I find with mallets you exert energy a lot differently, from otherwise fingers alone at a keyboard.  Although certainly I’m a drummer who naturally often uses sticks.  Ultimately, my soft mallets I got with the controller are different enough to require a totally new approach.

(Even as a jazz drummer who always improvises, I feel an xylophone type instrument controller demands jesters differently.)

So, the controller itself might result in the specific appreciation (that is) more authentic typically of mallet instruments I feel.

Now personally I’m using two (2) mallets only.  Will have to order two (2) more though.

Incidentally, have come across a video of some two (2) or four (4) mallet playing, to me hard to count, confusing:
https://youtu.be/VRSjLkj0VMw

(Smile.)

Hi Greg.
Since I went to PRO and chose the Electric pîanos and Vibes instruments, I surely don't think the Electric pianos are poor substitutes for pianos.
I was simply admitting my ignorance. I never played a real electric piano.

They are definitely a poor substitute for pianos if one would prefer the sound of a piano, I suppose. I wonder what the original inventor thought? I wonder whether they thought "maybe, just maybe, it will sound sort of like a real piano".  If you're interested, this site has a lot of history, with examples of popular music that uses each instrument: http://www.hallofelectricpianos.co.uk/

Ah - thanks. I should have figured that out!

Greg

FranceWise wrote:

[I tend to see Electric pianos as piano ersatz.

I tend to see EPs as absolutely fantastic instruments in their own right.
However, yes, that's how they came about - as a substitute, and I'm so grateful they did!
P.S I've learnt a new word - thanks.

Greg

Hi Greg.
Since I went to PRO and chose the Electric pîanos and Vibes instruments, I surely don't think the Electric pianos are poor substitutes for pianos.
I was simply admitting my ignorance. I never played a real electric piano.
For "ersatz", I checked if it exits in English. I sometimes sound scholarly because I'm not familiar with simpler and more common expressions.

FranceWise wrote:

Both Modartt instruments sound more realistic. The attack is so rich. On one hand (metaphorically), I tend to see Electric pianos as piano ersatz. On the other hand, the vibe needs to be played in a special, more limited way than the piano, maybe with four fingers. How do you play the Vibes?

Although a newbie to jazz vibes from any software, I take a view of yours about electric pianos, seriously.  A suitcase model was used popularly by the jazz players who needed a lot of portability which the electric piano could allow in outdoor jazz  —especially festivals!

Now the electric pianos seem the ones evolved over time into keyboards the MIDI controllers you can today take with you just about anywhere.

Do you need to limit yourself to four fingers playing whenever you’d like to have a jazz vibe played in some software?  Well, right now, no!  I’m telling by your question.  (Smile.)  If software vibes is really a recent development it has no accomplished virtuoso already to decide for anyone else what is technically correct in another’s own musical performance.

Anyway I use Roland Vdrums as a MIDI controller connected to MODO DRUM drum modeling software.  Perhaps someday this combination really will become good enough for jazz.  (Laugh.)

How do you play the Vibes?

Let me just say I can sometimes play them very easily since I got a Pearl malletSTATION MIDI controller from Kraft Music, https://www.kraftmusic.com/pearl-em1-ma...e-kit.html.

Although, I have just been learning to play at the controller:

I was pleasantly surprised, as I discovered PIANOTEQ took all after touch messages from the controller right out the box when shipped!

So, the controller and the software both are set up to any note dampening from your mallets.

I hope I'm not violating a rule by asking for advice.

Well, technically if you ever use sarcasm MODARTT has stipulated er alleged a right it has to remove any post: presumably your sarcastic one.

But, possibly nobody else got it!  (Smile.)

Now let me extend a welcome to this forum, sincerely.

Love always, Amen Ptah Ra.

Thank you for the welcome, Amen Ptah Ra ! It was not sarcasm. I'm more familiar with computing forums, sometimes harsh.

This a great suggestion!
My vibraphonist friend used a Malletkat, which is both a vibe synth and a full synth. Quite heavy and the blades are larger. This is probably why I did'nt think of a vibe controller.
There is still some space left on my desk. The Malletkat would be too heavy. I wonder if I could play with four mallets. I would probably end up with two.
The Malletstation is around 1,400 CAD.  49" (124,5 cm) long.  10,20 kg (22,5 lb). It can be used as drum controller with drum sticks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJdvbMURlUo

[I tend to see Electric pianos as piano ersatz.

I tend to see EPs as absolutely fantastic instruments in their own right.
However, yes, that's how they came about - as a substitute, and I'm so grateful they did!
P.S I've learnt a new word - thanks.

Greg

Both Modartt instruments sound more realistic. The attack is so rich. On one hand (metaphorically), I tend to see Electric pianos as piano ersatz. On the other hand, the vibe needs to be played in a special, more limited way than the piano, maybe with four fingers. How do you play the Vibes?

Although a newbie to jazz vibes from any software, I take a view of yours about electric pianos, seriously.  A suitcase model was used popularly by the jazz players who needed a lot of portability which the electric piano could allow in outdoor jazz  —especially festivals!

Now the electric pianos seem the ones evolved over time into keyboards the MIDI controllers you can today take with you just about anywhere.

Do you need to limit yourself to four fingers playing whenever you’d like to have a jazz vibe played in some software?  Well, right now, no!  I’m telling by your question.  (Smile.)  If software vibes is really a recent development it has no accomplished virtuoso already to decide for anyone else what is technically correct in another’s own musical performance.

Anyway I use Roland Vdrums as a MIDI controller connected to MODO DRUM drum modeling software.  Perhaps someday this combination really will become good enough for jazz.  (Laugh.)

Let me just say I can sometimes play them very easily since I got a Pearl malletSTATION MIDI controller from Kraft Music, https://www.kraftmusic.com/pearl-em1-ma...e-kit.html.

