Hi,
I have learned a lot about pianos in a short time here on PW. Many of you describe the sounds of various brands as; dark, bright, mellow, etc. I wonder if there is a video or two that you know of that compare sounds of various brands side-by-side? I am very curious to hear a clip demonstrating the difference between NY S&S and Hamburg S&S pianos. But also the often mentioned difference between Yamaha and Kawai grands. Thanks!

Ahhhh yes........Yamaha vs. Kawai has been the saga of my life since this year began. I have learned a ton.....and then everyday I learn something new here that 90% of the time proves true.

I've found just this so far. So which sound do you like most? :-)
Also which one would you describe as transparent, bright, mellow, dark, etc.?

This is an interesting exercise, but please keep in mind that the perception of piano tone will change in a recording space, placement of the piano, placement and type of mics. used, etc.

This does not even touch on the level of prep. of the instruments themselves. You could could walk away from a comparison like this one with an objective impression that may be subjectively wrong.

There is no substitute for visiting and hearing the piano for yourself.

My 2 cents,

I listened to the MP3's that would actually load... about half... to be honest, all the pianos I did hear sounded similar...

However, they all sounded good to me. I would not want to choose any sampled instrument and then pay thousands or tens of thousands of dollars based on a recording.

I agree with Rich, there is no substitute for a real, in-person experience with a real piano.

It was a nice demonstration though.

Rick

or $20,000 or $200,000, whatever the cost of a new piano. In other words, excellent advice.

Another problem with the samples is that the selections use only a small range of the keyboard and only a soft dynamic.

Thanks for posting these clips Karel!! Now, which ones are bright, dark, mellow? I would like to learn that...

Rich, good points! But this thread is not about which one sounds best or which one to buy (like most threads here) but rather how people describe piano sounds. I just want to calibrate my ears so to speak...

Interesting discussion and it's really fun comparing the clips. One of the gratifying things about playing an instrument, taking lessons, studying music theory, and practicing is that we develop our musical ears. I'm now able to tell when a piano is "a little off" or when a singer goes flat. I can better discern mellow, dark, bright, clear, muddy, rich, tinny, etc. But my musical ear has a long way to go, and I'll have fun helping it develop.


In comparing piano sounds, as was said in many posts here, much depends on where the piano is placed, how full or empty is the room, is the piano on carpet, wood, or some other material, how tall is the ceiling, and how quiet is the room. In listening to recordings, how good is the recording equipment, microphone, and media. Where was the mic placed? How good are my speakers? Since there's very little opportunity to play a similar sized and priced Kawai and Yamaha side by side, the debate of which piano is better is (on this forum) never-ending. But that's the fun part. Both Kawai and Yamaha are very competitive with each other and other piano-makers. This competition benefits piano lovers everywhere and gives Piano World Forum members a great opportunity to improve our writing and debate skills.

BTW: even though I own a Yamaha, I think Kawai makes wonderful pianos. Shhhhh...don't tell my C3 I wrote that.

Even in these conditions, of the examples that would play, the Bosendorfer still sounds the best.

Fun to listen to as an exercise, but as Rich and Pianoloverus pointed out, the test is severely limited in a number of ways.

That said, these ears heard a notably longer sustain in the C. Bechstein and Boesendorfer samples than the others (though I may have missed one or two). By this, I mean a plateau maintained after the attack before decay begins. (I assume the pedal was used little, if at all.)