Nalbantov

Upgrades for your Yamaha Disklavier! Where to Start?

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This list is designed to help you understand the options for upgrades for your Yamaha Disklavier. It can be confusing, so start here!

No matter what model of Disklavier you have, it’s worth looking into some good sources of music! I also have a list of free MIDI sources to recommend. See my Disklavier compatibility table for an idea of what file formats your Disklavier can play.

Early Disklaviers (Mark I—III)

PianoStream App

One of my favorite simple upgrades for early Disklaviers is connecting them to PianoStream! PianoStream is a piano radio app designed to work with nearly every player piano, including the Yamaha Disklavier.

The app offers its own version of piano radio, providing you with a very large repertoire of high-quality music. It also allows you to stream MIDI files from your phone to your Disklavier, altogether bypassing the floppy drive.

Richie Hayes, the developer of PianoStream, also has an active PianoStream Facebook group where people can make requests.

Nalbantov Floppy Disk Emulator

Many customers choose to upgrade their old floppy disk drives with a Nalbantov floppy disk emulator. These devices altogether replace the original floppy disk drives. You can then store your entire inventory of floppy disks on a single USB stick!

See my article on backing up your floppy disks so you can play them on the Nalbantov. Additionally, you can order my floppy disk backup service if you’d prefer not to do it yourself! I can prepare them for your particular Disklavier, and for the Nalbantov. See also my favorite USB stick for the Nalbantov. I also have an interesting article on backing up your floppy disks using a Greaseweazle, if you have either an exceptionally large number of disks, or if they’re difficult to read using other tools.

If you’re installing a Nalbantov in the Yamaha MX100II, you’ll need a bracket. You can also order the bracket directly from me.

At this time, if you want to record with your Disklavier, the Nalbantov is a necessary upgrade. The PianoStream App does not currently support recording.

Replacement Power Supplies

Power supplies on this generation of Disklavier almost invariably fail. Fortunately, TAP Electronics rebuilds Disklavier power supplies. Simply ship them your power supply, and they’ll rebuild it and ship it back. They remain the only provider endorsed by Yamaha for this service. Last I checked, this was a flat rate of $750. The rebuilt power supplies do not have the defect the original did, and will last much longer.

Replacement LCD Screens

Is your LCD screen blank? It’s quite likely that the screen has died. You can attempt to repair it yourself by replacing the capacitors on the old screen; however, replacement screens are still available! They are Yamaha #VN635201. They can be purchased on Yamaha 24×7, and are available for less from SynthParts. The new LCD screens do not use the electrolytic capacitors prone to failure, and will last much longer.

DKC-850 Upgrade

The Yamaha DKC-850 can be installed as a “piggybacked” device on the earlier Disklaviers. This means that the DKC-850 is installed in addition to the original Disklavier, and connected through its MIDI jacks. This adds most features of modern Disklaviers, including Yamaha Piano Radio and conventional USB ports.

Other Articles

If you have an HQ100 Disklavier free this era, see my article on installing a Dampp-Chaser on the back of the HQ100.

Mark IV

Wi-Fi, Internet, and Firmware

The most common question I get about Mark IV Disklaviers is how to connect them to the internet. Oftentimes, the owner is struggling to connect, even though they know their device is plugged directly in to a live internet connection. In that case, you need to update your Mark IV firmware. Out-of-date firmware will not talk properly to Yamaha servers! If you have any trouble updating on your own, you can order my firmware update kit.

DKC-900 Upgrade

The Mark IV can be upgraded with the Yamaha DKC-900. This enables you to use your phone or tablet to control the piano, and is aesthetically much subtler than the Mark IV.

Nalbantov Floppy Disk Emulator

Has your floppy disk drive stopped working? If you want to gain back that functionality, you can install a Nalbantov. On the Mark IV, this is much less useful than on previous Disklaviers, as most of your disks are already saved on the hard disk.

PianoStream

The PianoStream App does also work on the Mark IV. This is an alternative to Yamaha piano radio, and is less expensive. It also allows you to broadcast MIDI files to the piano from your phone or another device. Of course, with the Mark IV, you can already use USB sticks, so this isn’t as large an upgrade as it is on previous Disklaviers.

