Disklavier - anyone got any experience?
Discussion
Guys,
Been considering the purchase of one of these - on the one hand so that the Dealmaker Juniors have something to learn on and on the other so I can enjoy "live" piano music in the house having never learned myself.
I must admit to having been captivated by the sound of these things (I am looking at the babay Grand one - around 6ft) - the latest ones allow you to put in the CD of your favourite artist and the piano will play it's acoustic piano part (assuming the relevant software is available) with the artists playing everything else through hidden speakers - they are also newtorked wirelessly! and you can download your favourite pieces from the 'net oto the hidden 88Gb hard drive!
They look, and sound like a conventional Grand Piano but can be controlled from anywhere in the house via a small Palm sized PDA! You can even programme it to wake you up with a piano concerto ..or....set up a playlist so that it plays throughout your dinner party!
Anyone else seen/heard one?...any recommendations as to best place to buy?
Been considering the purchase of one of these - on the one hand so that the Dealmaker Juniors have something to learn on and on the other so I can enjoy "live" piano music in the house having never learned myself.
I must admit to having been captivated by the sound of these things (I am looking at the babay Grand one - around 6ft) - the latest ones allow you to put in the CD of your favourite artist and the piano will play it's acoustic piano part (assuming the relevant software is available) with the artists playing everything else through hidden speakers - they are also newtorked wirelessly! and you can download your favourite pieces from the 'net oto the hidden 88Gb hard drive!
They look, and sound like a conventional Grand Piano but can be controlled from anywhere in the house via a small Palm sized PDA! You can even programme it to wake you up with a piano concerto ..or....set up a playlist so that it plays throughout your dinner party!
Anyone else seen/heard one?...any recommendations as to best place to buy?
One of the most frightening things that ever happened to me in my house was the cat jumping on the piano at some ungodly hour in the morning.
I wouldn't want one of these. Imagine if it started playing scary tunes in the night. Just think about that. In the dark, with the wind rattling the windows.
I wouldn't want one of these. Imagine if it started playing scary tunes in the night. Just think about that. In the dark, with the wind rattling the windows.
tank slapper said:
I haven't looked at these things for a while, but I've never played one that felt right to me. Even though they have weighted keys, you don't get the same feedback that you do from a real piano.
The whole point is... A Disklavier IS A REAL PIANO!Here's the problem though... Its made by Yamaha, it sounds like its made by Yamaha,and it feels like its made by Yamaha. Maybe I'm sounding like a piano snob, but then again I prefer playing a Roland electronic to an acoustic Yamaha so maybe not.
The other thing I've noticed about a few of the Disklavier Grands I've played or come across is that once they are of a certain age they seem to develop a problem with the damper pedal actuation on midi playback, where the "motors" don't lift the dampers completely and thus you get no sustain and as such your playback sounds terrible even though the damper pedal is adjusted correctly and still functions well for "live" playing.
The GB series budget grands from Yamaha are just that "budget". Any grand you can pick up new for £6000 (RRP from - £7600 I believe) isn't going to be the best and then you'd pay another £7k on top of this for the DK version. From a players point of view I'd prefer the U series upright which is available from about £5.5k for the straight piano (YUS-1) or £7.3k for the DK version which actually feels much nicer and actually has great tone for a Yamaha.
The first serious contender in the line-up of Yamaha Grands has to be the A1 which is only 4'11" but actually is a huge step up from the GB1. It plays fairly well and has good tone (for a Yamaha) and you can get a standard one for less than £10k if you know where to shop, although the RRP for the DK version is around £24,000 I think. Upwards of that the C series are generally good (of which the A1 is the baby) and all quite playable.
To be truthful if I had the room I'd probably have a standard A1 as they're a very playable piece of kit for the money. Of course you could always do the same. If you got one for £9k you'd still save £6,000 over the GB1 Disklavier and you could have me come round and play it for you 30 times a year for two years until you could make musical noises yourself for the extra dosh.
Mighty
That is an interesting - I had not realised they are real pianos with actuators in them. I still don't think that I would want one. If I want to listen to someone else play, I put on a CD otherwise I'd rather play it myself.
I have played a couple of Yamaha grands, and in comparison to a Bechstein I used to play on occasion, they were horrible.
I have played a couple of Yamaha grands, and in comparison to a Bechstein I used to play on occasion, they were horrible.
Maybe I'm missing something here tankslapper... but if you'd played one, how could you not notice that it was a real (acoustic) piano? Surely if it were electronic you would 1) Have to turn it on 2) be obviously listening to sound coming from speakers and not strings. You sure you're not confusing some other instrument here (the god awful Clavinova range of digital home pianos)?