Although, I have just been learning to play at the controller:

https://youtu.be/ST0hIbsfUeQ

I was pleasantly surprised, as I discovered PIANOTEQ took all after touch messages from the controller right out the box when shipped!

So, the controller and the software both are set up to any note dampening from your mallets.

Well, technically if you ever use sarcasm MODARTT has stipulated er alleged a right it has to remove any post: presumably your sarcastic one.

But, possibly nobody else got it!  (Smile.)

Now let me extend a welcome to this forum, sincerely.

Love always, Amen Ptah Ra.

I write a mixture, kind of a combo between classical, hip hop beat, I wouldn't really say jazz.
Pianoteq fits best with what I do especially as it is so adjustable but I just struggle to get it right in the mix. Maybe I am doing something wrong but Pianoteq just seems to sound hollow compared to Keyscape but yet Pianoteq Electric Pianos sound full and seem to fill up the space better.

I work in Studio One and I don't think it supports Linux although I would love to switch over to Linux and be done with Windows once and for all.

I certainly don't want to convince you to try linux. But if you use loops for drum and bass, Reaper and Pianoteq work very well under linux (Ubuntu 20).
Reaper is powerful but kind of ugly (stalinian). On Windows, I use Reaper and Cubase Elements with the Groove Agent Simon Phillips jazz drum library. It's quite flexible. I have a snare with brushes and a Schecter electric bass with nylon wrap strings which sound very mellow. But I use the NI free Upright bass out of laziness.
I hope someone gives you a more knowledgeable comment on Keyscape.

I work in Studio One and I don't think it supports Linux although I would love to switch over to Linux and be done with Windows once and for all.

Keyscape just fills out the mix, I don't know what it is or how they have done it but it just manages to fit in that space. Where as Pianoteq seems thin in a mix and doesn't really punch through.

I didn't know Keyscape before you mentioned it.
Not being a pianist, from the youtube Keascape demo, I can't say if it's better than Phil Best's Pianoteq demos.
Maybe it has to do the type of music you do: is it jazz, pop, rock, techno, classical, soundtrack?
In jazz, the rhythm section often has to be quiet and subtle.

I spend a lot of time on linux (Win 10 for music only); it's a big plus that Pianoteq supports linux. And much better than most (all) other linux music apps without installing a quite heavy and unstable wine structure. Wine allows one to use some Windows apps on linux.
On linux, I just set the system sound volume and I don't need to adjust every preset's volume. I can't do that in Windows 10.
As a DAW, Reaper works perfectly under linux.

Would you say that Pianoteq elctric pianos are better than Keyscape?

I have a question to ask for anybody to answer and I am desperate to make this work. I love Pianoteq and get really inspired by it but the problem I have is making the pianos sound thick in a mix. I get inspired by Pianoteq but find myself leaning toward the Keyscape Custom LA C7 because it just fits better into a mix compared to Pianoteq and it really bugs me because I feel like I am giving all the glory to keyscape when it is Pianoteq that has inspired certain songs.

Any ideas?

Thank you.

Thank you Deyvid, I don't know Keyscape. I hope someone will be able to tell why Keyscape would fit better in a mix..

I'll give you the advice that I should have taken myself from the get-go. Quit kidding yourself and buy the pro studio bundle. Send an email to Niclas Fogwell and ask if you can get a discount since you've already purchased instruments.

I play guitar too. I sold my last amplifier (Reissue Blackface 65 Princeton Reverb) earlier this year. I got tired of schlepping it in and out of my truck. I'm all modelling and sampling from here on out.

Also, you might want to ixnay with the ersatz talk around your Jazz buddies. Quite a few hepcats play various and sundry electric pianos.

Seriously though... If you have to choose, you'll likely get more mileage out of the Electrics. They are very good. I also have Spectrasonics Keyscape and now that I have the Pianoteq Pro Studio Bundle, I don't really use it anymore (I've become spoiled by near infinite parameters and not having to wait for samples to load.)

Thank you psterret for taking the time to answer!
The electric pianos are a more pragmatic choice. I guess I was looking for arguments in favour of the Vibes. Guitarwise, I have an old Gibson ES-135 and a AER Alpha amp. It's quite light. Here in Quebec, the jazz scene is not big. Pianists will mostly play pianos or keyboards with sampled piano. You're not the only one to suggest moving to Pro. I'll have to go through the collection again to see how many more instruments I would play. I'll have to disturb Niclas again (I was not receiving user forum confirmations).. Waiting for samples, I know what you mean (Sonicouture Vibes vs modartt Vibes).

Addendum: I moved to PRO.

I agree with colleague Dazric.
I consider electric pianos to be more versatile. Furthermore, they are the instruments of Pianoteq that, in my opinion, sound exactly like the originals. That's because the originals sound through speakers, and that's exactly how you will hear it on Pianoteq. I'm sure that if you place a Mark II in a room next to the Pianoteq connected on the same reference monitors and blindfold your eyes, you will never know which one is the original.

Thank you, Professor Duarte!
I never owned an electric piano. The jazz musicians I know rarely play on electric pianos except for Korg or Yamaha keyboard samples. I use an old Yamaha CP-33 as controller but the electric pianos samples are outdated. My speakers are reference speakers with an additional non reference subwoofer.

Addendum: I moved to PRO. I have both instruments.

I have a question to ask for anybody to answer and I am desperate to make this work. I love Pianoteq and get really inspired by it but the problem I have is making the pianos sound thick in a mix. I get inspired by Pianoteq but find myself leaning toward the Keyscape Custom LA C7 because it just fits better into a mix compared to Pianoteq and it really bugs me because I feel like I am giving all the glory to keyscape when it is Pianoteq that has inspired certain songs.

Any ideas?

Thank you.