Yamaha AvantGrand N3X hybrid digital piano

• Featuring a Grand Piano action with Ivorite keytops for the most authentic piano touch
• New piano samples including Yamaha CFX concert grand and Bosendorfer Imperial
• Soundboard resonator and special speakers project sound in the same way as an acoustic piano
• The ultimate in digital piano technology!
• Top of the range AvantGrand model, recently re-engineered and in a baby grand style cabinet
• Virtual Resonance Modelling technology for natural acoustic piano resonance

• Full description
• Specification
• Reviews
• Videos

Introducing the Yamaha AvantGrand N3X hybrid digital piano

Yamaha's AvantGrand N3X is the flagship Yamaha digital hybrid instrument and is simply extraordinary. Building on the inherent quality of the outgoing N3, the new N3X has been re-engineered to include new piano samples from both Yamaha's CFX model and the Bosendorfer Imperial, along with a specially designed speaker system to perfectly mirror the position of the microphones in the piano that was sampled from.

The N3X also benefits from a wider sound pallet than the N3 with additional electric piano and harpsichord voices. As with the outgoing model there is a Tactile Response System to send vibrations through the keys, a soundboard resonator and Ivorite keytops for a more luxurious and tactile touch.

All of this is encased in a high quality, exquisitely designed cabinet with a soft closing keyboard fall. A perfect addition to any home.

Experience the response and feel of an authentic acoustic action

Beneath your fingers you sense the same precise weight and responsiveness, the same scope for expression. To capture every nuance of your performance, Yamaha employs a non-contact optical sensor system that doesn’t affect the feel or performance of the action in any way. Under each key is a continuous optical sensor that captures the speed and depth at which that key is depressed. An additional optical sensor affixed to each hammer shank measures the timing and strength of the hammer hitting the virtual “strings”. This information is instantly translated into a beautifully authentic sound reproduction.

Two world-class grand pianos in one

At the touch of a button on the new AvantGrand N3X, you can opt for authentic sounds sampled either from a Yamaha CFX concert grand or from a Bösendorfer Imperial. As Yamaha’s flagship grand piano, the majestic CFX boasts a wide palette of tonal colors, from sparkling high notes to powerful bass tones. The legendary Bösendorfer, meanwhile, is renowned for its sonorous and rich Viennese sound. Either way, the lifelike sounds of the AvantGrand N3X allow you to explore the outer reaches of your expressive imagination.

Evolving the sonic spectrum

When capturing the original source sounds from a specially selected full concert grand, Yamaha technicians took samples from four different positions across the soundboard: left, right, center, and rear. Compared to conventional left-and-right channel (stereo) recording, this yielded wonderfully rich and authentic results. To make the most of this four-channel source sound, AvantGrand pianos employ Yamaha’s Spatial Acoustic Speaker System—a four-point speaker configuration that allows AvantGrand pianos to deliver faithful three-dimensional recreations of the original instruments.

Digital technology that resonates with you

In addition to the four-channel Spatial Acoustic Speaker System, the AvantGrand features a flat-panel Soundboard Resonator located beneath the music rest and spanning the width of the instrument. This component allows for a more subtle reproduction of the buildup of sound that you feel when playing an acoustic grand piano. It works by using an oscillating transducer to transmit vibrations to the flat-panel soundboard, giving a realistic sound response that is especially evident in the upper key range.

Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM)

In a grand piano, strings and sounds resonate throughout the entire body of the instrument producing a rich reverberation that envelops the listener in sound. This phenomena is reproduced perfectly in the AvantGrand N3X through Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM) which calculates the various states of the strings for each of the 88 notes on the keyboard from one instant to the next. As a result, the N3X reflects the limitless number of factors inherent in playing an acoustic piano such as which keys are pressed, the strength with which the keys are played and pedal timing.

A fully immersive headphone experience

Thanks to Yamaha's advanced binaural sampling* technology, the sound you hear through your headphones is remarkably lifelike. This technology uses piano samples recorded by specialized microphones that mimic the interaural characteristics of the human ear. This unique approach allows the AvantGrand to recreate the perceived acoustic sound only experienced when seated in front of a concert grand piano. The resulting sound is so natural, so enveloping, that you'll soon forget you're even wearing headphones at all.
*(CFX Grand Voice only)

An emotional response

When you play an acoustic piano, the entire instrument resonates. You feel it subconsciously, through your feet on the pedals and through your fingers on the keyboard. It’s this subtle physical sensation that Yamaha’s Tactile Response System (TRS) works to recreate. This digital technology conveys the natural vibrations that emanate from a grand piano, unifying the emotional energy between you and the instrument. Even if you’re wearing headphones, you can use TRS to enhance the realism of the playing experience.

Replicating subtle pedaling style of grand pianos

When you press down on a grand piano pedal, you notice subtly different stages. Light to the touch at first, slightly firmer partway through the travel, and then lighter again as you push through. Skilled players take advantage of these pedal movements by using extremely delicate pedalling to achieve finely nuanced expression in their playing. In developing the AvantGrand, we set out to reproduce as faithfully as possible the sensations of a grand piano’s pedals. The resulting pedals give you the scope to play music how it was meant to be played, while also offering the responsiveness to play more impressionistic pieces that require a lot of half-pedalling.

More useful information

Owner's ManualMIDI ReferenceFirmware Installation GuideCompatible USB Device ListNew Functions
Click here to request a brochure or further information.