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YAMAHA NP-12 Piaggero - Slimline Home Keyboard for Hobbyists and Beginners, in Black

£42.495£84.99Clearance
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AC Adaptor (PA-150) or 6 x "AA" size batteries (alkaline [LR6], manganese [R6] or Ni-MH rechargeable batteries) Finally, you have a USB to Host connector provided, using USB Type B cables. This option allows you to send MIDI data via a USB connection and lets you record MIDI data to computers. Straight-off the bat, this is something that stood out to me and in my opinion makes the NP-12 a fine choice for beginners seeking a quality digital piano that isn’t too difficult to come to grips with. The interface is easy to learn, even for first-time players, and there’s no risk of getting overwhelmed by countless buttons, sliders, and knobs.

While the NP-12 and the NP-32 both have USB to Host, the NP-11 does not. Instead, it has a MIDI IN/OUT which is not easily connected to a computer, and will have a lot of difficulty connecting to apps and other computer software that requires a USB connection. They do have some weight to them and I did like the bounce of the keys. Again, quite surprising to find how nice it played when you considered they are not weighted.

The ultimate lightweight beginner keyboard from Yamaha

On the NP-12, t he Grand Piano sound is sampled from a Yamaha Grand Piano. It’s very bright, which is not surprising, as the Yamaha Grand as always been pretty boisterous. There are two types of organ sounds: the first is a kind of smaller, reed organ sound, while the second sounds more “churchy,” almost like a pipe organ. You may wonder how it is possible to have 32, 64, or even 128 notes playing at the same time, if there are only 88 keys and we never play them all at once. However, on the NP-32, the effect is so subtle that I’m sometimes convinced it’s not even there. I believe there are a bit of software-side velocity modifications yet testing the USB MIDI functionality didn’t show that either.

Another fantastic feature is the inclusion of a metronome. It’s perfect for beginners that need some help keeping pace with the rhythm, also helping to better understand when you need to slow down or speed up. Regardless, there’s an argument to be made for building up finger strength and having these keys might be good for newcomers.This is a missed opportunity, but most people today directly record their songs using the USB to Host connection, which we’ll cover in a bit. The CT-S1 is the latest offering from Casio. This 61 note beginners keyboard delivers fantastic sounds at a great price. The Yamaha NP-12 is a 61-key digital piano that brings a great balance of performance and affordability. While it may not be ideal for advanced players looking to play classical music, there is plenty here to like for beginners and session musicians that need a reliable digital piano to use on the go.

There are 3 different touch sensitivities (soft, medium, hard), as well as an option to turn this off. The default Medium setting is natural enough, and I never felt the need to change things up. Other available sounds include organs, strings, vibraphone, and harpsichords, so there is plenty to play around with. In fact, using the dual mode to layer two different sounds at once allows you to produce an even greater variety of sounds, all of which are clean, well replicated, and generally fun to play. The sounds are often sampled near their source, which gives them a dry feel. Adding reverb allows the keyboardist to place them in spaces to suit the songs they’re playing. The keys themselves have a good feel to them. Although not full-weighted (which is to be expected given the price), the keys still feel quite realistic, albeit slightly lighter. They are made with touch sensitivity, however, so there is more of a realistic feel compared to most other models in this range.TRANSPOSITION. You can transpose the keyboard either up 5 semitones or down 6 semitones to adapt to unfamiliar key signatures.

So if you are on a budget (and aren’t we all!), and you want to see how fun it is to learn the piano before you decide to spend some serious money, then the Yamaha NP12 Piaggero may just be for you. The same goes for the volume knob. It’s smooth plastic, but the actual turning of it barely gives any resistance, which means it’s difficult to make precise volume changes. These are non-issues for most beginners, as the keys and sounds are of top importance. While the PSR-E363 is reactive to dynamic changes (say, fortissimo to pianissimo), you can clearly hear that the same audio file is being played for most ranges, with volume being the only thing changing. For example, when you depress the sustain pedal, the earliest played notes continue to sound while you’re adding new ones and the piano needs more memory to keep all the notes sounding.Most people who start out learning the piano from scratch take, on average, a good year or so to build up to the first grade, and then typically take a year for each grade after that. So you can see that this digital piano has the potential to last for 4-5 years easily before an upgrade would be required. This is great for analysing your performance levels, highlighting just how suitable the NP-12 is for beginners and novices looking to become more skilled. Speakers aren’t anything special but still offer good sound quality and volume, although the audio output means you can connect to external speakers. With a 61-key keyboard, the NP-12 is probably best left to beginners, although experienced players seeking a reliable digital piano to use on the go will certainly appreciate what’s on offer. Weighing just 4.5kg, it’s one of the more impressive portable digital pianos available. For those looking for a full-sized stage piano with weighted keys, we highly recommend the Yamaha P-45.

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