I just played one in Robert Lowry store today. Brian was awesome and very helpful! Indeed, it was an amazing instrument! I couldn't believe while I was playing! The touch, the sound, the pedal...and the voice! It was just Wow! Thanks for great experience! The Schimmel Grand Piano just made my day!
You are such a good communicator, and your keyboard illustrations are colorful and beautiful. You really seem like you are enjoying yourself! Great job!
Great to see you reviewing the model again. I saw the earlier demo and was hooked on this piano then and this one is a winner too. Love the construction and the tone. Thanks for this.
Thanks Stu for another great review. After hearing you play this piano for the first 2 minutes, your following comments were exactly what I felt about it! Pianos and their tones are personal but I now know I prefer this Schimmel to Bechstein. Would love to have a go at one soon! You’re absolutely right about German pianos having very distinct tonal philosophies. Bluthners are also very interesting!!
I absolutely love the sound of this piano. I am completely enchanted by its sound. Hopefully I will cross paths with one soon. Thank you for the exquisite demonstration.
You're very welcome! The K219 has a feel and sound that is an absolute dream to enjoy. I hope you're able to test one out in person. They're truly exceptional pianos. :)
@@MerriamPianosI also want to thank you for how well you mic the piano in these videos. It makes it so much more enjoyable to listen to. I have watched this video with earbuds a number of times just to enjoy the rich sound of this wonderful piano!
No one can bring a piano to the listener like you, Stu! I love your channel! Schimmel has such own sound like no other brand. I love this warm sound (even if I love the Steinway sound even more and therefore switched from Schimmel to Steinway)! Please more posts from other brands like Blüthner or Steingräber ...
Hi! Brent here! Thanks so much for tuning in! I'll be happy to pass on the kind words to Stu on your behalf. Schimmel's definitely have a distinct and wonderful musical voice. The Konzert series instruments in particular are very exciting. Also, thank you for the suggestions! We will do our best to tackle reviews/comparisons of those brands you mentioned, but, in the cases where we don't deal those particular lines, it gets a little trickier to execute reviews/comparisons. We will try our best though. :)
Thank you so much for this review! I played a few Schimmel instruments back in the 1980s and was never impressed by any of them. Now, after more than 30 years of not playing, I am taking lessons again - and guess what: they make me sit at an old Schimmel grand that quacks like a duck and is tough (for me) to play, which has confirmed my old disliking of their instruments (I practice on a Roland LX-17 at home). Apparently, I am wrong and a lot has happened in their design during my piano hibernation. Funny enough, I live in Braunschweig (home of Schimmel and Grotrian-Steinweg) and the Schimmel showroom is less than 5 kilometers from where I work. I guess I'll have to pay them a visit soon. If only I had the house to put one of these into my living room...
You're very welcome! Thanks for tuning in! I would definitely give the modern Schimmel Konzert series pianos a shot. They are amazing instruments with immense musicality. The extra long key sticks also grant these pianos with tremendous responsiveness when it comes to the touch. Thanks again and happy playing! I'm glad to hear that you've found your way back to studying the piano. :)
In this recording of the K219, it has more clarity and dynamic range than the B212 you reviewed. K series sounds more delicate at lighter playing and bigger at harder playing. It seems the C. Bechstien B212 sound does not shrink as much with light playing and does not really get bigger with heavy as much as the Schimmel; because of that it doesn't translate over a recording as getting softer and louder- my ear just adjusts to the full sound at lower velocities and still sounds loud even when it is soft and vice versa... The K series also seems to have more sustain and more of that 3D sound you talked about. You and others that played on the B212 say it is more colorful at all volumes, but over the recording it does not translate quite the same way I can hear muddiness in the midrange masking the notes compared to the Schimmel K series; that isn't to say in person it actually is that way, but the recording does not capture that experience. I was fortunate enough to get to play on a K175, K195, K230 and a K280 and actually just like you preferred the smaller versions "sound" over the larger ones. The K series does not make music, it makes magic. It plays your heart more than just producing notes like other pianos, it is an amazing connection from your heart directly to the music. I played the K195 for hours in that showroom without thinking about it. The dynamics, clarity, tone, and bass was better than everything in the showroom including: Steinway anything, Bosendorfer VC and a 9ft $400K imperial artist, Yamaha 9ft CFX, Bluthner, Steingraber, Ritmuller, Kohler, S. Kawai, Baldwin, Chickering, Mason Hamlin, Petrof, Sauter, Story & Clark and the Estonia L220 I played recently. The Bosendorfer and Estonia actions could match the playability but the K series sound was head and shoulders above. I want to play a B212 and feel and hear what so many gush over it for, but there are no dealers in my state that sell them. I would love to hear