BarbaraRB wrote:I don't post about Ukraine and other political topics, out of respect for the Forum, which isn't the right place. Learning piano, and sharing that journey with others, is a great solace in a tortured world. Music always pulls us through. One of the greatest of all life forces.
Okay. I took your couple of tanks of gas comment as dark humour about the current worsening situation with rocketing prices.
You won't find me discussing such matters here normally.
We can hope humans are still around to practice music for years to come. It all depends on if they let him throw all of his toys out of the pram.Anyway enough of that misery, back to electric pianos and music.
Oh!!!! I didn't mean that as a criticism in any way -- just that I couldn't say more in response to your comments. The comment about gas was definitely dark humor. I know the other issues are on everyone's minds; just that I couldn't say more. I never thought I'd live to see days like what we are experiencing.
]]>I don't post about Ukraine and other political topics, out of respect for the Forum, which isn't the right place. Learning piano, and sharing that journey with others, is a great solace in a tortured world. Music always pulls us through. One of the greatest of all life forces.
Okay. I took your couple of tanks of gas comment as dark humour about the current worsening situation with rocketing prices.
You won't find me discussing such matters here normally.
We can hope humans are still around to practice music for years to come. It all depends on if they let him throw all of his toys out of the pram.
Anyway enough of that misery, back to electric pianos and music.
]]>Listen to The top to bottom uniform response on the keyboard on that Rhodes Mark 8 video I put in the last post. This shows it's a mechanically beautifully made piece of kit, but also so this is how most presets should be; that said the quality of his performance doesn't hurt either!
Far too many electric piano presets on all kinds of EP vsts I find are skewed horridly with no bass, heavily scooped mids or what have you. It's like they are formulated to sound like specific heavily EQ'ed classic tracks, but don't pull that off either.
I enjoyed the Rhodes. The electric pianos and related instruments are really beyond me at this stage. I know I listened to them most of my life in the great pop, rock, blues, soul, and other music I love, but I have no idea what to do with them. Maybe someday.
What you said about supporting a great company really resonates with me. I often think that way when look at the massive amount of sheet music and music books I've amassed in a single year. Words fail me about that, but I tell myself (and believe) that I'm supporting a beautiful industry.
I don't post about Ukraine and other political topics, out of respect for the Forum, which isn't the right place. Learning piano, and sharing that journey with others, is a great solace in a tortured world. Music always pulls us through. One of the greatest of all life forces.
]]>Far too many electric piano presets on all kinds of EP vsts I find are skewed horridly with no bass, heavily scooped mids or what have you. It's like they are formulated to sound like specific heavily EQ'ed classic tracks, but don't pull that off either.
]]>..You have more self control than I do, and make wiser and more considered choices.
Haha, thanks for that, I cannot claim that for myself but through the wonders of the internet you can get all kinds of false impressions of virtues.
Another user could equally think I was an unwelcome skinflint!
First and foremost I'm into synthesizers, basically self taught. OTOH there are plenty of proper classically trained musicians around here. People who had the opportunity to put 3-6 hours a day into piano practice from a very young age, and hands-on experience with grand pianos.
Plus, you are much further along than I am and could actually make greater use of the larger library. Still, I like having the entire library. It gives me freedom to explore and I will use more and more over time. As you said, it is good value. I think Modartt is very thoughtful in their pricing, especially in view of what they offer. Buying a pack you can use for a lifetime is like buying three books (I use the library now) or a couple of tanks of gas (maybe!). There are endless comparisons I could make. For now, my very early new year's resolution is to use what I have and buy only what I need.
It's an excellent buy, if you think you'll use them at any time then it's a no-brainer. Even if you don't it's such good value, and you are supporting the development of a good company.
I started at Stage, didn't intend to upgrade from that. Slowly slowly catchy monkey..
As for the buying the gas I'm more worried about people stealing fuel now, all thanks to Vlad Vlad P and his absolutely catastrophic mistake, along with his feeble enablers allowing him to destroy his own country's future, along with everywhere else. What a desperate shame.
Before we have to break out the iodine tablets let's enjoy some funky playing on the Mk8 Rhodes:
https://youtu.be/hVn7qHsvKwo
BarbaraRB wrote:Key Fumbler wrote:I see that the KeySuite Electric entire suite is only 40-50% bigger for than just the UVI Tacked 88 I have - both being pure sample libraries, not modelling hybrids.