Funny you put a Yamaha up against a Bechstein which I've always found to be shallow and dreadfully difficult in the feel department. Whereas a Steinway D will really need some belting to bring out the upper dynamics but is playable with a light touch, every Bechstein I've ever played has required too little physical velocity/key pressure difference between its playable dynamic range. You can try and play a bechstein gently and literally nothing comes out, give it a little more and it sounds like world war three has broken out and I can't live with that. Seems it may be to do with what has always seemed a very low action on every one I've played. Tonally neither Steinway or Bechstein suit me anyway, far too thin and strident when concert tuned and the Steinway D's I've usually ended up playing that are the staple of theatres and concert halls across the UK are just too much like hard work. Give me a Bosendorfer any day! Even the smaller Bosendorfers make some bigger ridiculously expensive pianos sound like fisher price toys if you asked me.
To the O/P: If you have money to spend on a great "player" piano, you can't go wrong with a Bosendorfer 170 fitted with their new CEUS system which makes the yamaha Disklavier system seem somewhat archaic in comparison by what I've read about them. Never seen one in action, but with their reputation its bound to be a wonderful addition to an already fantastic instrument.
Funny you put a Yamaha up against a Bechstein which I've always found to be shallow and dreadfully difficult in the feel department. Whereas a Steinway D will really need some belting to bring out the upper dynamics but is playable with a light touch, every Bechstein I've ever played has required too little physical velocity/key pressure difference between its playable dynamic range. You can try and play a bechstein gently and literally nothing comes out, give it a little more and it sounds like world war three has broken out and I can't live with that. Seems it may be to do with what has always seemed a very low action on every one I've played. Tonally neither Steinway or Bechstein suit me anyway, far too thin and strident when concert tuned and the Steinway D's I've usually ended up playing that are the staple of theatres and concert halls across the UK are just too much like hard work. Give me a Bosendorfer any day! Even the smaller Bosendorfers make some bigger ridiculously expensive pianos sound like fisher price toys if you asked me.
To the O/P: If you have money to spend on a great "player" piano, you can't go wrong with a Bosendorfer 170 fitted with their new CEUS system which makes the yamaha Disklavier system seem somewhat archaic in comparison by what I've read about them. Never seen one in action, but with their reputation its bound to be a wonderful addition to an already fantastic instrument.
Edited by TheMighty on Wednesday 14th November 01:27
TheMighty said:
Maybe I'm missing something here tankslapper... but if you'd played one, how could you not notice that it was a real (acoustic) piano? Surely if it were electronic you would 1) Have to turn it on 2) be obviously listening to sound coming from speakers and not strings. You sure you're not confusing some other instrument here (the god awful Clavinova range of digital home pianos)?
Funny you put a Yamaha up against a Bechstein which I've always found to be shallow and dreadfully difficult in the feel department. Whereas a Steinway D will really need some belting to bring out the upper dynamics but is playable with a light touch, every Bechstein I've ever played has required too little physical velocity/key pressure difference between its playable dynamic range. You can try and play a bechstein gently and literally nothing comes out, give it a little more and it sounds like world war three has broken out and I can't live with that. Seems it may be to do with what has always seemed a very low action on every one I've played. Tonally neither Steinway or Bechstein suit me anyway, far too thin and strident when concert tuned and the Steinway D's I've usually ended up playing that are the staple of theatres and concert halls across the UK are just too much like hard work. Give me a Bosendorfer any day! Even the smaller Bosendorfers make some bigger ridiculously expensive pianos sound like fisher price toys if you asked me.
Apologies for the confusion - I mistook the disklavier for an electronic substitute, which it isn't.Funny you put a Yamaha up against a Bechstein which I've always found to be shallow and dreadfully difficult in the feel department. Whereas a Steinway D will really need some belting to bring out the upper dynamics but is playable with a light touch, every Bechstein I've ever played has required too little physical velocity/key pressure difference between its playable dynamic range. You can try and play a bechstein gently and literally nothing comes out, give it a little more and it sounds like world war three has broken out and I can't live with that. Seems it may be to do with what has always seemed a very low action on every one I've played. Tonally neither Steinway or Bechstein suit me anyway, far too thin and strident when concert tuned and the Steinway D's I've usually ended up playing that are the staple of theatres and concert halls across the UK are just too much like hard work. Give me a Bosendorfer any day! Even the smaller Bosendorfers make some bigger ridiculously expensive pianos sound like fisher price toys if you asked me.
I was only making comparison between those that I have played, which may not be typical of them all of course. I am not a pro player or even close to being one as piano is my second instrument. The Yamahas that I played always felt too heavy if that makes sense, and in comparison the Bechstien felt easier to play. I think most of it is down to personal preference though - some people like one thing and others something else.
Gassing Station | Music | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff