THE KEMBLE SILENT SYSTEM

Outwardly a Silent System piano looks and sounds identical to a traditional piano. However, to the right hand side beneath the keyboard is a small box into which headphones can be plugged. Unlike traditional pianos the middle pedal activates the Silent System, causing the hammers to move but NOT strike the strings. The upshot of this is that you can practice silently, the sound only audible to the player, so the family isn't sick to death of the piece before you have mastered it!

I must admit, having retailed pianos for over 15 years, that I saw the Silent System initially as a gimmick, but now I have been totally won over by the idea. Kemble is a sister company of Yamaha and uses their unrivaled technology in their silent system. Unlike other silent systems the Yamaha/Kemble version uses a laser system whereby the sound is activated through breaking 2 light beams, thus there is zero interference to the touch of the piano.

It is worth bearing in mind that as well as buying a 'normal piano', you are also getting a digital piano with wooden keys and action (similar to the Yamaha Grand touch which retails for several thousand pounds).The Kemble Silent System uses a remarkable sample of the KG173 Grand and in my experience even professional pianists and technicians cannot distinguish it from the real thing.

But that's not all! Using the MIDI facility your piano can be linked to your computer and using software such as Cubase, Soundforge or Sibelius, can create any sound from percussion to violin and can be mixed together to compose anything from a pop song to a piano concerto.Before buying a piano I really would recommend thinking carefully about all the advantages and opportunities the Silent System affords.

Headingley Pianos
Nordon House, 1 Meanwood Close, Meanwood Road,
Leeds, West Yorkshire LS7 2JF