The Yamaha CP73 and Yamaha YC73 are two keyboards in Yamaha’s stage piano range of instruments. Here we compare the two so you can decide if either is right for you.
Main Specification Overview
| Model | CP73 | YC73 |
| # Keys | 73 | 73 |
| Key Size | Full | Full |
| Key Weight | Piano | Piano |
| Polyphony | 128 | 128 |
| # Sounds | 127 | 145 |
| Touch Sensitive | Yes | Yes |
| Aftertouch | No | No |
| Accompaniments | No | No |
| Learning/Tutorials | No | No |
| Year of Release | 2019 | 2021 |
| Original RRP US$ | $2499 | $2999 |
Types of Instrument
The CP73 is a straight digital piano while the YC73 also has organ and synth features.
Instrument Age
The Yamaha CP73 was launched in 2019; the Yamaha YC73 in 2021. That’s a difference of two years, which suggests the underlying technology could be fairly similar. Both are still fairly new.
Keyboard Type
Both instruments have full sized keys.
Number of Keys
Both instruments have 73 keys.
Digital pianos often have 88 keys, as is commonly found on acoustic pianos. However, 76 and 73 key models are also available, which are more compact. Synthesizers come in a wide range of key ranges, with 49 and 61 being very common.
Weight of Keys
The two instruments you are comparing have fully weighted keys.
Most pianists prefer an instrument which has either fully weighted or semi-weighted keys, which provide closer realism to that of an acoustic piano. Synth and organ players often prefer keyboards with a lighter touch in order to be able to play various styles of music, synth and organ solos which becomes more difficult with weighted keys.
Touch Sensitivity and Aftertouch
Both instruments have touch sensitive keys and neither has aftertouch.
Touch sensitivity is vital for piano players; aftertouch is not required for those wanting a pure piano experience but it can be useful to have (if it can be switched on or off) for use with other instruments.
Synth players definitely appreciate both touch sensitivity and aftertouch. Some more expensive synths include individual note aftertouch which analyses the pressure applied to each individual key, whereas many simply use channel aftertouch which looks at the keys as a whole.
Sound Generation
The CP73 has AWM2 technology, while the YC73 features AWM2, FM and VCM Organ sound generators.
Both instruments are well suited to piano and other real world sounds, including electric pianos, but the YC73’s additional sound generators and onboard controls including drawbars make it more suitable for playing organ voices.
Polyphony
The two instruments you are comparing both have 128 notes of polyphony.
A good figure for polyphony on a modern digital piano is a minimum of 96, preferably 128. Older and less expensive digital pianos had 64 or fewer notes of polyphony, which can lead to problems when playing certain pieces of music.
Synthesizers have a very wide range of polyphony because different instruments often have very dfifferent purposes. A low polyphony count is not problematic on a monophonic synyth, for example. That said, higher polyphony often gives more scope for sound creation on a single synth.
Number of Sounds
The Yamaha CP73 has 127 and the Yamaha YC73 has 145 sounds.
Digital pianos are primarily intended for replicating acoustic piano sounds, sometimes with additional keyboard instruments such as electric pianos, organs, harpsichord, clavichord and so on. Additional sounds may include strings and other instruments, but they are usually a bonus rather than a requirement, where the acoustic piano realism is more important. A selection of alternative acoustic pianos is a good inclusion.
Synths may benefit from a large number of varying sounds, although as many instruments have the ability to create, change and shape sounds, a large number of default patches may not be necessary. Storawge space for modified sound patches may be more important to the user. A synth with more stock presets may be of more help and inspiration to those who are still learning to create synth sounds.
Tutorials and Learning
Different manufacturers may include a range of tutorials and learning functions on their digital pianos. These are rarely as advanced as practicing with a human tutor or online learning, but can be a useful tool. Learning may include built-in songs, lighted keys, tempo adjustments, note correction and more.
Synthesizers rarely have tutorials on board, and it is anticipated that users will either know how to operate the keyboards, or can find information and help elsewhere.
Price
The Yamaha CP73 is $2,499 and the Yamaha YC73 is $2,999 at time of launch.
Digital pianos and synthesisers range in price from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of pounds. These two instruments might be considered mid-range.
Dimensions
The YC73 us 13.4kg (29lb 9oz) in weight while the CP73 is 13.1kg (28lb 14oz).
Their dimensions are virtually identical, at around 42 3/4″ (W) x 5 11/16 (H) x 14″ (D).
