That’s right, I bought a $15,000 instrument. Because that’s how I roll. Here’s a little bit of backstory, some pictures, and my thoughts.
I’ve had a Technics SX-PR303 since 1995 and I still love it. Weighted touch sensitive keys, sounds galore, easy multi-track recording – I’ve used and abused the thing. It’s gone with me to gigs in Virginia Beach, in and out of several apartments in Richmond, and in both of my apartments here in Rochester. It’s dealt with me playing crappy musical numbers, singing while playing, and shoddily realizing figured bass without a word of judgment. But finally, the time had come to replace it. The damper pedal was going in and out and I just couldn’t do the level of practicing that I needed to do on it anymore.
In November, Vivian sent me this Slate article on this “digital hybrid” piano that Yamaha was touting. Besides the fact that it name-checked Donald in Mathmagic Land and compared the Tactile Response System to an N64 Rumble Pak (sure ways to get me excited), I found myself thinking, “why haven’t all digital pianos been like this before?” And you know how it is, when something seems so revolutionary yet totally obvious, it just has to be a good thing.
Fast forward to the Eastman Wind Ensemble’s performance at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. I was fortunate enough to get to go along as a performer, photographer, and student-wrangler (more on that in another post), and lo and behold, there was a Yamaha AvantGrand N3 in the exhibit hall. Admittedly, it was very difficult to hear in that crowded conference room, with everybody else trying all sorts of band instruments, but I fell in love. I dragged everybody over to try it out, and started thinking about how I could justify spending that kind of money on a digital instrument.
Some justification (Adrian’s clarinets are also valued at about $15k, I am still a musician even if I make more money as a web developer/designer), phone calls, and measurements later, I bought it. It was just meant to be. Turns out that, while there were no dealers in the entirety of NYS, the Piano and Organ Warehouse next to my father’s house had one in stock and was willing to sell it to me for $14,495 with no tax because I am no longer a VA resident. My father was unbelievably supportive throughout the whole process and went not once, but THREE separate times to measure the instrument to be absolutely sure that it would fit in his minivan so that I wouldn’t have to rent a truck or pay for movers. He found some friends to help get the piano into the van and let me keep it for a week and half while I recovered enough to make the long drive back down (made even longer by one of the VA snowstorms). Anyway, when I got back up to Rochester, a couple of percussionist friends and Adrian helped me move it upstairs, reattach the legs, and get it into place. So here it sits in our living room, beautiful and loved:
I’ve been doing quite a bit of practicing on it, as I have committed myself to a very musical semester. I’ve been working on: Brahms – E-Flat Clarinet Sonata (finally), Bruch – 8 Pieces for Clarinet, Viola/Cello, and Piano, Schwantner – Percussion Concerto (2 piano reduction), Bach-Busoni – Chaconne, John Adams – Chairman Dances, and a whole host of church music and other smaller things. Basically, I’ve really gotten a feel for this piano and how it helps me learn all sorts of styles of music, in addition to just how great it feels to be able to just practice when the mood strikes and be able to do more last minute learning (happens a lot in church). I wouldn’t call it an acoustic piano killer, but I think it has great potential as a practice instrument and even in places like churches where extended techniques aren’t necessary on the piano. Sadly, I won’t be playing Berg’s Vier Stücke on this thing.
Finally, my (former) professor, Dr. Jean Barr, came over for coffee and a little piano playing a few weeks ago and was very impressed by the touch, feel, and pedaling. And that, my friends, is enough to never make me question this purchase, ever.
The rundown:
Pros:
- Having a grand piano action = constructive practicing
- The tactile feedback and half pedal effects = even more constructive practicing
- The artist bench feels goooooood and gets high enough even for high sitters (such as myself)
- Having a real grand piano action with Ivorite keys and that little snap at the bottom of the key allow me to forget that I’m playing on something digital
- Doesn’t need tuning or regular maintenance
- Volume control or headphones are perfect for apartment or small space living
- Light and small enough to move around without professionals (still hefty, though)
- Full and short stick for the full-weight lid allow for realistic collaborative rehearsals
- 12 speakers definitely make for a surrounding playing experience
- While you don’t get the unique feel of a harpsichord just by changing to its sound (nor would I expect to, digital harpsichords exist as separate entities), the sound is actually eerily accurate, down to the release twang.
Cons:
- Some notes are suspect in terms of tuning and can’t be individually changed (as far as I know)
- Sometimes will run into the boundary of the max polyphony (256 voices) – rare, but annoying when it does happen
- Soft pedal does not shift the keyboard, I guess because it doesn’t need to (but considering the rest of the details, I’d like to have seen that one)
- Not useful for new music involving interaction of dampened strings with other sounds (other notes/instruments) or prepared piano
- Setting options is not at all intuitive – could use a better display than just 2 calculator-style blocks, especially given the price
If you want more details about the instrument (including more talk about how it looks and all that, since I clearly didn’t end up writing a whole lot in that arena), here are a few links:
at 3:04AM
Dear Helen,
I would like to send you a Yamaha Avant Grand Jacket. If you can send me your shipping address, I will make it happen. Of course, your jacket size will be useful too.
Robert Heller
National Sales Director
Yamaha Keyboard Division
at 8:34AM
Dear Rober Heller,
Could I please have your email address so that I can contact you regading the avant grand n3?
Thank you
Kind regards
joni
at 8:29AM
Dear Helen,
Congratulations for this very detailed review. I am a pianist (amateur) and I have accoustic Feurich upright piano equiped with a silent. Unfortunately, due to family considerations, I must use the silent piano more often than the acoustic piano. I have two sorts of concerns with my piano and I am currently considering buying the N3. I have not tested it so far, but I plan to do so.
First, the tactile reponse is different and the sensation on fingers is also different even if the Renner mecanics is being used in both cases (acoustic and numeric silent). Has this issue been resolved on the AvantGrand N3? In other words, would you feel a difference for your fingers when you play on your N3 and when you play on an acoustic grand piano.
Second, my current silent mecanism is noisy (as it is on all acoustic pianos equiped with silent) i.e someone located in another room will hear the silent mecanism noise(hammers movement). When you play on your N3 (with head phones), do you have this problem or is it really silent?
Jean-Marie
at 6:31PM
Helen, I ordered my AvantGrand recently and am expecting delivery within a few days. I’ve been using a GranTouch 1 for ten years or so which was the predecessor of the AvantGrand.
I have played two different N3′s (the ‘grand’ version) and take issue with your first two ‘Cons’.
You wrote: Some notes are suspect in terms of tuning and can’t be individually changed (as far as I know). [end quote]
I don’t doubt there are issues with some of the samples. There are 2 three note samples in the GranTouch that are out of tune with themselves but only when the sustain pedal is used. If you state there ‘suspect’ notes, I feel you are obligated to state which ones. When I discovered those 2 three note samples I wrote Yamaha and was put in touch with a tech in Germany. Nothing came from that but at the very least there was a formal complaint on paper.
You wrote: Sometimes will run into the boundary of the max polyphony (256 voices) – rare, but annoying when it does happen. [end quote]
My GranTouch only has 30 note polyphony and I have ___never___ noticed any notes dropping out because I reached the ‘limit’ . I’m really curious how you can manage to come remotely close to reaching the ‘max’. Unless you are playing all 88 notes at once using a two by four, I have no idea how you can come remotely close to the ‘max.
At any rate, I’m looking forward to my new purchase and am sure I will discover little glitches in their sampling set.
All the best, Dave Horne
at 10:38PM
I appreciate your review of the N3. I had considered purchasing earlier in the year.
However I bought the Roland V piano and I am completely satisified with the instrument. I experiment with the voicing parameters and hammers and the instrument I can create is spectacular. I feed an audio signal of various recorded Bosendorfers and Steinways into an auxillary input and I compare and adjust my instrument to match. The similarity is incredible.
I have setup an instruments with harder hammers and less soundboard resonance for Mozart pieces and the playing enjoyment is unsurpassed.
