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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
Hey everyone, the H1 just came in so I thought I would make a tradition out of the gear porn that is unboxing and present without further ado my quick and dirty unboxing and first impressions:
Quick Bullet Points:
-Action isn't quite as nice as the MP11 (duh) -Action is responsive and quick -Some models are more equal than others, it's obvious a lot of love went into their Fazioli model compared to say, their C7 model. -The Italians have a much different idea of what a NY Steinway D should sound like than I do. -Viscount teases an extensive external sound editor app for download on their site, not making it clear you need to purchase an expensive use license in the form of a USB dongle. Very uncool. -Touch panel isn't nearly as hard to use as some reviews might lead you to believe -Menu is much more intuitive than Kawai's, but still has a lot of bizarre idiosyncrasies. -Sounds are amazing. Alive. Complex. Ringing. Intermingling. It's really something you should try for yourself if you have the opportunity.
2012 NY Steinway Model B | Kawai MP11 | Nord Stage 3 Compact | Moog Matriarch | ASM Hydrasynth 49 | Sequential Circuits Prophet 10 Rev4 | Yamaha ModX 61
Couple of points...what software version is yours running? I don't recognise a couple of the screens. You need to be on 1.6. There are very significant improvements to the models and velocity mappings since launch.
The USB key is a pain. I don't have one but there is an authorised dealer in the UK selling them for just over £40, which is a lot more palatable than a few hundred, which was the original rumour.
The key action is not related to any Nord action. Fatar very confusingly calls this action TP40 Wood, but it is actually a wooden version of TP400.
...which gives a clear idea of how the rare Physis model sounds in immediate juxtaposition context of the much more familiar Roland sound samples - which we've all probably heard and played in our local music stores! That side-by-side method is terrific for making fair comparisons back and forth.
Now, given that you are in the very fortunate position of being one of the few to have both a Physis Piano H1, and a Kawai MP11, and a Steinway acoustic in your house (lucky you!) and a stong perchant for making videos, perhaps you could please think about filming a similar style comparison video? Obviously Kawai MP11 vs Physis H1 but if you can record the Steinway in there too, for a 3 way comparison, even better! Even if it's only through camera's mic, it still conveys quite a lot of useful information to the listener in these comparisons.
No need to explain or talk us through, simply play the same musical phrases on each keyboard quickly back and forth between them. That would be something we'd all love to watch, with those three top class instruments at your disposal. There's probably no shops on earth that have all those three together on demo in one building.
Thanks for the heads-up on the USB key. I gotta say I'm just as PO'ed that Viscount didn't make it clear on their site that the editor was not free than that they charge for it in the first place. There's not even a place to buy it on their site. Also, thanks for the clairification on the TP400 action. I had forgotten that fact.
GOMBESSA:
There IS a clacking from the keyboard when doing a glissando and they keybed is ever so slightly uneven. Again, not the kind of fit and finish of Kawai's GF. I am going to play it some more before I decide to keep it, but so far, so fun!
PRO PIANIST:
I had thought about this, but there is a lot of logistical overhead involved in this. I would have to get someone to help me carry BOTH huge DPs down a narrow stairwell, find another stand capable of holding them, and set them up next to the Steinway. Then I would have to run a mixer and cabling. I know it sounds tantalizing to have the comparison (believe me, I DID consider it), but as they say here it really is kind of like Apples and Oranges. I might do an H1/Steinway bit where I try and match the H1 as closely as I can to the B and see how it goes. So far, I have tried using their NY D model and shortening the length of the piano while increasing the "size" of the soundboard with encouraging results.
JAMES:
I have had them hooked up for a while. It's definitely nice, but the 127 layers of velocity to the Nord don't quite capture the nuance of the MP11 or H1's internal curves and even for its great action, the MP11 is pricey as just a controller.
2012 NY Steinway Model B | Kawai MP11 | Nord Stage 3 Compact | Moog Matriarch | ASM Hydrasynth 49 | Sequential Circuits Prophet 10 Rev4 | Yamaha ModX 61
Also, from new in the box, should have been some cleaner and a cloth for the touchscreen...as well as the music rack, which is the coolest transparent add-on, and fits in the most practical way...and extremely robust...not flimsy like most. Actually, it was this very feature that sold the unit to a friend of mine, as she liked the music right down low to the keys. She got it with the fabulous ST1 stand with integral pedals, amp and full length speaker system that face you..ingenius...not cheap...but ingenious. I also know of a church here in town looking into this as well...our Canadian retailer is Cosmo Music, outside Toronto. They are great to deal with
