Yamaha P-85 Contemporary Digital Piano

I was looking for a weighted 88 Key Keyboard with great grand piano sound. I did not want or need 240 sounds on a unit better suited for industrial sound effects than true Piano. Well this keyboard gave me exactly what I was looking for. The weighted keys feel great. Testing every Keyboard in the store, None was markedly better and some more expensive units felt spongy and the action was slow. These keys have realistic feel and quick action. The Grand Piano sound is excellent. It truly lets you bleed your emotions on the piano with excellent tone and sensitivity. The only draw backs, if you can call em that are using the headphone jack for output. This kills the speakers (Which it should) but can be troublesome for someone looking for an onstage unit. Also the other sounds are lacking a bit. I like the layering you can do with the strings but they don't stand well on their own. You also cannot miss place the quick start sheet as the whole operation and settings are on it. I'm sure I will memorize this over time but.. If you are looking for an excellent weighted action Piano with great piano sound, I would highly recommend this unit and would buy it again.

i've had the p85 for several months now. i researched many digital pianos before buying this one. overall i'm happy with my purchase but there are a few things i don't like about it. pros: -great sound -portable -lightweight -attractive -relatively good touch and hammer action -keys are sturdy cons: -can be difficult to hit the same key over and over quickly (keys don't "spring" back up like on acoustic piano) -sometimes sound cuts out when using sustain pedal i've noticed with many of the ditial pianos, there can be this sound loss when played too quickly. i'm not sure what this is caused by. nonetheless, the p85 plays and feels better to me than any other digital piano i've tried out, even the more expensive korg models. i grew up on a top notch baldwin grand but it's not mine to play anymore. i do have a 1950s baldwin upright at home but find myself actually playing this p85 much more often, suprisingly. overall a great buy that has really helped me strengthen my hands and fingers. the keys are also a bit larger than the pianos i'm used to playing, but this has helped my reach and caused me to play more accurately.

I was disappointed with this product. I returned it and got a replacement (same model) but the replacement had exactly the same defect if I may call it that. 3 keys did not sound right specifically G2 and F#2 when in Grand 1 mode, they sounded like harpsichord notes cracked and totally unrelated to the nearby keys F and A. In Grand2 mode these keys were OK but the G1 now sounded like a harpsichord note. I have to return it again and get another model which I hope doesn't disappoint. I hated to lug it back and tried to live with it but I just couldn't. I just want Yamaha to be aware of this. In the Grand mode, the base notes sounded like electronic piano sounds alienated from the higher keys.

This keyboard is great for practce, but not for playing out live. Keyboard plays ok, Piano sound is good/not great. The reverb is NOT good... This keyboard does not rest on a stand very well, you will need to buy Yamaha's stand or put it on your counter top or table...I have mine on a quick lock stand and it moves and wobbles.(really stupid) But, it's cheap, light weight and...well that's the best features!

When i first got the keyboard i was very excited. I was happy when i saw it came with a pedal and a music stand. When I played it, I couldn't believe the feeling of the keys and the quality of the sound. The features are amazing. With the ability to combine instruments I can now make unique and amazing music. And i can't forget about the price. I would expect much more for a keyboard like this. So i was very surprised when i got such a good keyboard, for a fairly good price. After doing a lot of research and hunting, this was the keyboard i chose. I hope that you decide to choose it too.

The main reason I bought this keyboard is for the weight, it's light enough (26 lbs)not to be a drag to get to the gig, the feel is really good too, never could get a weighted key with not lugging 40 something pounds before.. my old case almost weighed as much as this keyboard.. I can't seem to get a great acoustic sound though it's good enough but not killer, I run a roland kc-150 for most small gigs and is better in stereo PA.. has a awesome electric Piano, and church organ, strings.and vibe, 2 harsi (who uses that?)..which I only use the electric piano and vibes.. so acoustic is the main sound for me, it's ok. just passible but enough to bug me while playing The music holder is pretty cheesy and won't fit most gig bags..so have to take a real music stand if I need to read.. and of course I was told it had a foot pedal which is doesn't, so there's another 30 bucks, also it has a funny bottom, which is tough to get to not tip or slide around on some stands. In board speakers are nice but unfortunatly can't be used as monitors if you run to an amp...the recorder works well. if you need that sort of thing.. for a learner or a beginner I'm sure it will do the job, but for a pro that's wanting less weight, will get you by, would be fin for rock, but for jazz you better really check the acoustic piano out first..so far it has lasted through about 10 gigs and worked fine in 107 degree heat by a pool... Sure beats carrying a fully weighted 88 key piano though..