I can emulate the sound and ambience of a 6′ piano and also the mighty presence of a 9′ concert piano
My project is to build a piano case closely matching the dimensions of the N3, with optimal speakers and subwoofer installed inside the case.
I think the bottom ‘A’ on the keyboard is 27.5 Hz and I am not sure if the N3 speaker system accommodates this frequency. I will ensure I have the entire frequency range covered.
My comments are not to dismiss the quality of the N3, but to acknowledge the fantastic choices of digital instruments available to us. I am also an internet programmer and juggle my time between programming and playing
at 4:47PM
Wow, I hadn’t realized that strangers would come across this and comment! I suppose I should have thought that through.
Jean-Marie: the instrument itself is not acoustic but all-digital, so the feeling does not change between speakers and headphones. It feels very very much like the Yamaha acoustic grand we have at my father’s house. Because there are hammers and an action, there is some noise even in “silent” mode, and if the tactile response system (vibrations) is operating, some pitch will also be heard. However, I’ve found it to be minimal and don’t think it would bother somebody in the next room. Overall, I think the N3 is by far the best option for somebody who needs quiet with the feel of an acoustic grand.
Dave: As this is my personal blog, I don’t feel obligated to take the time to sit and identify which notes bother me, but I will stand by my statement. It is nothing horrible, just the occasional hearing of something not quite “in tune.” Then again, a piano is never truly in tune and even within equal temperament there are variations, so it could just be an issue of what I am accustomed to and what their samples are. As far as the max polyphony goes, I could be very mistaken about this, but my understanding is that the polyphony includes the rendering of resonance (including vibration) and partials, with the sustain pedal both up and down, so there are many voices going at once. What happens to me is that sometimes I will be making quick pedal changes and playing large, full chords and some notes will be missing following the first chord. I trust my playing, and it only happens with the loud full chords with pedal (more resonance and partials), so the only explanation I can think of is the max polyphony.
Graham: I am not familiar with the Roland V, but I took a quick look. It looks very interesting and great for experimentation and flexibility. I personally needed an all-in-one solution and barely have enough time to learn my music, so something that requires customization and external speakers is out of the question. The speakers on the N3 do just fine with the bottom octave and the tactile response makes it very realistic; however, as is the case with acoustic Yamahas, it is not a particularly beautiful sound.
at 3:33PM
I recently bought a N2 which I love but I’m having a hard time figuring out the best headphones to use with it.
I can’t seem to find the right adapters so that I can use my existing wired mp3 player headphones so I’m thinking I need to buy a new wireless set.
What kind are you using if you don’t mind me asking?
at 4:57PM
@geekgrrl: I have a pair of Dre Beats Solo, which sounds weird for classical music, but it works well with the piano because they are lightweight yet stay put on my head and also crisp-sounding without being tinny. The cord is long enough to stay out of the way but isn’t heavy. I’m surprised you can’t find an adapter – they’re pretty common; I actually had a few lying around. They’re for 3.5mm to 1/4″: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000068O3T/
at 5:05PM
I do have a set of adapters but maybe they’re just too worn out, they don’t fit snugly and loosen too easily, so maybe I just need to buy a new set.
Regardless, the headphones I have are so mediocre, it seems criminal to use them with my beautiful, new, fancy piano so thank you so much for the info!
at 5:24PM
■geekgrrl, May be you should try the new Shure 940 ! (coming soon) There are some hopefull reviews.
at 7:59AM
@Dave – I can confirm that sometimes 256 voices isn’t enough and you get drop-outs. It rarely happens, but it does. If you can live with that, the N3 is a perfect alternative to a real grand piano.
@Graham Glad you like the Roland V. I’ve also tried this piano but in my opinion it doesn’t even come close to the N3. There is a huge difference in the action (for example the V has plastic keys) and sound.
at 11:33AM
That’s as good as it gets the Roland V-grand has a plastic Digital piano action that feels like a Fatar keyboard but cost Twenty thousand dollars.