Solid State Hard Drives

Sometimes hard drives fail on the Mark IV. The Mark IV uses old spinning disk hard disks. If you notice them chattering or exceptionally slow performance, consider upgrading your Mark IV to use an SSD.

E3 / DKC-850

Wi-Fi, Internet, and Firmware

The most common question I get about E3 series Disklaviers is how to connect them to the internet. If you know you have your Disklavier plugged into a healthy internet connection, and it still won’t connect, it might be time to update your E3 / DKC-850 firmware.

DKC-900 Upgrade

The E3 can be upgraded with the Yamaha DKC-900. This enables you to use your phone or tablet to control the piano, and is aesthetically subtler.

PianoStream

The PianoStream App does also work on the E3, and you might be interested in this as an alternative to Yamaha Piano Radio.

Enspire / DKC-900

Wi-Fi and Internet

The Enspire and the DKC-900 represent major upgrades over previous generations of Disklavier; however, they are still surprisingly challenging to connect to the internet. See my article on a straightforward and effective way to connect your Disklavier to the internet.

PianoStream

The PianoStream App does also work on the Enspire, and you might be interested in this as an alternative to Yamaha Piano Radio.

Yamaha Disklavier, MIDI, ESEQ, and Floppy Disk Tools

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I use a wide variety of software tools when reading floppy disks and preparing ESEQ and MIDI for the Yamaha Disklavier. Below is my attempt to compile the most useful tools I use on a daily basis. If you have any input or want any further information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

WinImage

A comprehensive disk-imaging suite for Windows. Notably, it successfully transfers Yamaha Electone Performance floppy disks when other tools see them as unformatted. Although it can read some Clavinova and Electone floppy disks, it can not read Disklavier floppy disks. Nonetheless, it’s a versatile floppy disk tool, and a worthwhile addition to your arsenal.

Website: https://www.winimage.com

DKVUTILS (The OG Tools for the Yamaha Disklavier)

Available in DKVUTILS.ZIP on my drive. These are essential utilities for copying and managing Yamaha Disklavier floppy disks.

ESEQ Explorer
Facilitates the creation and management of PIANODIR.FIL for Yamaha Disklavier. Using ESEQ Explorer, you can create PIANODIR.FIL directories for your ESEQ files. This is necessary for older Disklaviers, and also allows you to modify song titles and metadata.

MIDI2SEQ
Convert standard MIDI files to ESEQ for early Yamaha Disklavier compatibility.

ESEQ2MID
Transform Yamaha Disklavier ESEQ files into standard MIDI format. This tool is extremely helpful if you’re transferring your songs from floppy disks from an older Disklavier, to a USB stick for a newer one!

MID2PianoCD

MID2PianoCD is a Windows utility by Mark Fontana for encoding MIDI and ESEQ files into player piano-compatible formats. It supports various electronic player piano systems, including Yamaha Disklavier, PianoDisc iQ, Live Performance LX, Marantz Pianocorder, and QRS Pianomation. You can use it to generates CDs that can be played directly on MIDI player pianos, expanding the versatility of your Disklavier’s music library.

Mark Fontana is an extremely knowledgeable and talented individual, and his software — both this and PPFBU below — are vital staples. He requests donations on his website, and if you find his tools useful, you should support him.

Website: www.kinura.net/mid2pianocd/

Player Piano Floppy Backup Utility

Player Piano Floppy Backup Utility (PPFBU) is the premier Windows-based tool for backing up Yamaha Disklavier and PianoDisc floppy disks. It’s an indispensable tool for backing up your old floppy disks. He requests donations on his website, and if you find his tools useful, you should support him. It has a user-friendly interface, and can be used with USB floppy disk drives, even when Windows cannot see or open the disk.

Website: www.kinura.net/ppfbu/

The “Official” Recommendation for the Yamaha Disklavier: Giebler’s Yamaha DOM Package

Giebler produced a utility with wide-ranging compatibility with Yamaha devices. It will read older Yamaha Clavinova disks, in addition to Disklavier disks. However, this software is old, requiring versions of Windows that mostly can’t even be installed outside virtual machines. If you’re interested in how to get this running, read my article on using Giebler to explore old Clavinova disks.

