Pianos during all the tours?

[Kidney05]

Hey guys, just curious, since i can't find it on the web anymore, what pianos have coldplay used during their three different tours? I'm most curious about the Viva tour piano because i really adore the sound, but what about the others as well? Thanks!

[bearcat1229]

This topic has been discussed a few times now on this thread.

 

The main "VIVA" piano is a Yamaha GT-20. Both the main stage one and the B-stage one are this type but they are painted differently. It is essentially the same piano as the first two tours, only they are now painted, the key colors have been inverted and the front panel removed to view the hammers. The GT-20 is not an actually piano but a MIDI piano. In a nutshell it is more like a digital piano with a real piano feel.

 

Now the blue keyboard are Korg KONTROL49 MIDI controllers. They are painted that color and with inverted keys. The function of this "keyboard" is not to produce any sound, but to control a separate sound engine, usually either computer software or a sound module of some kind. It can also cute loops and back-tracks.

[Kidney05]

thank for for this information. gotta say, i'm a bit dissapointed that it's not a real piano though.

[strawberryswinger]

thank for for this information. gotta say, i'm a bit dissapointed that it's not a real piano though.

 

but they use it as a real piano, so it doesnt matter. (except in fix you, you can notice it easily)

[Kidney05]

it does kinda matter though... there's a certain beauty to a real acoustic instrument.. the way mozart to the beatles to elton john used it.

[Tnspieler1012]

but you can't tell at all when he's playing postcards or the gnossienne at the end of politik. The fact that it's digital shouldn't really take away from the authenticly acoustic sound you hear. Digital pianos are just ten times more convenient to amplify in concert venues.

[bearcat1229]

it does kinda matter though... there's a certain beauty to a real acoustic instrument.. the way mozart to the beatles to elton john used it.

 

Well...I'm not 100% sure but Elton John's red Piano is a MIDI piano too...or so I heard.

 

When Fiona Apple opened for Coldplay in 2005, she had a huge grand piano...only it wasn't. At the end of the show I wanted the stage crew open up the keyboard section and pull out a digital piano. It looked like the grand piano case was custom made but the actually sound came from a keyboard that was locked into it to make it look like a real piano. I couldn't tell the difference in the sound.

 

Acoustic piano's are a nightmare to mic for live performances, its not like an acoustic guitar.

[PianoRocker]

I always had an acoustic piano.

But it was a bit like an hell.

Tuning, only piano sound, dust... all things that can be a problem.

BUT I traded it for an digital piano..

Cheaper, but alot better.

 

The sound is better, it realy sound like an grand piano and its alot smaller.

It also contains two headphone inputs, midi in/out, few voices, different feel settings and alot more.

 

The feeling is exactly the same as the acoustic piano did, Easaly to create an full orchesta by using midi and virtual instruments.. You NEVER can get that with an acoustic piano!

 

+1 for Yamaha pianos!

 

ps: My old piano was an Yamaha B2, and the new is an Yamaha Clavinova 320.