The Steinway Spiro seems perfect for Westworld fans, especially with an eye to Dr. Ford’s office mate.
Meant to be indistinguishable from the original performance, I was wondering what DRM algorithms will make of video posts of it playing. YouTube allowed the post, and Facebook bounced it, asking if I have the rights. Ah, yes, the 1908 Supreme Court case enabling cover songs started with the player piano, and then the first Copyright Act of 1909, which brought about compulsory licensing on mechanical rights. (Ref. Slate)
It is so cool to have the maestro in the machine. Here is another video of my piano.
It comes with 1,700 songs recorded specifically for the instrument so far, with new songs arriving weekly. Steinway acquired a startup (“that ran out of funding” accord to the Silicon Valley manager) that allows them to transcode legendary performances from the past (I am guessing that they have a feedback mechanism to find the key press that generates the same sound as the historical recordings). They call them the immortals…
Details from WIRED: “A software-controlled solenoid (electro-magnetic) system that’s installed underneath the piano activates the notes. Whereas most player pianos reproduce human performances solely by recording the key strike, Steinway amassed Spirio’s catalog with a far more sophisticated system. Hardware and software embedded into the piano measured the velocity of the hammer hitting the string in 1,020 increments, taking stock of the the hammer’s location and speed 800 times a second. The pedal motion was similarly documented at 200 times per second. This data created a vastly more nuanced picture of what the pianist was doing at any given time, meaning the piano’s built-in songs capture dynamics, repeating notes and the subtleties of the transition, say, from staccato to legato.”
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It will be interesting to compare to the hardwood on my 
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