<div>Kent,</div> <div> </div> <div>I just found it amusing that some people here thought that it may have been you playing!  And those that heavily critiqued, may of been slighty jealous that you could of possibly played like that.</div> <div> </div> <div>Matthew Geoff Sykes <thetuner@ivories52.com> wrote:</div> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Where can one obtain this Disklavier file? • Geoff Sykes, RPT • 626-799-7545 • www.ivories52.com -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Kent Swafford Sent: Friday, June 06, 2008 7:31 PM To: College and University Technicians; Pianotech List Subject: Re: Compare, contrast, critique, anyone? Decades ago Rachmaninov recorded his arrangement of Flight of the Bumblebee on a reproducer. Years ago Wayne Stahnke converted the roll and others for a Telarc CD, Window in Time. As a part of promoting the project, the Flight of the Bumblebee was distributed on the internet as a Disklavier file. The files I sent are made from this Rachmaninov performance; the tempo is correct, or at least agrees with the CD. The CD track is at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00150I7HM/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk3 So, the 3 MP3 files that I sent are all of the same Rachmaninov performance, each playing a different software piano. bbgs = Garritan Steinway Virtual Grand, samples of a Steinway D prepared with the cooperation and active participation of Steinway. bbig = Synthogy Ivory Italian Grand, samples of a 10' Fazioli bbpt = Modartt Pianoteq 2, modeled piano, no real piano involved These software pianos, in the hands of real recording engineers, are the state of the art in digital pianos. Those who are accustomed to listening to software pianos can usually spot them when they hear them. There is something not quite right when a software piano tries to play the sound of an already-vibrating string being struck again by a hammer; this is quite noticeable in fast repeated notes, and IMO this is why this performance might not have sounded "real". That said, these software pianos are quite good and are very playable in that they respond well to dynamics. As is clear from everyone's comments, these software pianos also have difficulty maintaining correct timbre and balance through the scale and through the dynamic range. I thought that the high treble of the Pianoteq would be a dead giveaway -- not a real piano. I guess even pianos have a relatively large range of timbres that may be recognized as _piano_. Thanks everyone. Listen again and say what you think _now_, if you like. Kent On Jun 5, 2008, at 9:25 PM, Kent Swafford wrote: > Anyone care to listen to 3 Flights of the Bumblebee, and say what > you think of each? > > > http://www.kentswafford.com/mp3/bbgs.mp3 > > http://www.kentswafford.com/mp3/bbig.mp3 > > http://www.kentswafford.com/mp3/bbpt.mp3 > > > > > > Kent > No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 8.0.93 / Virus Database: 270.0.0/1488 - Release Date: 6/6/2008 5:48 PM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 8.0.93 / Virus Database: 270.0.0/1488 - Release Date: 6/6/2008 5:48 PM </BLOCKQUOTE>