Disklavier

Hello Group,

I have been reading the messages for a while and have some general 
questions.

I do not yet have a disklavier but I am in the market for one.  I am not 
certain exactly which model I want, hence the questions.

I have been looking at the local dealer but the salesman's knowledge did 
not seem complete.

So, what is the difference between the regular and pro versions.  Also, if 
I am looking for files to be played, what type of file do I need.  Do all 
disklaviers play the same types of file?

If I were to go down a different road and obtain the add-on unit that can 
be fitted to other types of piano, what are the main differences between 
this and the disklavier.

Sorry about the basic questions but it is a lot of cash and I want to make 
sure I get the choice right.


Keith

- -

Keith Barrett


gw4nby

Bridgend
South Wales

Hi Keith,

I can tell you what I've already learned from other members of the 
group, and that should answer most of your questions:

>
> DGC1A, DC1A and DC2A:    Key and pedal sensors that enable recording.
> DC3A and up:            Hammer sensors are added to enable capture
> of key release data
> Pro models:            Much greater sensitivity is added to sensors
> when recording in highest mode - can
> capture much more nuance on key and pedal movement.
>
>
> This is a pretty good explanation, except that the hammer sensors in 
> the DC3A and up are there for the purpose of recording hammer 
> velocity--which is more accurate than recording key velocity alone. I 
> would amplify on this chart as follows:
>
> DGC1A, DC1A, DC2A
> --key sensors capture 7-bit velocity data for each note-on message
> --pedal sensors capture 4-bit incremental pedal movement data
>
> DC3A and up
> --hammer sensors capture 7-bit velocity data for each note-on message
> --pedal sensors capture 4-bit incremental pedal movement data
>
> Pro models (available in the C3 size and larger)
> --hammers sensors capture 10-bit velocity data for each note-on message
> --key sensors additionally capture 10-bit key velocity data for 
> downward key movement
> --key sensors capture 10-bit key release data for each note-off message
> --pedal sensors capture 7-bit incremental pedal movement data
>
> Regards,
> PianoBench

That answers your questions about the differences between models.  As 
far as the file format is concerned, I believe they all read the same 
format, and you can convert conventional midi files to this format if 
you want.  Correct me if I'm wrong here guys.  As far as the other 
brands out there, I'm told that they aren't nearly as accurate at 
recording and their playback isn't as sensitive as the Yamahas.

Hope this helps.

Carl

Given that you're considering the purchase of a new Disklavier you 
can rest assured that the control unit's disk drive will properly 
handle:

  - 2DD (720 KB) 3.5" floppy diskettes
  - 2HD (1.44 MB) 3.5" floppy diskettes
  - Yamaha PianoSoft disks (have copy-protection and can't be read  
    on IBM PC) 
  - Yamaha E-SEQ files
  - Standard Midi Files (SMF), type 0 (SMF-0) and type 1 (SMF-1)

Although the above items may not mean all that much to you now, they 
do offer compatibility with most popular MIDI formats that you're 
likely to encounter.

Additionally, if you purchase the newer Mark III series 
Disklavier's, you'll get a CD drive and 16 MB of on-board memory.  
The on-board memory   can be used much like an internal hard drive 
for recording and/or playback purposes.

An excellent summary of these features is available at Carol 
Beigel's web site: www.carolrpt.com/DiskFileChart.pdf

Robert

--- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "Keith Barrett" <keith@b...> 
wrote:
> Hello Group,
> 
> I have been reading the messages for a while and have some general 
> questions.
> 
> I do not yet have a disklavier but I am in the market for one.  I 
am not 
> certain exactly which model I want, hence the questions.
> 
> I have been looking at the local dealer but the salesman's 
knowledge did 
> not seem complete.
> 
> So, what is the difference between the regular and pro versions.  
Also, if 
> I am looking for files to be played, what type of file do I need.  
Do all 
> disklaviers play the same types of file?
> 
> If I were to go down a different road and obtain the add-on unit 
that can 
> be fitted to other types of piano, what are the main differences 
between 
> this and the disklavier.
> 
> Sorry about the basic questions but it is a lot of cash and I want 
to make 

> sure I get the choice right.
> 
> 
> Keith
> 
> - -
> 
> Keith Barrett
> 
> 
> gw4nby
> 
> Bridgend
> South Wales