Disklavier

Good morning, everyone.


On May 22, 2009, at 10:45 AM, athomik wrote:

> Remote Lessons. This isn't on general release yet, but it has been  
> demonstrated in the US a few times. It consists of an additional  
> piece of software you can load onto the Disklavier and which allows  
> Disklaviers in different locations to talk to each other, i.e. with  
> the addition of a laptop and webcam, a teacher could provide  
> interactive lessons to pupils anywhere in the world (provided both  
> parties have access to a Disklavier Mk IV). This function works with  
> more than 2 just Disklaviers, so you could have an entire class of  
> pupils scattered all over the world, all taking part in the same  
> lessons.


Remote Lesson, unfortunately, has not been released, and Yamaha has  
not actually promised to release it. And, it only works with Mark IV  
Disklaviers. It is, however, a very fine program. I have used it  
extensively and successfully.

If this concept has appeal, considering adding a laptop, webcam, and  
Internet MIDI from TimeWarp Technologies:

www.timewarptech.com/Pages/Products/InternetMIDI/InternetMIDI.html

Internet MIDI links any two MIDI keyboard instruments together over  
the Internet. When you play one keyboard instrument, you  
simultaneously play the other.

This can be very effective with acoustic pianos that have MIDI, such  
as the Disklavier. The program works with digital pianos as well.

In addition to connecting the instruments, Internet MIDI provides an  
animated on-screen keyboard with keys, pedals, and velocity meters so  
that you can tell visually what is going on during the performance.

By sending MIDI data over the Internet instead of audio, you avoid the  
unfortunate audio compression that is imposed by Skype and other video  
conferencing programs.

Internet MIDI works very nicely with Skype. For example, you can set  
Internet MIDI to mute the Skype microphone automatically when student  
or teacher is playing. And you can use the keys or pedals of your MIDI  
instrument as triggers to lock the microphone into the "on" position,  
switch between multiple local cameras, or switch between multiple  
remote cameras.

I am a co-author of this program.

Regards,
PianoBench


www.georgelitterst.com
www.timewarptech.com