1H2017 DISKLAVIER OWNER SURVEY - ENSPIRE FEATURES FOR PRE-2016 DISKLAVIERS

Our goal is provide Yamaha USA (and ourselves) evidence of market demand for upgrade path for pre-2016 Disklavier owners to benefit from certain "ENSPIRE" generation features.

To do so, we have self-organized ourselves to survey a broad audience of the estimated 60,000 North American Disklavier owners as to which "ENSPIRE" features and at which price point they aspire to. Our goal is 300+ completed surveys from the estimated 3,600 members of the Yahoo group Disklavier Users Group ... this will provide a statistically valid sample.

This survey is designed to be completed in less than 5-10 minutes and is organized in the following sections:

A. ABOUT YOUR DISKLAVIER(s)

B. REVIEW OF "ENSPIRE" 7th/8th GENERATION FEATURES AS MARKETED BY YAMAHA

C. DISKLAVIER OWNER PRIORITIZATION & VALUATION OF CERTAIN "ENSPIRE" FEATURES

D. MUSIC TITLES FOR YOUR DISKLAVIER

E. MISCELLANEOUS

All respondents submitting a completed survey shall receive a SAMPLER ZIP file of select high quality MIDI files during 1H2017.

THANK YOU.

Your Fellow Disklavier Owners

Section A. ABOUT YOUR DISKLAVIERS(S)

1A. Contact information.
Please be sure that you enter your email address at a minimum to receive your free "MIDI library download super sampler" from the survey authors. Offer not valid where prohibited by law.

First name
Last name
Telephone
Job title (if relevant)
Company name (if relevant)
Email address
Please confirm your email address

2A. Which of the following best describes your PRIMARY USE of Disklavier?

Education
Home entertainment
Hospitality (automotive dealer, cruise line, doctor/dental/legal office, hotel public areas)
Live entertainment/performance
Personal enjoyment
Recording studio
Other (please specify)

3A. What is your ANNUAL SPEND for DISKLAVIER MUSIC TITLES (Yamaha PianoSoft, 3rd party, etc.)
(use US$1 = €1 & US$2 = £1)

> US$1,000
US$500 - $999
US$250 - $499 million
US$100 - $249
< US$100
Don't know

4A. Which DISKLAVIER MODELS do you currently OWN? see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disklavier
(multiple choice = pick one or more, i.e., Mark III *and* DKC-850)

MX80/100/Wagon Grand
Mark II
Mark II XG
Mark III
Mark IV
E3
DKC-850
Enspire series
Other (please specify)
Don't know

5A. Are you ACTIVELY CONSIDERING PURCHASING DKC-850 upgrade for Mark II/Mark III?

Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable

6A. Are you ACTIVELY CONSIDERING PURCHASING "E SERIES" from Yamaha as replacement for older Disklavier?

Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable

7A. Are you ACTIVELY CONSIDERING PURCHASING "ENSPIRE PIANO" from Yamaha the next 12-18 months?

Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable

Section B. REVIEW OF "ENSPIRE" 7th/8th GENERATION FEATURES AS MARKETED BY YAMAHA

Note = Yamaha Disklavier ENSPIRE is available in 14 models, 48” uprights and grand pianos ... ranging from 5’0” (DGB1K) to the flagship 9’ Concert Grand (DCFX)

Yamaha "ENSPIRE" Features Discussed in this Survey ... see also http://www.yamaha.com/us/namm/2016/disklavier-enspire.aspx


● New User Interface Accessible by Any HTML5 Compatible Browser - Any Phone, Tablet or PC/Mac ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JfWz5s_cC8

