Technologies and Sensibilities

We have inherited the craftsmanship capabilities and sensibilities toward sound creation that Yamaha has cultivated over its long history, which spans generations. With these capabilities and sensibilities as our foundation, we possess unique strengths with a deep understanding and vast insight into the sensibilities needed to determine a good sound and a good sound environment. We have established sensibility evaluation technologies as a means to effectively utilize our insight and understanding. Leveraging these technologies, we are striving to meld our various other technologies, such as our acoustic, digital, and electronic technologies, to enable us to offer unique products and services while also creating new experience value.

[ Image ] True Yamaha spirit— Create new value by combining technology and sensibility

Our crafted expertise, which has been developed over many years of creating musical instruments, is the source of Yamaha's strength. Manually finishing products while closely examining them through human eyes adds beauty and richness to products that machines alone cannot achieve. Along the same timeline, we scientifically studied the implicit knowledge of experts, pursued the essence of their knowledge, and generated unique value.

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Yamaha started with the repair of a broken reed organ. Now the company has grown into the world's largest musical instrument manufacturer that offers a wide range of musical instruments from acoustic to digital. In addition to musical instruments, Yamaha is now delivering audio equipment, network devices semiconductors and so on to the customers worldwide. Technologies covering such a wide variety of products fields are the sources of innovation.

[ Image ] Technologies Covering Both Acoustic and Digital

Innovation Enabled with Fusion of Acoustic and Digital Technologies

The Integrated Bell Acoustic System is created through the fusion of acoustic and digital technologies. A breath sensor responds to the air from the mouthpiece and digitally creates the sound that drives the speaker, causing the brass bell to resonate and vibrate. This delivers a gorgeous and incredibly natural sound that feels and responds as if you were playing an actual acoustic instrument.

Yamaha's Proprietary Technologies

A.R.E. accelerates wood aging
Acoustic Resonance Enhancement (A.R.E.) is a technology to age wood in a short period of time. A high-precision temperature, humidity, and air pressure control system turns the wood into one that produces the sound of instruments that have been played for years.

[ Image ] VOCALOID:AI™, a new vocal synthesizer with self-expression

VOCALOID:AI™, a new vocal synthesizer with self-expression
When provided with musical notation, VOCALOID:AI™ not only traces the details of the notes and lyrics but also determines the nuances to be given to the notes, creating a lively voice that sounds like a real singer. What makes this technology different from conventional sound synthesis is that this synthesizer creates its own expressions, sometimes in ways that the creator would have never imagined.

[ Image ] Sound Image Control (AFC Image), an audio system for acoustic images

Sound Image Control (AFC Image), an audio system for acoustic images
AFC Image is Yamaha immersive system that allows users to control the perceived positions of acoustic images within a space. It can freely control the sound for up to 128 objects, resulting in deeper, more realistic sound fields in theaters and halls.

More Details on Research and Development at Yamaha

In 1963, when few companies designed their own products in Japan, Yamaha was one of the first companies to set up an in-house design department. Since then, the company has been working on embodying the joy of music and life through product designs and communication designs, which connect people and items, with the primary focus on musical instrument designs. When the company celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1987, it established the Design Philosophy. Through active engagement with third parties, such as collaborating with third party designers inside and outside Japan and hosting an independent design exhibition, Yamaha is exploring its identity also from the perspective of design.

[ Image ] From left: silent violin YVS250, acoustic violin Artida YVN500S, electric violin YEV105 — Design shapes the advanced functionality and usage of each era as it should be.

More Details on Yamaha Design

Innovation Center

In 2018, Yamaha opened the Innovation Center, the research and development base with cutting-edge study and experiment equipment, on the headquarters premises and gathered engineers and designers. The company promotes cross-domain technical fusion and works on creating new value.

Artist Relations Network

Yamaha has bases for artist relations around the world including Tokyo, New York, London, Milan, Hamburg, Moscow, and Seoul. By directly listening to artists and having repeated conversations with them, Yamaha continues to seek what sound and music should be.