Disklavier
[2] The typical Disklavier is a real acoustic piano outfitted with electronic sensors for recording and electromechanical solenoids for player piano-style playback.
Prior to the introduction of the Disklavier in the United States, Yamaha Corporation of Japan debuted an upright reproducing instrument in 1982 called "Piano Player".
Within two years of the introduction of the Mark II, the Mark IIXG system became available which included support for 3.5-inch (89 mm) high density floppy disks, built-in non-volatile memory for song storage, multi-track recording, and an on-board tone generator which supported several sound sets including General MIDI (GM), Roland's General Standard (GS), and Yamaha's XG.
Some Disklavier uprights with this system also contained a Celeste or practice pedal which when engaged brought a rail with a curtain of felt between the hammers and the strings thus significantly reducing the volume of the acoustic piano.
The Mark III also introduced support for video-sync recording and playback based on the generation and reception of MIDI Time Code.
To break this accuracy limit, Yamaha's Disklavier engineers pioneered a unique use of normally undefined MIDI controllers for the purpose of substantially extending the range of values for note-on/note-off to 0–1023 and for pedal movement to 0–255.
The instrument's unusual physical design featured cherry wood, aluminum chassis material, a clear split lid, and a built-in Windows computer with a touch-screen monitor.
There was a performance mode that enabled a player to layer a variety of independently zoned sounds on top of their playing, and the built-in computer offered a program called Home Concert 2000 from TimeWarp Technologies that was capable of displaying music on the screen, tracking the performer, turning the pages automatically, and outputting a coordinated accompaniment.
There was also an embedded Java application known as the Virtual PRC which could be accessed and run on Mac and Windows computers that were on the same network as the piano.
Another enhancement of the Disklavier system was the support for SMPTE time code generation and reception, enabling the recording and playback of video-synchronized performance without additional hardware.
In 2006, the 2.0 system update was accompanied by the additional ability to purchase recorded performances using the remote controller of the instrument as well as the opportunity to subscribe to a new cloud-based service called DisklavierRadio.
[18] In 2013, Yamaha combined the built-in technologies of video-synchronized playback and the streaming capabilities of DisklavierRadio and offered customers an additional service called DisklavierTV.
DisklavierTV is powered by Yamaha's RemoteLive technology and enables the reception of broadcasts that include video and audio as well as performance data that drives the playback of the piano itself.
Like the Mark IV, the E3 can be connected to a local area network via Ethernet cable and then be controlled by a wireless app running on an iOS device.
[22] The ENSPIRE is available in 14 models ranging from 48-inch (1,200 mm) upright pianos to a 9-foot (2.7 m) concert grand and is offered in three system variations – CL, ST and PRO.
This sensor system allows the user to natively capture their own performance in standard MIDI format, without the need for external or special software.
Because piano components and solenoids can be affected by environmental changes, a patented DSP servo drive system that monitors and controls key and pedal movement to ensure accurate performance reproduction is active during playback.
If the system detects any physical movement that does not correlate with the provided performance data, it will automatically adjust itself to correct any deviation in real-time.
PRO models are high-resolution systems equipped with non-contact optical sensors as well, but also incorporate continuous grayscale shutters on each hammer to measure their speed and distance.
ENSPIRE PRO models also utilize Yamaha's AccuPlay technology, an advanced DSP servo drive system that monitors the important mechanical elements of the piano during performance reproduction.
Like the ST type, data fed back to the playback processor from the instrument's sensing system is used to ensure accurate reproduction of the original performance.
Aesthetic changes have been made to the Disklavier ENSPIRE, including the removal of the "box" style user interface featured in past generations.
Included in the built-in song library are performances by Yamaha artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Bob James, Jamie Cullum and Frederic Chiu.
With his team, including doctor and pianist Simon Bolzinger,[27] he developed DKompose, a library for interactive composition with DiskKlavier in the Max/MSP environment.
He says that the title of the album "Choking Disklavier" comes from the fact that the MIDI signal processor could stop for a few seconds due to the overload of incoming data.
Dan Tepfer processes MIDI data in real time as he plays the Disklavier, creating a duet between pianist and machine.
[34] In 1997, Yamaha undertook a successful, large-scale experiment that connected MIDI instruments together over the Internet, enabling Ryuichi Sakamoto to transmit a keyboard performance to thousands of locations simultaneously.
The next year, Yamaha announced a new technology called MidLive RS that developed this concept further, incorporating MIDI data into the RealSystem G2 video/audio SDK provided by RealNetworks.
[35] Although those early efforts did not directly result in a commercial product, Yamaha continued to explore real-time transmission of Disklavier performances over the Internet.
In addition, the instrument itself introduces a mechanical delay of about a quarter of a second between the time that MIDI data is received and the moment when the hammers audibly impact the strings.
