PianoKite with the Yamaha P-45 and P-125
The Yamaha P-45 and P-125 are two of the most popular digital pianos ever sold. Neither has Bluetooth built in, but both have a USB to Host port, which sends MIDI over a cable. On Android that's all you need.
What you need
- A USB cable for the piano's USB to Host port, a square USB-B socket on the back panel. A standard USB-A to USB-B ("printer") cable fits.
- A USB OTG adapter from USB-A to your phone's port (usually USB-C). Or skip the adapter and use a single USB-C to USB-B cable.
Connecting
- Connect the cable to the piano's USB to Host port and, through the adapter, to the phone.
- Turn the piano on.
- In PianoKite, tap Connect piano and choose the piano from the list.
- Play a few keys to check they light up on screen.
USB MIDI is supported in the app on Android, but it has had less testing than Bluetooth MIDI, which the app is developed with. If something doesn't work, unplug the adapter and plug it back in, and make sure it's the USB to Host port, not a memory-stick port.
Prefer wireless?
There are small adapters that plug into a piano's USB to Host port and turn it into a Bluetooth MIDI device. Any adapter that presents itself as a standard Bluetooth LE MIDI device should work in principle, but we haven't tested any, so we can't recommend a specific one.
No cable handy? Use the microphone
You can also skip the cable and let the app listen through the phone's microphone. It works, but it's less precise than MIDI, especially for fast passages and chords, so with a P-45 or P-125 the cable is worth the few dollars. See learning with the microphone.
Newer Yamaha models
Yamaha's range changes every few years. If your model's specifications list Bluetooth MIDI, connect it wirelessly as in the connection guide. If they list only USB to Host, use a cable as above. Bluetooth audio alone doesn't carry the notes you play.