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Review of the Yamaha S90 ES by a keyboardist musician for Cirque Du Soleil.  Great marks for touch and overall sensitivity to a wide variety of applications.

The Yamaha Corporation is a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, predominantly musical instruments and electronic products.

It was founded in 1887 as a piano and reed organ manufacturer by Torakusu Yamaha as Nippon Gakki Company, Limited  in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka prefecture, and incorporated on October 12, 1897. The company’s origins as a musical instrument manufacturer is still reflected today in the group’s logo — a trio of interlocking tuning forks.

After WWII, company president Gen-ichi Kawakami, repurposed the remains of the company’s war-time production machinery and the company’s expertise in metallurgical technologies to the manufacture of motorcycles. The YA-1 (aka Akatombo, the “Red Dragonfly”), of which 125 were built in the first year of production (1954), was named in honor of the founder. It was a 125cc, single cylinder, two-stroke, streetbike patterned after the German DKW RT125 (which the British munitions firm, BSA, had also copied in the post-war era and manufactured as the Bantam, and Harley-Davidson as the Hummer). In 1955, the success of the YA-1 resulted in the founding of the Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

Yamaha has grown to become the world’s largest manufacturer of musical instruments (including “silent” pianos, drums, guitars, violins, violas and celli), as well as a leading manufacturer of semiconductors (begun in 1971), audio/visual and other computer related products, sporting goods, home appliances and furniture, specialty metals, machine tools, and industrial robots.

In October 1987, on the 100th anniversary, its name was changed to THE YAMAHA CORPORATION.

In 1989, Yamaha shipped the world’s first CD recorder. Since then, Yamaha has purchased Sequential Circuits in 1988 and bought a significant share of competitor Korg in 1989–1993. It also acquired German Audio Software manufacturers Steinberg in 2004, from Pinnacle.

Yamaha Corporation is also widely known for their music program during the mid 1980s, and was compared to Shin’ichi Suzuki’s method in a sense.

Other companies in the Yamaha group include:

* Yamaha Motor Company
* Yamaha Fine Technologies Co., Ltd.
* Yamaha Livingtec Corporation
* Yamaha Metanix Corporation

In 1987, Yamaha acquired Premier Percussion of England, in an attempt to establish the Yamaha name in the tougher European market. Yamaha placed machinery and trained the Premier craftsmen in the “Yamaha-way” of making drums, resulting in Premier producing a large number of Yamaha drums “made in England”. After a few years, Yamaha withdrew and sold their stock shares of Premier.

Yamaha has made many innovations in drum hardware. They were the first to introduce:

* a hide-away cymbal boom-arm,
* locking hi-hat clutch,
* a ball-joint tom mount with 360 degrees of rotation,
* Yamaha Enhanced Sustain System (YESS).

Yamaha drums are manufactured at two different locations in Asia. Their Osaka Japan factory produces their high-end professional drums, as well as all marching percussion. The research and development of new products also takes place here. Marketing is managed from the Yamaha Corp. headquarters in Hamamatsu, a few hours away.

The massive factory in Indonesia produces all hardware and the entry/budget-line drums. Some 500,000 drums shells are shipped from this factory every year. The Indonesian factory uses the same machinery and techniques in the making of a drum shell, and all craftsmen working there are trained by Japanese craftsmen from the Osaka site.

The only difference between these two plants is that the Osaka plant uses the more exclusive woods (maple, birch and oak); and a produces a larger range of options in sizes and finishes. In addition to the drum production; several smaller sites in Osaka also produce their classical percussion instruments, such as timpani, marimba, xylophone, vibraphone and glockenspiel.

Yamaha’s hardware is engineered and manufactured in the Yamaha motorcycle factory. For these reasons Yamaha drum hardware has been the standard for backline and cartage companies all over the world for decades.

Acoustic musical instruments

Upright pianos M1 M450 M475 M500 P22 P600 T116 T121

* U1
* U2

U3 U5

Grand pianos

* GB1
* GC1
* GC1FP
* GC1G
* C1
* C2
* C3
* C5
* C6
* C7
* CFIIIS
* S4
* S6

Player pianos

* Disklavier

Guitars

* CG-100A (Nylon string classical)
* F-310 (Steel string acoustic)
* Pacifica (Electric)

Percussion instruments

* drum kits

String instruments

Brass instruments

Soprano saxophones

* YSS-475II
* YSS-675
* YSS-875EX

Alto saxophones

* YAS-23
* YAS-475
* YAS-62II
* YAS-82Z
* YAS-875EX

Tenor saxophones

* YTS-23
* YTS-475
* YTS-62II
* YTS-82Z
* YTS-875EX

Baritone Saxophones

* YBS-52
* YBS-62

Clarinets

* Advantage
* 150
* 250
* 350
* 450
* 850
* 1050

Electric musical instruments

Electric Grand Pianos

* CP-80
* CP-70
* CP-70B
* CP-70M
* CP-60M

Electric guitars

* AE Series
* EG112 BL
* PAC Series
* RGX Series
* SA500
* SA503 TVL
* SA2200
* SG2000
* SF550

Bass guitars

* RBX Series
* TRB Series
* BB Series

electro acoustic guitars

* apx
* cpx
* fax
* 5a

Electronic musical instruments

Digital pianos

* Clavinova CVP Series
* YPG series
* Yamaha PSR-185

Digital stage pianos

* Yamaha P-250

Electone electronic organs

* EL-25
* EL-40
* EL-900
* ELX-1
* AR-100
* AR-80
* STAGEA
o ELS-01C
o ELS-01
o ELS-01X
o ELB-01 Mini

Portable Keyboards

* Yamaha PortaTone (PSS) Series
* PortaSound (PSR) series
* Yamaha PC-50
* Yamaha PSR-185
* Yamaha PSR-9000
* Yamaha PSR-9000 Pro
* Yamaha PSR-S500
* Yamaha PSR-S700
* Yamaha PSR-S900
* Yamaha PSR-3000
* Yamaha Tyros
* Yamaha Tyros 2
* Yamaha DGX-200 series
* Yamaha DGX-300 series
* Yamaha DGX-500 series
* Yamaha DGX 620
* Yamaha DJ-X Series

Music workstations

* Yamaha SY77
* Yamaha SY99
* Yamaha SY85
* Yamaha EX5
* Yamaha QS 300
* Motif
* Motif ES
* Motif XS
* MM6
* Yamaha MO
* V50

Synthesizers

* Yamaha AN1x
* Yamaha CS-1x
* Yamaha CS-2x
* Yamaha CS-6x
* Yamaha CS-01
* Yamaha CS-10
* Yamaha CS-15
* Yamaha CS-20m
* Yamaha CS-30/CS-30L
* Yamaha CS-40m
* Yamaha CS-5
* Yamaha CS-50
* Yamaha CS-60
* Yamaha CS-70m
* Yamaha CS-80
* Yamaha DX7
* Yamaha DX11
* Yamaha FS1R
* Yamaha GX1
* Yamaha RM1x
* Yamaha S90
* Yamaha S90 ES
* Yamaha SHS-10
* Yamaha VL1

Tone generators

* Yamaha MU-series
* Yamaha TG77
* Yamaha TX81Z
* Yamaha VL70m

Woodwind MIDI Controller

* Yamaha WX5

Music sequencers

* Yamaha QY10
* Yamaha QY100
* Yamaha QY700

Professional audio

* Analog and digital mixing consoles
* Digital audio workstations
* Digital mixing engines
o M7CL
* Public address loudspeakers
* Power amplifiers
* Audio signal processing
* Studio monitor loudspeakers

Home electronics

* Yamaha DSP-1 - An early home theater surround sound component produced in 1985
* Home stereo components
o 28 Series components (produced in the 1980s)
o Natural Sound loudspeaker line
o NS-A100 floorstanding speakers (produced in the 1980s)
* Music disc recorders
o Yamaha MDR-1
o Yamaha MDR-10

