Disklavier

Good afternoon, everyone.

Regarding the issues mentioned by Richard below:

iTunes has intriguing possibilities. When you import an audio song  
file from CD, it checks an Internet-based database for cataloguing  
information. You can accept or reject what it finds (or even update  
the database on the Internet yourself), or you can enter any of the  
cataloging data yourself directly into iTunes. There are many fields  
that cover the crucial areas of composer, title, album, performer,  
date, etc.

Unforutnately, the online database does not apply to MIDI files.  
However, you can catalog and access your MIDI files within iTunes  
very conveniently. On a Windows computer, you can even play the MIDI  
files on your Disklavier using a MIDI connection. Also, you can use  
iTunes to play PianoSoft Plus Audio CDs (assuming that you turn off  
the Sound Enhancer feature of iTunes and make the appropriate audio  
cable connections to the piano).

There are basically just 6 problems:

(1) Copy Protection
Although most MIDI files are unprotected, Yamaha-published files are  
delivered on protected media that cannot be read on your computer  
without breaking the protection (and then only on a Windows computer).

(2) Smart PianoSoft
You cannot coordinate the synchronized MIDI/CD playback of Smart  
PianoSoft recordings (i.e. MIDI recordings that synchronize with  
commercial audio recordings).

(3) Ideal Piano Playback
Ideally, piano MIDI files should be played by the Disklavier itself  
from an internal drive. Playback is more accurate in that situation.  
When the Disklavier receives MIDI data over a MIDI cable, the data is  
received serially (i.e. one event at a time) and that serial  
transmission microscopically changes the timing of MIDI events. For  
most people, however, this is unnoticeable.

(4) Lyrics
iTunes does not display MIDI lyrics on playback.

(5) MIDI Adjustments
iTunes does not give you the opportunity to adjust MIDI channels or  
other MIDI parameters.

(6) Playback of MIDI Data on a Macintosh
Remarkably, you used to be able to use iTunes to play back MIDI files  
on externally connected MIDI devices (such as a Disklavier) under OS  
9, but this feature was removed in OS X. However, you can do this on  
Windows if you know how.

To playback MIDI files from iTunes using a Disklavier connected to a  
Windows computer:

--Connect an appropriate MIDI interface and MIDI cables or USB cable  
between your computer and Disklavier, install any necessary MIDI  
drivers on the computer, and set up the Disklavier appropriately.

--Use the QuickTime control panel to designate "General MIDI" as the  
"Default MIDI Synthesizer" (instead of "QuickTime Music  
Synthesizer"). You can find this setting under the Audio tab.

--Set your system-wide MIDI output default to the MIDI connection  
that sends MIDI data to your Disklavier. The exact way that you do  
this varies slightly with various flavors of Windows:

Windows 98
Start:Settings:Control Panel:Multimedia
click the Multimedia tab in the Multimedia Properties window
choose Single Instrument
under Single Instrument, make your selection for the desired choice  
for MIDI output

Windows ME and Windows 2000
Start:Settings:Control Panel:Sounds and Multimedia Properties
click the Audio tab in the Sounds and Multimedia Properties window
under MIDI Music Playback, make your selection for the desired choice  
for MIDI output

Windows XP
Start:Control Panel
(1) if the next window is set to Categories View, click Sounds,  
Speech, and Audio Devices
then click Sounds and Audio Devices
click the Audio tab in the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties window
under MIDI Music Playback, make your selection for the desired choice  
for MIDI output

or

(2) if the next window is set to Classic View, click Sounds and Audio  
Devices
click the Audio tab in the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties window
under MIDI Music Playback, make your selection for the desired choice  
for MIDI output

Regards,
PianoBench



On Sep 12, 2006, at 11:03 AM, Richard Kerr wrote:

>
> I am highly appreciative and grateful for the efforts of those of  
> you who have taken the time to improve the visual presentation of  
> information relevant to composer, composition, performer, etc of  
> the pieces we play on our Disklaviers. Despite these noble and  
> welcome efforts, the limitations of visual display devices chosen  
> by Yamaha, the general looseness of MIDI standards, and the absence  
> of any significant interest by the computing industry in compiling  
> responsive software, leaves those of us who are serious about  
> cataloging, sorting, and selectively playing thousands of MIDI  
> files, to our own miserable devises. The result is a hodgepodge of  
> personal computer approaches for displaying musical composition and  
> performance information and for playing pieces that at best, is a  
> gross compromise.
>
> What is needed is a consortium of Yamaha, computing industry, and  
> MIDI standards representatives to address this issue by analyzing  
> and defining user needs and packing technology in a way that is  
> fully responsive, rather than the half-heatred approach we are  
> forced to contend with today. Frankly, I don't hold out much  
> expectation for that to occur. So until that utopian day arrives,  
> we are stuck with the PC and the necessity of cobbling up our own  
> software solutions to meet individual cataloging needs. The very  
> fact that this discussion is occurring should serve as adequate  
> notice to Yamaha that it should take the lead in pursuing this  
> matter of defining and responding to user needs fully. One would  
> think Yamaha would recognize that these severe limitations impede  
> the sale of their instruments. Alas, I love Yamaha and its  
> wonderful pianos, and I'll be eternally grateful for what they have  
> done to bring the Disklavier to its current high state of wonder.  
> Nevertheless, when it comes to displaying relevant information  
> fully, I only have hope for far more, with very little expectation  
> that such hope will be realized. I wonder if Yamaha has ever asked  
> users what they need?
>
> Richard H. Kerr
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: George F. Litterst
> To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 6:19 AM
> Subject: Re: [disklavier] Re: piano-e-competition
>
> Good morning, everyone.
>
> On Sep 12, 2006, at 1:53 AM, Richard Kerr wrote:
>
> >
> > Not very useful without the composer.
>
> I determined the title information that was embedded into the P-e-C
> MIDI files.
>
> Basically, we added 2 types of MIDI messages: (1) a Yamaha System
> Exclusive message that Yamaha instruments recognize and display and
> (2) a Sequence Name Meta Event that many sequencers, keyboards, and
> other devices recognize.
>
> In the case of #2, we were limited to 32 characters. In the case of
> Mark III and earlier Disklaviers, we were also limited to 32
> characters (i.e. two lines of 16 characters each).
>
> With these limitations in mind, I constructed title information
> consisting of piece name and artist name. In the case of #1, I put as
> much into the 32-character allotment as I could; in the case of #2, I
> essentially did the same thing except that I formatted it so that
> piece name information appears on the first line and artist name
> appears on the second line.
>
> In some cases, the information was so crowded that I could not
> separate words with spaces and therefore separated words by their
> initial capital letters.
>
> Since the competition is all about the young artists, I thought it
> important to associate the performer names with each MIDI file and
> therefore gave preference to the artists instead of to the composers.
>
> The Mark IV, of course, can show even longer piece names. However,
> the data is just in a long, System Exclusive string. The information
> is not organized by categories (such as piece name, composer name,
> date of composition, artist, etc.). In addition, you cannot see the
> complete string at one time on the Mark IV Pocket Remote; it scrolls
> by horizontally. I could have lengthened the Yamaha SysEx message and
> included the composer name after the 32nd character, but the string
> would have looked awkward. Also, adding that information would not
> have assisted the objective of many Disklavier owners to have a
> database that was searchable by piece, composer, artist, etc.
>
> Regards,
> PianoBench
>
>
>