NAMM 2018: Yamaha CLP695GP New Flagship Digital Grand Clavinova

The Yamaha CLP-695GP is the second new digital grand piano we’ve seen at this year’s NAMM show (the other being the Roland GP609). The CLP695 packs all of Yamaha’s incredible flagship technology into a grand piano style cabinet. The result is an instrument that boasts the feel, sound and look of an acoustic grand piano.

Now, you might be thinking that there’s already a digital grand in the CLP 600 series – the CLP665GP. This new model features Yamaha’s flagship keyboard action – GrandTouch, plus a largely improved speaker system, a slightly different design and more voices (we’ll be doing a more detailed comparison of the two digital grands soon). The CLP695GP is essentially Yamaha’s top of the range CLP model in a grand piano cabinet.

The GrandTouch action in the CLP695GP is Yamaha’s newest and most authentic feeling keyboard. It features a longer key so the player has more leverage meaning they can play with more expression. It also increases the sensation that you’re playing at an authentic acoustic concert grand piano! The Yamaha CLP695GP features a massive 300W speaker system on board – this means that the piano has plenty of volume so you can fill bigger spaces. It also means that at quiter volumes, the sound is clearer and more dynamic.

Like many of the Clavinovas in the CLP range, the 695 digital grand has Virtual Resonance Modeling on board which gives you the realistic mechanical and string resonance you’d hear when playing an acoustic piano. It has two of the world’s finest concert grands sampled for you to recall at your fingertips – the Yamaha CFX and the Bosendorfer Imperial. The CLP695 also benefits from Yamaha’s binaural sampling – this means that when you’re not revelling in your 300W sound system, you can use headphones for silent practice and still enjoy incredible audio. The sound feels like it’s coming from the piano, as opposed to from the headphones – it’s quite a sensation!

The Yamaha CLP695GP is the natural step up from its predecessor. It combines flagship technology with a luxurious, traditional style to make an instrument that not only looks beautiful but sounds and plays incredibly too.