Yamaha YC88 - Unedited Overview from a Nord Stage 3 User

I'm excited to add the Yamaha YC88 to my collection as I've had this stage piano on my bucket list for a while, but also because the Yamaha YC series holds a lot of similarities to the Nord Stage line with the physical controls, organ drawbars, and quick layering ability. In this video I give my unedited reaction to the keyboard, play some of the sounds, and talk through an overview of the Yamaha YC88.
#yamahayc #yamaha #churchmusic
0:00 Introduction
1:56 Yamaha YC Overview
2:57 Piano Sound Demos
5:31 Panel Overview
8:03 Organ Sound Engine
10:56 Keys Sound Engine
18:02 Yamaha YC Live at Church
19:40 YC Authentic Wood Keybed
21:44 Conclusion and Nord Stage 3 Thoughts
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Thanks for watching and comment below with any questions you have and I will answer them as soon as I can!

[@jimfromzerosurge4846]

I love my YC88. Used it for its first gig today. Worked like a champ. Was able to do some quick adjustments to settings in order to meet the outdoor sound system. I would love to see a video that dove into the effects and how to use them effectively. I get lost playing around with them. Thank you for helping me decide to get the YC88.

[@nellysagundo6634]

Thanks for this great overview and comparison. I am nowhere in your class of playing and skills.. so my YC61 and MODX7+ and Camelot Pro in iOS is doing great for me❤

[@lukeyd7776]

It’s more if an Nord Electro competitor really, which I think it compares very well. The Nord stage is verging on workstation territory, especially the 4

[@nahumpena1152]

Excellent, God Bless you

[@menarj]

I would love to see a review from you on the CP88 and comparing it to the YC. I really like the triple layering option of the CP. And since I don’t play organ, I think the CP is better for me as a pianist.

[@stevenkrenz5687]

I’m generally pretty impartial when it comes to digital pianos… I have both the NS3 and the NS4, but I’ve played in many different worship environments on virtually every other brand and make of DP out there. I used to be a HUGE Roland fan, primarily due to their touch and feel, and have always given fairly high respect to Yamaha products. However… NS3/NS4 are game changers, and I really appreciate your depth of understanding when you review any products.

[@ricseehu]

Yamaha just came out with a new OS version (v1.3). Each update brings significant changes.

[@DSoundman]

I just updated mine to 1.3 today and filmed a tutorial video that is schedule be live next Monday! Great that Yamaha is listening to end users and putting updates out!

[@mallorycrowder3800]

I owned a Nord Electro 2 back in 2017. I liked it but it lacked the ability to download the newer Nord piano samples. I currently own a Yamaha Cp88 which I like and just recently Purchased a Nord Electro 6d 73 which I love! There's a reason more Nords are seen on so many stages and videos. The quality of the samples are much better than the others.

[@Dadee3]

*Have had Yamaha boards for years. Ever since owning a Nord, everything else sounds super bright and digital now.*

[@theclaverman]

Agree. The Nord Stage sounds very organic and alive. I owned a Motif XS for several years and was very sceptical to change it out to a Stage 3, but boy was I wrong. The Nord beats the Yamaha to the ground when it comes to sound fidelity (especially piano, eps, organs and A1 synth sounds). Yamaha is stronger when it comes to replicate acoustic instruments like strings, guitars, but we have guitarists and real string players to cover that territory (and they generally speaking sounds way better than a Motif😜)

[@Dadee3]

@@theclaverman *Definitely! I do miss those acoustic guitar sounds on the Motif just to play for fun.*

[@1970piano]

I have both, Nord Stage and Yamaha YC, and i like the EP‘s, especially the Rhodes much more on the YC.

[@theclaverman]

@@1970piano I would love to give the YC a try, though I still kove my Stage 3. I have only played the YC in musicstore(several times), but would love to try it on a gig.

[@stradaveriusfiddle]

Good interview. The ‘big box’ music store that recently opened in my town of approx. 150,000, is smaller than their other locations, and have limited their ‘in store’ display of keyboards to models priced at one thousand dollars or less. So it is worthwhile to get to observe the YC being played and used through some of the modes of different sounds. Have you thought of trying to use its Drawbars while playing a sound other than Organ? Perhaps Electric Piano? Do you know if the Drawbars operate on sounds other than Organ, or is it designed to be exclusive to Organ sounds only ? Thanks.

[@matthewgaines10]

I’d get a YC-88/73/61 purely on the economics over a Nord. Better or worse, I could justify it on price alone.

[@RustyTonesJr]

Well these yammies sound great! Just 🤔, what piano board has the deepest piano? Kurzweil?

[@mfurman]

What is the static and dynamic downweight of the action of YC88 (in grams), please. How about the noise (clicking) of the action? Thank you, Michael

[@davelenz718]

Hi there and thanks for the great vids! Just wondering if you know how I can set up my external keyboard to play the YC's organ voice and play a piano voice on the YC at the same time? With Thanks Dave

[@michaeltrapp2]

Update to operating system 1.3. There are more pianos including a felt piano, a few digital pianos and more organs. It also gives a studio rotary that is much wider Along with multiple eq updates. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6ekc3uMlrWqeLs

[@Ian.Ho1]

How often does yc88 update and iterate?

