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| Should I buy a digital piano, or an acoustic piano? |
| It depends - today one is not inherently any better than the other. As with everything else, there are some acoustic pianos that aren't worth buying, as there are some digital pianos that aren't worth buying. As the question relates to CVPs, the CVP is a better instrument than most low-to-mid-priced acoustic pianos. Its keyboard performance surpasses that of many modern acoustic uprights and low-end grand pianos (see more on this in the discussion related to the Graded Hammer keyboard). It's a little-known fact that the most frequent reason that students eventually drop piano lessons is because their piano has ceased to satisfy them, so they reach a point when they loose interest in playing. A "beginner piano" will quickly become an obstacle as the student progresses to meet the piano's limitations. Unfortunately, few people realize that the piano has become an obstical until the interest has waned, and then it's too late to recapture the student's enthusiasm. When buying a piano - especially if it's for a young student - it's important to buy an instrument that will permit growth and stimulate creativity for the long term. Since pianos are probably the most expensive instrument that a student could pursue, it's difficult to make that investment without "testing the waters" first. It may be appropriate to lease a piano for a year prior to actually buying one. However, whether leasing or buying, make sure that the instrument is of a high enough quality to permit growth and stimulate creativity. The Yamaha CVP-series digital pianos are a safe investment. They are classed as the best of the best in digital pianos. The GH keyboard is remarkably close to the performance of a mid-level grand piano. The sound quality is very satisfying - especially the upper-level CVPs. The added features of the CVP - such as MIDI, accompaniment, and the learning features - provide many more facilities to stimulate enthusiasm and creativity. The Guide Control feature of the CVP will help the student (and accomplished musician) to quickly overcome difficult and frustrating passages. Overall, I would recommend the CVP over all low-to-mid-priced vertical pianos and over some low-priced grand pianos. |
| Will practicing on a digital piano keep me from progressing? |
| No. The Graded Hammer keyboard on the CVP is truly realistic and matches the performance of a mid-level grand piano in many ways. It's ability to provide rapid repeats is unmatched in the digital piano market and is better than acoustic vertical pianos. I'd like to point out that the GH keyboard does not produce the infinite number of subtle differences in tone that an acoustic piano may provide. This is why some people will assert that a digital piano is inherently inferior to an acoustic piano. The arguement against that point, however, is that until you get into the higher price range of acoustic instruments, an alert pianist will likely find many inconsistencies in the sound of the hammers striking the string on a single instrument. In other words, striking two different notes on the same piano at the same velocity often provide inconsistent and unpredictable results on low-to-mid priced acoustic pianos, making them extraordinarily difficult to control. This underscores the fallacy of the arguement -- an acoustic piano is no "consistent" benchmark to compare a digital piano to! Given that music composers use a very limited number of dynamic markings ranging from pianissimo to forte, today's higher-end digital pianos are capable of producing more than enough subtle differences to provide a rich spectrum of color and style. |
| What if my teacher doesn't want me to buy a digital piano? |
| Then you should encourage your teacher to compare the CVP to other mid-priced acoustic pianos. Have your teacher try one out - he or she has a responsibility to know what pianos their students are considering. They must maintain the currency of their knowledge if they're to properly advise their students. |
| Is the keyboard of a digital piano as good as that of an acoustic piano? |
| There are basically two very different types of acoustic keyboard mechanisms: vertical and horizontal, referring to their orientation inside the cabinet. The verticals, of course, are used inside upright pianos and the horizontals are used inside grand pianos.
