Advice about a Piano for home & the road

Author
Post
Essentials Only Full Version
yoe
Max Output Level: -85 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 277
  • Joined: 2005/06/01 19:30:30
  • Location: Brooklyn, NY
  • Status: offline
2014/12/23 23:57:37 (permalink)

Advice about a Piano for home & the road

Hey guys
I was hoping I can get some advice from you smart people. 
 
I've been playing piano  since my parents bought me a Yamaha upright when I was 6 years old. That piano is still at their house (in Israel) and is incredible to play on even after 20 years. My first digital piano was a Yamaha P120 which was very expensive but also amazing. 
 
I live in New York City now and when I moved here I bought 2 pianos. An upright Baldwin acoustic and a Casio PX-330 digital piano.
 
I bought the upright used for about $1000 (including tuning and delivery) and the Casio PX-330 was also very cheap (about $500) and the reason I got it was mostly because it is sooo very light. I use the Casio when I'm recording at home (MIDI) and also when I'm doing gigs (it's easy to carry), but I love the feel of having a big piano at home (especially when I have guests).
 
However, both of the pianos I have right now are kind of crappy. They are not professional pianos and I want to sell them both and replace them with something better (I also have  more money to spend now). 
 
I've been looking at the Yamaha CP40 stage piano which would probably be good for gigs and midi (even though it's very heavy) but at home it just feels like an organ. Not something an adult pianist would play. On the other hand I'm looking at the Yamaha N2 or the Clavinova upright series which would be good for midi and playing at home, but impossible to take on the road. 
 
I really wish they made an upright digital piano that has large speakers and takes up room like an acoustic piano, but then you can simply EXTRACT the keyboard part of it when you go on a gig.
 
Does such a thing exist?  Do you guys have any recommendations? I'd really love some advice. I have a small apartment and I rather have 1 really good (expensive) piano than 2 crappy pianos taking twice the space.
 
Thanks!
#1

7 Replies Related Threads
    Karyn
    Ma-Ma
    • Total Posts : 9200
    • Joined: 2009/01/30 08:03:10
    • Location: Lincoln, England.
    • Status: offline
    Re: Advice about a Piano for home & the road 2014/12/24 04:27:16 (permalink)
    I've not heard of a transforming piano like you describe,  have you thought of making one?
     
    There are plenty of good keyboards with piano weighted actions that you could use for the portable part, then all you'd need is an old piano carcass (buy the cheapest upright you can find and rip the guts out) and fit it with an amp and some big speakers. Replace the keys with a shelf for the keyboard.
     
    The only restriction would be making sure it was wide enough to fit the keyboard.
     

    Mekashi Futo. 
    Get 10% off all Waves plugins.
    Current DAW.  i7-950, Gigabyte EX58-UD5, 12Gb RAM, 1Tb SSD, 2x2Tb HDD, nVidia GTX 260, Antec 1000W psu, Win7 64bit, Studio 192, Digimax FS, KRK RP8G2, Sonar Platinum

    #2
    The Maillard Reaction
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 31918
    • Joined: 2004/07/09 20:02:20
    • Status: offline
    Re: Advice about a Piano for home & the road 2014/12/24 08:40:10 (permalink)
    Shop here:
     
    109 W 57th Street
    New York, NY  10019
    (212) 246-1100

    Store hours:
    Mon - Fri:  9AM – 6PM
    Sat:  9AM – 5PM
    Sun:  By appointment
     
    and play gigs at establishments that provide a real piano.


    #3
    The Maillard Reaction
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 31918
    • Joined: 2004/07/09 20:02:20
    • Status: offline
    Re: Advice about a Piano for home & the road 2014/12/24 08:51:40 (permalink)
    How about commissioning a wood worker to build you a cabinet that houses the digital piano of your choice.
     
    When I got my first digital piano I had an urge to build a speaker system/box that was oriented top and bottom and could be placed where the sound board of a piano would be.
     
    If you like uprights you can set the speakers in that position. It is simple matter to hide an amp and some speakers in a box, so the first step is imagining a box that serves as furniture that has a space where the digi-piano sits comfortably. You'd have a power lead, two audio leads, and a pedal control lead which you could connect or disconnect when you moved the piano.
     
    It would be like a custom iPod dock sort of set up.
     
    You might even be able to use an old abandoned upright skeleton as the main enclosure.
     
    Good luck!


    edit spelling
    post edited by mike_mccue - 2014/12/24 11:22:10


    #4
    yoe
    Max Output Level: -85 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 277
    • Joined: 2005/06/01 19:30:30
    • Location: Brooklyn, NY
    • Status: offline
    Re: Advice about a Piano for home & the road 2014/12/24 10:55:12 (permalink)
    Thanks for all the replies guys, really appreciate it. 
     
    You're right, I've thought about a custom piano like that. Even ripping out the guys of my current piano to fit the digital piano in. Mounting big amplifiers on each side of the piano.. but this seems EXTREMELY labor intensive... I've never done anything like that before and I wouldn't even know where to start.
     
    Mike, can you recommend someone who has done this before? or some sort of guide online with advice and pictures? 
     I found this online: http://milowilson.blogspot.com/search/label/Worship%3A%20Piano%20Gutting  
    But honestly it looks kinda crappy.. also - how would you get the old piano pedals to work with the new piano?  if I were to do it I would mount additional speakers inside the piano box for more power. There's so much room inside that box. I could even use it for storage :) 
     
    I really wish Yamaha or Roland (or even Casio) sold something like this already.. :( 
     
     
    #5
    The Maillard Reaction
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 31918
    • Joined: 2004/07/09 20:02:20
    • Status: offline
    Re: Advice about a Piano for home & the road 2014/12/24 11:20:14 (permalink)
    Hi yoe,
    I don't know anyone particular but I'd suggest looking for someone who is into "diy" or "maker" culture and see if they can suggest someone local. NYC seems to be full of makers and designers.

    Good luck!


    #6
    robert_e_bone
    Moderator
    • Total Posts : 8968
    • Joined: 2007/12/26 22:09:28
    • Location: Palatine, IL
    • Status: offline
    Re: Advice about a Piano for home & the road 2014/12/25 09:31:39 (permalink)
    Try these:
     
    http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ModusH01AG
     
    http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CP300
     
    http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DGX650B
     
    http://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha-DGX-650-88-Key-Graded-Hammer-Action-Digital-Piano-109435701-i3240348.gc
     
    Bob Bone
     
     

    Wisdom is a giant accumulation of "DOH!"
     
    Sonar: Platinum (x64), X3 (x64) 
    Audio Interfaces: AudioBox 1818VSL, Steinberg UR-22
    Computers: 1) i7-2600 k, 32 GB RAM, Windows 8.1 Pro x64 & 2) AMD A-10 7850 32 GB RAM Windows 10 Pro x64
    Soft Synths: NI Komplete 8 Ultimate, Arturia V Collection, many others
    MIDI Controllers: M-Audio Axiom Pro 61, Keystation 88es
    Settings: 24-Bit, Sample Rate 48k, ASIO Buffer Size 128, Total Round Trip Latency 9.7 ms  
    #7
    yoe
    Max Output Level: -85 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 277
    • Joined: 2005/06/01 19:30:30
    • Location: Brooklyn, NY
    • Status: offline
    Re: Advice about a Piano for home & the road 2014/12/25 15:47:11 (permalink)
    Thanks Bob, I know these models but they don't really answer my needs. They're all too small to be considered a legitimate home piano replacement, and too big / heavy to be taken to shows (except for the CP300 maybe)
     
    I appreciate your advice though, happy holiday! 
    #8
    Jump to:
    © 2024 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1