Piano libraries are too fake (opinion)

[Arglebargle]

I'm not a pianist or connoisseur of the piano, but I've been noticing more and more lately the sampling imperfections of my pianos. Abrupt jumps in the sound based on velocity. It doesn't seem natural. I'd like to get Pianoteq, but it's just too darn expensive.

[Melodyshine]

Pianoteq may be better for playing but it still sounds too synthetic/plastic...

+1

[CableChannel]

Pianoteq may be better for playing but it still sounds too synthetic/plastic...

+1

-1

Here are real pianos, there are VSTi's.
Regarding resonance, and the sustain phase, Pianoteq sounds more alive than sampled stuff.
Regarding the attack and the tone itself, sampled pianos sound a little more alive than Pianoteq.
So they basically each have their advantages and disadvantages. Its neck and neck.

My 2 cents

[paulbreeze]

I think Alicia's Keys is a C3. Don't quote me on that.

yes, it's a Yamaha C3 Neo...

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/ ... and-piano/

[paulbreeze]

Maybe worth to check these ones also :
http://8dio.com/#instrument/1928-steinway/
http://www.orangetreesamples.com/evolut ... wood-grand

[EvilDragon]

It doesn't seem natural. I'd like to get Pianoteq, but it's just too darn expensive.

No it's not. Get the Stage for 99€ first, then you can upgrade to Standard or Pro just by paying the price difference. It's like getting the full version on lease in 3 payments, whenever you feel like it.

[Vectorman]

The sampled pianos aren't perfect, but until I can afford to spring for a Yamaha grand and an experienced engineer to record it (without which, the recorded sound would likely be worse than the sample libraries), they're really the only practical option. I actually do like the sound of some of the sampled pianos, but have quibbles with many of them in regard to how they fit into a mix. This one sounds boxy in the range around and below Middle C and I have to scoop the hell out of the lower mids to keep it from muddying the mix, that one doesn't get bright and cutting enough when I spank it, another one is slightly ear-fatiguing in the upper mids and steps on the vocals but it's hard to isolate the problem with an EQ setting that works across a wide key range...etc, etc.

Out of the ones I've tried so far, Sampletekk's TBO is the one that seems the most likely to work in the mix when I start a new song. Ivory Uprights' U5 has a little more idiosyncratic character and is nice in material where it works. Alicia's Keys didn't really work for me - too dark (despite being marketed as a "pop" piano) and that bit with the release samples on the low notes being too long and emphasized is rather problematic. I just picked up Ivory's American Concert D, which people rave about, but I'm going to have to screw with that one to see if I'll be able to use it - it sounds rather dark compared to my sampled Yamahas and I need to figure out where the mid/upper-mid resonances are that are bothering my ears.

It really can be just as frustrating as a guitarist's quest for tone.

[Arglebargle]

It doesn't seem natural. I'd like to get Pianoteq, but it's just too darn expensive.

No it's not. Get the Stage for 99€ first, then you can upgrade to Standard or Pro just by paying the price difference. It's like getting the full version on lease in 3 payments, whenever you feel like it.

Stage doesn't have the virtual mic positioning, aka not really interested in it. If Pianoteq has sales, I will consider the Standard edition.

[EvilDragon]

There you go, then. Although I meant if you get Stage, you at least get to play with something, until you save up for the second part to upgrade to Standard. Your call, though

Modartt does sales from time to time, keep your eyes peeled. Xmas is around.

[SJ_Digriz]

The VSL Imperial is the first sampled piano I think actually sounds like a piano. But, it is "classically" oriented. I'm sure you could EQ and Compress it up to get that rock/pop/jazz or flavor, but its main timbre is classical hall.

I like Pianoteq, but I'm one that finds pianos sound really syntheticy. Not good/bad, just not right if that makes sense.

[BBFG#]

The bottom line for me is that playability comes out as more important than sample layering and so I find my favorite pianos for now are the HWare keyboards that use samples & modeling. Simply because the expression is there. And when I want to play piano, either in practice or recording, I go to them first. My quest for a sampled piano is mainly because a computer is available at times when my boards are not.

[MickGael]

I'm still looking for an sampled piano that does not sound awful when collapsed to mono (or the stereo spread is narrowed). I have Ivory, and when I collapse to mono it thins out and sounds distant.

[jancivil]

I'm not a pianist or connoisseur of the piano, but I've been noticing more and more lately the sampling imperfections of my pianos. Abrupt jumps in the sound based on velocity. It doesn't seem natural. I'd like to get Pianoteq, but it's just too darn expensive.

I'm neither of those either, but all of the demos feature an issue I wouldn't want to have, an unnatural top end; I think when people use the word 'plastic' it refers to this, it's kind of scooped in a way, with something missing, the resonance is just not right. It seems alright and convincing up to a point but then it's just strange.


I have in every case I used a piano spent a lot of time with the sound and even a little automation in the EQ in cases. The sound of the room/reverb can do a lot for the sound...

an August Foerster

[backsliders]

I'm really agreeing with a lot of this. It's true that most piano libraries don't seem to be tailored to mixing. You have to completely mangle the EQ to get the right sound out of it, and all processing is in some way degradative.

I just went to my friend's studio to try Pianoteq 4, since I hadn't played it since the demo of Pianoteq 2. I have the same impression I got the first time. Obviously the best modeled piano out there. Very impressive, but not fooling (it's modeled). Again, I'd love to see a mixture of synthetic and sampled to get the best of both worlds.

Also, I must note that every time I see you post, EvilDragon, due to your profile picture, I imagine Henry Rollins or Trent Reznor standing on stage screaming it at the audience, and it always makes me smile.

"NO IT'S NOT. Get the Stage for 99€ first, HEAD LIKE A HOLE!"

[aMUSEd]

Again, I'd love to see a mixture of synthetic and sampled to get the best of both worlds.

You just described TruePianos