Finished piano setup and some thoughts
Hello everyone. I have asked for feedback in this sub in the past, and I am grateful. But yesterday I saw another kind of post about a setup, and thought I could share a few observations made during my process, and how it has been helping my learning.
I bought my first piano (the Yamaha P125) almost 3 years back, to try and study on my own. At around the 2-years mark, despite progressing, I felt underwhelmed both by the sound and the touch of the keyboard, and started practicing less enthousiastically. Having it placed in the middle of my living room (back to back with a large couch) was not helpful either - I subconciously treated it as an obstacle to avoid while passing, plus I kept it covered, being worried about dust from the drafts .
So, the last few months, I gradually made changes.
- I moved it to its own dedicated spot, next to a wall, over a carpet that better marks its... territory.
- Its not drafty anymore, so it is more comfortable to sit and play. Plus, I keep it uncovered. It makes a big difference in how... inviting it feels. It really helps and motivates me just seeing the keys and touching them even with the power off. When I had them covered, it was much easier for me to say "never mind, next time".
- I know there is nothing I can do about the keybed. But I decided to try upgrading the sound. So, gradually, I got a decent VST, good headphones, speakers, a small cheap PC and an external sound card to host/connect everything (the cheap Yamaha subwoofer is like 25 years old, I bought it during college and had it stored in a garage since - still worked!). The sound is WAY better and much more expressive and inspiring.
- I set everything up with intent, to make the process of sitting down and playing as quick, easy and straightforward as possible. That was important - if I had to think about it, I just wouldn't sit down to practice. I only press two buttons (piano and PC) and 50 seconds later I can play. Same two buttons shut everything down in like 5 seconds. No keyboard, screen, manual input or settings necessary.
It all took some time, but I finally enjoy practicing again. It feels nice, it looks nice, it feels... welcoming.
(I wish I could replace the P125 with something with a great wooden action, but the Kawai VPC1 has no furniture and digital pianos with such actions are even more expensive..)