Vertical keyboard actions are inherently slower than grand piano keyboard actions due primarily to the way the key is oriented with regard to the hammer, which is vertically mounted in uprights and horizontally mounted in grands. Most of the time the difference won't be noticed while playing, although some people believe that there is a "light" feel to upright pianos and a "heavy" feel to grand pianos. Both types of keyboards are quite capable of providing adequate variations in color and style. However, the hammer of a vertical piano can not be made to re-strike a string as rapidly as a grand piano's hammer can. Basically, on vertical pianos, a note can not be repeated until the key has almost fully returned to its rest position. Grand pianos, on the other hand, have a mechanism called a "Double Escapement," which allows a note to be repeated no matter where the key is when you re-strike it. The Double Escapement will generally allow a note to repeat four or five times faster than a vertical piano is capable of. On the vertical piano, the key must be allowed to return higher before it can repeat. Thus, performing rapid trills and repeats on a vertical piano requires much higher lifting of the fingers, which limits the speed that can be attained. In addition to the vertical piano's lack of a repetition mechanism, there is also the touch resistance from springs, not gravity as is used in a grand piano. In a vertical piano's action springs are used against the hammer butts and against the dampers. Springs are highly variable -- some are too tight, some are too loose, and some get tighter as the keystroke progresses. As the springs wear, frequently played notes will weaken over time at a different rate than less-frequently played notes. Most high-end digital piano keyboards, such as those used in Roland, Technics, Suzuki, and some others, perform very closely to the way a vertical piano's keyboard performs. That is, they don't allow the note to be repeated until the key has almost fully returned to its rest position. The Yamaha GH keyboard, on the other hand, performs very nearly like the way a grand piano's keyboard performs, allowing a note to be repeated no matter where the key is when you re-strike it. So, yes, high-end digital pianos have keyboards that offer strikingly realistic performance. People who prefer to play on vertical pianos will often prefer the Roland or Technics keyboard, where people who are more accustomed to playing on grand pianos will more often prefer the CVP. |
| Do I really need all the bells and whistles of the CVP? |
| That depends. When I bought my CVP-96, I had no interest in the bells and whistles. I just wanted the best piano I could afford while trading in my grand piano (never mind why, it's a long story). After I had the CVP in my home for several weeks I started to try out some of the bells and whistles and found that I really liked what the instrument could do! Pretty soon, I was using them all the time! Even if your interest is just in playing the piano, as mine was, you'll find it exhilarating to be able to play a piece of music while a full orchestra accompanies you! It's a fantastic feeling to play an intimate jazz number with a sax, base, and percussion instruments. There are literally tens of thousands of free MIDI files on the internet that can be downloaded into the CVP so that you can "play along" using the Guide Control feature. You may never buy sheet music again! |
| What's the difference between Yamaha's CLP and CVP series digital pianos? |
| The CLP is simply a digital piano, without all the bells and whistles of the CVP. The CLPs have the Graded Hammer keyboard of the CVP, but still lack somewhat in the sound system. The CVPs simply sound better - probably a better audio system and speakers. |
| Which headphones should I use with my CVP? |
| This question comes up frequently. There's really no right or wrong answer to this. You should go for comfort as well as sound quality, since you'll probably spend a lot of time with these things attached to your head. There does seem to be a trend among members of this group: most frequently recommended are the Sennheiser HD-580 or HD-600. I've also seen recommendations for the Yamaha HPE-170. The price range for most of the headphones you'll want to buy is in the $100 - $200 (US) range. But, if I was going to buy a pair of headphones, I'd probably go with the newest Bose headphones that have ambient noise cancelling technology built in. They'll cost you about $300 (US). Alternatively, you may wish to consider the Grado S60. In the "classical-music stereo world" this cheap $69 headphone is almost unanimously considered the best low end headphone, much better quality than simliar priced units when used for classical music. |
| What about polyphony? How important is it? |
| (This response was contributed by Dennis Stanfill, "The Wizard of MID")
