Topic: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

I'd never heard of Sound Magic before but someone posted about this on another forum and described it as;

"The playability is like pianoteq but it sounds WAAAAYYYY better."

Well it does sound different to Pianoteq and it's got a lovely clang on the low end but I wouldn't say it sounds better than PTQ in the demos. Sound Magic make several SW pianos and they're all based on a mixture of sampling and modelling, the Blue Grand is their latest.

I'd be interested in hearing what people think of it compared to PTQ - is it really as playable? What aspects of the sound are better, which are worse?

I can't try it as there's no Mac version.

http://www.soundemon.com/products/blueintro.htm

Last edited by BazC (02-12-2010 11:06)

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

To me, the variation of tone is just not subtle enough.

Curiously track 3 in their demo is titled "premiumcrap"? That's no way to sell a product!

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

fulvia wrote:

Curiously track 3 in their demo is titled "premiumcrap"? That's no way to sell a product!


LOL! I hadn't noticed that!

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

This looks familiar. I'm sure this featured in these forums before.
This one did:
http://www.soundemon.com/products/spdemo.htm

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

Personally I don't think this piano sounds nice at all. It sounds harsh / bright or clanky. Does anybody know the name of the Chopin song in the second demo track please?

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

ok I got it "Fantasie Impromptu"...beautiful

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

Yes it certainly sound brash next to Pianoteq particularly on that Chopin piece!

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

To my ears it also sounds as if the notes are not sustaining properly also. I also thought the same of "TruePianos" when I played it, it sounds similar to me in that regard.

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

I only listened to the first two samples, and my ears began to hurt before I was halfway. The upper partials in the higher register are really bad. Pianoteq is in another class altogether. Even my Triton LE with not too good amps sound better. Probably the only thing that will sound better than Pianoteq is a good grand piano.
cat

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

Crap !!!!!!!  Like all other hybrid (few sampled with few modelling)

I tested Imperial Grand.  No Sympathetic ressonance., Poor tone, poor color, poor dynamics.

I'm tired of just see new craps on competitors.

Last edited by Beto-Music (03-12-2010 18:43)

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

Beto-Music wrote:

Crap !!!!!!!  Like all other hybrid (few sampled with few modelling)

I tested Imperial Grand.  No Sympathetic ressonance., Poor tone, poor color, poor dynamics.

I'm tired of just see new craps on competitors.

Hey, stick with PianoTeq then eh?!

Last edited by sigasa (04-12-2010 01:20)

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

Hello All,

What can I say? ... the vendor is at the beginning of his learning curve.  He has much to learn, and requires feedback from his customers and demo users.  I have nothing but good wishes to the vendor, as he is embarking on a long journey of modeling a living and breathing piano.

The [lack of good] sound from the competitor's modeled pianos shows -- by comparison -- just how far that Pianoteq's product knowledge, applied mathematical expertise and the various modeled instruments have progressed in the past several years. 

Cheers,

Joe

Last edited by jcfelice88keys (04-12-2010 04:54)

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

jcfelice88keys wrote:

What can I say? ... the vendor is at the beginning of his learning curve.

Well not really at the beginning, Sound Magic was founded in 2007, Modartt released the first version of PTQ in Aug 2006 so they've been at this nearly as long as Modartt, I presume they're producing the kind of sound they're after. I think you're all being a bit hard on them, the piano's don't sound crap (and neither does TruePianos) but I don't think it sounds as good as PTQ. It's definitely harsh sounding particularly on the higher notes but the 4th demo is much mellower, still too hard on the higher notes but I like the bottom end. If they did a Mac version I'd definitely try the demo, I'll try the demo of TruePianos 2 when it eventually arrives too, I doubt whether either would replace PTQ for me though.

Last edited by BazC (04-12-2010 14:29)

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

BazC wrote:

Well not really at the beginning, Sound Magic was founded in 2007, Modartt released the first version of PTQ in Aug 2006 so they've been at this nearly as long as Modartt, I presume they're producing the kind of sound they're after.

Hello BazC,

I tried to choose my words carefully when talking about a company's efforts being at the beginning of the learning curve.  It seems to me that Modartt (in approximately four years plus development time prior to issuing Pianoteq Version I) has learned a great deal more than Sound Magic has learned in three years plus its own development time.

Sound Magic's focus seems to be aimed more at the peripherals at this time, than capturing the actual sound of a piano.  Witness, for example, all of the simulations of various name brand microphones.

The eventual success of any business venture depends upon the business listening to its customers needs and desires, and then acting upon them.  In my opinion, Modartt has been phenomenally successful because its constituents actually listen and respond to its customers' needs and desires.

Cheers,

Joe

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

jcfelice88keys wrote:

It seems to me that Modartt (in approximately four years plus development time prior to issuing Pianoteq Version I) has learned a great deal more than Sound Magic has learned in three years plus its own development time.

The eventual success of any business venture depends upon the business listening to its customers needs and desires, and then acting upon them.  In my opinion, Modartt has been phenomenally successful because its constituents actually listen and respond to its customers' needs and desires.

Cheers,

Joe

Joe:

I trust that I've quoted the important parts of your post.

In any event, what you've said is absolutely correct.  Being open minded and listening to your customer base are the keys to long term success.

Glenn

__________________________
Procrastination Week has been postponed.  Again.

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

Come on folks...

Let's cut this bull - of "modeled with few sampler".  There is no such thing. 
This software, or True Pianos and other similar, are just a sampler, a cheap low size sampler of few recorded sound bank for notes, and cheap algorithms to try to create more colors and some ressonance.

Modelled pianos, I mean true modelled pianos, are things like pianoteq and probably V-Piano.