Software synthesizers

*
o S-YG20
o S-YXG50
o S-YXG70
o S-YXG100
o S-YXG100 PVL

Sound chips

*
o Yamaha YM2149, used in the Atari ST, MSX, Intellivision computers
o Yamaha Y8950, used in MSX-Audio cardridge for MSX, made by Philips
o Yamaha YM2413 (a.k.a. OPLL), used in MSX in MSX Music cardridges like the FM-PAC
o Yamaha YM2151 (a.k.a. OPM), used in X68000
o Yamaha YM2203 (a.k.a. OPN), used in PC88 and PC98
o Yamaha YM2608 (a.k.a. OPNA), used in PC88 and PC98
o Yamaha YM3526 (a.k.a. OPL)
o Yamaha YM3812 (a.k.a. OPL2), used in AdLib and early Sound Blaster sound cards
o Yamaha YMF262 (a.k.a. OPL3), used in Sound Blaster Pro 2.0 and later cards
o Yamaha YMF278 (a.k.a. OPL4), used in Moonsound cartridge for MSX
o Yamaha YM2612 (a.k.a. OPN2), used in Sega Mega Drive (Sega Genesis)
o Yamaha YMF7xx (Embedded audio chipset in some laptops and low-end soundcards)
o Yamaha YMU786 (a.k.a. MA-7), used in mobile phones to process various audio sources; sound effect, 3D audio effect, sound mixer, ringtone generation, etc.
o SCSP Sega Saturn Custom Sound Processor used in SEGA Saturn and Sega Titan Video (ST-V) arcade hardware
o Yamaha Super Intelligent Sound Processor (AICA) for Dreamcast and Naomi

Yamaha developed their own set of improvements to the General MIDI standard and called it XG. Many of their current range of products, from their high-end synths to “toy” keyboards, support the XG standard.

Yamaha is also known for the Yamaha Music Education System, a renowned system for teaching musical skills to children between the ages of 3 and 9.

Torakusu Yamaha (Yamaha Torakusu; April 20, 1851 – August 8, 1916) was the founder of the Yamaha Corporation.

Yamaha was a watchmaker who built his first portable reed organ in 1887. Ten years later, he became the president of Nippon Gakki Co. (later renamed the Yamaha Corporation).

The CLP range is aimed more towards those looking for a digital alternative to an acoustic piano and concentrates on accurately reproducing its touch and sound though most in the range also have a limited number of other voices available. The CVP range provides a greater variety of voices and also built in rhythyms and accompaniments enabling complete performances to be played and recorded using built-in sequencing software.

Technical Information

Some Clavinovas (CLP and CVP-Series) feature graded hammer technology, a mechanical system of small metal hammers, weighted to be similar to those of a real pianoforte, which hit a digital pressure sensor that then translates into sound. This patented technology has contributed to the success of the Clavinova as an affordable substitute for a real piano. The ‘Graded’ action is intended to reproduce more accurately the varying weights of the hammers of an acoustic piano where the hammers vary in weight from the bass section to the treble.

The built-in synthesizer produces the sound. The synthesizer contains samples of real instruments which are then selected and modified by the electronics to produce the desired sound. Information comes in a MIDI or similar format either directly from the piano keyboard or from a stored source (from within the piano or via a computer or external sequencer). Digital pianos are not limited to only piano sounds however. The synthesizer can imitate a vast array of acoustic instruments, electronic instruments and other sound effects. Recent models of CVP Clavinova have hundreds of such voices. These usually include many types of pianos and organs, string, percussion, brass and woodwind instruments, as well as modern and vintage synthesizer sounds, sampled effects and much, much more. The more recent CVP models also feature hundreds of accompaniment styles, ranging from traditional dance and classical orchestration, through to modern club, pop, rock, big band and jazz styles.

The latest currently available models of the Clavinova are the CLP-20X range and the CVP-30X range; the CVP-301 is the lower-end of the range, whilst the CVP-309 is the most expensive. Using technology from Yamaha’s pioneering ‘Tyros’ keyboard, they feature such innovations as Yamaha’s ‘MegaVoice’ technology, which accurately reproduces acoustic instrument sound, wireless internet direct connection facilities, and USB-to-device ports. The retail price of the CVP-309 is about US$10,000, although many retailers offer considerable discounts.

