Yamaha sold Smart PianoSoft floppy disks for Yamaha Marks III and IV. This was a revolutionary technology: You could insert a floppy disk designed to play the actual acoustic piano alongside an audio CD. In other words, the piano would accompany your CD! Yamaha released many such albums, and because the piano is accompanying the … Read more
This article on Mark IV Disklavier SSD Conversion was originally contributed by Richard Zajac. The Mark IV utilized a spinning hard disk, which was more than sufficient for the technology of its time. Even advanced systems like the Yamaha Disklavier don’t demand exceptionally fast read speeds, as piano notes aren’t played within microseconds of each … Read more
I recently encountered a Yamaha PSR-S750 with a couple of issues that appear to be quite common in this series. I wanted to share my experience in the hope that it might help someone in the future. Sudden Shutdowns The customer initially reported that the keyboard would display an error message at irregular intervals and … Read more
I recently installed a Nalbantov floppy disk emulator using an updated version of the insert and mount that I designed. You can see based on the pictures below that the Nalbantov slim is slightly too small to fill the entire cavity left by the original floppy disk drive. Additionally, there are no mounts of any … Read more
I have a customer who recently experienced an issue with his Yamaha Disklavier HQ100. The HQ100 is the Japanese version of the MX100II. He primarily uses this instrument via MIDI, and finds the Disklavier quite useful. This discussion should apply to other models of Yamaha Disklavier. Although the solenoids and part numbers differ between models, … Read more
I recently had a client request that I replace the stock GH3 action in her Yamaha CVP-305 with a Yamaha Natural Wood action, and so I had an opportunity to do some experimenting. Note that these action swaps are possible, but are in no way endorsed by Yamaha, and will result in voided warranties. The … Read more
A customer recently brought in their Yamaha P-105, complaining of no sound. Occasionally, it would emit a scratchy noise, but even that was inconsistent. After opening it up, I found the culprit: the amplifier chip on the DM board had burned out. The amplifier chip is a small surface-mount device (SMD) mounted directly on the … Read more
Can I upgrade my older Yamaha Disklavier? This is such a common question that Disklavier upgrades and modifications now have their own page! Read about PianoStream, which brings internet and an app to even the oldest Disklaviers, or about the Nalbantov, which replaces the floppy disk drive. If you have a newer system, such as … Read more
Yamaha Disklaviers are an innovative fusion of digital and acoustic engineering, but connecting your Disklavier to internet is somehow still very challenging! They allow you to experience famous, concert pianists performing right in your living room, on your piano. They’re an excellent tool for both entertainment and for learning. And of course, they’re just fun … Read more