Disklavier

Greetings Carol,

I don't own a Disklavier and besides there are so many models. I have
an LX (actually two of them) player and they play just about anything
you can feed them. I test my Disklavier and Pianodisc CDs on the LX
and everything plays fine. Of course there are some newer CDS with
accompaniment that were made to be exclusic=ve to a certain brand and
they may not work.

If the Disklavier in discussion has audio in inputs, it should be
possible to play audio encoded MIDI with an accompaniment audio
channel through a computer. Most computers will allow you to play
audio output from a WAV file on a CD.

As you suggested, PD and DKV may have the MIDI/audio on opposite
channels. You can make up a switch to change these with a line level
switch and wye cables all available from Radio Schack. I think I
posted an e-mail to this group about how to configure this.

It might even be possible to play wirelessly this way through Itunes
although Itunes seems to like MP3 files more than WAV and it can be a
challenge to add text tags to WAV files that will displayin Itunes.

Saturday, December 27, 2008, 6:55:20 PM, you wrote:
> Sorry if I missed this the first time. The only thing Yamaha came
> up with is an add-on to what you have called the DCD1 CD player. 
> However, it is no longer available new from Yamaha.
>  
> Playing CDs on a Disklavier can be tricky.  As I recall, there are
> only 2 channels, a Left and a Right.  One channel contains the MIDI
> data and the other has the audio.  One company will put the MIDI on
> the Left channel and another company will put the data on the Right
> channel so you can't  always play the MIDI CDs.  In any case, the
> MIDI data is encoded so the audio CD can read it.
>  
> Before I had a DCD1, I bought a MIDIman audio to MIDI converter
> from QRS, that I connected to a Sony Walkman CD player.  Worked just
> fine on my Disklavier to play QRS CDs on my Disklavier.
>  
> It can take a lot of time and money buying and playing with gadgets
> to see what they can and cannot do.  Same for buying several brands
> of MIDI CDs to see what works.  I know that older PianoDisc CDs are
> different from newer ones, and that the newer ones won't even play on older PianoDisc systems!
>  
> Remember, the Disklavier was meant to play MIDI data.  Those XG
> disks with the MIDI Ensemble sounds have a good orchestra sound - in
> my opinion.  Also, check out that MID2CD software.
>  
> Buying a laptop and MIDI interface is to circumvent the floppy drive, not the CD player!
>  
> Carol
>  
>  
>  
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: Michael D. Chipolone 
> To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com 
> Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 11:23 AM
> Subject: Re: [disklavier] Re: PGG10R

>  Carol Beigel,
>  
>  I'm surprised you didn't respond to my earlier Email regarding my
>  Silent Disklavier 48" Professional Upright MPX100IIXG with control
>  unit DKC500R. 
>  
>  The question I raised is whether Yamaha has considered an upgrade
>  to this control unit that can play the new CD's that are designed for
>  Yamaha's latest Disklavier pianos. It seems like this would be a more
>  cost effective than purchasing a PC or MacBook laptop. 
>  


>  
-- 
Best regards,
Spencer_Lists Chase        mailto:lists@...
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(707) 984-8356

Michael,
Don't forget that if Yamaha does not and will not provide what you 
need in the way of an add-on CD player, there are other companies 
that may. 

Have you looked at any possible options from either:
PianoDisc http://www.pianodisc.com/products/
or
Pianomation http://www.qrsmusic.com/pianomation.asp

Scott Jackson


--- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "Michael D. Chipolone" 
<mikechip@...> wrote:
>
>  Carol,
> 
>  Thanks for your clarification. 
> 
>  However, I think Yamaha is being short-sighted in not seeing the 
value of "electronic evolution"
>  from floppy players to new CD players that are downward compatible 
with the premier MPX100IIXG 
>  model Disklavier. To keep abreast of electronic developments is 
one supposed to scrap a $10,000
>  investment for a later model Disklavier?
> 
>  I firmly believe that Yamaha should strive to maintain electronic 
compatibility with older Disklaviers 
>  consistent with the business philosophy used by Sony and other 
electronic manufacturers.
> 
>  Mike