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Yamaha YC88 88-key Stage Keyboard

88-key Stage Keyboard with NW-GH3 Triple-sensor Action, Wood Keys, Virtual Circuitry Modeling Organ Engine, Advanced Wave Memory 2 Instruments and FM Synthesis, 9 FX Processors, and USB Audio/MIDI Interface
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Yamaha YC88 88-key Stage Keyboard
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Yamaha’s Amazing Organ-focused Stage Keyboard

The Yamaha YC88 packs expressive acoustic pianos and electric pianos; vintage combo organs; detailed instrument sounds like strings, bass, and brass; and dynamic synth sounds into a gig-friendly and compact 88-key stage keyboard. Using Yamaha’s proprietary Virtual Circuitry Modeling, the YC88 is one of the most lifelike-sounding analog organ emulations on the market, and it comes stocked with a large selection of additional instrument voices and killer onboard effects. Designed to please discerning pianists, the YC88 is ideal for today’s performers who prefer to run the show from one fully weighted piano keyboard but need sound and control versatility. The YC88’s triple-sensor hammer-action keybed and physical controls keep you out of menus and in the music. While the YC88 is vintage in character, it boasts all the functionality and reliability of a modern digital instrument, with vast customization options and computer audio integration for audio recording, playback, and MIDI control. Keyboardists at Sweetwater are blown away by the YC88. Great keyboard, instrument and synth sounds plus a compelling drawbar organ packed with stellar sounds and performance features give the YC88 the right stuff to be the top-tier keyboard in your live and studio rigs.

Endless sonic possibilities

The YC88's Dual Keys section gives you control over a slew of instrument voices, including acoustic and electric pianos, FM synth, strings, and brass. The YC88 also features the signature tones of drawbar and pure FM synth organs for super-fat low end, thick organ swells, mellow emanations, and biting leads, along with the inimitable sound of a rotary speaker. With its onboard panel controls, the YC88 presents a sizable sonic palette with tons of tweakability. Layer up a fat organ pad. Pull back the drawbars for a focused sound. Add percussion, vibrato, chorus, or drive to the organ, or experiment with the onboard effects for a totally new sound. Beyond the incredible organ sound, Yamaha’s updated Stage OS adds new sounds and features so your instrument is always up to date. And the YC88’s nine onboard effects, such as vibrato/chorus, reverb, delay, and drive, make for endless musical possibilities.

Stellar feel and playability

Designed for musicians needing the most realistic piano touch, the YC88's NW-GH3 88-note, triple-sensor hammer-action keybed with synthetic ebony and ivory keycaps is certain to delight even the most demanding pianists. The physical drawbars and intuitive control surface make it easy to shape sounds on the fly without getting bogged down in programming patches. Yamaha’s Seamless Sound Switching lets you change patches while holding notes without the sound cutting off.

Proprietary Virtual Circuitry Modeling

The foundation of the YC88’s rich and detailed sound is Yamaha’s Virtual Circuitry Modeling (VCM), which digitally emulates analog circuits down to the individual component level. Yamaha has been working with physical modeling since the development of their VL1 Virtual Acoustic Synthesizer, which was released in 1993. Over the ensuing decades, they have continually refined their proprietary modeling technology and incorporated it into iconic, cutting-edge products that deliver stunningly realistic digital emulations of traditional instruments. The YC88’s VCM organ engine mimics the analog topology of Yamaha’s classic organs for astonishingly accurate tone, vibe, behavior, and realistic rotary speaker sounds that will transport you to a blissful vintage dreamland with all the benefits of digital sound processing.

Yamaha YC88 88-key Stage Keyboard Features:

  • 88-key drawbar organ and stage keyboard
  • Proprietary Virtual Circuitry Modeling delivers authentic vintage organ character
  • Sculpt your sound with intuitive drawbar controls
  • Fully weighted, triple-sensor hammer-action keyboard with synthetic ebony and ivory keytops will please even the most demanding pianists
  • 2 ultra-realistic rotary speaker models
  • Seamless Sound Switching patches while holding notes without the sound cutting off
  • Great selection of additional instrument voices, including acoustic and electric pianos, DX-style FM synth sounds, strings, and brass
  • Layer sounds with the Dual Keys section
  • 9 onboard effects processors, including vibrato/chorus, reverb, delay, drive, and more
  • USB-to-Host port: 2-channel audio/MIDI interface for DAW and computer audio integration
  • USB-to-Device port: for connection of thumb drives, smartphones, tablets, etc.
  • Dual 1/4-inch jacks for connecting secondary keyboards, mobile devices, and more
  • 2 assignable 1/4-inch continuous controller pedal jacks
  • 2 1/4-inch switch pedal jacks (sustain, assignable)
  • L/Mono-R 1/4-inch inputs with Gain control
  • 1/4-inch Headphones jack
  • Internal power supply; IEC mains port

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Tech Specs

  • Type: Stage Keyboard
  • Sound Engine: VCM Organ, AWM2, FM
  • Number of Keys: 88
  • Type of Keys: Natural Wood, Graded Hammer
  • Touch Sensitivity: Normal, Soft, Hard, Wide, Fixed
  • Other Controllers: Pitchbend Lever, Modulation Lever
  • Polyphony: 128 Notes (AWM2/Organ), 128 Notes (FM)
  • Presets: 8 organ, 139 keys
  • Effects: Reverb, Rotary Speaker, 3-band EQ
  • Audio Inputs: 2 x 1/4" (R, L/Mono)
  • Audio Outputs: 2 x XLR (main out), 2 x 1/4" (R, L/Mono)
  • Headphones: 1 x 1/4"
  • USB: 1 x Type B, 1 x Type A
  • MIDI I/O: In/Out/USB
  • Pedal Inputs: 4 x 1/4"
  • Pedal Included: Yes, FC3A (sustain)
  • Display: LCD
  • Power Supply: Standard IEC AC cable
  • Height: 5.6"
  • Width: 51.1"
  • Depth: 14.3"
  • Weight: 41 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: YC88

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

Finally, a real Alternative to a B3!

Was one of the early adopters of the YC series ( first the YC-61 ) then sold that and got the YC-88 (From Matt Masek, Awesome service as always!)
Loved the flexibility and HUGE internal library of sounds always available. Our Nord was nice but, always having to decide which sounds to load and then having to compromise on what quality sample set to choose to get the most amount of a live performance board was a REAL pain. By comparison, the YC-88 was a giant leap forward in this regard. The onboard sounds are stellar and cover a lot of ground and the quality of the acoustic and electric pianos have become this industry standard now. BUT, the original organ emulations unfortunately, were not. The Leslie emulation was sub standard and lacked the detail and the tonal characteristics of a real cabinet/B3. When Yamaha updated the firmware the first time, we all hoped they would address the Organ section but no. They DID however add some truly beautiful pianos ( Nashville, CF3 Live, Rhodes 73RD-74RD are incredible! )
And then... Firmware version 1.20 came out and literally everything changed overnight. Its like owning a brand new keyboard. The updates in the new firmware include all the updated sounds from the previous builds plus the addition of new FM synthesis, improved velocity controls, new EQ FX types and more but, the biggest change of all was the addition of the new Rotary Organ Emulation called 'Studio'. It is killer, plain and simple. Blows our Nord away and sounds as good, and in some ways better, than our Neo Ventilator 2, which we needed for the YC-88. I NEVER thought I would find a better Leslie Sim than our beloved Vent 2 but I'll just say it...this sounds as good or better. They didn't just improve the spatial width and motion of the emulation ( what I loved most about the Vent 2 ) but they worked on the actual frequency response of the emulation itself. No more shrill top end! The sound is extremely close to our 122 cabs at church. From this point forward...it basically judging wine types. Yamaha has clearly heard the voices of the used base and has responded with one of the best Leslie emulations I have heard to date. This has made the YC-88 the live performance board to beat right now and was worth the wait.
Music background: Full Time Studio Engineer
Rated 5/5

