Yamaha CLP725R Clavinova

Escapement mechanism of Clavinova keyboards

The escapement mechanism in a grand piano moves the hammers away from the strings quickly after they strike them, in order to prevent any interference with string vibration. This mechanism produces a slight clicking sensation when the keys are pressed gently.

The Clavinova keyboards feature an escapement mechanism that reproduces this sensation near the bottom of the key dip. They have been designed in such a way that the click is discernible only on the lightest keystrokes, similar to the keyboard of a grand piano. These keyboards have been adjusted to provide additional friction that balances key repetition and response without impeding performance.

Design philosophy

Clavinova pianos boast excellent playability and versatile functions, along with a refined, authentic design that blends a compact form with modern aesthetics in a manner befitting the instrument that sets the contemporary standard for pianos. At the heart of the Clavinova design concept is the way the player feels when they take their seat in front of a Clavinova piano. Unnecessary elements are removed from the player’s field of vision to create a convincingly natural space that feels just like sitting at an acoustic piano. This represents Yamaha’s consideration to players who practice on Clavinova and perform on grand pianos—they are able to take the stage free of tension or worry because everything feels normal, as it should. A Clavinova piano is a part of the player’s everyday life—contemporary accents and color variation are available to mesh with any interior design or lifestyle.

Grand Expression Modeling

The interaction and interplay of the hammers, dampers, and strings inside a grand piano respond to the subtlest nuances of the pianist’s touch, creating a limitless range of tonal expression. Touch refers to the pianist’s control, not only of intensity (softness/loudness) in playing and releasing the keys, but also of the speed and depth with which the keys are pressed. The Grand Expression Modeling introduced in the CLP-700 Series translates the widely varied input from the pianist’s fingers into the same limitless tonal variation of a grand piano.

This makes it possible to vary the output by playing the keys to different depths and with different speeds, even when using techniques such as trills or legato or emphasizing the melody over the accompaniment. Grand Expression Modeling excels at faithfully reproducing the output expected of these techniques in many well-known songs. In Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” a loose touch creates the faint tone that makes the melody stand out more crisply. In Liszt’s “Un Sospiro,” the accompanying arpeggios accent the melody without overwhelming it, and varied expression of the melody gives it the same quality as vocals. In the last of the Chopin nocturnes, trills, legato, and other delicate techniques where fingers seem to float over the keys deliver the airy, smooth tonal expression required. Playing such pieces on a highly expressive piano helps the pianist learn various techniques and experience the same joy of expression as a painter, but through sound.

The sound of some of the finest concert grand pianos in the world - Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial

Clavinova grand piano sounds are recorded from several world-renowned concert grand pianos. One of them is the CFX, Yamaha’s top-flight concert grand piano, which has been newly sampled for the CLP Series. Pianists around the world are enamored with the impressive, dazzling, richly expressive sound of the CFX in concert halls. Another sampled concert grand is the Imperial, the flagship model of Bösendorfer, a time-honored Viennese piano brand with an ardent following. The Imperial is known for its abundance of color and natural, warm feeling. Yamaha faithfully reproduces the idiosyncrasies of these concert grand pianos by carefully recording the entire tonal range of each of the 88 keys, making minute adjustments to capture the most harmonious tones each piano has to offer.

Virtual Resonance Modeling

One of the allures of the grand piano is the sympathetic resonance created by the vibration of the entire instrument. Clavinova pianos elaborately reproduce this rich sympathetic resonance through a groundbreaking technology called Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM). VRM creates a richly varied sound by simulating the complex sympathetic tones created when the vibrations of the strings are propagated to the soundboard and other strings, corresponding to the timing and intensity of key playing and pedaling. CLP-700 Series pianos even replicate the sounds the dampers make when they are raised off the strings, in addition to the resonance of the duplex scaling, strings, soundboard, and case. Clavinova pianos allow you to enjoy the same momentary dynamics and deep sympathetic sounds that are produced by the entire body of a grand piano.

A fully immersive concert grand experience—even with headphones

The CLP-725 features binaural samples of the Yamaha CFX. Binaural sampling is a method of sampling in which special microphones are placed on a mannequin’s head in the same positions as the pianist’s ears to capture piano sounds the way that they sound in reality.

We chose this method to create the ambience and full, natural resonance of acoustic pianos in Clavinova pianos. This makes pianists feel as though they are sitting at a grand piano even when they play with headphones on. The experience is so pleasant that they forget they are wearing headphones, no matter how long they continue to play.

We also developed the Stereophonic Optimizer function to achieve the same effect for the piano effects. Stereophonic Optimizer technology replicates the natural diffusion of sound in headphones nearly as closely as binaural sampling for the piano voices other than the CFX.

Get more with the Smart Pianist app

Enjoy the piano more with Smart Pianist, a dedicated app that adds a beautiful graphic interface and a variety of incredible features to your compatible Yamaha digital piano.

The Bluetooth® MIDI function* lets you conncect to Smart Pianist wirelessly.

*Featured on the CLP-785/775/745/795GP/765GP. Availability of Bluetooth MIDI varies by country.

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2-track Song Recorder

The recording function featured in Clavinova digital pianos allows you to record your performances* with a single touch, which is useful when you want to review your playing objectively. Additionally, you can record up to 2 tracks for simultaneous playback, so different hands can be recorded separately or overdub parts with different voices.

*Recordings are made in MIDI format. Compatible software is required for playback of recorded data on a computer.

Playability

Featuring the latest GrandTouch/GrandTouch-S keyboards with a broad dynamic range of touch and response on the level of a grand piano. Excellent consistency and nuanced expression give the pianist the utmost control over touch.

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Sensitivity

Grand Expression Modeling is a groundbreaking new technology that enables the pianist to use their techniques to produce the limitless tonal variation unique to grand pianos. The ability to vary the intensity and speed of touch to produce different tones adds another dimension to the joy of musical expression.

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Sound Quality

Virtual Resonance Modeling performs real-time modeling of the sympathetic resonance created by the behavior of the strings and body of the instrument—the foundation of the beautiful sound of a genuine grand piano. Also, the latest acoustic design technology delivers lifelike concert grand piano tone and resonance to your home for you to enjoy.

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