Topic by JoeJoe

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Topic: Feurich 218 .FXP help

Hi everyone,

I am a huge fan of Paul Barton’s videos, and for a long time, I have been trying to replicate the specific character of the Feurich 218 he uses in some of his recordings.

There is a unique quality to his sound that I find very hard to dial in. It feels incredibly warm and intimate. It is almost like the listener is sitting right inside the piano.

The Reference: This video is the perfect example (specifically from 1:27 to 2:03):(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg63ITXfr_s)

Most presets I try sound too "clean" or "glassy" in comparison.
1.  The Attack: I’m looking to eliminate that "bell-like" ring. Paul’s piano has a soft, wooden "thud" to the attack (suggesting very soft/needle-voiced hammers?).
2.  The Ambience: Even though this is an indoor recording, it sounds incredibly dry and direct, with very little "room" sound washing over the notes.
3.  The Mechanics: There is a distinct presence of mechanical noise (damper lift/key release) that gives it a physical, tactile feel.

Has anyone managed to create a `.fxp` that leans in this direction? Or does anyone have tips on which instrument pack (Steinway, Ant. Petrof, Grotrian?) would be the best base to start tweaking for this specific "woody" character?

Any help or shared presets would be greatly appreciated!

Reply by daniel_r328

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Re: Feurich 218 .FXP help

Hey JoeJoe!

1. I suspect the mellowness of the attack comes from the room ambience. My secret weapon for this is to run Pianoteq's output through a wood impulse response. The free MConvolutionEz plugin comes with a wood box IR that is perfect for that.
2. You want the early reflections to dominate the late tail of the reverb. That balance can be set in any reverb tool including Pianoteq's built in reverb module.
3. There are three things for you to control the mechanical intimacy of the sound: "Hammer noise" in the design panel; the various noise sliders in the action panel; and the mics panel (closer mics = more mechanical pickup). Personally I find hammer noise most crucial and I prefer moving the mics around as this will allow me to change the balance without making the noises unnatural - I then just use the action panel for final tweaks.

Bonus tip: Set the condition slider to something between 0.3-0.4 to match the "lived-in" sound from the youtube video.

In terms of base models, I would probably shortlist the Petrofs (because they have the same singing quality in the sustain), the Steingraeber (as it has the most beautiful percussive attack imo) and the Steinway B (the most intimate-sounding starting point).

Reply by JoeJoe

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Re: Feurich 218 .FXP help

daniel_r328 wrote:

Hey JoeJoe!

1. I suspect the mellowness of the attack comes from the room ambience. My secret weapon for this is to run Pianoteq's output through a wood impulse response. The free MConvolutionEz plugin comes with a wood box IR that is perfect for that.
2. You want the early reflections to dominate the late tail of the reverb. That balance can be set in any reverb tool including Pianoteq's built in reverb module.
3. There are three things for you to control the mechanical intimacy of the sound: "Hammer noise" in the design panel; the various noise sliders in the action panel; and the mics panel (closer mics = more mechanical pickup). Personally I find hammer noise most crucial and I prefer moving the mics around as this will allow me to change the balance without making the noises unnatural - I then just use the action panel for final tweaks.

Bonus tip: Set the condition slider to something between 0.3-0.4 to match the "lived-in" sound from the youtube video.

In terms of base models, I would probably shortlist the Petrofs (because they have the same singing quality in the sustain), the Steingraeber (as it has the most beautiful percussive attack imo) and the Steinway B (the most intimate-sounding starting point).

Thanks for this, Daniel! I played with it for a while, and I made some progress. It turns out it is very difficult to get a sound that is both clear and warm (in the context of the recording). This job may be for a professional. Do you know if anyone offers a service like this?