electronics replacing pianos

[David Ilvedson]

Everyone says that...I have yet to see it myself and I try out a lot of keyboards.   Certainly the Clavinova is not anywhere near the top of the line...

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044


----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "Geoff Sykes" <thetuner at ivories52.com>
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Received: 1/13/2007 11:57:31 AM
Subject: RE: electronics replacing pianos


>The top of the line Yamaha Clavinova already achieves all of this. Their
>sampling and reproducing technology is simply amazing. It also has built in
>microphones that capture the sound of the surrounding environment and
>generates appropriate sympathetic strings sounds in response. Just like a
>real piano. Sitting side by side with a real piano you would still be able
>to easily tell the difference, and I think that will continue to be the
>major hurdle, but the lines are definitely blurring.

>-- Geoff Sykes
>-- Assoc. Los Angeles





>-----Original Message-----
>From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
>Of Porritt, David
>Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2007 11:19 AM
>To: Pianotech List
>Subject: RE: electronics replacing pianos


>Ric and all the others who worry about the acoustic piano going away: One of
>the things that we hear in an acoustic piano is the resonance of the other
>strings on the piano when a chord (or single note) are being played and the
>pedal is lifted.  Lots of other sounds enter the picture. The CPU cycles
>needed to duplicate these effects and the programming to calculate them when
>the sustain pedal is in use are tremendous.  I discussed this with the head
>of our Electronic Music department and he didn't think this would happen in
>his lifetime (and he's much younger than I).  

>I think digital instruments will become a bigger and bigger part of the
>music market but I don't think I'm young enough to live until solo piano
>recitals are played on a digital keyboard.

>dp

>David M. Porritt
>dporritt at smu.edu

>-----Original Message-----
>From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
>Of RicB
>Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2007 12:26 PM
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: electronics replacing pianos

>All of which only goes to underline one of the main points I see in all 
>this.  The replica does not really need to ever fully reproduce the 
>sound of the acoustic to be able to take over.  It only needs to become 
>good enough so that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks enough the the 
>buying public... which as Stephane so eloquently points out are already 
>so very willing to accept a vulgarization of the instrument, are seduced

>into buying the replica instead of the acoustic.

>Its a sad development in so many ways to be sure.  Just today I was 
>sitting most of the day with Edward Griegs old B having technical 
>responsibilities for a recording session with Simax, and English 
>recording studio.  These thoughts this discussion deals with went 
>through my mind several times this morning during the initial tuning, 
>and I thought to myself.... my my my...  when THIS so intimate 
>connection between human and acoustic instruments disappears, what a sad

>day that will be... if it be.

>Ok... so I am afeared and and many others are far more optimistic.  But 
>in the end.... well... who was it that said there is no magic in our 
>work, no soul to a piano ?

>If they ever do manage to fully imitate the acoustic world (and I rather

>believe sooner or later they will)... they do indeed have a major task 
>in front of them.

>Cheers
>RicB


>    I confess, I have no idea what a clavinova costs.  The point is the
>    same.  My guess is that a lot of consumers would pay more for
>    technology.  Schools know the costs, they have done it for years. 
>    The 30 year old piano is sitting there and the school is on their
>    4th keyboard in 15 years.  They spent a lot on replacement to save
>    tuning costs.  People buy it because they want it.  The schools
>    mission statement mentions the teaching of technology, some
>    pricipals have asked music teachers to use their keyboards as part
>    of the technology education.  We buy stuff everyday that has no
>    value the next and know that we have to upgrade.  The larger point
>    of the Yamaha ad is that I was astonished that they really left no
>    room for the acoustic piano.
>    Phil Mosley


>        A complete new Yamaha grand action plus fancy keyboard for $2K?
>        Seems hard to imagine..
>        Farrell