Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 alpha 4/15/85; site sdcc7.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!bellcore!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcc3!sdcc7!li63sgy
From: li63sgy@sdcc7.UUCP (glenn little)
Newsgroups: net.music.synth
Subject: Re: Pianos, real and artificial
Message-ID: <1457@sdcc7.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-May-85 01:23:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcc7.1457
Posted: Mon May 13 01:23:36 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 16-May-85 05:40:40 EDT
References: <153@unc.UUCP> <969@pyuxd.UUCP>
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Academic Computer Center
Lines: 44
Summary: I too have come to similar conclusions regarding vibrations in the keys, etc.

In article <969@pyuxd.UUCP>, rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Arthur Pewtey) writes:
> 
> I've been intending to get one (PF15) but I haven't yet.  Reason: despite a
> resaonable sound and a very good touch, it still doesn't feel to me like I'm
> playing a piano, since the feeling of actually playing an acoustic piano
> combines feeling the resonances of the wooden frame as the strings vibrate,
> and while the electronic piano may come very close to accurately simulating
> the actual waveform and sound of a piano, I've found for me that no matter how
> close the sound (or even the keyboard feel) gets to complete emulation, it
> doesn't FEEL like I'm playing a piano.  It's either wait until my parents move
> and I get a place in which I can keep their piano (a Sohmer parlor grand) or
> make do with an imitation.
> 
> Do other players feel the same way when they play electronic instruments
> simulating acoustical ones?  I've found that even when I've got a fairly
> good Hammond B3 sound on my Prophet, it still doesn't feel to me like the
> real thing, sometimes just because the keys aren't hard and squared off like
> on my old Hammond.

YES!  I have slowly come to this conclusion over the last few years.
At first, it seemed that I just couldn't play "right" when
playing on some synthesizers, but when I played the Yamaha electric
grand, (which sounds close, but still not exactly like an acoustic
piano)  I suddenly felt Expressive.  It actually felt good to play
that thing, compared to the electronic instruments!  It is only a
guess, but I have a strong gut feeling that the feedback I get
through the vibrating keys, though subtle, is still extremely important 
to playing expressively, at least for me.  It is like a crutch that
I seem to need.  Further, I have noticed that when playing on some
of the electronic instruments, I actually get a feeling of fatigue,
and when I switch over to a piano (electric grand, real grand) I
lose that feeling.  (This is all in a music store, where I go from
one instrument to another.)

One other thing I have noticed, is that these effects seem to lessen
somewhat when the keyboard I am playing is turned up loud, and there
is a lot of power in the bass.  Possibly because the strong bass vibrates 
the keys to an extent that I can feel?  Or because the smaller
expressive differences are lost in the high volume?

I am glad somebody brought this up.  I was beginning to wonder just
how much truth there really was to my feelings.

				Glenn Little