these two compared A/B on your channel. The Schimmel Wilhelm and C series play beautifully and sound good but are blunt instruments compared to the scalpel K series, and do not feel or sound the same at all, even though they are all nice sounding instruments and will work in 99% of situations that don't involve professional recording. Bosendorfer VC and Imperial sounds super musical and forward, with a softly heightened blended midrange bloom that cannot be described with words, it sounded romantic. The playability of the action was top class, and in person experience would probably be my top choice but for recording the clarity of individual note definition was not apparent. The bass was weaker, the top end was rolled off quite a bit, shorter sustain and had less sparkle to the sound. IT STILL sounded incredible in person, just comparing it to the K series (for recording) it was no contest goes to the Schimmel. The 9ft Yamaha CFX played and sounded like a Fisher Price Xylophone compared to the K Series. It sounded dull more like a Yamaha Motif 8 keyboard in the fact that it sounded not-special/non-polished in there is no shimmer or shine, sounds 1D not even 2D let alone 3D and every single note sounds the exact same= emotionless. The action of the CFX was dull lo-fi feeling. Steinway's sounded meh. Homogenous tone, Dull and boring, no sparkle or shine, playability was clumsy and wooden, very mediocre overall. The Estonia, plays just as beautiful as the Bosendorfer and has also a blended soft romantic tone but not with the forward softly heightened midrange. Sustain was out of this world, but the highs were rolled off and midrange and bass were blended with little definition that would sound muddy on a recording. All the others were much worse and not worth mentioning. This is difficult to compare these pianos because the only piano that has sounded better than the K219 on RUclips has been some Fazioli pianos. I have never seen one. No one near me sells them. People that are in the industry have mixed opinions on them and it is really hard to get objective data because there is no single place to get it from with the same quality control in the reviewing. It seems they all like it this way. Easier to skew the objectivity with hyperbole than show the truth or have mass double blind data. Stu I am auditioning pianos to record in my new custom built studio next year, and Stu, what piano would you put in your studio if you were recording acoustic music and scores for Movies and TV? K219? B212? Something else like a Fazioli F212? It has to translate clearly and emotionally on recording and move hearts. How would you record it in detail (Mic, Cable, Pre, stereo type) the best possible way? My top choice atm for recording is K219 or F212. Top choice for playing in a concert would be the Bosendorfer Imperial and top choice for personal playing could be a B212?
Hi there! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks so much for tuning into our videos and for taking the time to share your very thoughtful insights and remarks on these incredible pianos. As you have discovered, every piano manufacturer and model presents its own unique musical identity. While it is tough to argue that any of the instruments you have mentioned are anything-but-exceptional pianos, different players will inevitably resonate with different musical profiles. It sounds like you have found the magic that so many players seek in the remarkable Schimmel Konzert series grands. :) In terms of your questions about our recording procedure, our production team uses a stereo pair of Rode NT5 microphones in an XY pattern with Roland XLR cables and a Focusrite Scarlett audio interface. We don't colour the sound in any way via post-production effects or processing in an effort to keep things sounding as transparent as possible. As I know you're aware, the room and positioning of the piano will impact the overall sonic experience it yields on a recording. This would account for some of the tonal and dynamic disparities you mentioned between the two video reviews for these models. As far as a recommendation goes for use with TV and film scores, it really does come down to personal preferences. Beauty is very much in the ears of the beholder when it comes to pianos, or music in general for that matter. In my personal opinion, the Schimmel K219 has a very distinct, well-defined attack and more harmonic content in the upper register than most pianos in this category. If those sonic traits align with your tastes, it could explain why you're feeling that magical connection from the K series grands. For me, I would personally gravitate towards the C. Bechstein B212. Beyond being an absolute powerhouse, I really love the way the tone develops through different dynamic registers. This gives the C. Bechstein Concert series grands a vitality and expressivity that few instruments possess. I also feel that the B212 provides greater versatility. It has a wonderful balance between depth and brilliance. We will certainly do our best to tackle a direct comparison between the K219 and B212 if the opportunity presents. Thanks again and all the best!
Hi Stu, I really enjoy watching your reviews and as an owner of a Schimmel piano I particularly enjoyed this one. I also love to hear your jazzy chords and noodling. Would it be possible to throw in a little classical repertoire along side? I’m sure many viewers play classical repertoire and would like to hear how the instruments respond under your capable fingers. Cheers!
