4 ms·

> without having to have a computer involved I shudder to think of a future where musical instruments require you to download an app to use them; where not onl

by gary_0 5y ago

> without having to have a computer involved I shudder to think of a future where musical instruments require you to download an app to use them; where not only are your stove and washing machine phoning home, but your piano as well. No thanks.

cbm-vic-20 5y ago
You can sign up for the Pro edition piano for $9.99/mo, but you're going to have to call the sales team if you're in a touring band and need the Pro Enterprise edition.
- michaelmrose 5y ago
  Meanwhile the fly by wire key keys which are prone to wear out and need an expensive service call (not included in price) introduce a random jitter in timing in the standard edition. Attempts to correct this jitter by either performing surgery on your own device or correcting same in software are a violation punishable by jail time specified in DMCA v2. Attempting to even do the repair yourself will be a violation of the terms and conditions of your subscription and void your ability for you or anyone else to register and ergo use your Piano. If you know or suspect someone of violating these terms please turn them in for a free $100 gift card good for a fine assortment of musical instruments. If we suspect you have violated these terms you have agreed to give us an opportunity to inspect and if needed disable your equipment. For an additional $200 we will haul off your now useless instrument.
- ajsnigrutin 5y ago
  How much extra for the black keys?
  - atoav 5y ago
    Starting from 5 cents per stroke, depending on velocity and pitch. Just make sure you have internet connectivity at all times, otherwise your contract with each of the keys cannot be checked.
elihu 5y ago
To be fair, the computer in a USB MIDI setup where it's just connecting a physical controller to a physical synth is basically just forwarding MIDI messages verbatim from one port to another. You can buy MIDI host devices that really don't do anything at all except allow you to connect two USB devices and have MIDI work. (They tend to be expensive, and they're kind of annoying to have to deal with.) This isn't a proprietary lock-in thing, it's just an unfortunate limitation of USB. Though I suppose a hardware manufacturer could release a product that only works with some special app if they wanted to go that route. (Some devices have settings that can only be accessed via a computer app.)
- gary_0 5y ago
  Maybe. But it worries me whenever anything moves from an "embedded chip" mindset to a "let's add a touchscreen"[0] mindset. Some mid-level exec is going to look at that cheap but beefy ARM SoC they are using, and get ideas. The companies making digital pianos are not immune to the disease that causes online advertising to show up in refrigerator firmware. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2PMzSo1Bss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2PMzSo1Bss
robbrown451 5y ago
Who says it involves "phoning home"? You can use offline apps, and turn off your internet if you want. I happen to like browser based MIDI apps, but then again, I write them, so if it is "phoning home" (which it usually isn't unless I want it to) it is often to localhost. :) Your comment could be applied to typewriters. Do you prefer the days when, if you wanted to write a book or article or something, you used a typewriter that was completely standalone? I kinda like having my "typewriter-style keyboard" connected to a computer... it opens up a ridiculous number of possibilities that you can't do with a standalone machine without a big display and a fast processor and a big hard drive. And maybe internet.... you can't exactly have Hacker News with a standalone typewriter, but you can with a keyboard that connects to a computer. Same with a "piano-style keyboard."
- gary_0 5y ago
  I'm more referring to the trend in "smart" consumer electronics to violate privacy. For instance: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21657930 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21657930 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20206536 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20206536 https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/downside-connected-tech-are-smart-devices-your-home-spying-you-ncna1101906 https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/downside-connected-... And it's not practical for your average consumer (or musician) to try to block it, or even detect it. Also, there are less and less options to buy "dumb" devices and appliances that won't spend their operating lives trying to exfiltrate data about you back to their manufacturers and their corporate partners.
- ClumsyPilot 5y ago
  "Who says it involves "phoning home"? You can use offline apps, and turn off your internet if you want." Those are getting fewer and farther between, the new trend is that you have to accept a 40-page license agreement to rent a bike, you get a Fancy pet feeder that doesn't feed your cat when their servers are offline, your Samsung TV adds ads that you cannot turn off, etc. You own and control nothing despite paying thousands of dollars for it.
  - dragandj 5y ago

by gary_0 5y ago

cbm-vic-20 5y ago

You can sign up for the Pro edition piano for $9.99/mo, but you're going to have to call the sales team if you're in a touring band and need the Pro Enterprise edition.