For nearly all purposes, I recommend PPFBU above, although in isolated circumstances this software might make more sense for your particular project. Yamaha still recommends them today.

All software runs under MS-DOS on IBM PC-XT, PC-AT, or compatibles with a hard disk drive and an internal (non-USB) 3 1/2” floppy disk drive. Most programs are also compatible with MS-DOS shells under Windows 3.1, 95, 98, or ME.

Website: https://giebler.biz/

Keirf’s Greaseweazle

The Greaseweazle allows you to duplicate your Yamaha Disklavier floppy disks — or any other floppy disk — without Windows even necessarily being able to open it. Even better, the Greaseweazle can read your floppy disk as an .hfe file, which you can simply drop onto your Nalbantov USB emulator! It can be used in place of all the tools mentioned above.

The Greaseweazle captures raw flux transitions from drives, enabling the capture and analysis of any disk format, including those used by Disklaviers.

Website: https://github.com/keirf/greaseweazle/wiki

Keirf’s FlashFloppy used with a Gotek

FlashFloppy is a powerful firmware solution for Yamaha Disklavier floppy drive replacement and management. A Gotek floppy disk emulator with FlashFloppy installed, used in conjunction with the Greaseweazle, is the single most reliable method of reading floppy disks in USB stick format.

When paired with Greaseweazle, a Gotek with FlashFloppy becomes an exceptionally powerful tool for managing Yamaha Disklavier floppy disks. Greaseweazle captures raw flux transitions to create accurate disk images, which can then be easily written to or read from using FlashFloppy on your Disklavier.

FlashFloppy is open-source, and Keirf’s tools are incredibly valuable for our purposes transferring old floppies. The FlashFloppy firmware can be challenging to install on a Gotek for the first time, so purchase a Gotek with FlashFloppy already installed.

The alternative to FlashFloppy is HxC’s custom firmware which is paid/closed-source, but is used by Nalbantov below:

Nalbantov Floppy Disk Emulator

Nalbantov provides premium floppy disk emulators tailored for specific Yamaha Disklavier pianos, offering seamless integration and exceptional compatibility. The Nalbantov drive comes with guaranteed compatibility and is easy to use, and their support is excellent.

The Gotek and FlashFloppy solution described above will work as an inexpensive alternative; however, it can be a challenging DIY project, and is not advisable for anyone who isn’t quite comfortable tinkering with their own hardware. Additionally, Nalbantov manufactures slimmer drives that fit in models of Disklavier the Gotek does not.

They support a wide range of Yamaha Disklavier models, including early models (MX22, MX80, MX85, MX100A/B, MX116) and advanced models (MX500, Mark II/IIXG/III), as well as various Disklavier Control Units (DKC50R, DKW10, PPC3R, etc.).

For Disklavier owners seeking a reliable and easy-to-use floppy disk emulator with guaranteed compatibility across numerous models, Nalbantov is the best choice. You can search for your model of instrument on their website, and they will send you a properly configured device accompanied by a compatible USB-stick.

GN MIDI Professional

GNMIDI is a powerful tool designed for musicians, educators, and MIDI enthusiasts to play, edit, and convert MIDI files with ease. It’s very useful for converting MIDI files from Type 1 to Type 0. You’ll need this tool to prepare MIDI files you find on the internet for your Disklavier. The professional version allows you to perform large, batch operations, but the lite version works to convert files individually.

Website: https://www.gnmidi.com/

Reading and Writing Yamaha Disklavier Floppy Disks

See my article on Yamaha Disklavier Floppy Disks, ESEQ, and MIDI Formats for more information on how to use the above tools to extract songs from your disks.

See my article on Converting MIDI Files and Creating PIANODIR.FIL for ESEQ Files for more information on how to use the above tools to convert MIDI files and prepare ESEQ files for use in older Disklaviers.

Backing Up Yamaha Disklavier Floppy Disks with a Greaseweazle

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This is an article about backing up your Disklavier Floppy Disks using a specific tool called a Greaseweazle. If you do not have a Greaseweazle, and want a straightforward and less technical solution, please see the article on backing up your Yamaha floppy disks using simply an external floppy disk drive and downloadable tools.

