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Does anyone know what brand of acoustic pianos Roland sampled for the Grand Piano 1 and Grand Piano 2 voices in the KR-570 (around 7 years old)?

My ear prefers Grand Piano 1 over 2 and was just wondering where that might point me in my search for a new acoustic Grand. Thanks in advance.

I think they claimed to sample Steinway, but also talked about a "blended" sample of more than one piano. General scuttlebutt seemed to indicate it was a "Steinway sound." Yamaha clearly samples their own grand which is brighter.

You might get a general sense of sound from a digital, but the experience is nothing like playing the real thing, even if you're using huge samples. I don't know of a site where you can hear different pianos recorded, but you can hear a range of digital piano sounds (and which ones were sampled) at www.purgatorycreek.com. I think you'd still be better off visiting piano stores!

Thanks for the reply Jim. I agree that digitals can't really compare to the "real thing" (although they certainly do have their advantages), which is why after 7 years of exclusively playing the Roland, I'm on the prowl for a nice quality grand.

My problem is that after making the rounds to all the piano stores (some of them more than once), I'm having a tough time comparing the tones of all the different makes. It's easy in a single store to find the one you prefer, but after hopping in the car and driving across town to the next retailer, it's tough to get a real sense of how two pianos compare to each other.

Anyway, I suppose I'm now just ranting about the difficulties of piano shopping. Thanks again for your reply (and the link).

You might take a tape recorder and play the same piece on different pianos. Some people divide the world into "American sound" (Mason and Hamlin, Steinway), rich in harmonics, and the "European" sound that emphasizes fundamentals. I think that's a reasonable place to start, but then ya just gotta listen. My choice came down to the Mason and Hamlin, which I bought, and the Grotrian, which is a much purer sound. I liked both even though they were very different!

Asked this of another 570 owner too but your message is more recent. Would appreciate your feedback.
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Interested in your opinion of the KR570. Has it been a good unit for you? How old is the technology and is the new stuff a lot better?

Obviously you chose the 570, would you recommend it now?

Anything you wish were different or added?

Thanks!