The New Yamaha CK61 - Jaw Dropping Good!

Today we look at the new Yamaha CK61 61-key stage piano, examining its features and performance to help you decide if it's the right keyboard for you. With a range of customizable sounds, including authentic piano tones, this stage piano offers a lot of versatility for the serious performer.
0:00 Intro
1:19 Piano Fact
5:19 Specs
10:44 Demo
25:25 Final thoughts
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[@whosvoice]

Thank you! You are so knowledgeable and describe things so well. I was on the fence for a minute but I am def gonna pick up the CK 61!

[@johnpaulpatton9786]

I've been playing keyboards for over 30 years, and I never knew so much about key action. Great lesson!

[@dudleynonis8214]

Great video. Thank you. The organ drawbars are excellent. I enjoy playing Oye Como va solo on this CK 61

[@thesoundsmith]

As a bar/hotel/small event pianist/organist primarily, the 61 on top of the 88 is the perfect combo. Ya know, the music rest for the 88 is $99! What if they made a "combo" stand to mount the 61 at the perfect playing position for the organists and Prog guys... THAT I'd spend for happily (and the rack for the 61 is cheaper! 😉 ) I love the 88 for what it is, the closest to perfect gig keyboard in its class. Plus battery power. insane!

[@NavelOrangeGazer]

Saw this at a local music store and decided to start jamming. I think the employees might have thought I was nuts as I was picking it up trying to figure out where organ sound that good was coming from. Yamaha really has the in built speakers down to a science, reminds me of the quality of my ThRX guitar amp.

[@Ivanhoedrummerboy]

Just bought one, it's fabulous.

[@antunkatona]

An excellent video, as always, with one minor correction. The FSB action was introduced in the PSR-SX900 and -700 arrangers, not the CK61 ;)

[@Prizm44]

Thanks

[@dsoule4902]

Thank you

[@friedrichkertoja]

I have this. A very good one😊

[@aseomg]

I want the CK61 sooooooo bad! 😎

[@CoconutDreams123]

Since the Yamaha CK88/61 models don't have a built-in arpeggiator, could you create an arpeggio effect in real time, while still using the voices on the Yamaha CK88/61, by adding an external device like a USB midi keyboard controller that has an arpeggiator function? Thanks! 🙂

[@RolandTumble23]

One of my current daydream rigs is a CK61 and a graded-hammer 88 controller.

[@user-cj5tc4be9v]

ck88

[@RolandTumble23]

@@user-cj5tc4be9v Maybe, but then I'd need a 61-76 key semi-weighted controller....

[@4tune889]

Are there any built in rhythms or a metronome ?

[@butordanmusic6834]

I have both CK and MODX. The CK sounds is more anemic than the MODX. But I like the interface of CK and the seamless program change.

[@jamietopolski4019]

Does "anemic" mean that the sound is thin? Can't you fatten it via the EQ and other effects?

[@aakash9058]

I have a YC88 and a Montage8. There is something more substantial and convincing about the sound from the Montage vs the YC

[@tonyr.4778]

Looks good, but if they added an arpeggiator and vocoder (since they have a mic input to fx already), it would be great. A question i have is can the drawbars and knobs be assigned as midi controllers?

[@bsbkeys]

Yes, but you have to turn that on in the settings. It's off by default.

[@bcj842]

I came dangerously close to buying one of these as soon as I saw that it had come out. I'm a sucker for the drawbars and the quick-access functions, but I ultimately went for a used MOXF6 instead for the simple reason that I needed more percussion and wind instruments. I'm not a live keys man and I need a workstation to be the centerpiece of my rig. I'd say I made the right call because I am a huge fan of the MOTIF engine, and having line-ins for external gear is also extremely handy. The CK does look awesome though.

[@rrod6738]

I love my CK61. Been using it for a month. By the way, not sure if you mentioned, it also has internal speakers.

[@komalthecoolk]

They did. 2 X 6w

[@KeskeinenAika]

How is the keybed?

[@rrod6738]

@@KeskeinenAika it's exactly the same as the PSR sX900.

