Disklavier

Hi gang, 

Thinking about upgrading to a Mark IV possibly this year.  I was wondering how many of the wish list improvements mentioned below have been granted for the latest update of the Mark IV system.  

I know NAMM is coming up, so maybe some good news there?

Thanks

> > Sent: Saturday, September 05, 2009 9:35 AM
> > To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com<mailto:disklavier%40yahoogroups.com>
> > Subject: Re: [disklavier] Mark4 Software
> >
> > Philip,
> >
> > Yours is one of the best posts that I have seen in a very long time on
> > this Forum. I agree with every single one of your requests and can
> > add a few comments and suggestions as well, although frankly over the
> > five years since purchasing my Mark IV I have only rarely felt that
> > Yamaha was listening, and although I have written to Bill Brandom with
> > some of these suggestions, I have received no response and only very
> > rarely see his presence on this Forum in the last year or so.
> >
> > I have pleaded for a larger HD for the Mark IV for a long time to no
> > avail. The 80 GB HD that is on the piano is totally inadequate
> > especially when you realize that the Mark IV stores CD audio in
> > the .wav format which takes up tons of space. Please, please provide
> > the option of a larger HD for this piano. I s topped all purchases of
> > Yamaha software more than 3 years ago because my HD is nearly full and
> > I don't want to take the chance of crashing it by adding any more
> > software to it.
> >
> > The backup option provided by the Mark IV is simply inadequate. There
> > is no way to do an incremental backup. Each time you backup, you have
> > to backup everything. Even with only an 80 GB HD that takes more
> > than 12 hours with the software that I have on my Mark IV. Please,
> > please, Yamaha provide a means of doing incremental backups that will
> > not work the HD (both internal and external) to death.
> >
> > A second contribu tor to the inadequate backup capabilities of the  
> > Mark
> > IV is the fact that it supports only USB 1.0. Even when the piano was
> > introduced in 2004 the USB 2.0 standard had completely replaced USB
> > 1.0 and my Mark IV is the only device in my home that still uses the
> > far slower US 1.0. While Yamaha has been quick to raise the prices on
> > the MarK IV, it has been just as slow to implement current (much less
> > advanced technologies) as Philip has so well pointed out in his post.
> > It will be interesting to see how outdated the technology on the Mark
> > V will be when and if it ever appears.
> >
> > The processor in the Mark IV is a 333 MHz -- incredibly slow even for
> > 2004 when it was introduced. Why was this done? I was told that it
> > was to keep down heat produced and obviate the need for a fan. My Mac
> > Pro 8-core computer with four 2.8 GHz processors has a fan so quiet
> > that I can barely hear it even in a quiet room. Surely Yamaha can
> > mount a processor in the Mark V that will be reflective of the 21st
> > century instead of the 20th century and find a quiet fan if heat
> > production is a problem. Until they do, we can forget parallel
> > processes and running things in the background because the Mark IV's
> > 333 MHz processor is apparently simply not able to support it.
> >
> > I suspect that Yamaha is hard at w ork on a Mark V and that it will
> > incorporate a few of the suggestions Phil and I have made. However,
> > if past disklaviers are any indication, the Mark V will be totally
> > outdated even before it arrives, but the price will be far far greater
> > than the Mark IV.
> >
> > Tom
> >
> > On Sep 5, 2009, at 5:15 AM, Phil Blah wrote:
> >
> > > Hey Guys,
> > >
> > > No much happening with the Disklavier forums lately, perhaps
> > > everyone is content with their piano!
> > >
> > > Does anyone know if Yamaha are going to releas e new software for
> > > their pianos? (psst Bill Brandon you still here?)
> > >
> > > I must say that the DKVBrowser software that Kevin has made is so
> > > great! It makes moving files around so easy.. the clunky old PDA is
> > > pretty crappy for this!
> > >
> > > On a side note, has anyone tried running the java app on an iphone?
> > > it would be much better than the clunky old PDA's... the battery
> > > does not last long (even a new one only lasts 2 hours max). Also the