Brilliant… I’ve got a C213 and love it…. But now I need one of these instead! Lol. Thanks for an insightful review.. would love to hear your take on Fazioli some day…
Nice review as always Stu! If you could only tell your colleges to tune the pianos little bit better before you do the recording! In many of your videos with acoustic pianos the bass register is really out of tune (like in this video) - so one can not really hear the precise sound color that current piano has... I am sure you could do this better in future!
Hi Stu, it's a wonderful Christmas treat :-) Would be insanely cool to have someone like Jacob Collier to describe this kind of a beast through playing... And then you could argue with him - through playing.
I am using a pair of Audio-Technica studio headphones to listen to this recording vs a previous SK-3/Estonia recording. Assuming the recordings are a fairly accurate representation of the actual instruments, I would say the Kawai SK-3 sounds like what I get in a digital piano when I boost the 500 Hz - 2 kHz range, which can be described as a bit nasal and blurred, but with a strong presence. The K219 sounds like what I get in a digital piano when I boost around the 4 kHz, which again can be described as a clear, bright, and a bit thinner sound. I think it is important to learn to what kind of sound preference you have in terms of frequencies. Some people seem to like sounds with a rolled-off treble and slightly scooped midrange. Of course, that doesn't sound very appealing. It is more attractive to say you like a "warm", "lush", "relaxing" sound, or whatever word you prefer. So, you might be a "Polk guy". Or maybe you are a "Klipsch guy" (Polk and Klipsch are examples of speakers) and prefer a more pronounced midrange, stronger treble, which some people love while others will say it is "too harsh", "too forward", etc. Pianos are no different than speakers in certain aspects of the sound. Not everything can be reduced to "bright/dark". However, when people say "Brand A all the way", or "Brand B beats Brand A any day", they are often talking about simple aspects of the sound that have a specific way of being measured frequency-wise. I wish somebody took a bright Yamaha piano and digitally altered its sound to make it dark, then took a dark Kawai and digitally manipulated it to make it sound bright, then made a video playing the Yamaha with the Kawai sound and vice versa and wait for the listener's face when they are told they were tricked. I would bet a lot of people would praise the disguised Yamaha as a "lovely warm Kawai all the way", etc, etc :D
@@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12 No, they are not. But like Stu has mentioned in other videos regarding Casio, it may take a decade for people to take notice before they stop repeating the same cliché. Even in their digital pianos, they have made a significant change. Take a look at the Yamaha DGX 660 vs DGX 670. The pianos in the DGX 670 are darker, and the demos of both instruments are different: the DGX 660 had pop-style demos with bright energetic pianos, whereas the DGX 670 has calm music featuring darker pianos.
@@Instrumental-Covers thanks for the info just tried a Yamaha GC2 it wasn't too bright it was actually melo and, the action though it was heavy it was very responsive🎹🎶
@@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12 Do you mind sharing what kind of speakers you use at home to listen to music or watching RUclips videos? I ask to get a sense of the sound signature you might be accustomed, which may influence your taste in sound.
Hi Stu, I’ve been listening to your reviews of various pianos and your wonderful, colorful classical and jazz harmonies almost everyday since I discovered your channel. I do have a question, any thoughts on the Schimmel CC213T (7 ft). I’m not sure I understand what the CC stands for. Thank you.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for supporting our channel! We're glad to hear that you've been enjoying Stu's reviews and playing. The CC is simply an older naming convention from my understanding. The new C213 model is the same scale design with a few design updates, including slightly larger soundboard surface area, shift in the bass bridge position, and extra dampers. The C213 is an extraordinary piano and offers a brighter, more brilliant voice than the Konzert series instruments, which are actually a bit darker/warmer sounding. It all comes down to a matter of tonal preference, but both series are incredible! :)
I'm not sure about this piano. My initial impression is it lacks sparkle. But I need to listen to it more. Quality sound but I'm not total taken by it.
It has beautiful bass tones, but I would prefer the Bechstein A 208 over it, and it’s also much cheaper (here in Europe). Of course 11 cm smaller. But for now, it remains just a dream...
Hello Stu. Would you mind listening to your own video with studio monitors around 4:40 to 4:44? It seems to be a note you play with your left hand pinky or close to that. This is the 3rd video you upload recently that has the same high-pitched buzzing sound in certain notes. I have tested this issue using 3 speaker sources to make sure it is not my speakers, and they all make the noise. It is particularly noticeable with speakers that don't accentuate the bass. For example, my Audio-Technica studio headphones capture it well because they have a flat midrange. I imagine that something in your recording gear is resonating at a particular frequency with certain notes, maybe a microphone frame is ringing at a specific free resonance frequency and it is being recorded. I noticed this in two previous videos with an upright piano, but I thought there was a problem with that piano. Now this is a grand piano and still the same issue.
