Piano Music

Recording 100 makes 30 recordings since the series relaunched in April. Like the others, it’s a full overhead take on the acoustic piano with Piano VFX, mastered in 4K at 60 frames per second, and the audio edition is cut from that same master. Parts for the first version 5 LED bar test are still on the way.

Recording 99 is part of a push to record ahead, so there’s enough material scheduled to run through the end of November, including two weeks of work travel. It’s the full overhead take on the acoustic piano with Piano VFX, mastered in 4K at 60 frames per second. The audio edition is cut from that same master.

Recording 98 was played on version 4 of the LED bar, printed in transparent filament. It is brighter than the black bar, but the light spills onto neighboring keys, so the black bar is back in use until the per-key version 5 design is built. That design needs a custom circuit board, which puts a prototype at least a month out. As usual, this is the complete overhead performance on the acoustic pia...

Recording 97 is the first one since version 3 of the LED bar was finished. Version 4 is being printed in transparent filament for comparison, and a version 5 design with one focused LED per key is in early testing. The edit is the full overhead performance on the acoustic piano with Piano VFX, delivered at 3840×2160 and 60 frames per second. The audio edition comes from the same finished mast...

Recording 96 was finished during a week with no live streams. The streaming schedule is now seven weeks on and one week off, plus any week with work travel, and the next break falls the week of November 9th. The edit is the full overhead performance on the acoustic piano with Piano VFX, delivered at 3840×2160 and 60 frames per second. The audio edition is cut from that same finished master an...

Recording 95 is the first one made with version 2 of the LED bar over the keys. The bar puts more focused light on the hands, which helps on camera, but too much of it reflects off the keys. Version 3 is in progress with the bar angled at 45 degrees so the light falls onto the keys instead of across them. The video keeps the overhead view of the acoustic piano with the Piano VFX treatment, mastere...

I finished Recording 94 at the beginning of the week to make more room for album work. The video keeps the overhead view of the acoustic piano and the current Piano VFX treatment, with a 4K, 60-frame-per-second master. The physical LED bar is still a separate project. This week’s test fits focused on how the boards sit in their printed holders, the clearance around the piano keys, and where...

Recording 93 is a 4K/60 Disklavier set with Piano VFX over the real overhead piano. The source mornings were June 19 and June 22.

Recording 92 is the first weekly episode being prepared for 4K video delivery. The overhead piano footage and Piano VFX composite remain part of the finished Final Cut Pro master, now exported at 3840 × 2160 and 60 frames per second. A new lens on the Canon provides the framing for the 4K setup, while an OBSBOT video conferencing camera adds another angle. Lighting adjustments continue around the...

After a lot of measuring, test prints, and revisions, the LED rail now has printed mounts and bar sections that work. That replaces the temporary metal ends. The next step is cartridge spacing. Each short section has to aim its LEDs at the correct piano keys, and a few millimeters is enough to show up from the overhead camera. I am tuning one section at a time before committing to the full keyboar...

I got a 3D printer so I can replace the angle-iron ends with printed mounts that sit in the fallboard supports. The metal worked, but I never liked that hardware that close to the piano, even with felt tape. I also added a second LED strip. Fitting and reprinting took longer than I expected. The bar was out of commission for the first two morning streams. When it is on, it adds a really cool dynam...

First working LED rail. Removable aluminum bar in the existing fallboard supports — nothing glued to the finish or the keys. A Raspberry Pi reads the MIDI and drives per-key lights so the overhead camera can show more of the shape in the playing. First version, not the last. Next up: printed clips and baffles, and a cleaner power path for a second strip.

I spent this episode fighting Piano VFX drift. One MIDI timing issue is fixed, but a longer render still walks off the keys. The reliable fix is splitting the VFX layer by song in Final Cut and using Retime on each section. That adds another two or three hours. New effects this week, less flame, more around the notes. After Disklavier listen tests I also limited release-velocity edits to tight rep...

Seven pieces from May 28 through June 2. New camera: much closer to true overhead, more keyboard in the frame, the inside of the Yamaha C7 visible. I had to pull the keyboard cover. The front lip hid the key tops from that angle, especially with falling notes. Only my hands are in the shot now.

Seven pieces from May 25–28. First episode with Piano VFX all the way into the finished video: real overhead piano underneath, falling notes composited in Final Cut so they follow what I actually played. Dark background, keyboard mask, and edges took some work. I also moved the production desk off a single-vendor app so I can switch models without rebuilding the workflow.

Six pieces from May 21 and May 25. I took 56 of my own past edits and had the production model try the first timing pass instead of Smart Tempo. Through the middle of a song it now matches my hand edits almost note for note. It still misses the big feel changes, so it’s on the shelf. It keeps learning from the episodes I still edit myself.

Recording 84 continues the weekly rhythm — another full piano session captured on the Yamaha DC7XE3. Each session is a chance to refine both the playing and the production, and the small weekly improvements should be audible over time. Thanks for listening.

Recording 83 continues the weekly rhythm — another full piano session captured on the Yamaha DC7XE3. Each session is a chance to refine both the playing and the production, and the small weekly improvements should be audible over time. Thanks for listening.

Recording 82 continues the weekly rhythm — another full piano session captured on the Yamaha DC7XE3. Each session is a chance to refine both the playing and the production, and the small weekly improvements should be audible over time. Thanks for listening.

Recording 81 continues the weekly rhythm — another full piano session captured on the Yamaha DC7XE3. Each session is a chance to refine both the playing and the production, and the small weekly improvements should be audible over time. Thanks for listening.

Recording 80 continues the weekly rhythm — another full piano session captured on the Yamaha DC7XE3. Each session is a chance to refine both the playing and the production, and the small weekly improvements should be audible over time. Thanks for listening.

Recording 79 continues the weekly rhythm — another full piano session captured on the Yamaha DC7XE3. Each session is a chance to refine both the playing and the production, and the small weekly improvements should be audible over time. Thanks for listening.

Recording 78 continues the weekly rhythm — another full piano session captured on the Yamaha DC7XE3. Each session is a chance to refine both the playing and the production, and the small weekly improvements should be audible over time. Thanks for listening.

Recording 77 continues the weekly rhythm — another full piano session captured on the Yamaha DC7XE3. Each session is a chance to refine both the playing and the production, and the small weekly improvements should be audible over time. Thanks for listening.

Recording 76 continues the weekly rhythm — another full piano session captured on the Yamaha DC7XE3. Each session is a chance to refine both the playing and the production, and the small weekly improvements should be audible over time. Thanks for listening.