SENSORS AS PIANO STRINGS: THE ULTIMATE ENDURANCE TEST

Nonwearing hammer heads
In contrast to those of acoustic pianos, the ALPHA Piano's hammer heads are practically nonwearing: The striking of the felted hammer occurs not on the usual two or three strings, but rather on pressure sensors that were specially developed for the ALPHA Piano and represent an entirely novel way of taking up the strike energy of the hammers. What is decisive for the playing feel is the fact that these sensors perform like piano strings. Through them, the force of the hammer's strike and the resistance at the strike point are determined. This works as in a traditional grand piano, in which the force of the hammer's strike thereby determines the volume.

316,000 Fortissimo Strikes in One Hour

A little insight into our development department for the sensor piano: This is the hardest test that a finished action has to pass—once everything has been finely regulated, every key is played 3600 times in one hour. The strikes are so strong that the 30-millimeter-thick keybed bends as much as 5 mm. Anything that survives this torture will live forever.

1000 visitors at Open Air in Grafenegg's "Wolkenturm," the "Cloud Tower." Konstantin Wecker and Jo Barnikel thrilled the audience until after 11 PM. With them was our new digital piano, which delivers artists new possibilities onstage in terms of sound and playability. Jo and Konstantin were thrilled!

right to left: Mario Aiwasian (inventor of the sensor technology), Jo Barnikel (alter ego Konstantin Wecker) and Bruno Weinberger in front of the stage setup (to the left is the sensor piano) in the Wolkenturm. Three hours prior to showtime, the sound check is complete, and everything's gonna be alright.

Next to the Bösendorfer grand, Konstantin Wecker and Jo Barnikel played the new ALPHA Piano for the first time at their open-air concert in Burg Clam. The ALPHA Piano is a fully-fledged concert grand piano with a novel hammer strike sensor. Left: Konstantin Wecker on a Bösendorfer 225; right: Jo Barnikel on the ALPHA Piano.

Both artists were thrilled at the instrument's capabilities and have recommissioned it for Sunday, August 8 for their concert in Schloss Grafenegg.

Unfortunately, 11 PM was closing time. Beforehand, Jo Barnikel stepped it up (literally!) and played a piece on the ALPHA while standing! A wonderful concert with standing ovations in the sold-out castle arena.

"The best sound that I've ever heard from a digital piano"

The great jazz pianist Chick Corea played an open-air concert at Berghof in Unterach, on Lake Attersee. We made the prototype of the new sensor piano available to him in the rehearsal room in order to get his opinion. Chick played with great enthusiasm and subsequently called it "the best sound that I've ever heard from a digital piano." He was also particularly impressed by the possibility of adjusting the sensor piano's height. From then on he played standing.