Some information on polyphony needs to be given... 64 note, 128 note, 32 note, it really doesn't matter any more...huh??? As mentioned in another message of how the new CVP series uses a lower note polyphony but seems to play more notes is really based on what is really going on. Note polyphony today really means very little in how many notes will truly sound. Unfortunately, you have manufacturers who are using this as a way to (IMHO) mislead consumers as to how good a product is. Here's the real scoop on this... Sounds on all instruments today are sampled. Now, each recording of a note is referred to as an "element". Some instruments use a very poor sampling method and may need as many as 4 to 5 elements per voice just to get it to sound decent. Also, use of more elements per sound can increase the quality of the voice if the sampling method used is of a high caliber. Now, each "element" takes up 1 note of polyphony. So, if you have a Brass sound that uses 4 elements to create, you are actually playing 4 notes every time you play 1 key. Playing 4 keys using this Brass sound is really taking up to 16 notes of polyphony and if you play 8, you really are taking up to 32 notes!!! This is why you can hear notes drop out even on instruments with 128 note polyphony. Now, Yamaha has greatly improved their AWM2 sampling and are using what they have learned from their virtual acoustic VL synth in creating the sounds on the new instruments. This has resulted in using auto accompaniment instruments that only take 1 element where the 90 series used some with 2. Now, as it relates to the 92, 94, 96, 98 -- Yamaha used more elements per sound as you went higher in the series. To hear this for yourself, play the Choir voice on the CVP-92 then play it on the CVP-96. Big difference. However, you are going to find that if you only played the Choir voice, you would be able to play the same number of notes using that voice on both instruments. It's due to the CVP-96 using twice the number of elements for that sound as the CVP-92. It's not just Yamaha. All brands are the same. In face, some brands have been forced to use 64 note polyphony in their low end models because they have had to use twice the number of elements just to come close to what Yamaha's AWM2 sampling can do with 1. Sorry if this has been confusing. Do hope that this has cleared up some of the issues surrounding note polyphony today. Unfortunately, very few salespeople understand this and most of the marketing guys don't get it either. IF they don't, then how can the average consumer? So, the manufacuters keep using note polyphony as if it is a measure of a keyboards worth. Unfortunately, you can't use it in today's world as a gage. BTW, if you are interested in the number of elements used per voice on your instrument, I think there is a chart in the reference manual to your CVP or it may be in the owners manual. Then again, it may not be there at all. Am getting brain dead these days (BG). |
| What about memory? How important is it? |
| (This response was contributed by Dennis Stanfill, "The Wizard of MID")
Like the polyphony issue, this is also one that is nebulous and can lead to confusion. This may be due in part to it being a very technical issue and one not easily explained to the average consumer. With that in mind, here is an attempt to make it easier to understand this issue in basic terms. First, sampling is the process of recording a sound and then playing it back. A standard tape recorder could be termed a "sampler". It records and let's you play back the sound. So, this technology is not really new, but what we can do with it today is. All digital pianos today use sampling to create their piano sounds. Basically, when you depress a key on the digital piano, you are playing back a recording of a piano sound with that pitch. Now, all things being equal, why are there so many differences in digital piano sounds? Just as it takes more than flour and eggs to make cookies, you cannot base the entire end result of a piano sample on only one thing. Having more memory allows you to make more recordings of the sound to use, but it does not insure a "better" sound. To illustrate, we first need to have a brief explanation of what a sound really is. Every sound has a beginning called the "Attack". Every sound has a part where the sound decays to it's natural resonance volume level called the "Decay". Next, there is a "Sustain" that occurs after the sound is stopped. Sometimes this sustain is very short as in the case where a guitar player might put his hand on the strings to stop them. Or, the sustain can be longer as in the case where the strings are left to gradually decay. The last part is what occurs when the sound is stopped completely. For example, this "Release" is where, if you listen closely to that same guitar where the hands stopped the strings, the actual release is very quick with an almost "cutting" type of stopped sound. These elements of Attack, Sustain, Decay, and Release (ADSR) are the basis of all synthesis of sound and are involved with the acoustic creation of sound. However, how does one get the basic timbre of the