What Is A Self
Also known as player pianos or Pianolas, older style self-playing pianos uses a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism to play pre-programmed music on your piano using perforated paper or metallic rolls. The keys would move up and down as if the piano were playing by itself.
Modern self-playing pianos have come a long way since then. Todays player pianos are controlled by your iPad, iPod, DVD player, other mp3 players, Android devices or your laptop, so you can enjoy beautiful piano music from your piano while you relax and listen.
Instead of listening to recorded music, youll be hearing the real thing playing on your piano right in your own home. You can also control the volume from your own speakers.
Self-playing pianos can also act as teaching tools, because theyre perfect for when you need piano accompaniment.
Better Data Better Music
To understand Spirios magic, a brief primer on pianos is in order. Each of the pianos 88 keys acts as a lever. When you push a key, the hidden part of this lever forces a hammer to hit the piano strings, causing a vibration that creates the sounds you hear. When you release the key, a felt-covered hammer called a damper lands on top of the string, stopping the vibration.Whereas most player pianos reproduce human performances solely by recording the key strike, Steinway amassed Spirios catalog with a far more sophisticated system. Hardware and software embedded into the piano measured the velocity of the hammer hitting the string in 1,020 increments, taking stock of the the hammers location and speed 800 times a second. The pedal motion was similarly documented at 200 times per second. This data created a vastly more nuanced picture of what the pianist was doing at any given time, meaning the pianos built-in songs capture dynamics, repeating notes and the subtleties of the transition, say, from staccato to legato.A software-controlled solenoid system thats installed underneath the piano activates the notes. Think of it this way: If you give a robot a paintbrush and tell it to paint Picasso, it might get the lines exactly right. Whats missing is pressure of the brushstroke, the depth of color, the expression that makes it art. Thats what Steinway is trying to achieve with the Spirio.
Do You Love Piano Music Pianodisc Offers A Range Of Options To Enhance Your Playing Experience Or To Enjoy Piano Music Without Playing
The PianoDisc Prodigy Player System is the is the ultimate entertainment add-on for your piano. Sing along as the piano plays live, play along while your favourite artist sings, or sit back and relax while the sound of live piano music fills your home or venue. A piano player system turns your regular piano into a self-playing piano. Imagine how your friends will react when they see you have a piano that plays itself!
Magic Star Silent Piano is the solution for when you want to practise without disturbing those around you, or when you need to record and play back. A real productivity booster when you are learning, composing or song-writing. The silent piano is becoming increasingly popular with people who live in apartments or who share accommodation with others.
The Pro Record also offers the record and play back feature. This is perfect for piano teachers, piano students, music schools, composers and song writers.
Find out which PianoDisc system is right for you in the table below. Piano Disc is available in all or our Wertheim Pianos.
Remember! You can ring John at any time for first-class advice on +61 418 350 124.
PianoDisc features comparison chart
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Pianos That Play Themselves
The piano has been playing itself for centuries since the first player pianos were invented. Nowadays, you can get a self-playing piano with a preinstalled iPad app from Steinway or another brand. infrared technology can be used to track how quickly and hard keys are played on this type of piano. This information is then used to correct the notes.
Piano Player System Technology

A speaker is also hidden underneath grand pianos , which on some musical pieces accompanies the piano performance with a backing track .
One of the most impressive things about the technology, is that the fitting of a quality player system has no effect whatsoever on the touch of the keys when played by a person, so the piano will still feel the same when played.
Simply put, all of this means that you can have the sound of an experienced pianist right in your very home, on demand at any time.
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Specialist Advice On Self
Just imagine all the advantages of having a piano that plays itself like a professional. The specialist team at The Pianoforte can help you with all your enquiries about self-playing pianos and well give you a free demonstration so you can see, and hear, for yourself how good they are.
We have three convenient piano store locations in Sydney, so were never far away. Call us in:
- Chatswood 9411 8911
- Seven Hills 9838 8832
Why Do Old Pianos Sound Different
The main reason is the strings. Pianos are tuned the same as guitars each string is tightened or loosened until it rings with the correct pitch when hit or plucked. A difference with pianos is that for most notes on the piano, more than one string is hit.
When was the self-playing piano invented?
1896In 1896, the first self-playing piano was introduced by Edwin Scott Votey, who invented the pianola another word for a player piano- in his home workshop in Detroit, Michigan. Early models of the pianola were cabinet-like boxes that were sold as add-ons to traditional pianos.
How do you tell if a note is flat or sharp?
A sharp sign means the note that is one half step higher than the natural note. A flat sign means the note that is one half step lower than the natural note.