Phenomenal Stage Piano

I originally purchased a YC 61, which is clearly, like all the YC series, 'organ focused', but I returned it due to the Leslie sim being downright horrible. That was last year. Yamaha, to their credit, has GREATLY enhanced (more like replaced) the Leslie sim in the YC. As a keys guy through and through, I'm not exaggerating when I say we are in Nord, and ALMOST Ventilator territory here. The three dimensional feel of the horn and rotor actually moving from side to side in the stereo field, the way the reverb interacts with the speaker itself, and the corrected amp grit from the organ overdriving into the Leslie...is just so much better now. At the time of this review, I would say this is one of the best Leslie simulations on the market. I would have said that was a joke a year ago. I'm seriously leaving my Nord Stage 3 at home and using this for most of the gig. We bought a CP88 for my church, and it is wonderful, but when it came time to upgrade our 10 year old SV-1, we went with a YC 88. The action is a dream for piano players, and it isn't too heavy to play real organ techniques on either. The immediacy of the effects, quality of the piano samples (U1 upright is excellent) and the ability to shape sounds with LPH and HPF filters, as well as ADSR and individual EQ per patch - sets the YC apart. it has a built in audio/midi interface, and can address 4 midi zones - so you have a controller, killer stage piano, organ, basic bt capable sample synth, and can mix three sounds at once, with each section having a dedicated set of effects, including master reverb PER part...this is such a "Nord" way of doing things, it is obvious where the inspiration came from, but I have to say....from the company that made the MOTIF and Montage, which are not what you'd call easy to user approachable...this excellent Stage Keyboard is one any of my volunteers at church can use instantly - Bonus...the SOUNDMONDO app lets me create sounds at home on my YC, and drop them into the church YC by just plugging in an iPad. This is the keyboard the CP4 should have been, and this is currently the best combo of action, sounds, and ease of use - not to mention it is built very very well. Get a case. The Yamaha case is great for short trips, but get a hard case if you are going to be touring or fly. I cannot recommend the YC highly enough. It has almost no sounds that you won't use. Its just one of the best overall keyboards I've seen in a while. Nord, Dexibell, Roland, Korg, and anybody else that makes a "Stage Piano".... should definitely be taking notes. Jason Theile is awesome as always!
Music background: Tech Director, Audio Engineer, Keys Nut, Studio Musician, Worship Leader.
Rated 5/5

Exactly What I Needed

I was looking for a new keyboard that was geared for live use more than studio use. I didn't want something that had 1500 patches to sort through. I needed a friendly keyboard for stage use that focused on quality sounds and not every sound imaginable. The YC 88 provided me with everything I was looking for. This keyboard has the touch and feel (fully weighted keys at 41 lbs) as close to a real piano as I have experienced on an electronic keyboard.

It's been 60 years since I started playing the piano. I've been playing in working bands for 50+ years as a keyboardist / vocalist / saxophonist. The acoustic pianos, electric pianos, organs / with Leslie simulators and clavs are as good as it gets. All of the other sounds provided are very good too. I wouldn't hesitate to use it in a studio setting. The simplicity of setting up live sets or swapping the order of live sets is a welcomed feature. Tweeking sounds just the way you want them and saving them doesn't get any easier either. Yamaha provides many videos on YouTube with "How To" shortcuts for many topics for the YC series. Take advantage of them if you are not familiar with Yamaha. I had been away from Yamaha for a while. I am not disappointed to be back.

This keyboard has so much to offer. Be sure to at least look at. Try one out if you live near a music store before you decide on your new purchase decisions. I read so many good things about this keyboard while I was shopping, I bought mine without every touching one.
Music background: Working bands - keyboards / vocals (lead & background) / sax. 50+ years
Rated 5/5

Yc88

This bird is so user friendly!
The piano sounds in it are not fake but real time sounding!
The download patch with the u1 is very realistic!!
Love it very well for the money
Rated 5/5

Yamaha is the bomb!!!!!!

I'm sorry but Yamaha just leads the pack when it comes to stage pianos sounding like concert grands and baby grands. If you have any kind of recording studio and want that sound you can't go wrong with them. Now this is not a complete work station piano. It is strictly a multi piano and organ sounding instrument. But with its hammered keys and that hammond B3 sound on it, it beats everyone else out for a stage or studio piano. You would have to get a second keyboard for a majority of different synth sounds. Not don't get me wrong it has some like strings etc. But in a studio you want an arsenal of sounds to do the job. I suggest the next generation of Yamaha motif keyboards. check them out.
Music background: professional singer/songwriter entertainer
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