Disklavier

Velocity does not work the same on a real acoustic
piano as say an electronic keyboard.  A MIDI velocity
value from 1 to 128 is a value for volume.
Electronically the higher the number the louder it
plays.

Not so on a mechanical piano action because there are
so many variables.  First, no matter how hard you hit
the piano key, the escapement will kick in before the
piano hammer ever hits the string.  It's like running
really fast to do a long jump, but tripping as you fly
into the air.  The loudness (volume) of the piano sound
is often a factor of hard the piano hammer felt is, the
tension of the stringing scale, and how well the
soundboard vibrates.  Some of those little GP1 pianos
with really hard hammers play so much louder than a 7
or 9 foot piano with softer felt, but the larger pianos
will have a greater dynamic range of volume and sound.
Also, the repetition levers in a grand piano action are
spring-loaded.  All of these mechanical goodies give a
pianist more  control of their piano playing dynamics,
but this is tough to measure for a MIDI value.  Some
Disklaviers with keys sensors only measure this
mechanical action of the key.  The Disklaviers that
also have hammer sensors will also measure the speed at
which the hammer travels toward the strings, then do an
algorythm with the key sensor.

This is why there is a huge caution about downloaded
MIDI files from the internet playing in Disklaviers (or
PianoDisc and QRS Pianomation).  If a MIDI file was
created on an electronic keyboard at a velocity of 128,
this will damage a piano action.  I really don't like
to see Disklaviers played beyond a MIDI value of 100.
I think Yamaha has designed a "limiter" into the
recording of a Disklavier so that no matter how loudly
you play the piano, you will not get a velocity of
128 - more likely 100.

Carol Beigel

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don" <imakenoise@...>
To: <disklavier@...>
Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2004 10:44 AM
Subject: [disklavier] Midi velocity


> I did some tests -- saved a "normal" performance
played on my DC5A and
> analyzed the midi velocities... When I brought it
over to my
> professional
> midi rig (playing back from LogicPro or ProTools into
a GigaStudio) -
> the
> velocities were SIGNIFICANTLY lower. As in, playing
ff, maximum 90-100.
> mf
> playing was more like 60-75. These velocities
playback rather "wimpy"
> on
> the samplers or sound modules.
>
> Midi standards are quite open to interpretation.  It
has always been
> Yamaha's practice to have the velocity numbers be
smaller than most
> other manufacturer's scaling.  Yamaha seems to
consider midi velocity
> 127 as 'overdriven' rather than full volume.  If you
record on a Yamaha
> system and than play on another you will need to
re-scale the
> velocities (simple in software) to make them play as
expected.
> Yamaha's whole method of addressing MIDI is more
complicated than
> others ... at least thats how it was in the old days
when I used to
> actually look at hex code for MIDI .... thankfully no
more!
>
> Don