Hi,
I was wondering if anyone uses Pianist mode on their keyboards or piano's.

My Technics dealer usually plays in Pianist mode to demo the PR range of piano's.

It's amazing watching him travelling up and down the keys triggering chords ( using piano voice) , without the constraints of the split. It sounds great.

Have never quite worked out what sort of piano arrangements he's using ( probably creating his own)

Anyway, just wondering if anyone else uses this mode, and if there's any tips or tricks that might help me work out arrangements.

I've taken the dust cover off my pr602 and decided to give the ol' piano another try.

Love to update to the newer pr604 or 804 as obviously they're the last 2 models we're going to see.


best wishes
Rikki

Hi Rikki,

Like you, I thought I would update my PR900 piano but after having played the 804 for nearly two hours, I am going to stick with it as in my opinion it is a much better piano. The new ones have what I can only describe as a 'dead' spot on the keys resulting in keyclick which I hate. Apart from a few up-do-date rhythms and sounds (which I already have on my lovely KN7000 keyboard) for me it really isn't worth the change.

With regards to using the piano mode, to get the rhythms anywhere on the piano, I press and hold the SPLIT button until the keyboard appears in the home page, then press the highest note in the treble, release and wait until the keyboard disappears from screen. You can then play anywhere on the piano using your own chords and rhythms. Works for me anyway. Hope this helps.

Aud

I came to the PR604 from an acoustic piano and have never played a keyboard in my life so the difficulty for me has been to learn how to play the piano as a keyboard at all! You simply set the mode (go to Autoplay Chord - Mode, and select Pianist instead of Basic, Advanced 1 or Advanced 2) as pianist and all the goodies are available to you just as they would be if you were using one-fingered LH chords. Tony Pegler's training videos for the KN6 show the details for APC, OTP, MSA, Panel Mem etc, but it's really easy. As Aud says, the main thing is to make sure, after all of your setting up, that you don't have the keyboard split. What I have not been able to discover is whether there is the "break" facility that the keyboards have with the synchro/break button because it is not marked as such nor mentioned in the abysmal owner's manual. Sorry you don't like the PR604, Aud, but did you try all of the key-stroke adjustment options?

Hi All!

Rikkisbears:
I've had the PR900 since 1996 and it has a pianist mode. I really never used it that much. Got the PR804 which still has the pianist mode. I tried to tinker with it, but I believe it's there for people who play various ways.

When I first learned the piano, I mastered the left and right hands, but when I changed to the organ, I lost the style of playing using the left hand. I can read music, but I need the named chords above the music so I know what chords to play. I can't play the bass clef anymore. With that in mind, using advanced 1 setting is for me. However, there are others who play the piano like a piano should be played, and that's when setting to pianist mode is best. If I still played the piano when I first played it, then I believe I could play in pianist mode.

I don't think the dealer is creating his own arrangements, I just think it's his style of playing and pianist mode works well.

If you update, it's worth spending a little more getting the PR804, the PR604 doesn't have Pads. And I know you like to use Pads.


Hi Audrey Turner:
I still have my PR900, the PR900 does have a better realistic piano sound compared to the PR804. However, I fixed part of the problem with the default reverb setting. The PR804 default setting is Concert1 Total Depth 80 which is way to strong, most everything sounds like in a box. So I manually have to set the reverb to Room1 Total Depth64 which is better. If you get a chance, try playing the PR804 again trying the setting I just mentioned.

AnthonyC

[This message has been edited by AnthonyCian (edited 01-18-2004).]

Good Morning from Manchester Rikki,

I've never had a piano lesson despite having a beautiful Roland HP3000 piano sitting here beside me. Instead, I made the decision to buy the KN6000 and take keyboard lessons. I'm happy with that decision. I do use the Pianist Mode from time to time. I read music and have several books of music written for piano so I select Pianist Mode and play. It is a nice diversion and I learn something in the process.

Best Wishes, Chuck

Hi Rikki,

I've used the Pianist mode on my 54 though not a lot.

When I play I usually either play the the piano as a piano without any backing or as a keyboard with all the bells and whistles.

If I remember correcly, in Pianist mode there are no auto chords so you have to be a fairly good piano player (which I'm not) to get it to sound really good.

That is on thing I'd like have here, is more people that play just the piano, recording music for us to enjoy. As much as I love the songs everyone does, there are times I just want to listen to the piano.

I have found a site that takes old piano rolls and converts them to midi so I've download hunderds of them to listen to. Sadly however, most of them are older "Rag Time" type tunes like Fats Waller which I love and some Boogie Woogie, but I'd like more up to date stuff too and it's hard to find.

Hopefully we'll get some piano players to share their playing with us.

Take care,
Heather

pianist mode in the auto play chord selection just means that the chords for auto accompaniment will be recognised in fingered mode across the whole keyboard, irrespective of any split. The split just defines the auto accomp trigger keys. Thus if you hold the bottom E and G notes and then press top C you will get a C chord, and can play piano music but with auto accompaniment following the harmony. For this reason the left part is disabled in this mode.