"there is no imperfections, or if there is, theyre so small" yeah no. I restore pianos for steinway, my job is replacing soundboards, pinblocks, re capping the bridge, and more. I restore pianos made both in New York and Hamburg, and I find FAR more imperfections in the hamburg pianos than the New York made pianos, on average. Something neat design wise is the material the bridge is made out of is different in New York vs Hamburg. The hamburgs use a mix of maple and what appears to be oak, whereas the new york only uses a laminate of maple. This difference is also true for the rim of the piano. But the germans are absolutely no better piano manufacturers than the americans. The amount of messed up bridges I've had to fix that came out of Hamburg is not countable. Dont get me wrong, I do plenty of warranty jobs for New York as well, but the idea that German engineering is better is laughable
I'm sorry, but the lower register doesn't sound good to me. However I'm listening with a laptop with tiny internal speakers. The upper register is fine. In fact very good.
You're being influenced more by recording devices (and technique) than the instrument itself. I live a mere 10 minute drive from their store with some really major recording tools, but they never call me.
Could be the recording that’s lacking, but I find this piano thin sounding with annoying ”buzz” in the high mid range. Bass and treble are pleasant though.
I am listening to this recording with a pair of M-Audio studio monitors and also Audio-Technica studio headphones, and I don't hear the buzzing you talk about. Typically, when you hear buzzing sounds is the tweeter that can't go down low enough to handle the transients of the strong piano attack... are you using home speakers?
It was my other pair of headphones that accentuated the higher frequencies too much. With the set that I'm using now, it sounds a little thin in the midrange, but not buzzy.
Hello again Adam. I just realized there is an annoying buzz sound, which I discovered by casually listening to parts of this recording I missed the first time. This time I was listening with my computer speakers and I heard the buzz. To make sure it wasn't the computer speakers, I turned to my studio headphones and the noise was still there. I actually made a similar comment in a previous video, but I thought it was the upright piano he played. Now I believe they have a problem with their recording equipment, maybe a loose part in their microphone that resonates at certain frequencies. The noise I hear is around 4:40, which interestingly is about the same note in a previous video... most likely their gear has a free resonance frequency around that specific note and it is carried in all videos.
Reviewing action feel & tone can never give a measure of longevity. Unlike great violins which grow in value as the wood ages, pianos devalue as they age. Too many moving and percussive components to wear, felt to harden. Too manybl strings to oxidize. Not easy to measure the trouble free mileage expected from any maker & model. Not easy to anticipate tropical climate stresses.
The longevity of an instrument's tonal apex is certainly difficult to analyze and predict. That is mainly due to the fact that it depends on so many different factors, some of which you've addressed. With that said, a well-built instrument like the K219 is far more equipped to stand the test of the time than lower-end pianos. Having a piano properly cared for and maintained by an experienced technician will also play a part in the overall equation too.
Pearl River generally leaves the German Schimmel operations alone, in the same way Yamaha leaves Bosendorfer or Samick leaves Seiler or Parsons HK leaves Grotrian-Steinweg and Wilhelm Steinberg alone. The German boutique piano industry is small, hence these things are bound to happen, all that matters is the owners respect the craftsmanship and heritage of these small but highly-respected instrument makers, then the quality will be all fine and good.
I just played one in Robert Lowry store today.
Brian was awesome and very helpful!
Indeed, it was an amazing instrument!
I couldn't believe while I was playing! The touch, the sound, the pedal...and the voice!
It was just Wow!
Thanks for great experience! The Schimmel Grand Piano just made my day!
You are such a good communicator, and your keyboard illustrations are colorful and beautiful. You really seem like you are enjoying yourself! Great job!
Great to see you reviewing the model again. I saw the earlier demo and was hooked on this piano then and this one is a winner too. Love the construction and the tone. Thanks for this.
Thanks Stu for another great review. After hearing you play this piano for the first 2 minutes, your following comments were exactly what I felt about it! Pianos and their tones are personal but I now know I prefer this Schimmel to Bechstein. Would love to have a go at one soon! You’re absolutely right about German pianos having very distinct tonal philosophies. Bluthners are also very interesting!!
I absolutely love the sound of this piano. I am completely enchanted by its sound. Hopefully I will cross paths with one soon. Thank you for the exquisite demonstration.
