Comparing the Alesis Prestige Artist vs Yamaha P45 was a close competition, to say the least. Both of the pianos came with a wide array of different features and benefits that make them top options for any pianist out there. However, in the end, the Alesis Prestige Artist came out on top.
While the Yamaha P45 arguably had better feel and equal tone, the Alesis Prestige Artist is simply the more versatile option. With a wide sound library, wide array of playing modes, better connectivity options, and a top-tier sound system, this piano seems to offer much more value than the Yamaha P45.
With that said, the Yamaha P45 still has great tone quality, which is a signature of Yamaha digital pianos. On top of that, the feel of the hammer action is very close to an acoustic piano, which is why this is one of the top beginner pianos in the market today.
Alesis Prestige Artist vs Yamaha P45: Comparison Chart
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Alesis Prestige Artist vs Yamaha P45: Differences
To truly find the winner between the two, I chose to compare their features up against each other. And by the end of the comparison, the Alesis Prestige Artist very narrowly edged out the Yamaha P45 with a score of 3-2. While it was a close competition, the sound system and piano features of the Alesis Prestige Artist ultimately became the deciding factors.
Feel & Playability
The winner: Yamaha P45
When comparing how these digital pianos felt, the Yamaha P45 won the close battle. While they both share a similar hammer action, the Yamaha P45’s action was a closer resemblance to an acoustic piano.
+ Hammer Action
The Yamaha P45 is equipped with the Yamaha Graded Hammer System or GHS. The Alesis Prestige Artist uses a standard scaled hammer action system. Essentially, these systems have the same goal: mimicking an acoustic piano with heavier keys on the left side that get progressively lighter as you go higher up the piano. And in truth, both systems do their job very well.
However, the Yamaha P45’s hammer action simply felt more comfortable for me. The Alesis Prestige Artist features action on the heavier side, which can get in the way for some pianists. At the end of the day though, hammer action is all up to personal preference. So, if you prefer heavier action the Alesis model is the right pick, but if you want lighter action that still feels natural, the Yamaha P45 has got you covered.
+ Key Texture
The key texture of both of these pianos weren’t the best. Since they are on the affordable side of digital pianos, both of them feature plastic keys. These keyboards also have a glossy finish to them, which feels really plastic-like when you touch it. Now, for most beginners this won’t really matter as the difference is very subtle. However, it would have been nice for the keyboards to include an additional finish on the keyboard to add more texture to the keys.
Tone
The winner: Tie
In terms of tone, it was hard to pick a winner between the two. In the end, I declared the battle a tie. While the Yamaha P45 has great piano tones courtesy of the AWM Sampling system, the Alesis Prestige Artist features way more piano voices and tones, making for a very versatile instrument.
+ Tone Generation
It’s hard to beat Yamaha when it comes to tone generation. As one of the best digital and acoustic piano brands out there, you can expect rich and crisp piano tones on any Yamaha digital piano. The Yamaha P45 uses the AWM Sampling technique. Everytime you press a key on the Yamaha P45 you trigger a high-definition sample recorded from real Yamaha pianos with natural decay. That way, you have a much more natural sound compared to other digital pianos.
The Alesis Prestige Artist uses a multi-sampling system. So, everytime you press a key, you trigger a couple of different samples. These are all different recordings of the same tone, but layering them adds a lot of richness and clarity. Admittedly, the Alesis Prestige Artist’s piano tones aren’t as realistic as the Yamaha P45, but it comes close.
+ Sound Library
The reason these two are tied and the Yamaha P45 isn’t the winner when it comes to tone is because of the sound library. The Yamaha P45 only features 10 unique voices. These are more than enough for basic piano lessons, but it doesn’t compare to the Alesis Prestige Artist.
The Alesis model comes with 30 different voices. While they do fall into the same categories as the voices on the Yamaha P45 which are piano, electric piano, synth, bass, and strings, you have more options in each category. So, you can achieve a wider variety of different sounds with the Alesis Prestige Artist, making it a great piano for beginners and novices alike.
Piano Features
The winner: Alesis Prestige Artist
This is one area where the Alesis Prestige Artist completely blew the competition out of the water. With a wide array of different playing modes, better polyphony, and more connectivity options, the Alesis Prestige Artist was the clear winner. The Yamaha P45 still comes with a couple of cool features, but it could not compete with the Alesis Prestige Artist.
+ Playing Modes
The Alesis Prestige Artist comes with split mode, layering mode, and lesson mode. Whether you’re a beginner or performing pianist, you’ll likely find a couple of uses for all these features. With split mode, you can assign one voice to the right side and one voice to the left side of the piano. For example, you can have strings on the left side for chords and piano voices on the right side for melody lines.
With layering mode, you trigger two blended voices at the same time. This provides for a very unique tone and much more room for experimentation. And since the Alesis Prestige Artists come with over 30 different voices, you can find a lot of unique combinations when experimenting alone.
Lesson mode splits the keyboard into two different mini-pianos. With this setting, you can play piano duets or have your teacher demonstrate different techniques without crossing over to your side of the instrument.
