. . .To the real deal?? Was thinking of putting this on the "Pianos" forum, but that could be a step tooooo far . . !

Well, in a sense you have already put it on the Piano forum in your "why haven't pianos moved on" thread. And look how well that went down!

i prefer a good digital to most pianos that I find in the average persons home. Now a good upright or grand - that is a different story. It all comes down to quality for me.

I think in the end I want both. A good digital and and a nice grand piano.

True . . but I did say "semi-serious"; I suppose the Light Brigade thought the same when they charged; Mind you, it was fun while it lasted..

Many, many acoustic pianos out there are in very poor regulation and tune and I hate that. Others were never designed to be nice (I was raised on a spinet and it was terrible). I prefer a decent digital to them, yes. In fact, I'd say I usually prefer digitals in the price range $900-$2000 to acoustic counterparts costing the same amount. Of course, a $2000 digital is a good one and a $2000 acoustic is often not good, so we aren't really comparing apples to apples. On the other hand, you can often get deals on great acoustics for less than $2000 on craigslist and so forth...

I definitely prefer the best acoustics to the best digitals, but an acoustic doesn't fit with my lifestyle at the moment (I'm always playing at night, for example). An acoustic is a great performance instrument, but it's not a great instrument to stick in a small place and play without disturbing anyone.

This! If you can afford the cost and space for the grand, the digital is a no brainer!

I agree with previus posters. A digital piano, in my mind, easily beats most uprights I've played and poorly maintained grands.

If gigging I would'nt propably use a grand even if one was availeble. Digital piano is just so much easier and 99% of the audience won't know the difference, no matter how fine the grand would be. Classical and solo-jazzing is a different story ofcourse, but I don't do thatkind of stuff.

I started my playing with synth action kb's and from there moved to digi pianos. When I finally started practicing on grands and upright I developed a carpal tunnel syndrome that bothers me frequently. But even if my wrist would be fine the only thing I'd prefer over a digi piano would be a decent grand.

Acoustic is best. The digital is for portability and/or low-cost and/or low-maintenance and/or headphone privacy. When those criteria don't apply the acoustic wins by a country mile.

Seriously? More of this, Pete?

I think that below 5K digital is a better purchase.
Unless you are buying a very old instrument, acoustic will not be of a very good quality.
Too heavy action difficult to play thrills, not so nice tone - what I see on cheap acoustic instruments, including grands.
And as you can see from DPSDB thread - someone mentioned that his acoustic Yong Chang (budget brand) had dynamic range around 50dB that is not superior to a good digital piano
Wonder what is better then about budget acoustic pianos... (I like never touch nor sound of YC).

So comparing apples to apples (pianos at the same price range, not Clavinova vs. concert grand) digital is good.

I don't even keep a digital for piano or electric piano in the house anymore. There's nothing like the real thing:

@Hideki Matsui,

Question:

How much did that Shigeru Kawai SK5 cost you?

This topic has been beaten black and blue before being strung up and shot full of poisonous arrow holes. Anyone interested can find numerous past threads...

Rest content Ando! I will not darken the doors of that forum again. Well, for a week or so . . .

Hideki - I detect a Wurlitzer piano in the background! I had one o` them. It was always going out of tune, but what a sound!

To 10fingers.

This topic has become an argument between DPs and AP`s. That is not what I posted. Nor what I posted on the other forum. But it happened. Not responsible, ole lad! (Gallic shrug once again)

Sacre Bleu et zut alors . . .

Looks like it...but no. Tine based Vintage Vibe 64.

I think they are working on a Wurly for NAMM... I'll definitely get one of those too.

I got a great deal, but definitely not cheap. I feel very fortunate to have the luxury of owning and playing a beautiful grand and EP. I wouldn't want to bring them around, but that's why I keep my Jupiter.

"I feel very fortunate to have the luxury of owning and playing a beautiful grand and EP."

Do you know, I feel the same about my cheapo DP. I didn`t have a restriction on money when I bought it. There`s a lot of good stuff within it`s plastic housing waiting to came out. . .
Have good one man!

I don't doubt it. I really enjoy playing my Jupiter as well and it can do so many things my piano and EP can't. That being said, when it comes to playing piano or EP at home, the way the Shigeru and VV64 sound in my acoustic space are really amazing and leave me with no reason to seek an emulation of those instruments.

