The Yamaha CP88 features a wide range of built-in effects, allowing users to create their own unique sounds. Each of the three sections (Piano, Electric Piano, and Sub) has its own specific effects. There are also general delay, reverb, and overall equalization effects with dedicated controls for easy real-time adjustments.

The CP88 features a Graded Hammer keyboard with 88 natural wood (NW-GH) keys, triple sensors, and synthetic ebony and ivory key covers. It is the stage piano with the fastest action on the market, designed by a company with over 100 years of experience manufacturing acoustic pianos for professionals who demand only the best.

The natural wood keys provide the weight and response a pianist expects. By adding different weights or "graduations," the keyboard reproduces the feel of a piano's hammers: heavier in the bass and lighter in the treble. The key covers are made of slightly porous synthetic ebony and ivory to provide extra grip. This maintains precision during performances or long practice sessions.

Finally, a third sensor allows for key repetition like that of a grand piano, where notes can be rearticulated without having to release them completely. This makes it easy to play fast passages and repeat notes, and is one of the main reasons pianists prefer grand pianos to uprights.