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#54419 - 01/19/04 03:27 PM Re: Anyone Use Pianist Mode on Their KN's or PR's
rikkisbears Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/22/02
Posts: 6020
Loc: NSW,Australia
Hi Heather,
these used to be a good source for piano solo's
http://secure.pgmusic.com/shopping/shop_...=10&Submit.y=25

Unfortunately they must have discontinued quite a few of the series including the classical series.

I had a few of these , but, along with quite a few of my other software disks, they became damaged during storage.

I dug out all my old Clavinova, Disk Orchestra Collection Disks they other day, they had some wonderful piano arrangements
Disk plus Book ( play along) They actually play as a Direct Disk Play ( ie they can't be loaded, but do play)in the KN7 Keyboard they also play in my PR602. Fortunately most of these seem to have stood the ravages of time (as they can't be backed up by normal means) At approx $50 AUD retail per disk & book, I would have been shattered. Still they were worth it, they sounded better than any commercial GM midifile I owned at the time.

Unfortunately I gave away all my old Disklavier Piano Disks when I sold it. Unlike the Clavinova Disks , they wouldn't play in a KN keyboard. I recorded them all across via midi to a sequencer. I must have driven the neighbours nuts. Unlike a digital piano ( where you can turn down the volume) the disklavier was a normal acoustic piano with midi ( a bit like the old player piano except that it used computer disks instead of piano rolls). Truth be known, the neighbours must have been happy to see it go, I used to listen to it for hours on end.
Actually, they should have been thankfull, at least they didn't have to listen to me practising ( haahaa).
Must check one day and see if all those midifiles survived ( doubt it)

best wishes
Rikki
Quote:
Originally posted by shcox:
Hi Rikki,
I have found a site that takes old piano rolls and converts them to midi so I've download hunderds of them to listen to. Sadly however, most of them are older "Rag Time" type tunes like Fats Waller which I love and some Boogie Woogie, but I'd like more up to date stuff too and it's hard to find.


Take care,
Heather

_________________________
best wishes
Rikki 🧸

Korg PA5X 88 note
SX900
Band in a Box 2022

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#54420 - 01/19/04 06:32 PM Re: Anyone Use Pianist Mode on Their KN's or PR's
AnthonyCian Offline
Member

Registered: 04/26/03
Posts: 276
Loc: Arizona, USA
To Leo's Den,

About the PR604 synchro/break. The PR's never had a synchro/break feature, just a synchro/start. That's an exclusive feature for the KN's, why they didn't incorporate it into the PR's is beyond me. To bring the cost down I guess.

There is a round-about way to have a break using synchro/start. Make sure the synchro/start light is on. When you want the break in the song, press the stop button but keep playing the melody. When you want the rhythm back just play the chord again. However this turns the synchro/start off, so if you want another break in the song, you have to press it again to activate it.

Another way, is copy the rhythm pattern in the composer, and setup a 1 measure blank fill-in. When the break is needed just hit the fill-in button. If a 2 measure break is needed, hit the fill-in again.

Anthony

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#54421 - 01/20/04 09:09 AM Re: Anyone Use Pianist Mode on Their KN's or PR's
shcox Offline
Member

Registered: 09/10/03
Posts: 296
Loc: Leesburg, FL USA
Hi Anthony

I guess they were moving in that direction because my PR54 has synchro/break although I've never really understood how to best use it.

I guess in a sense I'm lucky I picked the 54. While I would have liked the bigger models, I belive, the PR54 will now remain the most compatible piano they made since it plays the disks from the KN7000 and it seems to play the PR disks as well. It also has the NX sounds. I'd like to get some songs recorded on a KN2600 and see if they work as well.

Best Wishes
Heather
Heather
_________________________
Heather- Leesburg, FL PR54

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#54422 - 01/20/04 11:19 AM Re: Anyone Use Pianist Mode on Their KN's or PR's
Leo's Den Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 11/11/03
Posts: 24
Thank you, Anthony. That was a very helpful reply and I shall try out your suggestions (and stop hunting for a secret "break" key which means I can sleep at nights!). Leo.

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#54423 - 01/20/04 01:10 PM Re: Anyone Use Pianist Mode on Their KN's or PR's
Chuck Piper Offline
Member

Registered: 01/17/02
Posts: 403
Loc: United Kingdom
Hi Rikki,

You remarked: "Actually, they should have been thankfull, at least they didn't have to listen to me practising ( haahaa).
Must check one day and see if all those midifiles survived ( doubt it)."

More importantly, Rikki, check to see if the neighbors survived before checking those midi files! Ha Ha Couldn't resist the temptation to say that. The devil made me do it is the best excuse I can come up with.

Take care good buddy,

Chuck

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#54424 - 01/20/04 02:34 PM Re: Anyone Use Pianist Mode on Their KN's or PR's
technicsplayer Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/17/02
Posts: 3319
Quote:
Originally posted by Leo's Den:
Thank you, Anthony. That was a very helpful reply and I shall try out your suggestions (and stop hunting for a secret "break" key which means I can sleep at nights!). Leo.



haven't got a PR in front of me at the moment but on the KN if you have Rhythm ON in the Panel Memory Expand Filter I save the Synchro ON in the next panel memory. Thus after pressing Stop for the break the next panel memory can activate the synchro again ready for the start chord as an alternative method. Naturally you can maintain the right hand voice across the two panel setups if you wish, but it gives you the opportunity to start a new variation after the break at the same time if the arrangement justifies it.

