It-tech from Finland. Works as a cloud architect. Pianist and synthesizer collector.

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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 21st, 2023

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  • Especially in Europe with exorbitant electricity prices, it’s perfectly normal. The prices just went from like 4 cents per kWh to 40 or even 70 last winter. That made everyone count kWhours really attentively. Now the prices have gone down - in some cases a lot, but the reflex to check prices is still there. A lot of us now have stock-bound contracts, so whatever the current rate for electricity is what we are paying.

    That means we all have apps (mine is on my Apple Watch) and whenever the stock price is low we start our saunas, washing machines, ac:s etc. Currently the price is 4 cents per kWh and since the price is determined 24 hours in advance, I can see that the whole day will have similarly cheap electricity.





  • Oh and about maintenance and repairs. Short answer: no, I don’t think you need to worry about any maintenance for at least 10 years and then, you’d be better served buying a new instrument. Your mileage may vary and sometimes these instruments break. The better you treat them (no liquids, no slamming, no dropping, no exposure to direct sunshine all day), the better they usually last. In normal use a normally functioning piano will last you a long time with no maintenance save for wiping it with a damp cloth if the keys feel sticky. An acoustic piano will require at least a hundred dollars of maintenance per year if you want it to work and sound properly. Digitals are almost free in comparison.

    Also: a good pair of headphones is good to have. It is important the pianist feels they can practice without remorse or wondering if they are disturbing others. The possibility to play silently is one of the main reasons for getting a digital instrument.

    There is a pretty vast difference between a digital and an acoustic and for advanced players it is a real concern: they should get to practice on a real instrument. But that is after playing for 10 years and if the pianist is gifted. “Normal” players playing for their own amusement can play on a digital all their lives in my opinion. I’ve been playing for 42 years and I still have a Kawai upstairs and a hybrid Yamaha downstairs as my main piano and I am between advanced and very advanced these days.