Topic by mike1127

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Topic: Easy to set longer decay time?

I have Stage and might need to upgrade to get this setting, but would it be easy to configure a longer decay time for held notes? I.e. they are audible for longer while held, particularly if other notes are happening at the same time. Can this be done without disrupting any other aspect of the sound?

In fact, the significant thing is not necessarily the rate by which the amplitude decays, but the rate at which the high harmonics decay and lose presence. A note that gets quiet quickly is okay if the high harmonics are decaying only slowly.

Reply by EvilDragon

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Re: Easy to set longer decay time?

You'll need to upgrade to do that.

Hard work and guts!

Reply by mike1127

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Re: Easy to set longer decay time?

Yes, but what are the options? Is there an option called "decay rate"? Can I affect the rate of decay of the high harmonics in particular?

Reply by Gilles

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Re: Easy to set longer decay time?

mike1127 wrote:

Yes, but what are the options? Is there an option called "decay rate"? Can I affect the rate of decay of the high harmonics in particular?

The Soundboard Cutoff and Q factor sliders available in the Standard and Pro versions do just that, controlling the presence and decay of higher partials.

Reply by Piet De Ridder

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Re: Easy to set longer decay time?

'Direct Sound Duration' also has a big impact on the decay.

_

Reply by SteveLy

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Re: Easy to set longer decay time?

You could do what electric guitarists do and use a compressor. I believe the effect is available on the Stage version. Or you could use an external one. Not as good as something that's built into the piano model but it works. If it's for gigs/church/etc it will definitely do the job. I use it sometimes.

Last edited by SteveLy (08-06-2016 08:31)
3/2 = 5

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Reply by mike1127

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Re: Easy to set longer decay time?

SteveLy wrote:

You could do what electric guitarists do and use a compressor. I believe the effect is available on the Stage version. Or you could use an external one. Not as good as something that's built into the piano model but it works. If it's for gigs/church/etc it will definitely do the job. I use it sometimes.

I have used that for special effects, but for this I want beautiful sound. I mean classic, beautiful piano sound. Compressors and electrical guitars are beautiful, too.

I already bought the Standard version. I've been playing with the parameters. I'm using Pianoteq for rendering MIDI files which I generate by computer, and the problem I was having yesterday was the notes died too quickly. And now I can change that, and a whole lot more, too. Mic choices and mixing affects the musical feeling I want out of the pieces as much as the decay rate.

Initially I moved the sliders for various parameters a lot, but I'm discovering that the sound gets a little too "weird" and loses some general utility, so I'm now moving them only a little--but I can get a big change when more than one parameter works together toward my musical ends.

Reply by SteveLy

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Re: Easy to set longer decay time?

Sweet. The Std is a big step up from Stage and the Pro is just nuts for how much control it gives the user. I have the Pro version but almost every time I play I just use settings also available in Std. The Pro version is too easy to get lost in and spend hours a night on creating your own instruments. It's like minecraft for the ears but 100x better.

3/2 = 5

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Reply by Chopin87

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Re: Easy to set longer decay time?

mike1127 wrote:
SteveLy wrote:

You could do what electric guitarists do and use a compressor. I believe the effect is available on the Stage version. Or you could use an external one. Not as good as something that's built into the piano model but it works. If it's for gigs/church/etc it will definitely do the job. I use it sometimes.

I have used that for special effects, but for this I want beautiful sound. I mean classic, beautiful piano sound. Compressors and electrical guitars are beautiful, too.

I already bought the Standard version. I've been playing with the parameters. I'm using Pianoteq for rendering MIDI files which I generate by computer, and the problem I was having yesterday was the notes died too quickly. And now I can change that, and a whole lot more, too. Mic choices and mixing affects the musical feeling I want out of the pieces as much as the decay rate.

Initially I moved the sliders for various parameters a lot, but I'm discovering that the sound gets a little too "weird" and loses some general utility, so I'm now moving them only a little--but I can get a big change when more than one parameter works together toward my musical ends.

Since I heard a lot of non pianist who do the same I think it is worth asking: have you tried using the sustain pedal (midi CC64)?

Last edited by Chopin87 (08-06-2016 13:46)
"And live to be the show and gaze o' the time."  (William Shakespeare)

Reply by mike1127

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Re: Easy to set longer decay time?

Chopin87 wrote:

Since I heard a lot of non pianist who do the same I think it is worth asking: have you tried using the sustain pedal (midi CC64)?

I play the piano.

Reply by cpcohen

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Re: Easy to set longer decay time?

Chopin87 wrote:

. . .
Since I heard a lot of non pianist who do the same I think it is worth asking: have you tried using the sustain pedal (midi CC64)?

Holding down a key with the sustain pedal,

vs

holding down a key without the sustain pedal --

. . . the note's decay time is essentially the same.

That's how an acoustic piano works, and I bet the Pianoteq designers got it right.

.        Charles