I started using the Greaseweazle regularly to image hard-to-read disks last year, and I highly recommend it! I periodically encounter Disklavier floppy disks that will play acceptably in the piano, but which cannot be backed up on a computer. Player Piano Floppy Backup Utility (PPFBU) and other tools that are usually effective with Yamaha disks can’t see the files on the disk, and so my typical floppy disk backup routine doesn’t work.

Enter the Greaseweazle (see the Greaseweazle GitHub page). This is an inexpensive device that serves as a sort of translator between a conventional floppy disk drive, and your computer. It allows you to, essentially, “scan” the disk, bypassing whatever obstacles are causing your disk to be unreadable. You’re making a copy of the disk based on magnetic flux, rather than attempting to actually read it. With this copy, called an image, you can produce other copies of the disk in the future. Or you can drop the image right onto your Nalbantov!

If you’d like to purchase one, the Greaseweazle v4.1 is available on Tindie (from Emmy Bear’s Retro and 3D Printing). If you’re using Windows, see also the FluxMyFluffyFloppy tool. This is a graphical user interface that makes the Greaseweazle much more easily approachable to the novice.

Using a Greaseweazle to Scan the Old Disk

First, you’ll need an image of the original disk.

There are many ways to do this, but using the Greaseweazle tools on GitHub, you can produce HFE image files, which are relatively small bit-level scans. These are the same files used on the Nalbantov and FlashFloppy.

Note: I needed to add the ––drive=1 switch, as I was using a straight floppy disk cable without a twist. If you’re using a twisted floppy disk cable, you might need a different switch. See the Greaseweazle documentation for details.

Note also: Nearly all early Disklavier floppy disks are 720 KB 2DD disks. You can determine which you have by checking to see whether there are two holes. 2DD disks have just one. See below. If you have a 2DD disk, adding the ––format=ibm.720 switch is appropriate. If, on the other hand, you have a newer 2HD disk (typically used in the Mark III or later), you’ll need to use ––format=ibm.1440 instead.

2HD disks have openings at both corners, but 2DD disks do not. You’ll usually find the write-protect slider in one corner, but other will be blank.
2HD disks have openings at both corners, but 2DD disks do not. You’ll usually find the write-protect slider in one corner, but other will be blank.

Instruction: gw read ––drive=1 ––format=ibm.720 [DISKNAME].hfe

Executing the command gw read ––drive=1 ––format=ibm.720 OAC-1062-Chick_Corea_Classics.hfe on my computer.
Executing the command gw read ––drive=1 ––format=ibm.720 OAC-1062-Chick_Corea_Classics.hfe on my computer.

Drop the HFE file on your Nalbantov or FlashFloppy

Yes! You can simply drop the HFE image file on your Nalbantov USB stick! Disk Browser and other HxC tools probably won’t be able to open the HFE file like they can other disks, as Yamaha’s copy protection will still be fully in-tact.

If you’re using the Nalbantov slim or a Gotek with FlashFloppy and a numerical display, be sure to name to file using the naming convention already present on the disk. For instance, if you want your newly scanned disk to be disk 003, name the file DSKA0003.HFE before copying it onto your Nalbantov. (Adjust this guidance as appropriate.)

However, your Yamaha Disklavier will be able to read it. And this technique works very well even with disks that have enough corruption that PPFBU can’t read them. This is my go-to strategy for hard-to-read disks.

Using the Greaseweazle to Write the New Disk

Write the disk image with the following instruction:

Instruction: gw write ––drive=1 ––format=ibm.720 [FILENAME].hfe

Executing the command gw write ––drive=1 ––format=ibm.720 OAC-1062-Chick_Corea_Classics.hfe on my computer.
Executing the command gw write ––drive=1 ––format=ibm.720 OAC-1062-Chick_Corea_Classics.hfe on my computer.

Always test your duplicates! Even if you’re just storing your disks so that you have a collection of images for the future, write the image to a disk temporarily and check it by playing it in your piano.

In the case of the example above, the computer was, in fact, able to read the original disk, and so I verified it could read the new one with PPFBU:

Checking the disk!
Checking the disk!

Considering a KryoFlux®?

If you’re considering a KryoFlux® for reading your old floppy disks, please consider the Greaseweazle! The Greaseweazle is open-source, dramatically cheaper, and well-documented. It also doesn’t have any usage restrictions.

