Great piano sounds?

RE: Great piano sounds? (neiby)

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:00:13 GMT

Nothing like resurrecting an old thread, but I've been listening to the Synthogy Italian Grand expansion. Holy cow, what a great sounding piano! I have True Pianos and really like their Diamond piano a lot. I can't stand the others for various reasons, but the Diamond is superb, especially in a mix. However, for solo piano, I'd really like something that sounds even better.

Any Italian Grand users here? It's only like $169 now, plus the $49 for iLok USB key. Keyboard Magazine said in their review that if you played through this module with a good 88-key weighted keyboard, you could record classical music and no one would know it wasn't a real piano. After listening to it, I don't disagree. it sounds fantastic.

I'd probably use True Pianos in a mix just because it sounds great and is pretty low on CPU usage. But for solo piano, I want something that I can just melt into, if you know what I mean.

Any thoughts?

RE: Great piano sounds? (Rev. Jem)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 17:23:49 GMT

In his review of the "Bluthner Digital Model One" in November's Sound On Sound, Mark Wherry (a classically trained pianist) said, "quite possibly the finest virtual piano instrument available".

<edit> Sorry Oaf !

<edit2> ... and sorry everyone: wrong flamin thread ! " />

RE: Great piano sounds? (whitefalcon)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:46:24 GMT

first -- Dim Pro piano sounds are awfully good for the size of the files and all things considered
they're very expressive for their weight

second -- among the small circles i frequent
http://www.postpiano.com/index.php

the PMI piano samples -- now taken over by SampleTekk (and are in the middle of yet another deep discount (50% off) group buy)
are among the best full sampled 'realistic' piano

http://www.sampletekk.com/products.php?cat=44

you will need to invest in a sample playing synth like Kontakt 2 and a system with some memory
so the investment may or may not be significant compared to your needs and desires

among those small circles the 'Old Lady' is a definite favorite follwed by Black Steinway and 'Emperor'
but there are mp3s and you can listen for yourself

third as a possible alternative
True Piano

http://www.pianoteq.com/

but my guess is you may not be happy with the sound

fourth
something like Native Instruments Akoustik Piano
comes with 4 pianos

but to my ears they don't compare well with the larger PMI samples
which is always the trade off

fifith
compare for yourself at http://www.purgatorycreek.com/
that plays the same midi file through just about every piano out there

Wrench, I just want to say this was one of the best responses I have seen to this question. It comes up time and time again. Your answer was clear and to the point... In the end you get what you pay for... always seems to be the case, you want fuller sound you pay more... Its true of the real pianos to, You get better sound out of a grand then a less expensive upwright.
I to like the dimensions pianos, I also like truePianos.

RE: Great piano sounds? (Oaf_Topik)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 13:47:28 GMT

SOS really dug The BlÃ¼thner Digital Model One.

http://www.proaudiovault.com/

RE: Great piano sounds? (whitefalcon)

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:29:40 GMT

Crap. I just did a really stupid thing. I listened to the Synthology Ivory pianos. Holy shmoly! Now *those* are some good pianos! However, they're twice the cost of the TruePianos, and the TruePianos sound pretty dang good. They were the best that I'd heard until just now when I stupidly listened to the Synthology pianos. :) Now, even if I get the TruePianos, I'm always going to want the Synthology stuff.

The old addage Price compared to performance. Is it worth the two hundred extra dollars to get the sound you like or is True Pianos close enough for half the price? Plus low latency to.

RE: Great piano sounds? (lost sheep)

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:01:50 GMT

The Pianoteq piano was recently upgraded to version 2.1. Being a physical modeller, for me it has a number of advantages starting with a tiny 12mb footprint, you can adjust the sound to suit your requirements including tuning variations, resonance, hammer hardness etc, 127 levels of adjustable velocity sensitivity and a range of pianos from 1800s classics, to jazz, grands and Honky Tonk. It will even do unheard of sounds!

There is a 45 day demo at www.pianoteq.com

RE: Great piano sounds? (Roel de Witt)

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:45:06 GMT

Hi,

Have a look at the free ASIO4ALL drivers (http://www.asio4all.com/). It basically gives any soundcard ASIO capabilities with quite good results.

ASIO is not required for TruePianos, but for sake of latency you want it.

---
Roel / 4Front Technologies

RE: Great piano sounds? (tdye)

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:21:33 GMT

Truepianos system requirements call for a soundcard with ASIO drivers.
I was thinking about buying it but will it work on with my Creative SB Audigy 2 ZS (WDM only)?

RE: Great piano sounds? (stuartr)

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:56:39 GMT

ORIGINAL: Roel de Witt

Hi Ed,

We hope to release the next update sometime in September. Most of the team also also works on other projects so it's hard to give a precise answer on when it comes. The official answer would be: "it comes when it's done".