[@DojoOfCool]

i'm think of moving from my Nord Stage 3 to a YC88 or maybe the CP88. I like that the YC has a real audio interface, the master EQ so you can have all your sounds setup then go to a difference venue and use the master EQ to adjust for the room. Also the YC has audio inputs in the back with gain controls so it can be the main keyboard and you can mix the external audio sources in. It has the Yamaha sound that alway cuts thru in live setting and very punchy. A keyboardist I'm a big fan of was a Nord user for many years, but became a Yamaha artist and has been using the YC and CP for awhile now. He says all the live performance and studio quick creating of sound are just as easy with the YC and even a couple things the Stage 3 won't. So they are very similar boards, in they are both targeting performance use and quick on changes. Does it have a library like Nord no but what it has is very useable and the Yamaha Sound Mondo website has lots of sound created by users. After using my Nord Stage 3 for awhile Nords have their quirks too so if you don't require a full synth section like the Stage 3 has these are very comparable boards with quite a price difference especially with the Nord Stage 4.

[@AlexFlavell]

Take a look into the Ck88 if you want a portable option!

[@H4rpyW1tch]

That preformance was amazing! What song were you playing in the beginning??

[@jurav635]

I own a YC73 but can’t get the piano to sound anywhere near the way it sounds on this and many other KZbin videos. Does anyone know what might be the issue?

[@kdk701]

Amazing review! Can YC88 play all three layers(organ+a+b) at the same time?

[@DSoundman]

Thanks! Yes it can!

[@skarovision]

Does the cp88 have that same audio through usb capability?

[@rickyshinobi2303]

How do you transport this? What case do you use?

[@johnchabo9839]

Hi Dsoundman, i love that you have versatile taste of music gear. i am a nord user and also own couple of Yamaha keyboards that i love. what church do you lead worhsip at? thank you

[@daviddelcid3539]

you say the action is lighter compared to Nord stage 3 and 4 ?

[@tragus44]

have any of you compared the Nord stage to the Kurzweil K2700? Seems like the Kurzweil is more powerful, I am on the fence between the two?

[@charlescarmichael1124]

The Kurzweil has far more sounds. The Kurzweil string sounds are hands down the best of anyone and it's not close. They are known for that. Kurzweil pianos are better for church use but the Nords are red, so there's that.

[@charlescarmichael1124]

Also the Nord doesn't compete with the K2700. It's more like a Forte. Nord doesn't have a real workstation type of keyboard.

[@jeffreyreid6981]

I have to CP 88. I will give Nord the piano sounds sounds a bit more realistic. Well, Yamaha doesn’t sound too bad ,as far electric piano I give that to Yamaha The keybed feel I give to Yamaha. Wurly give Yamaha, The organ will give to Nord.

[@skrifefeil3634]

Are all the sounds identical to the YC 61 and 73?

[@DSoundman]

Yes!

[@Rishat23]

How does the piano sounds compared to the MPC Key 61.

[@JoeLinux2000]

I'm gun shy of Yamaha because the strings voices don't sustain with the pedal on the DGX. Also the user interface of the DGX is very kludgy when you get into the deeper layers.

[@timpullen4941]

Is the DGX in the same class or same price point as YC88?

[@donlucas3984]

Pretty decent piano sound? It sounds great not decent.

[@paulscire5763]

Nord still has the best Leslie simulator.

[@Echochamber79]

Simply put the YC88 is a better keyboard than the Nord. That obviously isn't the case for everyone but I was underwhelmed with the Nord.

[@RogerT-kt3zd]

Nords piano sounds are terrible tbh

[@adamjacksonmedia]

Ive always found this such a strange... transparent, shell-like... B3 sound. It has no body. No thickness to the sound.

[@johannesobier2477]

Not even channel aftertouch. Thanks. No. Remember Roland's D-50 from the *80s*. It not only had (channel) aftertouch but also a slider (!) for aftertouch depth. Think about the famous "Pressure me Strings" preset. I can imagine the YAMAHA YC has it's strengths. But without even channel aftertouch it's not an option for me. I own a cheap swissonic keyboard, paid not much more than 100 euros for it and that thing has channel aftertouch. I don't get it why YAMAHA and also KORG made keyboards in the latest few years without any kind of aftertouch. KingKORG, Prologue, Wavestate, Opsix (beside the SE versions) all without aftertouch. KORG published the Nautilus AT series, that has aftertouch, where the "normal" Nautilus hadn't. In contrast to the KRONOS. But the AT series costs around 500 bucks more. So why is aftertouch today an expensive option, whereas in the late 80s it was a standard?!? Totally silly imho.

[@mickeylenny]

I’m a big AT fan and have a hydrasynth but don’t really see the need for it on something like this - agreed that nobody should be making synths without it at this point and certainly wouldn’t complain if it was there. What would you want it for on this?

[@TimGoddard1963]

Yeah but nord comes in at$5600!!! Yamaha tops out at $3200. The nord piano sound more authentic. It’s more compatible to keyscape. And keyscape is only $400. Having said all that, nord is a huge rip off. Waaaay over priced! ( although if money is no object then I’d buy the nord stage 4).

[@ItsThatJahncke2]

Nord is just a crazy instrument. You can have 7 layers and each layer has the full effects section at its disposal. Full synthesis, FM, virtual analog and a beautiful array of organs. A massive selection of pianos to choose from and the Nord also doubles down as a sample player. You get what you pay for at the end of the day.

[@theclaverman]

@@ItsThatJahncke2 1000% agree

[@stevenkrenz5687]

You get what you pay for… end of subject. When you close your eyes, and listen to the authenticity of sound, there’s simply no comparison to NS3/NS4. If budget is a driver, then you sacrifice authenticity of sound, capability, etc. Yamaha makes a GREAT product, just in a lower class/range. To even compare the 2 is not fair to either product in virtually any regard.