Members cjsm Posted May 5, 2009 Members Share Posted May 5, 2009 My Kawai MP9500 doesn't dampen the strings after a certain point either, which is how a real piano is. That being said, why don't they have dampening as an option for the upper keys. Since its just programing it would only be a few lines of code. This reminds me of some of the software pianos I have, which sample the piano, warts and all. Which has its place, but I see nothing wrong in taking those samples and making an idealized piano out of it - which is what the hardware manufacturers do on their sample sets to a certain degree. Another thing about the V-Piano, it weighs 84 lbs/38.2 kg, on the heavy side for gigging. At the price, I'm with some other posters, I'd get Pianoteq before I'd get that.If it ever comes down in price I might consider one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted May 5, 2009 Members Share Posted May 5, 2009 I called Roland tech support (in the US). They said that in a real grand piano, the dampers don't exist after a certain point because the strings are too short, so the strings just continue to ring even if one plays staccato. And this "realism" is on most Roland products.Is this true? At this point, you know that it is true (on all pianos, I believe). My suspicion is that the high strings are there primarily to add sympathetic resonance to the overall instrument, which means that they can't be damped and still be effective. And since the strings were there anyway, they made keys for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Audacity Works Posted May 5, 2009 Members Share Posted May 5, 2009 I don't buy it either! Like anyone is going to be playing GM tracks (actually GS, I believe) from their V-Piano.I completely buy it; I just don't see the point in GM tracks either. Most multitimbral Roland products have their master gain parameters set 6 to 12dB lower than max. It makes perfect sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members goldenpiggy Posted May 10, 2009 Members Share Posted May 10, 2009 Just a quick update since I'm still working on a review writeup. For the past week I've been doing extensive listening/comparison between solo piano recordings on CDs and the V Piano playing back MIDI files (classical music). I still have a very, very difficult time telling them apart when played back through loudspeakers. My NHT Classic 4's (driven by a Crown K2 amp) reproduces piano sounds very well with good ambience. The V Piano does not sound different than a real piano to me through these speakers. Its realism and authenticity is uncanny. Its dynamic range is amazing, no different than what can be had on a real piano. Through the Sennheiser HD600 headphones, the soundstage of real recordings are more realistic, maybe due to good mic placement. The V Piano can't quite match the soundstage of the very best recordings, even with reverb. It still sounds "stereo" or 2-channel. But of course I'm just panning L/R outs hard left and hard right. I suspect using a very good outboard effects unit or plug-in efx can help in this department. Very subtle, but nonetheless noticeable with headphones. The biggest gripe with the V Piano thus far is its sequencer/MIDI file playback. It would have been nice to be able to play along with the MIDI file playing, but seems like a sustain/sostenuto controller message in the MIDI file affects the notes I play. (Some notes I play would just sustain when MIDI file was playing.) The V Piano can't handle more than 255 MIDI files in a single directory -- it ignores the rest. If you have many files in a directory, V Piano slows to a crawl when scrolling through them. The V Piano also cannot display very long filenames. It will just say "untitled." A lot of improvements can be made here. Reliability has been a non issue. It hasn't crashed, locked up, or misbehaved in anyway in 7 days of continuous play. It failed to read one MIDI file on a USB stick out of thousands, so that could be a corrupted file. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kennychaffin Posted May 10, 2009 Members Share Posted May 10, 2009 This of one of the most interesting aspects of Pianoteq - you can arrange the mic/stage layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members evildragon Posted May 10, 2009 Members Share Posted May 10, 2009 ...but only in the latest version, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Melodialworks Posted May 11, 2009 Members Share Posted May 11, 2009 It hasn't crashed, locked up, or misbehaved in anyway in 7 days of continuous play. 7 days of continuous play? And your wife STILL hasn't noticed the new "toy"? Lawrence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Melodialworks Posted May 11, 2009 Members Share Posted May 11, 2009 Any V-Piano's available to try out in the Greater Toronto area? (I'm in Brantford). Anyone here actually seen / heard / played one live? Apart from the esteemed "goldenpiggy", of course! I want to try out this machine. Listening to demos of music that is not in my style is not making the best of impressions on me . . . Lawrence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Melodialworks Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 Keyboard Magazine 5-part video: http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/exclusive-video-up/may-09/96319 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members midi Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 SOS also has a good review this month. Did you try listening to the silver strings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pianoman1976 Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 Keyboard Magazine 5-part video:http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/exclusive-video-up/may-09/96319 That bald guy Steve from Keyboard Magazine (is he really the editor!?) is an embarrassment. You'd think the editor of Keyboard magazine would know a bit more about what is what. Watch him in the first video when he starts plunking on the keys while the Roland guy is talking. He's talking about the Roland RM-700 as if it's got the PHA-III keybed, the one from the V-Piano. He also mentions the response in the key action as