The next update is planned to include a new module as well as several other things we've been working on.

A native x64 version of TruePianos is likely to happen. I can't give any clear timeframe on when it'll be released though. The 32-bit VST of TruePianos however works fine under Vista 64 Bit and the main advantage a native x64 build would give is related to RAM management.

---
Roel / 4Front Technologies

ORIGINAL: InstrEd

Hi Roel,
I just purchased True Pianos last night and downloaded this morning, after trying the demo for all of the forty days" />.
I love the pianos. When is the new module(s) going to be released and are you working on 64 bit for Vista 64?

Ed

I too am trying out the True Piano trial (on Vista x64 as it were). I have to admit I've never heard piano sound so good. So you'll probably get some of my money as soon as the trial ends!

Keep up the great work!

Stuart.

RE: Great piano sounds? (Roel de Witt)

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 06:32:30 GMT

Hi Ed,

We hope to release the next update sometime in September. Most of the team also also works on other projects so it's hard to give a precise answer on when it comes. The official answer would be: "it comes when it's done".

The next update is planned to include a new module as well as several other things we've been working on.

A native x64 version of TruePianos is likely to happen. I can't give any clear timeframe on when it'll be released though. The 32-bit VST of TruePianos however works fine under Vista 64 Bit and the main advantage a native x64 build would give is related to RAM management.

---
Roel / 4Front Technologies

ORIGINAL: InstrEd

Hi Roel,
I just purchased True Pianos last night and downloaded this morning, after trying the demo for all of the forty days" />.
I love the pianos. When is the new module(s) going to be released and are you working on 64 bit for Vista 64?

Ed

RE: Great piano sounds? (dham)

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 00:55:51 GMT

I got the digital sound factory. The dual grand is like 760 meg. Its a 500 meg piano and a 200 meg piano. and I think it sounds really good. I wasn't a fan of true piano. I needed a more producer style piano. True piano was too concert for me. If thats even an expression. I'm overall happy with it. I have reason pianos but I just assume go to the digital sound factory one cause it sounds better.

RE: Great piano sounds? (InstrEd)

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 23:44:48 GMT

Hi Roel,
I just purchased True Pianos last night and downloaded this morning, after trying the demo for all of the forty days" />.
I love the pianos. When is the new module(s) going to be released and are you working on 64 bit for Vista 64?

Ed

RE: Great piano sounds? (Roel de Witt)

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:34:48 GMT

Hi,

A small addition, to show what I meant with the unreleased still in development module performing badly using the Purgatory Creek MIDI file. Here's quick recording which somebody did for us to test playability of this piano a week ago:

http://www.truepianos.com/pvt/amberpeter.mp3

I think this once again proves that the only way to compare virtual instruments is to actually play them or to let somebody play them. Using the same MIDI file to compare multiple instruments simply doesn't work reliably.

---
Roel / 4Front Technologies

RE: Great piano sounds? (Roel de Witt)

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:09:34 GMT

Hi,

Okay I've recorded the MIDI file through Diamond Jazz, Emerald Misty and a still unreleased in development module. I tried to match the keyboard velocity curve and playing style settings but this proved very hard and poorly shows off dynamics and expression TruePianos offers. Somehow the MIDI file is very much focused on high velocities and because of this is a poor demonstration of TruePianos simply because it uses a very small velocity range (it's certainly not played on a 88 key weighted hammer action keyboard... well very unlikely at least). Which confirms my comment that it's a bad choice to use a MIDI file made for a certain keyboard+virtual instrument combination to demonstrate another instrument. E.g. the unreleased module on the highest velocities shows how the sound morphs to a harder and brighter staccato like sound when the hammers hit the strings really hard causing the strings to violently vibrate and thus behave very different while it has a very nice warmer and fuller lower velocity range. Steps between different velocities are just too rough to really demonstrate the sound IMHO..

Additionally there seems to be a small flaw in the beginning of the MIDI file which results in at least 2-3 very noticeably notes when listening closely (especially with Emerald) that should not be there/sounding. I didn't check out the because but it's probably some MIDI based piano behavior that TruePianos reacts to that most other virtual piano VSTis/libraries ignore or being the result of editing the MIDI file originally in a way to obtain a certain result which can't happen happen when normally playing the keyboard. Alternatively it can be because of incidentally touched notes (softly/quickly). Again I didn't check.

The demos on our website are probably far better to get an idea on what's possible when actually playing the instrument. Anyhow here they are:

Diamond: http://www.truepianos.com/pvt/purdiamond.mp3
Emerald: http://www.truepianos.com/pvt/puremerald.mp3
Unreleased module: http://www.truepianos.com/pvt/purunreleased.mp3

---
Roel / 4Front Technologies

RE: Great piano sounds? (Roel de Witt)

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:07:09 GMT

Hi,

Though it's never a great demonstration to use a MIDI played using another keyboard/piano for another instrument I'll record it.. One for Diamond and one for Emerald.. Note that all of these modules have several presets so it's not fully representable. Will post it as soon as it's recorded.

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Roel / 4Front Technologies

RE: Great piano sounds? (tdye)

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:02:55 GMT

ORIGINAL: stuartr
Nice ... Tom - did you happen to compare the Yamaha to the trial of truepianos?

No, I haven't.
But perhaps someone with truepianos or their demo could play the http://www.purgatorycreek.com/ MIDI file through it and post the MP3 for all to hear.

RE: Great piano sounds? (stuartr)

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:24:42 GMT

ORIGINAL: tdye

Here is the Dual Grand that comes in the Digital Sound Factory Vol. 1â€”Dimension Pro Expansion Pack. This new Dual Grand includes the new DSF C5 Yamaha combined with a 3 velocity sustain pedal resonance simulated piano that was already in Dimension Pro. I think they sound pretty good together.

Nice ... Tom - did you happen to compare the Yamaha to the trial of truepianos?

RE: Great piano sounds? (tdye)

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:20:51 GMT

Here is the Dual Grand that comes in the Digital Sound Factory Vol. 1â€”Dimension Pro Expansion Pack. This new Dual Grand includes the new DSF C5 Yamaha combined with a 3 velocity sustain pedal resonance simulated piano that was already in Dimension Pro. I think they sound pretty good together.

RE: Great piano sounds? (Roel de Witt)

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:05:54 GMT

Hi,

ORIGINAL: stuartr
And there will soon be this:
http://www.garritan.com/steinway.html
<cut>
Expected release is the Summer/Fall of 2007.

I know I'm not objective here but.. There was a time about 1.5 year ago when it said "coming spring 2006". So to me it feels more like serious hyping and vapor ware. When released, no doubt it'll be a successful seller though. No matter the quality, the marketing has done it's job over this huge period.

---
Roel / 4Front Technologies

RE: Great piano sounds? (taurusthecat)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:21:31 GMT

I'll put in my 2 cents as well. I'm only reasonably new to using Dim Pro, but I too was a bit disappointed in the piano sounds, and being a pianist of over 30 years I'm sort of used to what the real ones sound like. But what I was disappointed in was not so much the very high end of the samples or the very low end, they both sounded amazing, it was really the middle to upper-middle range which to me sounded fake. Where a lot of the melody can be. The two Dim Pro pianos I like the most are the 'tiny but bright' and the 'Upright model', they both sound more real to me than any of the grand piano samples.

RE: Great piano sounds? (tdye)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:49:38 GMT

ORIGINAL: stuartr
And there will soon be this:
http://www.garritan.com/steinway.html
The Authorized Steinway Piano sample library is a new sample-based software instrument that accurately captures the sound of a Steinway & Sons concert grand piano. This new software instrument will allow the musician to play a virtual Steinway Model D concert piano with unprecedented authenticity and musicality. The library will offer more than seven different listening perspectives, including a player perspective from the bench, a classical recording perspective, an under the lid perspective, and a 5.1 surround sound hall perspective.

I'm looking forward to hearing this sample library. I love the Steinway sound as I'm sure many do. How many different velocity samples will it have? Will it include individual samples of all 88 keys, or just 3rd, 4th? Will it have sustain simulation or sample? Damper? How many GB?

RE: Great piano sounds? (stuartr)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:19:54 GMT

ORIGINAL: samhoff

I did a Pepsi/Coke on the VGP vs. Truepianos on my system and it was a no brainer, VGP was the winner. However I realize these things are subjective. For a while I had the track posted at my Soundclick site just for people to hear it; if anyone wants it I'll do it again.

VGP comes with the Kontakt player, no other purchase required.

Sam

And there will soon be this:

http://www.garritan.com/steinway.html

The Authorized Steinway Piano sample library is a new sample-based software instrument that accurately captures the sound of a Steinway & Sons concert grand piano. This new software instrument will allow the musician to play a virtual Steinway Model D concert piano with unprecedented authenticity and musicality. The library will offer more than seven different listening perspectives, including a player perspective from the bench, a classical recording perspective, an under the lid perspective, and a 5.1 surround sound hall perspective.

Not many are aware that one of the greatest concert halls in the world is located in downtown Troy, New York. The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall is a National Treasure and is world-renowned for its acoustics, particularly for piano performances. Designed by George Brown Post, and opened in 1875, the 1,250 seat Troy Savings Bank Music Hall has hosted many of the worldâ€™s finest pianists including Steinway artists: Sergei Rachmaninoff, Vladimir Horowitz, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Myra Hess, and Artur Rubinstein, among many others. The wonderfully strong, rich and clear sound of this concert hall is unparalleled.

