Inertia can be a funny thing. Simply because something is familiar, we cling to it for years before we even consider making a change… and that can be dangerous when technology is involved. Especially if we’re discussing player piano technology. In fact, the last 10 years have seen some incredibly important (and rapid) technological advancements in the music industry. Change is all around us. That’s where Riverton Piano Company‘s annual product review comes in. Each year, we take the time to evaluate the pianos, digital pianos, and player piano systems we carry and make sure that they represent what we feel are the absolute best value products available in each category. The process is simple. We compare their construction, reputation, innovation and customer service with other brands in their respective categories and rate them based on their performance in the previous year. Of course, with Brands like Yamaha, Bosendorfer, Baldwin, Roland and even Schumann, we rarely have any complaints. However, after careful review, we are excited to announce a change in our lineup. After careful evaluation of their equipment, music, reliability and customer service, we are excited to announce that we have replaced our old QRS player piano systems with the PianoDisc’s new Prodigy Player Piano System. Why did we decide to make this change after working with QRS for so many years? Put simply… because PianoDisc is a better, more value-rich product with a stronger service record and far better support. Let’s break it down.
PianoDisc is Easier to Setup and Maintain
No WIFI required! PianoDisc Prodigy operates via Bluetooth Audio – making setup easier than ever!
There is nothing worse than getting your new player piano home and having to wait days or even weeks for a technician to come out and connect it to the internet. Thankfully, PianoDisc Prodigy systems don’t require any kind of internet connection. With Prodigy, your tablet or smart phone are all that need to be connected to the internet to purchase music, play PianoDisc Radio or download songs for your piano to play. Even if you lose your internet for some reason, your Prodigy system will play perfectly fine. This means you can enjoy your piano anytime you want – from the very moment we deliver it! QRS still stores its music onboard the piano (something PianoDisc moved away from when they launched their IQ App), requiring the piano to be connected to your home WIFI. …and who wants to be thinking about WIFI networks and passwords when your new player piano arrives?!
Also – since your PianoDisc music is stored in the IQ App, it’s easier – and far faster – to update. The days of plugging in a USB drive or scheduling your piano to download songs in the middle of the night are over! Prodigy makes everything easy!
PianoDisc Gives You FREE Music – Not “Free Access”
You can’t have fun with your new player piano if you don’t have any music to play! That’s why both PianoDisc and QRS offer “free music” when you buy a new system. QRS, however, revokes your “free access” to that music after 90 days (or a year – depending on their purchase promotion) – leaving you with very little music to enjoy. In contrast, PianoDisc offers over 600 songs that are FREE and yours to keep! …and – when you complete your warranty registration – PianoDisc sends you an e-coupon for even MORE free music (12 more contemporary hits)! That’s over $1000 in FREE music for you to enjoy for as long as you own your piano.
PianoDisc Does Not Charge “Music Leasing” Fees
Control your PianoDisc Prodigy system with your voice! Works with Alexa, Google Home and more!
Like QRS, PianoDisc operates an online music store. Anytime you want something new to enjoy, you can purchase music and download it to your IQ App (on your tablet or smart phone). …and – just like purchasing an album or movie from the store – this music is YOURS to keep. Once your “promotional period” ends with QRS, they give you the option to A) Lose access to most of the “free” music you were enjoying when you bought your system or B) Pay a substantial fee to lease their entire library for two years (at around $1500!) or for four years (at around $2500!). Keep in mind – you don’t OWN any of that music. You’re just leasing it. With PianoDisc, there are no “Access Plans” or lease fees. You don’t have to pay for hundreds of albums you’ll never use. You just purchase the song(s) or album(s) you want to enjoy. (Quick Note – QRS does offer a “buy by the album or song” option as well, but QRS owners who do not select an “Access Plan” are penalized – keep reading.)
PianoDisc Gives You Access to More Music
QRS loves to talk about their “Nostalgic Series” (old paper rolls they converted to MIDI files) and – if you like music from the 20s and 30s that sounds like it was recorded on a music box – you might enjoy that music… but both PianoDisc and QRS have a robust library of music from your favorite artists and genres. What PianoDisc offers that QRS doesn’t is its “Always Play” technology. “Always Play” allows you to select any MIDI file (available all over the internet – often for FREE), quickly upload it to the IQ App and play it on your player piano. …and – even if the MIDI file wasn’t recorded for piano, PianoDisc’s “Always Play” technology will identify the melody and send it to your piano… so MIDI files will… “Always Play!” This is incredible because it means you can play countless songs from all over the internet – from personal recordings to famous masterpieces – EVEN KARAOKE files! So – when you combine PianoDisc’s awesome library of hit songs (recorded in one of the world’s most modern recording studios) with MIDI files from all around the world, there is no question that PianoDisc gives you access to more music than anyone… and, yes, you can download songs from the 20s and 30s as well… if that’s your thing.