instrumental voice? There are today 3 basic ways to accomplish getting the basic sound of the voice. The first way of electronically recreating sounds was through synthesis. Wave forms (sine, square, sawtooth, etc.) create basic timbres of sound. Basically, engineers discovered by manipulating these wave forms, one could get various timbres of sound. By using these altered wave forms with the use of "Envelope Generators" that allowed for the control of the ADSR, a person could recreate the wave forms that were associated with acoustic instruments or create whole new sounds. For many years, this was the accepted means of creating sounds as it took very little memory to accomplish this task so it was used during the days of high memory prices. Then, a group decided that instead of using wave form generators, they would actually begin with a recorded sound of the true acoustic instrument. The process was dubbed "Sampling" as you took a small sampling of the sound of the instrument and then played it back using a keyboard. Now a recording of a sound takes up a lot of memory. You can try this yourself by using the Windows program called Sound Recorder. Try recording a note by either singing or playing on the piano. Save the file as a .wav file and then look at the amount of memory it took to save that note. Also, using Sound Recorder in Windows, try it using different settings for the quality of the sample. You will note that as the resolution increases (try using 11.5 khz then switch to 44.1 khz stereo), the file size increases. So, what can be drawn from this is that, if all things were equal, the more memory you have available the more samples you can store. Also, experiment with the length of time recorded. You will note that the longer the sample, the more memory is required. So, another thing that can be determined is that the more memory you have, the longer sampling time you can use. So, the memory is related to the number and length of time you can sample a given instrument. Another part of this puzzle is what type of microphone you are using to do the sampling. Different microphones record the audio spectrum differently. A small computer mic is not going to record as well as, say, a Shure 88s. Also, where you place the microphones in relation to the instrument will make a difference. How the sampled piano been voiced will make a difference. How it has been tuned prior to sampling will make a difference. All these factors effect the way a piano's sampled sound will play back on your digital piano. Another part of the process is getting a consistent sample. The human hands cannot play every key at "exactly" the same level. Here is where Yamaha has a tremendous advantage. When the sounds are sampled for the Clavinova and GranTouch pianos, they can take as much time as they want and they use a Disklavier to do it. This way, they have a sound designer in the control booth at the computer telling the Disklavier to play each key at exactly the correct volume. No other brand has these advantages in their sampling process. Now, getting back to memory and it's relationship to sampling... There hasn't been a keyboard built that has enough memory to completely sample an acoustic piano on every key, at every possible volume level, with every possible combination of pedal usage and placement. Even with today's lower memory cost, it's economically infeasable to do this. So, each brand has to use some type of "Digital Filtering and Processing," or DSP, to make the sounds. To illustrate the need, let's say that you only have enough memory to record one note for each octave on the piano. In order to get the other notes to sound, you have to "stretch" the sample to the other keys. The problem here is that, just like what happens when you slow a tape or record down, the sound of the note distorts. This is due to the frequency of the sample being altered to achieve the correct pitch but not the other elements of the sound. As the stretch of the sample goes lower, the sound distorts like the slowing down of the recording. Likewise when the sample is made to go up, it goes faster. On early digital pianos with very little memory, you could hear the "samples" as you played across the keyboard as the timbre of the notes changed through the octaves. Now, as memory prices fell, the manufacturers were able to aadd more memory and sample each key on the instrument. This gave them a more consistent sound but created new challanges. On a piano, it's not just volume change that happens as you hit the key harder, there's also a change in timbre -- notes get brighter as they are played louder, and even the timbre changes with use of the pedals. The main challange here was how to get timbre changes to match. If you record each key on the piano, you had to play each key as close to the same timbre as possible, otherwise risk wide variations of timbre from key to key. As memory prices continued to fall, manufacturers then tried to sample each key multiple times. This is better, but the challange