From Digital to acoustic

Hi,

from what you described first thing is you need to invest in a "sound card", internal for a table-top PC or external for a laptop. Check M-Audio website for the cheapest one, just check if they have the MIDI sockets if your keyboard don't have a usb. You need a sound interface not only for MIDI but also for special kind ASIO drivers which minimize the latency of the sound when you play, and have much better overall sound quality then a built-in onboard sound cards. And obviously you need some speakers, nowadays most people don't buy a receiver, there are lots of active speakers which could be connected directly to the sound module. If you can't afford a semi-professional speakers you may choose from some computer speakers, just don't buy the cheapest ones. They are much cheaper then a "pro" ones and will do the job for you.

Not exactly. What you showed looks like a just midi connector. I wonder why it is so expensive? Anyway I'd like to correct my previous post, if you need to save more you can just buy a midi connector and use your computer built in audio but with ASIO4ALL drivers, which you can download for free: http://www.asio4all.com/
Though I seriously recommend to get the dedicated audio/midi interface like this: http://www.m-audio.com/products/view/m-track

Unlimited as far as I could see from the description. Only limited by several keys disabled and 20 min. of functioning, relaunchable.

Quite same here. I've got two instruments made around the beginning of the 21-th century, Bechstein grand and some upright, sorry, lazy to check the manufacturer, which are considerably in a good condition. Decided to get a CASIO PX-150 because I started practicing quite regularly lately (again) and was worrying to ruin my acoustic instruments. I can't say 100% confidently that I really prefer digital to my acoustics, actually I feel the need and enjoy to play them regularly, but digital nowadays has a tremendous benefits. Despite of some obvious (portability, headphones, no need for tuning, etc.) one of the main thing I started to enjoy is when coupled with Pianoteq it give me that big concert feel with certain Pianoteq presets, which my acoustics lack. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that acoustics are bad, it's up to your decision. I'd say that the decision is harder then ever these days. I'd say digital are better in nearly all aspects except one - real is real. And this one can easily kill all others. My advice is get both!

Johann the acoustic piano you visited looks lovely. Maybe you can go and see it again with a piano tuner who can then look at the action etc. You could still have the digital with pianoteq for later evening times and also for when you and your son both want to practise at the same time!

And if you want to practise pieces with fortepiano sounds that are more authentic for 18th and 19th century music you can play the digital with the kremsegg piano sounds!

Much easier:

. . . Get a free a auto-tuner for your smartphone.

For Android, "DA-Tuner" works very well.  It will read in Hz, string-by-string, as you tune the piano.

Tuning a piano -- even with an auto-tuner -- is not easy.

.          Charles

Well, that's what i am going to do this evening... Let our pianoteacher play on it and evaluate it. He has also some knowledge about the inside of piano's.
Later we, when it seems that we have need for the digital, we can still try/buy Pianoteq.

Well it may sound stupid, but heres our situation.
My son and i both have other teachers. i called my teachers pianotuner, who will tune the piano, to have a visit with me, but considering the piano is only 1000€ and the piano is bought from the first owner who sells it because of her age, the brand of the piano, he consider this a save buy. nothing much could have gone wrong in this old lady's house. The piano is 25 years old. I played myself of it a few times and loved the sound (it has been 5 years when he was last tuned - and still in tone)

I know, it seems a way of wiping me off, so now i have sked my son's teacher if he knew some technician, and he proposed to join me himself. I have confidence in this person to give me his neutral advice when played on it.