Compare, contrast, critique, anyone?

[Matthew Todd]

Kent,
   
  I just found it amusing that some people here thought that it may have been you playing!  And those that heavily critiqued, may of been slighty jealous that you could of possibly played like that.
   
  Matthew

Geoff Sykes <thetuner at ivories52.com> wrote:
  Where can one obtain this Disklavier file?

• Geoff Sykes, RPT
• 626-799-7545
• www.ivories52.com 


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Kent Swafford
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2008 7:31 PM
To: College and University Technicians; Pianotech List
Subject: Re: Compare, contrast, critique, anyone?


Decades ago Rachmaninov recorded his arrangement of Flight of the 
Bumblebee on a reproducer. Years ago Wayne Stahnke converted the roll 
and others for a Telarc CD, Window in Time. As a part of promoting the 
project, the Flight of the Bumblebee was distributed on the internet 
as a Disklavier file. The files I sent are made from this Rachmaninov 
performance; the tempo is correct, or at least agrees with the CD. The 
CD track is at the following link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00150I7HM/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk3

So, the 3 MP3 files that I sent are all of the same Rachmaninov 
performance, each playing a different software piano.

bbgs = Garritan Steinway Virtual Grand, samples of a Steinway D 
prepared with the cooperation and active participation of Steinway.

bbig = Synthogy Ivory Italian Grand, samples of a 10' Fazioli

bbpt = Modartt Pianoteq 2, modeled piano, no real piano involved

These software pianos, in the hands of real recording engineers, are 
the state of the art in digital pianos.

Those who are accustomed to listening to software pianos can usually 
spot them when they hear them. There is something not quite right when 
a software piano tries to play the sound of an already-vibrating 
string being struck again by a hammer; this is quite noticeable in 
fast repeated notes, and IMO this is why this performance might not 
have sounded "real".

That said, these software pianos are quite good and are very playable 
in that they respond well to dynamics.

As is clear from everyone's comments, these software pianos also have 
difficulty maintaining correct timbre and balance through the scale 
and through the dynamic range. I thought that the high treble of the 
Pianoteq would be a dead giveaway -- not a real piano. I guess even 
pianos have a relatively large range of timbres that may be recognized 
as _piano_.

Thanks everyone. Listen again and say what you think _now_, if you like.


Kent




On Jun 5, 2008, at 9:25 PM, Kent Swafford wrote:

> Anyone care to listen to 3 Flights of the Bumblebee, and say what
> you think of each?
>
>
> http://www.kentswafford.com/mp3/bbgs.mp3
>
> http://www.kentswafford.com/mp3/bbig.mp3
>
> http://www.kentswafford.com/mp3/bbpt.mp3
>
>
>
>
>
> Kent
>

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