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

  • 1 Post
  • 17 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
cake
Cake day: June 21st, 2023

help-circle
  • 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.








  • Just a quick note: There is a new Casio design piano (PX-S7000) that costs around 2500. I tried it today and to be frank, it doesn’t bring that much more to the table compared to the USD 500 PX-S1100, so I would not recommend it unless your have extra cash and design is something you value above all else. Good luck finding a good instrument!


  • 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.


  • The Casio PX series has received fairly good reviews. I didn’t much care for the older models, but the new (and very slim) PX-S1100 and the slightly older S1000 felt pretty nice. I think it would serve you well. One thing to keep in mind is that I don’t recommend the X shaped stands. They are cheap, but ultimately get in the way of learning to use the pedals as well as are really annoying when they get in the way of the legs.

    A new pianist can maybe get away without using a pedal for the first year, but it is an essential part of playing and depending on the teacher, it will be needed sooner than later.








  • If you find sufficiently nerdy people in the Nordics, these are all commonplace. Torrenting may be illegal in so far as you also end up sharing (letting people download from you), so the illegal part is actually distributing stuff. Maybe look into usenet instead?

    In Finland we have no game renting services, as far as I know. Exchanging games is also a bit old-school, since most installs are digital downloads these days.

    Account sharing, especially Netflix, has been very commonplace within families in different appartments / houses as well as between former and previous partners. Probably between friends as well, but it’s not something I would ask a friend unless they offer first.

    Jailbreaking everything from iPhones to playstations has been commonplace for a long time as well as downloading pirated games. However there is always the risk of getting banned, downloading a virus instead of a game as well as bricking your device and voiding the warranty, but you know all that. Your fellow Nordic people won’t look at you funny if you do it.

    It is customary to not discuss this openly in the company chat where you work so that you don’t cause trouble for your employer. Private messages about all these topics are ok, if both parties are onboard.