Piano and Synth Blog

One of Yamaha’s new arranger keyboards, the PSR-S700 is the more entry-level model, but still comes with a range of impressive features:

• 61 touch responsive keys
• 96 notes of polyphony
• 5.7-inch QVGA LCD capable of lyrics and score display
• AWM sample sounds
• 813 preset voices made up from 317 voices, 16 drum kits, 480 XG voices
• 10 MegaVoices
• 11 Sweet! Voices
• 18 Cool! Voices
• 14 Live! Voices
• 9 Organ Flutes
• 2 layer voices
• Large number of preset and user-definable effects including reverb, chorus, 4x DSP
• 205 preset 8-part auto-accompaniment + user category with mixer controls
• 16 track recording
• 30,000 note capacity
• Performance assistance technology

(Continued)

Yamaha has introduced two new models in its CLP-200 range of Clavinova digital pianos.

The CLP-265GP (click image for large view) offers a luxurious polished ebony mini-grand case cabinet, along with a range of the key CLP-200 Series technologies, including a Graded Hammer 3 (GH3) keyboard for true grand piano feel, Stereo Sampling AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) tone generation, 40Wx2 amplification and 6 3/8″x2 / 1 1/8″x2 speakers, four effects, song memory, three pedal inputs with half-pedalling support, 14 voices, 64 note polyphony, MIDI and PC interfaces.

Replacing the CLP-175, the CLP-295GP (click image for large view) offers the same stunning polished ebony grand cabinet, 4-level dynamic stereo AWM tone generation and PC interface. This top-of-the-line model additionally features Yamaha’s iAFC (Instrumental Active Field Control) System, which enhances and enriches the piano sound to match the acoustics of the room in which it’s played. The CLP-295GP also offers a natural wood keyboard with real-wood white keys. Extra features include six effects, song memory, 60W x 2 + 20W x 2 amplification and speakers, and three pedal inputs with half-pedalling support.

Yamaha has unveiled its NP-30 Portable Grand Digital Piano, featuring 76 Graded Soft Touch piano-style keys and AWM stereo-sampled piano voices, weighing just 12 pounds, and able to operate on six AA batteries or a power adaptor.

With an emphasis on portability, the Graded Soft Touch keys are lighter than the GHS (Graded Hammer Standard) and GHE (Graded Hammer Effect) actions found on Yamaha’s heavier, larger digital pianos. They’re still graded in weight, though, with the heavier keys in the bass.

Here’s a rundown of the specifications:

• Number of keys: 76, Graded Soft Touch mechanism
• Touch Response: Hard, Medium, Soft, Fixed
• Number of Voices: 10
• Polyphony: 32
• Reverb: 4 types
• Layer: 2 voices
• Preset Songs: 10 voice demos, 10 piano repertoire
• Metronome: 32-280bpm
• Transpose: +/- 6 semitones
• Tuning: A 427-453Hz
• MIDI: Multi-timbre 16 parts
• Jacks: Headphone, MIDI In/Out, Half-damper compatible sustain pedal
• Amplifier: 6W x 2 (stereo)
• Speakers: 4.7″ x 2.3″
• Body Colour: Black
• Weight: 12lbs
• Dimensions: 49″ x 10.2″ x 4″
• RRP: Around US$300

Yamaha’s new MODUS H01 digital grand piano continues the line of compact, stylish digital grand pianos. As with their CLP-F01, Yamaha’s designers have addressed the needs of luxury homeowners who need to use space efficiently whilst accenting their rooms with stylish furniture.

“Though we are catering to the new design-conscious consumer, this instrument sounds and feels as beautiful as it looks,” says Jim Levesque, Clavinova Marketing Manager, Yamaha Piano Division.

Playing features include 88-note natural wood keyboard, 64 notes polyphony, 10 instrument voices, and three-level dynamic stereo AWM samples. It also has a USB input, three pedals (damper with half-pedal effect, sostenuto, and soft), and 40 watt stereo speaker system.

A variety of gorgeous finishes, including amber glow, velvet rouge and deep brunette – all accented with polished ebony – are available.

