electronics replacing pianos?

[Stéphane Collin]

Hi Mike, and all.

I second what your venerable organist said : I too had always the feeling that electronic music was tiring, much tiring compared with real world acoustic music.  I must say that I have the feeling that this is beginning to change with the new electronic standards.  My understanding of this phenomenon is that the electronic version, or be it the vintage electronic version, of the sound is (was) much more SIMPLE as the real acoustic thing which our ears are naturally accustomed to.  This is about to change though.  Electronics get by the year closer and closer to the real thing.  Fascinating world we live in !

Now, reading all the interesting posts on this topic, the idea comes to my mind that the real problem is vulgarisation.  I hope this is the right word in english.  It means : making something available to a huge lot of people.  It also means, in the same process, making that thing less "select".  Like the pocket books, who are real good at bringing nice authors to the average Joe, it has the side effect that most of the average Joes don't get the ultimate worth included inside the text.  Let me explain further.  Even I, who am definately involved in pianos, will never, I mean never, have the kind of bucks necessary to buy a Dale Erwin customised Steinway piano.  No, never.  Though I really would like this. But other alternatives stand for me (that is the motto).  There is a mean for me to posess a good piano that will do.  What I want to say is that in the specialization niches, it is always the same : you have to pay much, very much for something that is barely a little better.  Of course, for the specialist, that little better means everything.  That is the problem.  I have followed the evolution in recording industry from top select recording studios absolutely inaccessible to Joe, to the contemporary home studio, which everyone could afford.  Of course, there is a difference in quality, but no more a difference that would convince me to pay three times the price of my whole home studio for only one day rent at the real thing.  I suppose the persons who buy electronic keyboards have that kind of reasonning.

It was all more simple in the days when excellence was simply reserved to some few, happy few, excellent people.  

Stéphane Collin.



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Mike Kurta 
  To: Pianotech List 
  Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 4:32 PM
  Subject: Re: electronics replacing pianos?


      The organist at our wedding 46 years ago explained the difference between electronically reproduced music and "live" music.  He said that certain elements in the acoustic production of tones are lost when passed through a wire.  The ear can tell the difference and in the case of electronics actually producing the note, the ear eventually tires of the sound. 
      In a situation where you are actually hearing the sound as its being created by the instrument, your ear never tires.  Depending on the type of music (my comment).  You hear the whole spectrum of sound.  Flame suit zipped.....
      Mike Kurta
      
      
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