From the website: "Physis piano is an idea."

And a good one!

Hoping NAMM 2013 is where it's revealed to be more than an idea...

Apogee Digital announced they will be shipping iOS-compatible versions of all their desktop audio interfaces: ONE, Duet, and Quartet. The two- and four-channel versions will now feature MIDI as well as audio I/O--some seriously high-end interfaces for all Apple's iOS devices:

http://www.apogeedigital.com

This may indeed be a real product. But given that the bulk of pianos sell for less than $2000, and that the market thins out above that ...

At 29000 Euros ($39000) ... even with a discount this won't be a hot seller. One might show up in a movie as a show piece, or in a museum, or at Donald Trump's mansion. But not in very many living rooms, eh?

I just bet they would.

Roland RD64 video from NAMM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cKTuLFkR18

Roland VR-09:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78GJgz9edCw

It's a hit and miss industry. Certainly their design for Bosendorfer is stunning in person.
Bosendorfer Piano - Design by F.A.Porche

Gah, the Alpha Piano looks like something Jean-Luc Picard practices on while not busy commanding the Enterprise.

The Physis piano looks like a nice experiment or concept, not much different from a concept car that attracts all the attention at exhibitions but ends up in the manufacturer's private museum or such. I mean, does anyone really want to tinker with every single tiniest detail of the sound the instrument produces?

$0.02 of mine.

Alpha Piano comes with Vienna Imperial - stretched samples and no half-pedalling. I would expect something better than this from a 30k piano...

I suppose there's always MIDI and / or VST...

Now the yamaha site is up
http://hub.yamaha.com/140-namm

, and some news, but nothing I find too exciting...

http://usa.yamaha.com/news_events/pianos_keyboard/?page=1&year=2013




New modus models


New CVP models, great...


YDP-162 and YDP-142 with nothing too exciting more than USB and IAC.

No P-155 replacement yet.
No AvantGrand update either I guess:
http://usa.yamaha.com/news_events/pianos_keyboard/yamaha_celebrates_its_award_winning/

Sweet. I have the Quartet.

Bought the Duet 15 days ago and now this.


***


Hey, YDP-162 has PureCF and ivory keytops now... Guess it will be the same with the 'P-165', right?

http://ca.yamaha.com/en/products/musical...162/?mode=model

Regarding Alpha-Piano,
this is completely missed-target product.

For who they invented it.
The only customers are some wierd wealthy people with no idea what pianism is and want to have some fancy and good-looking furniture.

If somebody has 30k EUR for piano for playing, he will defitely will buy baby grand,
otherwise he's an idiot.

However:
- if the action is really form top concert grands, the action cost is about 5-10k EUR
- the must give a lot of markup to cover the porsche design expenses and low volume of sales
- if any of you would like to buy this fancy piano for that price hands up


For me someone will loose a lot of money on starting this project
(for me also the V-piano grand is missed concept... for almost half of the price, however it's competion for digital Yamaha grands and from that point of view V-Grand is ok)

Yamaha still using this quote about AG, which won award again.

"deliver the tone and touch of a nine-foot Yamaha CFIIIS concert grand piano in compact footprints that can easily fit in limited space environments."

Let's start up another heated debate...

(I'm kidding, just having some fun)

So, do you think Yamaha will release more products during NAMM?

I could turn out to be dead wrong, because, you know, PR, but when I spoke with Mark Anderson at Yamaha last year, he indicated -- aside from stuff like the NU1, which doesn't replace anything -- that the AG was a long-term deal, i.e. not something you'll see updated routinely like a popular stage piano.

I have no idea. Just saying that 'P-165' (or whatever it'll be called) will propably also have PureCF and the ivory keytops, since P-155 and YDP-161 are basically the same gear with/without a cabinet (same with P-105/YDP-142).

Does anyone know why YDP-162 is 1" taller than 142?
http://usa.yamaha.com/news_events/pianos_keyboard/yamaha_expands_arius_line_of_digital_pianos/

Nice.

Because of different actions or speakers?

Absolutely hilarious the way Steve just wails on the board, then looks around like "Did anyone see how cool I just played?"

I noticed that as well. "Man can I jam" was the look in his eyes!

That's a minor tragedy, the sound generator in these models is nowhere near as good as the keys, speakers, and cabinets (IMO).

NAMM seems like even more of a bust this year than last. What by all rights should be an incredibly exciting event is once again hobbled by little or no real innovation.

I agree that NAMM is pretty barren this time - really nothing to get that excited about. Personally, I like the Kawai VPC - I could see myself with one of those. But Yamaha have generated nothing piano-wise. Nothing worth trumpeting anyway. A 64 key controller from Roland - big deal.

Another year goes by....

A very cool piece of kit, the Quartet. If I read the promo blurbs correctly, existing Quartets can be updated (with firmware and a new version of Maestro, I assume) for iOS compatibility.

Sadly, it appears that owners of existing Duets will have to buy new hardware if they want to get the MIDI and iOS functionality. Makes me want to upgrade to a Quartet.

It's a brave new world when the interface costs more than the host computer.

Don't think so, previous models had same height. Maybe to make YDP-162 looks more like a Clavinova? ('YAMAHA' above the keys and not on the music rest)

I am fairly excited by the Roland 64. Will want to see one in person before moving to the obsession stage...

Totally disappointed with this NAMM.

NO motif successor from yamaha
No K3000 from kurzweil.(It might only happen at year AD 3000 )
NO Fantom from Roland.
A DP from korg without their flagship piano sounds.

Kawai VPC didnt met the expectation(Every DP can control VST's over usb, velocity curve is not a deal).

Roland & Casio made something good (not exciting)
I hoped PX-5S had wooden keys since it's Privia "PRO"

So basically nothing will happen until next winter NAMM, usually Summer NAMM is dull & boriing

Another year ahead to upgrade my stuff :huh:

I like their current action a lot. As much as I like its 24 lb travel weight! I'm afraid wooden keys are unlikely to ever make it to one of my gigs.

+1

I would like to hear some of the EPs though before giving it an unambiguous thumbs up.