Topic by Amen Ptah Ra

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Topic: Piano Sonata Op. 1, III. Choral et Variations (pre & post production)

Piano Sonata Op. 1, III. Choral et Variations

This audio visual of Piano Sonata Op. 1, III. Choral et Variations has been created by various softwares and plugins: but basically by two softwares which are of course PIANOTEQ PRO and SeeMusic.

The audio portion comes from a MIDI XP file taken from a Yamaha Disklavier (concert grand) piano performance.  That was subsequently made for distribution with software designed and coded by Dr. John Q. Walker entrepreneur and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus who since the early competition first began in 2002 has been recording the Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition in association with the School of Music at the University of Minnesota.

The highly illustrative keyboard video portion I with the aid of SeeMusic created, essentially, out of the e-Piano Junior Competition entry of the composer Henri Dutilleux composition, Piano Sonata Op. 1, III. Choral et Variations, as performed by junior contestant Feng Bian from China.  Whose original performance of this piece Piano Sonata Op. 1, III. Choral et Variations took place at Fairbanks, Alaska just as it was captured there in 2018.

Thusly my rerecording is made possible in a large part here through the two (2) softwares SeeMusic —developed by Visual Music Design— and of course PIANOTEQ true modeling from the organization that is MODARTT: Models and Data for Arts and Technology.  The PIANOTEQ default preset I customized and changed in PIANOTEQ PRO is the YC5 Solo Recording to make it sound very much a modern piano match to the piece. The other audio softwares have been used toward my pre-production engineering (mixing) and also as I was finalizing or mastering the video audio indeed to stream it.

I excepting my end user agreements at MODARTT and one at Visual Music Design, have no other affiliations expressly with any of the others specifically mentioned (above).  I've none whatsoever obliging me to them!

Please post your questions here and subscribe even to my brand new YouTube channel.  Which is where I will post playlists of other high quality recordings.

Personally, I feel glad now especially when an International Piano-e-Competition can make numerous very note worthy performances from up and coming talent like Feng's available  —and whenever because of it contestants like he are indeed free to receive sorely needed exposure now opened to a larger community and general public.


Plugins used in the audio portion of the video (above) are as follows:

  1. MeldaProduction MAutoStereoFix

  2. Sonible smart EQ2, smartComp, smartReverb

  3. Sonnox Oxford Inflator

  4. Waves PuigChild, PuigTec MEQ5, PuigTec EQP1A

  5. u-he Satin (tape machine)

  6. sound theory Gullfoss

  7. iZotope Ozone 9 (Equalizer 1, Dynamics, Dynamic EQ, Spectral Shaper, Imager, and Maximizer)

  8. brainworx bx_refinement

  9. iZotope RX 7 (Phase module)


Plugin order is as listed (above) with the only exception Sonnox Oxford Inflator precedes Sonible smartReverb.

Numbered #1 through #5 were used in preproduction, while the remainder made up my postproduction.

Last edited by Amen Ptah Ra (19-09-2020 00:22)
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 Amen Ptah Ra

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Re: Piano Sonata Op. 1, III. Choral et Variations (pre & post production)

Piano Sonata Op. 1, III. Choral et Variations

This audio only version is meant as used in a comparison to the video (above).  It is from my preset used in the YouTube video, however without any effects and pre and post processes whatsoever added outside PIANOTEQ software.

It is of course available as both a SoundClould download and PIANOTEQ preset download when combined with the accompanying MIDI XP:

https://forum.modartt.com/file/14733a6x

BianF11XP.MID

NOTE EDIT: I neglected to switch back on the COMPENSATION LEVEL of the preset.

Last edited by Amen Ptah Ra (03-10-2020 05:30)
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 Borealis

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Re: Piano Sonata Op. 1, III. Choral et Variations (pre & post production)

Interesting !

My question is : is it necessary to use so many plugins to have a "dirty" sound, although you could believe it's an acoustic piano you recorded during the 60's-70's ?

If it is an esthetic aspect, why not ?

Reply by Amen Ptah Ra

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Re: Piano Sonata Op. 1, III. Choral et Variations (pre & post production)

Choose your words carefully!  (Smile.)

The plugins I used to arrive at the overall sound that resulted in the audio portion of the video presentation are all entirely necessary components of it.  Each of them individually factored in my pre or post production:

  1. MeldaProduction MAutoStereoFix was used as an alternative to internal PIANOTEQ COMPENSATION (LEVEL & DELAY).  It separately outputs a balanced mic level and delay compensation based over time from mic input.  Additionally, it introduces spectrum and phase corrections to potentially problematic stereo mic placements.

  2. From Sonible smart EQ2, smartComp, and smartReverb these artificial intelligence (AI) based plugins reduced unwanted resonances caused by nodes, and computed equalizer, compressor and reverb settings from data on instrument profiles

  3. Sonnox Oxford Inflator used after compression and before reverb, raised the dynamic range in a musical way and added lower harmonics following the compressor, all to go into the reverb plugin.

  4. Waves PuigChild, PuigTec MEQ5, and PuigTec EQP1A were used as process and effects on the signal now affected by reverberations and made some still apparent resonances very musical after my adjustments.

  5. u-he Satin (tape machine) adds a tape like saturation

  6. sound theory Gullfoss was utilized specifically as an AI based mastering level equalizer to fine tune yet some remaining resonances whether they were surgically recovered or tamed.  By it at the mastering level the extremities high and low spectrum frequencies have been reduced to increase the presence in the middle.

  7. iZotope Ozone 9 (Equalizer 1, Dynamics, Dynamic EQ, Spectral Shaper, Imager, and Maximizer) AI was used essentially to make my audio ready to stream.  Although, I had to rid the resultant audio of some harsh high frequency content via the Spectral Shaper module and adjust the stereo image into bands afterwards through the Imager module

  8. brainworx bx_refinement I used to get the overall tone and impression I wanted to come across YouTube.

  9. iZotope RX 7 (Phase module) decreased the occurrences of unlistenable spikes.

Last edited by Amen Ptah Ra (19-09-2020 00:23)
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 Borealis

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Re: Piano Sonata Op. 1, III. Choral et Variations (pre & post production)

I had no intention to offense you (smile). All that i wanted to say, is we are so accustomed to a "clean" sound...
I know some of these plugins, thank you for all the description !

It is just my feel, not the voice of a master. However, your processed recording sounds real. And my first word was : interesting ( in a positive way)

Reply by Amen Ptah Ra

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Re: Piano Sonata Op. 1, III. Choral et Variations (pre & post production)

I’m glad you found it interesting.

Thank you, for your feedback.  I really do appreciate it!

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.