Introduction to MIDI Player Tools 2011

June, 2011

The original compilation of MIDI Player Tools was published in 2003 and can be found at www.carolrpt.com.   For modern electronic player pianos (MIDI Players), the technology advances long before the hardware fails.  Most of the information included in the original version is still pertinent today for those using equipment from the early 1980s. Newer technology brought the ability to encode MIDI on audio CDs and mp3 files and synchronize with video. MIDI Players can now be connected to the internet for streaming MIDI files directly to the players with the ability to purchase songs online, and to home networks that can store and control playback through a variety of  wired and wireless devices including smart phones.

As a piano technician who is often called upon to service these instruments, I have developed a fascination and appreciation for how they work. Pianos have changed very little over the past 325 years so I am greatly challenged to explain the newer electronic capabilities that have advanced the MIDI player technology since 2003. I welcome input from those who can contribute to this project.   My mission remains the same: to assemble a reference to answer frequently asked questions and to promote the enjoyment of MIDI Player Pianos.

This new version relies heavily on material found on other websites, blogs and discussion groups.  My grateful thanks to the members of the Yahoo Disklavier group for contributing their knowledge of different aspects of this technology; the manufacturer websites for making available the product descriptions, specifications, manuals and software updates; the engineers who brought us these wonders, and those who wrote software, produced the recordings, preserved the recordings, and continue to develop new ways to use the technology. Without you, so much would be lost. 

Carol Beigel
carol@carolrpt.com

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