KVR Audio

Bubbamusic · Post by **Bubbamusic** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 3:20 pm

It looks as if someone has finally done it. This is a physically modelled instrument that sounds great. It is not perfect as no sampled piano is, but it sure seems that it is in the same league with some good sampled pianos. I wonder if the technology that was used on this instrument can be used as effectively on others. They even have a full demo!

http://www.soundemon.com/products/spiano.htm

Peace: bubba

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 3:31 pm

Better than Pianoteq?? Made in Synthedit? (would be interested to see the cpu use if it is PM)

If it has no samples how come the download is 168MB? - that doesn't seem right.

Bubbamusic · Post by **Bubbamusic** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 3:51 pm

aMUSEd wrote:Better than Pianoteq?? Made in Synthedit? (would be interested to see the cpu use if it is PM)

If it has no samples how come the download is 168MB? - that doesn't seem right.

All very good questions. I don't believe that I said that it was better than any particular sampled piano, but I believe that it hangs in there. It could use a little more cajones on the low end, but I am extremely encouraged by the technology that the company says that it uses. Have you tried the demo?

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 3:55 pm

Not yet as I'm not in front of my DAW right now but will later. I just can't see why it carries so much data (334MB it says on the site) around if it's just using physical modelling - still looks more like a hybrid modelling approach like Truepianos to me rather than full modelling (maybe using some sort of resynthesised sample data?)

xoxos · Post by **xoxos** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 4:02 pm

i'm not likely to demo this, but to blithely address ancillary topics and express self-interest, my "piamo" is 100% modeled and synthedit.. tho it's real value is more as popular familiarisation with modeling techniques. there is no inline sympathetic resonance model (only string damping and stiffness dispersion, no body/coupled string at bridge resonances) giving it a more 'e.p.' sound, more evident in the lower range due to the discernable lack of 'noncircuit' harmonics in longer wavelengths.

rasmusklump · Post by **rasmusklump** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 4:46 pm

Well, I had a beta of this on my HD.
At that time I thought it was a joke and erased it soon afterwards without extensive testing. It did not sound natural, the notes had strange endings (repeated notes and then cut etc).
Now I tried the demo. Its better but still very far from a realistic piano. Many notes still end abrupt.
If this is a realistic piano then I don't want to hear anything anymore about that TruePianos has not nailed it yet....
By the way: My TruePianos I can play with my RME Fireface with 48 samples latency with every enhancement turned on (max polyphony etc) With this one I need 128 samples, although the score on the website suggests that it is lighter than TP.....

I think it is far to expensive.

ok ok, I am a TruePianos fan, I know...

Bubbamusic · Post by **Bubbamusic** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 5:34 pm

It doesn't sound exactly like a nine foot Steinway, but it's a solid passable piano for parts on recordings. I didn't have any problem with note releases. There is a release time adjustment and it responds well to a pedal. Again, if they used the technology that they say that they used, they've got something.
BTW: I checked cpu usage through a host with a readout. This piano maxed out at about 3%. I next loaded a popular vsti and tried five different electric piano patches. Without effects, they all averaged between 5% and 6%.

Peace: bubba

rasmusklump · Post by **rasmusklump** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 6:10 pm

On a piano a note should not cut abrupt like you turn of a tape, no matter what release time set.

robogone · Post by **robogone** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 6:13 pm

200 Euros for a newcomer? Hmmm...

mäxchen · Post by **mäxchen** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 6:49 pm

had no luck with this piano on the v-machine. if it so cpu-light it should play very well

Bubbamusic · Post by **Bubbamusic** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:15 pm

rasmusklump wrote:On a piano a note should not cut abrupt like you turn of a tape, no matter what release time set.

You are right - it shouldn't, and it doesn't on my computer. Perhaps my computer is too powerful. Yes, it is expensive. No, I probably would not buy it, but this is the best example of physical modeling that I have heard by far.

bmanic · Post by **bmanic** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:16 pm

At 199 euros I do consider it rather bizarre. It isn't very convincing sounding in my opinion and is definitely beaten by a lot of competition that costs way less.

Even the demo samples have some weird problems with volume swells and notes dropping of in a weird manner. Looks like there were some engineers/DSP gurus behind the thing but nobody who actually plays the piano professionally. Even as a hobbyist piano player I can't help but think meh..

Cheers!
bManic

bmanic · Post by **bmanic** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:20 pm

Bubbamusic wrote:
rasmusklump wrote:On a piano a note should not cut abrupt like you turn of a tape, no matter what release time set.
You are right - it shouldn't, and it doesn't on my computer. Perhaps my computer is too powerful. Yes, it is expensive. No, I probably would not buy it, but this is the best example of physical modeling that I have heard by far.

You definitely need to hear more then. I haven't even tried the demo but listening to the audio mp3 files it is clear that notes drop off in a weird and unrealistic way.

Listen to the Roland Vpiano demos for instance. They are what I'd call "realistic". Sure it's in a completely different league but still.. to give you a reference.

Cheers!
bManic

rasmusklump · Post by **rasmusklump** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:22 pm

Yep, note dropping, thats the term I searched.
It also happens when the polyphony is not maxed out. For example the lowest d on an 88 Keyboard (I think). If you play that note and hold it, it plays for 5-6 seconds, then it ends abrupt. That happens with several notes over the whole range.

Muzik 4 Machines · Post by **Muzik 4 Machines** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:22 pm

v-piano?

Physically Modeled Piano