New CK Stage Pianos from Yamaha | CK61 and CK88

[@sweetwater]

Yamaha’s CK series of stage pianos masterfully blend nuanced performance with a lightweight design, letting you take versatile, high-fidelity sound virtually anywhere, with ease! Let us know where you’re taking your CK61 or CK88 in the comments below! 👇 👉 sweetwater.sjv.io/YamahaCK61 👉 sweetwater.sjv.io/YamahaCK88

[@jeffhrsn]

I don't know what Yamaha pays Blake Angelos, but it's not enough. The guy is pure gold for them!

[@CristianoSanchez]

Great keyboard! and I really wish I had another 30 minutes of you both playing, awesome jam!

[@TimothyEddy-lo4wv]

I love how this piano player improvises on classical themes

[@stoneyboyd]

This is exactly what I need. An affordable Stage Keyboard, so I don’t have to shell out 5 grand for a Nord

[@ronj9448]

There is a heck of a lot of features packed into these pianos. Wow.

[@waynemiller6070]

Great demo! Seems like the most user-friendly piece of gear I've seen in a long time! Plus loaded with usable features!

[@-_-Alx]

amazing - simple, user friendly, great to take for practices, rehearsals and even gigs. Love it

[@revp01]

Looks like Yamaha is finally getting to the market that Roland’s RD88 addressed a few years ago. Great addition of the reface YC drawbars to this platform but the organ tones could be better.

[@Rsonixtunes]

I was thinking the same, have the RD88 and love it

[@abc-yv2js]

By far, the best demo of this synth. You two should always work together and review synths as you are doing it here. Thank you. This might be my 2nd synth

[@Justin_collier]

Love this demo! This looks way funner to play on then a over priced nord !

[@jamescave7102]

The CK 61, would be great in my home studio.

[@poldidak]

Things I like about the CK so far: 1) non-rubberized pitch bend/mod wheels that won't get sticky over time. 2) Bluetooth. 3). External keyboard MIDI settings. On the other hand...wait! No flash RAM for loading new samples?! Maybe this is meant for a different market than, say, Montage/MODX/Nord users. The CK is for someone who doesn't want or care about adding custom samples as time goes on. But it's a deal-breakable for me. (I'm also constantly disappointed that Yamaha doesn't release more sample libraries for their existing lines, compared to Nord, who have an extensive and growing library of samples.)

[@arturomma8560]

bro, what keyboard do u recomend to make The Killers songs? i just wanna make covers, meanly Hot Fuss album. Do I need CK or a Nord?

[@phsycopiano]

I love the 80s look of this keyboard

[@thatlovejones]

Brilliant playing, fellas!

[@ajcjcarvalho]

This keyboard has the potential to be the best portable on the market. Very decent piano samples and independent organ... Nice move!

[@aureliensooukian]

Yes! And those overdriven Rhodes 🤩

[@tp63us]

This is a great demo. Thanks guys.

[@RenatoVargas]

This was a delight to watch and listen to.

[@sebastien549]

Enfin !!! 🙏🏽💯🔥depuis le temps que j’attendais ça de yamaha !

[@RaquelFoster]

Seeing him talk about the FX just makes me wish Yamaha would make a more interesting/attractive CP piano. Imagine if they made a CP61 that was simple and retro-sexy like the Reface CP!

[@jameswood3977]

With you on that one

[@thaexception3406]

As expected - some playin' for real!

[@gpeioarngo]

Very well done demo of the Yamahas, information comes with a very entertaining stile. (As a Clavia Nord enthusiast) I ordered one in Germany for testing, but I’m pretty shure I’ll keep it 😊 thanks for making such good videos at Sweetwater!!

[@sweetwater]

Thanks for the support, Georg! 💙

[@ldifalco2010]

Hmm... Nord just introduced the Stage 4 88 for $5700 and this new CK88 is $1500. (American dollars). A keyboardist consumer has to wonder if the Nord is really worth $4200 dollars more than the CK88. And before you say the Nord S4 has the Wave 2 engine built in, that 4200 bucks in savings buys one hell of a synth to go along with the CK88. Disclaimer - I own a Nord Stage 3 and an Electro 6. If this Yamaha board was available a couple of years ago however...

