In this article, we will be comparing two excellent music products, the Kawai Vpc1 and the Yamaha P515. If you’re fond of using virtual piano, the Vpc 1 might be a good accompaniment. Personally, I would love the Vpc 1 as it offers a lot of features that would suit my needs. It may cost you compared to the Yamaha P515 but it’ll surely be worth the purchase. Here’s what you need to know about these keyboards.
Kawai VPC1
You can consider the Kawai VPC 1 as the haven for virtual piano musicians. It packages excellent RM3 Grand II wooden-key action to a professional MIDI controller. It has developer-approved touch curves, an editor for PC and MAC, and flexible USB+MIDI routing. What more could you ask for?
Pros of Kawai VPC1
- Simple plug-and-play operation.
- Customized touch curves for the top virtual piano software.
- Editor software included.
- F-30 triple-pedal unit included.
- Let-off, Ivory Touch, and Triple-Sensor Detection.
- RM3II wooden-key, graded-hammer action with counterbalancing.
Yamaha P515
With Yamaha P515, you get to enjoy the tones that the Bösendorfer Imperial concert grand pianos and CFX delivers. The best thing about this piano is that it offers over 500 piano sounds. So you get to have a wide selection of piano effects to choose from. This will ensure you can perform various musical genres.
With Yamaha’s expertise in creating Natural Wood X (NWX) keyboards, no one can rival them when it comes to crafting acoustic pianos. This expertise was combined with cutting-edge digital technology to produce authentic piano playing, and all of this is possible with Yamaha.
With Yamaha P515, you can produce unique and authentic music that only Yamaha can produce. This compact and portable design is a great addition to your home.
Pros of Yamaha P515
- Presets: 40 voices, 18 SFX/drums, plus 480 XG voices.
- NWX (Natural Wood X) action with Escapement and synthetic ebony and ivory keytops.
- Effects: 6 reverb, 3 choruses, plus VRM (Virtual Resonance Modeling).
- Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM) re-creates the sympathetic and reverberant sounds inside a grand piano.
- XG compatibility gives you access to thousands of songs from Yamahamusicsoft.com.
- World-class Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial concert grand piano samples.
- Master EQ lets you tailor the output for optimal sound in different environments.
| Kawai VPC1 | Yamaha P515 | |
| INPUTS | • 1 x Damper • 1 x Sustain • 1 x Soft (Includes Triple-pedal Unit) | • 1 x 6-pin DIN (pedal unit) • 1 x 1/4″ (aux pedal) |
| OUTPUTS | ||
| CONTROLS | • Let-off • Ivory Touch • Triple-Sensor Detection | • Number of keys: 88 • Keyboard type: NWX (Natural Wood X) keyboard: wooden keys (white only), synthetic ebony and ivory keytops, the escapement • Touch sensitivity: Hard2/Hard1/Medium/Soft1/Soft2/Fixed |
| CONNECTION TYPE | • MIDI IN • MIDI OUT • MIDI THRU • USB to Host | • DC IN: 16V • Headphones: Standard stereo phone jack (x 2) • Sustain Pedal: Yes • Pedal Unit: Yes • MIDI: In/Out • AUX IN: Stereo mini-jack • AUX OUT: [L/L+R][R]USB TO DEVICE: Yes • USB TO HOST: Yes • Bluetooth Audio: Yes |
| MONITORING | ||
| COMPATIBILITY | • Windows • Mac | • Windows • Mac |
| SIZE | • Width 138 cm (54 1/3″) • Depth 42.5 cm (16 3/4″) • Height 18.5 cm (7 1/3″) [music rest detached] | • Width 1336mm (52-5/8″ ) • Depth 145mm (14-13/16″) • Height 376mm (5-11/16″) |
| WEIGHT | 29.5 kg (65 lbs.) | 22.0kg (48 lb, 8 oz) |
| INCLUDED APPS | • VPC Editor (Win/Mac) • Pre-loaded Touch Curves • VPC Editor software • Internal Memories: 5 (adjustable via VPC Editor) • Touch Curve edit (adjustable via VPC Editor) • Velocity edit (adjustable via VPC Editor) | Yamaha Smart Pianist |
| WARRANTY | 2-Year Warranty | Yamaha Warranty |
Comparison
Kawai and Yamaha are both prestigious brands when it comes to making pianos. With a touch of technology, they both excelled in what they’re good at. No matter where you wanted to play music, may it be outside or inside your studio, these music products are just what you’re looking for.
How do you know which one suits you best? If you’re more into acoustic pianos, you might be considering the Kawai VPC1. So, for someone who is classically trained, the Kawai VPC1 is the closest instrument to a grand piano. On the other hand, if you are more into recording and most likely spends your time in your studio, then the Yamaha P515 would be a great choice.
Undoubtedly, both are excellent products with their own functionalities. May it be classical or studio music, you can surely have a great experience working with these products.