● New Stereo PianoSoft Audio/MP3 Playback ... New PianoSoft Audio format that features stereo audio ensembles synchronized to piano performances. This uses MP3 rather than the WAV format of prior Disklaviers. It is also totally “locked down” for copyright purposes so that these perforamnces can ONLY be downloaded and played off the Yamaha Musicsoft store. Exclusively for ENSPIRE, these titles feature vocals and real instruments, giving you the complete musical package of piano, orchestra, and singers. These new titles will *never* be available (or playable) on any pre-Inspire Disklavier, Clavinova or DKC-850 as they require new firmware found exclusively and only in Enspire-based Disklaviers. Also .. The instrument comes with 500 built-in songs, many of which are in Yamaha’s PianoSoft Audio format. The PianoSoft Audio format, currently only compatible with Disklavier ENSPIRE, features stereo audio recordings that play in sync with piano performances. The main differentiation between this format when compared to the older PianoSoft Plus Audio format or when compared to competitor’s offerings is that the audio recordings are in true stereo, not mono. Included in the built-in song library are performances by Yamaha artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Bob James, Jamie Cullum and Frederic Chiu.

● New Premium Piano Radio (only 2 *new* PianoSoft Audio/MP3 Channels at present) ... New Premium Piano Radio channels stream PianoSoft Audio content. Enspire channels 01 "Premium - Easy Listening" and 02 "Premium - Classic Pop 'N Rock".

● New High-Quality Digital Tone Generator ... CFX Binaural Sampling / CFX Stereo Sampling

● USB Audio Recording Function ... To facilitate recording of larger performances (not necessarily needed) ... and to enable better sharing with family/audences ... more importantly = to free up space on ON BOARD memory

● Coaxial Digital Output ... to facilitate hooking up to current generation A/V stereo amps

Section C. DISKLAVIER OWNER PRIORITIZATION & VALUATION OF CERTAIN "ENSPIRE" FEATURES

1C. How would you RANK your NEED/ABILITY TO SPEND for these discrete ENSPIRE features (if offered as upgrade by Yamaha USA)?

	Most important			Least important
	1	2	3	4	5	6
New User Interface Accessible by Any HTML5 Compatible Browser - Any Phone, Tablet or PC/Mac
New Stereo PianoSoft Audio/MP3 Playback
New Premium Piano Radio (only 2 *new* PianoSoft Audio/MP3 Channels at present)
New High-Quality Digital Tone Generator
USB Audio Recording Function
Coaxial Digital Output

NOTE - Your above responses need to discretely RANK each feature from MOST IMPORTANT (”1") to LEAST IMPORTANT ("^") ... see below sample ,,, no TWO features should have SAME ranked value

2C. What COULD BE your anticipated PURCHASE DATE of the ENSPIRE features
(if so offered by Yamaha as add-on hardware or firmware update to Mark II/III/IVDKC-850/E3)

> 2 years
1 - 2 years
< 1 year
Immediately upon availability
Don't know
Not applicable

3C. Regarding "New Stereo PianoSoft Audio/MP3 Playback"
What is the VALUE/PRICE you are willing to pay for this ENSPIRE feature?
(use US$1 = €1 & US$2 = £1)

> $1,000
$750 - $999
$500 - $749
$250 - $549
< $250
Don't know
Not applicable

4C. Regarding "New Premium Piano Radio" (only 2 *new* PianoSoft Audio/MP3 Channels as of February 2017)
What is the VALUE/PRICE you are willing to pay for this ENSPIRE feature?
(use US$1 = €1 & US$2 = £1)

> $1,000
$750 - $999
$500 - $749
$250 - $549
$100 - $249
< $100
Don't know
Not applicable

5C. Regarding "New High-Quality Digital Tone Generator"
What is the VALUE/PRICE you are willing to pay for this ENSPIRE feature?
(use US$1 = €1 & US$2 = £1)

> $1,000
$750 - $999
$500 - $749
$250 - $499
$100 - $249
< $100
Don't know
Not applicable

6C. Regarding "USB Audio Recording Function"
What is the VALUE/PRICE you are willing to pay for this ENSPIRE feature?
(use US$1 = €1 & US$2 = £1)

> $1,000
$750 - $999
$500 - $749
$250 - $499
$100 - $249
< $100
Don't know
Not applicable