remained for getting an even timbre shift throughout the volume changes and pedal usage. So, digital filtering was created as a way to enhance the samples. The basic idea of digital filtering can be understood in the context of digital photo processing. At a photo processing lab, technicians can scan a picture that's close to what they want (like an old photo that's faded), apply digital processing, and get the photo exactly the way it should be. This is the same type of thing that digital signal processing does in the creation of a sound on a digital piano. Now, more memory does allow you to record more samples of a sound. However, if you are using a huge amount of sampled memory, but poor digital signal processing, you could get a poorer sound from the intrument than one with less memory and better DSP. This accounts for why some brands claim to have a lot more sample memory and sound poor in comparison to other brands. So, sample memory is only one part of the whole process of sound creation. It's not just the amount of memory used, it's how it is used in combination with digital processing to create the overall sound envelope. This processing includes such changes as High Pass Filter Cutoff Frequency Control, Low Pass Filter Cutoff Frequency Control, and Low Pass Filter Resonance Control. Each of these controls effect the timbre of the sample so one can take a basic sample that's close and alter it to make it exact. One can hear these differences in the different price ranges of instruments today. In the portable keyboards and synths that sell under $1000.00, try playing the piano sound at different volume levels. You will hear a change in volume but very little change in timbre. Also, when adding the sustain, sostenuto, or una corda function, there is no change in timbre whatsoever. As you go higher in price and add more memory, you begin to hear these changes in timbre being recreated by the intrument. In the varous models of the CVP, you will hear definate timbre changes when different volume levels are played and changes with use of the damper. When going to the GranTouch, the other pedals also effect the timbre of the sound. To make these timbre changes smoothly and more natural to a standard piano, Yamaha's Advanced Wave Memory II Digital Processing takes multiple samples, selects the one closest to the sound needed, and then processes it to make it match the wave form of sound that is needed. Volume and Timbre change is what memory and digital processing can do for the sound. One other area that makes a huge difference in the sound is the placement and amplification of the sound system. The effect of the placement of speakers in a cabinet is well documented. This is the main reason you should never judge the piano sound using headphones. Just like the sound of any acoustic instrument, who's sound is effected by it's surroundings, so is the digital piano. Use of tuned ports to enhance certain frequencies of the sound and positioning of speakers to recreate where the sound comes from are all part of the process in design of the digital piano. So, it's not just the amount of memory that an instrument has that determines the sound quality. It's the total recipe of how the sound is reproduced that goes into the individual digital piano. You could have an instrument with a ton of memory, but if it doesn't use digital processing, or uses a lower level of processing, or doesn't postition the speakers for optimal effect, the sound can be worse than an instrument with less memory but with better balance amoung all other componants to the overall sound. I'm sure that some of the engineers on this group won't like this but it's got to be said (go easy on me guys - it took me a long time to get over this too... When judging the piano sound on a digital instrument, forget about specs. Listen to it and go with what sounds good to you. Play it over the entire range of the instrument, play it at as many different levels of volume as possible to determine timbre shift capabilities and go with your ear. Just remember that with the CVP, there are things that can be done to alter the piano sound. Not only are there a bunch of different base timbres of piano sounds, you can use the Utility Function to retune each key on the instrument to your liking and use the EQ controls to effect change. |
| Can't I build something like a CVP by connecting a keyboard to various modules? |
| The logic goes something like this... "I think I would like to buy a CVP but a musical instrument dealer suggested that I buy a good digital piano
keyboard to use as a MIDI controller (something like a CLP or P200 with a GH keyboard) plus an electronic MIDI arranger (with or without a
keyboard, like the Yamaha PSR740). He told me that I could then upgrade my system with less money when I get tired of the sounds or
arrangement features of the system (or when they become obsolete)... Furthermore, I would have a portable instrument to play live in clubs,
piano bars etc. What do you think about it?
