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#485841 - 01/04/20 05:31 PM
Re: We are being replaced?
[Re: Dnj]
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Senior Member
Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 7305
Loc: Lexington, Ky, USA
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I have banker client that has a huge warehouse of player units...most, ornate calliope looking things with ornate carvings, all run by a paper roll or an odd looking set of folding tablets with holes. Some that violins and other string instruments where the bowing or plucking is done by mechanical wands and bows.
They were big in Germany and other parts of Europe before the 2nd war. Sadly, most were destroyed in bombing.
At the University Club where I work, there is a Welte Mignon German roll player unit (of 10 made, it is the only survivor) paired to a 5 manual Wurlitzer keyboard. The whole thing is tied around 5,000 pipes. In fact, the whole mansion was designed around the organ.
That's the good news. The bad news is,audio engineering was in it's infancy in the early 30's. No one shot the room. To hear yourself playing manually, you break the glasses in the main dining room. There are louvered wall portions covered with curtains all over the structure to be operated with electric motors to adjust the volume.
Unfortunately, the rebuilding of the player unit, all the pipes and the organ itself would cost in excess of $500,000.00, with no payback.
Still, it is an historic piece of music history, which will disappear from the consciousness of all but the musical historians very soon.
I just spent 5 days photographing every pipe, the keyboard, etc. for a pipe organ publication in Germany.
R.
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#485884 - 01/05/20 09:42 AM
Re: We are being replaced?
[Re: cgiles]
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Senior Member
Registered: 11/12/08
Posts: 2447
Loc: Bluffton/Hilton Head SC USA
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Music, it's creation, quality, advancement, and direction, will almost always be determined by WHAT THE AUDIENCE IS WILLING TO ACCEPT. if garbage becomes popular and makes money, then it will be mass-produced ad nauseum until the next 'trend' comes along. The once popular 'jazz' ran it's course and gave way to a simpler (and supposedly more 'accessible') musical form known as 'rock-n-roll', which took the world by storm. Not only could more people dance to it, sing along to it, but also PLAY it (3 chords is easier than 30).
As humans, we constantly strive to make life easier, not always to our betterment (fast foods, instant coffee, rock-n-roll). In time we delude ourselves into believing that a Big
Mac is just as good as a perfectly grilled steak (and all it takes is a quick credit card swipe). Music, however, is somewhat more complicated. We can use all kinds of tools, including arranger keyboards, in a creative way to produce worthwhile musical performances. The problem (IN MY OPINION) is when the technology, in this case the arranger keyboard, is used to REPLACE a basic knowledge of music, a lack of talent, and a lack of playing skills. What is interesting, and noted many times from the PLAYERS on THIS forum, is the mention of the pleasure derived from just sitting down occasionally at their acoustic (or digital) pianos or guitars and just playing (with no technological assist).
There are sound economic (AND creative) reasons to include arranger keyboards in one's musical arsenal but I hope technology never replaces artistry and a sound musical background (including theory and performance) as the future of music making.
chas Chas ,Unfortunaltly the masses will accept crap in many areas. Especially if its cheap and easily accessible . But the experience of seeing a live person preform, even if its bad Karaoke, will be around for a long time. Just have to be true to your own standards and march on. And I'm one of those that likes to forgo the Arranger and just play my piano. Wish i had the room for a nice baby grand but even if its my Digital FP90 I get real enjoyment out of it.
_________________________
Bill in SC --- Roland BK9 (2) Roland BK7M, Roland PK5 Pedals, Roland FP90, Roland CM30 (2), JBL Eon Ones (2) JBL 610 Monitor, Behringer Sub, EV mics, Apple iPad (2) Behringer DJ mixer
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#485894 - 01/05/20 12:55 PM
Re: We are being replaced?
[Re: Bill Lewis]
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Senior Member
Registered: 12/22/02
Posts: 6021
Loc: NSW,Australia
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Steve I immediatly thought the same thing, every time I hear a diskclavier in a waiting room somesher its has no soul. Sounds like a typewriter. Hi Bill, don’t know if I totally agree with you on that one, basically they’re rubbish in/ rubbish , rubbish out. I got mine in the late 80’s when they first came out. Sadly the majority of the recorded music discs for them, sounded like it was transferred from the old piano rolls, Hideous. In the 10 years I had it , there was the rare disc, that was recorded by a real artist. They sounded great. It was an amazing bit of equipment in it’s being able to record playing an acoustic piano with midi, plus being able to connect , synths, arrangers , whatever , via midi. Can’t beleive Yamaha haven’t improved the quality of disks available? I didn’t keep up with the development after I had to sell mine. Seems strange they wouldn’t want to improved the quality of the songs.
_________________________
best wishes
Rikki 🧸
Korg PA5X 88 note
SX900
Band in a Box 2022
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