Becoming more and more dissatisfied playing digital pianos

[fjzingo]

Yup the yamaha transacoustic is kind probably as good as it gets.

And the full box vibrating instead of a terrible loudspeaker.

I think that having speakers built into the piano definitely helps with the feeling of realism. Even in slabs, though it can be even better in consoles.

[fjzingo]

Yup, I do see the advantages with the digital pianos wrt performing similarly each time and little maintenance until it dies and get replaced by the next generation. Now back to my old schimmel piano! 😀

I find that the static nature of digital representations of pianos is both the advantage and the downfall of them. Once I have been hearing the patch/sample for a while, I tend to start to pick it apart. I can, of course, tweak things a bit. The upside is its consistency and lack of maintenance. An acoustic instrument can be much more dynamic, sounding just a little different every time you sit down. And this can be both a boon and a bane, depending on the degree of variation involved. No panacea I guess. Nothing more fun than something new and different.

[drohm]

I feel lucky to have both a good acoustic piano and a good digital keyboard. Sometimes I like playing one more than the other, but it depends on several things, like the mood and vibe I'm trying to create. Sure, the grand piano is a much better acoustic piano than the NS3 can ever emulate, but sometimes I would rather play the NS3 with different sounds and fx, etc. I think a digital keyboard can be more forgiving than a true acoustic piano and therefore more relaxing to learn some material on. However, for performing harder music a digital keyboard can be limiting and restricting. For example, I hate playing Chopin on a digital keyboard. It just cannot translate the dynamic expression that a good acoustic piano can produce. Also, the action on a good acoustic piano is so much better than even the best digital keyboard. That provides a connection to the instrument that goes beyond the sound coming into your ears. You can feel the vibrations and weight of the instrument, etc.

 

So, in conclusion, it is important to have both!

[Outkaster]

Thank god I started piano lessons again.

[ProfD]

I'm glad I learned how to play on a digital KB. I have an equal appreciation for playing a real acoustic piano, electromechanical, digital piano (DP) or synth. No need to adjust my expectations.

[David Emm]

Not only does one size not fit all, but a great deal of the piano matter is decided by your ability to house one and maintain both the temperature/humidity & regular tunings. THEN there's finding the right one for you personally. That's a bit harder than trying out 15 new synths in a row, but not so different in its goals. I used to rotate around various instruments, fretting about minor BS, until I learned how to flex in favor of what I actually had. I can easily understand ProfD's position. It took a while because I began with piano, but at this point, I would not give up what I have for solo AC piano only. It has no drawbars, tubular bells, flanger or ray gun noises.

[Tom Williams]

I would not give up what I have for solo AC piano only. It has no drawbars, tubular bells, flanger or ray gun noises.