Has it begun again? (long)

[R. Goodale]

pianoman wrote:
> 
> Hello All,
> Today I tuned for my second school with back to school tunings.  The piano
> that used to be in the vocal teachers room is now in a back room.  As I
> passed her room, I  seen a new digital piano.  That means the school
> district didn't buy a new acoustic but a digital instead.  I usually have 4
> pianos at this school.  Today I did only two.  I have a feeling....
> James Grebe

A couple of issues here.

While many techs, (and likewise consumers), have argued that "Digitals
Pianos Will Take Over the World", (and the sequal movie, "The Digital
That Ate My Brain"), there are several important points here to
consider.

Here at the university we have a digital piano lab with about 25 units.
In less than three years of use they have developed a variety of
problems. Their frail plastic components are prone to breaking, (keys,
knobs, etc.), wire cables become yanked out resulting in damage to the
plug-in jacks, headphones are continuously breaking, and both students
and teachers can never understand how to operate the damn things. All of
this in the controlled environment of a normally locked room at a
university.

In just a few short years digitals become dreadfully out-dated. The
depreciation rate on these things is increadible. Like all computer
equipment, (and that is really what these things come down to), there is
always a "New and Improved" version the next year. Three or four years
down the line and you can't sell them at a garage sale. My guess is that
in a few more years we will see some older models being tossed into
dumpsters, not unlike home organs from the 60's and 70's.

There is also countining argument that digitals simple cannot sound like
real pianos. True. Regardless of advances in digital sampling
technology, you simply cannot reproduce the sound of live vibrating
wires and a real wood soundboard by via a 10" paper speaker. End of
story.

Lastly, I have talked to many music teachers time, and time, and time
again. I have yet to find one who recomends them for students. With out
regard to any of the above, the action doesn't feel remotely like a
piano. Finger excersises are not effecient, and it is very ackward for
the student to practice on a digital and then move to a real piano.

Digital pianos  still have their place. Certainly there are situations
in which they work equal or better. But I don't beleive they replace
pianos so much as just becoming another breed added the keyboard
species. No more than an electric guitar replaces an accousic guitar. A
good number of years ago Roland introduced digital drum kits but
accousic drums haven't become any less popular.

So... My guess is the school that you are servicing, along with many
other schools who are experimenting with this idea, will soon discover
that they were fooled. Good quality digital pianos arn't all that cheep.
A real pile of #4@&**!!! will start at around $1,500.00. Some of the
nicer models can hover in the $3,500.00 + range. Well hey, for little
more than that you can buy a half way decent school-quality studio
piano. Eventually the school districts and music teachers will discover
that the digital piano they bought 8-10 years ago has no value. It will
have broken down and they will be told that repair cost exceeds
replacement cost. Then it will dawn on them that little more than the
same investment could buy a REAL piano that will last 50 years and won't
become obsolete in five. Ahhhh, sweet revenge!!!

Rob Goodale, RPT