future of the acoustic piano

[Tvak@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 3/7/01 11:35:21 PM, gharvey@netsource.co.nz writes:

<< I may be off track here but I'm convinced there is "something more" present
in
an acoustic performance than via electronic instruments, but how do you
describe it?
 >>

With an electronic instrument, the sound emanates from a speaker, or two, but 
the sound is always directional.  In an acoustic instrument, the sound 
emanates in all directions.  It fills the room in a much more pleasing 
manner, and can actually be louder with less stress on the ear.  

Prior to tuning, I spent 20 years performing on electronic keyboards in the 
orchestra pits of musicals.  I have certainly heard the improvement in the 
sound of these electronic keyboards over the years.  But there are two things 
to bear in mind.  First of all, any electronic keyboard sounds better in the 
context of an orchestra or band.  Play a single note of that trumpet patch by 
itself and it sounds like an accordion, but play an idiomatic melodic phrase 
while the orchestra is playing and your ear buys into it.  

Secondly, and more direct to our discussion of the future of the acoustic 
piano, MIDI provides 127 discrete steps of volume and tone.  That's it.  127 
variations of the tone and 127 discrete steps of volume.  Could you imagine 
any acoustic piano from a Gulbransen spinet on up having such a limited 
palette of tones?   Furthermore, each note is a separate entity, unable to be 
influenced by its neighbors, whether the sustain pedal is engaged or not.  In 
an electronic instrument, the sustain pedal merely sustains the tone, instead 
of allowing the strings to vibrate in sympathy with one another as in a real 
piano.

Having performed on many different keyboards over the years, I can assure you 
that there is no comparison between playing an actual piano and playing the 
keyboard.  However, in that situation, where there is an orchestra around 
you, and the sound man needs to get the sound of the "piano" out into the 
house, they really function well; no mic-ing problems, a simple LINE OUT gets 
you into the sound board; no intonation problems with all the temperature and 
humidity variations in the pit;  takes up less space.  And in the context of 
the orchestra, the sound of the "piano" is just fine.  

Tom Sivak