A fine German upright in a closet

Someone on another piano forum, who already owns a Bösendorfer 214VC, wants a quieter practice setup so as to not disturb the family.

After much discussion, they are going ahead with the purchase of a Sauter 116 or a Bluthner Model D to put it in a closet, 5 feet(1.5m) by 6 feet(1.8m) with 10(3m) foot ceilings. No windows, door closed.

I feel the sound will be overwhelming in such a small space but my pleas have fallen on deaf ears. 
I suggested a clavichord, virginal, or small harpsichord, but that was not acceptable. I then suggested the Klavins Una Corda, https://klavins.co/una-corda-s/ , a single note per string piano, thinking it must be far quieter, but, that was also rejected.

Oh, digital pianos are unacceptable, The person despises them.

The person liked my Yamaha YUS5. I know the volume of my piano and said that it should not be stuffed into a closet, lol.

What do people think? Can the room and piano be dampened enough to make it work? Would the person have to use the soft pedal all the time? 

I actually feel sorry for the fine German upright. It won’t be given the space to sing.

11 replies

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    • Andrew_Jenkins
    • 2 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    Talk about extremes! I also own (and adore) a Bösendorfer 214 VC but am unbelievably lucky to have the Klimt artist series model with a factory fitted Enspire system (meaning I play through headphones if I need to be quiet). To exchange this for an upright piano crammed into a tiny room seems barking mad to me. I think your friend should look into having a retro fitted silent system installed on their 214 VC. The unavoidable consequence of their proposed plan is regret!

    Best wishes

    Andrew

      • Larry_K
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Haha, wow, just wow, the 214VC, what a piano!

      This person is not getting rid of the Bösendorfer, they just want a quieter practice setup for hours when they want to play more quietly. 

      Is your Enspire system considered a silent system or a Disklavier player system? I own a DYUS5 upright, which has the Disklavier Enspire ST system. Is yours the Enspire Pro? 

      I dropped a grand to upgrade the silent system through headphones but I just don’t like it. Somehow, it is just too loud in my ears.

      I have withdrawn from that other discussion. It’s hard to convince people to listen to reason. I haven’t made a friend, sigh.

      At least, I think I helped steer them away from putting a 52” upright in that closet!

      This person hates digital sounds. The Enspire system won’t satisfy them.

      • Andrew_Jenkins
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       it’s the Enspire Pro system incorporating both the Disk Klavier recordings and a silent system too. I can also record what I play onto a stick. It’s a brilliant system but very expensive. I wouldn’t have specced it myself but it came with the Woman in Gold piano that was available (at Coachhouse Pianos in the UK. Fabulous firm who ship pianos globally). So I had no choice! I’ve never used the self play function! Would be like eating a banana with the skin on!

      • Larry_K
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       But, Andrew, you have the chance to listen to  ‘s Bach Disklavier recording, which is excellent! 

      Wayne Stahnke, the engineer who did the groundbreaking work on developing the technology, said that the acoustic playback of a piano was something special, and I agree.

       I don’t quite understand your banana analogy. 

      I don’t record myself a lot but I do sometimes record one hand and practice the other hand. Maybe as my playing gets better, I will make more recordings.

      There is a story, perhaps apocryphal, of how Rachmaninov walked out of the studio the first time he heard himself played on a player piano. He came back a few days later and said, let’s continue. He made dozens of piano rolls.

      You have a special piano, and it seems to me that perhaps I read about your purchase of that piano, or, saw it offered for sale. 

      Anyway, I am happy that a fine German upright won’t be shoved into a closet.

    • always curious
    • Dagmar
    • 2 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    I'd go for an acoustic with a silent add on. So you can play it digitally as well, but have acoustic action. AndI'd even build in transducers, then the digital feels acoustic, as the wood is resonating :D

      • Larry_K
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Many people made that suggestion but the person is totally opposed to all digital sounds. 

      I suppose if I had to choose playing in a closet or with headphones, I’d choose headphones in a bigger room.

      I tried a silent acoustic piano in a one bedroom apartment in Manhattan. I was trying to give the guy downstairs a break. He used to double me sometimes on keyboard, lol.

      My wife begged me to stop playing silently, as the clacking sound of the wooden action was driving her crazy. So, I went back to playing out loud during non-quiet hours.

      I have plenty of time to practice during the day because I’m retired. My small house is great because my wife in her third floor attic office, which she loves, cannot hear me play the piano on the first floor, or she might hear it faintly but says it doesn’t bother her.

    • Larry_K
    • 2 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    Wow, a surprise, the person has said that they appreciated all of the pushback to the idea of putting an acoustic piano in a tiny closet and will instead put it in an adjoining bedroom, which is far larger.

    The person is looking at a Steingraeber 122. It’s hard to go wrong with a German made piano.

    • Miles.1
    • 2 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    In my opinion the piano takes priority .  Stuff on the piano into a closet is  such disrespect for the piano for the music  not to mention  the musician  . How are they going to breathe  ? No way  it's going to make practicing no fun it's going to just destroy everything no  whoever is having a problem with the volume of the piano  needs to get used to it  . That's how loud it is that's the way it is get used to it .  That's my opinion 

      • Larry_K
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       I agree. This story has a happy ending. The poster has purchased a Steingraeber 122 as a bedroom practice instrument. It will not be put in a closet.

    • Marius_Pakalniskis
    • 13 days ago
    • Reported - view

    And I am said person!  Thank you for steering me away from that closet idea.  The Steingraeber sounds absolutely stunning in the adjoining bedroom, and is a perfect tonal foil to my Bosendorfer.

      • Larry_K
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Haha, I have been found out. Welcome to ToneBase!

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