Excellent Piano, but the Smart Pianist App Needs Major UX Improvements
The Yamaha CSP-295 series is an excellent instrument, but unfortunately, I feel the Smart Pianist app does not live up to the quality and potential of the piano. It feels more like an afterthought than a product designed to showcase what these instruments are capable of, particularly in live performance.
There are several basic user-experience issues that make the app unnecessarily difficult to use while playing. For example, even with Favorites configured, it can take about five clicks to select a different Voice while a Style is playing, followed by another two clicks to retum to the Style page. This is simply impractical during live performance.
There should be persistent, easily accessible Voice and Style controls at the bottom of the app, available from anywhere in the interface. The Ul also needs to be revisited to make it more intuitive, streamlined, and visually appealing.
The current quick-access area could also be better designed. For example, having the Metronome there seems far less useful than providing direct access to Voice and Style controls.
Likewise, the iPad's larger screen does not seem to provide meaningful advantages in terms of functionality or workflow, which feels like a missed opportunity.
Another particularly frustrating issue is that selecting a Registration Memoty can stop the Style from playing, even when the intention is simply to change the Voice. This is disruptive and makes live performance unnecessarily stressful.
The Smart Pianist app has the potential to significantly enhance an already outstanding instrument, but in its current form, it often does the opposite. Yamaha has built an exceptional piano in the CSP-295 series; the software experience should be equally polished and should make the instrument easier-not harder-to perform with.
There are several basic user-experience issues that make the app unnecessarily difficult to use while playing. For example, even with Favorites configured, it can take about five clicks to select a different Voice while a Style is playing, followed by another two clicks to retum to the Style page. This is simply impractical during live performance.
There should be persistent, easily accessible Voice and Style controls at the bottom of the app, available from anywhere in the interface. The Ul also needs to be revisited to make it more intuitive, streamlined, and visually appealing.
The current quick-access area could also be better designed. For example, having the Metronome there seems far less useful than providing direct access to Voice and Style controls.
Likewise, the iPad's larger screen does not seem to provide meaningful advantages in terms of functionality or workflow, which feels like a missed opportunity.
Another particularly frustrating issue is that selecting a Registration Memoty can stop the Style from playing, even when the intention is simply to change the Voice. This is disruptive and makes live performance unnecessarily stressful.
The Smart Pianist app has the potential to significantly enhance an already outstanding instrument, but in its current form, it often does the opposite. Yamaha has built an exceptional piano in the CSP-295 series; the software experience should be equally polished and should make the instrument easier-not harder-to perform with.
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Accessibility Request: Pedal Reassignment Support
Excellent app and excellent integration with Yamaha pianos.
I have one accessibility request. I currently have a fractured right ankle and cannot use the right sustain pedal on my Yamaha YDP-165. It would be incredibly helpful if Smart Pianist allowed users to reassign pedal functions, such as using the left pedal as the sustain pedal.
I noticed that the app already supports assigning the center pedal for page turning, which suggests that additional pedal assignment options may be possible.
This feature would help not only people recovering from injuries like mine, but also musicians with disabilities or limited mobility.
Thank you for creating such a wonderful app, and I hope Yamaha will consider adding pedal remapping in a future update.
I have one accessibility request. I currently have a fractured right ankle and cannot use the right sustain pedal on my Yamaha YDP-165. It would be incredibly helpful if Smart Pianist allowed users to reassign pedal functions, such as using the left pedal as the sustain pedal.
I noticed that the app already supports assigning the center pedal for page turning, which suggests that additional pedal assignment options may be possible.
This feature would help not only people recovering from injuries like mine, but also musicians with disabilities or limited mobility.
Thank you for creating such a wonderful app, and I hope Yamaha will consider adding pedal remapping in a future update.
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Does not play MIDI at all on NP35.
Does not play MIDI at all on NP35. Tried different formats of MIDI too. Play buttons are all grey.
Great piano fun
A wonderful instrument that I am enjoying even as an accomplished concert pianist
Crashes constantly
I want to love it. When it works it’s amazing, but the crashes kill the experience. It especially crashes when trying to open imported music, seems to be no rhyme or reason to why.
