Any C3 midrange tweaks suggestions to add clarity?

Michael,

have you tried a third party reverb? I use PSP PianoVerb which I find works really quite well. See what you think with it's various presets. Besr of all, it's free!

http://www.pspaudioware.com/plugins/rev...pianoverb/

Chris

Michael, which preset are you using?

Occurs to me that something else I've been doing is reducing the volume on the PianoTeq interface to about -6, so that the relation between the force I exert and the volume is about the same as though I was playing an older piano or a piano with soft hammers. Sounds obvious, but it makes a big difference in the overall tone. (EDIT: I originally mistyped 0 for the setting.)

With the volume higher, I instead hear too many of the softer partials too distinctly, and the main freqs can get a little lost. If I'm not careful, I'll then play harder, probably trying to drown out the softer freqs, which of course doesn't work. Reducing the overall volume so I have to play harder brings out the clarity of the notes as they would naturally be brought out on a real piano. Let me know what you think. (This is in combination with the curves for the velocity and the curve for the pedal.)

You're right. Sorry--I  meant to say that I set it to -6. I'll correct it above, too.

With the limiter off, though, and using my keyboard set to a heavy action, I think I'd lower it still more, to about -11 or so. The idea being that the sound begins to growl a bit as I play hard enough to consider the sound loud.

Working with the Dynamics slider factors in here, too. Seems as though working with these parameters--the curves, the volume, the limiter, and the dynamics--can do a lot in terms of shaping the sound of the note at a particular loudness level. And then there are the hammers to harden or soften at the three levels. Trying out edits as I type, I'm finding I like having the Piano hammer level a little harder with this arrangement of the limiter off, and all of the above. But of course the various instruments are going to differ a lot in how these settings sound--the Erad just won't respond like the K1 to the same settings.

All in all, though, I would first try working with these basic controls, instead of the more intriguing controls, to get the basic timbre to volume and force right.

What are other people doing?

I don't use the limiter for the simple reason that the limiter distorts the signal.  (to varying degrees, depending on the signal level and the settings of the limiter - one way or another, it's still distortion though) 

Leaving Pianoteq at volume 0, but with the limiter off, produces distortion too - and it's much more noticable and objectionable. The limiter tapers the signal as it approaches 100%, to control this distortion such that it sounds more pleasant.  However, I want to hear a pure, clean, signal, just as if I were playing a real piano. So, I turn the limiter off, and reduce Pianoteq's volume, to eliminate ALL distortion.

Yes, turning off the limiter does increase the dynamic range, strictly speaking, but that's not why I do it. The dynamic range can be controlled with the seperate "dynamics" slider anyway.  (although that doesn't control the dynamic range in exactly the same way as the limiter does)

I am not saying it's "wrong" for Pianoteq to have the limiter on by default - it's just not my preference.

I still listen at a realistically loud level - I simply turn my amp up to compensate.

Greg.