Yamaha has confirmed that the new range of Clavinovas is to be released in mid-2007. The top of the new range, the CVP-409, retails for an RRP of US$12,000. It contains, amongst other brand new features, Yamaha’s patented ‘Super Articulation Voice’ technology, which improves on ‘MegaVoice’ technology by allowing the player to benefit whilst playing live, as opposed to layering the effect on top of previously recorded material. This feature was first introduced on Yamaha’s ‘Tyros2′ portable keyboard.

One major reason for the success was the precision and flexibility of digital sounds. Although the DX7 was not a sampler, its bright sounds were much clearer than the analog synthesizers that preceded it. Although the DX7 claimed to use FM, it actually implemented phase modulation synthesis. The DX7 is well-known for its electric piano, bells, and other “metal striking metal” sounds. It was monotimbral and capable of 16-note polyphony.

The synthesizer included MIDI ports, but was released shortly before the specification was completed, and has incomplete support for the standard: It only transmits information on MIDI channel 1. It can receive information on any one of the sixteen MIDI channels at a time, but lacks the OMNI feature that enabled later DXs in the series to receive on all MIDI channels simultaneously. Very early DX7s manufactured in 1983 are distinctive for not having “MIDI Channel” inscribed next to the button that opens this function. This lack of marking was corrected by 1984.

Voices can be programmed by a user, and stored into a 32-voice ROM internal memory, or corresponding DX7 ROM cartridge. Several computer applications exist (mainly for Atari and the classic version of Mac OS) that can enable a user to load different presets into the keyboard from a computer via MIDI.

Several improved “DX7 II” models were released between 1987 and 1989, most notably the DX7II(FD) which improved sound quality and allowed bi-timbrality. Third-party products for the DX7 also flourished in the 1980s, including Grey Matter Response’s E! expansion board, which added sequencer functions to the keyboard. DX7 IIs can transmit and receive on any one of 16 MIDI channels at a time. The DX7 family remains popular to this day with many recording and performing artists.

Rackmount versions of the DX7 also exist, ranging from the TX7 (a simple desktop DX7 unit, with limited editing abilities) to the TX802 (a DX7II in a 2-unit rack mount unit, with 8 outputs) and even the TX816 (eight DX7s in a large rack unit, with individual MIDI ports and balanced outputs for each module (via an XLR connector), giving the musician a massive 128 notes of polyphony).

In 1988, in celebration of the company’s 100-year anniversary, Yamaha released the DX7II Centennial. It was a DX7IIFD with a silver case, gold painted buttons and sliders, and 76 glow-in-the-dark keys. Only 100 were made and were priced at US$3995.

Software Emulation

Native Instruments have developed a popular software synthesizer, FM8 (2006) (previously FM7 (2001-2006)), that emulates the DX7’s digital circuitry and can load original DX7 patches.

Yamaha Motor Co. is now a separate corporation, no longer a direct subsidiary of the Yamaha Corporation. They still share the same name and the trademark tuning fork logo, however with a small difference in the logotype of their name. The “M” in YaMaha is different - while the Motor Co’s M extends all the way down to the baseline, the M of Yamaha Corp. is cropped in the lower middle part. Still, a close tie is kept between the two sister organizations. An example is a Yamaha manufacture plant in Indonesia, which both produce vital engine parts for motorcycles, and all hardware for Yamaha Drums and several of their entry-line drum kits.

In 2000, Toyota and Yamaha Corporation made a capital alliance where Toyota paid Yamaha Corporation 10.5 billion yen for a 5 per cent share in Yamaha Motor Company while Yamaha and Yamaha Motor each bought 500,000 shares of Toyota stock in return.

In 2005, Yamaha came under the investigation of the Japanese government for selling dusting helicopters to China, technology that could potentially be used for weapons.