7C. Regarding "New User Interface Accessible by Any HTML5 Compatible Browser - Any Phone, Tablet or PC/Mac"
What is the VALUE/PRICE you are willing to pay for this ENSPIRE feature?
(use US$1 = €1 & US$2 = £1)

> $1,000
$750 - $999
$500 - $749
$250 - $499
$100 - $249
< $100
Don't know
Not applicable

8C. Regarding "Coaxial Digital Output"
What is the VALUE/PRICE you are willing to pay for this ENSPIRE feature?
(use US$1 = €1 & US$2 = £1)

> $1,000
$750 - $999
$500 - $749
$250 - $549
$100 - $249
< $100
Don't know
Not applicable

Section D. MUSIC TITLES FOR YOUR DISKLAVIER

1D. How would you rate your SATISFACTION with your CURRENT "PRE-/NON-ENSPIRE" YAMAHA PIANOSOFT TITLES TECHNOLOGY (e.g., download off Musicsoft website and manually store onto USB or in-memory)

Not at all satisfied
Somewhat like
Satisified
Very satisified
Don't know
Not applicable

2D. Which YAMAHA MUSICSOFT CAPABILITIES do you NEED OR TAKE MOST ADVANTAGE OF? see also www.yamahamusicsoft.com

PianoSoft SOLO - Simple and elegant, PianoSoft Solo compilations celebrate the timeless tradition of solo piano performances (no accompaniment instrumentation... ONLY piano)
PianoSoft PLUS - These piano performances include background tracks using the built-in instrument sounds of your Disklavier (XG synthesizer). You'll hear strings, drums, guitars, and more, giving you a fully orchestrated musical experience
Smart PianoSoft - Advanced syncing technology allows customers to choose CDs from their personal collection and play them with a corresponding Smart PianoSoft file. Must diligently acquire EXACT corresponding commercial audio CD and play that at same time EXACT Smart PianoSoft MIDI album/files are physically in: (a) floppy drive, (b) in-memory, or physically merged into WAV file with both MIDI and AUDIO detain same file.
Pianosoft PLUS AUDIO (stereo CD with embedded MIDI files ... no longer actively marketed by Yamaha but jobbed out via Hal Leonard website)
PianoSoft AUDIO (stereo MP3 performance ONLY available for ENSPIRE pianos)
NOT CURRENTLY DOING ANYTHING in this area
Don't know / Not applicable

3D. Yamaha's PianoSoft SOLO - What is your most recent (2015 or 2016) average ANNUAL SPEND?
"Simple and elegant, PianoSoft Solo compilations celebrate the timeless tradition of solo piano performances" (no accompaniment instrumentation... ONLY piano)

>$500
$250-$499
$100-$249
<$100
Don't know
Not applicable

5D. Yamaha's PianoSoft PLUS - What is your most recent (2015 or 2016) average ANNUAL SPEND?
"These piano performances include background tracks using the built-in instrument sounds of your Disklavier (XG synthesizer). You'll hear strings, drums, guitars, and more, giving you a fully orchestrated musical experience."

>$500
$250-$499
$100-$249
<$100
Don't know
Not applicable

6D. Yamaha's Smart PianoSoft - What is your most recent (2015 or 2016) average ANNUAL SPEND?
"Advanced syncing technology allows customers to choose CDs from their personal collection and play them with a corresponding Smart PianoSoft file."

>$500
$250-$499
$100-$249
<$100
Don't know
Not applicable

7D. Yamaha's PianoSoft PLUS AUDIO (Disklavier/E3/DKC-850 only) - What is your most recent (2015 or 2016) average ANNUAL SPEND?
(stereo audio CD performance ONLY available for Disklavier/E3/DKC-850 pianos)

>$500
$250-$499
$100-$249
<$100
Don't know
Not applicable

8D. Yamaha's PianoSoft AUDIO (ENSPIRE version only) - What is your most recent (2015 or 2016) average ANNUAL SPEND?
(stereo MP3 performance ONLY available for ENSPIRE pianos ... downloads only ... digital copy protected)

>$500
$250-$499
$100-$249
<$100
Don't know
Not applicable

9D. Other 3rd party CDS& FLOPPIES - What is your most recent (2015 or 2016) average ANNUAL SPEND?
(e.g., MIDI for top 200 albums merged with audio ... single songs or albums ... CD or download)

>$500
$250-$499
$100-$249
<$100
Don't know
Not applicable

10D. QRS - What is your most recent (2015 or 2016) average ANNUAL SPEND? www.qrsmusic.com/music.asp?cid1=190
Competitive technology to Disklavier .. but also offer CDs and certain collections that do play on Disklavier ... please check with vendor first (!)

>$500
$250-$499
$100-$249
<$100
Don't know
Not applicable

11D. PianoDisc - What is your most recent (2015 or 2016) average ANNUAL SPEND?
Disklavier systems will play pre-2004 PianoDisc CDs OK, but around 2004-2005 PianoDisc changed their disc format slightly to break this interoperability.

>$500
$250-$499
$100-$249
<$100
Don't know
Not applicable

12D. PG MUSIC - What is your most recent (2015 or 2016) average ANNUAL SPEND? Blues Pianist Modern Jazz Latin Jazz
Genre- and composer/performer-specific collections for both standard MIDI (and at one time Disklaver Eqeq) collectors

>$500
$250-$499
$100-$249
<$100
Don't know
Not applicable

****MEGA BONUS QUESTION****

13D. How much would you be WILLING TO PAY for a STANDALONE Audio CD player capable of PLAYING NEW STEREO PIANOSOFT AUDIO CDs OR INDIVIDUAL SONGS with your current Disklavier//DKC-850/E3? www.yamahamusicsoft.com/songs/pianosoft?p=2&product_features=119806
This does NOT imply that such a CD player exists or is planned by Yamaha or 3rd parties.
(multiple choice answers below)

>$400
$250-$400
$100-$249
Don't know
Not applicable

Section E. MISCELLANEOUS - Extra credit questions for DKC-850/E3 owners and PIANO RADIO subscribers

1E. How might we IMPROVE this SURVEY? or any other comments/insights about MUSIC SOFTWARE for your Disklavier/E3 you care to share?

Other (please describe)
Other (please describe)
Other (please describe)
Other (please describe)
Other (please describe)
Other (please describe)
Other (please describe)

2E. PIANO RADIO - Do you believe Yamaha should SELL LESS EXPENSIVE “CONSUMER” & MORE EXPENSIVE “COMMERCIAL/BUSINESS” PIANO RADIO license?

Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable

3E. PIANO RADIO - At WHAT PRICE point would you PURCHASE less expensive annual "CONSUMER LICENSE” feature?
(use US$1 = €1 & US$2 = £1) ... multiple choice question

$125
$100-$124
$75-$99
$50-$74
Don't know
Not applicable

4E. PIANO RADIO - Would you like an “an EASY WAY to contact Yamaha DK Radio team” (e.g., EMAIL to REPORT BACK TO YAMAHA INCORRECT TITLES or INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT for the various channels in PIANO RADIO?

Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable

5E. PIANO RADIO - Would you like an “on board” (while in the experience” means to REPORT BACK TO YAMAHA INCORRECT TITLES or INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT for the various channels in PIANO RADIO? (similar to Pandora where you can advise NOT to put certain artists of songs in specific channel... both for the CHANNEL as a whole and/or for your own streaming experience?

Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable

6E. DISKLAVIER TV - If outside North America (US, Canada, Mexico) would you GREATLY DESIRE ABILITY TO STREAM DISKLAVIER TV?

Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable

7E. DKC-850/E3 - Would you greatly benefit from ABILITY TO CHANGE DISPAY SCREEN “FONT SIZE"?

Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable

8E. DKC-850/E3 - Would you greatly benefit from ABILITY TO USE YAMAHA USB-WIFI ADAPTER to connect your unit to WIFI?

Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable