Disklavier

On Apr 16, 2009, at 7:10 AM, George F. Litterst wrote:

>
>
> Good morning, everyone.
>
> On Apr 14, 2009, at 3:59 PM, John Cheever wrote:
>
> > My DC3 Pro Mark II arrived yesterday, what an awesome piano. Of
> > course, it came with no documentation and no disks, so I've yet to
> > feel the full power of disklavier. I plugged it in and everything
> > fired right up. There were a couple songs and test scales in the
> > flash memory which played nicely, and I was able to get it to record
> > my own playing.
>
> Congratulations on the purchase. I have a similar instrument: DC3 Pro
> Mark IIXG. (Your is actually a Mark IIXG; there were no Mark II Pros.)
> It is a wonderful instrument. In my case, my instrument is enhanced
> with computer software for:
>
> --playing accompaniments that follow me and turn my pages  
> automatically
> --teaching my students
> --connecting to other MIDI instruments over the Internet
> --recording and editing MIDI data
>
> I also have the DCD-1. The main feature of a Mark IV that I am missing
> is Disklavier Radio.
>
> > I noticed the sustain pedal was not lifting the dampers, but that
> > turned out to be an easy fix. A little dowel rod popped out of it's
> > socket. Got that back in place, and I was in business. During auto
> > playback, I noticed the sustain pedal solenoid gives the pedal a
> > real whack. No wonder that dowel rod popped out. BTW, my sustain
> > pedal requires quite a bit of force, and it doesn't spring back
> > quicky. Is that characteristic of Disklavier?
> >
>
> The proper adjustment of the pedals stands at the heart of the record/
> playback system. If they don't feel like the do on a non-Disklavier,
> it is time to schedule a visit from a Disklavier technician.
>
> > Today I found and downloaded the Mark II XG owner's manuals from the
> > Yamaha site, but I could not find an owner's manual for my DCD1
> > upgrade anyhwere. Anyone know where I can find a copy?
> >
>
> If you are in the U.S., I recommend calling Yamaha Piano Service:
> (800) 854-1569.
>
> > I have one question about MIDI ports and I'm sure there's a simple
> > fix. The DCD1 occupies both MIDI ports on the DKC500RW controller. I
> > was hoping to connect the piano to the MIDI out of a computer or
> > other MIDI player. How can I have two MIDI INs on the piano? Can the
> > "to Host" be used as a MIDI IN?
> >
>
> The To Host can, indeed, be used as a MIDI In and a MIDI Out. If you
> are using an older computer that has serials ports (i.e. Windows 98SE
> vintage or Mac OS 9 or earlier), you can connect using a serial
> cable. Unless, however, you are willing to live with an older computer
> and older software, that is not a practical solution.
>
> I use a Yamaha MIDI interface called the UX-96. It has MIDI IN, MIDI
> OUT, and Serial MIDI. To use it, you must:
>
> --install the Yamaha USB MIDI driver (http://www.global.yamaha.com/download/usb_midi/
> )
>
> --move the To Host switch on the back of the control box of the
> Disklavier to Mac or PC1 as appropriate
>
> You will have to move the To Host switch back to MIDI whenever you
> want to use the DCD1 which is connected to the MIDI ports.
>
> Alternatively, there are MIDI splitters and mergers that you could
> purchase so that the MIDI ports are shared. See:
>
> http://www.midisolutions.com/
>
> Regards,
> PianoBench
>
> www.georgelitterst.com
> www.timewarptech.com
>
>

>
> I also have a Mark II XG (DSC2) without the DCD-1.  Having a bit of  
> envy for Mark IV capabilities, I set upon a task to try to emulate  
> capabilities via external sequencers, MIDI players, etc. I'm using Mac  
> OSX with the Yamaha MIDI (UX 16) cable.  So far, my results have been  
> unsatisfactory. I'm able to playback general MIDI files, but so far,  
> haven't found a solution to record piano soft titles (eseq files).  
> There is the Yam player, but unfortunately, its only available for  
> windows.
> 
> Short of selling my lovely piano and investing another fortune to  
> upgrade to the Mark IV, I called Yamaha.  The DCD1 is no longer being  
> made and I'm told by Yamaha that a new design / replacement is in the  
> works.  They hinted that the entire control box (XG module) will be  
> replaced, with an integrated CD player and possible hard drive.  If  
> they go this far, I'm certain the will extend the internet radio  
> capability.  This was supposed to be released this year, but its being  
> pushed back to 2010 - likely to be introduced at the NAM show early in  
> the year.  If Yamaha delivers a total solution, they will satisfy all  
> the pre-Mark IV owners.
> 
> In the meanwhile, if anyone reading this post has experience in using  
> a combination of Mac OSX with a Mark II XG - love to hear what  
> sequencer or MIDI software you are using.  BTW, the best results I've  
> had so far is using Garageband with a MIDI out plugin.
> 
> Rich Freeman
> 
> 
> On Apr 16, 2009, at 7:10 AM, George F. Litterst wrote:
> 
> >
> >
> > Good morning, everyone.
> >
> > On Apr 14, 2009, at 3:59 PM, John Cheever wrote:
> >
> > > My DC3 Pro Mark II arrived yesterday, what an awesome piano. Of
> > > course, it came with no documentation and no disks, so I've yet to
> > > feel the full power of disklavier. I plugged it in and everything
> > > fired right up. There were a couple songs and test scales in the
> > > flash memory which played nicely, and I was able to get it to record
> > > my own playing.
> >
> > Congratulations on the purchase. I have a similar instrument: DC3 Pro
> > Mark IIXG. (Your is actually a Mark IIXG; there were no Mark II Pros.)
> > It is a wonderful instrument. In my case, my instrument is enhanced
> > with computer software for:
> >
> > --playing accompaniments that follow me and turn my pages  
> > automatically
> > --teaching my students
> > --connecting to other MIDI instruments over the Internet
> > --recording and editing MIDI data
> >
> > I also have the DCD-1. The main feature of a Mark IV that I am missing
> > is Disklavier Radio.
> >
> > > I noticed the sustain pedal was not lifting the dampers, but that
> > > turned out to be an easy fix. A little dowel rod popped out of it's
> > > socket. Got that back in place, and I was in business. During auto
> > > playback, I noticed the sustain pedal solenoid gives the pedal a
> > > real whack. No wonder that dowel rod popped out. BTW, my sustain
> > > pedal requires quite a bit of force, and it doesn't spring back
> > > quicky. Is that characteristic of Disklavier?
> > >
> >
> > The proper adjustment of the pedals stands at the heart of the record/
> > playback system. If they don't feel like the do on a non-Disklavier,
> > it is time to schedule a visit from a Disklavier technician.
> >
> > > Today I found and downloaded the Mark II XG owner's manuals from the
> > > Yamaha site, but I could not find an owner's manual for my DCD1
> > > upgrade anyhwere. Anyone know where I can find a copy?
> > >
> >
> > If you are in the U.S., I recommend calling Yamaha Piano Service:
> > (800) 854-1569.
> >
> > > I have one question about MIDI ports and I'm sure there's a simple
> > > fix. The DCD1 occupies both MIDI ports on the DKC500RW controller. I
> > > was hoping to connect the piano to the MIDI out of a computer or
> > > other MIDI player. How can I have two MIDI INs on the piano? Can the
> > > "to Host" be used as a MIDI IN?
> > >
> >
> > The To Host can, indeed, be used as a MIDI In and a MIDI Out. If you
> > are using an older computer that has serials ports (i.e. Windows 98SE
> > vintage or Mac OS 9 or earlier), you can connect using a serial
> > cable. Unless, however, you are willing to live with an older computer
> > and older software, that is not a practical solution.
> >
> > I use a Yamaha MIDI interface called the UX-96. It has MIDI IN, MIDI
> > OUT, and Serial MIDI. To use it, you must:
> >
> > --install the Yamaha USB MIDI driver (http://www.global.yamaha.com/download/usb_midi/
> > )
> >
> > --move the To Host switch on the back of the control box of the
> > Disklavier to Mac or PC1 as appropriate
> >
> > You will have to move the To Host switch back to MIDI whenever you
> > want to use the DCD1 which is connected to the MIDI ports.
> >
> > Alternatively, there are MIDI splitters and mergers that you could
> > purchase so that the MIDI ports are shared. See:
> >
> > http://www.midisolutions.com/
> >
> > Regards,
> > PianoBench
> >
> > www.georgelitterst.com
> > www.timewarptech.com
> >
> >
>

On Apr 16, 2009, at 9:37 AM, jheitzeb1 wrote:

