Silent Kit

I would give a little reading here

http://www.pianoconc...-di-pianoforti/

For the silent mechanism, the hammers are not blocked but distanced from the strings in such a way that they strike "in a vacuum" or rather on sensors... someone else might be more precise

Thank you BackSpace.

Does anyone know how it is possible to purchase the grand and upright piano key model like the ones in the videos: "Journey inside the piano"?

The model is sold through technician supplies. As far as the Silent goes, BackSpace is right. I don't think there is anything else to say. Let's just say that the system is being surpassed by the digital piano. In my opinion, many sound expectations are disappointed with the Silent, whereas they can be very well realized on a digital one. A sort of sonic "mute" that does not provide a satisfying "substitute" for the acoustic sound. This is my opinion.

Then it's better to aim for a digital piano like the Roland V-Piano. Many people speak highly of it. I hope it is truly an excellent digital piano.

Thank you very much for your advice.

Excuse me, but if it is true that with the "silent" system the sound is not exactly excellent in my opinion, the mechanical response is much more satisfying on a mechanical piano (even if silenced) than on a digital one. Besides, those who use a "silenced" piano generally do so at times when playing would be inappropriate and/or forbidden. Therefore, a small deficit in sound quality can be accepted

I perfectly agree with Leonardo di Stefano

True, but as far as I know, the silent system also modifies the key weight, even if only slightly, and with all the digital pianos that exist, I wouldn't want to ruin my acoustic piano's keyboard. This is just hearsay because honestly, I have never happened to play on a silent system. In any case, I would like to try it...

It's true. But, at least the last Silents I tried were based on placing a strip of sensors between the keyboard and the frame, taking care to "stop" the hammers' stroke against the strings. Therefore, there is still an alteration, albeit minimal, of the key dip and/or the hammer stroke. Furthermore, the sensation of "truth" that the pianist feels from the action before listening to the actual sound produced by the string can be altered by the psychological disappointment of the expectation, in the case of the silent, of a sound that is actually altered. As far as digital goes, there are well-simulated actions even with a good sensation of the escapement (we are even talking about the Roland V, which is a "prince" among digitals). What do you think?

I also, while trying an acoustic piano with a silent kit, felt an alteration of the touch and in headphones I heard the sampled sound of another piano. Embarrassing!!!

I agree, better a digital piano than a "digitized" acoustic piano!

Pianoaccordatore wrote:

I also, when trying an acoustic piano with a silent kit, felt an alteration of the touch and in headphones I heard the sampled sound of another piano. Embarrassing!!!

I agree, better a digital piano than a "digitized" acoustic piano!

si but in this case something extraordinary happens: it is true that you have to spend a little more, I own a Yamaha B2 Silent, but even if the "weighting" is slightly altered, you certainly don't need to have a digital piano separate from the acoustic piano, and besides, the silent system wasn't born for performing concerts, but for studying without disturbing others. And furthermore, the mechanics of modern Yamaha silent systems do not have levers or things like that as happened before, but LED sensors; personally, I don't know the other systems, but I believe they are similar. In any case, the key weighting is not altered, but rather the depth, because a felt strip is interposed between the hammer rail and the string plate, without any sensor, upon which the hammer shanks strike; the most sensitive pianists will surely perceive a difference in depth of a few tenths of a millimeter, but I repeat, the weighting does not change because the mechanics, with the activation of the silent system, are not altered.
As for the sound, it no longer reflects that of the piano but is sampled, so I'll let you imagine...

At the end of the practice session, you switch off the silent system and play what you have learned during your "silent" study :-)

i would like to remind you that I am not biased, but simply an owner of this technology that I use only to warm up my hands, then nothing else; however, if a bit of "madness" strikes me, I switch on the silent system and play during sleepless nights.

The discussion changes if instead there is the need to always play but without disturbing anyone, and here I stop because I have no direct experience.

P.S. one might have the need to install a silent system of any brand, but the result is not always satisfactory because it is a laborious operation and the work must be entrusted to technicians who are very sensitive and competent in technological matters.

Regarding the silent [mode/piano], what headphones do you recommend buying? Is there a model that you would advise against?

Roughly what price range should I aim for to get a good product? I've seen they go from 50 euros up to 350...

Thanks in advance

Lestofante wrote:

Speaking of silent, which headphones do you recommend buying? Is there a model that you advise against?

Roughly what price range should I aim for to get a good product? I've seen they go from 50 euros up to 350...

More or less how much would you like to spend?

Do you need to isolate yourself from external noise with closed-back headphones, or would open-back ones be okay too?

Closed headphones, do you mean the ones that cancel background noise? I need them to play when others are sleeping or if the apartment building assumes I might disturb them

I don't have a price in mind, let's say between 100 and 200?

I have been using an AKG 240 Studio for about 7 years, with a Yamaha digital piano. I find it excellent because it combines sound warmth and detail, it doesn't fatigue the hearing, and it is quite lightweight. And it has the advantage of having an interchangeable cable. I changed it for the first time last year. The price is around 100 euros or a little more.

I suggest:

AKG K240

open-back headphones for 140 euros, they don't isolate particularly well, but if there are no other people in the room there are no problems, neither for you nor for them. It also seems to me that open-back headphones are a bit less oppressive. I have them; they are very natural and comfortable, they are not absolutely linear in the sense that they add a little something to the bass, but nothing serious.

AKG K271

closed-back headphones for 146 euros. I don't know them personally but they should be not very different from the previous one, except that they are closed. From the graph, they seem more correct in terms of bass but also with less extension

AKG K702

open-back headphones for 314 euros. Similar to the K240, with the same merits, but much more linear.

Otherwise a classic Sennheiser (e.g., HD 598 seems interesting), but I know less about these.

Check here too:

http://www.headphone.com/

Thank you so much really, I don't understand anything about it, but the HD 598 seem great, but also the 518 which I have seen a few reviews of. I was convinced the closed ones cost more, instead this one costs less than $100

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/professional_DJ_headphones-closed-circumaural_004974

Stupid, stupid question, do closed headphones sacrifice something in terms of sound purity?

I am interested in the subject; I noticed that AKG makes some models in "HD" version, what is the difference between the two versions?

Usually, open-back headphones sound better. The choice of one headphone over another depends on the intended use. A headphone to be used inside a recording studio will be closed because we don't want bleed into the microphones. Same thing for DJ headphones in clubs. You need a headphone that shields as much as possible the deafening music outside to ensure you can beat-match the record heard in the headphones with the external one. Closed-back headphones are usually very uncomfortable, so except for these cases, I always prefer open or at most semi-open ones.

You mentioned AKG, but regarding good headphones besides the Sennheisers they recommended to you, there are also the Beyerdynamic DT880. Just to provide another alternative to the already excellent advice you've been given.

The important thing is that you always get circumaural headphones and not supra-aural ones, which squeeze as if you had a vise on your head and really hurt.

Regarding the HDs, don't get them, because they are less flat. They are listening headphones for TV or stereo. They have emphasis on certain frequencies to make the sound more colored. A bit like turning on the loudness on a car stereo.

What is 'lost' in a silent system is about 3 mm (not dozens...), i.e., the distance maintained between the hammer head and the string. The hammer shank hits a felted or rubberized bar 3 mm before this actually touches the string. That is why the piano is silent. The sound, instead, comes from sensors under the keyboard that do not modify the key dip at all. In an upright piano, it is virtually impossible to notice any difference. The story is different for a grand piano, where the double escapement must be regulated differently. But a good technician is able to correct the piano very well.