaha P-45 – Overview

Release date: April 2015
Keyboard: 88 keys, Graded Hammer Standard
Polyphony: 64 voices
Sound generation: Sampling
Included accessoires: Power supply, music rest, simple sustain pedal (foot switch)
Special features: –