Therefore I can say by current standards for each individual instruments we aren't going to be talking about deeply sampled instruments. So I guess the microphone positions and (more importantly) velocity layers will be more limited compared to the best sample libraries. That's not to say they wouldn't sound musical though.
Pianoteq doesn't have those limitations. You get as many velocity layers as your keyboard can muster, and each pressed key note can ring out for as long as the real thing without having to consider drive space or download limitations.
To be far I don't think it's aimed at the same customers.I suppose the sample versions could give you another frame of reference. Whether you will find yourself gravitating towards it as a playable instrument collection is another question, once you've been spoilt by Pianoteq!
I have no doubt that the package would have its moments though.
This response is more valuable than you can imagine, because it totally relieves my curiosity, which can have destructive outcomes. Too many choices lead to paralysis. There is no reason on earth why I need a huge sampled library. With Pianoteq, I have enough for a minimum of three lifetimes. Plus, I really believe modelled instruments are better, and I understand why. I need to focus on practicing the piano and enjoying Pianoteq. Plus, I need to stop reading about other libraries, which for me is a pointless waste of time and energy. A valuable saying: "You can never get enough of what you don't really want." I am going to take my own good advice from this point forward and focus on practicing, with Pianoteq. I have the Studio Edition. Enough!
Glad you found that useful. I could joke about my cheque being in the post from Modartt but I made similar reasoning for not buying the Pro upgrade this time (I might do at a later date), or buying the extra packs I'm not particularly interested in (I've got all the modern pianos and electrics, and vibes).
I do think the Studio pack is good value - for the right person. Modartt seem like a classy company. There is no hard sell to upgrade to everything. No advertising blitz "only X days left" "did you forget this?"..
Another nice thing is that if you upgrade, Modaart gives you credit for everything you bought in the past. So you never lose out by waiting. That's a very generous policy.
]]>BarbaraRB wrote:Key Fumbler wrote:I see that the KeySuite Electric entire suite is only 40-50% bigger for than just the UVI Tacked 88 I have - both being pure sample libraries, not modelling hybrids.
Therefore I can say by current standards for each individual instruments we aren't going to be talking about deeply sampled instruments. So I guess the microphone positions and (more importantly) velocity layers will be more limited compared to the best sample libraries. That's not to say they wouldn't sound musical though.
Pianoteq doesn't have those limitations. You get as many velocity layers as your keyboard can muster, and each pressed key note can ring out for as long as the real thing without having to consider drive space or download limitations.
To be far I don't think it's aimed at the same customers.I suppose the sample versions could give you another frame of reference. Whether you will find yourself gravitating towards it as a playable instrument collection is another question, once you've been spoilt by Pianoteq!
I have no doubt that the package would have its moments though.
This response is more valuable than you can imagine, because it totally relieves my curiosity, which can have destructive outcomes. Too many choices lead to paralysis. There is no reason on earth why I need a huge sampled library. With Pianoteq, I have enough for a minimum of three lifetimes. Plus, I really believe modelled instruments are better, and I understand why. I need to focus on practicing the piano and enjoying Pianoteq. Plus, I need to stop reading about other libraries, which for me is a pointless waste of time and energy. A valuable saying: "You can never get enough of what you don't really want." I am going to take my own good advice from this point forward and focus on practicing, with Pianoteq. I have the Studio Edition. Enough!
Glad you found that useful. I could joke about my cheque being in the post from Modartt but I made similar reasoning for not buying the Pro upgrade this time (I might do at a later date), or buying the extra packs I'm not particularly interested in (I've got all the modern pianos and electrics, and vibes).
I do think the Studio pack is good value - for the right person. Modartt seem like a classy company. There is no hard sell to upgrade to everything. No advertising blitz "only X days left" "did you forget this?"..
I hadn't thought about it, but you are right. There is zero sales pressure, and that is calming. You have more self control than I do, and make wiser and more considered choices. Plus, you are much further along than I am and could actually make greater use of the larger library. Still, I like having the entire library. It gives me freedom to explore and I will use more and more over time. As you said, it is good value. I think Modaart is very thoughtful in their pricing, especially in view of what they offer. Buying a pack you can use for a lifetime is like buying three books (I use the library now) or a couple of tanks of gas (maybe!). There are endless comparisons I could make. For now, my very early new year's resolution is to use what I have and buy only what I need.