I attempted to order a KryoFlux® initially, and ended up enduring a probing background check from the managing director, who evidently has nothing better to do with his time than conduct investigations on potential clients. After a few emails, I eventually gave up and told him I was just going to order a Greaseweazle, and to cancel the order. He then responded and criticized the Greaseweazle. Although he didn’t hold back on his feelings, he did conserve his capital letters and his grammar.

The product offers no advantages at all for our purpose, and despite their deep savings on customer service, it’s dramatically more expensive. This turned out to have been a blessing, as after practicing with it for a year, I would have had to upgrade to an even more expensive professional model.

But thankfully, we have an alternative.

Conveniently Rename all ESEQ Files for use with EEXPLORE and PIANODIR.FIL

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This Python program will recursively rename .FIL files in the specified directory, ensuring they follow the naming convention described, and convert all filenames to uppercase. If, for instance, you have twenty albums, direct this program to run in their parent directory, and all the albums in subdirectories will be corrected.

This script renames all files to be all-caps including extensions, and for the name to be exactly eight characters long with no symbols. It will add filler characters if necessary. It will make sure they’re unique by incrementing a counter. These appear to be the most important factors in making files identifiable to early Disklaviers, based on my experience and those of commenters.

Usage: python renamefordisk.py [TARGET_DIRECTORY]

Just download renamefordisk.py. The source code is also at the bottom of this page.

As mentioned above, this will either correct all the files in the target directory, or will recursively change the names of all .FIL files in subdirectories if pointed at a parent directory. This is very useful if you’re, for instance, transferring many albums using backing up numerous floppy disks.

At this point, you’re ready to use EEXPLORE.EXE to move through each directory and prepare your PIANODIR.FIL. At a future date, I’d like to automate this.

Make certain to back up all files before running this! I can’t guarantee perfect results for all combinations of names and strings of characters.

Filenames before conversion.
Running ESEQ Explorer on the above directory. The names are deformed using MS-DOS shorthand.

The above is not guaranteed to read in a Disklavier. It is not apparent whether this is because of misbehavior by ESEQ Explorer, or is an issue with older Disklaviers. However, this does make it less likely the tracks will read correctly in older systems.

Filenames after conversion.
ESEQ Explorer with proper disk names. Note that the names are consistent with the names in the directories.

If you see the above, it’s quite likely it’ll read in your older Disklavier.

Nalbantov Drive Bay Insert

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I recently installed a Nalbantov floppy disk emulator using an updated version of the insert and mount that I designed.

You can see based on the pictures below that the Nalbantov slim is slightly too small to fill the entire cavity left by the original floppy disk drive. Additionally, there are no mounts of any kind to hold the Nalbantov in place. This insert solves both problems: The drive screws into the insert at just the right distance and depth, and the insert also buffers the area around the outside of the drive.

I’ve included several pictures of how it fits into the case below. If you’d like to 3D print your own, I can provide the CAD file in 3mf format, gcode format, and STL format. If you’d prefer to order one from me, ready printed, you can order a Nalbantov Drive Bay Insert ready-made here.

Pictures

The insert installed over the screw positions of the original floppy disk drive.
The insert installed over the screw positions of the original floppy disk drive.
I 3D printed the spacers at 50% infill so they'd be fairly solid. These spacers allow you to use the original machine screws that hold down the OEM floppy disk drive, which is a huge advantage. No visits to the hardware store!
I 3D printed the spacers at 50% infill so they’d be fairly solid. These spacers allow you to use the original machine screws that hold down the OEM floppy disk drive, which is a huge advantage. No visits to the hardware store!

Best USB Sticks for Nalbantov

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Over the years of installing USB emulators in Disklaviers, I’ve become increasingly choosy about my USB sticks for Nalbantovs.

My current recommendation is the Kingston 64GB DataTraveler. These are all-metal USB sticks that dissipate heat very nicely, and are durable in the event of an impact. I’ve found them to be both durable and reliable. The 64 GB size is recommended by Nalbantov, as speed with USB sticks correlates with their size, and smaller disks are more likely to cause hiccups with slower speeds.

