Yamaha YC88 88-key Stage Keyboard Used

Name: Yamaha YC88 88-key Stage Keyboard
Brand: Yamaha
Rating: 4.5 (29 reviews)

88-key Stage Keyboard with NW-GH3 Triple-sensor Action, Wood Keys, Virtual Circuitry Modeling Organ Engine, Advanced Wave Memory 2 Instruments and FM Synthesis, 9 FX Processors, and USB Audio/MIDI Interface

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Item ID: YC88U1

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Condition Notes:

Unit has a dent on the underside and is missing a foot. Includes all original accessories. This item ships in its original packaging which shows some signs of wear.

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Yamaha’s Amazing Organ-focused Stage Keyboard

The Yamaha YC88 packs expressive acoustic pianos and electric pianos; vintage combo organs; detailed instrument sounds like strings, bass, and brass; and dynamic synth sounds into a gig-friendly and compact 88-key stage keyboard. Using Yamaha’s proprietary Virtual Circuitry Modeling, the YC88 is one of the most lifelike-sounding analog organ emulations on the market, and it comes stocked with a large selection of additional instrument voices and killer onboard effects. Designed to please discerning pianists, the YC88 is ideal for today’s performers who prefer to run the show from one fully weighted piano keyboard but need sound and control versatility. The YC88’s triple-sensor hammer-action keybed and physical controls keep you out of menus and in the music. While the YC88 is vintage in character, it boasts all the functionality and reliability of a modern digital instrument, with vast customization options and computer audio integration for audio recording, playback, and MIDI control. Keyboardists at Sweetwater are blown away by the YC88. Great keyboard, instrument and synth sounds plus a compelling drawbar organ packed with stellar sounds and performance features give the YC88 the right stuff to be the top-tier keyboard in your live and studio rigs.

Endless sonic possibilities

The YC88's Dual Keys section gives you control over a slew of instrument voices, including acoustic and electric pianos, FM synth, strings, and brass. The YC88 also features the signature tones of drawbar and pure FM synth organs for super-fat low end, thick organ swells, mellow emanations, and biting leads, along with the inimitable sound of a rotary speaker. With its onboard panel controls, the YC88 presents a sizable sonic palette with tons of tweakability. Layer up a fat organ pad. Pull back the drawbars for a focused sound. Add percussion, vibrato, chorus, or drive to the organ, or experiment with the onboard effects for a totally new sound. Beyond the incredible organ sound, Yamaha’s updated Stage OS adds new sounds and features so your instrument is always up to date. And the YC88’s nine onboard effects, such as vibrato/chorus, reverb, delay, and drive, make for endless musical possibilities.

Stellar feel and playability

Designed for musicians needing the most realistic piano touch, the YC88's NW-GH3 88-note, triple-sensor hammer-action keybed with synthetic ebony and ivory keycaps is certain to delight even the most demanding pianists. The physical drawbars and intuitive control surface make it easy to shape sounds on the fly without getting bogged down in programming patches. Yamaha’s Seamless Sound Switching lets you change patches while holding notes without the sound cutting off.

Proprietary Virtual Circuitry Modeling

The foundation of the YC88’s rich and detailed sound is Yamaha’s Virtual Circuitry Modeling (VCM), which digitally emulates analog circuits down to the individual component level. Yamaha has been working with physical modeling since the development of their VL1 Virtual Acoustic Synthesizer, which was released in 1993. Over the ensuing decades, they have continually refined their proprietary modeling technology and incorporated it into iconic, cutting-edge products that deliver stunningly realistic digital emulations of traditional instruments. The YC88’s VCM organ engine mimics the analog topology of Yamaha’s classic organs for astonishingly accurate tone, vibe, behavior, and realistic rotary speaker sounds that will transport you to a blissful vintage dreamland with all the benefits of digital sound processing.

Yamaha YC88 88-key Stage Keyboard Features:

88-key drawbar organ and stage keyboard
Proprietary Virtual Circuitry Modeling delivers authentic vintage organ character
Sculpt your sound with intuitive drawbar controls
Fully weighted, triple-sensor hammer-action keyboard with synthetic ebony and ivory keytops will please even the most demanding pianists
2 ultra-realistic rotary speaker models
Seamless Sound Switching patches while holding notes without the sound cutting off
Great selection of additional instrument voices, including acoustic and electric pianos, DX-style FM synth sounds, strings, and brass
Layer sounds with the Dual Keys section
9 onboard effects processors, including vibrato/chorus, reverb, delay, drive, and more
USB-to-Host port: 2-channel audio/MIDI interface for DAW and computer audio integration
USB-to-Device port: for connection of thumb drives, smartphones, tablets, etc.
Dual 1/4-inch jacks for connecting secondary keyboards, mobile devices, and more
2 assignable 1/4-inch continuous controller pedal jacks
2 1/4-inch switch pedal jacks (sustain, assignable)
L/Mono-R 1/4-inch inputs with Gain control
1/4-inch Headphones jack
Internal power supply; IEC mains port

What Is Used Gear?

