How VRM Works in the Yamaha CLP-875
The CLP-875 doesn’t just play a recorded note; it calculates what the piano would sound like in any given moment. Here’s what it considers:
- Which keys are being pressed
- How fast and hard you’re playing
- Pedal positions, including half-pedaling and re-pedaling
- How notes interact and overlap
- How the entire piano body would resonate
- The temperature of the instrument
The result is a performance that feels acoustically alive, evolving with each nuance of your playing.
Binaural Sampling + VRM = Next-Level Headphone Experience
When using headphones on the CLP-875, Yamaha employs binaural sampling, a technique that captures the sound from the player’s perspective, creating a 3D-like audio image resulting in a much more natural experience.
When this is combined with VRM:
- You hear subtle resonances as if you’re sitting in front of a 9-foot concert grand.
- It becomes easier to forget you’re playing a digital instrument.
- Long practice sessions are less fatiguing and more emotionally engaging.
Why VRM Matters for Real Pianists
VRM isn’t just a flashy feature, it’s something experienced pianists genuinely feel and appreciate. One of the most noticeable benefits is expressive pedalling: both the soft and damper pedals respond with nuanced precision, allowing for subtle dynamic shaping and authentic half-pedalling effects. Chords decay naturally, with rich overtones that fade organically rather than cutting off or sounding artificially looped. Perhaps most importantly, sympathetic resonance, the subtle vibrations of un-played strings are realistically recreated, which is essential when playing Romantic or Impressionist repertoire, like Chopin’s nocturnes or Debussy’s tone poems. All of this contributes to a heightened sense of emotional feedback, where even the quietest passages are filled with the ambient depth and colour you’d expect from a concert grand.