Has anyone on this forum used PianoDisc 3.5" disks in their Technics? The documentation for my PR902 says these disks are supposed to be compatible with my Digital Ensemble.

Rob

Hi Rob,
Don't know what you mean when you say PianoDisk 3.5, but I can tell you for sure that all 3.5 floppies (IBM Formatted) work in my digital piano (PR702 & a PR602). Is that what you mean, or is this a special disk you are talking about?
Carol

Hi Sissle,

I'm talking about song files on 3.5 inch diskettes from the PianoDisc company in California:
http://www.pianodisc.com

There are quite a lot of disks listed there that are potentially compatible with the Technics instruments, many done by well-known professional musicians. Cost is about $32 each plus S&H.

Rob

Hi Rob,
Whoops, then I can't answer you. Someone else will have to step in here. Sorry
Carol

Looking to the website, I think this might be
a kind of midifiles, but as you can see, this
is very special equipment to autoplay a real
piano. (Modern edition of the old pianorolls?)
The signals are probably special made to kope
those settings, and not nessesary ordinary
or standard midifiles.
Maybe a e-mail to the company would be a idea?
GJ

I had some, if they are Disc Orchestra Collection (DOC) They should play on a 6000 and perhaps a 5000. I forget now. Walter.

DOC is a registered trademark of Yamaha. These files are also supposed to be compatible with my PR902 in 'Direct Play' mode, although I have been unable to find a sales outlet for them. PianoDisc is a registered trademark of Music System Research. PianoDisc makes units that are installed on conventional pianos - it turns them into 'player piano's'. I've seen these units in various settings - on an unattended piano playing in a hotel lobby, for example. These disks are supposed to be compatible with the KN6500 and the PRx02, and PRx03 series of Digital Ensembles as well as the new PR1000. I just haven't seen any posts anywhere from anyone who has used them on the Technics. They supposedly work only in 'Direct Play' mode. That is about all I can gather from my PR902 user manual and the product brochures for the instruments mentioned. Interestingly, the KN6000 does not list compatibility with the PianoDisc files. The PianoDisc site does not guarantee compatibility with any 3rd party equipment other than their own device.

Rob

If they work in direct play mode, it's probably
GM or/and XG midi files. Then it should work on all
GM compatible equipment.
GJ

have not the top kn's since the kn3000 been able to play these in direct play mode, similarly to the disk orchestra collection disks?? (but you cannot load them into the sequencer.)

I seem to remember I had one a couple of years ago, but they are no different to midi files in effect, except that you can edit something worthwhile out of a midi file because it goes into the sequencer, and assuming you can find the equivalent performance you want on a midi file.

since the disk orchestra collection direct play output appeared at midi out, it was possible to play them into a computer sequencer and then play them back into the kn memory in technics mode, so they could be saved and edited. However so much fine tweaking was needed this was only used for exceptional performances, not available easily elsewhere.

it was an exceptional performance though, I seem to remember, in keeping with the intended use on an acoustic piano.

[This message has been edited by technicsplayer (edited 01-20-2002).]

Thanks for all of the feedback on this. I'm taking the leap of faith and parting with $39 to buy a jazz PianoDisc title. I'll post my comments on the compatibility and and quality of the sequences once I've had a chance to try them out on the Technics.

Rob

whew! $39, I hope it works, and you can get your money back if it doesn't.

was it not PGMusic (the band in a box people) who had a series for jazz piano, blues piano etc etc. They were good performances and maybe better in value since they were made as lessons by pro players.

I believe the product that you are asking about are General Midi - So when you go to load the disc choose Midi File instead of technics mode- Let us know how you make out.

[This message has been edited by Kmac (edited 01-22-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Kmac (edited 01-22-2002).]

Rob, I've explored the possibility of using the disk in the kn6000, and while it does load up and play in direct play mode, it didn't do much for me. The disk uses an old dos format on a double density disk which foils most attempts to copy the disk with new disk drives. The music is just fine, but if all a person can do is listen to the music, then I would suggest an MP3 file, or a music CD. It's much cheaper. By the way, the piano disk I examined was "Danny Wright's Christmas". Hope this helps.

I received the PianoDisc diskette by mail. Indeed, it does play on my PR902 in 'direct Play' mode. I ordered a jazz disk, which has a number of good tune on it. I use these disks to jam along with on my Yamaha WX-5 Wind Controller. The disks are rather expensive and they sound as if they have been poorly quantitized - perhaps they were sequenced with a resolution of 1/32 note or less - some of the passages sound kludgy.

Rob