[@marquishardy2341]

This exactly! Even when you compare the stage 4 to the more comparable YC88 the savings is still massive and hard to justify the price tag of the Stage 4

[@arturomma8560]

bro I need an advice, I wanna make covers of The Killers, meanly Hot Fuss and Battleborn Album, do you recomend CK? or any Nord? what about Roland?

[@ldifalco2010]

@@arturomma8560 I'm not that familiar with The Killers but I would assume that anyone of these boards would get the job done.

[@RobinYee-xc9vf]

Greatest keyboard 's playing with,

[@bandungbusdriver5256]

ultimate performance keyboard

[@ray_maestro_]

I've been looking forward to this because I may buy another YC61

[@Am71919]

No comparison to their s90, they've created a monster with that one, even after fifteen years, that one's going to be tough to beat for years to come

[@madness8556]

The S90ES from the mid 2000s was a killer stage piano but it also had killer weight for lugging it around for gigs and it was too long to fit easily into smaller cars. Saying that, it's still a fantastic instrument with those beautiful MOTIFES sounds and fantastic action. B

[@boitumeloroycechabaemang6832]

S90 all the way brother… 🙇‍♂️ …. Keyboard that I’ll never sell ✊🏽s90✌️

[@spada60]

I hope you mean S90es not the s90 cause the S90 is ok but the S90es blows it out the water

[@godisbollocks]

That acoustic guitar sound was killer

[@angusyhchan]

As a guitarist myself, those sounds amazed me

[@AlexFlavell]

The Yamaha Nord!!!!

[@NURREDIN]

The CK88 would be perfect here in Vegas!

[@artwerkmedia8616]

Nice. Finally the Yamaha Nord.

[@VerryPerry]

Jacob, you’re a beast. I love your reviews.

[@luucdentoom6955]

Halfway in the video now and it kind of reminds me of the Roland VR09 Combo. Let’s see what else is there.

[@luucdentoom6955]

Went through the data list in the manual: it actually has a lot more of the bread ‘n butter sounds than the CP and YC series. It’s also nice to have all the same organ emulations from the reface YC + pipe organ. For a gigging musician, this is a very attractive board so to say. I hope there will be a lot of this stuff/voices added to my CP with the next firmware update…

[@orlandoordasjr3210]

I might get the Ck 61 to pair up with my Yamaha Modx7

[@otlotlengrasedikela2960]

Wonderful stuff ❤️💯

[@hidesertmusic]

GREAT playing guys. Thanks

[@616161Ms]

Amazing guy's loved the jam 👌

[@MusicisPartofMe5]

great playing

[@pjlira]

Yamaha is the best...

[@adamherring6693]

Great video, I'm looking for a cheap board for jam nights, leaving the Nord for the paid gigs, looks like it's worth a real life demo.

[@Pozolo_Oficial]

Can you change the rotary speed with a pedal?

[@sweetwater]

Hi, thanks for your interest! Yes, you can assign a connected foot pedal to toggle the speed of the rotary effect between slow and fast. You would have to go into the foot pedal settings and change the default assignment to do this. For more details, check out Yamaha’s user manual at the following link: usa.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/2/1547682/ck88_en_om_b0.pdf I hope this helps a bit - feel free to contact me directly with any further questions, and thanks again! Caleb Lowrey, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1620, [e-mail]

[@RaphJB]

Awesome keyboard!

[@Featherlightstudio]

Jacob and Blake, you guys are both such great players, you make these new boards sound awesome. Quick question, is the new YC Rotary emulation 'Studio' available in either of the CK models, or is it just the two effects library choices?

[@sweetwater]

Hello, great question! It looks like the rotary emulations are either a “standard” rotary (Rotary A) and one with a transistor preamplifier with strong distortion (Rotary B). Let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks! Jason Filloramo, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1281, [e-mail]

[@stuartdarling1620]

You guys always do a great job of presenting. For me I'm trying to downsize so this is a useful little downgrade for me , moving from the YC73 to the CK61 shortly!

