The point remains one instrument being a piano how real is it. Answer not that real. I have done this on two speaker rigs and various headphones and IEM,s . Headphones comes the most real but not real.I understand what you mean. But can we expect from our systems that has to do so much more and under the load of so many parameters to performe as good as one single instrument. I guess not, but still they performe very good. :)
Now given all adjustments are taken away with headphones. And it's about 12 k in equipment. And it's great but not real. Anyone here who has piano test it yourself. A real piano not a keyboard, as a keyboard sounds nothing like a piano .
Al
Yes it’s real sounding and I get the point it must do so much. When I listen its sound good. But when my kid plays an old piano it’s so much more. Anyway at least it’s not me alone this time . Thanks
Al
...if the sound system is so bad it truly does become the bigger part of the experience. [...]
Al, I completely agree with that. Terrible sound can ruin even an excellent performance, and sound at clubs (and especially at outdoor festivals) can be terrible.
I do not mean to be a perfectionist and just reading my posts you can see I am not. These musicians I grew up with and was so happy to go to see. Now the Allman brothers band always had a good sound system. Santana great . It appears to me that I do not think the artist always has something to say in it. I remember I took my new wife to see Luther vandrose. Great concert. So I wanted to impress my new wife and paid a fortune for front row. Not realizing the band was right below in front. Well the drummer was so loud my ears were hurting. Now that I can understand lol.
Al
I think we should not forget that our systems do much more than a single instrument. It's doing all the instruments and voices at the same time. In doing so it has to give instruments and voices a place in the listeningroom. And will give us an idea of the acoustics of the recording environment.
I think that is something! ;)
It is!
Our systems provide us with a wonderful view of the music. The fact that we can reproduce music as well as we can is why this is so much fun.
Right now we can reproduce an idea, a hint of the sound of real instruments. Ten years from now, we will be a bit closer. Perhaps some day we will really get it perfect.
Television is the same. HD is amazing and it is fun. But no one mistakes the images on the screen for real people standing in your living room.
1 Like
Elk that is so true. I wonder what level of definition we see with. Even the new hidef is still nothing compared to our capable vision. I always thought it was our depth perception that made tv so not real. But I do not think so anymore. But he is a trick to prove there is something else. If you take a cardboard cutout of a person. And stand it on a sidewalk it appears real till we get really close. So there must more to it.
Al
i dont know but this is the most real piano recording i ever had heard:
Mayo Nakano Piano Trio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm4-T-YlLPU
The piano sounds little like at a distance; but sound so real anyway; I cannot speak Japanese, but it seems that they recorded that album direct to reel to reel 30 IPs and direct to decide 256 simultaneous;
A few years ago, I heard Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman on their Nearness tour. My seat was toward the right (audience perspective) of the stage and if I stood up and leaned forward, I could have touched Mr. Redman’s saxophone. This was at The Dakota in Minneapolis, a rather fine sounding and not so large acoustic.
A week later, I had friends over and played the Nearness recording, and sat in a seat in my listening room (treatments engineered by ASC) in nearly the same position as during the live performance. It was the closest to live that I’d ever experienced. Let’s say 90% or so. And my drinks were better and far cheaper!
I believe that within limitations (Berlioz and Bizet certainly excepted), we can reproduce initimate musical experiences within a very fine margin of the real thing. This is akin to magic.
2 Likes
I must be doing it wrong than. The purpose for me is to get lost in the music, which is anything but a waste of time or my money.
1 Like
I don’t think anyone’s fooling themselves.
We suspend our disbelief, which becomes much easier if you’ve taken the time to put together a synergistic system and addressed room acoustics.
Context is everything, Gary.
Even when quoting a post from nine years ago. 
2 Likes
Well, about a month ago my new neighbor asked me how many years I’ve been playing the piano. When I told him how long, he seemed unconvinced, reason being he thought a Mazurka C Major through my system and through my windows and through his windows was me playing.
So, a system can get close enough. I was playing pretty loud.
3 Likes
Track 11 is a nice one.
In everything we strive for in audio, this kind of open, lively sound should be a goal imo. It is at least for me.
I have to agree. My system is very convincing when playing music with piano in it. I do not mean just audiophile recordings either.
1 Like
The thing missing when listen to piano music, is the bass, even low bass keys in the piano has bass sound that tremble in air,
Use one mono mic 1 meter above the piano can du the jobb, i belive;
1 Like
Just a suggestion, try adding at least two well tuned subs to the room. I currently have 3, and am planning to add 3 more.
For less than a pair of ultra high end ic’s, you can have live piano performances in your home whenever you want.
1 Like
Why so negative about recordings?
Indeed, real instruments and voices sound different, typically more pleasing than their recording. But is this the reason for listening to recorded music?
We listen to recordings because:
- We can not do the dishes when we are in a concert hall. I love it loud while doing the dishes to get rid of a the workdays stress.
- It is impossible to go to concerts of all the artists.
The magic of recording is that the music is broadcasted to millions who can impossibly be at a concert or other music event.
My neighbor is a professional composer and artist. He directs an orchestra, huge choirs and plays several instruments. He and hundreds of artists perform in the Amsterdam Concert Gebouw again this December. He performs each of his compositions only a single time. Every 2 years a 1.5 to 2 h lasting magnificent performance. You miss it, it will never come back.
At every performance we visit we buy a CD of it. The recording happened at a separate performance dedicated to recording in a different building. A huge church with great acoustics. It sounds so good that it allows us to close our eyes and dream away to that night in the Amsterdam Concert Gebouw. It is also that detailed that we can hear the words they are singing. That is important as those words of praise are as important as the music.
Those details are determined by the recording quality not by the reproducing sound system. As we can hear those details even with lossy wireless AirPods when sitting outside on the camping on a summer night.
General rule, the more you invest, the better it sounds, but always in limits, regardless how much you pay.
Count your blessings, don’t complain about what you don’t and probably never will have.
4 Likes
Imagine how difficult he is on restaurant employees.
It does sound like a real piano here. But only on two songs.
So There - Lambchop
Crowds - Bauhaus (it’s a very quiet recording, turn it up!)
Otherwise you are correct, spot on actually.
i dont like subs 