[pianotech] Acoustic vs. digital - there's the question!

[tnrwim at aol.com]

But if your primary concern is that your instrument be like a piano, there's nothing that does that but the piano.

To me it's the same as experiencing a live concert, as opposed to a DC or on the radio. There are times when it's nice to listen to a good concert on a good CD, or when you're driving, but give me a live concert any time. 

Wim 






-----Original Message-----
From: William Monroe <bill at a440piano.net>
To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Sat, Sep 3, 2011 5:35 am
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Acoustic vs. digital - there's the question!


Hi Chuck,


I'm with you.  I've experienced some of the "best" digital instruments, including the Yamaha Avant Grand.  And, they're nice, they really are.  But they are digital and it's obvious.  I think they can be a great tool, but if you appreciate and want the sound of a piano, the digital instruments available today just don't cut it.


It's really about defining our goals again.  If your priorities are composing software, practicing with headphones, etc., then the new digitals can be fantastic.  But if your primary concern is that your instrument be like a piano, there's nothing that does that but the piano.  From there you start making the appropriate compromises for your particular situation.


William R. Monroe





On Sat, Sep 3, 2011 at 10:09 AM, Chuck Behm <behmpiano at gmail.com> wrote:

>But who knows how things will develop. it would be awfully attractive to conservatories and concert halls if a really good electronic instrument was avalable at a fraction of the cost of a Steinway D.

Best regards,

David.<

Hi David and all. I'm not an expert in the least when it comes to digital keyboards, so I'm just wondering if my perception of the difference between the two species of instruments is correct. 

Whenever I have a tuning customer broach the subject of abandoning their acoustic piano and going with a digital for whatever reasons, I ask them if they would like a demonstration of the advantage of the acoustic piano. (They always say yes).

To illustrate the full sound that the acoustic piano achieves, I open lid, remove the music rack, and with the sustain pedal down I play a chord with my right hand. Then, quickly I use the thumb of my left hand to stop the vibration of the notes I've just played, while keeping the sustain pedal down.

The beautiful, shimmering sound that remains, I explain, is the vibration of the strings that are harmonically related to the notes I played, which gives the chord a richer, more three dimensional sound. 

I then play the opening to a piece that has particularly haunting chords, lingering on each one with the sustain pedal down to get the full effect.

A digital instrument, by comparison, would in essence play backed the recorded sounds of the notes I just played, with nothing more - a very 2 dimensional sound, and very unsatisfying, at least in my book.

I compare the sound of the acoustic piano to a live person standing in front of you and that of the digital to a cardboard cutout of the same person. Looks similar, but not at all the real thing.

If I was a musician playing on a stage in front of an audience, I would no more wish to play on a keyboard, no matter how gussied up it was, than I would want to serve frozen Swanson's TV dinners to guests sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner. (Yum, those turkey bits and pieces look sooo appetizing!)

Now, here's my question to all of you. Is that description still valid, or have the makers of digital keyboards developed a sound that really compares to that of an acoustic piano? I frankly haven't kept up with developments occurring in the manufacture of digital instruments, because I simply have no passion for them. Glorified boat anchors, as far as I'm concerned.

Please correct me if I'm way off base. I realize that I am highly prejudiced on the topic, but what do you expect from a piano technician. Thanks so much.  Chuck Behm







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