QRS PianoMation
QRS is the oldest of the player piano brands produced today, beginning business in the 1850’s. The QRS player piano system, featuring the well recognized ‘piano roll’ was popularized in the early 1900’s when QRS devised a new system called the QRS Marking System, one of the first mechanisms for recording the performance of a live pianist to a piano roll, rather than transcribing notes by hand. The player pianos of this era, led by QRS, used perforated paper rolls and vacuum pressure to play the instrument. The perforations, or slots, cut into the paper represented the 88 notes of the piano. As the roll moved across a ‘vacuum head’, also with slots, the key associated with that note was activated. Due to their history, QRS has the largest library of player piano content available in the market today.
Current versions of the QRS system are far different from the original designs. Where the older pianos were essentially an on/off switch, modern day player pianos use servos or solenoids to electronically activate based on myriad of data collected during an actual artist recordings. This means that the player pianos of today have full control of dynamics in the piano, able to play soft and loud just like the original performances, as well as control over sustain and other mechanics used when playing the piano.
Here are some features of the modern QRS player piano, called PianoMation.
- QRSTV on Roku, featuring live performances, the video is sync’ed to your piano, so as the artist plays, your piano plays live.
- Optical Recording using PianoScan for high resolution recording and playback on your piano.
- QRS Connect – connecting teachers and students remotely for real time interaction and collaborations. When the teacher plays, the student’s piano plays, and when the student plays… the teacher’s piano springs to life, all over a basic internet connection.
- QRS A.I., modernizing older player piano records to today’s HD standards, as well as the ability to ‘peel off’ layers of sounds like vocals, piano or even horns.
- Can be added to nearly any grand piano
PianoDisc Player Piano System
PianoDisc started in 1988 as a modern player piano company. The emphasis was to create better player piano instrument with more dynamic range, utilizing the better computerized technology being introduced at the time. Further, the PianoDisc system could be installed on any instrument, which allowed it to gain massive popularity. In 1996, Burgett Inc., the owner of PianoDisc, purchased the Mason & Hamlin piano manufacturing company.
The following are the highlights of the PianoDisc Player Piano System
- Over 4000 songs, many featuring original artist recordings
- 1,024 levels of dynamic expression and a high-resolution system that plays up to a nanosecond of expression and sensitivity
- IQ App that seamlessly connects to your iOS device using Bluetooth audio.
- Can be added to essentially any grand piano
- Massive song library featuring a variety of genres, from classical to pop, jazz to folk and much more.
Yamaha Disklavier – High Resolution Reproducing Player Piano
Disklavier is much more than the modern-day version of the “player piano.” Disklavier pianos are authentic acoustic pianos that incorporate fiber optic sensing systems, high-performance servos or solenoids, and state-of-the-art computer technology, meaning high resolution playback of recorded performances.
Because of the exclusive Disklavier Player Piano technology, these pianos can very accurately record piano performances and playback with all of the expression and nuance of the original performance. Disklavier pianos have many capabilities that provide a wide range of entertainment and educational uses.
The free Disklavier App enables WiFi remote control of the instrument using an Apple iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad. At the touch of a button on any of these devices, the user can control many Disklavier performance functions, including selection and playback of sources, albums, and individual songs; volume, basic record and song titling, balance, transpose, and part cancel.
Also, the App can be used to control the playback of DisklavierRadio. DiskalverRadio is an unlimited, subscription-based service that lets users listen to hundreds of fully orchestrated songs 24/7 over the Internet, which are then performed “live” on the Disklavier.
“Yamaha’s goal is to make it as convenient as possible for Disklavier users to control and enjoy their instrument,” said Jim Levesque. Levesque is the Disklavier Marketing Manager, Yamaha Corporation of America. “Since many of our users already own an iPhones or iPads, now they can simply reach into their pocket, open our app and immediately enjoy any performance from anywhere in their home.”
Here are a few features of the Disklavier Player Piano:
- Factory Installed (only available on select Yamaha Pianos)
- 500 built-in songs
- Growing library of ~9,000 songs
- Streaming radio service with 30+ channels
- Streaming video service (free with radio subscription)
- Damper and shift pedal movement reproduction (not available on ENCL models)
- Auto-calibration and real-time auto-adjusting playback
Steinway & Sons – Spirio Player Pianos
After years of neglecting this important market segment, in 2015 Steinway launched its own player piano system called Spirio. The Spirio is an iteration of a system designed by Austrian engineer, Wayne Stahnke, who also did substantial work on player systems for Yamaha and Bösendorfer. Adapted from the purchase of Stahnke’s Live Performance Model LX, updated and rebranded as Spirio, the Spirio player piano system is only available on new Steinway Pianos. The Spirio | R is capable of recording and playback while the standard Spirio offers high-resolution playback only. Steinway, featuring one of the largest rosters of professional pianists, has quickly accumulated ~4000 recordings available for playback, including from such notable global artists as Lang Lang, Yuja Wang and Olga Kern.
Features for consideration:
- High Resolution Recording and Playback – the Spirio system claims more points of data (20 points) than other systems, and therefore claims their playback is the most accurate possible.
- ~4000 recordings and a growing library
- High Resolution Editing
- SpirioCast – audio, video and synchronized live piano playback of world-class performances
Though other systems may be available globally, this is the list of most player pianos systems available in the US as of this writing. Miller Piano Specialists stocks several of these systems new, and often used Yamaha Disklavier instruments to select from. We can also install the aftermarket player piano systems into your piano (QRS and PianoDisc). If you’re in the market for a player piano, our team of specialists can help ensure an amazing experience, from selecting your instrument to ensuring it’s not just delivered, but actually installed and connected to your home internet and audio systems for a simple and positive player piano experience. Call 615-771-0020 or chat with us today to get started on enjoying a modern player piano experience.
