Yamaha intros upgraded YPG line of digital pianos
February 25, 2008
Yamaha’s YPG (Yamaha Portable Grand) digital pianos have been upgraded, to now include the YPG-635, YPG-535 and YPG-235.
The YPG-635 includes weighted Graded Hammer action; the YPG-535 and YPG-235 feature a new Graded Soft Touch action and piano-style keys, providing top-quality playing experiences.
The 88-key YPG-635 is a weighted graded hammer action portable keyboard. Upgrades from the previous model include 64-note polyphony, a beautiful matching bench and an optional three-pedal unit, along with additional DSP (Digital Signal Processing) effects that enable realistic sounding Distortion Guitar and Rotary Organ. It also includes USB MIDI and USB to Device for removable storage, along with a high resolution Live! Grand stereo sample, song recorder, score and lyric display.
The 88-key YPG-535 offers Graded Soft Touch action, USB connectivity and a stand, adapter and sustain pedal. Performance Assistance Technology ensures error-free performances and a Music Database provides complete keyboard setups by song title. The song recorder is easy to use, and five types of Master EQ allow players to adjust the sound. The model’s design accents also add an attractive touch.
The 76-key YPG-235 features USB MIDI computer connectivity for quick and easy transfer of songs, Graded Soft Touch action, piano-style keys and a six-track song recorder.
The YPG-625 will ship in June 2008. Models YPG-525 and YPG-235 are scheduled to ship in April 2008.
Yamaha introduces P85 and P85S digital pianos
February 23, 2008
The Yamaha P85 has been superseded by the Yamaha P95. Buy the Yamaha P95 digital piano at zZounds
Part of Yamaha’s P Series of digital pianos, the new P85 and P85S (differentiated by their body colour: black or silver) are slim digital pianos featuring high-quality piano sound and feel.
With 88 Graded Hammer Standard keys, the digital pianos feature 64 notes of polyphony, with AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) Stereo Sampling taken from a full concert grand, and emulation of half-pedalling.
The keyboards also comes with a variety of other sounds including electric pianos, organs, strings and harpsichord, and dual voice for playing two sounds at once.
Though it’s not said, the model numbering suggests that this piano sits somewhere between the P70 and P140 digital pianos.
The Yamaha P85 has been superseded by the Yamaha P95. Buy the Yamaha P95 digital piano at zZounds.
Yamaha introduces KX USB Keyboard Studios
February 22, 2008
Yamaha has introduced its KX Series of USB MIDI Studio keyboards, not only featuring a high-quality keyboard but also designed to integrate with Steinberg DAW products.
Available in four flavours: the KX8 with eight octaves, the KX25 with two, the KX49 with four, and the KX61 with five.
They all feature high-quality Yamaha keyboard action, and come with a whole range of functions for both performance and controlling soft synths and sequencers, including:
- Four assignable control knobs
- dedicated performance controls
- built-in arpeggio function which can be played back by the included HALion One softsynth
- Includes Cubase AI music production software
Synth Composition: Africa
February 20, 2008
Introduction
Here’s the first piece of synth-based music I’ve recorded in a long time. It’s just over ten minutes long. Audio begins at around 6 seconds in. Hope you enjoy.
Choose a version that works best with your system:
Highest quality with smallest file size (around 5MB), encoded in M4A format:
Slightly lower quality with larger file size (around 12MB), encoded in MP3 format:
Notes
I used my Novation KS4 synth to live record two tracks into Garageband. No further editing was performed except minor volume adjustments.
Initial sounds used were the “Africa” performance and the Sync Leader program.
The “blip” at 3:20 was from some interesting over-effects I put on at that moment. I thought about editing it out, but it was (a) too complicated to find a decent filter, (b) I wanted to keep things as they were played, and (c) it’s actually growing on me in some strange way.
There’s a slight crackle at around 6:50, possibly from a patch glitch, or just noise on the cables.
The track is definitely raw, and as it was recorded in audio “as is” the scope for editing was limited. However, that’s how I wanted it.
So, don’t look for a polished performance. This is me reattaching myself to using the Novation KS4 as a proper synth for the first time in quite a while. These compositions are mainly about experimenting with sound and capabilities (both mine and the synth’s).
Any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.
Roland announces new KS-G8 keyboard stand
February 13, 2008
Music furniture isn’t the most exciting product around, but it’s certainly vital. Roland’s new KS-G8, and accompanying KS-STG8 accessory, provides solid support for the Fantom-G8 and RD-700GX, among other 88-note keyboards.
The KS-G8 is height adjustable in three steps for sitting or standing positions, and is available in an attractive two-tone silver and black finish. It boasts a solid construction yet is easy to set-up and can be folded for transportation  making it the best companion for traveling stage musicians.
For adding a second keyboard to the KS-G8 keyboard stand, the Secondary Tier for KS-G8, the KS-STG8, is a perfect solution. It’s designed to solidly support 76-note keyboards such as Roland’s Fantom-G7, as well as smaller synthesisers.