PianoDisc is Easier to Use
PianoDisc’s optional QuietTime silent play system gives you the freedom to play your piano whenever you want through headphones!
Because the PianoDisc system connects to your tablet or smart phone with Bluetooth Audio (the MIDI data that operates your piano is built into the audio signal), you don’t have to connect to your piano over and over. Bluetooth is a far more stable connection than WIFI and it automatically reconnects – so you don’t have to worry about your piano if you change WIFI networks, passwords or (especially) if your piano isn’t close to your home WIFI router. Once you setup your Bluetooth connection, it will work reliably every time. Of course, we always recommend having a dedicated tablet for your player piano. It just makes everything even easier… but you don’t have to. We can even setup your PianoDisc system to send the background music to wireless Bluetooth speakers that your piano can play with LIVE! The sky’s the limit!
PianoDisc Makes Using Apps Easy
Thanks to Bluetooth MIDI, PianoDisc interfaces with all the best apps – like Piano Marvel, Garage Band, Symphonics Evolution and the IQ App itself. …but – unlike with QRS – PianoDisc doesn’t use WIFI so you don’t have to disconnect one service to use another or worry about “confusing” signals with multiple connections at once. You just use your piano the way you always do – connect with your favorite app and have a blast!
PianoDisc Offers a FAR Better Warranty
This is something we didn’t like to talk about with QRS – the warranty. QRS only offers a 1-year warranty with its player piano systems. The only way to extend this warranty is to purchase one of their “Access Plans” (starting at about $800 per year) – which extends the warranty for the length of the plan. If, however, you decide to purchase your music by the album and not purchase an “Access Plan,” you lose your warranty completely. That’s a big deal. PianoDisc doesn’t make you pay for a warranty. They include a 5yr Parts and 90 Day Labor Warranty with your system so you can have the peace of mind you deserve with your new player system. This is one of the biggest reasons we made the change.
PianoDisc Has Better Hardware
You can even record your own music with PianoDisc’s ProRecord X technology. Unleash your piano genius!
PianoDisc’s ProRecord system comes with a single optical sensor that can be secured inside the piano for ultra-high resolution recording. QRS’s sensor comes in four pieces and is well known for developing a rattle over time. This is a big consideration when comparing the two companies’ record systems. PianoDisc also has a better mute rail system than QRS. Nationwide, piano technicians prefer the design and installation of the PianoDisc QuietTime system over that of the QRS Stop Rail. This component is a critical piece of any headphones-based “silent play” system. Players also prefer the digital instrument sounds on PianoDisc’s ProRecord system to that of QRS. With QRS, the other instrument sounds are more of a MIDI-synthesized “afterthought.” On the PianoDisc ProRecord X system, these sounds are rich and vibrant – making the piano even more fun to play through headphones. PianoDisc’s solenoid arrangement is also far superior to QRS. PianoDisc’s SilentDrive technology allows technicians to calibrate each solenoid for whisper-quiet playback without dropping notes. This – combined with the adjustable solenoids – ensures that the system is perfectly “married” to each key of the piano for optimal performance over time. QRS does this too. Where the two systems differ, however, is in the solenoid placements. PianoDisc offers a narrow arrangement that impacts the underside of the piano keys without noise. QRS requires technicians to remove parts of the back of the keys (called the key tails) and glue felt pads on them so the solenoids won’t make noise. Over time, these pads dry out and fall off – making the player system really noisy. This won’t happen with a PianoDisc system. Finally, PianoDisc ships their systems with full 88-note functionality AND full sostenuto pedal function. QRS ships 80-note systems (skipping the top and bottom four keys on the piano) with no middle pedal function. These parts are available at an extra charge, but why should you have to pay more for the system to play ALL the notes on your piano? …and who wants to give up their middle pedal when they don’t have to?!