> > > wireless is pretty weak signal. Perhaps the DKVBrowser can be made
> > > for iphones? lol.
> > >
> > > Dear Yamaha, here is my wish-list/advice for version 4 of the
> > > software :)
> > >
> > > 1) Disk image needs to support 'fresh' install. This has various
> > > advantages..as the old 80gb drives clag out people can just put in a
> > > new HD easily or they want a bigger HD so they can install from
> > > scratch. A fresh install will be clean and have performance
> > > advantages too. Plus it will solve 99% of peoples problems if their
> > > software gets screwy.
> > >
> > > 2) Finish off the half done Graphics support.. ie allow songs to
> > > have .jpgs attached to them as a slide show or just as a cover to
> > > the song (this is the TV out part, not all Disklaviers have the
> > > tablet thing like in Australia for example!).
> > >
> > > 3) Allow access to the XG voices in performance mode.
> > >
> > > 4) Make a new 'live sounding' special drum and base kit.. the
> > > current base and drums are alright but they all sound too synthetic.
> > > Surely Yamaha can try harder with these most critical synths...
> > > There are free drum/base sound fonts on the net that people have
> > > just recorded a real drum and base that sound better! Lets face it
> > > guys, no one listens to crappy midi with the ir beautiful piano...
> > > the only exception is Jazz that has a base/drums only. Most Sue
> > > Downs songs are excellent like this.... anyway having a 'live' drum
> > > sound font would be perfect!
> > >
> > > 5) Better strings and wood instruments overall... some songs are
> > > just embarrassing with these cheezy synths, sounds like a big mobile
> > > phone with most midi's.
> > >
> > > 6) More control with the network setup ie wep keys/ip everything
> > > overall etc. Also as they use Samba it would take 2 seconds to put a
> > > basic password for windows networking (not everyone has their piano
> > > in their home!).
> > >
> > > 7) MP3 Support. Wave files are so inefficient. MP3's have been
> > > around since 1995 or eairler and as it runs linux I am sure it can
> > > handle it (yes ofcorse pun was intended). For quality freaks, the
> > > MP3 can be 256bit rate so its losless. Then each song will be about
> > > 8 - 12 meg rather than 40+
> > >
> > > 8) Faster seek for playing/stopping songs!
> > >
> > > 9) Faster and better methods of recording... I am not sure if it's
> > > just me, but when you 'know' that it's recording you usually make a
> > > mistake while playing a song and then want to quicky start the
> > > recording again. But the current way is all bumbly and clumsy and
> > > slow... worst case is I have to just keep it recording and I copy
> > > the midi to my computer and use cakewalk to edit... but that's a big
> > > pain.
> > >
> > > 10) Backup! - Like most people, we just trust everything will just
> > > keep working and we get complacent... but imagine if your HD failed
> > > tomorrow, all the songs you bought all the CD's that took you hours
> > > to save on the HD... all the midis and files arranged... all gorn!
> > > So a backup option would simply copy everything to a network share
> > > as a big archive file (to preserve the secret database etc etc). And
> > > you can simply restore it all back if needed.
> > >
> > > 11) Better playlist managment and random play
> > >
> > > 12) Guys this is not a mark3 nor is it 1990. It's a linux box that
> > > is already multitasking, surley we can play a song while searching
> > > or copying things! So yes, a song needs to contiune to play while we
> > > do other things.
> > >
> > > 13) Back to recording, It's a bit hard to figure out how to simply
> > > record while a .wav/CD (god bless) is playing... So we need to
> > > simply be able to play a CD/.wav and you can record your piano
> > > playing. Also recording other voices and in performance mode is not
> > > easy to do. My 1992 Yamaha Clavinova makes it easy.
> > >
> > > 14) Just on my 1992 Yamaha Clavinova, it has several built in drum
> > > beats and groovy synth riffs even with a 'varation' button! but
> > > there are no built in drum kits with the mark4.... bit sad
> > > really..... nothing more fun then just having a good beat and
> > > playing the piano with it!
> > >
> > > 15) Better use of the internet, while it might sound all cool 'wow
> > > the pianos on the internet' bu t it's really a closed system,