From the same line of arranger workstations as the acclaimed Tyros2 comes three more keyboards from Yamaha.

The PSR-S900 offers a range of features, including some previously only available on the Tyros2, including modeled organ voices, Super Articulation for sonically realistic instrument sounds, USB audio recorder, video out, USB storage, 891 instrument Voices, a microphone input with automatic three-part vocal harmony, 128 notes of polyphony, a colour LCD screen and a broadband connection for downloading new content.

“The PSR-S900 offers the most value for the dollar of any Arranger Workstation keyboard we make, with features previously reserved for the top model, like Super Articulation and Audio Recording,” said Mark Anderson, marketing manager, Portable Keyboards, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Yamaha Corporation of America. “Add this to the range of professional features and I know that this keyboard is going to make a lot of customers very happy.”

The PSR-S700 features incredibly realistic MegaVoice Technology, XG/GS/General MIDI and General MIDI 2 compatibility, 96-note polyphony, USB storage options for peripheral devices like thumb or floppy disc drives, Modeled Organ Flutes with nine virtual drawbars and a new LAN Port for downloading content directly from the Internet. Though packed with professional features, including 813 instrument voices and 16 drum kits, the PSR-S700 also includes enhancements that beginners can appreciate, including Performance Assistant, which ensures that every rendition is free from mistakes.

“With the release of the PSR-S700, the incredibly lifelike Yamaha MegaVoice Technology represents a huge step up in sound quality for this affordable level of Arranger Workstation, opening the door to a larger segment of the population,” said Anderson. “This keyboard has the processing power to be the first in the line to offer 96 notes of polyphony and Modeling Technology for accurately reproducing amazingly realistic organ voices.”

The PSR-OR700 is designed for professionals and provides the ability to play quarter tone notes, common to Arabic, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern music, which fall between half steps on the Western keyboard scale.

With 862 Voices, 96 notes of polyphony and 22 drum kits, the new keyboard also features MegaVoice Technology for incredibly realistic sounds and styles, USB storage options, 96-note polyphony and Modeled Organ Flutes with nine virtual drawbars. It also includes ethnic content, including instrument Voices and rhythm sounds, and special panel control buttons for tuning on the fly.

Check back tomorrow for a more detailed rundown of specifications on these three new keyboards.

It makes a change to see some cool piece of gadgetry being tested in the UK before it becomes available anywhere else.

The Tenori-on is just one such piece of kit. It’s a conceptual musical instrument, made up of 256 “playable” buttons in a 16×16 grid, plus five function keys on the left and right sides of it.

If you’re a musical purist who likes traditional instruments, then you might not get on too well with the Tenori-on. This “new digital musical instrument for the 21st century” has been designed by Toshio Iwai and Yamaha to “allow everyone to play music intuitively, creating a ‘visible music’ interface.”

The videos certainly look impressive. You’re unlikely to be playing Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, or even Michel-Jarre on this thing, but you could have a lot of fun and get some interesting, random, dance/trance like textures and rhythms from it.

The specifications state that it has 96 clocks note resolution, gate time of 10ms-9,990ms, ten octave range, 40-240bpm tempo, nine types of scales, six performance modes (Score, Random, Draw, Bounce, Push, Solo), 64 note polyphony, AWM2 tone generation with 239 normal voices and 14 percussion kits, and two effects processors.

It also features MIDI IN, to allow two Tenori-on instruments to be synced together (sounds like fun), plus MIDI OUT for controlling other instruments, or possibly even a lighting rig (even on a 16×16 mono-LED grid, the visual effects of notes being played is pretty cool).

There’s also a line out so you can beef up performances from the built-in 1-watt stereo speakers.

It will run on 6xAA batteries, giving up to five hours of play time, or an AC adaptor.

It’s worth watching the videos to get a taste for what this little beastie can do — I’m sure it’s just the tip of the iceberg, too.

Artists currently using the Tenori-On include Jim O’Rourke, Atom Heart, and Robert Lippok.

