Hello everyone. This will hopefully be the last topic I make before deciding on which piano sample library I'd like to purchase.

Here are the contenders:

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Imperfect Samples Steinway:

http://www.imperfectsamples.com/website/samples/steinwayconc ertgrand/steinwaygrandpiano.php

Galaxy Vintage D:

http://www.bestservice.de/detail1.asp/best_service/galaxy_vi ntage_d/en

Sampletekk Black Grand:

http://www.sampletekk.com/bgresource.php

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I'm leaning towards the Vintage D, as I am more familiar with its sound, but I've noticed that some people prefer the Imperfect Samples piano because it is "more realistic from a listener's perspective", or so they say. Both the Vintage D and Imperfect Samples are expensive, and even worse, Imperfect Samples has to divide its product up into multiple layers of light editions. I can not afford more than the "pro" walnut grand at this time, although I could upgrade in the future. It has 16 velocity layers, as opposed to the 25 of the complete edition.

I intend to use my piano of choice with this composition-in-progress:

http://soundcloud.com/synchronizerman/indefinable-ver12

My basic question is, which piano should I choose? I have more, older tracks on my soundcloud account if one should want to analyze my compositional style when using pianos. (entitled The March of Simon and The Escape)

I'm looking forward to responses. Thank you everyone!

Man, for the money, I don't know if you can do much better than the Sampletekk Black Grand. I don't personally care for the full ambience version; I'd go with the "Close" or "Medium" version. ONly $49 apiece, and at present Sampletekk have a nifty sale going where you can buy (3) items and get whichever one is the least expensive, for free. So buy 2, but get 3.

Sampletekk libraries sound so good, and aren't so large and resource intensive as the others. Mind you, I end up using Acoutica's Pianissimo and Precisionsound's FREE Amore Grand sample library. Unless you are keeping the piano "upfront and a strong focal point in your mix, those two instruments work really, really well. I got Pianissiom for only $54 when I bought Mixcraft 5. I think I still have a 10% off coupon here somewhere too.

Thanks & God Bless,
Bro. Charles

Interesting suggestion--I'd like to hear more about the other two pianos, but I must admit that the sampletekk pianos are good deals. Alas, the piano WILL be upfront in my songs, as it is usually the lead instrument. I need something fantastic. (If you click the soundcloud link above). I actually found someone who was able to use my midi with all three versions of the Black Grand, and I didn't like the result a lot. I'm not sure. I'm still looking for more opinions, but thank you very much for your input. Right now I'll look into the pianos you just listed, and if I magically decide that one of them is for me, I'd gladly take the coupon. Thank you.

I'd rather stick to the three listed pianos though.

EDIT: no, those two pianos are not what I'm looking for. Sorry. I'll still look forward to more opinions and viewpoints.

Please listen to my demo track everyone; it is the epitome of my piano compositional style, and the piano I choose must fit in.

So my topic became desiccated again.

Take a look at the Walnut Grand from Imperfect Samples:

http://www.imperfectsamples.com/website/samples/steinwayconc ertgrand/demos.php

I am not quite sure how good it is compared to the Galaxy Vintage D and Galaxy Pianos, but I think it sounds quite remarkable (Pro version and up).

Currently, I am searching for a good piano as well, and my decision is indeed between the Galaxy Vintage D and the Walnut, so both of them are probably worth looking into, Douglas. I hope that perhaps I can get a comparison as well.

---Regarding the physically modeled versus sampled debate; I am on the sampled side, because a certain "artificiality" is easy for me to hear when listening to physically modeled pianos.

Empty again...

For folks looking for THE perfect Steinway D sample.....

Hugely depends on your project...

Is it for A. LIVE PLAYING?

or B. RECORDED Piano sound?

I'll assume it's B you're interested in, based on your demo.

If the recorded sound you want is "new age", then it's a highly personal and subjective call.

If you simply want something that sounds like a solo jazz or classical piano recording, there's still only ONE piano sample out of ALL the zillions of samples that sounds at all "close" to a reasonablly well-recorded jazz/classical solo piano (Steinway D): that's the sampletekk "Black Grand", probably the ambient perspective.

It's not perfect, meaning the bass will be a little weak compared with many high end live solo piano recordings, where the mics are located 6-10 ft outside the instrument in a good hall. But it's tonally pretty accurate. The others just AREN'T.

The Vintage D sample is pretty close in the upper register of the instrument, and great to play live or in practice using mics, but the bass falls apart tonally as a recorded sound. It's not even close I'm afraid. Again, I own it, and I love it to play, but it's lousy to record IF you are looking for that dead-accurate solo in-a-hall "recorded" realism.

Ditto for the EWQL Steinway D, which is also an excellent piano to play live (I like it alot).

Why is Black Grand--a relatively old sample and not very expensive--so "good" for a fool'm all recorded piano sound??? Well, I think it's a one-off piano sample. It's not, in fact, the sound most people want. The big market is not in accurate solo "as a piano would sound once recorded" type of sound. Most folks want a piano that plays well LIVE and/or IN A MIX. And there's a bit market for new-wave sounds too. The market for a solo classical or jazz RECORDED and TRAD. sound--Keith Jarrett--kind of sound is very small. So the samples just aren't produced and miked to sound that way.

The Black just happens to be the only Steinway sound on the market that can, so to speak, "fool" the listener, that is, as a recorded Steinway sound. Here's the test. Listen to oodles of solo recorded piano albums (jazz or classical). They's sound different, sure enough. But you put up any of the great Steinway samples against them and you can immediately tell which one is real. With the Black (ambient perspective) it's pretty much impossible to tell that the piano is sampled. It's not a "perfect" sound, and it wouldn't necessarily work LIVE or IN A MIX or in a non-classical or solo jazz recording setting. But can you tell it from the real thing--recorded? NO. You can't.



JG

I think Piano in Blue is now tops for jazz myself... but I have and use Black and I hear what your sayin...it is amazingly good for the price...ESP compared to others...

You can get the Precisionsound Amore piano for free from here:
http://www.store.precisionsound.net/amoreinfo.php

Alas, I went with the Galaxy Vintage D. Since the Black Grand is only about $49 though, I can easily purchase it in the future. I honestly don't like its sound though.

Piano in Blue: sounds great, as far as the demo goes. But that's a very specific sound: obviously close miked, but they do a great job.

I personally can't use anything close miked for what I do, which is solid classical. I notice that my ambient Black sound uses the lowly rode nt5 mics, looks like 10 ft from the piano, fairly typical classical miking. But the rodes? They're great mics, but not often used for high end solo classical piano. Never, in fact!

Just listening now to Imperfect Samples. I don't own them, but the distant (3rd perspective) on the walnut STeinway sounds pretty darn good. Still, you never really know till you get it home.

The Vintage d is one sweet piano sample, I just can't use it for a totally realistic classical recording sound. One of those weird things where it sounds fantastic to play, but as a finished recorded sound, the bass sounds like somebody stuck a midsized condensor mic right next to the bass strings. Great for some apps, but not for classical. The treble is the definition of sweet. Just fantastic.

JG

Well, it's a bit too late; I already settled on the Vintage D...now I guess buyer's remorse for the millionth time? I wanted something realistic, in fact, I can't play the piano at all, so what use is that? I can't afford the imperfect anymore, at least not for a long time.

HEY!!! No need for remorse! That's a great sample. One of the best where TONE is concerned. It can be made to do the necessary work, regardless of my own particular misgivings.

IE it's in the ballpark, unlike many other samples out there!


JG

That's good news. I like how one can change the tone from normal to "hard", and the Taj Mahal reverb is very nice.

Yes, there is a close mic, but Piano in Blue comes with 3 different positions, plus reverb impulses from the Bricasti M7.