Although I use them on occasion I’ve always been indifferent to digital pianos and piano virtual instruments, and prefer to play acoustic pianos and Rhodes electric pianos. Recently I’ve been experimenting with a handful of piano VSTs and I’m quite inspired with the sounds, the response, and the ability to adjust these instruments. Now I find myself interrogating my former apathy toward these simulacra of the acoustic instrument I have spent my life playing.
Of course there are many technical justifications, but I’m more interested in the underlying statements that one’s “choice” between acoustic and digital pianos might infer. Choice in quotes because it isn’t possible to choose without means. I have had the privilege of recording and performing with a few amazing instruments over the years and hope to do so again, but I don’t have unfettered access to pianos of concert or studio grade. And neither do most people who play, including many talented professionals. Access to what might be considered the best instruments is sometimes based on merit but more frequently based on economics. And when there is a meritocracy, who is making those judgements? We all know how that can go wrong.
I’m not suggesting that everyone who wants one should get a 9′ concert grand delivered to their apartment. However, shouldn’t we weigh the value of a performance over the price tag of the instrument that was employed? By and large we value musicianship over the prestige and expense of an instrument. But, like it or not there are elitist undertones that go along with the aesthetics and name recognition of prohibitively expensive pianos and other instruments.
Over the last two decades there’s been a lot of discussion in the music tech world regarding the democratization of music production and the pros and cons of high quality recording being available to the “masses”. As a result of this and other factors (social media, music downloads/streaming vs physical distribution, etc.), there’s no question that the industry is undergoing significant transformations. But, what impact has the access to sounds that closely emulate the “keys to the kingdom” (AKA piano) with so much variety and accuracy had on music?
Whether or not digital pianos have democratized the instrument, they have made acoustic piano sounds more accessible. I would argue that accessibility, convenience, flexibility, and affordability are their most transformational characteristics. Piano VSTs are ubiquitous. They come built-in with most DAWs. They merely require the software, a computer, electricity, and a MIDI controller, things that most musicians already have on hand. One needn’t look far to find artists like DOMi, Cory Henry, Jesus Molina, and countless others bringing digital pianos to life.
I feel that I will always prefer acoustic pianos to digital versions, even/especially if they are old, worn, and slightly out of tune. There’s something magical about a complicated combination of aged wood, metal, and felt at your fingertips. I love playing acoustic pianos, preparing them, recording them, performing with them, and all the difficulties they present. Yet, the digital variety has a magic of its own. They are virtually (pun alert) immune to changes in the environment. They can be virtually weightless, or at least no heavier than a mobile device. Recording them doesn’t require microphones or a quiet room. And, they can sound like an old upright, a majestic concert grand, or anywhere else on or off that spectrum.
Ultimately as virtual pianos get closer and closer to their organic counterparts we will hear them even more frequently. That said, they will not replace acoustic pianos. As far as I know there hasn’t been a digital piano made where you can reach under the lid and mute the strings, tap on the sound board, or perform any other manner of extended techniques. Most classical and jazz pianists still prefer performing on acoustic instruments. On the other hand, perhaps having the humility to accept the compromises (and convenience) of digital pianos is a nobel aspiration. As an artist, that still feels like a difficult ask, but as a listener I feel that I can dismiss the origin of the instrument when the music is inspiring.
This is a highly subjective area of inquiry and I do not pretend to have adequate answers (or questions), but I do hope that asking might start an interesting discussion, or spawn creative work. Here’s an improvised piece I recorded recently using my Keylab 88 to control the Japanese Jazz Studio preset in Arturia’s Analog Lab 4. Although clearly a digital piano, the preset has surprising dynamic range and tone quality. Listening back I get the sense that I’m peeling away old wallpaper to get a glimpse into a forgotten room within the decaying, haunted mansion of my mind.
