I've been using Linux exclusively for over 15 years, but I have found it difficult to get a stable sound from Pianoteq 9. I am using JACK, and the issue is a crackling sound while playing. To me, this is obviously an issue with audio processing not keeping up, and possibly causing extra latency (more on this later--needs to be better understood). My computer runs an Intel i7-4770 4-core (8-thread) CPU running @ 3.4 GHz, with 16 GB RAM, on Ubuntu 24.04, and the audio chipset is on the motherboard. This machine does no other tasks except process audio, and so it's a bit surprising that more tuning is needed, since this computer is no slouch! I followed all tips in the readme file, and have configured real-time scheduling for the audio user in /etc/security/limits.conf, and I've added my user account to the audio group. No issues there, since that fixed the error messages seen on the command line and reduced the latency to something that sounds fairly good..... but it still crackled.

After searching for better help, I found some discussion on this forum around lowering the audio buffer size from the default 256 to 128 to reduce latency (hoping this will also reduce the crackling), implying buffer size can be adjusted from within Pianoteq. This is not the case, however, since Pianoteq does not allow this value to be adjusted from within. After a lot of reading and fighting, I was able to adjust the buffer size from QjackCtl. So I adjusted the buffer size down from 256 to 128, which should reduce the latency from about 5 ms to 2.5 ms, however that resulted in a LOT more crackling. I don't really want to increase the latency, however I then increased the buffer size from the original 256 to 512, which increased the latency from 5 ms to 10 ms ... AND THAT REDUCED MOST OF THE CRACKLING! I should also note that I have the sampling rate set to 48 kHz.

So here is the first important takeaway from this discovery, which is not pointed out very well in the readme file or help on the forums: Buffer size needs to be adjusted to find a compromise between latency and crackling; a larger buffer size will reduce crackling at the expense of increased latency, and a smaller buffer size will decrease latency at the expense of more crackling. Generally, <= 10 ms of latency is acceptable, but > 10 ms is where it really starts to feel laggy.

So I have my buffer size set to 512, which gives me 10 ms of latency with very little crackling, but if I want to eliminate all crackling entirely, then I set the buffer size to 1024, which results in 20 ms of latency, which feels terrible.

So that brings me to my questions (for anyone who still cares). With 4 cores (8 threads) running at 3.4 GHz, I think I should be able to reduce my buffer size back to 256 with 5 ms latency without crackling.... so why is this a problem? I don't see how this software performs well on lesser CPU specs, but yet I am sure it does (too many videos out there where I hear no crackling at all). What is being over looked here? (I have also run the cpufreq-set command to put all 8 cpus into performance mode; this made no perceptible difference, as expected, since these CPUs are already powerful and doing no other tasks).

Any Ideas? for those in the know, please share your knowledge and experiences! THANKS!!

-Rob

There are many - it seems you can't load all at once to choose from. Is that right? It's just one at a time?

And they seem to be labelled L and R, left and right presumably, but I don't see how you would load both?

If you can make an offer that is substantially below the current 140€ Price Tag when including the 29€ license transfer fee. Reach out to me with a forum mail or respond to this post.

https://forum.modartt.com/viewtopic.php?id=12870

How do you use an external reverb with Pianoteq?

I did just find the install puts in a local HTML version.

It has the following instruments packs:

Bosendorfer
YC5
Upright U4
Electric Pianos
Hohner
Syngular

Price: $269 (I cover the license transfer fee) - paypal
If you are interested contact me at: rafael@pluriversus.com

Does anyone out there actually prefer Pianoteq 8 to 9?

While playing MIDI files made on an earlier version of Logic through the NY Steinway D model, there’s a distracting chirping audio artifact when playing notes in the upper register. The best I can describe it is a near-subliminal ‘rattling change’ sound. For whatever reason, it’s especially noticeable on the Ab and A natural directly above the treble clef.

I tried to do process of elimination to find where it’s coming from— I pulled down the key release sound, pulled down the pedal sound, increasing the process buffer in Logic, increasing the buffer size, all to no avail.

Has anyone else experienced this, and has had success in eliminating it? Thanks in advance!

It has the following instruments packs:
Steinway Model D (includes Hamburg and New York models)
PETROF grand pianos (includes ANT. PETROF 275 and PETROF 284 Mistral)
Blüthner Model 1

Price: 150€ (I cover the license transfer fee) - paypal // EDIT - UPDATED PRICE: 135€
License is over a year old so 29€ is required if you want to upgrade it to Pianoteq 9

If you are interested contact me at:
pianovsti@protonmail.com

On the C octave up from middle C

The subject line pretty much says it all The current marimba model is OK, but it's been around for a while, and I feel like it could use an update.

The one area I really notice the difference between Pianoteq's marimbas and the real thing (or the better sample libraries) is the perceived "weight" of the lower notes. The Pianoteq pianos, especially the newer models released over the last few years, are absolutely fantastic in that respect, so it certainly can be done.

For the record, I'm the music director and sound designer for a Frank Zappa tribute, and the mallet instruments are obviously really important for this project.

Thanks for listening to my whining, and I hope I'm not the only one who would love to see a new marimba!

Conrad St. Clair
https://thefuriousbongos.com