Spectrasonics rumors...

[Dostoyevsky]

Finally the expected anti-climax.

[xamido]

I like the video demo. And since it's Spectrasonics, those keys will definitely sound awesome with production ready presets.

[ATS]

I just realized that Spectrasonics has always been really innovative and that is the problem here; this isn't.

[noiseboyuk]

I just realized that Spectrasonics has always been really innovative and that is the problem here; this isn't.

Trillan never was especially innovative, was it? Definitely looks like we've been in a phase of library building, given the FAQ:

What is the STEAM engine?
STEAM is our in-house core technology that is the foundation of Omnisphere, Trilian and a new generation of Spectrasonics instruments.

I think they've spent 10-15 slowly sampling instruments of all shapes and sizes. It might even explain the rather bizarre over-abundance of Kalimbas in Omni 2 - there just wasn't a good home to put them anywhere else in their development range. Also, that little nugget might also hint that the eventual Stylus replacement will be STEAM as well - wouldn't be too surprised to see them abandon loops completely.

[Vortifex]

..

[ghettosynth]

Well, perhaps I have to be the party pooper, but: those demos sounded rather synthetic to my ears. The first EP sounds exaggerated, the grand piano sounds too shiny and plastic, almost sterile. It's very much the Roland sound, and to my ears far from the last word in realism. Nicely modeled key response, no doubt, but Pianoteq does that too, or the stock EP88 Logic plugin.

So yes, a niche product.

Could be, and that is perhaps what I don't like about realistic pianos, they're not shiny/synthetic/plastic/exaggerated enough. I really have no need for realistic pianos, everything I do these days pretty much involves drowning unrealistic instruments in endless reverb. I just want playable pianos that feel expressive and I seem to use those instruments way more than I ever thought that I would and I'm rather picky about them it seems.

I think that I might have the EP88 in mainstage, I don't know, I'll try it to see what I think. However, I can't get that on my PC, so, it's not really a substitute. Also, a lot of what stands out is the exaggerated mechanical sounds. As far as Pianoteq, I don't know, but from what I can tell, it's not cheap either.

[jowen]

FLWrd wrote:
The first EP sounds exaggerated, the grand piano sounds too shiny and plastic, almost sterile. It's very much the Roland sound, and to my ears far from the last word in realism. Nicely modeled key response, no doubt, but Pianoteq does that too, or the stock EP88 Logic plugin.

Spectrasonics writes on their website:
The trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose tones and sounds were studied during Spectrasonics sound development.

So a real big big ballon again with only a little air inside, yes 10 years late on top and completly overpriced also.

The best reaction is the one from werp:
well, my wallet just breathed a sigh of relief and my credit card went back into hibernation.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I don't think they are listening to their customers.

This makes no sense

This was an enthusiast's project that started TEN years ago! At this point, nobody had any thoughts of Stylus 2, Omnisphere 3 etc.

This idea that it took 10 years for them to 'just' bring out a sampled collection of keyboards, to an overly saturated market, also makes no sense. Ten years ago, they were taking on 'Lounge Lizard, 'Sampletank2', etc. Even if you could argue that Sampletank3 was light years ahead (Which it isn't), what's wrong with continuously pushing the 'better' envelope. At kvr, where members continuously bemoan the over-saturation of the synth/effect market, we're will still hand over more coin for the next, best thing

Furthermore, it's not like it took 10 years to make a sample library. Rather, it took the time to locate, and lovingly restore these instruments. From the video, this is clearly work that was outsourced to different professionals, which speaks to my last point - That the development of this instrument did not put everything else on the back-burner.

