Silent piano

Silent pianos are a technology developed by Yamaha for adding digital music to an otherwise conventional piano using what is known as silent equipment. It is thus possible to play the piano through headphones or a stereo system instead of the normal strings . In addition, the piano can be muted using the middle pedal so that the sound is only output digitally - hence the name (silent: quiet or silent).

In addition to Yamaha pianos and grand pianos, the following brands are available with muting systems:

• C. Bechstein ("Vario-System", an in-house development) This system is also installed in the subsidiary brands Bechstein, Euterpe, W.HOFFMANN and Zimmermann. Instruments of these brands from approx. Year of construction 2004 can be retrofitted.

• Kawai
• Mould
• Seiler
• Grotrian-Steinweg

functionality

In contrast to digital pianos, electric pianos and parts of the retrofitted silent equipment, Yamaha's solution is not mechanical, but purely optical. This does not affect piano playing and the mechanism does not wear out.

If the muting function has been activated - either via the middle pedal or the silent lever - and a key is struck, the hammer head is stopped before it hits the string. Optical sensors detect every nuance of your playing and direct them to the sound generator, which digitally generates the sound of an acoustic piano and sends it to the headphone output

Depiction of a piano key with silent equipment

The "flap" marked in red here is a plastic plate with horizontal and vertical lines which, when the key is pressed, gets into a laser beam that uses the lines to determine the strength and speed of the strike and sends it to the "silent computer" (small box under the keyboard ) forwards. This calculates the appropriate tone and outputs it.

When the silent device is switched off, there is a slight but noticeable difference in the feel of the piano compared to a purely acoustic piano. The reason for this is the significantly greater triggering of the silent instrument (i.e. the hammer acceleration by the key is stopped earlier). For technical reasons, in contrast to the purely acoustic instrument, the hammer is not released 1.5–3 mm before reaching the string, but already 6.5–8 mm before the respective string. This way of playing differs from a structurally identical piano without a silent mechanism, especially in pianissimo. This restriction does not apply to silent sashes, as two different, each electrically controlled trigger bars are used for silent and acoustic operation.

history

Yamaha released the first pianos with the silent facility around 1992. The basic principle has not changed since then, but the technology has become more precise over the years.

In 2014, Yamaha started series production of the new TransAcoustic ™ technology in the Silent Piano. Transducers turn the soundboard into a loudspeaker. This means that any type of sound can be transmitted through the natural resonance of the piano's acoustic system.

Silent Piano (TM) is a registered trademark of Yamaha.

Similar systems

The Kawai company offers a similar system called " AnyTime " (abbreviated to ATX in the product name).

Such a system can also be retrofitted. Corresponding hardware is or was u. a. offered by these companies:

• Korg
• PianoDisc (QuietTime)
• Solton (Genio)
• Feurich
• Grand & Piano Parts Distribution BV - Bolan Silent Systems

Yamaha systems are not available for retrofitting. In the past, Yamaha supplied Schimmel pianos for the installation of the SG - Silent System and was sold under TwinTone (only previous version with internal Yamaha name SG-Silent), but not with the current Yamaha SH2 Silent System of the latest generation (Sampling: Yamaha CFX Concert grand piano and Bösendorfer Imperial).

The latest technology "SH2 - Silent" is only built into Yamaha's own branded instruments (Yamaha and Kemble) as well as into instruments from the subsidiary Bösendorfer from Vienna in Austria.

Web links

• Description on the Yamaha homepage
• Description of the Korg system
• iBook Yamaha Silent for download from the iTunes store

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ bechstein.com/fileadmin/media/documents/international/Broschueren/Vario_dt.pdf
3. ↑ W. Hoffmann - Product Catalog (pdf). (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on March 9, 2016 ; accessed on February 27, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from February 25, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
5. ↑ BOLAN Silent System. Retrieved February 27, 2016 .