You're very welcome! The K219 has a feel and sound that is an absolute dream to enjoy. I hope you're able to test one out in person. They're truly exceptional pianos. :)
@@MerriamPianosI also want to thank you for how well you mic the piano in these videos. It makes it so much more enjoyable to listen to. I have watched this video with earbuds a number of times just to enjoy the rich sound of this wonderful piano!
No one can bring a piano to the listener like you, Stu! I love your channel!
Schimmel has such own sound like no other brand. I love this warm sound (even if I love the Steinway sound even more and therefore switched from Schimmel to Steinway)!
Please more posts from other brands like Blüthner or Steingräber ...
Hi! Brent here! Thanks so much for tuning in! I'll be happy to pass on the kind words to Stu on your behalf. Schimmel's definitely have a distinct and wonderful musical voice. The Konzert series instruments in particular are very exciting. Also, thank you for the suggestions! We will do our best to tackle reviews/comparisons of those brands you mentioned, but, in the cases where we don't deal those particular lines, it gets a little trickier to execute reviews/comparisons. We will try our best though. :)
beautiful unique sound. Excellent performance
They are stunning pianos to say the least!
Thank you so much for this review! I played a few Schimmel instruments back in the 1980s and was never impressed by any of them. Now, after more than 30 years of not playing, I am taking lessons again - and guess what: they make me sit at an old Schimmel grand that quacks like a duck and is tough (for me) to play, which has confirmed my old disliking of their instruments (I practice on a Roland LX-17 at home). Apparently, I am wrong and a lot has happened in their design during my piano hibernation.
Funny enough, I live in Braunschweig (home of Schimmel and Grotrian-Steinweg) and the Schimmel showroom is less than 5 kilometers from where I work. I guess I'll have to pay them a visit soon. If only I had the house to put one of these into my living room...
You're very welcome! Thanks for tuning in! I would definitely give the modern Schimmel Konzert series pianos a shot. They are amazing instruments with immense musicality. The extra long key sticks also grant these pianos with tremendous responsiveness when it comes to the touch. Thanks again and happy playing! I'm glad to hear that you've found your way back to studying the piano. :)
In this recording of the K219, it has more clarity and dynamic range than the B212 you reviewed. K series sounds more delicate at lighter playing and bigger at harder playing. It seems the C. Bechstien B212 sound does not shrink as much with light playing and does not really get bigger with heavy as much as the Schimmel; because of that it doesn't translate over a recording as getting softer and louder- my ear just adjusts to the full sound at lower velocities and still sounds loud even when it is soft and vice versa... The K series also seems to have more sustain and more of that 3D sound you talked about. You and others that played on the B212 say it is more colorful at all volumes, but over the recording it does not translate quite the same way I can hear muddiness in the midrange masking the notes compared to the Schimmel K series; that isn't to say in person it actually is that way, but the recording does not capture that experience. I was fortunate enough to get to play on a K175, K195, K230 and a K280 and actually just like you preferred the smaller versions "sound" over the larger ones. The K series does not make music, it makes magic. It plays your heart more than just producing notes like other pianos, it is an amazing connection from your heart directly to the music.
I played the K195 for hours in that showroom without thinking about it. The dynamics, clarity, tone, and bass was better than everything in the showroom including: Steinway anything, Bosendorfer VC and a 9ft $400K imperial artist, Yamaha 9ft CFX, Bluthner, Steingraber, Ritmuller, Kohler, S. Kawai, Baldwin, Chickering, Mason Hamlin, Petrof, Sauter, Story & Clark and the Estonia L220 I played recently. The Bosendorfer and Estonia actions could match the playability but the K series sound was head and shoulders above. I want to play a B212 and feel and hear what so many gush over it for, but there are no dealers in my state that sell them. I would love to hear these two compared A/B on your channel.