Roland intros SA-1000 stage amplifier ideal for organs and digital piano
February 13, 2008
Roland has announced its new SA-1000 stage amplifier, a super-lightweight and portable stage amp customised for use with organs such as new ATELIER series and digital pianos.
Features include an Organ Enhance button which adds bass nuances to a sound, onboard Anti-feedback function to automatically cancels unpleasant howling from being placed too close to other sound sources, and Stereo Link which allows two SA-1000s to be cascaded into a PA system for small-scale performances and concerts.
The amp boasts 350W of output (75W x 2 plus a 200W subwoofer), and weighs 11.5kgs.
Yamaha introduces new acoustic upright piano line: M460, M560, P660
February 9, 2008
I love grand pianos but I’m also very fond of upright pianos, having started playing one from the age of 4.
Yamaha continues to introduce quality upright pianos with the introduction of three new models: the M460, M560, and P660.
The new Upright Line includes changes to the company’s Gallery Collection, Professional Gallery Collection and Professional Collection.
These models are produced in Yamaha’s Taiwan factory, which has a significant history in the company’s expansion in the piano industry. Taiwan Yamaha was the first Yamaha piano factory outside of Japan and has been producing upright pianos since 1969. Its highly skilled and experienced labor force uses advanced Yamaha-designed machinery and adheres to the Company’s superior quality control standards. It boasts extensive experience in building wood grain, designer cabinets for markets around the globe.
Yamaha’s highly-popular Professional Collection of institutional pianos features components that are virtually identical to the previous P22 model produced at Yamaha Music Manufacturing. All new Uprights feature actions, plates, hammers and tuning pins identical to previous models. All other materials (strings, soundboard, back frame, case parts and veneers) are of equal or better quality than the previous line. Additionally, all new Upright lines feature attractive, hand-rubbed polyurethane finishes that wear better than traditional lacquer finishes. These pianos are produced at Hangzhou Yamaha, near Shanghai, in northern China.
Yamaha reintroduces Clavinova CGP1000 digital piano
February 9, 2008
Yamaha has reintroduced its high-end Clavinova CGP1000 digital piano featuring the technologically advanced function of the Clavinova CVP400 Series housed within an elegantly crafted 4ft 11in grand piano cabinet. This hybrid piano combines the accurate reproduction of sampling technology with the richly textured harmonic nuances of a real grand piano.
Designed to address the continued strong demand for a high-end CVP-type digital piano in a grand-style cabinet, the CGP1000 was originally inspired by the Clavinova CVP309GP. It features the dynamic, one-of-a-kind upgrades of the CVP400 Series that add the capability to record and share fully orchestrated performances with vocals. The CGP1000 offers such features as Internet Direct Connection (IDC), enhanced song and lyric LCD displays and a Natural Wood Keyboard with Synthetic Ivory Keytops.
The CGP1000 features Yamaha’s groundbreaking Instrumental Active Field Control (iAFC) technology, which makes acoustic adjustments to the sound so it appears to the listener that the instrument contains a “real” soundboard and resonant cabinet, and creates a richer, more spacious sonic environment. Using built-in microphones, iAFC picks up sound and combines it with the Clavinova’s internal sound system, making automatic adjustments in real time to enhance performances and the acoustic characteristics of the room. The Natural Wood keyboard accurately reproduces the experience of playing an actual grand piano, including the authentic touch (especially with the Synthetic Ivory Keytops), feel and weight of the keys.
With the USB Audio Recorder feature, users can record their own performances, including vocals or anything else that comes through their Clavinova’s sound system. For example, an instrumentalist playing an electric guitar when plugged into the mic input jack can be recorded along with the CGP1000. The Super Articulation Voices and Mega Voices make a wide range of acoustic and electric instruments playable directly from the keyboard with expressive realism and performance characteristics never before heard in a Clavinova Digital Piano.
Enhancements to the Music Finder and Internet Direct Connection (IDC) feature allow CGP1000 digital piano users to discover a new world of online music on Yamaha’s IDC website. From the LCD display and the built-in LAN port, players with a high speed Internet connection can add styles to their Clavinova’s library, download song files to play immediately, or take piano lessons from the privacy of their piano bench.
Auto Accompaniment, Style playback and Voices automatically produce full backing parts, just like an expert band would play, in a full range of genres. Musical arrangements are authentic, full and rich, so players of all levels will sound professional while performing and improvising. The CGP1000 also features a microphone input jack for players who want to sing along with keyboard performance. The Vocal Harmony effect (with 60 presets) creates automatic vocal harmony backing parts that are perfectly pitched and matched to the musical style and chords being played.
Available now with a RRP of $15,000.
Roland intros RD-GX Series of digital pianos
February 9, 2008
Roland has introduced two new digital pianos in the RD-GX range. Both feature 88-note fully weighted keyboards. The RD-700GX features Roland’s fully weighted PHA II Ivory Feel keyboard with Escapement, while the RD-300GX offers PHA alpha II.
