Topic by DamsZik

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Topic: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

Hello,

In Pianoteq 9, I'm having trouble understanding the behavior of microphones 6 to 8 in the Mics & Mix section, which seem to be bugged, at least on the NY Steinway D model.

For instance, if I place mic 5 on the left channel and mic 6 on the right channel at the same height, position, volume and angle (I copy-pasted in the right-click menu), the sound still ends up leaning to the left instead of being centered as it should.

After some investigation, it seems that the maximum gain of mics 6, 7 and 8 is lower than the maximum gain of mics 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, which makes them quite difficult to use.

Am I right to think this is a bug?


EDIT: you can download here a screenshot showing the gain levels I get when everything is set to the same configuration. There definitely seems to be an issue with mics 6, 7, and 8! https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code...kFJRKFVwnk

Last edited by DamsZik (29-10-2025 16:21)

Reply by Amen Ptah Ra

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Re: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

From your screen shot, mics 6, 7, and 8 delay setting doesn't seem to jive with any of the others.

Additionally, neither Level nor Delay Compensation is active.

Pianoteq 8 Studio Bundle, Pearl malletSTATION EM1, Roland (DRUM SOUND MODULE TD-30, HandSonic 10, AX-1), Akai EWI USB, Yamaha DIGITAL PIANO P-95, M-Audio STUDIOPHILE BX5, Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 DSP.

Reply by levinite

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Re: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

DamsZik wrote:

Hello,

In Pianoteq 9, I'm having trouble understanding the behavior of microphones 6 to 8 in the Mics & Mix section, which seem to be bugged, at least on the NY Steinway D model.

For instance, if I place mic 5 on the left channel and mic 6 on the right channel at the same height, position, volume and angle (I copy-pasted in the right-click menu), the sound still ends up leaning to the left instead of being centered as it should.

After some investigation, it seems that the maximum gain of mics 6, 7 and 8 is lower than the maximum gain of mics 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, which makes them quite difficult to use.

Am I right to think this is a bug?


EDIT: you can download here a screenshot showing the gain levels I get when everything is set to the same configuration. There definitely seems to be an issue with mics 6, 7, and 8! https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code...kFJRKFVwnk

I agree, the mikes seem to have little direct sound, only reflected where position doesn't matter so much.

Reply by Amen Ptah Ra

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Re: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

levinite wrote:
DamsZik wrote:

Hello,

In Pianoteq 9, I'm having trouble understanding the behavior of microphones 6 to 8 in the Mics & Mix section, which seem to be bugged, at least on the NY Steinway D model.

For instance, if I place mic 5 on the left channel and mic 6 on the right channel at the same height, position, volume and angle (I copy-pasted in the right-click menu), the sound still ends up leaning to the left instead of being centered as it should.

After some investigation, it seems that the maximum gain of mics 6, 7 and 8 is lower than the maximum gain of mics 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, which makes them quite difficult to use.

Am I right to think this is a bug?


EDIT: you can download here a screenshot showing the gain levels I get when everything is set to the same configuration. There definitely seems to be an issue with mics 6, 7, and 8! https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code...kFJRKFVwnk

I agree, the mikes seem to have little direct sound, only reflected where position doesn't matter so much.

I also just noticed a drop in volume, specifically in peaks (no red shown)  —but that was before I matched mic panning.  Now I've no difference, none whatsoever!

Last edited by Amen Ptah Ra (29-10-2025 23:37)
Pianoteq 8 Studio Bundle, Pearl malletSTATION EM1, Roland (DRUM SOUND MODULE TD-30, HandSonic 10, AX-1), Akai EWI USB, Yamaha DIGITAL PIANO P-95, M-Audio STUDIOPHILE BX5, Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 DSP.

Reply by levinite

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Re: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

Try enabling other mikes and mute them with the volume slider. Notice a difference in the sound even if you move them far away. Is that what you expect to happen?

Reply by Amen Ptah Ra

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Re: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

Man, no way!  My expectation and intention too is just to work with whichever software can represent volume levels accurately...

Now at this point where I am PIANOTEQ v9.0.2 is it!

Last edited by Amen Ptah Ra (30-10-2025 15:26)
Pianoteq 8 Studio Bundle, Pearl malletSTATION EM1, Roland (DRUM SOUND MODULE TD-30, HandSonic 10, AX-1), Akai EWI USB, Yamaha DIGITAL PIANO P-95, M-Audio STUDIOPHILE BX5, Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 DSP.

Reply by DamsZik

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Re: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

Hello,

Thank you for your replies.


Amen Ptah Ra wrote:

From your screen shot, mics 6, 7, and 8 delay setting doesn't seem to jive with any of the others.

That doesn’t change anything. I did a final check by setting all delays to 0. All the mics still have exactly the same configuration.

I checked several times.

Whatever the preset (same issue with the Grand K2, the harp, the Karsten Collection, the vibraphone...) or the mic presets (AB, MS, etc...), mics 5 to 8 are objectively quieter than the first five (as if those mics were farther away and placement didn’t affect them), no matter what I do. Which is confusing and annoying since the number is odd...

Amen Ptah Ra wrote:

Additionally, neither Level nor Delay Compensation is active.

If all mics are set up exactly the same, with the same volume, they should all have the same output level, whether those buttons are on or not.
Turning them on doesn’t change anything by the way: mics 6 to 8 still have lower volume than the others.

