Modartt user forum - 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-27T21:50:05Z

Many thanks for treating my request! I've changed my setup (from a Numa Nero to a C3XSH, quite a jump) and so I've lost my bearings a little but I must say the una corda now feels good, a little 'nasal' or pinched (that's how I like it), really close to the feel you get on some grands.
Thanks again, now back to velocity curve calibration...(feels great to be back with Pianoteq after using the CFX sample from the Yamaha SH, which although it sounds terrific lacks in resonance and pp/ff nuance for classical).

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-25T10:17:10Z

Philippe Guillaume wrote:

We have just released version 5.1.4. It doesn't contain any new option to tweak the soft pedal sound, but we improved the D4 in the direction you mentioned, making the sound more 'delicate', less muted and more singing when using una corda. The D4 has also been slightly revoiced, in particular in the pianissimo to piano range. We hope you will enjoy these small improvements.

Yes, I do.

How about taking the electric pianos to the next level now ?!

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-24T20:42:52Z

Philippe Guillaume wrote:

- its effect at maximum pedal depressing is controlled by the "Soft Pedal" parameter in the Voicing panel.

Ah, I see, could check it in the trial version of Standard, I've got a Stage license.

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-24T19:46:01Z

BTW, don't forget that:
- the una corda pedal (in Pianoteq) is progressive,
- its effect at maximum pedal depressing is controlled by the "Soft Pedal" parameter in the Voicing panel.

@Chopin87: glad you like it!

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-24T18:59:23Z

Ok, gave it some test. Can't be 100% sure in my perception because just checked it compared to if you use it at least for a week extensively you just know the things from your guts, it became more then just some your opinion. From the first glance yes, it works, on D4, especially in the middle register, on highs it is a very subtle difference to my taste, same for the base. For my taste I feel that it is still not enough for me. But you know what? I went to my real grand, tried to play, and, what a surprise, did not hear the difference this time also! It is quite late where I live, I'll give it a more extensive test tomorrow. But for now I'd personally like it to add more "weakness" to the sound. Though, I repeat, I'm not 100% sure about what I'm saying this time, maybe it is really perfect right now. Same for the Bluethner - there IS the difference. The fact that it is still a digital model also able to fool me.

p.s. BTW in general my thought process is not that I compare Ptq with a real grand - rather I compare it with a 'recording' of a real grand.

...listening to some Michelangeli archive video recording right now - something changing slightly other way, it's a kind of equalization when he uses the una corda, the highs are obviously get cut, kind of...

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-24T18:45:54Z

Tried it and I like this new update of the una corda pedal. Now it's not just a simple dynamic change because there is a clear, different, warmer timbre and it is more noticeable even at the default level (I increased the same knob to 0.40-0.50 in the previous model). Much closer to the original IMHO. Thanks everybody!

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-24T18:21:23Z

Ok, got it, should install right now.

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-24T18:03:46Z

AKM wrote:

Thank you very much for the reply. Ok, I see, I trust you more then myself in this topic. From my experience as a pianist and a listener (and it is just huge), left pedal sure used by pianists for aesthetic purposes, not just to make it quieter or easier to play PPP - it should add some otherwordly colour, usually it sound slightly rugged due to the felt quality as you mentioned - as far as I could understand it is less teared and compressed on the hammers in the places where it hit that una string. With maybe very few exceptions when you play, say, Chopin, in every one of his pieces you may find a phrase, or some melody in some reprise that you want to play that extremely intimate way. Please, please, please do some more investment in the development of the left pedal algorithms! (Bluethner especially, cause I use it alot, lol)

In any case, it would be interesting to know if you like the modification brought to the D4 una corda.