Honestly, I feel offended, insulted, when I see the such advertsing of "inovative", "high-technology", and get a cheap poor piano sound and feeling.

I don't dare to call thess toys, cheap sampler plus cheap algorithms, as modelled.

Digital piano softwares it's a field like Photoshop plugin, almost anyone can get in, and as result you have some nice things, as Pianoteq and Ivory, and for other side you get this crap that try to be inovative, but are no more than a waste.

Last edited by Beto-Music (05-12-2010 05:18)

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

DonSmith wrote:

This looks familiar. I'm sure this featured in these forums before.
This one did:
http://www.soundemon.com/products/spdemo.htm

This software was discussed in this posting about a year ago:

http://www.forum-pianoteq.com/viewtopic...81&p=3

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

jcfelice88keys wrote:

Hello BazC,

I tried to choose my words carefully when talking about a company's efforts being at the beginning of the learning curve.  It seems to me that Modartt (in approximately four years plus development time prior to issuing Pianoteq Version I) has learned a great deal more than Sound Magic has learned in three years plus its own development time.

I know what you mean, you try to word your post so it won't be misunderstood and it still get's taken the wrong way, sorry. I wasn't meaning to argue with you, just adding some information.

@ DonSmith, thanks for the link, I must have read that before and forgotten about it! That thread discusses their old "Supreme Piano" though, the Blue Piano has only just been released so I would hope it's an improvement on the old one.

Beto-Music wrote:

Come on folks...

Let's cut this bull - of "modeled with few sampler".  There is no such thing.

I'm not sure why you say that, the latest offerings from Yamaha and Roland mix sampling with modelling and reputedly sound superb. I've not had a chance to try one but the recordings of the CP1 CP5 and CP50 plus Rolands superNatural pianos sound great to me.

I posted this because I found it interesting and thought others might too, I fancied trying the software and couldn't but I thought maybe someone else might like to try it and comment. Why it's engendered such hostility is beyond me though perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. I've often posted with enthusiasm about Pianoteq on other forums only to be told how crap PTQ is and that I should be using Ivory or whatever sampled piano they happen to favour.

I'm not sure why I bother. In my opinion they all have their merits and are all of interest. I've had it with this thread so by all means carry on and use it as you see fit.

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

I'm really sorry, BazC. I had no intention to offend you or your topic.

I think I used too strong adjetives.

It's just that it's the third software I tried, that claims this or that, but it's just a small databank of samples and simple algorithms.

I think I let such angry scapes, cause I was tired of be desapointed over and over.

Last edited by Beto-Music (05-12-2010 19:40)

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

BazC wrote:

I posted this because I found it interesting and thought others might too, I fancied trying the software and couldn't but I thought maybe someone else might like to try it and comment. Why it's engendered such hostility is beyond me though perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. I've often posted with enthusiasm about Pianoteq on other forums only to be told how crap PTQ is and that I should be using Ivory or whatever sampled piano they happen to favour.

There's surprisingly lot of fanaticism in the field of piano sound. I can clearly see it here and elsewhere too. Pianoteq is a marvelous product - no doubt about that - but it's not so perfect that there's no room for other options.

For me it's one nice addition to my acoustic and digital piano setup. Still I wouldn't sell my acoustic Kawai, Roland or Nord. In a way I like them all.
(Only thing I was very disappointed was Ivory (and II was not any better) and in fact I sold it. So to me it's no convincing to say something is better than Ivory...)

And yes, those companies like Roland and Nord are using technology which combine sampling and modeling with great success. For example my Nord Piano has a nice string resonance. So please guys, do not underestimate all those companies which are providing new piano sounds. Have tried for example Roland's Supernatural Pianos, Nord piano or new Yamahas?

IMO Pianoteq would become maybe even better if here on the forum we might hear more real arguments pro and against it. Now it seems to me that we only appraise it and dismiss others. (and similar thing is happening on the other forums like BazC said) Many professional players have in fact tried Pianoteq and felt that there were some nice features in it but sound was not good enough for them. How something can be developed if everybody think it's perfect...?

Last edited by Ecaroh (06-12-2010 09:19)

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

No I didnt said pianoteq is perfect.  I was kinda critic, times ago, in many aspects of the tone timbre.

I didn't mean that all samplers with modelled will always be crap. What I mean is that a small sample base, with simple algorithms, can't render a good result.

For other side, a wide sample databank, with several layers, pedal on and off samples, noises, plus very good algorithms, can render a interesthing result.

But this talkng of :  "Just 140MB of samples..." 
I can't get with that, case the marketing of low size for sampled base instrument, when HD of today reach already one therabyte, makes no sense.

If they want a good sampled-modelled instrument, they need get ride of this "low size politic."
It's a not a cheese,that is important to have low saturated fat, but it's just bits and byets.

Last edited by Beto-Music (06-12-2010 04:57)

Re: Sound Magic Blue Grand 3d

Beto-Music wrote:

I'm really sorry, BazC. I had no intention to offend you or your topic.

I think I used too strong adjetives.

It's just that it's the third software I tried, that claims this or that, but it's just a small databank of samples and simple algorithms.

I think I let such angry scapes, cause I was tired of be desapointed over and over.

Good of you to say so! In return I'll apologise if I came off as a Prima Donna but I get tired of threads degenerating into pissing matches. It's not just on piano forums either, I work in 3d graphics and 3d forums are no better, either the software you've dared to mention is crap (never different or I prefer something different) or the endless Windows/Mac war rears it's ugly head.

@Ecaroh - thanks for the info about Nord, I didn't know they were using modelling too.