if it's the V-Piano - yet it is not. You can clearly tell when he repeatedly hits the notes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wa2C Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 I dunno...I liked those Keyboard Mag vids. The V-piano seems very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members goldenpiggy Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 Hey watch it with the bald head comment...I'm getting there. I should finally have time this weekend to complete my amateur but lengthy review of the V Piano. I've been so busy I haven't played it in a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kennychaffin Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 Hey watch it with the bald head comment...I'm getting there. I should finally have time this weekend to complete my amateur but lengthy review of the V Piano. I've been so busy I haven't played it in a week. Dude! You've got to get your priorities in order here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Son of HuHefner Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 Hey watch it with the bald head comment...I'm getting there. I should finally have time this weekend to complete my amateur but lengthy review of the V Piano. I've been so busy I haven't played it in a week. hopefully you have practiced a lot and are as good as Scott Tibbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members goldenpiggy Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 If I get my priorities in order and practice 24-7, I might be as good as Scott Tibbs in the year 2050. You don't know how many times I've kicked myself for choosing organ lessons instead of piano. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kennychaffin Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Son of HuHefner Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 If I get my priorities in order and practice 24-7, I might be as good as Scott Tibbs in the year 2050. You don't know how many times I've kicked myself for choosing organ lessons instead of piano. I wasted 3 years taking guitar lessons I was a confused boy thinking playing guitar well would help me score with the babes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members goldenpiggy Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 You mean guitars didn't work? It wasn't a ukelele, was it? Well now I don't feel so bad playing a Thomas organ. My 2-year old will have two choices: piano or piano. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomkeen Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 That bald guy Steve from Keyboard Magazine (is he really the editor!?) is an embarrassment. You'd think the editor of Keyboard magazine would know a bit more about what is what. Watch him in the first video when he starts plunking on the keys while the Roland guy is talking.He's talking about the Roland RM-700 as if it's got the PHA-III keybed, the one from the V-Piano. He also mentions the response in the key action as if it's the V-Piano - yet it is not. You can clearly tell when he repeatedly hits the notes. I always thought of him as a very knowledgeable guy. He sure knows about synths, I'll watch the V-piano vids to see if he talks {censored} or not.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members midi Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 The Oasys of Digital Pianos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Melodialworks Posted May 22, 2009 Members Share Posted May 22, 2009 I should finally have time this weekend to complete my amateur but lengthy review of the V Piano. [Mr. Burns voice] Excellent . . . ! Lawrence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Melodialworks Posted May 23, 2009 Members Share Posted May 23, 2009 V-Piano George Duke Interview: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1162088732969&ref=nf Here is another link, which may stream better. There are also other videos at this link . . . http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=978&ParentId=72 Lawrence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomkeen Posted May 25, 2009 Members Share Posted May 25, 2009 I went to Musicstore Cologne today, and to my surprise they had a V-piano standing there with a little sign that said you need to ask the personnel if you can play it. I got some headphones and played a little... In all honesty, It was very dissapointing. After all I read about it I thought it would be an awesome piece of gear, but I have more fun playing my PC3X's pianos. The sound struck me as thin, and it wasn't as playable as I imagined it would be. The headphones I got were pretty sucky, but there was a Nord Stage EX set up a few meters away and that sounded better to me through the same headphones than the V. The technology sounds very promising for the future, but I think samples still have the edge right now. The cost for the V-piano is just way to high for what it does... All my opinion of course. This does mean I still don't like Roland though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kennychaffin Posted May 25, 2009 Members Share Posted May 25, 2009 Thanks for your review Tom. I think you bring a bit of balance to the hype. Much appreciated. I went to Musicstore Cologne today, and to my surprise they had a V-piano standing there with a little sign that said you need to ask the personnel if you can play it. I got some headphones and played a little... In all honesty, It was very dissapointing. After all I read about it I thought it would be an awesome piece of gear, but I have more fun playing my PC3X's pianos. The sound struck me as thin, and it wasn't as playable as I imagined it would be. The headphones I got were pretty sucky, but there was a Nord Stage EX set up a few meters away and that sounded better to me through the same headphones than the V. The technology sounds very promising for the future, but I think samples still have the edge right now. The cost for the V-piano is just way to high for what it does... All my opinion of course. This does mean I still don't like Roland though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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