Wirelessly Interfacing with the Yamaha
Disklavier Mark IV
Matthew Teeter and Christopher Dobrian
Abstract — The music technology industry is only recently
beginning to realize the potential of wireless communication
technology for control and communication of data for music
and multimedia applications. A new breed of musical
devices is starting to integrate technology that allows the
wireless transmission of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital
Interface) messages, real-time audio and video data, control
data for performance synchronization, and commands for
remote hardware control of these instruments. The Yamaha
Disklavier Mark IV piano, which debuted in 2004, is the
first instrument with wireless capabilities built-in [1]. It
communicates via the 802.11b protocol (WiFi), which allows
the piano to transmit and receive information to/from
nearby wireless controllers. The piano originally comes with
two such controllers: the handheld Pocket Remote
Controller (PRC), as well as the larger Tablet Remote
Controller (TRC). Both of these devices are proprietary,
closed systems that accomplish the specific function of
controlling the piano. In this project, we wished to create
platform-independent software having the same
functionality as these existing controllers, which could run
on a conventional laptop with wireless capabilities.
Although this solution has several advantages over the
prepackaged solutions, it is unsupported by Yamaha
because it was developed entirely at the University of
California, Irvine. We were able to interface with the
Disklavier by sniffing wireless network traffic with Ethereal
[2]. We then deciphered this raw information to determine
the messaging protocol the Disklavier used to communicate
with the supplied controllers. Once we understood the inner
workings of the piano, we created software using a variety
of technologies, including Java, PostgreSQL, XML, and
Flash. Our software can control a Mark IV piano from a
Windows, Mac, or Linux laptop, thereby opening new
possibilities in music creation and performance. Although
we assume the primary users of our software will be
universities, we hope it benefits the music technology
industry as a whole.
BACKGROUND
Controlling instruments wirelessly opens many new
possibilities regarding aesthetics, concert atmosphere, and
audience interactivity. In typical computer music concerts,
the instrument gets its instructions from one computer that
is connected with cables to the MIDI In/Out ports. In a
wireless situation, however, any number of computers
could communicate with the instrument without the need
for re-cabling, allowing for far greater levels of
convenience and interactivity.
Wireless control of instruments has other benefits as
well. A common occurrence at computer music concerts
is that listeners are often distracted by the myriad cables
surrounding the performers on stage. Instead of
concentrating on the music, they might be tempted to
think about the technology involved in controlling the
instruments, or watch the blinking lights on the mixer, etc.
Wireless communication in a musical setting helps to
remedy this problem. Eliminating cables and thereby
hiding some of the technological aspects serves to make
the computer-controlled piano seem less like a
newfangled contraption and more like a conventional
instrument people are familiar with. These are just two
ideas of ways in which wireless technology can improve
the concert atmosphere.
We hope others will continue to explore this area
further using our software. To conform to Yamaha’s
controller naming scheme, we decided to dub our software
the Disklavier Laptop Remote Controller (DLRC). We
shall hereafter refer to it using this name in order to avoid
confusion with the original controllers. Despite the name,
a laptop is not required - the software could run on any
device that supports Java, ability to access a PostgreSQL
database such as JDBC (Java Database Connectivity), and
Flash (which is actually only required for the user
interface). Note that because controlling the Disklavier
from a PC deviates from Yamaha’s Terms of Use,
Yamaha is not liable for any problems encountered while
using our software.
PREVIOUS WORK
Ever since the Mark IV Disklavier debuted in 2004 [3],
there was no way of controlling the piano from a third-
party device before we created DLRC. We found one
report of someone using a PDA-like device to control
MIDI equipment wirelessly [4]. In Phil Dayson’s system,
a PDA with a wireless card was used to send commands
to a computer that was wirelessly connected on the same
network. The computer then sent MIDI information to a
keyboard. A system similar to this one is already in place
with the Disklavier Mark IV, except that the Disklavier’s
PDA device, the Pocket Remote Controller,
communicates directly with the piano itself. The
Disklavier system thus removes an intermediate step in
the line of communication, thereby reducing latency.
Nevertheless, having to use the supplied controllers was
constraining, and we wanted to eliminate this problem by
controlling the piano with a standard (non-proprietary),
readily-available laptop.
Other companies, such as M-Audio and CME, are
beginning to realize the potential that wireless capabilities
can have on the digital music world. Both companies offer
wireless MIDI adapters so that MIDI cables can be
eliminated. This is perfect for musicians who like to move
around on stage while playing. Although the Disklavier
does not yet come with a wireless MIDI system, we
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