Instant Musical Inspiration Available With TNR-i on iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch

Purchase, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/05/2011 -- Yamaha announces the introduction of a new iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch app that emulates the unique and addictive Tenori-on music sequencer, which lets anyone make interesting music instantly. Easy to use and mesmerizing to look at, the TNR-i app is a faithful duplication of the design, interface and capabilities of the pioneering Tenori-on W and the Tenori-on O that have been used in live performances and the studios of Peter Gabriel, Bjork and Little Boots, among others.

"Now, the famous Tenori-On functionality fits into your pocket," said Athan Billias, Director of Marketing, Pro Audio & Combo Division. "The new app makes it easier than ever for anyone to compose music that is visually and aurally stimulating."

The new app, available in the iTunes store, costs $19.99 and features a 16x16 grid of buttons, with the horizontal direction indicating time and the vertical representing pitch. The TNR-i can produce 16 types of sound simultaneously and can store up to 16 song patterns in its memory.

Switching between song patterns in real time allows for the creation of complex, distinctive musical compositions. In Random mode, melodies and rhythms constantly change as the user manipulates the interface. In Draw mode, tracing fingers across the grid is the primary method for shaping sounds. The app also makes it possible to network with other users and become friends with a feature that allows up to four players to connect at a time.

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

About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America is the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of musical instruments and sound reinforcement products to the U.S. market. Products include: acoustic and digital pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio products, and innovative technology products targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, professional music, and installation markets.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Console Would Ease Move to Permanent Quarters

Buena Park, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/05/2011 -- Like many new churches, the River Community Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina, lacks a permanent home for now. The 250 worshippers meet at a middle school auditorium every Sunday, setting up the sound gear for services and tearing it down each week.

Despite the less than ideal circumstances, they strive to provide professional quality audio for the congregation. Tim Ake, a professional firefighter with the city, mans the mixing console and decided to buy a Yamaha IM8-32.

"There's a lot of good information on the Yamaha web site," said Ake. "We looked at the MG series boards, but kept looking further. We looked at digital, too, but neither our budget nor our experience level can support a digital board."

The church bought the console at Brooks Pro Sound, a local firm that services several area churches. "It's a wonderful mixer," said owner Marvin Brooks. "It's clean. If you move a control on the console, like change the EQ, for instance, you can hear it. On lesser consoles, you turn the knob and don't hear that much difference."

Ake supervises a group of three volunteers. "We saw features like the aux sends, for instance, which set the IM8 above all the others and it's got more capacity for down the road," he said.

During services, the mixer is placed in the back row of the seating area, along with effects and recording equipment used to capture Pastor Todd Brady's hour-long sermons and on occasion, the band, which likes to review their performance about once a month.

Recordings are done with a auxiliary microphones to a CD recorder, though Ake is hoping to experiment with more elaborate live recording setups once the congregation finds a permanent home. Having direct outputs on all the channels makes this easy. The church is also considering doing video recording.

The onstage musicians include two guitars, a bass guitar, an electric piano, a drum set and a half dozen singers. Pastor Brady uses a wireless microphone and Ake puts the audio feed through two powered speakers and two powered subs. He feeds amplifiers onstage to drive onstage monitors.

For now, the setup uses most of the IM8's inputs, but Ake bought the console with future expansion in mind. The church's former console, which had only 16 channels, was often inadequate and couldn't accommodate situations when up to a dozen singers would gather onstage.

"We'll have 12 singers one week and five singers the next week, so now we can leave a group of inputs assigned to a set of microphones, set the EQ and the monitors for them and leave the setup," he said. "Then we don't have to reset the EQ or gain structure. It's nice to have the extra channels we can dedicate to one singer or performer, especially when we're tearing down every week. This way we can keep the settings the same from week to week."

He appreciates the eight sub groups that the IM8 provides. He assigns all the singers their own group and, using the master mute feature, which shuts off all the inputs assigned to that bank, it really simplifies mixing, especially for the volunteers.

"After the singers are finished, we press one button and mute all the channels in the singers' bank," said Ake. "It's an older school, so when people walk onstage you can hear each footstep. Since we mute the microphones until the performance actually begins, we eliminated that distraction."

When Ake and his team considered different consoles, they appreciated the IM8's aux sends, which gives them the flexibility to consider using in-ear monitors down the road. The mix matrices will allow them to send audio mixes into the vestibule and nursery area.

"We're looking to move into a permanent home and we'd like to have sound in the sanctuary vestibule so that when people first arrive, they know what's going on inside before they enter the sanctuary," he said. "Also, if someone's child is acting up and a parent has to leave the sanctuary, he or she can still hear what's going on."

He currently uses two aux sends for monitor mixes. Two monitors are assigned to the singers, who share one mix, and the other mix is for the band, a set up that replaces the former system's single send that often overpowered the sound going out to the auditorium. Presently a third aux send is used for effects for the house and a fourth is dedicated to record the sermon or the band.

Though Ake has no formal training as a sound technician, per se, he learned how to operate an audio console at the age of 16 at his former church, learning through hands-on experience, reading magazines and trawling the Internet for pertinent information.