Unsurprisingly, stock has run out at present. If anyone at Yamaha fancies sending me a piece of kit to try out and review, I’d be more than happy to oblige. It’s not shipping outside the UK at present, either. It’s expected to retail at around US$1,200.

Yes, I WANT ONE.

Official website

I’ve just found an interesting online research project being run by the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and UCL.

Here’s what the Musical Listening Test is about:

We are interested in studying musical perception ability in the general population. The following 2 tests, developed by Isabelle Peretz (University of Montreal), take less than 8 minutes each. They involve listening to pairs of tunes and deciding whether they are the same or different. Once you have completed both tests you will receive your scores.

The test involves listening to two sets of thirty pairs of short musical phrases, each of which may vary slightly in either pitch or timing of the notes. After listening once to each pair, you simply click a button as to whether you think the two phrases are identical or different.

I scored 26/30 and 27/30 on the two tests, which I’m pretty pleased about (and I know that I clicked the wrong button on one, so perhaps it should be 27/30 all round)

If you want to take part, simply go to www.delosis.com/listening/

Native Instruments has announced new KOMPLETE bundles that combine its acclaimed software instruments and effects into highly affordable collections for musicians and producers of all styles and genres. This includes the fifth revision of the KOMPLETE package, which contains new product versions and is now even more affordable, as well as the new KOMPLETE SYNTHS and KOMPLETE CLASSICS bundles that combine the award-winning software synthesizers and vintage emulations from Native Instruments.

The new KOMPLETE 5 builds on its position as the most powerful all-in-one collection for contemporary music production, live performance and sound design. The new bundle adds the acclaimed MASSIVE synthesizer as well as the latest versions of the industry-leading high-end sampler and digital guitar studio, KONTAKT 3 and GUITAR RIG 3. Further products included in KOMPLETE 5 are ABSYNTH 4, AKOUSTIK PIANO, BATTERY 3, B4 II, ELEKTRIK PIANO, FM8, PRO-53 and REAKTOR 5. The new KOMPLETE bundle is available for $1149 / €999, with several update and upgrade offers being available.

Two new bundles extend the KOMPLETE range with thematically focused instruments collections that provide maximum sonic versatility in their respective field for a price of $449 / €399 each. The new KOMPLETE CLASSICS package specializes on vintage emulations and contains AKOUSTIK PIANO, B4 II, ELEKTRIK PIANO and PRO-53, while the new KOMPLETE SYNTHS provides a comprehensive synthesizer arsenal by combining ABSYNTH 4, FM8, MASSIVE and PRO-53.

All components of the KOMPLETE bundles are also fully compatible with KORE, the advanced host system from Native Instruments.

KOMPLETE 5, KOMPLETE SYNTHS and KOMPLETE CLASSICS will be available in October 2007.

For more information, visit their web site at www.native-instruments.com

Matrixsynth has posted about the Third Annual Austin Analog Synthesizer Party, happening on 13th October 2007 at Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd, Austin Texas, 78722.

Most important things — apart from your synth, of course — are to bring an extension cord, stand, and headphones.

Sounds kinda fun, but just a little scary at the same time. Just look at the poster

Read

VNUNet.com’s Anthony Dhanendran (from Computeractive) has reviewed the online music tutorials web site NowPlayIt.com, which offers musicians the chance to learn how to play the authentic instrument lines from popular songs directly from the band’s musician.

The service offers three levels of video: for £4 (around $8) you get a full ten- to fifteen-minute video featuring the artist explaining the track, working through the track on the instrument, and then showing the music video and note guides in split screen mode.

For £3 ($6) a non-celebrity tutor hosts the video, while the lite version (£2/$4) offers just the chords and video tutorial, with no other commentary.

Unsurprisingly, of the 300 video tutorials currently available, there’s not a huge number to choose from for pianists. That’s probably because the piano is not as prominent as guitar or bass, and a synth line would probably be too complicated to create a short tutorial for.

In general, it looks like a good site, and as they add more songs and artists, hopefully pianists will be a little better served.

Good potential.

Original review at VNUNet.com

NowPlayIt.com