From: mfgw@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (Galen Weitkamp)
Subject: digital pianos (summary)
Organization: Educational Computing Network
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 00:18:29 GMT

This is in answer to the request that I post a summary of the  replies 
to my posting on digital pianos.
I am a new user of usenet and I'm not sure exactly what is expected
in a usenet summary.  Considering the number of replies I received
I think it will be appropriate to simply post a concatenation of my 
original request and the responses.
I won't be affording a piano till summer. . . so I'm still open to advice.
Thanks to all my kind respondents. 

SUMMARY

     I am interested in buying a sampled piano.  I want a piano whose key
action is realistic (properly weighted keys, proper dynamic response etc.)
and I want a piano with acceptable tone (I would like my musician friends
to be able to play it without cringing).
    Though I have long been an avid listener I am a beginning piano student
(so is my five year old son) and so I would like some advice on how to buy.
     In the various makes how are the keys partitioned among the samples?
What are the minimal acceptable sample rates and quantizations.  Can I
get pianos with optional tunings(eg. well-tempered, just  or even
custom)? Recently the chip in my radio receiver which remembers preset
stations has failed.  I am told this is a common phenomenon with old
receivers.  Will the memory in a sampled piano fail in ten years? Horrible
thought!  
     So why not buy an acoustic piano?  My living situation is such that it
would be very convenient to practice with earphones.  Moreover a sampled
piano with midi ins and outs would make a nice addition to my  Mac ci.
     I will appreciate any and all advice.
                                                         Galen Weitkamp

 From ralphw@comm.mot.com Fri Apr  3 09:46:32 1992
Subject: Re: digital pianos
Organization: Motorola LMPS Software Technology Center
Cc: 
Status: OR

I just purchased a Roland FP-8. I was very very impressed with the
realism of the samples and the action. Each key responds to 96 pressure
sensitivities. There are 5 different piano samples. Each sample was
conducted on a different manufacturers piano. The Yamaha sample is
the best. Also included are a few Fender Rhodes samples and strings.

Good luck.
-- 
        Ralph P. Warchol, Systems Administrator    | ralphw@comm.mot.com
        Software Technology Center - LMPS Research | Ph:  708-576-8519  
        Motorola Inc., Schaumburg, Illinois        | Fax: 708-576-3131

From roman@cs.ubc.ca Fri Apr  3 12:25:43 1992
Subject: Re: digital pianos
Organization: Computer Science, University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C., Canada
 Hi,
  You should check out the April, 1991 issue of Keyboard Magazine.
Status: OR

It reviews the latest digital Pianos.  The August 1988 issue also
has a digital piano review.  We shopped around for several weeks
and brought along our daughter's piano teacher.  We were most
interested in a realistic keyboard action and secondly in a quality
sound.  We settled on the Roland HP-1700.  I use Performer on a Mac Plus
to record my daughter's best performances.  The Altech midi interface
from Mac Warehouse is only $35.  The Altech midi starter kit is $59.
Very nice kits.
  Marc Romanycia (roman@cs.ubc.ca)


From defrain@ecn.purdue.edu Fri Apr  3 13:01:40 1992
Subject: Re: digital pianos
Organization: Purdue Electrical & Biomedical Engineering
Cc: 
Status: OR

What a lot of people do is purchase a dedicated MIDI controller such as
the Yamaha KX88 or the Roland A-80 for instance and a piano module
which produces the sounds. Some "controllers" come with the piano
and other instruments -- i.e. the Yamaha Clavinova but one sacrifices
versatility and sound quality in general.

If you decide to purchase a dedicated controller (which I highly recomend)
and are interested in purchasing a MIDI piano module then let me know as
I have an Emu Proformance sampled piano module I might be willing to sell.
Kurtzweil has a new model out with great sounds as well.

cheers,

Paul D.



    1   Apr 7  Johann Seet        
(59)   Re: digital pianos
From js@hpsgm2.sgp.hp.com 
Mon Apr  6 21:43:31 1992
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Status: OR

Hello Galen,

I bought my sampled piano 2 years ago and have been completely (well,
almost) satisfied with it.

I had about 10 years of classical piano training while growing up, so I was
rather picky about chosing a piano with good keyboard action. Realizing
that the best keyboard action for a piano is a "real" piano, I nevertheless
bought an electronic one because of the easy maintenance, relative
portability, the ability to play through headphones, and having fun with my
computer.

The biggest decision I had to make was chosing a digital "piano" or
"keyboard". The pianos come in a complete setup - just plug into the wall
and it works great. The keyboard types come with the keyboard, a couple of
sounds and often some midi master controller functions. But you find your
own stand, chair, amplifier, speakers, etc ....

If convenience and asthetics are important in your setup, go the piano
route. The keyboard setup can look quite messy :-)

I bought a Korg SG-1D keyboard because it had the best key action I could
find. In the piano range, I liked the Yamaha Clavinovas and the Korg
concert series.

I realized that there is no "best" piano to buy. Also, actions and sounds
are very, very relative. Instead of buying based on specifications, it
would be a better idea buying something you like. If you don't think you
could test thoroughly yourself, then narrow down your choices and get one
of your musician friends to give an opinion.

The few technical specs that I think are important for piano playing
(yours may vary) are having a left foot pedal (soft), at least 16 note
polyphony, and adjustable velocity curves.

BTW, I don't think many pieces of modern electronic equipment are designed
to last more than 10 years ... they tend to get rather obsolete about that
age :-)

Good lucking shopping.
Johann Seet
Hewlett-Packard Singapore

END OF SUMMARY

Galen Weitkamp   mfgw@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu