Clavinova Vs The 'real Thing' Options

[JohnS]

In particular: How many folk here have played on a Clavinova at home, used the real thing for lessons, and passed their DipABRSM???

Richard
Hong Kong

I did, well it was the Advanced Certificate in 1998 which is similar. I've now also got a U1

[Jen W]

I have a hybrid Yamaha 'Silent' piano - it's a smallish Yamaha acoustic upright plus a digital piano all in one, which is very useful for not annoying the neighbours! When they're out I can disengage the digital and play acoustically. I find this ideal where neighbours are to be considered.

How do you find that? I am considering changing ours for the silent system in April (its a hired piano - Yamaha C109). Is it any different to a standard upright piano to pay, and do you find you practise more if you don't annoy people? We live in an apartment and there is always someone to annoy (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Ash

Hi Ash - the model I have is a V114NTS, and yes, all in all I thinks it's good - it's a bit more mellow than the average Yamaha (some would say a bit 'woolly' I suppose) but it suits me while I have to consider neighbours. When I first bought it (new from Chappells) I had a bit of trouble with buzzing keys & double striking - but they seem to have cured themselves now. I'd recommend the Silent series to anyone who wants an acoustic instrument but where noise is an issue. Yes, I do practise more than I would if I had an ordinary piano - complete freedom but with the ability to play an acoustic as well. Ideally, I'd like a U1 or U3 Silent but I can't afford it unfortunately!

Jen

[YetAnotherPianist]

In particular: How many folk here have played on a Clavinova at home, used the real thing for lessons, and passed their DipABRSM???

My current practice piano is a Clavinova. Without it I would not have taken, let alone passed, my DipABRSM: when I left home for University, it was coming up to 4 years before I was able to afford a digital piano, restricting the amount of practice I could do; 9 months after getting one, I entered and passed my DipABRSM.

Lessons? About 7 hours or so of consultations in those 9 months, on an acoustic piano. Would have been fine on a digital too, that said.

[JohnS]

I wish the silent U1 had been around when I bought my U1. The practice pedal leaves a lot to be desired sometimes. The neighbours can still hear me play with it on.

I saw a U1 silent for sale on a site for £4,759 today. The U3 silent was £5,039.

[noodle]

I really don't like the Clavinova and don't encourage my students to practise on one either. I guess I'm maybe just too traditional, but I believe a piano is an instrument which shouldn't be plugged in! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Jen W]

I wish the silent U1 had been around when I bought my U1. The practice pedal leaves a lot to be desired sometimes. The neighbours can still hear me play with it on.

I saw a U1 silent for sale on a site for £4,759 today. The U3 silent was £5,039.

http://music.yamaha.com/products/highlight...sAST/index.html

...and here is a link to the Silent Series technical information and models...

[AnotherPianist]

There's always a lot of talk about what cannot be done on a clavinova (and on keyboards too) and when one must change to a real piano. To be honest though I think that clavinovas are a lot better than many people give them credit (and for the record I've done exams with only practising on a keyboard (with no teacher's piano to play on) that people have said are impossible...). It depends a lot, I think, on the person playing them. I learn on a Clavinova and the only issue I find is that one has to listen more carefully when pedal is involved as it's more forgiving in that the resonance doesn't hang around for as long and it isn't as punishing to holding the pedal down too long (or not quite lifting it properly). Incedentally the Clavinovas do model the resonance of the other strings in the piano to try to get a more realistic sound too. We did decide to pay the extra for dynamic sampling and if you can get that it's worth every penny above any other fancy features because it allows much better tonal control.

Given a choice and a detatched house I would always go for an acoustic piano; but digital pianos are very good. Many people who say that things are impossible on them have often either played one a long time ago when they weren't very good (the digital piano; not the person) or not played one for any significant length of time as they already have an acoustic. I find that the action is very good (Yamaha CLP 150): quite a bit travel in the keys and it's equivalent to a 'stiff' upright so one has to work harder, I should imagine that practising on an acoustic piano with a slack action would make one less adaptable to other pianos than a digital piano would. I think the difference in action is well within the variance one would expect to get between acoustic pianos anyway. I don't really think that there's anything that can't be done on a digital piano that the same person could do with a real piano in terms of exams, but certainly the real thing is better if possible. For now though, living in a small terraced house (and having a tendency to like to practice late at night) I, personally, will get much further with a digital piano than an acoustic, simply because I will do more practice.

So, yes an acoustic is ideal, but an hour a day on a digital (if it enables you to practise more) will get you much further than an hour a week on an acoustic.

JenW: do you find the action feels different in on your silent piano when it's in silent mode? I played one in a shop (quite some time ago) and it felt like the hammers were 'pinged' back faster than usual from the metal bars giving it a slightly different touch (still realistic though).

[Jen W]

JenW: do you find the action feels different in on your silent piano when it's in silent mode? I played one in a shop (quite some time ago) and it felt like the hammers were 'pinged' back faster than usual from the metal bars giving it a slightly different touch (still realistic though).

Hi AP - I hadn't thought about this before, but yes, it does seem different - lighter and 'less meaty'(!) - a bit like the sound really. Whenever I unplug & can play acoustically, I always get a buzz of excitement at first, with the touch and sounds of a real acoustic. (Generally I use the digital all week and can only play the acoustic at weekends.)

Jen (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[RichardHK]

Thanks everyone for the fine feedback here. I know the Clav cum digital piano issue has been discussed many times but nonetheless, quite a lot of new stuff has appeared in this thread.

With technology moving forward all the time, the point about playing a recent keyboard is very important. There are many keyboards out there now (Yamaha, Roland, Korg in particular) that really do give an authentic piano feel and sound. I have met several pro musicians who are very happy with their digital piano or keyboard. ANd I know at least one piano teacher who cautioned against buying a Clavinova but later bought one after trying it out (to go with the grand).

On the sound of a grand acoustic vs digital, I would say it is safe to say the Clavinova can sound everybit as good as a Yamaha grand piano that has been digitally recorded (in a concert or studio for example) and then played back through hi-fi speakers. Audiophiles will rave about how great a piano (or anything else) can sound on CD these days, so what is really the difference between that and a well-played Clav pumping out very clever sophisticated Yamaha samples of the real thing!! As said above, the extra technology sampling that can be bought does make a big difference. And the more pricey the Clav, the better the whole chain from keyboard to speakers.

Thanks again everyone but do keep posting. The latest Clavinova 309 with the authentic wooden grand keyboard really is the bees knees of digital home pianos. But Yamaha will better it before long. Probably just after we buy one! But again, nothing wrong with an equally great acoustic if one has the extra cash, space, and no neighbours!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Richard
Hong Kong

[hellokitty]

I love hte touch of the Clav but i hate the tone! It's so obviously electric i can't stand it!! For me its the real thing or not at all!!!

[RichardHK]

I love hte touch of the Clav but i hate the tone! It's so obviously electric i can't stand it!! For me its the real thing or not at all!!!

Hello Kitty,

Do you have the same problem listening to your favourite music on the radio or hi-fi system? Or how about headphones? Many concert halls and performance venues are much worse than listening to CDs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Agree the Clav touch is what makes it so useful. But don;t forget the tone can be shaped quite a lot by room acoustics, as well as the development stage of the electronics (latest usually better), and the size of the speaker/amplifier system.

The latest Clav series has been out for several years so methinks another major upgrade in sound should be on its way before too long. And maybe the top model wooden grand-piano keyboard might find its way down onto cheaper models. Technology is so good for us. Another couple of excuses to hang on a while longer. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Richard
Hong Kong