Yamaha's forthcoming "hybrid" Avant Grand may not set you back quite as far as, say, a Hamburg Steinway Model D-274, but it still ain't priced for amateur budgets. The piece was engineered to be around half the size and a third of the weight of a real-deal nine foot acoustic grand
piano, all while maintaining the same heralded feel and sound. Dubbed a "hybrid" grand, this thing not only has four speakers that envelope the player in audio, but even the keys trigger a hammer that strikes a bar in order to replicate the feel of slamming a chord on one of the world's most prized instruments. The good news is that you can get 99 percent of a grand in your home for just $20,000. The bad news, coincidentally enough, is that you can get 99 percent of a grand in your home for a staggering $20,000. A video demonstration is in the read link.
[Via
CNET]
posted Feb 25th 2009 6:29PM
That label of "hybrid" isn't fooling anyone. It's still got as big of a carbon footprint as ever.
Maybe we should all chip in and get it some smaller shoes.
Alright, this may sound like a nice new gadget, but these kind of pianos have been around for quite some time now and aren't anything special. Yamaha's stage pianos cp33/cp300 have what I think is the same action as listed in the article.
Agreed. Not really sure what the news is here - this sort of action has been available on top-end digital pianos for as long as I can remember.
Oh, and similar action has been available via your mum for as long as I can remember.
It had to be said, and I thought i'd get in there first.
(but at least I've been kind enough to set up another one for someone else)
Ah, the difference is that most digital pianos (including the cp stage pianos) only simulate the graded "weight" of the keys. They do not simulate the actual tactile feedback of a "hammer strike."
This piano has a physical hammer that moves, so not only do you get the actual "weight" of the hammer but you'll also get the feel of the momentum of the hammer and the actual strike.
Yeah, cheap digital pianos have weighted keys. Good ones have an actual action. Like I mentioned above, digital pianos with real piano actions have been around for well over a decade.
Jimmijam:
Yes, I realise; and this sort of action (with an actual hammer and bar rather than just some weights) has been available for some time.
20 grand for an electric piano? Please don't embarrass yourself, and just buy an upright if you're serious about playing. Then again, if you're playing jazz, you might just as well buy this. ZING! See what I did there?
I think a real grand piano would be a far better choice.
The emulation is really not quite as good as the real thing. And there's nothing like walking into someone's house and seeing a beautiful grand in the living room. It just has more punch then someone telling you they have a "hybrid piano."
This has nothing to do with a carbon foot print. You're thinking energy. Obviously this is plugged in. Dosen't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Hybrid in this case has to do with a mix between electric and mechanical. Benifits are being able to play at any volume and getting the feel and sound of the "real" thing out of something with a smaller foot print (size of piano)
Poor people or people obsessing over being "green" would not buy it.
Of course they would, it's a plug in hybrid piano. Heaven for bid that pianists use a gasoline generator to power their piano; not only would it pollute the environment, but it will be distracting while playing the piano.
epic FAIL,
dude, have you heard of sarcasm?
*whoosh*
Guy, he wasn't serious
Oh god the internet has made me angry today.
I'll do just fine with my $199 Casio. And that includes a chair!
When I was a kid my family had a grand piano and I would like very,very much to have one of my own, but before dismissing this "hybrid" out of hand I would like to try it.
After all Yamaha instruments have never been cheap crap.
I would like to know how many of these pianists on Enagadget so ready to criticize it have actually tried to play one these instruments.
Ever notice that Steinway doesn't make anything like this?
If you want the real deal, you need a Steinway acoustic grand. It'll set you back at least $150k for the full 9 1/2 feet, but you definitely get what you pay for.
Yamaha makes many quality instruments, but it never makes the best of any instrument.
Yes, and you never pay 150k for a yamaha.
YOUR STINEWAY WONT PLAY MY CAMPTOWN RACES MIDI.
Not worth 150k.
If only the people who do these videos and interviews would actually make sure they know what they're talking about. I shouldn't get too critical but as a piano technician, it just seems dumb to say that the resistance goes up when you push the pedal down. Quite the opposite actually. Also, I hope for my sake that people think that they should tune their pianos more than every couple years and for more than a few bucks.
I agree with Greg here, from extensive experience with both the Steinway D and Yamaha CFIIIS. Yamaha, good not great.
99% of a grand is actually 990$. Those engadget editors...
might want to skip the electronics
the 30 year old upright we have works just fine,
the 30 year electronic upright granny has is now unrepairable for any amount that makes economic sense
Go for a Roland... Yamaha can't compare. The new Roland V-Piano doesn't even use sampling.. they made the sound from scratch. Only $5,995 at Guitar Center.