You can save an load PRESETS for mices, equalizer, effects and reverbs from ANY instrument (even not purchased, take it from the demos) and mix it with ANY of your purchased instruments.

For example:
Love one specific mic-arrangement in one of the DEMO-Instruments? Save it as MIC-setup, give it a name you like, load your instrument as usual, go into MIC-settings and load the saved arrangement. Voyla!

What's the problem?

I am fairly sure that the pro and standard versions can only load fxp files for which you have the underlying instrument installed.
e.g. you would need to have the Grotrian installed to run fxps developed from the Grotrian.

Yes, to take full advantage of the fxp file, you need to have installed the base instrument on which it is based. Nevertheless, it allows you to get a feel of the instrument and perhaps convince you to buy the correspondent module.

You don't need a licence to load an fxp.  If you do not have the instrument licence the instrument will play in demo mode with certain keys diabled and a 20 minute time limit.

Yes, but it is crippled to the point of being useless as an instrument.

It may be OK for use as a demo, but THIS topic is about the value of upgrading from Stage to Standard and in that context it is worth pointing out that the Standard product does NOT allow you to "Play" (as a useful instrument) ALL fxp files.

The choice of fxp as a file name is somewhat unfortunate in that FX has been used in the industry as an abbreviation for "EFFECTS" for a very long time.
I had initially taken this to imply that an fxp file is an EFFECTS file that modifies the sound after it is initially produced - not so.

I am fairly sure that the pro and standard versions can only load fxp files for which you have the underlying instrument installed.
e.g. you would need to have the Grotrian installed to run fxps developed from the Grotrian.

That is what I discovered when I tried to load the fxp "giant piano" without having bought and installed the U4...

Hi hag01,

I would consider to buy the standard version. In my opinion, the microphone settings and the ability to tweak the presets worth the investment. You can also load any fxp file created with the Pro version (if I understood correctly, with the stage version, the support of fxp files is limited to basic settings - which could lead to starnge results).

For live playing and if you don’t need to heavily post-process the sound files,  48KHz is more than enough.

Try the demo version and you can decide for yourself.

The good thing is that if you decide later to go Pro, you can always upgrade.

Hope it helps.

I am fairly sure that the pro and standard versions can only load fxp files for which you have the underlying instrument installed.
e.g. you would need to have the Grotrian installed to run fxps developed from the Grotrian.

Most importantly you can also transfer settings from one preset to another. So say you like the microphone settings (or any other setting you get in standard) from one preset, you can try that out on another instrument/preset and find a new sound. I can confidently say that is worth the money.

The pro version is the one I would be cautions to recommend. Pro lets you adjust the settings you get in Standard for each individual note. If you are a piano tuner, enjoy sound programing, or just somebody that can envisage the necessary tonal character of each note to get that sound you want, then get pro. I got it during the black friday discount and I think it's worth it just to be able to transfer per-note settings to other instruments/presets.

Just play around with the trial version for a while. Sampling rates are not worth worrying about.

What controller ie midi keyboard are you using?

I use Casio PX-5S, soon will get Kawai VPC1.

I would consider to buy the standard version. In my opinion, the microphone settings and the ability to tweak the presets worth the investment. You can also load any fxp file created with the Pro version (if I understood correctly, with the stage version, the support of fxp files is limited to basic settings - which could lead to starnge results).

For live playing and if you don’t need to heavily post-process the sound files,  48KHz is more than enough.

Try the demo version and you can decide for yourself.

The good thing is that if you decide later to go Pro, you can always upgrade.

Hope it helps.

What controller ie midi keyboard are you using?

But I see there aren't so many files in the FXP corner, and most of them not even rated so one can not tell how good they are.
The question is how difficult should it be to create great presets on my own, does the occasional user should handle it, or this is a work for an experienced sound designer?
And another question is, how inferior are the factory presets found on Pianoteq Stage to the presets the wise user theoretically can create with Pianoteq Standard?

And just for general knowledge, is there a noticeable sound quality difference between Stage\Standard and Pro(PIANOTEQ PRO offers an internal sample rate of up to 192 kHz. Up to 48 kHz in PIANOTEQ Stage and Standard)?