Yamaha Clavinova CLP685

GrandTouch Keyboard

The GrandTouch Keyboard was developed with a clear awareness of the need to recreate the responsive feel of a grand piano. For instance, one of the major characteristics of a grand piano is the wide change in key touch, from playing softly to striking the keys hard. Grand pianos respond to different ways of playing with different key touches—the keys move lightly when played softly, and the keys respond firmly when played strongly. With the GrandTouch Keyboard, Yamaha has considered the key mechanism and weight, as well as the key shape and friction that occurs during key travel. In doing so, we have widened the range of differences in key touch between lighter and harder playing. This lets you naturally sense the difference between louder and quieter sounds. Furthermore, we have designed the GrandTouch keyboard to allow you to play with an expressiveness that rivals that of a grand piano, as the GrandTouch Keyboard gives you tactile feedback from the time you touch the keys until they reach the keybed. What’s more, we have included a mechanism that simulates the lifting of hammers on a grand piano, recreating the feeling of escapement at the end of the key stroke. With this, the GrandTouch Keyboard emulates both the release feeling that is unique to an actual escapement mechanism, and the feeling of stopping that comes afterwards.

Connect wirelessly for Bluetooth© audio
You can play music through the audio system on the Clavinova by using a Bluetooth-enabled smart device. You can stream audio data such as mp3 files, as well as audio from apps. You can enjoy playing along with any of the songs from the music library on your smart device.

USB Audio Recorder
Record performances to USB flash memory and create audio files* you can save and play back on a computer, share with friends or create a CD.

USB Connectivity
Connect the Clavinova to a computer or portable device to interact with a variety of educational, entertainment or creative applications.

Achieve True Balance
Pianists prefer grand pianos not only because of the way they sound, but also because of the way the keys respond to their touch. When grand piano keys are struck, there is a certain weight or resistance to the touch. Similarly, when keys are released, they return to a resting position based on the balance between the key and the internal mechanics of the keyboard. It is difficult to reproduce the natural return of the keys of a grand piano in a digital piano, due to differences in the mechanics. Yamaha carefully studied these characteristics when developing the GrandTouch Keyboard, and has now reproduced this fine balance in the Clavinova digital piano. The result is a detailed grand piano feel that allows for uniform tone control, precise rhythm and smooth melodic expression – fundamental to an exceptional musical performance.