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#54425 - 01/20/04 03:18 PM Re: Anyone Use Pianist Mode on Their KN's or PR's
Chuck Piper Offline
Member

Registered: 01/17/02
Posts: 403
Loc: United Kingdom
Nice idea, Alec. Thanks. I'm going to try that.

Chuck

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#54426 - 01/20/04 03:22 PM Re: Anyone Use Pianist Mode on Their KN's or PR's
rikkisbears Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/22/02
Posts: 6020
Loc: NSW,Australia
Hi Chuck,
hope so, we moved houses a few months later. They probably had a big going away celebration with out us ( haahaa)
Actually they would have thought they were losing a talented pianist ( little did they know), it was the piano.
It was an amazing instrument. Looked just like your normal everyday acoustic upright , except for this tiny little black box up top. That's where the disks and the electronics resided. The old player piano's only played, this one could actually record. Even had midi in & out so that I could connect it to an external sequencer. Very revolutionry for the day ( 1988/89) Allowed me to get rid of my digital piano, which were pretty bad back in those days. Don't know how I managed to talk hubby into that one, as I already had a baby grand.
Unfortunately I sold it well before we decided to move to a smaller home. Couldn't fit the baby grand, but we would have had room for the disklavier as it didn't take up that much more space, than the pr602 does, it was only taller. Still regret having sold it , as digitals, as good as they are, still don't sound the same as a real piano.

One advantage with a digital, though, is that they have headphone sockets, so,
1. no annoying the neighbours while practising,
2. no need for neighbours to sign a petition for you to move houses and annoy someone else ( only joking, thought I'd get in first Chuck ( haahaa)
And they don't need tuning.
Used to cost a fair bit having 2 piano's tuned every 6 months.

I had some wonderful disks for the disklavier, artists like Chick Corea. Liberace, Elton John, Steve Allen, etc etc
And a heap of Classical. Quite a few were recorded by the actual artist themselves ( the Artist Series), wheras the majority I think must have been converted from player piano rolls. You could tell which was which as the piano rolls didn't have the same depth of feeling.

Ah well, life goes on.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chuck Piper:
[B]Hi Rikki,

You remarked: "Actually, they should have been thankfull, at least they didn't have to listen to me practising ( haahaa).
Must check one day and see if all those midifiles survived ( doubt it)."
_________________________
best wishes
Rikki 🧸

Korg PA5X 88 note
SX900
Band in a Box 2022

Top
#54427 - 01/20/04 04:34 PM Re: Anyone Use Pianist Mode on Their KN's or PR's
Chuck Piper Offline
Member

Registered: 01/17/02
Posts: 403
Loc: United Kingdom
Hi Rikki,

Nice reply. Thanks.

Talking about an instrument being ahead of its time, I have two old synths in storage. One is an ARP Quartet, vintage 1980, and the other is a Moog Prodigy of about the same vintage. Don't even know if they are in working order. The ARP had four voices: brass, piano, organ, and strings. The brass voice was probably the best I have ever heard
and this was in the days before digital sampling. The Moog is really neat. It is a monophonic instrument with lots of oscillators and filters. I could set it up to sound exactly like a french horn for example. It took some time to learn how to set it up but it was/is a very nice instrument. Both instruments require amplification.

Still, I prefer my KN6000 with all its technology and libraries of sounds and styles. We are living in a wonderful age for musical toys aren't we? I wonder what lies ahead a hundred years from now? I can picture a teen pulling a dusty old cover off of something in the attic and reading "KN7000" and saying to himself, "Boy, those folks a hundred years ago sure had primitive stuff!" Life moves on.

Its time for me to put my head on the pillow for the night. Take care, Rikki.

Best Wishes to You,

Chuck

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#54428 - 01/20/04 05:52 PM Re: Anyone Use Pianist Mode on Their KN's or PR's
rikkisbears Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/22/02
Posts: 6020
Loc: NSW,Australia
Hi Chuck,
some of those old synths are worth a lot of money now ( incredibly expensive back then, too)
Have heard of both, but never actually seen one as such.

The first sampler I ever saw ( tv article in Aust) was something called a Fairlight Computer. Could have been late 70's ?? cost more than our house at that stage, the first one I ever owned was an Ensonique Mirage at that stage I could have bought 2 of those for the price of my Yamaha Baby Grand. Baby Grand went up in price over the years, Mirage I think I gave away , 3 4 years later. Worth next to nothing. ( ain't technology grand (haahaa)

Good Night.
My day is basically just starting.

best wishes
rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chuck Piper:
[B]Hi Rikki,

Nice reply. Thanks.

Talking about an instrument being ahead of its time,
_________________________
best wishes
Rikki 🧸

Korg PA5X 88 note
SX900
Band in a Box 2022

Top
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