Yamaha announces the debut of the YPG-225, YPG-525 and YPG-625 portable keyboards. The new entries replace the Yamaha DGX line and are targeted to keyboard players of all levels, from beginners to serious hobbyists and semi-professionals.

All three models became available in June and feature USB functions, 32 notes of polyphony, recording capabilities and built-in speaker systems. Performance Assistant Technology ensures error-free performances, Music Database offers complete keyboard setups by song title, and Yamaha’s ultra-realistic Portable Grand function is activated by the press of a button. The built-in Yamaha Education Suite incorporates progressive exercises and timing lessons to help develop two-hand proficiency.

The 76-key YPG-225 (MSRP: $479.95) is an updated version of the Yamaha DGX-203 and features USB MIDI connectivity for quick and easy connection to a computer and the Internet. It also includes a six-track song recorder and Portable Keyboard Styles. Optional accessories include Survival Kit D, along with an optional wooden stand and bench.

“With the push of one button, the YPG-225 allows you to call up the best sound in the keyboard and just play,” says Mark Anderson, marketing manager, Yamaha Portable Keyboards. “USB connectivity allows customers to put additional songs in the keyboard that they want to learn to play using our Yamaha Education Suite features. In addition, there are five types of Master EQ settings that allow you to tweak the sound to your liking.”

The YPG-525 (MSRP: $899.95) is packed with features and functions, including 88 piano-style keys with Portable Keyboard Styles, high resolution Live! Grand Piano stereo sample, decorative wooden stand and sustain pedal. Other highlights include USB storage capability, five types of Master EQ, and a large LCD lyric and score display. Optional accessories include a bench and Survival Kit E.

“This is a piano-focused keyboard with a number of updates, including USB functions and more than a hundred auto accompaniment styles and songs to listen to or learn,” says Anderson.

The YPG-625 (MSRP: $1,099.99) is Yamaha’s first 88-key Graded Hammer System weighted action portable keyboard, and includes all the features of the YPG-525 with the addition of the look and sound of an acoustic piano—piano-style keys, a wooden stand and a sustain pedal. Optional accessories include a bench and Survival Kit E.

For more information, visit their web site at www.yamaha.com.

In 1976, Yamaha released the first of its CP series stage pianos. These “electric grands” became instant classics with their authentic sound and live performance convenience. Thirty years later, Yamaha celebrates those milestone keyboards by unveiling the the new CP300 and CP33.

Drawing on Yamaha’s rich tradition and experience, these instruments give the live performer all the sound and expressiveness of a grand piano with the portability and versatility of a modern digital instrument. The professional 88-note, weighted action portable stage pianos with enhanced performance and MIDI controller features are equally at home on the stage or in the studio.

“The CP300 and the CP33 represent the rebirth of the legendary CP series, which served as the professional musicians’ stage piano of choice,” said Dane Madsen, marketing manager, Digital Pianos, Pro Audio and Combo Division, Yamaha Corporation of America. “With Yamaha’s trademark emphasis on touch and tone, you can tell they’re made by people who know what a piano is supposed to feel and sound like. We are the only significant digital piano manufacturer that also makes acoustic pianos, experience that shows on the new CP line.”

The flagship CP300, which replaces the P250, features Yamaha’s signature Graded Hammer Effect action and 3-level, stereo-sampled grand piano voices with String Resonance (offering harmonic overtones), Stereo Sustain (simulating open strings while pedaling) and Key-Off Samples (providing recordings of felt dampers coming to rest on vibrating piano strings), which combine to provide the most authentic-sounding and finely nuanced acoustic piano voices. Two built-in 30 Watt stereo monitor speakers preclude the need for external amplification. During live performances, the speakers serve as built-in monitors; they also create vibrations throughout the cabinet that players can feel, bringing the playing experience one step closer to that of an acoustic piano. Balanced XLR outputs provide a crisp, clear, noise-free audio signal onstage or in the studio.

Other pro highlights include four new slider controls for internal sound levels or external MIDI control. Dedicated buttons for speaker ON/OFF, transpose and panel lock prevent the performer or anyone else from inadvertently changing the sound.

The CP33, which replaces the P90 and is geared toward the budget-minded performer, contains a number of professional performance enhancements, including two-zone slider controls that provide rapid balance adjustments between Split and Layer voices, Pitch-bend and Mod wheels, and an auxiliary foot controller input. A USB terminal connects to a computer for recording of performances and creating and arranging songs.

The CP300 (MSRP $2,699) began shipping in May and the CP33 (MSRP $1,699) began shipping in June.

For more information, visit their web site at www.yamaha.com.