The RD-GX Piano Designer feature allows the editing of piano sound parameters such as Hammer Noise, Damper Resonance, Duplex Scale, and more.
The RD-300GX features 110 normal tones, while the RD-700GX has 242, including a range of other keyboard instruments. They both have 128 notes polyphony, multi-effects, as well as a number of assignable controls which means the keyboards could also be used as controllers or for basic synth work. The RD-700GX also features three MIDI out ports, and multi-zone keyboard set-up.
Playing piano or keyboard without a sustain pedal
February 7, 2008
Have you ever been stuck in a situation where the piano, keyboard, or synth you’ve been playing either has no sustain pedal, or the one that is attached works intermittently, or not at all?
I have, a number of times, and let me tell you it’s not much fun at the time.
Without wanting to sound condescending (apologies if I do), if you’re just starting out on the piano or keyboard, or you’re primarily involved with sequencing or computer-based composition, then you may not realise just how vital the sustain pedal is to many pianists and keyboard players.
When it’s missing, it’s very obvious — at least to you, if not to your audience.
Here are some ideas for how to get around the problem of a missing or malfunctioning sustain pedal. Feel free to add your own hints and tips in the comments section below.
Bring Your Own Sustain Pedal
Several times, I’ve used someone else’s keyboard, which has been perfectly adequate except that they’d never bought a sustain pedal for it. Many lower-end keyboards don’t come with a pedal as standard even though there’s a jack for it.
The solution is to take your own. Simple switch pedals are best for keyboards and synths – they’re quite small and light and are generally fairly standardised.
A word of warning, though: take a pedal with a polarity switch on it, so you can match it to how the instrument works. Otherwise, you might find that notes are cut off when the pedal is depressed and sustained when it’s lifted.
If that fails, sometimes you can reverse the polarity of a normal pedal by holding it down while switching the keyboard on, but that doesn’t always work.
A second word of warning: Some pedals designed for digital pianos won’t work with some keyboards, because they’re not simple switches (on/off). They often send variable voltage, in order to be able to simulate half-pedalling in compatible digital pianos. Example, my Yamaha P140′s pedal (which when used with the digital piano supports half-pedalling) won’t work with my Novation synth when plugged into the sustain pedal jack.
Generally, standard switch pedals will work with digital pianos, but you won’t be able to utilise half-pedalling.
If you know you’re going to be playing a lot of digital pianos and you’re unfortunate to come across one without a working sustain pedal, then you’ll need to take your own. They’re heavier and bulkier, but worth the effort.
Practice Techniques For Playing Without A Sustain Pedal
Every so often, practice playing music without a sustain pedal. You will almost certainly have to adapt your playing technique to produce a smoother sound. This will depend a lot on what styles of music you’re playing.
Tips and suggestions:
- As you don’t have the “luxury” of sustaining any notes, you will have to physically hold down the keys for longer.
- Try “walking” and “sliding” between different notes and chords where smoothness is required. It may feel uncomfortable, and it’s not great technique, but if that’s your only option, then you’re stuck with it.
- If you’re playing with other instrumentalists, then you can probably get away with playing less. Can you introduce more “chops” and staccato (short, quick notes) into the style?
- if you’re playing a keyboard or synth, consider using more “pad” and string voices, particularly ones with longer release/decay times, if it fits the style.
- Repeat chords on each beat of the bar, manually sustaining them for nearly the whole beat. This will add rhythm, particularly if you’re playing solo.
- Don’t over-complicated your music: you’ll probably find complex arrangements almost impossible to carry off without a sustain pedal. Keep accompaniments as simple as possible. Boring, maybe, but less distracting.
Request Another Instrument
If you’re using someone else’s instrument (arranged in advance) and you’re prominent enough (headlining band or performing a recital, for example), then you really shouldn’t feel bad about asking for a replacement instrument or sustain pedal.
After all, it should have been up to the event organiser or venue owner to ensure that equipment being used was up to the job.
Don’t be fobbed off with those (particularly non-musicians) who say you should just muddle through, or it “can’t be that difficult”. They probably wouldn’t expect a guitarist to play with a string missing, or with no amplification, or a violinist to play without a bow.
Of course, if it’s your own equipment that’s faulty, see below.
Be Prepared, Don’t Cut Corners
I struggled through several public “performances” with an intermittent sustain pedal. Occasionally it would stick in one position (on or off), or not make contact when I needed to.
Given that basic pedals aren’t that expensive, and generally existing ones aren’t worth trying to repair (probably not so true with digital piano pedals), buy a new one as soon as an old pedal starts to falter.
Otherwise, it will let you down in the middle of a performance. Generally, pedals gradually lose contact, rather than dying overnight, so if it starts to deteriorate during a live performance, you’ll hopefully survive to the end, when you can bin it and buy a new one.
Better still, have a spare standing by ready.
So there you are. Just a few ideas for coping without a sustain pedal.
Share your own thoughts below.
