SILENT Brass™ Muting System for Brass Instruments and CL Series Digital Mixing Console Receive iF Product Design Awards, a Prestigious German Design Award
The latest of multiple major design awards won by SILENT Brass™ and the CL Series:
SILENT Brass™ received a Good Design Gold Award, and the CL Series has received a Good Design Award and a Design for Asia Award.
Yamaha Corporation announces that its SILENT Brass™ muting system for brass instruments*1 and its CL Series digital mixing console have received iF Product Design Awards at the iF Design Awards 2014 in Germany (Host: iF Industrie Forum Design e.V., Hannover, Germany).
These bring Yamaha's total number of iF Design Awards to eight after receiving the honor for a total of six other designs since 1999.
They are also the latest of multiple major design awards for these products: SILENT Brass™ received a Good Design Gold Award for 2013 and the CL Series received a Good Design Award and a Design for Asia Award, both for 2012.
While specific design features of the two award-winning products differ, they have four core aspects in common that are fundamental principles for all of Yamaha's designs: products that customers will use frequently for a long time, a gradual increase in value, a fundamentally simple design, and a balance between carefully selected materials and a beautiful finish.
*1 The award-winning SILENT Brass™ models are the SB3X, SB5X, SB6X and SB7X, which were released in various countries last year.
Summary of the Award-winning Products
1. SILENT Brass™ Muting System for Brass Instruments (SB3X, SB5X, SB6X and SB7X)
Summary of Product
A muting system for brass instruments that comprises Pickup Mute™ (muffler) and Personal Studio™ (power source and signal processing), enabling the user to practice or play at any time, in any place. In addition to its high muting capabilities, the system contains unique signal processing technology that provides even more ambient and pleasing sound when listening with headphones. Pickup Mute™ is a uniquely shaped muffler that reduces the sound during playing to the level of a whisper. It comes in four types – trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone and horn – so that it can be used by a large number of brass musicians.
Comment from Designer
SILENT Brass™ has evolved in various ways: it is now smaller and lighter, making it easier to play in an even greater variety of settings, and now recreates even more pleasing acoustics. I hope that musicians will use it often and for many years.
Design Features
Now small enough that your instrument can be placed in its case with Pickup Mute™ still attached*2.
Its easy-to-hold shape also makes it easier to attach and remove from your instrument. To make these features symbolic elements of this product, superfluous shaping elements have been stripped away to create a simple and functional design.
*2 Not possible for some instruments, such as flugelhorns or detachable type horns.
2．CL Series Digital Mixing Console
Summary of Product
A new generation of digital mixers for live concerts, the CL Series has made great strides in sound quality, ease of use, functionality and reliability. This product meets the needs of both artists and sound engineers, with excellent playback of original sound and a wide variety of sound production functions. It is also extremely easy to use, allowing quick response to a wide range of on-site situations. The CL Series provides everything that a mixing console needs to be, created from today's perspective and technology.
Comment from Designer
You don't get chance to do it over with live music. At concerts where music is shared with a large number of people, there is an energy and a sensitivity between the musicians and the audience. This equipment is for the professionals who work behind the scenes to create the right balance between each and every sound and provide fine tuning. I hope that the design of this equipment will help those using it to produce wonderful music that moves those who hear it.
Design Features
The CL Series has Yamaha's unique Centralogic™ layout where different usage methods and physical controls extend forward and to the sides, centering on an LCD touch screen with features that change in various ways. For an easy-to-read display, the graphics have been designed to enable an unbroken flow of operations across the gently curved panel, allowing comfortable eye and hand movements during operation. With a distinctive silhouette and fader knobs that are unique both in form and function, this product has a dynamic and sophisticated design.
iF Design Awards
Awarded for over half a century, since 1953, the iF Design Awards are a prestigious international design award for outstanding industrial product designs from around the world. The event is hosted by iF Industrie Forum Design e.V. in Hannover, Germany and comprises four categories: product design, communications design, material design and packaging design. The iF Product Design Award received by Yamaha's products is awarded not only for creativity and innovation in design but from an overall viewpoint including functional aspects such as ease of use, quality and environmental friendliness. Over 4,615 products from 55 countries around the world were entered for this year's iF Design Awards (overall total for all categories).
Official website:
One model of Yamaha's SILENT Brass™: SB7X
One model of Yamaha's CL Series digital mixing consoles: CL5
*SILENT, SILENT Brass, Pickup Mute, Personal Studio and Centralogic are registered trademarks of Yamaha Corporation.
*Product names and company names in the text of this document are the trade names and registered trademarks of Yamaha and other companies.