"I wouldn't call myself an expert, but I am adept at using the equipment and understand how it operates," he said. "We looked at everything that's out there and the IM8 was head and shoulders above the other stuff available and we feel like we got the best bang for our buck."

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Music Aid for Joplin Auction Takes Place From July 18 to August 24, 2011

Purchase, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/29/2011 -- Yamaha Corporation of America is helping to sponsor Music Aid for Joplin, an online auction established to help support Glory Days Music in Joplin, Missouri. A devastating EF5 tornado hit the town on May 22, killing 155 people and demolishing half of the city, including the musical instrument storefront and the home of Glory Days' owner Dave Peterson.

Musical equipment from Yamaha and other manufacturers will be sold during the online auction, which will be handled by the Fame Bureau, to raise funds for Glory Days Music.

Ted Owen, Managing Director of Fame Bureau, is recognized as one of the world's leading experts in music equipment and memorabilia.

"The utter devastation of the Joplin location of Glory Days Music was unbelievable," said Garth Gilman, Assistant General Manager, Yamaha's Pro Audio & Combo Division. "Yamaha is honored to play a part in the rebuilding process."

For the Music Aid for Joplin auction, Yamaha will donate a five-piece GigMaker acoustic drum set, complete with hardware and Paiste cymbals. The GigMaker set, in Silver Glitter finish, features Yamaha hardware with pro-level features, such as the hex tom ball joints for precise positioning and matching wood bass drum hoops for superior tone and playability.

Additionally, Yamaha will also donate one its newest A Series A3M acoustic-electric guitar models. The A3M is part of the entirely new A Series line of Yamaha acoustic-electric guitars featuring a stunning fresh look, amazing playability and the cutting-edge SRT (Studio Response Technology) preamp/pickup system. The A3M dreadnought cutaway is designed for today's player who requires a reliable workhorse that looks, feels, and sounds amazing in all applications. Not yet widely available, the A Series guitars are the sought-after models of the season.

"When a devastating event like the tornado that hit Joplin occurs, there is a healing process that must take place over time," said Rick Young, Senior Vice President, Yamaha Corporation of America. "We are proud to be part of that process in a way that brings hope and feeling that no one is alone in their struggle to get back on track with their lives and businesses."

David Peterson, owner of Glory Days Music Store, "was just floored" when he heard about the auction, he said. "I didn't think for one minute that someone would do something like that for me without asking for it. It's an incredible gesture."

The Music Aid for Joplin online auction begins on Monday, July 18, 2011, on the Fame Bureau website and ends Wednesday, August 24. A complete listing of all items available for this fundraiser is listed in detail on the auction site.

Companies wishing to donate to this worthy cause should contact the Fame Bureau direct via their website.

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

About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America is the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of musical instruments and sound reinforcement products to the U.S. market. Products include: acoustic and digital pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio products, and innovative technology products targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, professional music, and installation markets.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Purchase, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/22/2011 -- Yamaha Corporation of America will have a large booth at Summer NAMM 2011, held in Nashville, and will introduce several new products, including the DTX500 and DTX700 series electronic drum sets, the MOX synthesizer and the PSR-S650 keyboard workstation. Yamaha Guitars will sponsor Muriel Anderson's All Star Guitar Night, to be held Friday, July 22 at 8:30 pm in the Renaissance Nashville Hotel, featuring Yamaha Guitar Artists Lee Ritenour and Carl Tosten.

For Yamaha's new, complete lineup of DTXdrums electronic drum sets, all but one of the new kits feature the innovative DTX-PAD with Textured Cellular Silicone (T.C.S.) playing surface, which debuted in the DTX900 series. The DTX-PAD provides natural feel and response and allows for the development of acoustic drumming techniques.

"The DTX900 electronic drums have shaken up the drum market," said Athan Billias, Director of Marketing, Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division. "Now, we're bringing this great technology to a much wider range of drummers, who have more choices than ever to experience the DTX-PAD."

Yamaha's numbering system designates their different series of electronic drum kits based on the module used in the configuration. All the kits in the 500 series feature the redesigned DTX500 Drum Trigger Module, which includes 427 drum, percussion and effect sounds, along with 50 pre-set drum kits and 20 user-editable kits. It also features on-board practice tools, play-along and recording functions, MIDI out and 12 trigger inputs compatible with a the full range of DTX-PADs and cymbals. Kits in the 500 series include the DTX500K, the DTX520K, the DTX530K and the DTX560K.

For the intermediate 700 series of instruments, all models feature the new DTX700 Drum Trigger Module, with 1,268 drum sounds, powerful DSP effects and 128 keyboard and melodic sounds drawn from the flagship MOTIF-XF synthesizer workstation. Additionally, drummers can import their favorite audio samples into the 64MB of Flash-ROM for customizing the sound set. Fully computer compatible, the DTX700 module includes a USB port for storing and loading files, and a USB-to-Host port for sending MIDI in and out to the included Cubase AI Digital Audio Workstation software. Kit configurations include the DTX700K, the DTX750K and the DTX790K.

Be moved and get moving with the new value-packed MOX8 and MOX6 music production synthesizers, which feature MOTIF XS power in a lightweight package.