]]>Key Fumbler wrote:BarbaraRB wrote:Thank you for your very thorough answer. I was actually thinking of UVI KeySuite EPs -- some of the names are so similar that I "morph" them in my mind. That doesn't change anything about your comments, of course. I think I have everything I could possibly want or need i Pianoteq, although I'm always curious about other virtual instruments. Love your comment about Pianoteq being a "glorious work of art in progress." I especially love the CP-80 -- so perfect for many of the older rock songs I like to play.
I see that the KeySuite Electric entire suite is only 40-50% bigger for than just the UVI Tacked 88 I have - both being pure sample libraries, not modelling hybrids.
Therefore I can say by current standards for each individual instruments we aren't going to be talking about deeply sampled instruments. So I guess the microphone positions and (more importantly) velocity layers will be more limited compared to the best sample libraries. That's not to say they wouldn't sound musical though.
Pianoteq doesn't have those limitations. You get as many velocity layers as your keyboard can muster, and each pressed key note can ring out for as long as the real thing without having to consider drive space or download limitations.
To be far I don't think it's aimed at the same customers.I suppose the sample versions could give you another frame of reference. Whether you will find yourself gravitating towards it as a playable instrument collection is another question, once you've been spoilt by Pianoteq!
I have no doubt that the package would have its moments though.
This response is more valuable than you can imagine, because it totally relieves my curiosity, which can have destructive outcomes. Too many choices lead to paralysis. There is no reason on earth why I need a huge sampled library. With Pianoteq, I have enough for a minimum of three lifetimes. Plus, I really believe modelled instruments are better, and I understand why. I need to focus on practicing the piano and enjoying Pianoteq. Plus, I need to stop reading about other libraries, which for me is a pointless waste of time and energy. A valuable saying: "You can never get enough of what you don't really want." I am going to take my own good advice from this point forward and focus on practicing, with Pianoteq. I have the Studio Edition. Enough!
Glad you found that useful. I could joke about my cheque being in the post from Modartt but I made similar reasoning for not buying the Pro upgrade this time (I might do at a later date), or buying the extra packs I'm not particularly interested in (I've got all the modern pianos and electrics, and vibes).
I do think the Studio pack is good value - for the right person. Modartt seem like a classy company. There is no hard sell to upgrade to everything. No advertising blitz "only X days left" "did you forget this?"..
]]>BarbaraRB wrote:Thank you for your very thorough answer. I was actually thinking of UVI KeySuite EPs -- some of the names are so similar that I "morph" them in my mind. That doesn't change anything about your comments, of course. I think I have everything I could possibly want or need i Pianoteq, although I'm always curious about other virtual instruments. Love your comment about Pianoteq being a "glorious work of art in progress." I especially love the CP-80 -- so perfect for many of the older rock songs I like to play.
I see that the KeySuite Electric entire suite is only 40-50% bigger for than just the UVI Tacked 88 I have - both being pure sample libraries, not modelling hybrids.
Therefore I can say by current standards for each individual instruments we aren't going to be talking about deeply sampled instruments. So I guess the microphone positions and (more importantly) velocity layers will be more limited compared to the best sample libraries. That's not to say they wouldn't sound musical though.
Pianoteq doesn't have those limitations. You get as many velocity layers as your keyboard can muster, and each pressed key note can ring out for as long as the real thing without having to consider drive space or download limitations.
To be far I don't think it's aimed at the same customers.I suppose the sample versions could give you another frame of reference. Whether you will find yourself gravitating towards it as a playable instrument collection is another question, once you've been spoilt by Pianoteq!
I have no doubt that the package would have its moments though.
This response is more valuable than you can imagine, because it totally relieves my curiosity, which can have destructive outcomes. Too many choices lead to paralysis. There is no reason on earth why I need a huge sampled library. With Pianoteq, I have enough for a minimum of three lifetimes. Plus, I really believe modeled instruments are better, and I understand why. I need to focus on practicing the piano and enjoying Pianoteq. Plus, I need to stop reading about other libraries, which for me is a pointless waste of time and energy. A valuable saying: "You can never get enough of what you don't really want." I am going to take my own good advice from this point forward and focus on practicing, with Pianoteq. I have the Studio Edition. Enough!