Both systems connect to Alexa or Google Home. Both systems offer internet radio stations that can stream music to your piano (at no extra charge). Both offer high-resolution record systems, silent systems and play only packages… and both have great music. Truly, they are both good systems and that’s why it was hard to make a change.
Still, we believe change is good – when it can give our clients better hardware, more music and better support for the same money! What do you think? Are you convinced? Why not consider a PianoDisc system for your home? We can install one on your piano or add one to any piano in our inventory – new or used; upright or grand! Contact us today and let’s start dreaming together. You won’t believe how much fun you can have with a player piano system from PianoDisc!
Thank you for this! Wish I lived in your area but alas am not. I have researched extensively on the internet and my complaint about PianoDisc is their website is not updated with the latest info. I am going with their system and hope they give me more info once I get the system and my piano.
Your review gave me all the info I needed to feel good about my going forward with the system.
Hi, Steve! I’m glad this helped you! I think you’ll be very happy with your PianoDisc system. I wish you were in our area. We’d take good care of you! …but I am sure you’ll get the info you need. Best of luck to you!
I’m trying to figure out which player is best for me. However, when I read your article it almost looks like it has been written by Pianodisc themselves. It doesn’t read like a neutrally written article.
Hello, Beaukenoot. Thank you for reading our blog and for your question. I can promise you that I wrote this article myself (My name is James)… and it was never intended to be “neutral.” That is why I chose the title “Why We Made the Switch to PianoDisc.” We were QRS dealers for quite awhile and we carry the Yamaha Disklavier system (which is factory installed on select Yamaha models)… so we have a good deal of experience with player systems. …but we were unhappy as QRS dealers. Setting a QRS system up properly required both a piano technician and an IT professional (to connect the piano to a client’s home WIFI – You have to do this for most of the important features to work properly.). This was expensive and slow. It also left us open to problems with clients’ WIFI systems (no two are alike). We also found that our QRS clients were unhappy with the way QRS handled their music. We detailed this heavily in the blog. …and the warranty situation speaks for itself. 5yrs vs 1yr… There’s no comparison. My intent in this article wasn’t to provide a balanced view of both systems. It was to explain in detail why we discontinued our relationship with QRS and signed on as a PianoDisc dealer. We are far happier now that we have. Our system installs look better. Our clients are happier. …and we have a much easier time with the client onboarding process. Why would I be neutral? PianoDisc has given my company and our clients a MUCH better experience and they deserve recognition for doing so. Of course, you’re always welcome to write back with more questions or contact us via webchat.
Hello James. Thank you for your reply. I prefer Wi-Fi over Bluetooth to connect devices, but I guess not all your clients have good Wi-Fi. The warranty certainly is a good reason to go for Pianodisc. About the access to music, their access plan is too expensive for me but I understood that after a year QRS gives you 1,500 songs for free? But most importantly, if Pianodisc sounds better than QRS, and I think that is what you are saying, then it is a no-brainer to choose Pianodisc I guess.
Hello again! My pleasure… and thanks for your thoughts. Most of our clients prefer Bluetooth to WIFI because it’s more stable and less susceptible to interruption. Of course, that depends on your service, etc. As for PianoDisc’s access plan, I am curious… what are you talking about? PianoDisc offers individual album sales or it can play any MIDI file you download off the internet. QRS doesn’t play every MIDI file… so PianoDisc has a huge advantage there. Also, PianoDisc sells their music. They don’t lease it like QRS does. You don’t pay a thousand dollars for ACCESS to music you might never use. (Also, I would ask for clarification on the 1500 “free” songs with QRS. I have never seen them give that much music away at the end of the lease period. Usually, it’s more like $175. You should definitely check up on that as I can’t imagine them giving you more free music at the end of the lease period than you paid for the original lease. That just doesn’t make sense and it’s NOT what they did for our clients. I guess you’ll have to come to your own decision about PianoDisc vs. QRS, but all I can tell you is we are VERY happy we made the change. Our clients are happy. We have less service calls. …and we sell a TON of these systems. For us, switching was a no-brainer.
Hi, I’m just starting to look into a conversion system for my little spinet piano. I live in Santa Barbara county. Can you recommend anyone in this area?
Thank you
Jennifer
Hi, Jennifer! Thanks for visiting! I don’t know anybody in Santa Barbara County, but you might contact PianoDisc and PianoDisc dot com. They can connect you with a local retailer. Best of luck with your spinet!
