BUENA PARK, Calif. — For years, the award-winning Yamaha Clavinova has set the standard in versatile, stunningly realistic digital pianos for the home. Now, a cunning new design brings that same musical quality into the realm of museum-quality aesthetic appeal. Echoing the technology and design trends seen in plasma televisions, the sleek and sophisticated CLP-F01 “Slimline” Clavinova digital piano closes to reveal a streamlined configuration that resembles a console table from the finest furniture collection.

Each Slimline Clavinova features a back plate in one of four designer colors – Polished Orange, Polished Ebony, Polished Blue and Polished Red – that stands flush with the wall, framing the piano like a work of art.

“Every Clavinova we make is a well-crafted addition to any home décor,” says Yamaha Piano Division Electronic Keyboard marketing manager Jim Levesque. “With the new Slimline models, however, we’ve taken that design commitment to a new level. We know that many of the most luxurious home settings still put a premium on efficient use of space, and this is an instrument that will accent the finest living environments. It has to be seen to be appreciated.”

The CLP-F01 models feature 88 real wood keys with a choice of hard, medium, soft and fixed touch sensitivity. Three-level AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) Stereo Sampling technology, which varies the volume and timbre of sound according to the user’s touch on the keyboard, combines with 64-note polyphony, reverb and brilliance effects, and 30 banks of sampled sounds to provide a rich spectrum of sound. The piano’s 14 instrument voices include three Grand Piano types and two Electric Piano types, and 50 onboard preset piano songs let the fun start from the very first moment.

All four color variations of the Slimline Clavinova feature metronomes and auxiliary jacks that allow the user to connect the instrument to a home computer, an audio system, or headphones. Each piano has a built-in 40-Watt sound system and comes with an owner’s manual, the book 50 Greats for the Piano, and a bench.

In addition, all four new Clavinovas offer two Yamaha features that take the realism of the grand piano sound to new heights: Stereo Sustain and Key-Off samples. Stereo Sustain samples recreate the resonance of the strings and soundboard when the damper pedal is pressed, which contributes to the unique sound of a grand piano. Key-Off samples provide the delicate sound of the dampers touching strings as the keys are released – for yet another touch of realism.

The Clavinova’s internal flash memory can record two tracks or three songs of up to 9,000 notes. Dual and split keyboard functions open up new possibilities for two-person play, or single-person performances with more than one instrument voice at the same time.

For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.