What is a note in piano?
There are seven natural notes on a piano: C, D, E, F, G, A, B. Youll notice that the pattern of two black keys surrounded by three white keys then three black keys surrounded by four white keys repeats itself several times up the keyboard. The musical distance between these two notes is whats known as an octave.
What is the difference between a note and a noise?
Musical note is pleasant, smooth and agreeable to the ear while noise is harsh, discordant and displeasing to the ear. In musical note, waveform is regular while in noise waveform is irregular.
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How Does The Player Piano Make Sound
- The “action” is the mechanism inside a piano that transforms the player’s touch on a key into a hammer strike that produces musical sound. Modern piano actions are often composed of over 8000 individual parts that all work together to translate the subtle movements of the fingers into expressive music that inspires.
The Yamaha Disklavier Enspire: The Perfect Self
The Yamaha Disklavier Enspire, the brands newest self-playing piano, is the best way to experience Yamahas self-playing piano technology. The unique sonority of a live acoustic piano can be replicated on this incredible instrument, with the original performance completely reproduced as a live experience. The Yamaha Disklavier Enspire, which costs $25,299, is an excellent value for those who want to try a live acoustic piano. If you want a musical instrument with even more features and capabilities, the Yamaha Disklavier Enspire is also available at a price of $30,049.
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The Iq Intelligent Player System By Piano Disc
PianoDisc is one of the worlds leading manufacturers of player piano systems. The company was founded in 1988, and in very short order became one of the most successful, innovative and influential companies in the music products industry.
A PianoDisc player piano system can be added to pianos of virtually any size, style or make, turning them into modern player pianos. Whether you have a grand piano or an upright, a new piano or used piano, PianoDisc has a system for you. There are also many options you can add that make PianoDisc even more appealing and valuable.
Brief Overview
Transform Your Piano Into A Studio
PianoDisc boasts the astonishing ability to record and play back any performance with the highest degree of precision and accuracy. Artists of all levels are able to capture their own style and voice through our advanced optical record and playback features, and even transfer or convert their performance into MIDI.
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What Are The Benefits Of Self
concerts in your home
Self-playing pianos have become exceedingly popular in recent years as wifi technology evolved to the current level of sophistication so that one can quickly and seamlessly activate the wonder of the self-playing piano. The vision of a baby grand beginning to play all by itself never gets old. You and your friends can share your musical favorites with a touch of any device, and the piano will perform for you. You can also invite the titans of the piano world into your home and have a private performance by the likes of Horowitz, Rubinstein, and Chick Corea. The self-playing mechanism is integrated seamlessly and discreetly so that it will never interfere with playing piano in a traditional way. You will never even know that our grand piano has a self-playing component. The latest technological developments make playing pianos interactive and fun whether you are a beginner, an amateur, or a professional. For a composer, it opens up creative possibilities that otherwise would require a whole studio to be available.
EXTENSIVE MUSIC LIBRARY
does not interfere with pianos action
Creator Mns Jonasson Wanted To Make An Automatic Musical Device So He Obtained A Toy Piano With The Requirement That It

Creator MÃ¥ns Jonasson wanted to make an automated musical device, so he obtained a toy piano, with the requirement that it could play at least two octaves. After stripping it down to its components to find 30 strings, or in reality tuned metal rods, he then designed and built holders for 30 corresponding tiny 5V solenoids. Each solenoid was set up with a MOSFET, diode, and resistor, allowing the projects Arduino Mega controller to activate everything with the help of a MIDI shield.
With the concept proven, the instrument was seemingly done, or at least in its final stages. However, with a rather messy electronics setup and 30 individual solenoid mounts, the machine was quite glitchy. Instead of shoving components into the little piano, slamming the lid and calling it done, Jonasson went back to the drawing board. He created holders for the solenoids in sets of eight, and found out how to control eight of them with a single motor driver board outlined in this separate write-up. These modifications improved both the mechanical and electrical assembly, resulting in something that can play plinky tunes automatically under MIDI control.
Be sure to check out the build process, along with a short concert featuring the Super Mario Brothers theme song in the video above.
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I Already Have A Piano Can I Make It Self
Yes, the Edelweiss Virtuoso System can be installed into a piano you already own, subject to a workshop inspection by one of our highly experienced technicians. The only limitation is that you would be piano-less for a period as we would need to bring your piano to our Cambridge UK factory to undertake the works. If you want to find out more about our retro-fit service please click below, leave your details and one of our specialists will be in touch.