[@roycevanbeethoven]

You could consider the YC61 as well, if you think you will miss the larger drawbar section. The YC61 is also pretty light at only 15lb.

[@simbaking6338]

Am sold....will try out the CX 61...what's the price?

[@Yohanelprofesor]

can you use the Organ drawbars to control differnt sounds?

[@MrJsfingers]

Where are the drum rhythms/patterns coming from?

[@alexdacostausa9471]

Awesome . I love Yamaha

[@thecoastCoverband]

Sounds great.Can CK play midi files? Is the CK multi-timbral Thanks for the demo

[@thefilmandmusic]

Gréât demo

[@thenetworkmystery]

What is the synth sound he's using at the end? And with the detuned oscillators? That sounds so cool!!

[@timpullen4941]

I bought a CK61 and it has the worst key action of any product I have ever owned. The keys feel as if there is a pressure hinge under each key. There is a key resistance initially and then the key resistance is overcome and the key goes down. When playing medium velocity broken chords in a ballad suddenly the key just barks at full volume. Then when playing staccato on non decaying sounds like trumpet, there is a key bounce / note retrigger. I have sent videos to Yamaha about this and waiting for an outcome. Yamaha are going to need to fix the key action on the CK61. Other forums are filling up with people complaining about the key action.

[@gazjaz2010]

not users all over the web, just you spamming this same post over every CK vid you can find on KZbin. just return it already, ffs

[@jeffeason3599]

Disagree. Have not experienced any issues w this keybed - or seen others complaining. But certainly key feel is an individual taste thing so yeah, if you don’t like it, just return it or sell it and move on. With these features/sounds/UI and at this price point these CKs are huge hits for Yamaha. Sweetwater and other dealers cannot keep them in stock.

[@TigansUp]

Does it has oscillator to create classic wave Synth like pulse wave etc?

[@sweetwater]

Hello, great question. The synth patches in this keyboard look to be sample based and there does not appear to be a patch that specifically features pulse waves or pulse wave modulation. Let us know if you have any other questions or need help finding a keyboard with a built in synth oscillator. Thanks! Jason Filloramo, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1281, [e-mail]

[@RaphJB]

Hey guys, keep in mind this is just a synth where you can emulate some organ sounds. It is not a workstation synth thou

[@wyattking5607]

U guys are awesome hope can win one I'm been following unguys a long time

[@thecoastCoverband]

Hi super demo thanks.Can i adjust the speed of the lesly rotery? Gr. Ness

[@peternelson4630]

I have a MODX8 but I'm thinking of switching it out for something that's a little more streamlined (and simplified?) to play out with. The price seems good. I wonder how much of the MODX8 is in the CK88? Seems like a fair amount. I hope that the acoustic grand piano sound doesn't have an overemphasized low (under middle C) end.

[@AnanyaGoyal7]

I'll suggest don't do that, MODX8 is a fantastic keyboard and you'll be losing quite a bit of functions and capabilities.

[@teetie192]

The 61 is mini and fun for home use if you don't have space. But for me, I like a larger type with a light key pressure. I also don't understand why Yamaha only made the MINI 61 and then the large 88. I thought I'd get that 88 , but it has a heavy key pressure. It's all about my peeling pleasure. When I perform and I'm careful not to hide my keyboard, I better stay at home. I need the space to play so I go for a large model. If this one doesn't come, I'll go for another brand, which is a pity because the 61 is great, too bad it's so small. The CK61 is for little people my hands get a syndrome so little this keybord is .

[@TamirOrkobysPiano]

Got String Resonance? (Piano Engine)??

[@TamirOrkobysPiano]

I guess no just like As the modx yc88 cp88 and the montage no piano engine no string resonance.

[@AlexFlavell]

It does have string resonance! It is the default Effect 1 for the main CFX Grand Piano setting. The amount and depth can be tweaked 👍

[@jgooch99]

Great board!!!

[@jhn1987]

I was seriously considering buying a YC73. I would’ve preferred the 88 key but I wanted to keep the weight to 30lbs. With the new firmware update, the YC got an amazing Leslie simulation, excellent electric and acoustic pianos. Does the CK have the same organs, Leslie sim, acoustic, and electric pianos that the YC61/73/88 has. If they are all the same sound engines then why is it half the price of the YC series? I guess what I’m asking does the CK give you everything the YC series does? What are the differences between the CK and YC series?