Steinway & Sons provided one of their best concert technicians for the recording sessions. Eric Shandall, Administrator of Technical Training, attended all the sessions monitoring each note to ensure the best possible sound from the instrument. Eric Shandall has traveled extensively giving classes for technicians, and tuning for concerts by Steinway artists such as Evgeny Kissin and others. Classical recording engineer Brian C. Peters was in charge of recording. Peters brings over 18 years of classical recording experience â€“ including over 400 records for the award-winning audiophile record label Dorian Records.

Expected release is the Summer/Fall of 2007.

RE: Great piano sounds? (samhoff)

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 21:18:53 GMT

I did a Pepsi/Coke on the VGP vs. Truepianos on my system and it was a no brainer, VGP was the winner. However I realize these things are subjective. For a while I had the track posted at my Soundclick site just for people to hear it; if anyone wants it I'll do it again.

VGP comes with the Kontakt player, no other purchase required.

Sam

RE: Great piano sounds? (Dr. Mac)

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 15:10:00 GMT

Just picked up TruePianos and have been playing the hell out of it. The most amazing piano sounds I have ever heard and I've been playing piano my whole life. Worth every penny of the $180. Others are much more expensive.

I tested it as a standalone and a plugin and there is no noticable latency and in Sonar 6, the plug uses about 3-4% of CPU while you are playing (but this depends on the internal settings of the plug).

RE: Great piano sounds? (tdye)

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 13:13:42 GMT

ORIGINAL: samhoff

I love my Art Vista VGP. I think $120 or so. You can hear clips at my soundclick site. For solo piano you can't beat it.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=440467

I have no interest financial or otherwise in these guys. But I love their piano sound for solo piano. What you're hearing on my site is "out of the box," no tweaking necessary.

Sam

That's a very good sound. Nice music too.
Does one need to buy the Kontakt Player too for this or does it come with the VGP?

RE: Great piano sounds? (samhoff)

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 12:46:10 GMT

I love my Art Vista VGP. I think $120 or so. You can hear clips at my soundclick site. For solo piano you can't beat it.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=440467

I have no interest financial or otherwise in these guys. But I love their piano sound for solo piano. What you're hearing on my site is "out of the box," no tweaking necessary.

Sam

RE: Great piano sounds? (jsaras)

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 10:06:15 GMT

ORIGINAL: whitefalcon
You dont have to wait for it to load either...

Ivory is a hard drive killer, but with the latest rev of the plugin it actually loads faster than a 175 mb piano patch in Dimension. Whatever they're doing over there, they're doing it right :-)

RE: Great piano sounds? (entity)

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 03:16:56 GMT

I'm a newb at audio mixing and recording. I have both the Emulator X piano samples (about 1 GB) and the Dimension Pro samples to work with (that's my limited plugin collection). While playing with the Emulator X library sounds more like a piano to me (and is awesome soloed), I have come to the conclusion that I like using the Dim Pro patches when other instruments are playing. The Emulator X sounds too dynamic in that type of context. It makes things a pain for someone inexperienced to make sound good with drums and guitars. The Dim Pro patches seem to "make sense" when other things are going on, giving what I would "expect" in a piano with other instruments playing. So my suggestion, give the Dim Pro samples a shot with a full mix playing back. Again, I'm not really good at this... so listen yourself :) BTW, I'm into heavy rock and metal (so distorted guitar sections and pianos fight for the audible spectrum). I can't say if this holds true in jazz/blue/anything else at this point. Eh, I'm questioning how helpful this is... those other plug-ins sound nice... but I need to stop buying stuff :)

RE: Great piano sounds? (whitefalcon)

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 01:09:28 GMT

(1) Get the new commercial DimPro expansion. It's only $59, and a good chunk of it is the Yamaha C5. (2) If that's not sufficient, layer it with TruePiano - as WhiteFalcon suggested, the two will compensate for each other. Someone suggested this on KVR as well, it was either TruePiano or Pianoteq + a sampled piano It beats shelling out for K2 (if you don't have it already), but if you do, the Sampletekk pianos are pretty nice, and quite a few of them (C7s, Bosendorfers, Steinways, and others) are available for under $50.

This is true, its a nice piano in that new Dim Pro bank...
I purchased that to... but not for the Piano, for the other sounds but the Pianos are a bonus, I like the dark pianos to and the
Chior piano mixes

RE: Great piano sounds? (whitefalcon)

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 01:06:07 GMT

Jeebus.....10 DVDs? I guess I'll stick to TruePiano for now. :) I've been tinkering with some ideas and it's really helping me to have a sound that I can get into. I'd love to have something like the Synthogy stuff, but TruePiano is going to have to be it for now.

You dont have to wait for it to load either... And size compared to sound is good on True Pianos...
As I mentioned I got mine on a buy deal with Jamsticks...
The video is what sold me on UTube...