Update on the Yamaha C3X

...and it has a Silent System!

When I bought the Yamaha AvantGrande N2 (which is a hybrid piano) a friend of mine joked with me and said that I had finally "tied the knot" with my True Love. But I have now purchased a five-foot-eight grand piano, which sits magnificently inside the recording studio in my house. I guess this means I'm now in some kind of a shady polyamorous relationship? (Or would it be an open marriage?)

My original plan was to buy it much later (maybe in a few years) but this particular piano, a Yamaha C3X with a Silent System, was one of the few left in California and was about to be shipped out. If I wanted that particular model, I had to act on it right away. As far as why I would want that particular model, all I would have to do is direct anyone to go play it and listen to the quality of the sound.

The Silent System, in case you're wondering, makes it so that I can push a switch that changes the piano to "digital", instead of letting the hammers actually touch the strings, so that I have the option of playing the piano with headphones. As with most things in my life, though, this is just the tip of the iceberg...

I'm going to need how many mics?

I was told that the number of mics I will need is 'four', but I need to dig further and make sure I'm getting reliable information, and preferably from experts who know what they're talking about. As for the reason I'm looking into buying microphones, the whole purpose of buying this piano is to set up an acoustic recording studio, so that I can record directly from that the instrument. So far, all I have been doing recording-wise is recording digitally. 

The piano (okay, I admit it, I named her - it's "Isabelle") has been adjusted/tuned two times now, since I bought it. A date is still being set up for a third (and I guess final) tuning and adjustment of the piano. After that, I will carry on my shoulders the monumental task of finding out how to convert that room to an acoustic recording studio, which kind of microphones to buy, how to connect them to the piano, and how to use them to record successfully. In the mean time, I am still trying to manage my time so that I can record the digital way and put together the tracks for August In Bloom.

The Art of Piano Haggling

I guess it would be superfluous to point out that buying a piano is not like buying a loaf of bread at the store. There are other costs that come with it -- tunings, delivery, maintenance, and let's not forget the much-needed humidifier, which also requires you to buy distilled water (what??).

Since I bought the instrument in cash I was able to get them to take the price down quite a bit. Apparently, most people choose to finance when making a purchase like this. (Translation: pianos are expensive). 

An added benefit to this whole deal is that the piano gallery's owner, Vince Chambers, sold it to me, and is also the primary person involved in doing the adjustments and tunings. Since he already knows me and has worked with me professionally for some time, he's that much more invested in making sure the piano is taken care of, and I guess it's a benefit for him in knowing that the piano is being put to good use.


The Yamaha AvantGrand N2 stays

I'm not selling "Zoey" by any means. She's the hybrid piano I used for the performance I did back in February at the Chico Women's Club. My long-term goal is really to perform, more than anything else, and Zoey is far more portable than the new grand piano. Isabelle will mainly be an instrument for recording. I'm still amazed at how close the manufacturers were able to get the sound of the N2 to match the sound of a real acoustic grand. The hybrid also allows me to record my own music into its internal memory, which is yet another reason to hang onto it. Yes, sometimes people need two instruments, especially if they're professionals.

I blame myself entirely for the bank-breaking expenses of these pursuits, since I had the option of choosing a much more portable (and cheaper) instrument. You know, like a harmonica. Needless to say, though, every time I roll my fingers on the keys of that C3X, I don't regret my decisions for even a moment. ;)