This question has been asked in several forms over the past year. So here's a considered response from Dennis Stanfill... Interesting comment about being able to upgrade the modular system for less money. The CVP also has MIDI jacks, so it can be upgraded for the same amount. This is a nice story. However, there are a couple of very important points that the salesperson conviently left out. First, if you go this way, you lose the Guide Control function that is built into the CVP. This is a huge loss. The Guide Control gives you the ability to control the playback of the disk on software such as "CueTime" that is so wonderful for any level of player. There is no external arranger box or disk unit that has anything like a Guide Control. It's only available on the CVP. Second, there are configuration issues when using external boxes. You will have to get into the MIDI language much more extensively. What does this mean? The CVP's operating system doesn't require you to have to know anything about MIDI in order to use it. It's much easier and, because it is much easier to use, you will be spending more time playing music than configuring your system to work the way you want it to. Third, it's not always initially less expensive to go the "modular" route. Many times, when you add in the time it takes to configure the system to do something, it's not worth it. Here's an example... Take two systems: One using a CLP with a PSR-540, and the other a CVP. Let's record a multi-track song using the Clavinova piano and the XG guitar and bass voices. Since both would require you to insert a disk and find a blank song, the process is begun from that point. Here's the process on the CVP to record the piano track: 1. Press the red record button on the panel. 2. Press the right page button one time (only have to do this the first time) to get to multi-track record. 3. Select the part to record (part 1). 4. Press the Piano button on the panel and select the piano sound. 5. Press the metronome for a click track. 6. Press the exit button to get back to the record page. 7. Press the button under the REC, PLAY, OFF box in the lower right corner of the display untill it reads "Record." 8. Play in the piano part. 9. Press Play/Stop to end record. Here's the same process on the PSR/CLP combination: 1. Press Function (you have to set the PSR to work with the CLP or any other keyboard) 2. Press the + (plus button) four times to get to F5 MIDI. 3. Press the Next button to get to Menu = Template. 4. Press the + button twice to get to Menu Receive Channel. 5. Press the Next Button to get to Reciv Ch 01 = XG/GM. 6. Press the + button to get it to Reciv Ch 01 = Keybd. 7. Press Exit. 8. Press the Function Button. 9. Press the - button to get to F4 Utility. 10. Press the Next button to get to Utility = Metronom. 11. Press the Next button to get to Metronome = off. 12. Press the Plus button to get to Metronome = on. 13. Press the Exit button. 14. Press the Red Record button to get to RecMenu = Song. 15. Press the Next button to get to New Song. 16. Press the Next button to get to RecMode = Quick Rec. 17. Press the + button to get to RecMode = MultiRec. 19. Press the Next Button four times to get to RecMode T01=Ply. 20. Press the + button to get to RecMode T01 = Rec. 21. Press the Next Button two times to get to SongRec Waiting. 22. Play in the piano part. 23. Press Start/Stop to end recording. 24. Press the + button to save the track. Now, even though you have the piano part recorded on the PSR, the only way you can get it to play the CLP piano and not the PSR is to go through the following... 1. Press the Function button. 2. Press the Next button to get to F5 MIDI. 3. Press the Next button to get to Menu = Recieve Ch. 4. Press the - button to get to Menu = Transmit Ch. 5. Press the Next Button to get to Trans Ch01 = R1. 6. Press the + button thirteen times to get to Ch01 = Tr 1. 7. Press the Exit button. Now, the CLP piano will play, but there is no way to get the Piano from the PSR to not play. Turning down the volume on the PSR track 1 turns down the volume on the CLP as well. So, in this configuration, you will get both pianos playing. The above was just to record a single track. When you get into the second track, here's what happens... On the CVP: 1. Press the red record button on the panel. 2. Select the part to record (part 2). 3. Press the voice button on the panel and select the desired voice. 4. Press the metronome for a click track. 5. Press the exit button to get back to the record page. 6. Press the button under the REC, PLAY, OFF box in the lower right corner till it reads Record. 7. Play in the part. 8. Press Play/Stop to end record. On the PSR, here's the process: 1. Press the Voice R1 button to select the voice desired. 2. Press Exit to get back to recording pages. 3. Press the Back button to get to RecPart T01 = R1 4. Press the small grey button under the number 2 to get the display to read RecPart T02=R2. 5. Press the - button to get display to read RecPart T02=R1. 6. Press the Next Button once to get to RecMode T02=Ply. 7. Press the + button to get it to read RecMode T02=Rec. 8. Press the Next button twice to get to SongRec Waiting. 9. Play in part. 10. Press the Start/ Stop button. 11. Press the + button to save. So, as you can see, while you can do multitrack recording from this setup, it's much more involved with an external box and a keyboard since the CVP's operating system takes care of a lot of the details for you. |
| Should I buy a CVP from an overseas mail-order company and perhaps save a bundle? |
| I finally decided to add this topic to the FAQ because there've been many long discussions on this topic in the CVPUG discussion forum.
There's now a "Clavinova Purchasing Discussions" forum that CVPUG members can access where CVP shoppers can ask questions and get opinions from CVP owners.
