Finally found this topic.

I would ike to know how this project is going?

Ingredients :
-Old Antique baby grand piano, gutted, but kept the frame, harp, ebony + ivory keys
-brand new strings, modern, ultra-fast repetition action
-possibly attaching strings to pins via aggrafe ala Stuart & Sons (or the academic Bordendorfer++ project) or variable magnetic fields to maintain string vibration in the vertical axis only, thereby reducing muddiness and improving tone and clarity
-midi XP sensors and USB cable, such as those seen in the ads on this site
-a tiny linux / windows 7 virtual machine PC to power pianoteq and speakers or via HDMI cable (optional)
-a small LCD screen to display sheet music and control pianoteq, or some knobs and buttons mapped via midi to easily tune the various settings of pianoteq, or even to change pages on the sheet music display, start/stop accompanying music, etc. Would start off simple or possibly just use a rack module close by

Important aspects of a hybrid : The action needs to be heavy, with fast repetition, good velocity sensitivity and capture, i.e. it needs to have a real grand piano action. The hybrid part comes in when I add a lever to raise the harp so that the strings are completely muted on the acoustical side, and I can use headphones to bang away all night (as soundproof as my loft is, I don't think my upstairs neighbour would appreciate it too much )

^ Haha.

As a pianist, I do understand that a digital instrument will not rival an acoustic instrument for many years to come, if ever. It is just far to complex. I do, however, feel the technology has come to the point where I would enjoy a digital instrument next to the steinway in my living room. For aesthetic purposes, I wish to integrate a digital instrument into the shell of an grand piano. The challenge lies in creating the psycho-acoustic presence of the instrument that is lost in conventional audio reproduction methods.

Again, I don't plan to replace every piano ever made with the "ultimate" piano, I just have found that reproducing the sound of a piano in an open environment to be a challenge that has eluded many in their attempts. I do believe with the application of a few of solid concepts will lead to a better sounding digital piano than could otherwise be created with equipment purchased off the shelf.

I am entering new territory when attempting to split up the parts of an instrument's reproduction. It's not my fist choice, but I believe it must be done to obtain the psycho-acoustical signature of an acoustic piano. That's why the big guys are doing it. And that's why I think I can do it... while utilizing far more suitable components.

Could you post some mp3's of the sound that you are getting from your hybrid? (I looked at the two pages on your site and saw the photos, but didn't see any sound files.)

And even a  couple friends too, a trio for piano.

No need to worry about psycho-acoustic speaker design, keyboard actions, transducers, etc etc..

Just think it.

Well, even if it not get as good as a a similar made by a manufecturer and his engineers($$$$$$$$$$), it's still very interesting, yes.

  If you manage to make the soundboard really reproduce the sound in details, by using these transducers, you would get a real grand piano sound dispersion.

Perhaps Philippe would like to colaborate by adjusting the Pleyel add-on to remove or reduce some few characteristics that will be recreated by the piano wood body in this hybrid experiment.

I wish all god luck to you and your elaborated experiment !!!     :-)

Well, may I make a suggestion ?

What about create a video, a High quality video? 
We are used to notice a distint difference from a video from a digital piano and a real piano, mostly cause a camera recording a real piano get a different sound than a camera recording from speakers. 
A real piano always get some "room filling" like the sound can fill the room space in a way speakers can't do.
I supose you hybrid piano experiment could create the "filling room sensation", or at least something between the "digital speakers effect" and the "real acoustic piano effect"

The only sad thing is that a used piano grand piano, without actions, strings, harp, but just with a soundboard in good shape, it's not cheap.  Soundboard is the most expensive piece on a piano.

If the gentleman wishes to have an ultimate piano experience to augment a Steinway grand (assuming its well maintained and regulated), may I suggest he looks into acquiring a Yamaha Disklavier (size C3 or larger) Mark IV.  Such pianos are equipped with microprocessors and an array of powered speakers located on the underside of the soundboard.  The Mark IV also accepts satellite communication for 24-hour music streamed into the piano. In my opinion, this is a better system than Pianodisc (whose installation is a retrofit process rather than building the piano from the ground-up for Disklavier).

Incidentally, I am not associated with Yamaha pianos and I do not sell them.

Cheers,

Joe

And Bill got Steve's fish...

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I should said:  No ultimate digital piano (including body, keyboard) would be created in a garage.

But some interesting idea for a new digital piano with body can pop anywhere. And could be aprimorated in a proper place, but not in the garage, to get quality for market competition.

Even if not ultimate, the use of a real soundboard can be quite interesting.  My apologizes to this forum member, I had no intention to diminish his project.
Good luck for hin.   :-)

As a pianist, I do understand that a digital instrument will not rival an acoustic instrument for many years to come, if ever. It is just far to complex. I do, however, feel the technology has come to the point where I would enjoy a digital instrument next to the steinway in my living room. For aesthetic purposes, I wish to integrate a digital instrument into the shell of an grand piano. The challenge lies in creating the psycho-acoustic presence of the instrument that is lost in conventional audio reproduction methods.

Again, I don't plan to replace every piano ever made with the "ultimate" piano, I just have found that reproducing the sound of a piano in an open environment to be a challenge that has eluded many in their attempts. I do believe with the application of a few of solid concepts will lead to a better sounding digital piano than could otherwise be created with equipment purchased off the shelf.

I am entering new territory when attempting to split up the parts of an instrument's reproduction. It's not my fist choice, but I believe it must be done to obtain the psycho-acoustical signature of an acoustic piano. That's why the big guys are doing it. And that's why I think I can do it... while utilizing far more suitable components.

No ultimate thing will came from a garage !!!

Extract from: http://www.theapplemuseum.com/index.php?id=49

"Steve Jobs was a true visionary who created the first truly personal computer, the Apple, in his garage"

;^)

Greg.

No ultimate thing will came from a garage !!!  Sorry...
Unless Philippe likes to work in his garage...   

Some people puts bright colored LEDs in everything. Funny...   There is already a digital piano with a glowing keyboard, light direct from the keyboard with adjustable colors.

I don't believe in a ultimate digital piano for a short time coming, and the reason is that no digital piano is flawless yet.  Sampled technology have clear problems, and modeled have other problems.  The real thing it's still the best, but requeire to be a expansive grand piano, well tunned, in fine shape etc.

I have spoken with the builder/player of this piano directly. They play it every Sunday in their church, so it must half decent! He claims it "sounds pretty good!"