For The Yamaha Disklavier, The Future Is Now

—With Exciting Performance, Historical Archiving and Educational Applications Highlighted, Mark IV 1.2 Upgrade Launched at Winter NAMM 2006—

ANAHEIM, Calif.—To mark the first anniversary of its launch, Yamaha Corporation of America will reveal an exciting range of new functions and features for its Disklavier Mark IV digital/acoustic hybrid piano, along with advanced performance and educational applications at Winter NAMM 2006.

Yamaha Disklavier Mark IV

“In the past year, the Disklavier Mark IV has made the transition from the typical ROM- based technology product to an all new, software based operating system,” states Jim Presley, Disklavier Marketing Manager, Yamaha Corporation of America. “The result is a product that is continually improving through software upgrades.”

The Mark IV 1.2 software update promises to optimize the piano’s operations and ensure the instrument’s compatibility with all types of Yamaha musical software. Many of the functions and features customers and dealers have been asking for will be added and completed in this new update, including Vocal Harmony in support of its Karaoke function. The ability to back up the hard drive and schedule play lists has also been added.

Yamaha’s piano display at NAMM will feature one of the most exciting new Mark IV features. Video Sync allows users to take a typical camcorder and plug it into the Disklavier. By simply pressing “record” on both the Disklavier and the camcorder, users can capture and replay the video image of a piano performance, with the Disklavier performing perfectly in sync. Now, parents can preserve and play back their children’s first song, while teachers can capture their students’ recitals to use for instructional purposes. This is the same technology that has been used to stunning effect at the International Piano-e-Competition. ”

Booth visitors will be treated to preview a beta version of the groundbreaking Disklavier Piano Teaching Method, which promises to be the most comprehensive interactive piano teaching system ever created. Demonstrations of remote learning software will also be offered, outlining how teachers can teach students in real time using Diskaviers hundreds or even thousands of miles apart.

Other display highlights will include a demonstration by Zenph Studios Inc., which has developed a new process that derives original performances in MIDI data from old, non-dynamic, noisy piano recordings. This digital form can then be played back on the Yamaha Disklavier as a live performance equal to the original acoustic performance.

The Elton John Signature Series Red Piano, which is touring select Yamaha piano dealers nationwide, will offer booth visitors a performance by Elton John unlike any seen or heard before. At the touch of a button, the player piano’s keys and pedals come to life, while recorded audio adds Sir Elton’s voice and instrumental accompaniment to such classics as “Tiny Dancer,” “Your Song,” “Rocket Man,” “Candle in the Wind” and “Take Me to the Pilot.” These preloaded piano performances, created exclusively by Sir Elton for the Red Piano series, feature the actual keystrokes of the star himself and are unavailable anywhere else in the world.

The display will also feature Disklavier’s participation in a Yamaha “i Session,” in which the piano will play along in a seamless virtual jam with other Yamaha instruments located in other areas of the NAMM show, playing in concert over the Internet. ”

From a marketing perspective, retailers can draw inspiration from the Disklavier’s Living Room display, a “show-and-sell” setting that exemplifies the optimum selling environment.

The Yamaha Disklavier Mark IV builds upon the sophistication of previous generations of the award-winning line of Yamaha performance-reproducing pianos by adding a variety of new features. Yamaha’s continual innovation of this product has led to an industry first: the Disklavier has been honored for the fifth consecutive year with Musical Merchandise Review Magazine’s “Dealers’ Choice Award” as “Product of the Year.”

For more information, visit Yamaha at Winter NAMM 2006, in the Marquis Ballroom at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel; or write Yamaha Corporation of America, Band & Orchestral Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; or visit www.yamaha.com.