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All three models also use Spectral<br />
Component Modeling tone generation technology<br />
to their advantage, recreating the sounds of<br />
Yamaha acoustic and vintage electronic pianos<br />
with pinpoint precision. This highly advanced<br />
system replicates the instrument’s physical<br />
components for unbelievably realistic tone that<br />
factors in the hardness of the hammers, resonance<br />
of the soundboard and the striking position<br />
of the hammers. It also relies on granular<br />
parametric data that translates every aspect of<br />
the player’s touch into an expression of tone.<br />
“Our new Spectral Component Modeling<br />
process in the CP lineup reproduces the sound<br />
and expressiveness of acoustic and vintage<br />
electronic pianos better than any technology<br />
has ever done,” said Athan Billias, director of<br />
marketing for Yamaha’s Pro Audio and Combo<br />
Division. “For professional players on stage,<br />
the new CP series sets a new standard.”<br />
I auditioned the CP5 stage piano, which I<br />
performed on during an outdoor solo-piano gig<br />
and then again in the practice room at home.<br />
The CP5 represents the middle of the line,<br />
offering serious tone-modeling power at a reasonable<br />
price for the professional market. Hefty<br />
in build but not prohibitively heavy, it includes<br />
12 acoustic and vintage electric piano sounds<br />
and 305 additional sounds and effects. I enjoyed<br />
the super-smooth response and balanced action<br />
of the CP5’s NW-Stage weighted keys, which<br />
feel an awful lot like the real thing. I also appreciated<br />
having the ability to EQ my signal output<br />
directly from the front CP5’s front panel.<br />
I was able to process my vocals through the<br />
CP5—you can plug a mic directly into the keyboard<br />
and access all of the onboard effects, as<br />
well as control your vocal levels without needing<br />
a separate mixer. The keyboard features<br />
plenty of high-quality Yamaha reverbs along<br />
with many of the effects algorithms from the<br />
company’s Motif XS line of workstations.<br />
From the output section on the back of the<br />
CP5, you can connect to your amp or mixer in<br />
stereo via balanced XLR-type cables—very<br />
cool. Not only is this a more secure way to connect<br />
than quarter-inch or RCA jacks, but the<br />
signal is notably cleaner and more stable in<br />
gig conditions. Regular L–R quarter-inch output<br />
jacks are another option, if you prefer using<br />
standard instrument cables.<br />
A customization function on the CP5 lets<br />
you build and edit your own acoustic and electric<br />
pianos, so if you’re interested in a little<br />
sonic experimentation, or even serious synthesis,<br />
you’re not limited to just the presets here. A<br />
convenient USB drive makes it a breeze to load<br />
and save data using a flash memory device.<br />
Recording and playback options for MIDI<br />
and audio are available, as well as 100 built-in<br />
rhythm patterns. (MSRP: $3,299.)<br />
The flagship keyboard of the series, the<br />
CP1, recreates 17 Yamaha acoustic and vintage<br />
electronic pianos, including the CFIIIS, S6B,<br />
the CP80, Rd1, Rd II, Wr and the DX7. Like<br />
the CP5, it features NW-Stage weighted wooden<br />
keys and offers rhythm patterns, record/<br />
playback function and the ability to customize<br />
sounds. (MSRP: $5,999.)<br />
The CP50 includes six acoustic and electric<br />
piano sounds, plus 215 additional sounds and<br />
effects. Its keyboard consists of Yamaha’s<br />
Graded Hammer Action keys, a favorite of professional<br />
players for many years now. (MSRP:<br />
$2,199.)<br />
The new CP models are all loaded with<br />
Virtual Circuit Modeling effects that replicate the<br />
pedals, amplifiers, compressors, EQ and other<br />
equipment that played an essential role in creating<br />
and defining the sounds of the vintage keyboards<br />
represented in this series. They are great<br />
at splitting and layering sounds, and their builtin<br />
rhythms are totally suitable for live applications,<br />
so you can easily get a full ensemble sound<br />
as a solo performer. One especially cool performance<br />
feature is the CP line’s Master Keyboard<br />
function, which lets you set up four virtual zones<br />
and assign them to four different tone generators,<br />
including other MIDI instruments. —Ed Enright<br />
Ordering info: yamaha.com<br />
HardWire HT-6 Polyphonic Tuner<br />
One Strum and You’re Done<br />
There are a multitude of choices<br />
when it comes to chromatic<br />
pedal tuners for guitar and<br />
bass. Although varying in design<br />
and features, they all operate in<br />
basically the same way: by<br />
plucking an individual string<br />
to display its degree of sharpness<br />
or flatness. Taking a<br />
leap forward in tuner technology,<br />
HardWire has introduced<br />
the HT-6 Polyphonic<br />
Tuner, which can actually<br />
display the pitch of all<br />
your strings simultaneously<br />
with one quick strum, making<br />
tuning faster and easier.<br />
DigiTech’s HardWire division currently<br />
offers a full line of professional-level effects<br />
pedals, and the HT-6 is the company’s second<br />
offering in the tuner arena following the<br />
HT-2. Its ability to sense multiple strings comes<br />
from technology developed<br />
by recently acquired 3dB<br />
Research, a company specializing<br />
in music and voice<br />
processing.<br />
As with all HardWire<br />
pedals, the HT-6 is built to<br />
be road-worthy, encased in<br />
a rugged metal housing. The<br />
LED display is somewhat<br />
unique due to the tuner’s polyphonic<br />
capabilities and features<br />
a separate line of indicators for<br />
each string, with six in total.<br />
When plugged in, the unit displays<br />
the current reference pitch<br />
for A, which can be fine-tuned<br />
between 436–445kHz or even lowered as much<br />
as five half steps. The HT-6 currently supports<br />
five different tuning modes: standard guitar,<br />
drop D guitar, plus 4-, 5- and 6-string basses.<br />
If the tuner is off, your guitar signal remains<br />
pure as the HT-6 implements true analog<br />
bypass. When switched on, the output signal<br />
gets muted. Also, the HT-6 has a DC output<br />
voltage jack for powering other pedals in your<br />
chain, up to 1 amp total when using the recommended<br />
PS0913DC power adapter.<br />
When tuning one string at a time, the HT-6<br />
functions in a standard manner, displaying the<br />
note name and showing pitch as a series of LED<br />
lights with the center indicating a correct note.<br />
Using the polyphonic capability, a strum across<br />
your instrument will light up all six lines at<br />
once, immediately showing which strings are<br />
sharp, flat or in tune. The large display panel<br />
and color-coded LEDs make the unit easy to<br />
read from a distance and in low-light situations.<br />
The HT-6 is surprisingly quick and accurate in<br />
sensing all the notes of a guitar or bass. Another<br />
great feature is the fret offset, which automatically<br />
compensates for lowered and raised tunings,<br />
or when using a capo. —Keith Baumann<br />
Ordering info: hardwirepedals.com<br />
SEPTEMBER 2011 DOWNBEAT 67
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