Nearly all the used gear at Sweetwater has been previously purchased as new from Sweetwater. You can count on the fact that we only offer used items that are determined to be fully operational. Our award-winning, factory-authorized service department meticulously inspects all used gear before releasing it for sale. Of course, we stand behind every used item we sell with our exclusive 90-day Used Gear Guarantee. If any used item malfunctions or doesn't perform as expected, simply call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer, and we'll do what we can to make it right.

When you buy a used item at Sweetwater, you get:

Used items that have been inspected and tested for full functionality by our factory-authorized techs
Quality used equipment that is built to last
FREE shipping on most items
The gear you want, worry-free with our exclusive 90-day Used Gear Guarantee

Please note that this product is available in limited or single quantities. While we do our best to keep our online product information up to date, we cannot guarantee that this product will be in stock at the time your order is placed (for instance, another customer could be purchasing this product as you read this text). If you would like to verify that this product is in stock prior to making your purchase, please contact us or call toll-free at (800) 222-4700.

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Tech Specs

Type: YC88 Stage Organ Keyboard
Sound Engine: VCM Organ, AWM2, FM
Number of Keys: 88
Type of Keys: Natural Wood Graded Hammer (NW-GH3) Keyboard, Synthetic Ebony/Ivory Keytops
Touch Sensitivity: 4 x Types, Fixed
Other Controllers: Pitch Bend/Mod Levers, 9 x Drawbars, Master Volume, Navigation Encoder
Polyphony: 128-note Max.
Presets: 200 x Voices
Effects: Reverb, 3-band Master EQ, 3 x Rotary Speaker, 4 x Amp
Audio Inputs: 2 x 1/4" TS (L/mono,R)
Audio Outputs: 2 x 1/4" TS (L/mono,R)
Headphones: 1 x 1/4" TRS (rear)
USB: 1 x Type B (rear, host), 1 x Type A (rear, device)
MIDI I/O: 2 x 5-pin DIN (in, out), USB
Pedal Inputs: 2 x 1/4" (sustain, assignable), 2 x 1/4" (foot contoller)
Pedal Included: Yes, FC3A Foot Pedal
Display: Full Dot LCD (128x64)
Bench/Stand Included: Sold Separately
Color: Black
Power Supply: Standard IEC AC Input (cable included)
Height: 5.59"
Width: 51.1"
Depth: 14.33"
Weight: 41 lbs
Manufacturer Part Number: YC88

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Was one of the early adopters of the YC series ( first the YC-61 ) then sold that and got the YC-88 (From Matt Masek, Awesome service as always!)
Loved the flexibility and HUGE internal library of sounds always available. Our Nord was nice but, always having to decide which sounds to load and then having to compromise on what quality sample set to choose to get the most amount of a live performance board was a REAL pain. By comparison, the YC-88 was a giant leap forward in this regard. The onboard sounds are stellar and cover a lot of ground and the quality of the acoustic and electric pianos have become this industry standard now. BUT, the original organ emulations unfortunately, were not. The Leslie emulation was sub standard and lacked the detail and the tonal characteristics of a real cabinet/B3. When Yamaha updated the firmware the first time, we all hoped they would address the Organ section but no. They DID however add some truly beautiful pianos ( Nashville, CF3 Live, Rhodes 73RD-74RD are incredible! )
And then... Firmware version 1.20 came out and literally everything changed overnight. Its like owning a brand new keyboard. The updates in the new firmware include all the updated sounds from the previous builds plus the addition of new FM synthesis, improved velocity controls, new EQ FX types and more but, the biggest change of all was the addition of the new Rotary Organ Emulation called 'Studio'. It is killer, plain and simple. Blows our Nord away and sounds as good, and in some ways better, than our Neo Ventilator 2, which we needed for the YC-88. I NEVER thought I would find a better Leslie Sim than our beloved Vent 2 but I'll just say it...this sounds as good or better. They didn't just improve the spatial width and motion of the emulation ( what I loved most about the Vent 2 ) but they worked on the actual frequency response of the emulation itself. No more shrill top end! The sound is extremely close to our 122 cabs at church. From this point forward...it basically judging wine types. Yamaha has clearly heard the voices of the used base and has responded with one of the best Leslie emulations I have heard to date. This has made the YC-88 the live performance board to beat right now and was worth the wait.