Good evening Jennifer. The installation technician for the Santa Barbara area is Nick Morris, at Majestic Piano Works. Nick can be reached at (818)419-2636.
Thank you, Don!
Thank you, James, for the excellent and thorough professional opinion. This is extremely helpful. I will be start reading all your other articles. You mentioned that your company also carries Yamaha Disklavier system. In your opinion, which is a better system, PianoDisc Prodigy or Yamaha Disklavier? Thank you in advance for your comments.
Hi, Yu-Dee, and thank you for your kind words. We’re glad our article helped you! To answer your question, I would definitely recommend Disklavier as the ultimate olayer system. The Standard system is a bit more expensive than PianoDisc, but it does a bunch more – inclusing an auto-self calibartion every time you use it. They have the best tech, the best music and a really neat video library. PianoDisc is a close second, but Disklavier is the hands-down winner. Thanks for a great question!
Hi James,
I’m considering buying a used piano that has PianoDisc installed and I have a number of questions:
1/ In what ways does PianoDisc change the piano from its original state? You note a couple of components on the piano that are changed when the QRS system is installed, but are there changes when PianoDisc is installed?
2/ If I were to have PianoDisc removed, what would be involved in that effort? Would the piano be unchanged from its original condition? What would it cost?
3/ Can the PianoDisc system that’s been removed from one piano be reinstalled on another piano?
4/ Is there a market for used PianoDiscs?
Thanks in advance for your input.
Hi, David, and thank you for your questions! I hope I can help here. Let’s start with #1: Like QRS, PianoDisc requires some modifications to the acoustic piano. Specifically, the tech will have to cut a slot in the underside of the piano to fit the solenoids inside. He would have to do this with QRS as well, but – because of the way QRS lines up their solenoids, that slot has to be significantly larger. With PianoDisc, we can get by with a far narrower cut. Also, we only install the “Low Profile” Prodigy systems – meaning there’s no huge box under the piano that impedes pedal function. With Prodigy, the pedals all work normally. Prodigy also operates all of the keys on your piano (all 88) without having to make serious modifications to the backsides of each key. It’s a far less invasive install. #2: Removing a PianoDisc system would just require you to take the speakers, control boxes and wiring off. It’s up to you whether or not you’d want to remove the solenoids. Since they are hidden inside the piano and do not impede the piano’s natural performance, there would be no reason to spend the money to have them removed. That said, the same tech that put the system on could easily remove it without further modifying your piano. Of course, you can’t reverse the slot that was cut to fit the solenoids in during the initial installation. The cost would vary greatly between techs. It’s usually an hourly fee and I imagine it would take 4-5 hours to remove the system. #3: Sure. Of course, it would have to be customized to operate the new piano, but it could be done. #4: Not really. Very few people ever remove the system from their piano. Most folks keep it until a new tech comes out years later and then upgrade their old systems. There’s no used player market as far as I am aware. That doesn’t mean you can’t find one, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You’re far better off having a new system installed so you will have a warranty, the complimentary music downloads and help after the sale. I hope that answers your questions. These are things we’ve never been asked before so congrats on some out-of-the-box thinking! Best of luck to you!
Hi James, these are super helpful responses – thank you!
Thank you, David! We’re glad to help. Thanks for stopping by and take care!
It’s also worth mentioning QRS music will play through Pianodisc and not vice versa since PD is encrypted. I have both QRS PNO3 and PD Prodigy on my Boston and have had it over 20 years now. Yamaha music will also play through PD and I’ve been doing that for years also. I’m upgrading to Yamaha Enspire and will lose my 400 PD titles unfortunately but want the better system. PD does have terrible support and many if their techs will tell you that. They rarely respond to the end user also especially when trying to buy new music. I like PD but should mention the negatives also.
Hi, Todd, and thanks for your thoughts. You make some good points about playing some of the QRS and Yamaha music through PianoDisc. Some of it does work! We love the Disklavier Enspire system too as we are Yamaha dealers… but you’ll find (if you haven’t already) that none of the player system companies provide the support we’d like to see them provide. That’s where we step in. Our clients don’t rely on the mercies of “tech support.” We take care of them directly and intervene whenever they need help. Make sure you’re working with a dealer that will fight for you when you need them to! Thanks again for stopping by and be well!