Hi everyone
What's the closest file I can get to emulate a Yamaha C5 Grand? (Conservatory model)
I suspect somebody might say YC5 - which I think is more of a rock sound - but I have to ask anyway.
(I hope the question is OK for this forum, not sure if I can mention brand names)
Thanks
Sadly enough I don't own the YC5 up to now, and don't play it too often, as I am the typical "pianoteq is SO great I should buy everything" musician^^.
As nobody answered, I just hope to get the ball rolling by adding a few thoughts, none of which strictly answers the Yamaha-Grand-question.
I hope others who maybe even played (or, dreaming here, own^^) a Yamaha C5 grand, might answer. I of course have no "here is it"-fxp for you.
Usually I do things like these (in my case with my beloved, not so new and not so much talked about Bechstein -pianoteq. I really love that, and always want to learn more about real Bechsteins).
1. in your case you got 3 models of the Yamaha with YC5. Play them, try fxp-corner and find out which one gets you nearest to your classical grand sound and away from a rock-piano (for which it also is sold), and change the obvious parameters. Find out (I don't know so very well) what distinguishes rock-pianos from classical ones or whatever you'd like, and look what you can do in Pianoteq.
2. Listen to music played with the Yamaha or similar models. For example, I have not the slightest clue which Yamaha Svajatoslav Richter played, but he loved the Yamaha Grands, and so I usually listen to music played with Bechsteins whereever I can find it. I bought the pro version of pianoteq then ( the best purchase ever in piano-country for me, I would sell my sample-based pianos if that would be allowed, but mostly it isn't). Then try to find out what you could change from one of your YC5-models to get a sound you like more than the one you have now.
3. By following my own advice, I usually listen to youtube (I know, the compressed sound and so on, and it's true also) like for example in your case http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTqBUDjd_Tg. This is wonderful for me as I learn about the insides of the piano, but doesn't get me much nearer to how I should change parameters on my Bechstein/your YC5-pianoteq^^. It just gets me off the track, but I learn a bit - and usually after some minutes I choose another one of my presets or take the Pleyel or Erard or D4 or a fortepiano - and just play, trying my original aim next time.
4. I experimented for weeks, always a few minutes up to 20 minutes so to not forget playing, and came up with nice, but nowhere near-to-the-original "Bechstein" sounds just by using each and every feature that made sense to me. So at least you might find some sounds with your YC5 you had no clue you were even searching for^^.
I got a really personal Bechstein that sounds like a wee little bit of a harpsichord mixed with a fortepiano too, I experimented with hammer hardness and hammer noise and a lot more; or I got a funny sitar-like (well.....er, kind of^^) (drum-roll fades rather quickly, he he) Bechstein sitar by going unrealistically up with the blooming energy and experimenting with the blooming inertia. you know that you can "freeze" some parameters in pianoteq so they apply to all YC5-s you load too. Then you find this too verby that too dull or bright, change it....play with this...and after 15 minutes you get something you like and you start to play the piece you just want to . Can be much fun, and usually - for me - leads to me playing much more piano like I did with those sample-based pianos.
5. On a more realistic level, I sometimes look into "how work the parmeters in that D4 sound" (K1, M3 and so on). It rarely fits into my Bechstein "dreams", but sometimes you learn a lot by back-following how this and that was made.
(6. I bought a few IR-libraries and love to experiment with those in the 4th version of pianoteq. That too doesn't change a rock piano into a classical grand, but it is fun.)
Well, that is what comes to mind right now. In a few hours or days a YC5-player will chime in....I hope and will tell you how to get the not-rock-YC5-sound better.
Otherwise - all the best to you.
Klemperer, thank you so much for taking the time to provide such a detailed response.
I'm very new to Pianoteq and just 'feeling my way'.
I'm not really looking for the YC5 sound.
I have a Yamaha C5 Grand (6'7") which I love (I play mainly jazz).
It has a nice bright ambiance, for me which is perfect for jazz, and I was trying to find a Pianoteq instrument that gives that same sound. I came close with the D4 but found there was generally too much reverb. As I get more familiar I suppose can experiment, but was hoping somebody already had gone down that path.
Thanks again for your comments, and I welcome any other input/comments.
Trevor
Interesting topic...
When YC5 was introduced for pianoteq, I remamber that I had requested a special adjustment, a preset, for a non-rock version, but since I was the only one requesting the the idea died.
With pianoteq pro you can try to adjust along keyboard range, note by note if needed, but it's not a easy task.
Klemperer, thank you so much for taking the time to provide such a detailed response.
I'm glad you like the post, as it was slightly off topic . But you know what, I ended up buying YC5 also, he he :-), just a few minutes after my post.
Beto-music, you and me are three now - maybe some day we'll get a non-rock yc5 preset that is slightly nearer to what you want to achieve.
And having a Yamaha C5 at home must be something like - paradise!
All the best to you both, maybe there's another one who can contribute something to the classical or jazzy sound.