Worship Musician September 2017 | Page 29

GEAR [ YAMAHA MX88 | Ed Kerr ] KEY FEATURES A lightweight keyboard with weighted action Sound library from the MOTIF series No audible cutoff when changing sounds Rich palette of sounds • DAW/iOS interaction and remain tactile after extended use, Yamaha’s MX-49 and MX-61 instruments have been popular as entry-level keyboards. Now, Yamaha has introduced an 88-key model of the MX, and I think worship musicians will do well to consider this instrument. Its range of sounds, performance/editing capabilities, and weighted perfect for long practice or performance sessions. Of course, the most important issue when playing a weighted action is the quality of the grand piano sounds. As soon as I played action make it a very attractive option. the grand piano sound on the MX88 I was As a classically-trained pianist, there are two expressive capability, and its dynamic range. things that matter a great deal to me when evaluating a keyboard’s potential for use in my worship leading: the piano sounds themselves, and the action of the instrument. Upon unboxing the instrument for review in my studio, the first thing I noticed even before plugging it in is that the action is weighted. I was surprised at this, because the keyboard itself is quite light. Having played the great weighted action of Yamaha’s MOTIF series keyboards for years, going back to the ES8, instruments with weighted actions tend to be very heavy and challenging to cart around if you’re working in a portable church truly delighted at the realism of the sound, its This comes as no surprise, since the piano applications, many DAW packages, as well as sound comes directly from the MOTIF Sound software synthesizers on Mac and PC. Again, a Engine. This combination of great piano sounds statement from Yamaha: and a great keyboard action will be a delight for worship keyboard players who have a The MX88 does more than connect to your piano background. DAW, it’s also a dedicated control surface. Use the onboard transport controls with your Obviously, today’s keyboard player in worship DAW and interact with plug-in parameters via isn’t looking only for a piano sound. The string the control knobs. There are dozens of built-in sounds are beautifully realistic and inspiring Remote Control Templates for interacting with to play. The synth side of the MX88 is rich in popular softsynths and plug-ins, giving your available sounds and features as well. There’s software a hardware feel. a huge library of pad sounds to choose from, including my favorites from the MOTIF library One more feature I want to mention before I’ve used for years. Because pad sounds closing is the fact that when changing from make up so much of what keyboard players sound to sound within a Performance there’s contribute to worship songs today, a musician no abrupt cutoff of audio. This eliminates what in search of a keyboard with a broad palette of can be a distracting frustration for worship GHS action: sounds should find a music store where they musicians, so this is a great plus for the can play through the MX88’s library. Whether keyboard as well. The MX88 features a Graded Hammer Standard you’re searching for pads, lead lines, or bell setting or moving the instrument regularly from home to church. Though relatively light at just under 32 pounds, the MX88 is very rewarding to play because of its GHS action. Here’s a statement from Yamaha describing the (GHS) weighted action. GHS weighted action has a heavier response in the low keys and a lighter response in the high keys. This provides realistic acoustic piano touch and response. Special matte black key tops absorb moisture sounds, you’ll likely find what you’re looking Clearly, there’s lots to rave about with the for here. MX88. Spend some time playing it and I think you’ll agree that the great library of sounds Many keyboard musicians are looking for and the great feeling GHS action result in a functionality beyond what resides on the keyboard that can help you fulfill your musical instrument itself. The MX88 works with iOS and creative ideas on your worship team. August 2017 WorshipMusician.com 29