My previous recommendation:  Previously, I recommended the SanDisk Ultra Fit 64 GB. As a smaller USB stick, it was less likely that people would bump into it. I would tie on some Atwood Micro Cord, and tie off the end in a Lanyard (Diamond) Knot. However, I’ve had multiple instances of these drives suddenly corrupting. I’m not sure why this is, but have now moved on from using them. I have many customers who still use them and like them, but can no longer recommend them.

Below, you can see a USB stick the was struck laterally by a pianist. The solder joint snapped right off! That is an in convenience easily avoided by a good quality, low profile USB stick.

Formatting your USB Sticks

When you’re attempting to format 64 GB USB sticks for Nalbantovs, you might run into some trouble on modern versions of Windows. These USB sticks must be formatted FAT32 (not exFAT or NTFS), or else the Nalbantov won’t recognize them. Although these USB sticks come formatted FAT32, you might need to format it if you run into any trouble in the future. In that case, I use the tool fat32format to format these sticks, which is a freeware application. If you’re on Mac or Linux, you should not need any additional software to format them.

A snapped solder joint on an inexpensive USB stick.
A snapped solder joint on an inexpensive USB stick.

Nalbantov Floppy Disk Drive Upgrades

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I recommend customers with worn-out floppy disk drives upgrade them to “Floppy Disk Emulators.” There are a couple of these on the market. However, the easiest to install and use is the Nalbantov USB Floppy Disk Emulator. I install these regularly in Yamaha Disklaviers, but they can also be installed in keyboards. If you order from Nalbantov directly, make sure to use the AlexPiano for a 5% discount on orders from Nalbantov.

Why Upgrade?

There are several reasons why you might want to replace an old floppy disk drive with a USB floppy disk emulator, including:

  1. Increased reliability: USB floppy disk emulators are more reliable than traditional floppy disk drives. They have no moving parts and are less susceptible to mechanical failure. Most customers reach out to me after their floppy disk drive has failed.
  2. Compatibility & Convenience: USB floppy disk emulators are compatible with modern computers. Most of my customers no longer have floppy disk drives built-in into their computers!
  3. Cost-effectiveness: USB floppy disk emulators are often more cost-effective than purchasing a new floppy disk drive or repairing an old one. Even if you can find a suitable floppy disk drive, compatible drives typically sell for hundreds of dollars! And then you have to purchase floppy disks, which are increasing difficult to obtain.

Operation

After the Nalbantov is installed, you can use a single USB stick to represent up to 1000 floppy disks. Because it’s a floppy disk emulator, the Disklavier actually believes you’re inserting a different floppy disk. As you switch between virtual “disks” by pressing the arrows, you’ll see the display on the Disklavier behave as though you’ve inserted a new disk. Of course, if you have more than 1000 floppy disks, you can invest in another USB stick, although I haven’t run into this particular situation yet!

This is the #2 track on the #27 floppy disk stored on that USB stick!
This is the #2 track on the #27 floppy disk stored on that USB stick!

Installing the Nalbantov

Some customers opt to install the Nalbantov unit themselves. Depending on the design of Disklavier, this is quite doable, although I don’t recommend attempting it with most Yamaha MX100II Disklaviers (see below). It is a very easy installation on, for instance, the DKC5R and the DKC500RW, just to pick a couple of examples.

With some generations of Disklavier (most notably MX100II devices), the floppy disk drives are mounted behind a shaped plastic piece. In these cases, you’ll need to cut away the old plastic facing (a pair of flush-cut nippers is helpful here), install the new drive, and put some kind of buffer around it. I’ve experimented with a few different choices for something functional and attractive. Purchasing neoprene strips is a cheap solution.

New solution: I have a 3D model of a floppy bezel that’s sized to fit around a Nalbantov. You can 3D print this yourself, or I can mail you one. This mount holds the Nalbantov in place, and also fills in the gaps around the edges. It’s an all-in-one solution for mounting the Nalbantov, and allows you to reuse the same screws the original floppy disk drive was installed with.

My customized 3D-printed bezel in place over a Nalbantov.
My customized 3D-printed bezel in place over a Nalbantov.

For backing up your current Disklavier floppy disks to a format that can be stored on your USB stick, see my article on Backing up Disklavier Floppy Disks. They can then be moved onto a virtual “disk” with Nalbantov’s proprietary tool.