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Comment by robdoherty2 | Hacker News Reader

It is absolutely true that adults can begin to learn piano (or any musical instrument) and reap rich rewards. And as you say the key is to set the right expectations and enjoy the sound, enjoy the process.

However, I don't agree that affordable to even high-end digital pianos will be able to approximate real acoustic pianos within 10 years in two primary areas: dynamics (being able to produce the full range of sounds from pianissimo to fortissimo) and haptic feedback (the subtle vibrations felt by the fingers and body when playing a real piano). Digital piano keybeds are getting better and better in these areas, but are just not close yet to a real piano sound and feel IMHO.

If anyone knows of any models of keyboards that prove me wrong, please share!

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I wouldn't say it would prove you wrong, but the StudioLogic SL88 Grand with the sound coming from Pianoteq is stunning for the money. Obviously it's not going to feel exactly like a real piano, but it is absolutely similar enough to feel way more like a real piano than anything else I've tried, and at a bit more than $1KUS, the price is unbeatable for anyone up to a very advanced level. StudioLogic is Fatar's in-house brand, so you get the key-bed of a much more expensive digital piano in a cheaper minimal housing, blowing away anything else in the same price bracket on key feel. You might have to hunt for them. They have weird arrangements as a part supplier for other brands, so for instance I found it at long & mcquade in Canada, but it was not on their websites.

On a similar spirit, the Kawai VPC1 although you need a PC to generate the sounds. Most people tend to use Modartts' Pianoteq.

I've started to use a RPi4 instead (output is through a simple USB DAC) and the quality is pretty much the same. Additionally, it makes for a simpler setup if you have a dedicated unit for the purpose.

Are you running Pianoteq or other software?

My Korg Kronos is just a dedicated mini-PC working as a synthesizer workstation appliance. It takes about 3-4 minutes to boot so hooking a RPi4 next to it would make for a great weekend project.

I’m running Pianoteq indeed

Yup, I use Pianoteq too, it's amazing!

I think the dynamics is a solved problem in terms of technology: at the extreme, you only need to sample every note for every expression level, it's just that it's not feasible in terms of hardware cost. Then you have damper resonance but todays high end models have some implementation and given that it's software one can expect great advances there in terms of modelling (soundboard resonance will be there).

Regarding keybed, the Kawai MP11 is supposedly the best with wooden keys and long pivot points, but again it's a matter of expectations and obviously a professional player will be able to tell the difference.

Kawai's midrange and higher pianos have a soundboard feature that provides tactile feedback.

I've heard the top-end models are very good. They have the same piano action as the five-figure acoustic Kawais but with electronic sound generation.

(I have a cheaper Kawai which is suits my needs, but I'm planning to get either the top end Kawai or Yamaha when my playing gets good enough to justify it.)

They're more than fine for amateurs, even dedicated amateurs. The equivalent Yamaha model - no soundboard, arguably better action - has become a kind of semi-mobile standard for professionals to practice on when there's nothing better around.

Of course you can't compare a four/low-five electronic design with a hand-made prestige six figure concert hall acoustic. But you can compare it with an equivalently-priced acoustic, and increasingly the electronic designs are winning.

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