If you are looking for an instrument that will make you feel like you’re in your favorite classical music, but one which has modern appeal, then the Yamaha NP12 is perfect for you. From the smooth, sophisticated tone of the sampled sound from one of Yamaha’s best concert pianos to the rich, exciting tones sampled in from one of Yamaha’s best digital piano keyboards, the Yamaha NP-12 gives you a wide range of textures and feelings to feel as if you are playing in a concert hall. It is surprisingly natural and expressive, and so very easy to take wherever you go. Its weighted keys complement the rest of its body very well, while its sleek design makes it highly portable even when it’s folded up.
In this review we shall take a closer look at the Yamaha NP12S model, which has an extremely detailed manual which explains all about the model, its operation, plus how you can get the most from your playing experience. With the Yamaha NP12S you get two octaves of extremely rich sounds stored in its sixteen-track polyphonic sound library. You also get a large, highly effective set of octave-percussions, including two powerful piano notes, two bass notes as well as two voice types, just what you need for performing any sort of musical piece. This powerful polyphonic sampling engine is what helps make Yamaha pianos so popular with professionals as well as amateurs all over the world. With this powerful engine, the Yamaha NP12S can play many songs at one time. And thanks to the new Piaggero NanoDAC Plus present in this model, you don’t have to be a professional pianist or concert pianist to appreciate the power and brilliance of this piano keyboard.
The Yamaha NP12S also features two onboard banks of sound memories. These banks are expandable, which enables you to save additional information in them, for instance, lyrics to your favorite songs, or song scales for your specific purpose. The Yamaha NP12S is completely compatible with all the major brands of music gear, which is another added advantage of this innovative piano keyboard. The two on-board banks are fully programmable and can be changed and saved in various modes, such as Favorites, Shared and Restricted. If you want a particular effect on your keyboard, you may use the onboard mixer, which is quite useful if you want to do some live mixing or recording.
The Yamaha NP12S portable keyboard has twelve touch-sensitive keys, which respond wonderfully to any touch. Its layout is very efficient, with large numbers of small buttons and light indicators. The on-screen LED indicator lights up the keys as you touch them. It has large multimedia function buttons for quick access. The larger function buttons can be easily seen through its clear cover.
You can also connect your NP12s to your TV for playing music and videos. If you have an HD television, you can connect the keyboard to it through the front panel USB port, using the YPAO cable that is included with the piano. There is a RCA input jack with both line and headphone connections. The Yamaha NP12S has an audio input jack for connecting your MP3 or other audio device. A dock connector is also included along with the keyboard for connecting it to your laptop or personal computer.
The weighted action of the weighted keys makes them feel more natural than the plated or wooden weighted keys of the ordinary digital piano. This weighted action produces a great sound, as you will notice when you first use it. The weighted keys are also a bit wider than normal keys, which makes it easier to press the keys without accidentally hitting anything else on the piano. The price range for this product is $ inquired, but there is a deal for those who are willing to spend more by purchasing the bundled package with the weighted keyboard, including the keyboard.