What is SILENT Piano™?

When the SILENT Piano™ function is activated, the hammers will no longer hit the strings and instead, a highly sophisticated sensor-technology captures all movements of the keys and sends them to the digital tone module. Play a real acoustic piano with headphones at any time, day or night without being disturbed or disturbing others. The Yamaha Silencing System is unsurpassed, allowing 24hr practice as well as possessing many other features including a range of pre-installed sounds, being able to record your own performances or connecting mobile devices to use the latest Apps.

Two World-Renowned Piano Sounds

You can play SILENT Piano SH2 type with the voices of CFX, Yamaha’s finest concert grand piano, and Bösendorfer’s legendary Imperial. All 88 keys are sampled individually. As Yamaha’s flagship grand piano, the majestic CFX boasts a wide palette of tonal colors, from sparkling high notes to powerful bass tones. The legendary Bösendorfer, meanwhile, is renowned for its sonorous and rich Viennese sound.

CFX Binaural Sampling

SILENT pianos feature our flagship CFX concert grand piano sampled using a binaural recording technique; an exacting sampling technique that mimics the interaural characteristics of the human ear. This unique approach allows SILENT pianos to recreate the natural, all-encompassing acoustic sound only experienced when seated in front of a concert grand piano.

Virtual Resonance Modeling

In a grand piano, sound resonates throughout the body of the instrument, producing a rich reverberation that envelops the listener in sound. This phenomena is reproduced perfectly through enhanced Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM). The original VRM calculates the various states of the strings for each of the 88 notes on the keyboard, from one instant to the next, and timing and depth of damper pedals pressed. The enhanced VRM now also calculates aliquot resonance in the upper octaves, and the full resonance of the soundboard, rim, and frame. This technology allows for vivid, bright, richly-varied expression that reflects the limitless number of factors inherent in piano performance.

Adaptive Articulations With Smooth Release

Featuring Yamaha's Smooth Release technology, SILENT Piano SH2 type offers the crisp tone heard when playing staccato as well as the lingering sound produced by releasing the keys more. This provides finely-nuanced response to the pianist’s playing.

Key sensors

Under each of the 88 keys is a Yamaha-unique continuous-detection grey-scale shutter key sensor. These sensors detect the movement of the keys continually, allowing natural musical expression even when the piano is in SILENT Piano function. Since they do not come into contact with the keys, these sensors do not affect the feel of the keyboard in any way.

Hammer sensors

Grand piano with SILENT Piano SH2 type are fitted with hammer sensors that allow even slow keystrokes or rapid trills. To ensure that they do not affect the feel of the keyboard in any way, Yamaha uses non-contact sensors.

Patented Quick Escape System

Grand piano with SILENT Piano SH2 type features a quick escape system that allows the sound muting mechanism to be fitted to a grand piano without sacrificing any of the playability or musical expression demanded of such instruments in an acoustic performance. This system allows optimal separation to be obtained between the hammers and strings by adjusting the distance between the hammers and strings, ensuring that the feel of the keyboard stays in the best possible condition whether playing acoustically or with the sound muted.

Simple and Elegant UI

The control unit has been given a sophisticated design that unobtrusively blends with the piano itself. Moreover, the simple controllers allow you to operate the instrument easily.

Smart Pianist App Integration

The smart device app “Smart Pianist” (available as a free download) enables you to use the functions such as selecting Voices, controlling the metronome intuitively with the visualized interface, or display the score on your smart device.

The UD-WL01 USB Wireless LAN Adaptor (sold separately) is required to use Smart Pianist over a wireless connection.

"Microphone-Free" Recording

The performance can be recorded in two different ways. It can be recorded either directly to the built-in recorder of a piano, or to a USB audio recorder, in which case the data stored in USB flash memory in WAV format can be played on a PC as well. Using a built-in recorder is more convenient if the players wish to listen to the recorded piece right away. It allows them to listen to the entire performance of a music piece or to go back and listen to a particular section of the piece. Since performances are saved in WAV format with a USB audio recorder, they can be recorded onto CDs or played on portable music players.

Connectivity To External Devices

The USB TO HOST terminal allows you to connect to a computer or portable device and record high-quality audio without the need for an additional interface, while AUX OUT allows sound to be output to a variety of external devices (e.g. stereo components, IC recorders, speakers with built-in amplifiers, stereo systems), and AUX IN allows listening to sound from external devices (sound source modules and music players). MIDI OUTPUT transmits performance information to external devices such as synthesizers. MIDI IN allows the instrument to receive and playback performance information from sequencers using the tone generator of the SILENT Piano SH2 type.

Bluetooth® Audio Connectivity

You can stream audio files through SILENT Piano SH2 type with headphones by using a Bluetooth-enabled smart device. You can enjoy playing along with any songs on your smart device.

(May not be available depending on your area)

A Broad Sonic Palette

SILENT Piano SH2 type offers 20 pre-installed sounds such as electric pianos, harpsichord, organs, strings, choir, and synth pad, allowing you to select the ideal voice to match your preferred musical genre.

Stereophonic Optimizer

Stereophonic Optimizer is an effect which reproduces the natural sound distance, like with the sound of Binaural Sampling, even though you are listening to it on headphones. When one of the Piano Voices other than CFX Grand is selected, the Stereophonic Optimizer is enabled.

Key-Off samples

The moment a pianist’s fingers are lifted from the keys of a grand piano, subtle changes occur in the instrument’s tone as the damper is lowered onto the strings to mute its sound. Key-Off samples features actual recordings of these changes, offering a faithful reproduction of the most subtle changes in the piano’s sound, allowing for a more realistic performance.