It's no secret that you can buy a CVP from Europe or Asia for about 50% of what you'd pay for it in the US. The reasons are many and varied, but understand that US dealers are not trying to gouge you. The cost of a CVP to US dealers is considerably higher than the cost to non-US dealers, due partially to the high import tariffs imposed by the US government on certain Japanese electronics. Whatever the reasons, there are some things you should consider when deciding where you're going to spend your money when you buy your CVP. The answer to this question will ultimately come down to how much risk you're willing to take, and whether you're willing to live with a different feature-set to save some money. I've divided this answer into two sections. The first section addresses the CVP-10x series, and the second section addresses the newer CVP-2xx series (and higher). CVP-10x Series First, the European and Asian CVP-10x's are identical to the US CVPs except for the built-in power supply. When you buy a CVP from Europe or Asia, be sure you get a power converter, too. Some overseas re-sellers will include a power converter at no extra charge. Second, you won't get a bench when you buy a CVP from Europe or Asia and have it shipped into the US. Plan to buy a bench separately. Third, you won't get a warranty when you purchase a CVP from Europe and have it shipped into the US. Warranties in the US are given by Yamaha USA, not the Yamaha parent corporation, and most of the overseas (European) mail-order companies are not authorized Yamaha dealers. Therefore, if you don't purchase a CVP from a Yamaha USA authorized dealer, you won't receive a warranty. Fourth, you will have to wait four to six weeks to get your CVP after the seller has charged your credit card. Shipping and Customs will run you in the neighborhood of $200-$250. And Fifth, you will have to do some leg-work with the US Department of Customs before you can receive your CVP. Once the CVP has entered the US, you'll have to get the paperwork from the airline and walk it through the customs process, pay the import taxes, and then pick up your instrument. The CVP comes in a box that will fit into a pickup truck or large station wagon, and some assembly is required. CVP-2xx Series (and higher) Most of the issues identified above also apply to the newer CVP series instruments. In addition, Yamaha USA has made some substantial changes to the U.S. version of the instrument. Yamaha USA has spent considerable time enhancing the software that is loaded into the CVP's that are sold in the US. These enhancements are found in CVP's purchased through a US dealer and will not be present on a CVP purchased from a dealer outside of the US. Graphics: The main screen is unique in that it separates sections by color on models that have color screen. Music Finder USA: Shows the words "USA Edition" at top of file. The USA Edition has a different selection of songs tailored for American tastes. The USA Edition adds additional songs to the database to complete the popular "Best Songs Ever" book from Hal Leonard with keyword search capability to display only those songs. Piano Method: The USA Edition includes the Hal Leonard Piano Method sampler (50 songs), 10 sets of registrations (80 registrations), more voices. Quick Start Video & Reference Cards are included with USA Edition CVPs. Different/changed defaults Metronome sound activates English voice USA television standard (NTSC) for video output to TV (on models with video out) Section set (Main A) to enhance and simplify Music Finder usage Deeper contrast on LCD display to enhance color images MIC setup overall/talk Song Creator & Style Creator Filter defaults set to simplest choice of "notes" only. CVP's sold in other countries do not include a bench. The new CVP-20x series instruments sold in the US and Canada all come with a bench and they are improved from the CVP-10x series. The CVP-205 (and higher) benches have storage. The CVP-209 is an artist style bench with storage and improves on the CVP-109 bench in that the "scissors" mechanism is not visible. Now, that said, I'll add this... It's considered very poor form to use a local dealer to test-drive the CVP if your intention is to buy it from overseas. If you plan to visit your local dealer, let him know what your intentions are up front and offer to give him the opportunity to win your business. He can't possibly match the price you'll find overseas, but you may find that your dealer is offering a level of support that offsets the higher price you'll pay. If I were you, I'd ask him if he'll guarantee a minimum trade-up price that you can use at a later date when the next generation of CVPs arrive! Anyway, be kind...the price difference is not his fault and he isn't trying to take advantage of you. Furthermore, if you buy your CVP from a US dealer, your warranty will be for four years -- one year parts and labor and an additioonal three years for parts. It's rare for a CVP to require service, but you never know. I had to have a disk drive replaced in mine during the third year. |
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