Thank You Alec,

I guess I knew that but I didn't really know how to explain it.

Heather

Hi Everyone,
thank you all for your input.

Thank you Anthony, for pointing out about the pads. I would miss those ( even though I'd still have them on my kn7)

I used to dabble a bit on piano, up until a few years back when I had to sell my baby grand (due to kids leaving home, & moving to a smaller house) Hence the PR602. It replaced my piano & kn5. Not quite the same though, lost interest in music and quit for about 4/5 years ( till the kn7)
Anyway, I mainly liked playing arpeggio left hand ( clayderman style of music,I
didn't enjoy playing left hand chords) so
I doubt pianist mode would work anyway. I'd have to playpiano solo.
Unfortunately I can't play by ear at all, I can only read, try and memorize a piece, as again I can't read well enough,to read and play at the same time. Makes learning a song a long slow process ( haahaa) Suppose I'll have to get some of my old piano sheet music out and see if any of it will work with pianist mode.
I suppose my other alternative might be to try and create sequencer backing songs to accompany me on the piano.

Anyway,
thanks everyone, I suppose I'll have to just experiment and see what will work

best wishes
Rikki


[QUOTE]Originally posted by AnthonyCian:
[B]Hi All!
However, there are others who play the piano like a piano should be played, and that's when setting to pianist mode is best. If I still played the piano when I first played it, then I believe I could play in pianist mode.

I don't think the dealer is creating his own arrangements, I just think it's his style of playing and pianist mode works well.

If you update, it's worth spending a little more getting the PR804, the PR604 doesn't have Pads. And I know you like to use Pads.


AnthonyC

A nice thing to do is to augment the Music Style Arranger by recording a bass chord accompaniment via the sequencer using the basic mode in APC, then you can just play the piano as a piano without worrying about triggering the harmonic accompaniment at all while you are actually playing. It is already there for you as part of your backing group. So you can, for example, keep the melody line going with your left hand while doing something fancy on top with your right. Or of course, vice versa. Anybody know the answer to my question on the PR604 and the break feature in synchro/break? Leo.

Hi Heather,
these used to be a good source for piano solo's
http://secure.pgmusic.com/shopping/shop_...=10&Submit.y=25

Unfortunately they must have discontinued quite a few of the series including the classical series.

I had a few of these , but, along with quite a few of my other software disks, they became damaged during storage.

I dug out all my old Clavinova, Disk Orchestra Collection Disks they other day, they had some wonderful piano arrangements
Disk plus Book ( play along) They actually play as a Direct Disk Play ( ie they can't be loaded, but do play)in the KN7 Keyboard they also play in my PR602. Fortunately most of these seem to have stood the ravages of time (as they can't be backed up by normal means) At approx $50 AUD retail per disk & book, I would have been shattered. Still they were worth it, they sounded better than any commercial GM midifile I owned at the time.

Unfortunately I gave away all my old Disklavier Piano Disks when I sold it. Unlike the Clavinova Disks , they wouldn't play in a KN keyboard. I recorded them all across via midi to a sequencer. I must have driven the neighbours nuts. Unlike a digital piano ( where you can turn down the volume) the disklavier was a normal acoustic piano with midi ( a bit like the old player piano except that it used computer disks instead of piano rolls). Truth be known, the neighbours must have been happy to see it go, I used to listen to it for hours on end.
Actually, they should have been thankfull, at least they didn't have to listen to me practising ( haahaa).
Must check one day and see if all those midifiles survived ( doubt it)

best wishes
Rikki

To Leo's Den,

About the PR604 synchro/break. The PR's never had a synchro/break feature, just a synchro/start. That's an exclusive feature for the KN's, why they didn't incorporate it into the PR's is beyond me. To bring the cost down I guess.

There is a round-about way to have a break using synchro/start. Make sure the synchro/start light is on. When you want the break in the song, press the stop button but keep playing the melody. When you want the rhythm back just play the chord again. However this turns the synchro/start off, so if you want another break in the song, you have to press it again to activate it.

Another way, is copy the rhythm pattern in the composer, and setup a 1 measure blank fill-in. When the break is needed just hit the fill-in button. If a 2 measure break is needed, hit the fill-in again.

Anthony

Hi Anthony

I guess they were moving in that direction because my PR54 has synchro/break although I've never really understood how to best use it.

I guess in a sense I'm lucky I picked the 54. While I would have liked the bigger models, I belive, the PR54 will now remain the most compatible piano they made since it plays the disks from the KN7000 and it seems to play the PR disks as well. It also has the NX sounds. I'd like to get some songs recorded on a KN2600 and see if they work as well.

Best Wishes
Heather
Heather

Thank you, Anthony. That was a very helpful reply and I shall try out your suggestions (and stop hunting for a secret "break" key which means I can sleep at nights!). Leo.

Hi Rikki,

You remarked: "Actually, they should have been thankfull, at least they didn't have to listen to me practising ( haahaa).
Must check one day and see if all those midifiles survived ( doubt it)."