>
>
> I use a program for the Mac called MidiSwing (free) to do editing of  
> midi file names. I just checked their site and they also have a  
> reference to a software plug-in called Plumstone that allows their  
> program 0.3.5b to hook to external midi devices.
>
> The URL for these two programs:
>
> http://www.les-stooges.org/pascal/midiswing/
>
> http://www.mandolane.co.uk/swPlumstone.html
>
> I haven't tried the external hookup as I have a Mark IV, but looks  
> like it might be an option for you.
>
> Hope this helps.
> Joan
>
> --- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, Freeman Richard <rfreeman26@...>  
> wrote:
> >
> > I also have a Mark II XG (DSC2) without the DCD-1. Having a bit of
> > envy for Mark IV capabilities, I set upon a task to try to emulate
> > capabilities via external sequencers, MIDI players, etc. I'm using  
> Mac
> > OSX with the Yamaha MIDI (UX 16) cable. So far, my results have been
> > unsatisfactory. I'm able to playback general MIDI files, but so far,
> > haven't found a solution to record piano soft titles (eseq files).
> > There is the Yam player, but unfortunately, its only available for
> > windows.
> >
> > Short of selling my lovely piano and investing another fortune to
> > upgrade to the Mark IV, I called Yamaha. The DCD1 is no longer being
> > made and I'm told by Yamaha that a new design / replacement is in  
> the
> > works. They hinted that the entire control box (XG module) will be
> > replaced, with an integrated CD player and possible hard drive. If
> > they go this far, I'm certain the will extend the internet radio
> > capability. This was supposed to be released this year, but its  
> being
> > pushed back to 2010 - likely to be introduced at the NAM show  
> early in
> > the year. If Yamaha delivers a total solution, they will satisfy all
> > the pre-Mark IV owners.
> >
> > In the meanwhile, if anyone reading this post has experience in  
> using
> > a combination of Mac OSX with a Mark II XG - love to hear what
> > sequencer or MIDI software you are using. BTW, the best results I've
> > had so far is using Garageband with a MIDI out plugin.
> >
> > Rich Freeman
> >
> >
> > On Apr 16, 2009, at 7:10 AM, George F. Litterst wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > Good morning, everyone.
> > >
> > > On Apr 14, 2009, at 3:59 PM, John Cheever wrote:
> > >
> > > > My DC3 Pro Mark II arrived yesterday, what an awesome piano. Of
> > > > course, it came with no documentation and no disks, so I've  
> yet to
> > > > feel the full power of disklavier. I plugged it in and  
> everything
> > > > fired right up. There were a couple songs and test scales in the
> > > > flash memory which played nicely, and I was able to get it to  
> record
> > > > my own playing.
> > >
> > > Congratulations on the purchase. I have a similar instrument:  
> DC3 Pro
> > > Mark IIXG. (Your is actually a Mark IIXG; there were no Mark II  
> Pros.)
> > > It is a wonderful instrument. In my case, my instrument is  
> enhanced
> > > with computer software for:
> > >
> > > --playing accompaniments that follow me and turn my pages
> > > automatically
> > > --teaching my students
> > > --connecting to other MIDI instruments over the Internet
> > > --recording and editing MIDI data
> > >
> > > I also have the DCD-1. The main feature of a Mark IV that I am  
> missing
> > > is Disklavier Radio.
> > >
> > > > I noticed the sustain pedal was not lifting the dampers, but  
> that
> > > > turned out to be an easy fix. A little dowel rod popped out of  
> it's
> > > > socket. Got that back in place, and I was in business. During  
> auto
> > > > playback, I noticed the sustain pedal solenoid gives the pedal a
> > > > real whack. No wonder that dowel rod popped out. BTW, my sustain
> > > > pedal requires quite a bit of force, and it doesn't spring back
> > > > quicky. Is that characteristic of Disklavier?
> > > >
> > >
> > > The proper adjustment of the pedals stands at the heart of the  
> record/
> > > playback system. If they don't feel like the do on a non- 
> Disklavier,
> > > it is time to schedule a visit from a Disklavier technician.
> > >
> > > > Today I found and downloaded the Mark II XG owner's manuals  
> from the
> > > > Yamaha site, but I could not find an owner's manual for my DCD1
> > > > upgrade anyhwere. Anyone know where I can find a copy?
> > > >
> > >
> > > If you are in the U.S., I recommend calling Yamaha Piano Service:
> > > (800) 854-1569.
> > >
> > > > I have one question about MIDI ports and I'm sure there's a  
> simple
> > > > fix. The DCD1 occupies both MIDI ports on the DKC500RW  
> controller. I
> > > > was hoping to connect the piano to the MIDI out of a computer or
> > > > other MIDI player. How can I have two MIDI INs on the piano?  
> Can the
> > > > "to Host" be used as a MIDI IN?
> > > >
> > >
> > > The To Host can, indeed, be used as a MIDI In and a MIDI Out. If  
> you
> > > are using an older computer that has serials ports (i.e. Windows  
> 98SE
> > > vintage or Mac OS 9 or earlier), you can connect using a serial
> > > cable. Unless, however, you are willing to live with an older  
> computer
> > > and older software, that is not a practical solution.
> > >
> > > I use a Yamaha MIDI interface called the UX-96. It has MIDI IN,  
> MIDI
> > > OUT, and Serial MIDI. To use it, you must:
> > >
> > > --install the Yamaha USB MIDI driver (http://www.global.yamaha.com/download/usb_midi/
> > > )
> > >
> > > --move the To Host switch on the back of the control box of the
> > > Disklavier to Mac or PC1 as appropriate
> > >
> > > You will have to move the To Host switch back to MIDI whenever you
> > > want to use the DCD1 which is connected to the MIDI ports.
> > >
> > > Alternatively, there are MIDI splitters and mergers that you could
> > > purchase so that the MIDI ports are shared. See:
> > >
> > > http://www.midisolutions.com/
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > PianoBench
> > >
> > > www.georgelitterst.com
> > > www.timewarptech.com
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>