Topic by Lifeisgood72

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Topic: A tip to make Pianoteq sound better

Set all of the "note off velocities" in your midi to 62 - the default pianoteq outputs (when the midi value is 0) is 57. The only note-off velocities values which are real to how a real piano sounds are 61 and 62.

This gives pianoteq a slightly more realistic sound. Its more solid and gives it more of a "bounce" to the ends of notes like a real piano.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ppfph0...zOnR4/view
Note Off Velocity = 57 (0 in the midi)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vpwKOj...sp=sharing
Note Off Velocity = 62

Reply by dubc

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Re: A tip to make Pianoteq sound better

I sent a access request to hear the difference.

Reply by daniel_r328

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Re: A tip to make Pianoteq sound better

Heya, sorry I don't quite follow - do you mean change the incoming velocity value, or pianoteq's response curve value (ie. the horizontal or vertical value on the velocity curve)?

For me the default note-off pianoteq value is a flat 127 for each incoming midi velocity value, not 57 - and my incoming velocity is 64 (not that it matters because all values are getting mapped back to 127). If I change the flat level to 62, I find that the key and damper noises are sounding slightly later and the damping duration is increased.

I'm not sure that the later noise components are an improvement because they no longer match the key/damper returns timings of my (acoustic grand) action - but I guess that depends on what I'm playing. The change in damping duration I can appreciate as a change of the sound design, but why not just change the damping duration slider directly?

FWIW my guess is that the intended "default" duration is what you hear at a 127 velocity... because why else would they make that the default value?

Or maybe I completely misunderstand the tweak so please enlighten me

Reply by nook

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Re: A tip to make Pianoteq sound better

I want to try, but I can't find the set area

Reply by Stephen_Doonan

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Re: A tip to make Pianoteq sound better

When using MIDI keyboards that transmit a Note-Off value, this setting in Pianoteq works fine (as does the default Note-Off curve: 0=127, 127=127)--

https://i.imgur.com/aU2WIOu.png

--

Last edited by Stephen_Doonan (31-08-2025 19:05)
--
Linux, Pianoteq Pro, Organteq

Reply by brundlefly

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Re: A tip to make Pianoteq sound better

daniel_r328 wrote:

FWIW my guess is that the intended "default" duration is what you hear at a 127 velocity... because why else would they make that the default value?

I would agree. Surely if there were some fixed value that better reflected reality, Pianoteq would default to that...?

My keyboard transmits variable note-off velocity but my DAW does not record it and always transmits 64. As a result, I haven't experimented a lot, but I can't imagine there's a massive difference between 64 and 62. If there were, it would be difficult for a mere mortal performer like me to control the effect.

EDIT: After experimenting a bit, I have to revise my response. I still think there's very little difference between a fixed 64 and a fixed 62, but a fixed 127 is definitely unpleasant. I long ago changed the Note Off curve to pass the full range of 0-127 so Pianoteq gets the full range when I play it standalone, but in my DAW it always gets 64. I think I did that so soon after getting it that I never really experienced the fixed 127 value. So I tried it, and... yuck! It produces a very unpleasantly abrupt damping for anything other than very staccato notes.

So now I have to agree with the OP, if you don't have a keyboard that transmits variable Note Off velocity and have the curve set to pass the full range, by all means set the fixed value to something more moderate.

Last edited by brundlefly (11-09-2025 07:29)