More importantly, Rikki, check to see if the neighbors survived before checking those midi files! Ha Ha Couldn't resist the temptation to say that. The devil made me do it is the best excuse I can come up with.

Take care good buddy,

Chuck

haven't got a PR in front of me at the moment but on the KN if you have Rhythm ON in the Panel Memory Expand Filter I save the Synchro ON in the next panel memory. Thus after pressing Stop for the break the next panel memory can activate the synchro again ready for the start chord as an alternative method. Naturally you can maintain the right hand voice across the two panel setups if you wish, but it gives you the opportunity to start a new variation after the break at the same time if the arrangement justifies it.

Nice idea, Alec. Thanks. I'm going to try that.

Chuck

Hi Chuck,
hope so, we moved houses a few months later. They probably had a big going away celebration with out us ( haahaa)
Actually they would have thought they were losing a talented pianist ( little did they know), it was the piano.
It was an amazing instrument. Looked just like your normal everyday acoustic upright , except for this tiny little black box up top. That's where the disks and the electronics resided. The old player piano's only played, this one could actually record. Even had midi in & out so that I could connect it to an external sequencer. Very revolutionry for the day ( 1988/89) Allowed me to get rid of my digital piano, which were pretty bad back in those days. Don't know how I managed to talk hubby into that one, as I already had a baby grand.
Unfortunately I sold it well before we decided to move to a smaller home. Couldn't fit the baby grand, but we would have had room for the disklavier as it didn't take up that much more space, than the pr602 does, it was only taller. Still regret having sold it , as digitals, as good as they are, still don't sound the same as a real piano.

One advantage with a digital, though, is that they have headphone sockets, so,
1. no annoying the neighbours while practising,
2. no need for neighbours to sign a petition for you to move houses and annoy someone else ( only joking, thought I'd get in first Chuck ( haahaa)
And they don't need tuning.
Used to cost a fair bit having 2 piano's tuned every 6 months.

I had some wonderful disks for the disklavier, artists like Chick Corea. Liberace, Elton John, Steve Allen, etc etc
And a heap of Classical. Quite a few were recorded by the actual artist themselves ( the Artist Series), wheras the majority I think must have been converted from player piano rolls. You could tell which was which as the piano rolls didn't have the same depth of feeling.

Ah well, life goes on.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chuck Piper:
[B]Hi Rikki,

You remarked: "Actually, they should have been thankfull, at least they didn't have to listen to me practising ( haahaa).
Must check one day and see if all those midifiles survived ( doubt it)."

Hi Rikki,

Nice reply. Thanks.

Talking about an instrument being ahead of its time, I have two old synths in storage. One is an ARP Quartet, vintage 1980, and the other is a Moog Prodigy of about the same vintage. Don't even know if they are in working order. The ARP had four voices: brass, piano, organ, and strings. The brass voice was probably the best I have ever heard
and this was in the days before digital sampling. The Moog is really neat. It is a monophonic instrument with lots of oscillators and filters. I could set it up to sound exactly like a french horn for example. It took some time to learn how to set it up but it was/is a very nice instrument. Both instruments require amplification.

Still, I prefer my KN6000 with all its technology and libraries of sounds and styles. We are living in a wonderful age for musical toys aren't we? I wonder what lies ahead a hundred years from now? I can picture a teen pulling a dusty old cover off of something in the attic and reading "KN7000" and saying to himself, "Boy, those folks a hundred years ago sure had primitive stuff!" Life moves on.

Its time for me to put my head on the pillow for the night. Take care, Rikki.

Best Wishes to You,

Chuck

Hi Chuck,
some of those old synths are worth a lot of money now ( incredibly expensive back then, too)
Have heard of both, but never actually seen one as such.

The first sampler I ever saw ( tv article in Aust) was something called a Fairlight Computer. Could have been late 70's ?? cost more than our house at that stage, the first one I ever owned was an Ensonique Mirage at that stage I could have bought 2 of those for the price of my Yamaha Baby Grand. Baby Grand went up in price over the years, Mirage I think I gave away , 3 4 years later. Worth next to nothing. ( ain't technology grand (haahaa)

Good Night.
My day is basically just starting.

best wishes
rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chuck Piper:
[B]Hi Rikki,

Nice reply. Thanks.

Talking about an instrument being ahead of its time,

Thank you, Alec. I shall try those alternatives too. Leo.

I swapped the mirage for the Ensoniq EPS 16PLUS Turbo but still have all the discs. I don't know why?
I still use the EPS because it is a pretty good keyboard too.
The YAM 9000 has sampling capability and I loaded it with all the ram it could use but have not yet sampled with it. Maybe one of these days.
Bebop

Hi Alec,

I tried the synchro start/panel memory tip you gave us. It works great! Thanks for sharing. Appreciate it very much. Think I will employ it in a three-song medley and use the break to modulate from one key to another.

Chuck

Hi Bebop,
I had the EPS 16 also.It was a great sampler in it's day.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BEBOP:
[B]I swapped the mirage for the Ensoniq EPS 16PLUS Turbo