So, you love the idea of owning an acoustic piano with its solid feel and rich tonality, but wish you could upgrade it into the digital world? Well, you can! PianoDisc (sometimes spelt Piano Disc) is a player piano system with options for silent play and piano recording features.
If you are serious about your piano music, whether playing, recording or just listening to live performance, you may want to consider a PianoDisc player piano system.
What is a “player piano”?
A player piano is the modern-day equivalent of the old pedal-powered pianolas. A person would sit at the pianola and pump the pedals that powered the playing mechanism. The music would be read from hole-punched paper rolls which were loaded into the instrument. The pianola would then play the music without the keyboard needing to be touched.
Also know as self-playing pianos, reproducing pianos, or automatic pianos, the modern-day versions are much more sophisticated instruments. Performances are recorded to MIDI files and can be played back on acoustic pianos which have had a self-playing piano system installed.
The PianoDisc player piano system components
The full PianoDisc system consists of three main components.
- The Prodigy II self-playing piano system. This component includes the digital and mechanical systems that allow an acoustic piano to become self-playing. The Prodigy II player system can be controlled via your phone or tablet computer.
- ProRecord digital recording system. The ProRecord component allow performances in all their richness and subtlety to be recorded to MIDI files and be available for playback. ProRecord is perfect for musicians and composers.
- Silent Piano system. The PianoDisc Silent Play system allows you to practice or play in silence. Want a practice session in the middle of the night? Now you can without disturbing family or neighbours.
The Prodigy II component can be purchased by itself. The ProRecord and Silent Play components are purchased together as a bundle or combined with the Prodigy component for the complete player piano system.
The PianoDisc system typically takes around 3-4 days to complete. The installation must happen in an appropriate workspace; unfortunately, it is not possible to install in-situ.
Installations are typically easier for new pianos as they can be installed and configured prior to shipping. It is possible to retrofit the system into any brand or model of acoustic piano. This will require that your piano is shipped to one of our piano technician’s workshops.
Why own a modern player piano?
A self-playing piano is a serious instrument, but it’s fun!
Imagine entertaining whilst your piano plays your favourite popular or classical piano music live for your guests. The sound of the performance is not produced via speakers but from the piano itself. It contains all the rich tonality, subtlety, dynamic range and resonance that only a real instrument can offer.
Similarly, a reproducing piano is the perfect addition to a retail or hotel environment. Entertain shoppers or guests with a continuous stream of live music.
Lastly, for those musicians and composers out there, the ProRecord and Silent Play components offer amazing creative opportunities. Record your own (or other musicians) performances ready for editing, enhancing or playback through your chosen software.
Online music store
The PianoDisc store has a huge collection of recorded musical performances ready to be played live on your piano. The music catalogue covers genres from classical, ragtime and jazz through to country and western, popular and movie themes. There are even new age, world music and anime tracks available.
The music is downloadable to your control device and connected to your piano via Bluetooth. Enjoy your choice of live piano music with the simple click of a button.
PianoDisc installations purchased through Wertheim Pianos include a pre-loaded selection of 600 songs. Contact us for more details.
PianoDisc Australia
Wertheim Pianos are Australian PianoDisc dealers. And whilst we would highly recommend using a Wertheim piano as the base for your self-playing piano system, it doesn’t need to be. Whether a Yamaha, Kawai, Steinway or any other piano brand, if you have an acoustic piano that your already love, we can retrofit a PianoDisc installation into your existing instrument. Unlike other reproducing piano systems such as Yamaha Piano’s Yamaha Disklavier, a PianoDisc player system can be installed into any make and model of acoustic piano.
Wertheim Piano International
We are an Australian-owned business and are the manufacturers of Wertheim brand pianos as well as local PianoDisc dealers. As an online piano shop and the manufacturer, we are able to offer wholesale prices for quality instruments. We ship pianos both locally and internationally. All piano purchases in Australia include Free Delivery, Setup and Configuration for your space.
Explore our online piano store for both acoustic and digital models, and contact us to get a great deal on a new piano.