[@valcrist7428]

Yup, it's kinda "Semi" portable.

[@allenshively6374]

I saw somewhere that the CK88 would have the same keyboard action as the MODX8. Do you know if that is correct?

[@islandtony5009]

It has the GHS action fully weighted and graded same as the P125, P45, DGX670

[@AlexFlavell]

That is correct - I use both boards and they are nearly identical. That said, it feels like Yamaha slightly tweaked the action to make it 5% lighter on the CK88. Both use GHS.

[@mrrusty1965]

Torn between the CK 61 and the Roland Juno DS 61. Any advice comments please share?

[@planetdog1641]

CK organ sounds are better. The Juno has a really short travel action I find annoying.

[@arelivalencia3239]

Is there much difference between the ck pianos and the modx ones?

[@danieldougan269]

The CK pianos have built-in speakers if you don't want to plug into an amp or PA. They are also designed with drawbar organ controls as described in this video. If you like to play organ sounds from your keyboard, the CK series is the way to go. The CK pianos are really stage pianos and quasi-organs first and foremost. I think of the MODX as more of a synthesizer where you can create custom sounds. I would say they are more geared for recording. That's not to say you can't use a MODX on stage, and plenty of people do, but I consider it a synthesizer first and a stage piano second.

[@valcrist7428]

Yamaha should have named this the "Reface Pro" or the "Reface Ultimate"

[@doordedeur]

It looks like a great second keyboard, but from what I hear, it seems to sound a bit 'thin', like my old Yamaha S30. I hope in reality the keyboard sounds better than that.

[@planetdog1641]

Doesn't the Yamaha s 30 have the Motif sound engine? I have the s80 and I am impressed with it. Particularly the organ sounds.

[@islandtony5009]

I have the CK61 the action is a great compromise between most synth actions and fully weighted; the FSB action has a slightly heavier initial touch which makes a huge difference.

[@66guidos]

I've got the CK61 too - loving it. And yes, the action is really nice to play. Don't know what they've done but it just nice to play - fine for piano stuff as well as organs etc. For the price, this keyboard has an insane amount of stuff going for it. Better than keyboards double the price.

[@artie218]

yes my jaw dropped to see they reverted back to the REFACE inferior organ from the new yc.. Its a midrange toy.. with keyboards that are a little more now having flagship sounds this one goes back to being like the Roland VR-09 which also has batteries except has a far better organ, and that was 2013

[@richnewman]

Except that people were literally asking for a full size Reface unit. The fact it has a full Reface CP and YC, with the addition of synth sounds, more effects, and in a portable/lightweight board is great IMO.

[@artie218]

Maybe they did when the reface came out , but there are way too many better options for organ now but if there are people who like toy organs go for it

[@nigel.a.v.909]

Which keyboard would you recommend at the same price for good piano, E. Piano and Organ sounds? Maybe with a few hands on controls too. Generally curious. Looking to buy a new lightweight board and I wanna know whether there are better options in the market.

[@artie218]

@@nigel.a.v.909 roland vr series, the organ alone kills.. and it has the Dbeam for certain sounds you can bring in on the fly.. something missed on more expensive keyboards.. vr-09 has those handson control knobs for compression and distortion.. and other knobs.. again thats 10 yrs ago..

[@aholder4471]

I can't help but be a little judgmental here at the young dude in the video. I'm sure he had the best of intentions but I swear everytime the old head would drop some actually cool info you aren't probably gonna hear anywhere else, young dude was like, yeah great, we might do something like that, let's get back to making the same video as everyone else....lol. I hope that's not reality, but my sixth sense keeps going off. Young dude totally missed what he said about the organ keys. He thought we were still talking about action...nope, we've gone deeper now bro, and then he'd just take over and steer it back to the generic video he had in his head.

[@aholder4471]

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming....😊

[@johnpaulpatton9786]

Young arrogance.

[@mikegreenebass]

When Youngblood said Slider Bars he lost me and Pops quickly said Drawbars.