The Yamaha P45 comes with layering and lesson mode. So, you still have a couple of cool modes to play around with. However, since it doesn’t have split mode, it pales in comparison to all the functions of the Alesis Prestige Artist.
+ Polyphony
It wasn’t even a competition when comparing the polyphony of these two pianos. The Alesis Prestige Artist has 256 note maximum polyphony and the Yamaha P45 only has 64. Now, if you’re playing basic piano pieces, 64-note polyphony is more than enough. However, when you play dense chords with the sustain pedal while also playing melodies, that’s where you might run into some trouble.
The Alesis Prestige Artist needs 256-note polyphony. Since you play multiple samples every time you press a key, the polyphony of this model is closer to 128-notes. However, that’s still twice as good as the Yamaha P45 and offers a clearer tone when playing richer chords.
+ Connectivity
Another reason the Alesis Prestige Artist is the most versatile option is that it offers MIDI connectivity through a USB. So, you can use this instrument as a MIDI controller for virtual instruments, or hook it up to piano learning classes and software. The Yamaha P45, on the other hand, doesn’t MIDI connectivity at all.
The Yamaha P45 not having MIDI connectivity is a slight let down, considering all the great piano learning apps available on the internet nowadays. On top of that, there are even piano apps developed for Yamaha digital pianos that you won’t be able to access because the Yamaha P45 has no MIDI connectivity.
+ Display & Interface
If you’re a complete beginner, you’ll find it much easier to navigate through the different features on the Alesis Prestige Artist. The Yamaha P45’s interface is just a series of buttons. To switch between different modes and activate different features, you need to press a series of buttons in a specific order. This can be confusing for beginners, and even experienced pianists have a hard time learning the ropes.
The Alesis Prestige Artist makes it much easier to navigate between all the different features. This is because it has an OLED display that shows you the mode you’re on or the voice you’re using. Having a visual guide makes it very easy to figure out how to use the keyboard, which makes it ideal for beginners.
Sound System
The winner: Alesis Prestige Artist
In terms of sound system, the Alesis Prestige Artist is the clear winner. It has a more sophisticated speaker system with a 2.5’’ woofer and 2.5’’ radiator on each side. This gives you very clear lows, mids, and highs, which is very important considering the wide tonal range of the piano. The Yamaha P45 only has a couple of 6W speakers. While they are great for rehearsing, piano lessons, and playing alone, it doesn’t compare to the clarity of the speakers of the Alesis Prestige Artist.
On top of that, the Alesis Prestige Artist has a dedicated headphone and speaker output. That way, you can monitor yourself with headphones or use them to practice privately while also plugging into an external sound system at a venue. The Yamaha P45 only has one output, which is very limiting.
Alesis Prestige Artist vs Yamaha P45: The Similarities
The major similarity of these two pianos is that they are designed for the same people. Beginner pianists especially will greatly enjoy using either the Yamaha P45 or the Alesis Prestige Artist because of all their cool features, top-quality piano tones, and realistic feel. They both have graded hammer action and a unique tone generator, which is one of the reasons they clearly stand out amongst the competition.
On top of that, they are both equipped with built-in reverb effects. You can use the effects to beef up your tone and add a lot of texture and realism. You even have a bunch of different presets to play around with to really find a tone that’s uniquely yours.
However, that’s about where the similarities end. And while both pianos come with a great set of features for any beginner, the Alesis Prestige Artist simply offers more and can probably last you longer during your musical journey.
Quick Rundown of the Alesis Prestige Artist
- It’s Time to Upgrade your Electric Piano – 88 key piano keyboard with graded hammer action and adjustable touch response for a natural piano feel - for beginner, intermediate and advanced players
- Packed with Premium Sounds - 30 multi-sampled voices including Grand Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Synthesizers & more; simultaneous Split & Layer modes; built-in arpeggiator; 5 adjustable Reverb FX
- Authentic Playing Experience - 256 max polyphony provides a superb 88 key piano playing experience; 50W micro-array speaker system sounds loud, clear and realistic in any setting
- Stage Piano Essentials – OLED screen for intuitive control; Stereo 1/4” outputs; 1/4” and 1/8” (3.5mm) headphone outputs; USB-MIDI output for use with educational software or virtual
- The Complete Full Size Keyboard Piano Experience - Piano style sustain pedal, music rest, and power adapter included; Lesson & Record Modes to develop your electric keyboard piano skills
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown of the Yamaha P45
- Includes the P45 Digital Piano, power adapter, sustain pedal and music rest
- 88 fully weighted piano style keys simulate the feel of an acoustic piano and provide a quality playing experience
- GHS weighted action is heavier in the low end and lighter in the high end, just like an acoustic piano
- Contains 10 different voices, including digitally sampled tones from real Yamaha acoustic grand pianos
- Dual mode lets you combine 2 voices together, like piano and strings, for an inspiring new playing experience. Tuning- 414.8 - 440.0 - 446.8 Hz
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References:
- P-45: https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/pianos/p_series/p-45/specs.html#product-tabs
- Alesis Prestige Artist 88-key Digital Piano w/ Graded Hammer Action Keys: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PrestigeArt–alesis-prestige-artist-88-key-digital-piano-with-graded-hammer-action-keys
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