Modartt user forum - Help! Pianoteq sounds synthetic

Re: Help! Pianoteq sounds synthetic

2018-03-28T11:27:39Z

I have a similar current issue. Although at home I have the same Windows Surface Pro4 as I do on vacation now, at home I play through a Steinberg UR 22 mkII while here I am using the speaker output through ASIO4ALL (which worked reasonably well at home) - probably not this. My keyboard for travel is a CME X-Key - I have played with the velocity curve a bit, but it's not as good as my real piano keyboard at home. What the difference really seems to be for me now is that I am using my Bose Noise-Cancelling headphones - they're great for noisy airplanes, but not great for playing Pianoteq in quiet spaces. I have been adjusting Pianoteq volume, computer volume, Pianoteq Dynamics, etc., but just can't make it sound different than if my ear was practically resting on the piano's strings!

Re: Help! Pianoteq sounds synthetic

2018-03-28T03:12:40Z

IMHO, the raw audio fidelity from today's integrated audio outputs is very good when used as a line out, but if you're plugging headphones in to the laptop, that might be the problem - just a WAG though. If I were you I'd be trying to source a cheap headphone amp to try as a test, perhaps. If you're using different headphones to the ones you use at home, though, I'd look at that first - they all sound different.

Greg.

Re: Help! Pianoteq sounds synthetic

2018-03-28T02:22:03Z

Ross wrote:

Make sure that you freeze no parameters.

Thanks. The only param frozen is Velocity. But I don't think it is a velocity problem, because single notes sound bad, as do notes played from Pianoteq UI.

steve200

Re: Help! Pianoteq sounds synthetic

2018-03-28T01:58:15Z

Make sure that you freeze no parameters.

Help! Pianoteq sounds synthetic

2018-03-28T01:47:03Z

Folks,

I am on vacation with:

my new M-Audio Keystation 49. (I ditched the Nektar GX49. The action was bad, in the end.)
my new i7 laptop (Lenovo).
Pianoteq 6.1.1 Stage
the built-in sound card (Windows Audio) at 48KHz

At home, I use:

Roland FP-7f controller
my old i5 laptop
Pianoteq 6.1.1
AudioBox USB 96

I don't have my AudioBox USB 96 with me (wish I had packed it!).

On my home rig, everything sounds splendid.

BUT, here on vacation, pianoteq sounds bad. Gone are the beautiful bell-like tones of the MKII, and the sweet resonances of the D4. Instead, everything sounds "synthetic."

I don't think it can be the new m-audio MIDI controller. The velocities all look fine, and the pianoteq GUI keyboard sounds the same as the m-audio.

Is it possible it is the soundcard to blame?

I even uninstalled 6.1.1 and re-installed 6.0.3, and exported a MIDI recording from both. The 6.1.1 sounded better than the 6.0.3, but, both recordings seemed to have the "synthetic" sound.

The Perf meter shows a score of 125. Max Polyphony is set to 32, which is completely adequate for my level of playing.

I realize I can wait till i get home, and swap in the AudioBox, and do other experimenting.

But here I am, stuck on vacation without a beautiful Pianoteq.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

steve200