The Schimmel Wilhelm and C series play beautifully and sound good but are blunt instruments compared to the scalpel K series, and do not feel or sound the same at all, even though they are all nice sounding instruments and will work in 99% of situations that don't involve professional recording. Bosendorfer VC and Imperial sounds super musical and forward, with a softly heightened blended midrange bloom that cannot be described with words, it sounded romantic. The playability of the action was top class, and in person experience would probably be my top choice but for recording the clarity of individual note definition was not apparent. The bass was weaker, the top end was rolled off quite a bit, shorter sustain and had less sparkle to the sound. IT STILL sounded incredible in person, just comparing it to the K series (for recording) it was no contest goes to the Schimmel. The 9ft Yamaha CFX played and sounded like a Fisher Price Xylophone compared to the K Series. It sounded dull more like a Yamaha Motif 8 keyboard in the fact that it sounded not-special/non-polished in there is no shimmer or shine, sounds 1D not even 2D let alone 3D and every single note sounds the exact same= emotionless. The action of the CFX was dull lo-fi feeling. Steinway's sounded meh. Homogenous tone, Dull and boring, no sparkle or shine, playability was clumsy and wooden, very mediocre overall. The Estonia, plays just as beautiful as the Bosendorfer and has also a blended soft romantic tone but not with the forward softly heightened midrange. Sustain was out of this world, but the highs were rolled off and midrange and bass were blended with little definition that would sound muddy on a recording. All the others were much worse and not worth mentioning.
This is difficult to compare these pianos because the only piano that has sounded better than the K219 on RUclips has been some Fazioli pianos. I have never seen one. No one near me sells them. People that are in the industry have mixed opinions on them and it is really hard to get objective data because there is no single place to get it from with the same quality control in the reviewing. It seems they all like it this way. Easier to skew the objectivity with hyperbole than show the truth or have mass double blind data.
Stu I am auditioning pianos to record in my new custom built studio next year, and Stu, what piano would you put in your studio if you were recording acoustic music and scores for Movies and TV? K219? B212? Something else like a Fazioli F212? It has to translate clearly and emotionally on recording and move hearts. How would you record it in detail (Mic, Cable, Pre, stereo type) the best possible way? My top choice atm for recording is K219 or F212. Top choice for playing in a concert would be the Bosendorfer Imperial and top choice for personal playing could be a B212?
Hi there! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks so much for tuning into our videos and for taking the time to share your very thoughtful insights and remarks on these incredible pianos. As you have discovered, every piano manufacturer and model presents its own unique musical identity. While it is tough to argue that any of the instruments you have mentioned are anything-but-exceptional pianos, different players will inevitably resonate with different musical profiles. It sounds like you have found the magic that so many players seek in the remarkable Schimmel Konzert series grands. :)
In terms of your questions about our recording procedure, our production team uses a stereo pair of Rode NT5 microphones in an XY pattern with Roland XLR cables and a Focusrite Scarlett audio interface. We don't colour the sound in any way via post-production effects or processing in an effort to keep things sounding as transparent as possible. As I know you're aware, the room and positioning of the piano will impact the overall sonic experience it yields on a recording. This would account for some of the tonal and dynamic disparities you mentioned between the two video reviews for these models.
As far as a recommendation goes for use with TV and film scores, it really does come down to personal preferences. Beauty is very much in the ears of the beholder when it comes to pianos, or music in general for that matter. In my personal opinion, the Schimmel K219 has a very distinct, well-defined attack and more harmonic content in the upper register than most pianos in this category. If those sonic traits align with your tastes, it could explain why you're feeling that magical connection from the K series grands. For me, I would personally gravitate towards the C. Bechstein B212. Beyond being an absolute powerhouse, I really love the way the tone develops through different dynamic registers. This gives the C. Bechstein Concert series grands a vitality and expressivity that few instruments possess. I also feel that the B212 provides greater versatility. It has a wonderful balance between depth and brilliance.
We will certainly do our best to tackle a direct comparison between the K219 and B212 if the opportunity presents. Thanks again and all the best!
Hi Stu, I really enjoy watching your reviews and as an owner of a Schimmel piano I particularly enjoyed this one. I also love to hear your jazzy chords and noodling. Would it be possible to throw in a little classical repertoire along side? I’m sure many viewers play classical repertoire and would like to hear how the instruments respond under your capable fingers. Cheers!
It really sings! Wow. Love your Schimmel reviews :)
Lucky enough to play the baby brother K195. Love it! Good job on the reviews.
What a sweet sounding, brilliant piano
You're playing is so colorful.......Sounds Great
Beautiful
Brilliant… I’ve got a C213 and love it…. But now I need one of these instead! Lol. Thanks for an insightful review.. would love to hear your take on Fazioli some day…
Great video
I like your approach to this sensitive Instrument.
Would be wonderful to hear Debussys and Ravels works played on this piano.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nice review as always Stu!
If you could only tell your colleges to tune the pianos little bit better before you do the recording! In many of your videos with acoustic pianos the bass register is really out of tune (like in this video) - so one can not really hear the precise sound color that current piano has...
I am sure you could do this better in future!
I’ve also heard on several recordings that the tuning isn’t perfect, and that makes it pretty hard to judge the tone of the instrument.
It's like you're John Williams conducting a symphony orchestra with your fingers!
That is a wonderful and accurate analogy in my opinion! The musicality of the Schimmel K series grands is immense. :)
Hi Stu, it's a wonderful Christmas treat :-) Would be insanely cool to have someone like Jacob Collier to describe this kind of a beast through playing... And then you could argue with him - through playing.
Would love to hear a review of the K175.
I am using a pair of Audio-Technica studio headphones to listen to this recording vs a previous SK-3/Estonia recording. Assuming the recordings are a fairly accurate representation of the actual instruments, I would say the Kawai SK-3 sounds like what I get in a digital piano when I boost the 500 Hz - 2 kHz range, which can be described as a bit nasal and blurred, but with a strong presence. The K219 sounds like what I get in a digital piano when I boost around the 4 kHz, which again can be described as a clear, bright, and a bit thinner sound. I think it is important to learn to what kind of sound preference you have in terms of frequencies. Some people seem to like sounds with a rolled-off treble and slightly scooped midrange. Of course, that doesn't sound very appealing. It is more attractive to say you like a "warm", "lush", "relaxing" sound, or whatever word you prefer. So, you might be a "Polk guy". Or maybe you are a "Klipsch guy" (Polk and Klipsch are examples of speakers) and prefer a more pronounced midrange, stronger treble, which some people love while others will say it is "too harsh", "too forward", etc.
Pianos are no different than speakers in certain aspects of the sound. Not everything can be reduced to "bright/dark". However, when people say "Brand A all the way", or "Brand B beats Brand A any day", they are often talking about simple aspects of the sound that have a specific way of being measured frequency-wise. I wish somebody took a bright Yamaha piano and digitally altered its sound to make it dark, then took a dark Kawai and digitally manipulated it to make it sound bright, then made a video playing the Yamaha with the Kawai sound and vice versa and wait for the listener's face when they are told they were tricked. I would bet a lot of people would praise the disguised Yamaha as a "lovely warm Kawai all the way", etc, etc :D
Are Yamahas still that bright? I played a CFX before I couldn't too bright or not because the space it was in was a bit small🎹🎶
@@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12 No, they are not. But like Stu has mentioned in other videos regarding Casio, it may take a decade for people to take notice before they stop repeating the same cliché. Even in their digital pianos, they have made a significant change. Take a look at the Yamaha DGX 660 vs DGX 670. The pianos in the DGX 670 are darker, and the demos of both instruments are different: the DGX 660 had pop-style demos with bright energetic pianos, whereas the DGX 670 has calm music featuring darker pianos.
@@Instrumental-Covers thanks for the info just tried a Yamaha GC2 it wasn't too bright it was actually melo and, the action though it was heavy it was very responsive🎹🎶
@@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12 Do you mind sharing what kind of speakers you use at home to listen to music or watching RUclips videos? I ask to get a sense of the sound signature you might be accustomed, which may influence your taste in sound.
@@Instrumental-Covers I just use bluetooth headphones with a wire🎹🎶
Hi Stu, I’ve been listening to your reviews of various pianos and your wonderful, colorful classical and jazz harmonies almost everyday since I discovered your channel. I do have a question, any thoughts on the Schimmel CC213T (7 ft). I’m not sure I understand what the CC stands for. Thank you.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for supporting our channel! We're glad to hear that you've been enjoying Stu's reviews and playing. The CC is simply an older naming convention from my understanding. The new C213 model is the same scale design with a few design updates, including slightly larger soundboard surface area, shift in the bass bridge position, and extra dampers. The C213 is an extraordinary piano and offers a brighter, more brilliant voice than the Konzert series instruments, which are actually a bit darker/warmer sounding. It all comes down to a matter of tonal preference, but both series are incredible! :)
@@MerriamPianos how does this compare in quality to Yamaha and Kawai? Is quality control just as good
I'm not sure about this piano. My initial impression is it lacks sparkle. But I need to listen to it more. Quality sound but I'm not total taken by it.
Question. That piano year is before 2016 rigth?
I don't believe so. I believe it is more recent as this video was shot using a floor model in 2022.
It has beautiful bass tones, but I would prefer the Bechstein A 208 over it, and it’s also much cheaper (here in Europe).
Of course 11 cm smaller.
But for now, it remains just a dream...
And the intonation also leaves something to be desired. There are some outstanding, sharp sounds in the bass...
