meh
It seems that no matter what piano True, SI Electric or Demension, it's like the attach is too brittle for lack of words.....
They don't seem to fit in the mix with other "live" instruments.
Best way I can describe it.
rafone
and that, is what EQ/Dynamics is for...
Soft synth instruments, in their raw form, are designed to sound bright and strong: otherwise we wouldn't say: "that sounds great, I'll buy it". But when it comes to blending them together, they can't all stick out: like having too many sharp, prominent flavours in a meal; they fight each other.
I've learnt that is amazing what a simple bit of EQ can do on tracks. It's why every board since the dawn of time has basic EQ.
Try it yourself: Put some bright parts of different soft synths in a project, make sure they are overlapping and all the same volume. Now Imagine the loop as a picture, every part in it's place. Using EQ, try to 'shape' each part so it sits, as much as is possible, in it's own pocket of the frequency spectrum. Certain instruments will cross over each other sonically, but it's all about trying to get them playing nicely with each other and not stepping on each others toes.
"Attack is too brittle" you say? Try using a compressor with a fast attack to slow that bad boy down, not to mention some soft-synths have an attack parameter. OR, try Eq'ing the highs slightly, to make it more 'mellow'
I've heard a lot of people, including some in this forum, who just keep buying more and more soft synths, telling themselves "Ah, THIS is the drum synth I am looking for" or "This piano sounds the best, I must have it", Only to be repeating the same train of thought when the next 'Ultimate' soft-synth module comes out a month later. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix: mixing instruments takes work. Save your money and try working with what you have. I realised this a while ago and I have: 1. saved money, and 2. Learnt how to make sounds work together. I'll go out on a limb and say that Sonar comes with all the soft synths you need (to get a great sound), and more. It's just about learning how to make them work together.
Bottom line: Someone who knows what they are doing, with some experience, can take the most average sounds and make them sound great together.
Having the fastest running shoes in the world will not make you run faster than Usain Bolt. Put some steel-toecap boots on him though, and he'll still rip past you.