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-24T17:28:10Z

Thank you very much for the reply. Ok, I see, I trust you more then myself in this topic. From my experience as a pianist and a listener (and it is just huge), left pedal sure used by pianists for aesthetic purposes, not just to make it quieter or easier to play PPP - it should add some otherwordly colour, usually it sound slightly rugged due to the felt quality as you mentioned - as far as I could understand it is less teared and compressed on the hammers in the places where it hit that una string. With maybe very few exceptions when you play, say, Chopin, in every one of his pieces you may find a phrase, or some melody in some reprise that you want to play that extremely intimate way. Please, please, please do some more investment in the development of the left pedal algorithms! (Bluethner especially, cause I use it alot, lol)

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-24T16:56:36Z

AKM wrote:

So how did it work before this 5.1.4 update and still working on other pianos except D4? Did it just make the usual sound a few decibels quieter with no remodelling, i.e. just one string involved, or even 2 strings in the middle position for continuous controllers? I definitely request some advanced approach for the left pedal because it is just essential to have it usable.

Actually, it is a modification of the parameters of the model, not of the model itself. It is more an aesthetic choice than anything else, which happens too on a real acoustic grand: there are many different ways to ajust the una corda: how much is the left string struck in triple choirs; do the strings match again the grooves in the hammers (not recommended) or not; if not, how is the felt "voiced" between the grooves?

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-24T16:05:49Z

Did not checked the last update since I'm using exclusively Bluethner. While trying the left pedal a while ago I found it worth using and hope to see the things to be changed in future. So how did it work before this 5.1.4 update and still working on other pianos except D4? Did it just make the usual sound a few decibels quieter with no remodelling, i.e. just one string involved, or even 2 strings in the middle position for continuous controllers? I definitely request some advanced approach for the left pedal because it is just essential to have it usable.

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-24T15:47:13Z

Gilles wrote:

Philippe Guillaume wrote:
fntms wrote:
3. the soft pedal: I would like an option to tweak the sound a little (on a grand it doesn't just make the sound softer but also changes it, makes it more 'delicate' in some cases, I would like Pianoteq to model this better).
We have just released version 5.1.4. It doesn't contain any new option to tweak the soft pedal sound, but we improved the D4 in the direction you mentioned, making the sound more 'delicate', less muted and more singing when using una corda. The D4 has also been slightly revoiced, in particular in the pianissimo to piano range. We hope you will enjoy these small improvements.
The new model for una corda is much more realistic indeed! More contrast with the normal sound, and a much more singing tone at soft velocity. I guess what's new is that the free strings not touched by the hammers are allowed to add some sort of sympathetic resonance. Will this model be included in other pianos in the future?

Great you like it! Yes, we plan to update progressiviely the other pianos too.

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-24T15:01:05Z

Philippe Guillaume wrote:

fntms wrote:
3. the soft pedal: I would like an option to tweak the sound a little (on a grand it doesn't just make the sound softer but also changes it, makes it more 'delicate' in some cases, I would like Pianoteq to model this better).
We have just released version 5.1.4. It doesn't contain any new option to tweak the soft pedal sound, but we improved the D4 in the direction you mentioned, making the sound more 'delicate', less muted and more singing when using una corda. The D4 has also been slightly revoiced, in particular in the pianissimo to piano range. We hope you will enjoy these small improvements.

The new model for una corda is much more realistic indeed! More contrast with the normal sound, and a much more singing tone at soft velocity. I guess what's new is that the free strings not touched by the hammers are allowed to add some sort of sympathetic resonance. Will this model be included in other pianos in the future?

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-24T13:11:25Z

The microphone / output panel of the GUI posts various settings for microphones when pulling up different presets but only for outputs 1 and 2. I would like to have a standard QWERTY copy and paste for that matrix so that you could copy any one of the preset boxes and paste them into any box of the other three rows for outputs 3,4, and 5 for those of us who may be using five discreet audio amplification channels.

Thanks,

Lanny

Re: 5.1.3 areas for improvement?

2015-01-23T15:51:35Z

D4 and Bluethner are very good in Pianoteq 5. But I would like in future see more realistic K2 and U4. Currently lt it has slightly synthetic sound. When I play or listen most of website's demos, I feel that this is a synthesizer, not an acoustic piano (I don't feel that on D4 and Bluethner). K2 has beautiful and realistic chords, but unrealistic single notes. U4 has very realistic upper range (listen Italian Polka from website), but unrealistic below. I can't describe this in more formal way, sorry. Maybe this is just my taste. So, this is not a feature request, just my thoughts.