Hello Stu. Would you mind listening to your own video with studio monitors around 4:40 to 4:44? It seems to be a note you play with your left hand pinky or close to that. This is the 3rd video you upload recently that has the same high-pitched buzzing sound in certain notes. I have tested this issue using 3 speaker sources to make sure it is not my speakers, and they all make the noise. It is particularly noticeable with speakers that don't accentuate the bass. For example, my Audio-Technica studio headphones capture it well because they have a flat midrange. I imagine that something in your recording gear is resonating at a particular frequency with certain notes, maybe a microphone frame is ringing at a specific free resonance frequency and it is being recorded. I noticed this in two previous videos with an upright piano, but I thought there was a problem with that piano. Now this is a grand piano and still the same issue.
i think he likes it :)
"there is no imperfections, or if there is, theyre so small" yeah no. I restore pianos for steinway, my job is replacing soundboards, pinblocks, re capping the bridge, and more. I restore pianos made both in New York and Hamburg, and I find FAR more imperfections in the hamburg pianos than the New York made pianos, on average. Something neat design wise is the material the bridge is made out of is different in New York vs Hamburg. The hamburgs use a mix of maple and what appears to be oak, whereas the new york only uses a laminate of maple. This difference is also true for the rim of the piano. But the germans are absolutely no better piano manufacturers than the americans. The amount of messed up bridges I've had to fix that came out of Hamburg is not countable. Dont get me wrong, I do plenty of warranty jobs for New York as well, but the idea that German engineering is better is laughable
Anyway, Hamburg Steinways are always more expensive than the ones from New York. So there must be something to that German engineering is better …
Very similar sound to c bechstein
There are definitely some parallels for sure! :)
I'm sorry, but the lower register doesn't sound good to me. However I'm listening with a laptop with tiny internal speakers. The upper register is fine. In fact very good.
Wow you don't listen this with headphones? Oo
What I find off is the transition point but overall it's still a great sounding bass🎹🎶
Sounds too thin and dry for a piano of this size and brand. Estonia/Shigeru Kawai beat it any day.
You're being influenced more by recording devices (and technique) than the instrument itself. I live a mere 10 minute drive from their store with some really major recording tools, but they never call me.
Could be the recording that’s lacking, but I find this piano thin sounding with annoying ”buzz” in the high mid range. Bass and treble are pleasant though.
I am listening to this recording with a pair of M-Audio studio monitors and also Audio-Technica studio headphones, and I don't hear the buzzing you talk about. Typically, when you hear buzzing sounds is the tweeter that can't go down low enough to handle the transients of the strong piano attack... are you using home speakers?
@@Instrumental-Covers I also don't hear any buzzing, but what it did do was almost put me to sleep🎹🎶
It was my other pair of headphones that accentuated the higher frequencies too much. With the set that I'm using now, it sounds a little thin in the midrange, but not buzzy.
Hello again Adam. I just realized there is an annoying buzz sound, which I discovered by casually listening to parts of this recording I missed the first time. This time I was listening with my computer speakers and I heard the buzz. To make sure it wasn't the computer speakers, I turned to my studio headphones and the noise was still there. I actually made a similar comment in a previous video, but I thought it was the upright piano he played. Now I believe they have a problem with their recording equipment, maybe a loose part in their microphone that resonates at certain frequencies. The noise I hear is around 4:40, which interestingly is about the same note in a previous video... most likely their gear has a free resonance frequency around that specific note and it is carried in all videos.
Reviewing action feel & tone can never give a measure of longevity.
Unlike great violins which grow in value as the wood ages, pianos devalue as they age.
Too many moving and percussive components to wear, felt to harden. Too manybl strings to oxidize.
Not easy to measure the trouble free mileage expected from any maker & model.
Not easy to anticipate tropical climate stresses.
The longevity of an instrument's tonal apex is certainly difficult to analyze and predict. That is mainly due to the fact that it depends on so many different factors, some of which you've addressed. With that said, a well-built instrument like the K219 is far more equipped to stand the test of the time than lower-end pianos. Having a piano properly cared for and maintained by an experienced technician will also play a part in the overall equation too.
This is absolutely incredible. What a shame they are owned by a Chinese company.
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@@Marklar0 well... There is a lot going on in this short phrase ahaha
Pearl River generally leaves the German Schimmel operations alone, in the same way Yamaha leaves Bosendorfer or Samick leaves Seiler or Parsons HK leaves Grotrian-Steinweg and Wilhelm Steinberg alone. The German boutique piano industry is small, hence these things are bound to happen, all that matters is the owners respect the craftsmanship and heritage of these small but highly-respected instrument makers, then the quality will be all fine and good.