Disklavier

----- Original Message -----

From: Carol Beigel

To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 10:08 PM

Subject: [disklavier] PianoSmart Upgrade

The PianoSmart Upgrade kits are now available from Yamaha - for free!
PianoSmart allows your Disklavier to play the piano along with audio CDs.
If your Disklavier is a Mark III with a CD player built-in, then PianoSmart
is a simple software update. Everyone else will need to acquire a Yamaha
DCD1 CD Player to use PianoSmart. DKV owners who currently cannot play
standard MIDI files on 1.44 MB floppy disks from their control units will
also need to purchase the DSR1 Control Unit. DKVs with the MarkIIXG systems
that do not have the EMK1 or Smart Key functions, will also need a new
control board.

If you already have the necessary hardware, the PianoSmart DCD1+PS upgrade
kit comes with an extra MIDI cable, update disks for both the Control Unit
and the CD Player, and an Owner's Manual. There is also a free PianoSmart
manual available from Yamaha. You can order these from your local Yamaha
piano dealer, or from Yamaha Service at 1-800-854-1569. I strongly
recommend you acquire the official kit.

However, if you can't wait until it arrives, and you can scrounge an extra
MIDI cable, I have put the software and instructions on my website at
www.carolrpt.com/pianosmart.htm What you will find there is how I explained
the process to myself. I have also included excerpts from the official
documentation to give more details.

This upgrade is an incredible piece of work, and in my opinion, shows
Yamaha's commitment to their Disklavier customers. Although the DCD1+PS
upgrade will allow your Disklavier to use PianoSmart, it has some
limitations not found in the MarkIII systems with built-in CD players. The
most obvious limitation is that the audio pitch correction found on the
MarkIII systems is NOT possible with the DCD1+PS upgrade. Since many of the
CDs on the market are not recorded at A440, their corresponding Smart
PianoSoft disks are not going to sound good on an upgraded system. Yamaha
has posted a list of over 100 titles that DO sound good, with more coming.
I have posted this list. However, all the PianoSoft Plus Audio CDs that
Yamaha has produced, DO work on the DCD1 CD Player.

Many thanks to the Yamaha technical support team for coming up with this
upgrade, and helping me to learn about it.


Carol Beigel
carol@...

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