[@lecto100]

Samples vs modeled organ sounds and other differences

[@robertfletcher9899]

I saw elsewhere that the CK organ is more like the Reface one, so it uses samples, compared with the YC61, which uses modelling. I guess that means it's probably going to be less "organic" (pun intended) than the YC61

[@ianperesmusic]

I've been trying to snoop around for these answers too. I have a YC73 and I absolutely love the organ sound (only after the firmware update). The organ on the CK series is based off the same engine as the Reface YC organ (this is mentioned in the video at around 21:15 ). To me it sounds completely different; and in my opinion the YC73 is a much better organ sound. Shame, because I love everything ELSE about the CK.

[@jhn1987]

@@ianperesmusic I’m wondering about how the acoustic and electric piano sounds on the YC73 compares to the CK series. Also, I’m curious if anyone has actually played the CK88 and the YC 73 and their thoughts on the action. There seems to be a lot of people who don’t care for the GHS action on the CK88.

[@angusbabb4913]

@@jhn1987 I have played the CK88 alongside the MODX88 , they have the same GHS keyed but it has been tweaked for the CK88., much tighter IMHO ,really good and I dont know what the problem people have with it ,it was never gonna have the keybed of the YC88 cos it would've put the price of the keyboard up ...its quite common for companies the tweak an existing Keybed for new products Nord do it all the time

[@johnchabo9839]

The specs saying that 2 stereo 6Watts built in speakers. I got the CK61 played next to a P45 which has the same 6Watts speakers and they definitely don’t sound nearly as good as the Yamaha P45. Can you please reach out to Yamaha and give them that feedback. I think if the speakers are truly 6Watts stereo, this keyboard will be the best in the market at this price range

[@JuckoLelle]

Excellent! However; as a live performer I would LOVE a built in, rechargeable battery + a 76 key version.

[@chenxi8633]

Pretty please could we get an update for some plain sawtooth? Only one thing missing from this keyboard is that I can’t get a decent talkbox sound. If we have sawtooth with 100% sustain, it’d suit my every need

[@CAGraphics-z1c]

Great Demo guys. What amplification was used for the CK 88 The lows were thunderous and the drives were clean

[@bjarnehandal2761]

How will ck61 work along with genos?

[@wortnewsaid8580]

What about the CK88 action?

[@angusbabb4913]

I have played the CK88 alongside the MODX88 , they have the same GHS keyed but it has been tweaked for the CK88., much tighter IMHO ,really good and I dont know what the problem people have with it ,it was never gonna have the keybed of the YC88 cos it would've put the price of the keyboard up ...its quite common for companies the tweak an existing Keybed for new products Nord do it all the time

[@timlane8061]

Do any of those livesets come with the keyboard?

[@klyklyklykly]

Hey thank you for this demo! I've been looking through so many videos as I'd like to know what effects are possible for sound editing on the A. Piano specifically? It seems like all the FX are more for the other sounds like E. Piano etc, but what if I want to change the tone, ped noise or duplex of the piano? It doesn't seem like that's an option which just feels like for the piano sounds we just press select and can't personalize it, or am I wrong? Other than that amazing piano!! Reply

[@dillonvado]

very cool! *Question!* can those organ draw bars be mapped as midi CC faders when using this with a DAW?

[@sweetwater]

Hi, Dillon - thanks for your interest! Yes, the drawbars can send MIDI CC messages when using the CK as a MIDI controller. Feel free to contact me directly with any further questions, and thanks again! Caleb Lowrey, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1620, [e-mail]

[@NURREDIN]

P.S. Is there a speaker cutoff switch?

[@sweetwater]

Hi, thanks for your interest! Yes, on the CK pianos, there is a physical switch on the back of the instrument that will allow you to toggle the built-in speakers. You can also change the settings for the switch from the System menu - for example, you could set it to only mute the speakers if headphones are connected. I hope this helps, and feel free to contact me directly with any further questions! Caleb Lowrey, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1620, [e-mail]

[@mysteriism]

I’m buying a CK88. Question about amplification. The CK is going with me on the plane back soon to my home in Costa Rica. I play jazz, etc in a trio there. Considering for the sake of versatility, ease of transport (I’m a senior with a typical senior’s bad back), and affordability an Evolve 30 column speaker system. Seeking advice and recommendations about the best amplification to take with me.

[@sweetwater]

Hi mysteriism, great question! While I really enjoy column array systems for many compact PA set-ups, if you do not need the mixer and are using the system primarily for the CK88, I would suggest going a point source route like the RCF ART: www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ART912A--rcf-art-912-a-2100w-12-inch-powered-speaker I like having the extra mid presence that a point source speaker provides, especially for keyboard. The RCF gets all the way down to 50Hz as well, so unless you are trying to rock some 808s, you will be absolutely fine! If you want to dig into more detail about keyboard amplification, give me a shout! Drake Sobehrad, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 3271, [e-mail]

[@johnnulf624]

Are the piano/e.piano/clav samples in this the same as in the YC and CP? Or did they reduce the library size or sample quality?

[@sweetwater]

Hi, John! Thanks for your interest. The CK pianos actually have more sounds than either the CP or YC models: 363 different voices on the CK compared to 57 on the CP and 160 on the YC. The piano sounds are inherited from the CP pianos, while the organ drawbar interface is taken from the Reface YC mini-organ. To my knowledge, there’s no reduction in sample quality with the CK, although the keybed is a step down from the natural wood keys on the CP. I hope this helps - feel free to contact me directly with any further questions, and thanks again! Caleb Lowrey, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1620, [e-mail]

[@kevinldaniel]

Thanks for the review! Would love it if you could add timestamps :)

[@matthewgaines10]

Clever keyboard for mobile, performance focused players. Also plays well with DAWs. A larger Reface with bells and whistles added. Not sure that you couldn’t do better at the price point. Not sure I would get this over a YC-88. Not sure I would get this over a FA-08, Fantom 0, or MODX. Still interesting though. Yamaha has too much Apple IOS focussed support at the expense of everything else not IOS.

[@j.p.6023]

Any good pipe organ sound inside? I didn't bought the yc because of this gap...

[@corneliusmulhollandmusic3570]

Are there any plans for a CK73 weighted?

[@jorjajorjan3863]

How do you compare the weighted keys of ck88 with p515? Is it a similar feel?

[@alanslusher8409]

Can the CK machines be connected to the Skyscape system?

[@Juddalan88]

These in stock now?

[@calebrabion]

Does it have an octave up and down?

[@sweetwater]

Hi, Caleb - yes, there are octave up and down buttons located next to the master volume fader and above the organ drawbars. Let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks! Jason Filloramo, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1281, [e-mail]

[@calebrabion]

@@sweetwater cool. I got a better look at it and saw the buttons. Thanks for replying. 1 other question I have is, can you turn the internal speakers off when playing through a system?

[@calebrabion]

@@sweetwater nevermind, found that too lol.

[@jameswood3977]

What about transpose, is that on it too

[@calebrabion]

@@jameswood3977 yup

[@taloujazz9504]

what size for the keys of the 61 ?

[@chipdolan3759]

Can I pan the output of the organ separately from the piano so I can use a Leslie without sending piano to the Leslie…or is an A-B foot switch what I’ll need ?

[@sweetwater]

Hi Chip, great question! You can indeed adjust the panning of different zones on a multi such that they use separate outputs. Let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks! Jason Filloramo, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1281, [e-mail]

[@See_Sharp]

The only thing it lacks is "Stage Presence", its so dull looking it makes the Reface series looks fun. Just get the Blue color of Yamaha R1 motorcycle and paint it on your keyboards.

[@denmarkmartin8553]

Is this the as the MODX 88 sound switching not cut off? how many layer of sound?

[@ursullavandenbord2322]

Where is the montage replacement ?

[@GM8D79]

What is the best external speaker for Yamaha CK88 for Small gathering stage.

[@sweetwater]

Hello, great question! There are a lot of good options here and what’s best will be subjective, but I would recommend a column array type system like the Electro Voice Evolve 30M for the best horizontal coverage. Regular powered speakers such as a QSC K12 or keyboard amps like a Roland KC400 would also work well. Thanks! Jason Filloramo, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1281, [e-mail]

[@DashanKhonglah-f5o]

Is there a volume setting where I can set the overall volume of part A,B & C together at once after editing and save it to live set. Like a master volume for part A,B & C.

[@sweetwater]

Hi, thanks for your interest! After reviewing Yamaha’s documentation for the CK series, it doesn’t look like there is a way to set the master volume of an individual Live Set. However, there is a 3-band Live Set EQ that affects all three parts. Depending on what you are wanting to accomplish, you might be able to use the EQ in place of a dedicated master volume - either adjusting all three bands equally, or fine-tuning the EQ to accentuate certain frequencies. I hope this helps a bit - feel free to contact me directly with any further questions, and thanks again! Caleb Lowrey, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1620, [e-mail]

[@inputsandoutputs]

That piano sounded better than the CFX in the P515.

[@spada60]

but not the cp4

[@aseomg]

Speakers, I/O's that are actually usable, built in Audio Interface, plus other stuff...this should have been made 5 years ago. Better late than never Yamaha.

[@bjarnehandal2761]

Dose it have arpeggio?

[@pappysheart6710]

I was looking for that too. It doesn't look like it.

[@sweetwater]

Hello, Bjarne! The CK series do not have arpeggiators on board. If you are looking for that functionality, I recommend looking into a synthesizer like the MODX series from Yamaha. Thanks for the interest! Cody Kraus, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1766, [e-mail]

[@RobinYee-xc9vf]

I see😁🎊🎉💰💎

[@deaconblues3964]

Do these things have after-touch and what is the polyphony?

[@sweetwater]

Hello, great question! These do not have aftertouch, and the polyphony is 128 notes on both keyboards. Thanks! Jason Filloramo, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1281, [e-mail]

[@deaconblues3964]

@@sweetwater That's sad. I think in this day and age every pro keyboard should have aftertouch as standard and the polyphony should be 256! I also wish they would bring back polyphonic aftertouch as in the old KX88! However, it's a decent board for gigs and practice.

[@Juddalan88]

In stock now? Thx

[@pjlira]

Both the sounds and the amazing playing reminds a lot of Chick Corea...

[@johne1599]

TO SWEETWATER: What keyboard amplification was used in this video?

[@johnchabo9839]

hello Sweetwater, recently I bought the CK 61 i love the mobility and sounds of it. I am having a hard time with the U1 sample. it feels like there is not enough polyphony to have the sound carrie through. when i blend 2 pianos the U1 starts cutting out abruptly. i have no effects apply at all and it does it. i though it could be a cutoff or other effects applied on the U1. but there is non i tried to trouble shoot and read the manual. i dont have a clear reasoning why it is happening. its A+ . I WISH it had seamless transition and the piano samples would not cut out when using more than one piano sound. is there a firmware update i need to upload into my board ?

[@sweetwater]

Hi, thanks for your interest and I’m sorry for the trouble! Keep in mind that the maximum polyphony for the CK instruments is 128 voices - so if you’re using two layered sounds, that means 64 notes would be the maximum, and so on. Playing complex passages with the sustain pedal can easily lead to notes adding up to more than 64 - but if you’re not getting close to that, it’s hard to say what might be causing the issue. I didn’t see a recent firmware update on Yamaha’s site, but one thing you might try would be a factory reset (make sure you back up any of your custom presets or settings on a USB drive first). Did you purchase your CK61 from Sweetwater? If so, I’d suggest giving our support team a call - otherwise, if you got it elsewhere, you might want to reach out to Yamaha. Feel free to contact me directly if I can do anything to assist further, and thanks again! Caleb Lowrey, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1620, [e-mail]

[@VexylObby]

16:45 Prélude Opus 28 No. 20 ;)

[@Ronnypiano]

quiero saber como asignar los canales midi en el software

[@SkylerJackson2025]

the keyboard looks like the Nord Stage 3