What is a TransAcoustic Piano?

Have you ever wanted a Piano that can provide you with the benefits of a digital piano as well as an acoustic piano? Well consider the most recent invention of TransAcoustic Pianos!

Play in 3 different modes!

A TransAcosutic piano can be played in 3 different modes:

1.Normal acoustic piano mode
2.Silent mode with headphones
3.TransAcoustic mode

It's probably the 3rd "TransAcoustic mode" that you have the most questions about!

So what does TransAcoustic mode do?

When the piano has this unique setting turned on, digital sounds are mixed with the resonances of the soundboard and you are also able to control the volume. Devices called transducers have been placed onto the soundboard so the vibration of the soundboard provides natural piano reverberation. The Transducers work soon after the hammers are stopped just before they hit the strings and work to convert digital signals into vibrations and transfer them onto the sound board.

What's so good about amplifying digital sounds by the piano's soundboard?

The digital sounds are given a special richness of tone due to the way they are naturally amplified by the soundboard and the strings still resonate. This means your piano essentially becomes a speaker, allowing you to feel the natural piano vibrations and you won't need to wear headphones! You can be completely wire free! But if you do think you're playing too loudly, you can still turn down the volume. The soundboard will still vibrate even when the sound is turned down slightly. All this can happen whilst you still get to play with the feel of an acoustic piano with an authentic touch.

Which Pianos are TransAcoustic?

There are plenty of pianos to play when it comes to choosing the perfect TransAcoustic piano. For those who are fond of Yamaha pianos, Yamaha TransAcoustic systems are available with upright pianos from the U and YUS series as well as grand pianos from the CX and GC series. If you prefer the sound of a Kawai piano, the Kawai AURES2 TrasnsAcoustic system is available with the GX-2 and GL-30 Grand pianos as well as the K-500 and K-300 hybrid upright pianos. So you won't be short of choice!

How versatile is the Yamaha TransAcoustic piano?

There are so many features of a TransAcoustic piano that the new Yamaha TA3 piano can be classed as very versatile indeed! Fantastic, modern sound sampling techniques have been used by Yamaha to produce the best digital sounds! For example, the way in which you press the keys that then cause hammers to hit the strings, creates a unique tonal variation within the inner part of the piano. A sampling method called "Grand Expression Modelling" has been used to capture this to recreate the most realistic playing experience. 88-key sampling has also been used to capture the individual tone of every note that has been recorded as a sample. Yamaha have even managed to capture the sound from the position you sit at the piano using Binaural Sampling! The reverberation of sound within the body of a grand piano is able to be reproduced due to virtual Resonance modelling sampling methods. Non-contact key and hammer sensors are also used to help to generate a smoother response. With all this combined, you can enjoy playing acoustic and digitally produced sounds that both resonate with the piano's soundboard.

The fun doesn't end there! You can also enjoy 20 rhythm accompaniments and 25 different sounds including the unique sound sample of the Yamaha CFX and Bosendorfer Imperial grand pianos! You can record performances and playback recordings simultaneously with pre-set songs all amplified by the soundboard. In addition to all this, you can also connect to the Smart Pianists app via bluetooth and stream songs amplified by the soundboard! You can enjoy improvising along to your favourite tracks and songs that are amplified by the piano's soundboard.

So overall, I think that gives a pretty good idea about why Yamaha TransAcoustic Pianos are so versatile!

Click here to view Yamaha TransAcoustic Pianos

What makes the Kawai AURES2 TransAcoustic piano so unique?

The Kawai AURES2 TransAcoustic system also features high performance transducers built onto the soundboard! Kawai uses sampling methods like "Multi-channel sampling" to capture the most authentic samples of the Kawai EX Concert grand and you can accurately express your playing to its full dynamic potential due to the many increments of key velocity, string and damper resonance recorded. There are also a variety of spacial headphone settings that can be used to give a variety of realistic playing experiences! Of course you still get to play a piano that has a Kawai millennium III grand piano keyboard action whilst being able to enjoy digital features such as recording and playing back performances together with music from the built-in piano music library, all amplified by the soundboard! You could potentially be playing along to a whole ensemble! There are lots of sound samples available, all of which can be adjusted using the PianoRemote app. Finally, if you're a keen composer, you can connect external devices and other instruments via Bluetooth MIDI, USB and MIDI outputs/inputs.

Click to view our AURES2 grand pianos

What's the best thing about a TransAcoustic Piano?

Overall, the best thing about this kind of piano is having the option of playing an acoustic piano or extremely well produced digital sounds along to music of your choice that is projected by the soundboard! With all the adjustments that you can make to the piano sounds in the different apps along with recording, playback and MIDI features, a TransAcoustic piano is perfect for anyone looking for a versatile instrument that meets the demands of highly skilled and creative piano enthusiasts!