Features include the latest sounds, with 1,217 Voices and 355MB of waveforms taken directly from the MOTIF XS. Expanded Articulation offers realistic replication of acoustic instruments and exotic sounds. It also includes the same synth engine as its big brother with 18 different filter types, along with the ability to replicate warm, natural vintage sounds via Virtual Circuit Modeling.

The PSR-S650, featuring FlashROM Expansion, offers MegaVoice enhanced Styles found on higher-end Yamaha arrangers. A great "first serious keyboard" for adult performers and keyboard enthusiasts alike, the PSR-S650 can load sample data like Voices, drums and percussion and make it instantly available in FlashROM without reloading at each power-up. Styles with MegaVoices make non-keyboard instrument Voices (like guitars and basses) sound authentic using musical articulation previously not playable from black & white keys.

The PSR-S650 internal FlashROM Expansion can store up to 16MB of sample data, which is great for augmenting the existing set of 864 internal sounds with your own. The keyboard also offers 181 built-in Styles ready to perform with players when writing songs or just jamming. You can also play in custom tunings, like Arabic or Pythagorean, using one of the nine preset scales—or create your own.

Yamaha Strings, part of the company's Band & Orchestral Division, will highlight newer Silent Strings models, including the SLB-200LTD Silent Bass, a performance-oriented upright bass designed with a compact body that makes transport a breeze, along with the SV-250 4-string and SV-255 5-string Acoustic-body Silent Violins.

For more information, visit Yamaha at Booth 618 at Summer NAMM 2011 in the Nashville Convention Center or write Yamaha Corporation of America, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; visit http://www.yamaha.com/press.

About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America is the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of musical instruments and sound reinforcement products to the U.S. market. Products include: acoustic and digital pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio products, and innovative technology products targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, professional music, and installation markets.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Easy-To-Use Keyboard Offers Injured Combat Veterans Happier, More Productive Lives

Purchase, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/27/2011 -- Yamaha recently donated a P-155 keyboard to Musicorps, a rehabilitative music program for injured combat veterans, for use in a high tech physical therapy center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Musicorps is provided by Renovation In Music Education (RIME), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization helping people, arts organizations and communities succeed through innovative arts partnership programs. RIME provides extraordinary opportunities to populations in need and transforms their lives in the process.

According to RIME and Musicorps founder Arthur Bloom, "This helps us work with injured service members who might not otherwise have access to this type of instrument. Having the P-155 in this state-of-the-art physical therapy center is a tremendous thing on many levels."

Musicorps began when Bloom was invited to visit a soldier recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The soldier, a musician who had been badly injured by an improvised explosive device, was concerned about the effects of his injuries on his ability to play music. In conversations with Bloom, the soldier expressed his pain and frustration. The seed of an idea then quickly took root and enthusiasm for a music program spread.

With the backing of his organization, Bloom developed Musicorps, an intensive music rehabilitation program that helps injured combat veterans recover their lives. The program replicates "real world" music relationships so that injured veterans work on, and are motivated to work on, robust goal-oriented projects many hours a day. It integrates individualized projects, regular visits by highly accomplished musicians and the use of specially-assembled computer-based music workstations along with traditional instruments. Working in any musical style they prefer, veterans are able to learn, play write, record and produce original material.

According to Bloom, a composer whose varied background includes attendance at The Juilliard School and a literature degree from Yale University, early experimentations centered on helping the soldier play drums using a prosthetic leg, but quickly expanded to a variety of musical endeavors.

"With extraordinary advances in battlefield medicine, wounded warriors are able to survive increasingly severe injuries. However, facing long and difficult periods of recovery, what can be years at Walter Reed, there's a real need for meaningful, productive activity outside of medical appointments. And for some, music does that better than anything else."

The new Yamaha P-155 digital piano is geared toward the gigging musician who requires quality piano touch and tone, but is also ideal for home use as a practice piano. Features include quality sound and a Graded Hammer Effect key action. In addition to offering real piano sound, the keys are weighted—heavier in the lower registers and lighter in the upper notes—just like an acoustic piano.

Bloom maintains that the P-155 is helping them to "use their fingers as a way to adapt to a new reality." He commented "The P-155 is easy to use and great sounding. It has a great physical keyboard that's easy and satisfying to use. The keyboard feels good - it's expressive and motivates you to want to make music. And for service members who would play the keyboard using a prosthetic, it helps the prosthetic become a more organic part of their body. These guys tell us that Musicorps helps them in many ways, and we owe it to them to do everything we can to help them in their recoveries."

About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America is the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of musical instruments and sound reinforcement products to the U.S. market. Products include: acoustic and digital pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio products, and innovative technology products targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, professional music, and installation markets.

About Musicorps
Musicorps is a rehabilitative music program for injured combat veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center that improves quality of life and aids healing during long and difficult periods of recovery. More information is available at www.musicorps.net. Musicorps is provided by Renovation In Music Education (RIME), a nonprofit organization that helps people, organizations, and communities succeed through innovative music partnership programs. More information is available at http://www.rimemusic.org.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm