http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXozg2U_wss

Hadn't seen the weight and price specs where I looked. Congrats on tracking them down... (was that $CAN?)

All I want to know is, where did this epidemic of myaesthenia gravis first start? The Rhodes, at 130 lbs, is nearly double the weight of the V-Piano, makes but ONE sound (whereas the V-Piano seems capable of a broad range of piano tones), but we ALL happily lugged it around, and many still do, just for that one sound.

Once again, the assumption that most keyboard players CAN'T lug something that big around, when we have history to show us that, when the sound is THAT good, everyone WILL...

Yep, that price is steep, but as I said, it won't be long before it 'trickles down', and even before that, if I can get a few projects together that would pay for it (or even better, persuade my studio's owner to buy one!), I'll be playing it as soon as I can...

I don't mind 'one trick ponies' as long as that ONE trick is a showstopper. I've expressed admiration for the Nord Electro for a long time, which does but four, but does them better than anything else... Looking at the plethora of them in the hands of top pros on TV and records, seems that a 'jack of all trades but master of none' isn't quite what most are shooting for. And I'd be willing to bet that a large percentage of stage pianos with loads of other sounds in them rarely get any use other than piano. Maybe some Rhodes, but many pianists want just a piano. Nothing more, but definitely nothing less. This seems to have less compromise than anything else out there at the moment.

No doubt, when the CP70 came out, there were clavinet players going 'but it's TOO HEAVY... wah, wah, wah!'. That didn't stop a boatload of them selling. What's a clavinet got to do with a piano? Not much. What's an arranger player got to do with a piano? Not much either, from the sound of it!

Of course I wouldn't use something like this for an OMB gig. But yes, studio work, cocktail piano, first call band gigs, touring... I'd use one in a flash! Can't wait to try one...

BTW, Kurzweil K2500X, a staple in studio and stage for years... 76 lbs.

Where are these buff keyboard gods coming from..? Tough to find even ONE here! Even I have to admit, my K2500 at 55 lbs isn't a LOT of fun to move, but I have gigged with it... I guess it makes my G70 seem a featherweight

If you must have it Diki, I'm sure the weight or price won't stop you....and I'm sure you be able to convince yourself that you were very happy with it.

What strikes me odd, is that in a day when digital pianos can be both lightweight (25 lbs) and powerful AND inexpensive, here comes an instrument that weighs almost twice as much as your G70 and costs an arm and a leg (and a pulled groin muscle. )

I'm sure YOU will find use for it(not the pulled groin muscle...the piano ).

Just because performers lugged around heavy one sound instruments in the past, like the CP70, or Fender Rhodes, doesn't really justify doing it now...we are supposed to moving ahead, not backwards...if that were the case we'd all be using huge PC's and there would be no laptops.

What happened to the "sheer perfection" G70 piano?

Why dump your hard earned dough into a very expensive instrument that will replace one that you have told me already wows the people you record for...they even prefer it over a Steinway?

Seems like GAS to me, but we can all get it, I've been in it's grasp a few times, but thankfully, sensibility prevailed.

The V-Piano had better be road worthy...we're not talking about lumps like the CP70 and Rhodes that would crush a careless an unsuspecting roadie, and still work .

Buy if you must, and if you trust your lust , but, I know I'd think long and hard about something like this, and I am a piano player first and an arranger player second, and wouldn't mind spending the money for a great sound and feel....but, I'd at least like to be able to move it myself, and not see it limited to only a few uses..and it would have to be a bit more practical than an instrument with one sound and no expansion possibilities.

Don't expect anyone to talk you out of GAS...there are several chronic sufferers here on SZ that would surely want company, if only to justify their own lust with the addition of another victim, but at least consider all the possibilities carefully before you replace that great "sheer perfection" all purpose Honda station wagon with a Hummer H1.

Ian

I resemble that remark.



chas

PS: So does Russ .

Ha Ha, Chas, the thing that’s so bad about gear lust is that even though we know it’s bad, we just can’t help ourselves.

We always manage to convince ourselves that if only we can plump up the cash for this "one keyboard", or "one module" or "one piano", that life will feel complete and that we will reach the next Zen plain of true contentment. But, just like an addictive drug, the old gear lust comes a-wondering back into our consciousness. It’s not something we're born with.....we acquire it.

A fool and his money...are soon partying.

It'd be interesting to hear/play it in person, but the features the guy focuses on are, IMO, curious...

Its a piano and only a piano and I'm not sure when compared to other top end digital pianos that's its uniqueness will have broad appeal. Yes, the features are impressive, but beyond studio use or perhaps part of a larger stage set up, I don't think its going to win many ties with similar, lighter and less expensive kb's.


------------------
Bill in Dayton

Excuse me?


V-Piano:
The Piano Redefined

Specs:

Keyboard Section
Keyboard
88 keys PHA III (Progressive Hammer Action III) Ivory feel Keyboard with Escapement
Sound Generator Section (V-Piano)
Maximum number of tone-producing virtual strings
264-string (varies according to the sound generator load)
Tones
Preset: "24 Tones", User: 100 Tones
Setups
100
V-Piano editing parameters
Unison Tune, Hammer Hardness, Cross Resonance, Tone Color, String Resonance, Damper Resonance, Soundboard Resonance, Key off resonance, Damping Time, Damping Noise Level, and more
Effects
Ambiance: 12 types, 4-band Digital Equalizer
Sound Generator Section (GM2: playable via SMF and MIDI)
Parts
16 Parts
Maximum Polyphony
128 voices
Tones
"256 Tones"
Sequencer Section
Playable File Format
Standard MIDI File: format-0/1, Audio File: WAV, MP3
Recording Format
Standard MIDI File: format-0
Number of Recording Tracks
1 track (realtime recording)
Note Capacity
approx. 30,000 notes
Control
Play/Stop, Backward, Forward, Tempo Change, Transpose, Center Cancel (only for audio playback)
Tempo
Quarter note = 10 to 500, Audio Playback Speed: 75 to 125%
Resolution
120 ticks per quarter note
Metronome
Beat: 2/2, 0/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 7/4, 3/8, 6/8, 9/8, 12/8, Volume: 11 levels
Song Length
Max 998 measures
Others
Display
240 x 64 dots graphic LCD (with backlit)
Controllers
Volume knob, Ambience knob
Pedal
Damper (half-pedal recognition), Soft (half-pedal recognition, function assignable), Sostenuto (function assignable)
Internal Memory
4M bytes
Other Functions
Panel Lock, V-Link
Connectors
Output A (L/MONO, R standard), Output A (L, R XLR), Output B (L/MONO, R standard), Output B (L, R XLR), Input(L/MONO, R standard), Piano Pedal, Damper Pedal, Control Pedal (FC1, FC2), MIDI (IN, OUT, THRU), USB (MIDI, Memory, For Update), Digital Audio Out (Coaxial), Headphones, AC Inlet
Power Supply
AC 100V, AC 117V, AC 230V or AC 240V(50/60Hz), AC 220V (60Hz)
Power Consumption
27W
Accessories
Owner's manual, CD-ROM (Editor), Keyboard Stand: KS-V8, Piano Pedal, USB Cable, Power Cord
Options
Stereo Keyboard Amplifier: KC-880, Stereo Headphones: RH-300, Monitor Headphones: RH-A30, Damper Pedal: DP-10, Expression Pedal: EV-5, EV-7, Footswitch: BOSS FS-5U, Dual Footswitch: BOSS FS-6
Size and Weight
Width
1,411 mm
55-9/16 inches
Depth
530 mm
20-7/8 inches
Height
166 mm
6-9/16 inches
Weight
38.2 kg
84 lbs. 4 oz.

*The specifications are subject to change without notice.

Yep...that's what I said:

"An 84 pound, $6000 digital piano with ONE sound (piano) in a downturn economy?"

"Yeah...that's a recipe for success."

I know it interested me quite a bit at first...until I realized the limitations.

1. One sound. Piano. No expansion slots.

2. Not realistically transportable for one person.

3. No controller facilities...no wheels, no assignable sliders etc.

4.Number of Recording Tracks:1 track (realtime recording)



For those who like to endlessly tweak piano tones....go for it!

It's "only" $6000.

Definitely a niche product.

My advice...wait for the sequels.


Ian

Geez oh man! This thing's gonna be freakin hot for sure. This new V-Piano CLEARLY shows that NO COMPANY who makes real acoustic pianos (or their di-hard supporters) can say that a company who makes the real thing can do the digital emulation best. Roland just blew that assumption into space! DEBUNKED is the better word for it.

Seriously...., there is NOTHING, NADA, ZIP, in Yamaha's line up that can compete with this V-Piano. So the hell what if this thing had just ONE piano sound (which it doesn't by the way). SHOW ME ONE FREAKIN DIGITAL PIANO OUT THERE THAT PRODUCES AND TWEEKS THE SOUND IN THE WAY THE V-PIANO DOES.., and offers this amount of user control over the sound..., and show me any other digital out there that has taken this approach to digtially reproducing the piano! Yamaha in all their years of making the real thing have produced nothing like the V-Piano.., at this point they gotta play catch up.., aint no sugarcoating it or whatever because at this point it's now "playing catch up" for all the other makers out there.

Ian.., all do respect man, but the biggest thing that you cannot ignore is that not only did Roland just blow the digital piano market up with this unit.., but they did this by creating a digital that does it's thing WITHOUT velocity switching! Hell.., even the mighty Kurzweil still relies on velocity switching.., and they got some darn nice piano samples.

Weight to be an issue...., for some maybe, but this thing will be on stages and studios everywhere. People will still lug this thing around to gigs just because of the sound that comes out of it and what you can do with it. I'm willing to bet that one of our local well known jazz musicians will be picking one of these things up for sure.