Last edited by DamsZik (31-10-2025 19:42)

Reply by Amen Ptah Ra

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Re: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

DamsZik wrote:
Amen Ptah Ra wrote:

From your screen shot, mics 6, 7, and 8 delay setting doesn't seem to jive with any of the others.

That doesn’t change anything. I did a final check by setting all delays to 0.

In the instant you took your screen capture, delays affected volume level readouts.  It did since mic signals aren't technically identical or when any of their input has been delayed and the others had not been (delayed).  This shows visually!

Which is confusing and annoying since the number is odd...

What do you mean exactly?

DamsZik wrote:
Amen Ptah Ra wrote:

Additionally, neither Level nor Delay Compensation is active.

If all mics are set up exactly the same, with the same volume, they should all have the same output level, whether those buttons are on or not. Turning them on doesn’t change anything by the way:

This is true if and when (only) the delays had been matched properly.  If I'm honest, what really I'd like to have read from you is: "If all mics are set up exactly the same, with the same volume [and delay], they [anytime] should have all [identical mic levels registering, vis-à-vis LED volume indicators]. 

You fail to mention delays, completely, in your reply!  LED volume indicators will always move accordingly to or either from delays you've set, on your interface.

Do you get my point?

Furthermore, delay Compensation does affect your signal chain anytime it's active.  It allows congruency in audio signal arrival times; from the mics having varying distances to each other, and the piano or whichever virtual instrument you select.

Secondly about your screen image, have you been made aware if zoomed into it each mic appears off kilter from the one presumably adjacent?  Apparently they're in a slight diagonal.  It's where you can see some of the outline of one appear behind the other.

I've no way truly to replicate your image unless I successively misalign the axis of one mic position to another.

Anyway, I'm on a silicon Mac mini running macOS Sequoia 15.5.

If your problem persists, I like to suggest further help is available through MODARTT Support.

Last edited by Amen Ptah Ra (02-11-2025 14:01)
Pianoteq 8 Studio Bundle, Pearl malletSTATION EM1, Roland (DRUM SOUND MODULE TD-30, HandSonic 10, AX-1), Akai EWI USB, Yamaha DIGITAL PIANO P-95, M-Audio STUDIOPHILE BX5, Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 DSP.

Reply by DamsZik

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Re: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

Amen Ptah Ra wrote:

Do you get my point?

No. Because I already specified that I tried everything with the delays.

I’ve spent hours tweaking Pianoteq 9 in every possible way, delays included, and I stand by it: there’s an issue with mics 6, 7, and 8. I’ve been using Pianoteq daily for 14 years. I know this software well.

No matter what I do, with the delays, whatever the configuration, mics 6, 7, and 8 don’t have the same gain as mics 1 to 5, and this gain difference is always the same. I don’t know how else to put it: NOTHING allows me to fix this issue.

There is absolutely no reason for there to be a volume difference between the mics if all the delays are identical. Unless we consider that the last three mics, an odd number, have some special configuration compared to the other five, which makes no sense, since mics are generally paired by two, and that greatly limits customization.

In addition to the screenshot, here’s a folder containing a video showing the issue, as well as the FXP used for the test: https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code...BB7RGnSNBX

Reply by Lemuel

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Re: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

DamsZik wrote:
Amen Ptah Ra wrote:

Do you get my point?

No. Because I already specified that I tried everything with the delays.

I’ve spent hours tweaking Pianoteq 9 in every possible way, delays included, and I stand by it: there’s an issue with mics 6, 7, and 8. I’ve been using Pianoteq daily for 14 years. I know this software well.

No matter what I do, with the delays, whatever the configuration, mics 6, 7, and 8 don’t have the same gain as mics 1 to 5, and this gain difference is always the same. I don’t know how else to put it: NOTHING allows me to fix this issue.

There is absolutely no reason for there to be a volume difference between the mics if all the delays are identical. Unless we consider that the last three mics, an odd number, have some special configuration compared to the other five, which makes no sense, since mics are generally paired by two, and that greatly limits customization.

In addition to the screenshot, here’s a folder containing a video showing the issue, as well as the FXP used for the test: https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code...BB7RGnSNBX

It’s time to document the evidence, along with this thread, and create a report for Modartt Support. This way, they can fix or update Pianoteq 9 for all of us. Please send a support request to Modartt.

Reply by DamsZik

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Re: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

Lemuel wrote:

It’s time to document the evidence, along with this thread, and create a report for Modartt Support. This way, they can fix or update Pianoteq 9 for all of us. Please send a support request to Modartt.

I'm doing it right now, but I naively thought they actually read the forum... I admit I was also looking for reports confirming that the bug is reproducible :-)

Reply by Philippe Guillaume

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Re: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

Thank you DamsZik for reporting this bug, we will investigate it.

Philippe Guillaume's Website

Reply by DamsZik

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Re: Pianoteq 9 - Mics 6, 7 and 8 Gain Issue?

Philippe Guillaume wrote:

Thank you DamsZik for reporting this bug, we will investigate it.

Thank you very much Philippe!

The support just answered me that they "are aware of this bug and hope to have that one fixed in one of the next updates"

Last edited by DamsZik (03-11-2025 15:13)