From wes@page.ca Thu Apr 23 12:27:25 2015
Subject:Re: Loving the Roland VR-09 (CP4)

I won't go into too much detail since this is a clonewheel group, but --
the Yamaha CP4 is by far the best stage piano I have ever played at any
price. In particular, the Wurlitzer 200A model will knock your socks off.
There are other pianos on the market which might have a slight edge for
this feature or that feature, but as a package, the CP4 is unbeatable. The
piano sounds are top-notch, the effects units are very good, the user
interface is good, and the action is out of this world. It has
escapement..fast runs and repeated notes feel like a grand.

It's a Yamaha, though. The organs are terrible. The brass is decent. The
strings are okay. Hence the VR09. The VR09's piano sounds are competent,
but the CP4 is miles better. The CP4's action is the hands-down winner for
pianos, too. Between the CP4 and the VR09, though - I have a rig that can
play ANYTHING and do really good job of it. I would not be embarrassed to
let any other player use this rig for cover band work, that kind of thing.
Not Organ Trio or anything like that, though.

The VR-09 works really nicely in MIDI KEYBOARD mode, too. The CP4 becomes
the lower manual when you hit the "split" button on the VR-09. The one
gotcha is you have to make sure the lower keyboard does not send any
program or bank changes.

Oh, yeah, and the CP4 can get DOWN. I -nailed- the EP sound from "Since
When" (54-40) this weekend. It's perfect. And the clavinet sounds really
bad-ass with an FC-7 controlling a wah effect.

Wes