michaelmrose 5y ago
Meanwhile the fly by wire key keys which are prone to wear out and need an expensive service call (not included in price) introduce a random jitter in timing in the standard edition. Attempts to correct this jitter by either performing surgery on your own device or correcting same in software are a violation punishable by jail time specified in DMCA v2. Attempting to even do the repair yourself will be a violation of the terms and conditions of your subscription and void your ability for you or anyone else to register and ergo use your Piano. If you know or suspect someone of violating these terms please turn them in for a free $100 gift card good for a fine assortment of musical instruments. If we suspect you have violated these terms you have agreed to give us an opportunity to inspect and if needed disable your equipment. For an additional $200 we will haul off your now useless instrument.
ajsnigrutin 5y ago
How much extra for the black keys?
- atoav 5y ago
  Starting from 5 cents per stroke, depending on velocity and pitch. Just make sure you have internet connectivity at all times, otherwise your contract with each of the keys cannot be checked.

elihu 5y ago

To be fair, the computer in a USB MIDI setup where it's just connecting a physical controller to a physical synth is basically just forwarding MIDI messages verbatim from one port to another. You can buy MIDI host devices that really don't do anything at all except allow you to connect two USB devices and have MIDI work. (They tend to be expensive, and they're kind of annoying to have to deal with.) This isn't a proprietary lock-in thing, it's just an unfortunate limitation of USB. Though I suppose a hardware manufacturer could release a product that only works with some special app if they wanted to go that route. (Some devices have settings that can only be accessed via a computer app.)

gary_0 5y ago
Maybe. But it worries me whenever anything moves from an "embedded chip" mindset to a "let's add a touchscreen"[0] mindset. Some mid-level exec is going to look at that cheap but beefy ARM SoC they are using, and get ideas. The companies making digital pianos are not immune to the disease that causes online advertising to show up in refrigerator firmware. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2PMzSo1Bss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2PMzSo1Bss

robbrown451 5y ago

Who says it involves "phoning home"? You can use offline apps, and turn off your internet if you want. I happen to like browser based MIDI apps, but then again, I write them, so if it is "phoning home" (which it usually isn't unless I want it to) it is often to localhost. :) Your comment could be applied to typewriters. Do you prefer the days when, if you wanted to write a book or article or something, you used a typewriter that was completely standalone? I kinda like having my "typewriter-style keyboard" connected to a computer... it opens up a ridiculous number of possibilities that you can't do with a standalone machine without a big display and a fast processor and a big hard drive. And maybe internet.... you can't exactly have Hacker News with a standalone typewriter, but you can with a keyboard that connects to a computer. Same with a "piano-style keyboard."

gary_0 5y ago
I'm more referring to the trend in "smart" consumer electronics to violate privacy. For instance: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21657930 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21657930 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20206536 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20206536 https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/downside-connected-tech-are-smart-devices-your-home-spying-you-ncna1101906 https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/downside-connected-... And it's not practical for your average consumer (or musician) to try to block it, or even detect it. Also, there are less and less options to buy "dumb" devices and appliances that won't spend their operating lives trying to exfiltrate data about you back to their manufacturers and their corporate partners.
ClumsyPilot 5y ago
"Who says it involves "phoning home"? You can use offline apps, and turn off your internet if you want." Those are getting fewer and farther between, the new trend is that you have to accept a 40-page license agreement to rent a bike, you get a Fancy pet feeder that doesn't feed your cat when their servers are offline, your Samsung TV adds ads that you cannot turn off, etc. You own and control nothing despite paying thousands of dollars for it.
- dragandj 5y ago