Wow - I hope so - that would be amazing. If they are, I wonder whether they'll use the same kind of action - it's more complicated than a Rhodes action and I imagine it would be more expensive to make.

Greg.

Nice piano. I want to buy a fine grand one day too - but this is still apples and oranges.

If we compare apples to apples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9qJL7E8Yk4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq8ZiYCrjo8

Both pianos cost approximately same (the acoustic probably a little bit pricier), soundwise they are very similar (I probably like Yamaha more), the action is better on Yamaha, and it is way more convenient and does not require maintenance (except dust removal :))

Hope this explains why digitals are sold in proportion 75% to 25% to acoustic (not everyone will purchase a grand at double-digit-thousand range).

So the original post was "Does anybody prefer the Digital... to the real deal??"

I suppose to be fair, you didn't specify that 'Digital' refers to digital pianos, and you didn't define 'the real deal'; so was I being presumptuous in assuming you were inviting comparisons between digital and acoustic pianos?

Anyhow, I was just feeling churlish and I don't really wish to stifle good dialogue, although it really is a boring topic, since naturally some people prefer digitals over the real deal. OK, I'm done being snarkey, for now

Why I otta.......

Seriously, I practiced on a wurlitzer upright piano and then left piano for 12 years.
College etc. etc. etc. I remembered how much I enjoyed playing and started back up again. Got a Technic Digital piano that is long over due to be replaced. If it weren't for the digital I wouldn't be able to practice. Funny thing is I had a customer
several years ago that invited be out to golf and then to his house for BBQ.
He is a Doctor and lives in country club area. He has a beautiful Yamaha Baby Grand
up on a balcony. I asked if I could tickle them a little bit. The sound was wonderful
and filled up the whole house. He was also shocked that I could play all the pop
music they had laying around the piano.
Sad thing is the piano is more for show as the whole family doesn't play. Eight in total in the house ( dad, mom, and six kids ) I would die for a set up like that, but it ain't going to happen. Best I get to do is play on the baby grand piano in
church.
My plan is to get the Casio PX-350 or simular for up-stairs in the office and replace the Techic the following year in the den.

My wife knows it is coming but laughs that I won't step foot in a piano dealer in fear
that I will fall in love with one and have to have it. I've been putting away B-day money and xmas money for the stage piano. Got that covered and will get it next month or two

I think a lot of us here would love a great acoustic, but our living area is better suited for a digital piano. I know mine is with two young children. I get to practice
at midnight without disturbing anyone in the house. My wife is jealous. She plays the flute and can't do that.

I can't emulate a string orchestra or build my own sounds on an acoustic piano so yeah, I have much more use for digital instruments .

Well... I prefer my MOx to the uprights on the conservatory... but the Grand on the amphitheater... oh dear... it's a Kawai Grand... 1,80m aprox... Don't know the model, but for sure it's a really good and regulated grand piano. Much more pleasing and fun to play than any digital one I ever played. But, anyway, it's expensive to have one of those in home. Just for who can afford it. So I have to prefer Digital Pianos. :X

"Anyhow, I was just feeling churlish and I don't really wish to stifle good dialogue, although it really is a boring topic, since naturally some people prefer digitals over the real deal."

No worries, man. I don`t always explain things as I mean to. Sorry about that. But there is good dialogue here, and don`t forget, it`s all new to me! I have yet to find ONE who prefers the digital "piano copy" (did ya like that last bit?)

I think digitals have come a long way.

When I was young and learning piano, digitals were still new. They had 16 note polyphony and they sounded mediocre to bad at best.

Our family had one because we had such narrow hallways comming into the second floor, thats all that could fit.

Back then, there was no comparing digitals to any acoustic.

"He has a beautiful Yamaha Baby Grand
up on a balcony. I asked if I could tickle them a little bit. The sound was wonderful and filled up the whole house."

I do wonder if I`m missing out on something here. Yet there`s nothing in our piano shop to interest me. Nothing at all although I`ve played plenty in the past . . and the latest digitals are sounding more like `em . . sort of . .

Wow. It seems you guys have never heard an acoustic piano.
I've never heard a digital piano sound like an decent acoustic. Not even close.