In the 10 years it's taken to bring this out, they've given us 'Trilian', and 'Omnisphere 1 & 2', with a ton of updates. SO, it's not like everything has been shelved in the name of this product. Stylus 2 will come out when it's ready

Personally, I'm rather relieved that it wasn't something I need. However, I think they've really priced it badly. What is a niche, 'pro' product at $400, could have easily been an impulse buy at $200. I'd bet that more than twice the amount of people would have bought it at the lesser amount

[cryophonik]

Well, being a keys player with a bit of a fetish for good EPs, I just watched the whole vid and I'm pretty blown away by Keyscape. I've always wanted better pianos and EPs for Omni, so mission accomplished there in spades - the possibilities there are what really have me sold. Like many, I was really hoping for Stylus RMX2, but I'll take this over a guitar or vocal instrument. I'm just hoping that there's a loyalty discount for guys like me who own every Spectrasonics plugin ever made.

[jdnz]

As far as Pianoteq, I don't know, but from what I can tell, it's not cheap either.

full Pianoteq studio (the version WITH all the models to cover the same range as keyscape) is substantially dearer - 700euro!

I'm off to listen to the Zac Rae sections of the video again - they sound really amazing

[FLWrd]

I really have no need for realistic pianos

But you can get unrealistic pianos for a pretty low price: try any GM sound set. Or, alternatively, Boscomac's Air Piano. If you have Reaktor, you'll love it.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Or, alternatively, Boscomac's Air Piano. If you have Reaktor, you'll love it.

Great little emotional/cinematic piano. Knock the sustain down some (If you use a pedal), and eq out some of that 'boom' (Some added treble also helps), and...

[EnGee]

I think it is great!
Everything keys in one collection! What's not to like?!!

It is not for EDM, that's sure, but I think it is a clever idea! There are many Piano/Keys players out there, and those are the target mostly. The price is fine I believe. Not cheap, but not that expensive either (the quality must be amazing for all the keys though).

The sounds are great in the video. I might actually buy it, if I continue with my Piano learning (it will be my first Spectrasonics product ) It can give a new life for my Casio DP, not that I feel it old now, but it is amazing to have all those keys in one program with the high quality sampling

Anyway, I will wait to read/hear more about it and give it a year or so, then I decide.

[ghettosynth]

I really have no need for realistic pianos

But you can get unrealistic pianos for a pretty low price: try any GM sound set. Or, alternatively, Boscomac's Air Piano. If you have Reaktor, you'll love it.

Cmon, give me some credit. If you think that's what I'm looking for then you just aren't paying attention to what I'm saying. I have all of Bosocomac's stuff, and I do more Reaktor than most here. But I'm not looking for your idea of crap pianos (GM, not Boscomac, his stuff is great, although, air piano is not THAT interesting). Honestly, your response tells me that you really don't know what I'm talking about. Most GM soundsets do not have significant timbral variation in their dynamics. Products like Una Corda are not "realistic pianos", unless you measure "realistic" with respect to that particular instrument. I'm not looking for an accurate capture of a mechanical instrument, I'm looking for an interesting capture of a mechanical instrument. With something like Una Corda, you probably get one with the other, but, since people won't have a lifetime of experience with pianos like that, nobody can really say how realistic it is, it is interesting. With instruments that people are more familiar with, e.g., a grand piano or a Rhodes, if, for example, the mechanical noises are unrealistically loud, but it sounds interesting, that's ok. If the dynamics are exaggerated, but interesting, that's ok too.

I have a LOT of ePianos, I've made synthesized variants in Reaktor, FM8, and Bazille, and I still like what I'm hearing in that video. I'm just saying that I have no idea of how close they are to the real thing and they don't have to be for me, but they do have to sound interesting in their dynamics, and I think that those pianos do when played by good players. Whether they move me when I bash on a keyboard is a different thing, and, in this case, something that I really can't tell without demoing.

[wagtunes]

No question, this will be the biggest letdown of 2016.

I honestly don't know what Eric was thinking. Did he REALLY think people would get excited over this? Or was this just one of those "F it! I don't care if the whole world hates this. It's what I want to do" projects?

Because it's the only thing I can think of that makes any sense.