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I saw the Bösendorfer prototype in Vienna at their workplace four years ago. I was just now looking through my Facebook messages and saw that I received a message from the tech who spent time with me.

This message was sent back in August of last year but I either didn't open it then or the link at that time didn't work.

At any rate, here it is ... http://www.alpha-pianos.com/

If this was discussed here before, my apologies.



In German ...

I just found this at their site ...

So it's like a racecar.. you don't adjust your bench, you raise or lower the piano? Cool! Wonder if Porsche brought that idea in from their car experience.. a most elegant solution, I have to say. Now it doesn't matter what you have as a seat.. it could be an orange crate!

The pedals look almost like a blivet!

I wonder if that silver line above the keys is the lid. If it's really a grand's action in there, as hinted in the blurbs, then my other thought won't be possible -- retract the keybed into the case.

Glad to see Bosendorfer sticking to it -- last I'd heard, they had shown one digital prototype years ago, and then nothing.. so this sounds like my favorite kind of project -- a "black" or Skunk Works type project.

I like it, at least from a design perspective. It's got Bauhaus all over it. I'm sure the action and sound live up to its parentage.

I won't even ask, because I know I won't be able to afford.

Wow, real Renner concert grand action with 8 full octaves and impact sensors. The music rest and the "Enron" wireless pedals are really nice! I wonder if it has a built-in sound system (one of the main reasons to do this in the first place IMO)?

I am surprised how often I wish I knew German since getting more interested in digital pianos. So much of the digital piano (and in general digital music) action happens in German, it seems.

Any good English videos?

I'm very interested in their sensor technology. This is the first and only DP I've heard of that apparently measures impact force, rather than velocity. I wonder how well it works.

Built in computer and software piano. This really is a top shelf product.

I like the look of when the keyboard is stored away. Unfortunately, I think it looks kind of odd and "snout-ish" in playing position. Definitely contemporary -- though you might have to design the room around it.

This Alpha-Piano looks much different from the prototypes from four years ago. Robbie Williams' pianist had one and it looked like a coffin with legs.

I don't know for a fact if Bösendorfer is behind this or not. Mario Aiwasian was the main person involved in the original project and I don't know if he still works for Bösendorfer or he started a new company.

From the looks of it I'm assuming it is a stage piano without internal speakers. (I haven't spent a great deal of time at their site so forgive me if I'm wrong.)

Interesting. Price is pretty high, as expected (29.000 Euros mentioned in their FAQ).

The guy talks about the sensor material in the end. Apparently they have found a material that feels mostly like a string and makes the hammer head rebound quickly as on a real grand, allowing for fast key repetions and an authentic playing experience. The FAQ mentions some sort of plates fitted with force/pressure receivers to achieve this.

Edit: also found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKOAtGsaNzg

The guy at some point talks about "an old friend from the Bösendorfer times", so I guess they are to some extend former Bösendorfer people.

What a strange video. It didn't really communicate much beyond the f--- you proudly displayed on the passing metal head's jacket. Weird.

Gulp.... they are talking $38,000 USD!!!!

They need to stop using youtube videos to demonstrate. The sound quality - even through my very fine laptop speakers, is terrible.

I can't believe the voice-over said... "under the hood" lol.

All in all... a WOW dp! But I don't know about the $$$$.

Well at that price I'd get ...

... certainly a real grand.

When I spoke with Mario Aiwasian four years ago he mentioned the possible price of €20,000.

I've sent them an e-mail asking a handful of questions. I'll report back after they answer me.

It isn't really about sound. For the demo they used VSL Vienna and as far as I can tell from the FAQ you can have them install any kind of software piano on it (they speak about DAW though, that's a bit odd).

I'm not even positive this thing has speakers at all, especially after watching that 360° animation. It's probably meant to go straight to a PA.

At the time I was interested in Bösendorfer's version of the then GranTouch simply because they were using the action from their nine foot grands. For home use the N series from Yamaha makes more sense.

I can though see this piano onstage with top acts, acts that have a great deal of money to spend.

Was my post here the first about this Alpha Piano? If it is, they need to do more publicity than just the Messe.

I think they could have skipped the height adjustment, wireless pedal, and porche design in favor of a lower price tag.

I guess it's pretty hard take a bite out of the AvantGrand market without Yamaha's economy of scale. Pity.

This is the first I've heard of it. There is surprisingly little effective marketing in the DP world, especially by small players (software pianos are the worst).

They could start by making at least one video in English, even if it is just on Youtube. Germany/Austria don't compare with the English speaking world for market size.

BTW I notice that there's a 20% VAT. I assume you only have to pay this if you are ordering within the EU, right?

BTW I notice that there's a 20% VAT. I assume you only have to pay this if you are ordering within the EU, right?

Prices mentioned here most often include the VAT. (It's 19 percent in the Netherlands and 25 percent in Denmark.)

Yuck. Awful looking design, in my opinion.

An object of great beauty.....there used to be things like that all over - school, church, parish hall, the dentist's waiting room. Prepared pianos.