I'm looking for a small, piano application that I can use to just practice playing my midi keyboard through without having to open up a daw and using a plugin. It doesn't have to have complicated, midi functions, but I'd at least like it to be able to detect velocity and after-touch.
Any ideas? Would a Jeskola or Sfzorzando soundfont player work?
Standalone App Suggestions for Midi Keyboard
-
Karl the Hermit Karl the Hermit https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=203618
- KVRist
- 105 posts since 21 Mar, 2009 from West Pennsyltucky, USA
-
- KVRAF
- 35679 posts since 11 Apr, 2010 from Germany
You could get Kontakt (Player) and one of NI's piano libraries as well. I really like The Grandeur for example. On sale right now for only 48,25 €: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/p ... -grandeur/
Not sure how many piano libraries support aftertouch though (what would be the use on a piano anyway?).
Not sure how many piano libraries support aftertouch though (what would be the use on a piano anyway?).
-
Karl the Hermit Karl the Hermit https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=203618
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 105 posts since 21 Mar, 2009 from West Pennsyltucky, USA
Kontakt Player is free, but does it come with a simple piano set? I don't want to spend any money, if possible.chk071 wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 6:04 pm You could get Kontakt (Player) and one of NI's piano libraries as well. I really like The Grandeur for example. On sale right now for only 48,25 €: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/p ... -grandeur/
Not sure how many piano libraries support aftertouch though (what would be the use on a piano anyway?).
As for aftertouch, I may be getting my terms mixed up. I would like to have velocity functioning, though.
-
- KVRAF
- 35679 posts since 11 Apr, 2010 from Germany
Kontakt Player doesn't come with any included library. There's the Hybrid Key library in Komplete Start, which is free, but, I'm not sure now if there is a "classic" piano in there.
-
- KVRAF
- 2066 posts since 11 Aug, 2012 from omfr morf form romf frmo
Pianoteq loads super-quick because it's got no samples. Many pianists regard this well due to its playability.
Addictive Keys can be relatively inexpensive on sale (and free with a Focusrite interface). It loads very fast and instantly playable as it loads the samples. Dumps you straight into the grand (I have all the keys, not sure what it loads if you only have two that isn't the grand).
I adore Keyscape but you need to choose an instrument first so not as quick.
EZkeys loads pretty quickly too, and into an instrument. Not sure how it's chosen and doesn't seem to be a way to configure it.
Korg M1 is also quick, and it dumps me into the "Filmscore" patch.
Pretty much any competent piano instrument is velocity sensitive. As for aftertouch, did you mean sustain? These will all take a sustain pedal.
Addictive Keys can be relatively inexpensive on sale (and free with a Focusrite interface). It loads very fast and instantly playable as it loads the samples. Dumps you straight into the grand (I have all the keys, not sure what it loads if you only have two that isn't the grand).
I adore Keyscape but you need to choose an instrument first so not as quick.
EZkeys loads pretty quickly too, and into an instrument. Not sure how it's chosen and doesn't seem to be a way to configure it.
Korg M1 is also quick, and it dumps me into the "Filmscore" patch.
Pretty much any competent piano instrument is velocity sensitive. As for aftertouch, did you mean sustain? These will all take a sustain pedal.
-
Karl the Hermit Karl the Hermit https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=203618
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 105 posts since 21 Mar, 2009 from West Pennsyltucky, USA
Some good suggestions, thanks!yellowmix wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 7:32 pm Pianoteq loads super-quick because it's got no samples. Many pianists regard this well due to its playability.
Addictive Keys can be relatively inexpensive on sale (and free with a Focusrite interface). It loads very fast and instantly playable as it loads the samples. Dumps you straight into the grand (I have all the keys, not sure what it loads if you only have two that isn't the grand).
I adore Keyscape but you need to choose an instrument first so not as quick.
EZkeys loads pretty quickly too, and into an instrument. Not sure how it's chosen and doesn't seem to be a way to configure it.
Korg M1 is also quick, and it dumps me into the "Filmscore" patch.
Pretty much any competent piano instrument is velocity sensitive. As for aftertouch, did you mean sustain? These will all take a sustain pedal.
I had to look up aftertouch and it is what I thought it was... "Aftertouch is MIDI data sent when pressure is applied to a keyboard after the key has been struck, and while it is being held down or sustained. Aftertouch is often routed to control vibrato, volume, and other parameters."
So sustain is just a subset of what aftertouch encompasses.
-
- KVRAF
- 2066 posts since 11 Aug, 2012 from omfr morf form romf frmo
An acoustic piano does nothing with regards to post-strike key pressure, it's just like holding the key down, keeping the dampers up.
If you want sustain like an acoustic piano does, you'll want to attach a sustain pedal to your MIDI keyboard. It is a separate MIDI CC from aftertouch and virtual pianos expect sustain to arrive that way. If your MIDI keyboard has aftertouch then trying to make it perform a sustain makes no sense because you're already holding the key down. Since these are virtual instruments you can do whatever you want, of course.
If you want sustain like an acoustic piano does, you'll want to attach a sustain pedal to your MIDI keyboard. It is a separate MIDI CC from aftertouch and virtual pianos expect sustain to arrive that way. If your MIDI keyboard has aftertouch then trying to make it perform a sustain makes no sense because you're already holding the key down. Since these are virtual instruments you can do whatever you want, of course.
-
- KVRAF
- 9578 posts since 6 Jan, 2017 from Outer Space
No, not at all. Sustain is applied with a pedal, aftertouch with the pressure after you touched the keys. Pianos don‘t have aftertouch at all.Karl the Hermit wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:26 pm So sustain is just a subset of what aftertouch encompasses.
The sustain pedal prolongs the duration of your played keys until you release the sustain pedal, even if you released the key before...