I originally purchased a YC 61, which is clearly, like all the YC series, 'organ focused', but I returned it due to the Leslie sim being downright horrible. That was last year. Yamaha, to their credit, has GREATLY enhanced (more like replaced) the Leslie sim in the YC. As a keys guy through and through, I'm not exaggerating when I say we are in Nord, and ALMOST Ventilator territory here. The three dimensional feel of the horn and rotor actually moving from side to side in the stereo field, the way the reverb interacts with the speaker itself, and the corrected amp grit from the organ overdriving into the Leslie...is just so much better now. At the time of this review, I would say this is one of the best Leslie simulations on the market. I would have said that was a joke a year ago. I'm seriously leaving my Nord Stage 3 at home and using this for most of the gig. We bought a CP88 for my church, and it is wonderful, but when it came time to upgrade our 10 year old SV-1, we went with a YC 88. The action is a dream for piano players, and it isn't too heavy to play real organ techniques on either. The immediacy of the effects, quality of the piano samples (U1 upright is excellent) and the ability to shape sounds with LPH and HPF filters, as well as ADSR and individual EQ per patch - sets the YC apart. it has a built in audio/midi interface, and can address 4 midi zones - so you have a controller, killer stage piano, organ, basic bt capable sample synth, and can mix three sounds at once, with each section having a dedicated set of effects, including master reverb PER part...this is such a "Nord" way of doing things, it is obvious where the inspiration came from, but I have to say....from the company that made the MOTIF and Montage, which are not what you'd call easy to user approachable...this excellent Stage Keyboard is one any of my volunteers at church can use instantly - Bonus...the SOUNDMONDO app lets me create sounds at home on my YC, and drop them into the church YC by just plugging in an iPad. This is the keyboard the CP4 should have been, and this is currently the best combo of action, sounds, and ease of use - not to mention it is built very very well. Get a case. The Yamaha case is great for short trips, but get a hard case if you are going to be touring or fly. I cannot recommend the YC highly enough. It has almost no sounds that you won't use. Its just one of the best overall keyboards I've seen in a while. Nord, Dexibell, Roland, Korg, and anybody else that makes a "Stage Piano".... should definitely be taking notes. Jason Theile is awesome as always!

I have listened to quite a few stage pianos playing live with keyboardists. My ears always prefers Yamaha when it comes to taking the sounds of a live concert grand, baby grand, or even a home upright piano and putting those sounds into a digital piano that you can put just about anywhere int he home and take out on the road. The organ sounds on this instrument sounds like a real hammond B , Wurlitzer and all other organ sounds. It's not a full synth but it does have some synth sounds on it that fit live piano applications. If your wanting a full synth you need to check out the other Yamaha keyboards. But if your wanting a sturdy stage piano/organ combo for studio or live. This is the one to get. A good friend of mine has been using Yamaha for years and always goes back to them for piano and key needs. I wanted a piano sound that did not take up a bunch of space in my home studio, and this instrument sounds fabulous on my home recordings. It sounds like I've got a baby grand on my recordings. You won't be disappointed.

I've been playing in a band using a YC61 organ-focused keyboard with excellent waterfall keys and a Kawai ES110 weighted 88-key piano (reasonable action for a lightweight piano). The YC61 sounds are fantastic across the spectrum... organ, Leslie effect, acoustic pianos, electric pianos, and many synth/other samples. The rig was a lot to drag around and I missed having a really good piano keybed. So I replaced both instruments with the YC88. The sounds are identical to the YC61; all my YC61 patches loaded right into the YC88.

But the YC88 has an outstanding graded hammer-action, textured-keycaps keybed that is just as responsive as my living room Kawaii acoustic piano. My gig piano playing has improved because I can better control dynamics by touch. While some reviewers complain about the key weight, I find it improves playability, and my hands don't tire even with a three-hour gig.

Leaving the YC61 at home, I find I don't miss waterfall keybed techniques much. My drawbar-pulling, effect-switching organ parts are fine on the piano keybed. So the YC88 is a real win for me. It is a dream machine that I just want to keep playing!

Lastly, thanks to Jeremy at Sweetwater for his advice and help with this and other gear. He always listens before presenting options and gives helpful, experience-derived advice that better equips me to make my decision.

El Yamaha YC es facil de usar en el directo, los sonidos son muy buenos y la calidad de construcción es de las mejores.También te da muchas opciones de conectividad y algo que descubrí mucho después, es que puedes grabar del teclado directamente a la computadora por medio de USB, sin necesidad de usar una interface para este caso.

Tengo dos Yamaha YC, uno personal y otro que uso en mi iglesia, en fin muy buen equipo.

Los dos YC fueron comprados en Sweetwater.

Sweetwater gracias por su gran servicio!