> > > Yamaha's mini web thing only.... the whole internet piano thing is
> > > NOT available to normal people only 'special' Yamaha people... can
> > > we get over this and allow our pianos to connect to friends.
> > >
> > > 15b) As a Yamaha Radio subscriber and regular song buyer... I think
> > > Yamaha needs to allow people to 'trial' a song... the little 20
> > > second preview is not really enough somtimes.. even if it costs 20c
> > > or something to play only but not save would be good, I think $4.50
> > > USD for a song is so over priced... some songs are just awful and
> > > lifeless.. Also the fact that they even tell peop le that 'the midi
> > > file might be unacceptable'... those songs should be heaps cheaper.
> > >
> > > 15c) Just with the whole internet thing, just like you can stream
> > > internet radio like 'smoothjazz.com' surley they can stream songs
> > > with audio and midi data. They could quite easily setup a large
> > > buffer to handle 192k streams... and lets face it we all have
> > > broadband these days, not like people are on modem or somethin!. So
> > > Even if it costs a bit more or they charge per hour or something...
> > > there is a time when I just crave a voice with piano and get so sick
> > > of my usual collection!
> > >
> > > 15d) Yamaha need to allow for Piano Soft with Audio downloadable...
> > > I don't always want to buy an entire CD just for 1 song, plus the
> > > whole slow clumsy CD thing is not very modern for a company trying
> > > to make out how modern they were (the piano on the internet thing).
> > > I am quite happy to pay $6 per song if it had audio!
> > >
> > > Well that's all I can think of for now.
> > >
> > > Let's hope these features will be in Version 4 :)
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > >
> > > Philip
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > __________________________________________________________
> > > Get more done like never before with Yahoo!7 Mail.
> > > Learn more: http://au.overview.mail.yahoo.com/
> > >
> > >
> > & gt; ------------------------------------
> > >
> > > To Post a message to the group, send it to: disklavier@... 
> > <mailto:disklavier%40YahooGroups.com>
> > >
> > > To Post a private message to Todd Muncy, the group's founder and
> > > moderator, send it to:
> > > disklavier-owner@...<mailto:disklavier-owner%40Yahoogroups.com 
> > >
> > >
> > > To reach our group's web site go to:
> > > http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier
> > >
> > > THINKING OF LEAVING THE GROUP?
> > > If you are thinking of unsubcribing because you are getting too much
> > > mail, go the the web site and change your email delivery option
> > > instead. That will fix the problem, while maintaining your access
> > > to the group. If you insist on leaving us complete ly send a blank
> > > email to:
> > > disklavier-unsubscribe@...<mailto:disklavier-unsubscribe%40yahooGroups.com 
> > >
> > >
> > > Know someone who wants to join? Have them send a blank email to:
> > > disklavier-subscribe@...<mailto:disklavier-subscribe%40eGroups.com 
> > > or give them this link:
> > > http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier/join
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > To Post a message to the group, send it to: diskla vier@... 
> > <mailto:disklavier%40YahooGroups.com>
> >
> > To Post a private message to Todd Muncy, the group's founder and  
> > moderator, send it to:
> > disklavier-owner@...<mailto:disklavier-owner%40Yahoogroups.com 
> > >
> >
> > To reach our group's web site go to:
> > http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier
> >
> > THINKING OF LEAVING THE GROUP?
> > If you are thinking of unsubcribing because you are getting too much  
> > mail, go the the web site and change your email delivery option  
> > instead. That will fix the problem, while maintaining your access to  
> > the group. If you insist on leaving us completely send a blank email  
> > to:
> > disklavier-unsubscribe@...<mailto:disklavier-unsubscribe%40yahooGroups.com 
> > >
> >
> > Know someone who wants to join? Have them send a blank email to:
> > disklavier-subscribe@...<mailto:disklavier-subscribe%40eGroups.com 
> > > or give them this link:
> > http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier/join
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>