Buggy Whips [was]Re: [sdiy] Should I repair my Fostex, or should I go HD recording?

[Cynthia Webster]

I just went through the agonizing process of choosing a digital piano.
For all of my love of synths, sometimes I find it most gratifying to
simply play a fine acoustic piano.

I went to West LA Music and Guitar Center several months ago
auditioning digital pianos without any concern for what things cost,
simply wanting the most realist piano action in the keyboard mechanism.

Spongy ARP style keyboards are just not much fun at all to play anymore
and I'm afraid I've become a real picky perfectionist about the
keyboard controller that I use.

At that time I as most impressed with the Korg SP200 and SP300 actions
as they had that wonderful break point in each keystroke, where once
overcome - the key follows through without the need for a finger to
remain there.  Fortunately the price of these is quite reasonable.

(I was fortunate enough to be allowed to play a Bosendorfer in college)
and had several pianos of my own through out the years, including an
upright that I stuck thumbtacks into all the hammers of for a quasi
honky tonk sound, (lots of fun!)

My method of auditioning acoustic pianos was rather simple, I'd walk
through those warehouse type piano stores and hit any key near the
middle with the sustain pedal held down and listen for the piano
with the longest and truest ring.  If the note lasted ~forever~,
THAT was the unit I wanted to take home.

This in mind, I went to the Korg website last week to listen to sound
samples of their digital pianos, and was horrified at the lack of sustain!

Nice action but horribly short sustain!
Also upon further reading it turns out that only the first piano
voice is sampled in stereo which I found to be a real let down
as I really do want to process both channels through my Modcan.

So it was back to the drawing board and I'm happy to report that
I found a marvelous digital piano / weighted controller made by
Yamaha with a lovely long sustain, and a slightly firmer keyboard
action than the Korg.  (The Korg is slightly better at the key snap
and automatic follow through with its authentic keyboard mechanism,
but the sound quality of the Yamaha is far far superior).

That said, I now have a beautiful Yamaha P90 Piano controller in
front of my Synthesizer with stereo output, 88 weighted keys, and
(gasp!) MIDI and am planning to get one of Bruce's Modcan/Signal
Arts Performance Sequencers to go with it this year!

It's true that nothing can really match the experience of playing
a really good acoustic piano, but I'm delighted with the P90 and
it is slim enough to take the place of my old Aries analog CV
controller right in front of my mighty modular.
Eventually I hope to bring the Aries back for a two manual system.

If you're in the market for one of these, check out the Yamaha P90
(it has twice the memory for longer sustain samples than its
predecessor the P80) Highly recommended!

(Authentic DIY Content below:
Now, I just need to make myself wider cabinets for the synth
to match the width of 88 keys!)

Happy New Year!

Cynthia

http://www.cyndustries.com/



Seqe





on 12/31/04 3:33 PM, harrybissell at harrybissell at prodigy.net wrote:

> a point that has not been adequately made... we are comparing samplers to
> the archetypical grand piano... in perfect condition and tune. Compare
> them to
> the (lets say) 'better than average' piano... (perhaps an upright?) and we
> would
> have a more level playing field.
> 
> Complaints about the velocity and touch are another problem. Again the
> comparison
> is between the BEST PIANO one has ever touched and a mass produced Roland
> or
> Fatar.   Why not compare ten pianos (lets say) at random agains ten synth
> controllers.
> I bet there is a lot more consistance in the synth controllers.  Like it
> better, or not is another
> issue.
> 
> The sampler will not ever (imho) match the top .05% of acoustic pianos.
> It will give the
> rest a real run for the money.
> 
> thank GOD we are talking keyboards and not guitars.
> 
> How many guitarists does it take to change a lightbulb ?
> 
> FIFTY !!!
> 
> one to change the bulb and forty-nine to lament how the "new bulb is just
> not the same
> as the old bulb..."   :^P
> 
> H^) harry
>