]]>Thank you for your very thorough answer. I was actually thinking of UVI KeySuite EPs -- some of the names are so similar that I "morph" them in my mind. That doesn't change anything about your comments, of course. I think I have everything I could possibly want or need i Pianoteq, although I'm always curious about other virtual instruments. Love your comment about Pianoteq being a "glorious work of art in progress." I especially love the CP-80 -- so perfect for many of the older rock songs I like to play.
I see that the KeySuite Electric entire suite is only 40-50% bigger for than just the UVI Tacked 88 I have - both being pure sample libraries, not modelling hybrids.
Therefore I can say by current standards for each individual instruments we aren't going to be talking about deeply sampled instruments. So I guess the microphone positions and (more importantly) velocity layers will be more limited compared to the best sample libraries. That's not to say they wouldn't sound musical though.
Pianoteq doesn't have those limitations. You get as many velocity layers as your keyboard can muster, and each pressed key note can ring out for as long as the real thing without having to consider drive space or download limitations.
To be far I don't think it's aimed at the same customers.
I suppose the sample versions could give you another frame of reference. Whether you will find yourself gravitating towards it as a playable instrument collection is another question, once you've been spoilt by Pianoteq!
I have no doubt that the package would have its moments though.
]]>I was disappointed when I realized that the Yamaha CP70/80 is no longer there in the list of available keyboards in my Pianoteq Pro 7. It was such a sweet sounding electric.
Any reason why it was taken out? I must be out of the loop.
The CP 70 is still there -- in the free KiViR instruments.
]]>Barbara,
I’m not very familiar with the Soundscape instruments, no, but I do have the UVI / Acoustic Samples VReeds and VTines which, if there’s a real musical need for believable simulation in a piece, are my first choices. I actually stopped buying, even looking into, new virtual Rhodesses and Wurlitzers the day I installed the VTines and VReeds. Extra-ordinarily good, these two. In my opinion, anyway.
Next to those, and the Pianoteq instruments, there are some rather good choices in Spectrasonics’s Keyscape, I find, and there’s also a decent sample set of Chick Corea’s electric piano available as an expansion for the Yamaha Montage which I quite like. The updated Arturia electric pianos are an improvement over their predecessors as well, and then there’s a handful of Kontakt-libraries — from developers such as NeoSoul, Scarbee, Sonic Couture, Orange Tree, and several smaller ones — which all bring their own specific, and occasionaly perfectly fitting flavour of Rhodesism or Wurlitzerism to a mix.
I used to have the two Waves electric pianos too (and while not very realistic, they were always enjoyable to play), but since updating my computer, I had to abandon Waves, so I no longer have access to those.
GSi also has pretty good virtualizations of the Rhodes (and a very good one of the Hammond electric organ) which are available in plugin format, and can also be found as part of the sound engine in the Crumar hardware. (My new favourite virtual Hammond is the UA Waterfall however. Unbelievably good.)
Never dismiss Pianoteq though. I look at Pianoteq as a glorious work of art in progress, and capable of the most wonderful surprises with every new update.
__
Thank you for your very thorough answer. I was actually thinking of UVI KeySuite EPs -- some of the names are so similar that I "morph" them in my mind. That doesn't change anything about your comments, of course. I think I have everything I could possibly want or need i Pianoteq, although I'm always curious about other virtual instruments. Love your comment about Pianoteq being a "glorious work of art in progress." I especially love the CP-80 -- so perfect for many of the older rock songs I like to play.
]]>DPs are a different instrument from APs, there's no doubt, but once I moved to DPs I never looked back. I love them a lot more for reasons which are too long to explain but mostly boil down to how easy they are to use and play.
Let's not derail the thread.
That belongs in its own topic.
Piet De Ridder wrote:I look at Pianoteq as a glorious work of art in progress, and capable of the most wonderful surprises with every new update.
__
That's exactly the way I feel about it!
Regarding the electric pianos in Pianoteq, I'm not too bothered about authenticity, I just enjoy them for what they are. I particularly like the Hohner collection and the CP-80. I'm much more fussy about the acoustic piano models, and there's still room for improvement there. But I do have faith in Modartt, they will get there eventually!
I can wholeheartedly agree with both users comments here.
I find the CP80 can be every bit as good as the best sampled versions ( to my taste) when considerable EQ adjustment is made. Not only sounding more like commercial recordings (with inevitable FX) but also the videos of the instrument recorded in the raw.
Mainly this involves rolling off the hot treble.
]]>