Disklavier

My dealer just returned from a trade show where Yamaha announced a very 
interesting new technology called PianoSmart.  As I understand 
PianoSmart it is designed to work with Yamaha CD players in disklaviers 
such as the DC3A. Again, if my understanding is correct, one simply 
inserts a commercial CD (not a Pianosoft Plus Audio  CD) in the 
disklavier's CD player and a PianoSmart floppy disk into the floppy disk 
player.  The floppy disk contains a recorded piano accompaniment to the 
commercial CD and the acoustic piano accompaniment will play back in 
proper timing with the commercial CD.  While this is similar to Yamaha 
Pianosoft Plus Audio CD's (where the CD has the piano parts recorded as 
data on the CD along with the instrumental and vocal parts (if any) 
recorded on the other channel of the CD, it affords several obvious 
advantages: (1) Yamaha will be able to provide accompaniments to many 
many commercial CD's.  In fact my dealer has just sent me a listing of 
Titles in Development for the Smart Pianosoft series and it includes 
about 150 titles in development now.  (2) One will be able to record 
their own accompaniments (or hire a competent pianist to do so) for 
their favorite commercial CD's. (3) The Smart Pianosoft software will be 
considerably cheaper than the present Pianosoft Plus Audio CD's.  My 
dealer stated that Yamaha has indicated that this software will be 
available in June 2002 and will require a firmware (downloadable from 
the internet) upgrade to the disklavier.  

This is all that I have learned from my dealer about this exciting new 
technology/software.  I would be pleased if anyone from Yamaha would 
step in and  confirm or correct any errors in the above information;

Tom

Does anyone from Yamaha or elsewhere have any idea when this software 
and firmware upgrade may be released?  It is now June and I have heard 
nothing further about either the software or the firmware upgrade for 
the Mark III disklavier required to play it.  

Tom

Thomas N. Wheeler wrote:

> My dealer just returned from a trade show where Yamaha announced a 
> very interesting new technology called PianoSmart.  As I understand 
> PianoSmart it is designed to work with Yamaha CD players in 
> disklaviers such as the DC3A. Again, if my understanding is correct, 
> one simply inserts a commercial CD (not a Pianosoft Plus Audio  CD) in 
> the disklavier's CD player and a PianoSmart floppy disk into the 
> floppy disk player.  The floppy disk contains a recorded piano 
> accompaniment to the commercial CD and the acoustic piano 
> accompaniment will play back in proper timing with the commercial CD. 
>  While this is similar to Yamaha Pianosoft Plus Audio CD's (where the 
> CD has the piano parts recorded as data on the CD along with the 
> instrumental and vocal parts (if any) recorded on the other channel of 
> the CD, it affords several obvious advantages: (1) Yamaha will be able 
> to provide accompaniments to many many commercial CD's.  In fact my 
> dealer has just sent me a listing of Titles in Development for the 
> Smart Pianosoft series and it includes about 150 titles in development 
> now.  (2) One will be able to record their own accompaniments (or hire 
> a competent pianist to do so) for their favorite commercial CD's. (3) 
> The Smart Pianosoft software will be considerably cheaper than the 
> present Pianosoft Plus Audio CD's.  My dealer stated that Yamaha has 
> indicated that this software will be available in June 2002 and will 
> require a firmware (downloadable from the internet) upgrade to the 
> disklavier.  
>
> This is all that I have learned from my dealer about this exciting new 
> technology/software.  I would be pleased if anyone from Yamaha would 
> step in and  confirm or correct any errors in the above information;
>
> Tom
> To Post a message to the group, send it to:   disklavier@...
>
> To Post a private message to Todd Muncy, the group's founder and 
> moderator, send it to:
> disklavier-owner@...
>
> To reach our group's web site go to:
> http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier
>
> Todd's family web site was completely rewritten in June 2001 and 
> contains some fun disklavier content and links to midi sites among 
> other things, The url is:
> http://MuncyFamily.com
>
> 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@...
>
> Know someone who wants to join?  Have them send a blank email to:
> disklavier-subscribe@... or give them this link:
> http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier/join
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service 
> <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .

Good afternoon, everyone.

In a message dated 6/6/02 3:53:18 PM, Tom writes:

<< Does anyone from Yamaha or elsewhere have any idea when this software 
and firmware upgrade may be released?  It is now June and I have heard 
nothing further about either the software or the firmware upgrade for 
the Mark III disklavier required to play it.   >>

I believe that it has been delayed by about a month or two.

You might be interested to know that the PianoSmart technology, as it will be 
implemented, will enable some pretty far-out applications. For example, using 
SMPTE time code, you can synchronize playback to a video.

We are using this video sync technology today in the context of the 
International Piano-e-Competition that is taking place in Minneapolis 
(www.pianoecompetition.com). During the solo portion of the final round, we 
will film each of the six finalists with a digital camera as they perform 
their Schubert sonata. Simultaneously, we will record SMPTE time code in the 
form of audio tones onto the audio tracks of the video tape. The SMPTE code 
will be generated by a SyncMan box, available from MIDIMan. The SyncMan will 
simultaneously output MIDI Time Code (MTC) in order to control the internal 
timing clock of the 9-foot Disklavier Mark III as it records the performance 
as a MIDI file.

We will capture the video and compress it with MPEG4 in real time on a 
Windows laptop using Windows Media Encoder. As soon as the performance is 
finished, we will upload the video file (in Windows Media Player format) 
along with the MIDI file to a secure ftp server so that these files can be 
downloaded for a judge (Yefim Bronfman) who is on concert tour in Japan. He 
will be able to view the video (without audio) and simultaneously listen to 
the playback on a 9-foot Disklavier.

Regards,
PianoBench

George,

Quick question: Are any of these performances going to be available on the
Internet for viewing or is it strictly being used for the judges evaluation?

A couple of the MIDI performances that I have heard so far are outstanding!


Danny

----- Original Message -----
From: <PianoBench@...>
To: <disklavier@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2002 2:09 PM
Subject: Re: [disklavier] New Yamaha Smart PianoSoft Technology and Software


> Good afternoon, everyone.

>snip<

> We will capture the video and compress it with MPEG4 in real time on a
> Windows laptop using Windows Media Encoder. As soon as the performance is
> finished, we will upload the video file (in Windows Media Player format)
> along with the MIDI file to a secure ftp server so that these files can be
> downloaded for a judge (Yefim Bronfman) who is on concert tour in Japan.
He
> will be able to view the video (without audio) and simultaneously listen
to

> the playback on a 9-foot Disklavier.
>
> Regards,
> PianoBench

George,

While I fully appreciate the need to keep this video private until the 
International-e-Piano Competition has been completed, is there any 
chance that this mpeg file or Windows Media File could be eventually 
made available for download?  It would be an incredible treat to be able 
to play the video back on a laptop placed atop my Mark III disklavier 
while synching the midi playback with the video via the SmartPiano 
software when it finally becomes available. This would be a terrific way 
to further astound visitors with the capabilities of my disklavier.

Tom

PianoBench@... wrote:

>Good afternoon, everyone.
>
>In a message dated 6/6/02 3:53:18 PM, Tom writes:
>
>We will capture the video and compress it with MPEG4 in real time on a 
>Windows laptop using Windows Media Encoder. As soon as the performance is 
>finished, we will upload the video file (in Windows Media Player format) 
>along with the MIDI file to a secure ftp server so that these files can be 
>downloaded for a judge (Yefim Bronfman) who is on concert tour in Japan. He 
>will be able to view the video (without audio) and simultaneously listen to 
>the playback on a 9-foot Disklavier.
>

Good afternoon, everyone.

In a message dated 6/13/02 1:44:07 PM, Danny writes:

<< Quick question: Are any of these performances going to be available on the
Internet for viewing or is it strictly being used for the judges evaluation?

A couple of the MIDI performances that I have heard so far are outstanding! >>

The video with coordinated Disklavier MIDI file is only for the viewing of 
the remote judge. The Flash ROM update the is required by the Mark III piano 
is not yet available to the general public.

NPR is doing some streaming video with audio (no MIDI). You can get details 
at:

http://music.mpr.org/features/0206_epiano/

In a message dated 6/13/02 12:16:06 PM, Tom writes:

<<Please note that the link to Davide 
Franceschetti's performances is broken.>>

I believe that the links are now working.

Regards,
PianoBench

Good evening, everyone.

In a message dated 6/13/02 7:35:32 PM, Tom writes:

<< While I fully appreciate the need to keep this video private until the 
International-e-Piano Competition has been completed, is there any 
chance that this mpeg file or Windows Media File could be eventually 
made available for download?  It would be an incredible treat to be able 
to play the video back on a laptop placed atop my Mark III disklavier 
while synching the midi playback with the video via the SmartPiano 
software when it finally becomes available. This would be a terrific way 
to further astound visitors with the capabilities of my disklavier. >>

I suggest that all Disklavier lovers send these and similar thoughts to:

Mike Bates
Director of Academic & Institutional Relations
Yamaha
MBates@...

Alexander Braginsky
President & Artistic Director
International Piano-e-Competition
bragi001@...

Regards,
PianoBench