Piano and Synth Blog

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.

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 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.

Product page

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.

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We’ve looked at Yamaha’s Disklavier in the past, and now they’ve upgraded the beast with the introduction of their Disklavier 2.0 service, available to Disklavier Mark IV owners who install a software update.

Yamaha has introduced the DisklavierRadio and the DisklavierMusicStore services, combining the best aspects of live performance with next-generation Internet streaming technology to offer an in-home entertainment experience that no radio can touch - apparently.

“For 20 years, the Yamaha Disklavier line of performance reproducing pianos has defined the leading-edge of music technology,” noted Bill Brandom, Disklavier marketing manager. “With the introduction of DisklavierRadio and the DisklavierMusic Store, we’re once again making history. Now, Yamaha Disklavier owners can take advantage of Internet streams and downloads to instantly access a vast selection of Disklavier music incorporating MIDI for the ultimate in realism. The radio may have surpassed the player piano in the early 20th century, but with these advancements, the piano is reclaiming the spotlight.”

DisklavierRadio is a groundbreaking service that elevates streaming radio to the level of a live performance. Each station includes a MIDI feed, enabling the Yamaha acoustic piano to play live, accompanied by specially recorded ensemble parts, for remarkable realism and accuracy. Yamaha Disklavier owners who subscribe to Disklavier Radio can choose from a range of music stations including Broadway, Classical and Semi-Classical, Country, Great Piano Solos, Jazz, Pop, Rock and Classic Rock, Soundtracks and Standards. Non-subscribers can access 30-second clips of channels, and can stream a complimentary channel featuring full-length, public domain songs. DisklavierRadio streams selections to Internet-connected Disklavier Mark IVs, offering nonstop entertainment, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The subscriptions cost $19.95 per month or $199.50 per year. The service features the music of such renowned artists as David Benoit, Jim Brickman, Chick Corea, Elton John and The Beatles, to name a few.

For those who wish to download their favorite tracks, the DisklavierMusicStore can be accessed directly from the Disklavier Mark IV’s Pocket Remote Controller. After establishing an account, Disklavier owners can immediately preview, purchase and download songs directly to the instrument.

Current Disklavier Mark IV owners can access DisklavierRadio and DisklavierMusicStore functionality by installing the Disklavier 2.0 software upgrade, which is available free of charge, from Yamaha. Both services require a high-speed Internet connection.

Yamaha has introduced what it says is the most innovative and technologically advanced range of digital pianos, in the CVP400 series.

“No question about it: the Yamaha CVP400 Series Clavinova Digital Pianos are the most exciting CVP Series ever,” says Jim Levesque, Clavinova Marketing Manager, Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division. “For the first time in the history of the digital piano, users can record fully orchestrated performances, with vocals, onto their USB thumb drives. These acoustically stellar performances can then be turned into CDs, using iTunes or Windows Media Player, and then easily shared with friends, in person, on disc or over the Internet. And, for added convenience with fewer external interfaces, the Clavinova CVP400 Series is the first with a built-in LAN port.”

The range includes the CVP401, CVP403, CVP405, CVP407, and CVP409 (pictured).
With Yamaha’s groundbreaking Instrumental Active Field Control (iAFC) technology, the CVP-409/407 models use built-in microphones and speakers to reproduce the complex sonic textures of a grand piano, creating a richly resonant sound that’s truly unparalleled. The Natural Wood keyboard on the CVP409/407 reproduces as closely as possible the experience of playing an actual grand piano, including the authentic touch, feel and weight of the keys. Yamaha’s famed Graded Hammer 3 (CVP405/403) and Graded Hammer (CVP401) technologies give a remarkably natural piano touch and expressive response.

With the USB Audio Recorder feature on the CVP409/407/405/403 models, users can record their own performances, including singing, karaoke or anything else that comes through their Clavinova’s sound system, such as, for example, an electric guitar when plugged into the mic input jack. “Then, they can burn a CD or send their music over the Internet to share their creations with others,” says Levesque. “And, the Super Articulation Voices (CVP409/407/405) and Mega Voices (CVP409/407/405/403) 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. If you activate the guitar voice, for instance, you’ll hear harmonics, fret noise and body tap, just like you would when listening to a live guitarist. Same with brass instrument voices – you’ll hear shakes and falls – or saxophone, where you’ll hear breath noise. Yamaha designers purposefully created Super Articulation Voices to sound the way real instruments sound — and it all happens naturally and appropriately, just the way you hear these sounds when you’re listening to a musician performing live or on a high quality recording.”

In addition, the CVP400 Series’ Organ Flutes Voices and a realistic textured rotary speaker effect flawlessly reproduce the vintage organ sound heard in Gospel, Blues, Jazz and Rock music.

The range also include a variety of authentic accompaniment styles, plus an enhanced Music Finder and Internet Direct Connection, for discovering and purchasing music online.

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.

Yamaha has introduced its CVP300 Series of Clavinovas, which includes the CVP301, CVP303, CVP305, CVP307, CVP309, and CVP309GP models.

They all come with Internet Direct Connection, song and lyric displays, floppy disc drive, and Smart-Media slots, as well as the USA Edition upgrade.

Assuming the user has an Internet connection, they can go online from the Clavinova’s LCD panel in order to download their favourite songs and styles.

It’s also possible to send the digital audio of their music to another device for recording, using the built-in Optical Out terminal found on the CVP305 and higher models.

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Yamaha has launched the latest model in its award-winning line of reproducing pianos.

The Disklavier DGC1B is equipped with many features including:

• 500 built-in songs, plus the ability to add favourites from the vast Yamaha PianoSoft library.
• 64 MB music and data storage.
• AWM Tone generation.
• SmartKey software, which guides beginners through simple melodies while the instrument provides professional-sounding accompaniment. It does this by moving the correct keys slightly, cueing the user to strike them, and waiting until they do.
• wireless remote control.

It’s available now.