What Are The Benefits Of A Self
Open Up A 4th Dimension In Your Home
Music combines all our senses. It changes moods by creating ambience and atmospheres that can excite the senses or soothe the soul. We call it the 4th Dimension. How music can embellish and enliven a space and create emotion resonances that enhance your interior design.
Exclusive Entertainment Opportunities
Bring any Dinner Party, Cocktail Evening, Karaoke Night really to life and invite a pianist to wow guests or simply have your piano play itself.
Personalised Musical Art
Create a uniquely personal statement of your taste, style and creativity by commissioning of your own custom self-playing piano. Merge design, colour, style and live music into one beautiful centrepiece for your home a beautiful object thats so much more than just a piano.
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What Makes A Piano Play By Itself
What is a Self-Playing Piano? Also known as player pianos or Pianolas, older style self-playing pianos uses a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism to play pre-programmed music on your piano using perforated paper or metallic rolls. The keys would move up and down as if the piano were playing by itself.
What makes a sound a note?
Sound is made up of vibrations or waves. These waves have a speed or frequency that they vibrate at. The pitch of the note changes depending on the frequency of these vibrations. The higher the frequency of the wave, the higher the pitch of the note will sound.
The World’s Most Advanced Piano
In 1982, it started with a simple idea. To craft an acoustic piano with a record and playback system unlike any other. More than 30 years of continuous innovation has created an acoustic piano that can faithfully reproduce every nuance of a performance and stream it, wirelessly, anywhere in the world. Including your living room. Its no wonder the Yamaha Disklavier has become the reproducing piano everyone is trying to reproduce.
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Best In Class Solenoids
PNOmation uses longer, fully encased solenoids, which deliver better sound at a soft dynamic. They are also corrosion-free and self-lubricating. The Controller User Interface is fully integrated into the grand pianos body , so there is no visible box hanging anywhere on the instrument. The existing technology is seemingly simple like all things genius. The solenoid is installed at the back of the key, and the infrared optical sensor determines the velocity and speed of the impact. It simply pushes up on the key end , activating the hammer that strikes the string. There is much more to it than just that. In todays self-playing pianos, the supercomputer calculates the actions nano-seconds to ensure the results are indistinguishable from the live performance.
Comparison To Electric Pianos
A player piano is neither an electric piano, electronic piano, nor a digital piano. The distinction between these instruments lies in the way sounds are produced. A player piano is an acoustic piano where the sound is produced by hammer strikes on the piano strings. Electrical or electronic components are limited to moving the keys or hammers mimicking the actions of a person no sound is produced from electrically amplified audio.
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Alex Steinbach Iq Pianos
At The Pianoforte, we have a range of beautifully crafted Alex. Steinbach self-playing pianos using Silent Drive technology from PianoDiscTM in traditional acoustic grand pianos and upright pianos.
Some of the music pieces that can be played have extra backing vocals and orchestral arrangements included, and they play through concealed speakers underneath the piano.
Can I Add Music To My Self

We offer three different self-play libraries. As standard your piano will be equipped with 1,000 tunes. Upgrade to our Silver Library and enjoy 2,500 songs. Our Gold Library consists of an incredible 5,000 tracks.
You can upgrade your library at any time and do so remotely. We do not need access to your piano to update your system but we are here to help if you need us.
You can also request music such as popular albums or genres and themed music for Christmas, Valentines or a special occasion.
If you are interested in ordering additional music then speak to our internal customer service team on +44 1223 881691 or email sales@edelweisspianos.com
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But What If I Dont Play The Piano
Did you know that only 6% of Americans play the piano and far fewer play it well? A-1 Piano can deliver the joy of live, superb piano music in your home even if you have never played a single note. A Baldwin is not a digital keyboard! This is a top-quality acoustic piano that can play itself. like magic. Consider sitting comfortably in your home, favorite beverage in hand, while you listen to the music you love played perfectly, live, on your own beautiful grand piano. If this thought makes you smile, please call or visit the A-1 Piano Showroom
The Baldwin Grand Piano comes in sizes between 4 10 and 6 10. For a limited time, A-1 Piano will deliver your Baldwin complete with your own electronic piano player at no additional charge. These systems have been perfected over the years and now reproduce piano music so well.it is impossible to differentiate a human player from an electronic one. With thousands of songs to choose fromyour new Baldwin will entertain and amaze your family and friends for a lifetime.
We are new in Bellevue but we have served the Seattle area for over 40 years. As a full-service piano dealer, we can help to find the correct new or used piano based on your needs and budget. We also rent many of our pianos and have a climate-controlled storage facility.If you need to move your piano Trust A-1 to get the job done. We have been moving pianos throughout western Washington since the 1970s!