I am currently using Pianoteq (Pro) as standalone only. I have Audacity and wonder if I can play Pianoteq through it. I have followed the instructions in Audacity for loading Pinaoteq, but when I restart it does not appear in the effects window. Am I doing something wrong, or doesn't Audacity support Pianoteq? Just to make this clear, if it isn't already clear from this post, I know nothing!
Bill
You should check the VST instances of Pianoteq. During the installation of the Pianoteq you are asked if you want the VST or RTAS, or whatever else in that list, to be installed along with a standalone version, and where it should be installed (most people leave default suggestion). I'm not familiar with Audacity but you should check in the preferences what folders does it look to load the VST's. Also check if both Audacity version and the VST's you are going to use are the same x86 or x64 type of architecture.
According to the manual :
"Real-time VST effects and VST instrument (VSTi) plugins are not currently supported."
Then, I would be surprised to see Pianoteq supported by Audacity.
Yes. I just took a closer look at the Audacity manual and it seems that the program will detect the plugin but not install it. That's what fooled me. Does anyone know of a free program that does support Pianoteq?
There should be LMMS (Linux MultiMedia Studio... which run also on Windows) and Anvil Studio, which support VSTi.
One thing I dislike with LMMS is that the recording can't be exported to a MIDI file... this could be usefull if we decide to use an other software.
Anvil Studio is the opposite : its file format is MIDI, but the audio export is limited to 1 minutes without an option which is not free (Multi-Audio : 19$ or Pro-Mix : 29$). Anyway... you can edit the MIDI file on Anvil Studio and when every thing is ok, load it on Pianoteq and use its export to audio function (if the piano is the only instrument).
Of course you should look at REAPER.......
You have to buy a license once, for some 50 dollar or so. But it does EVERYTHING!!
We use it for playing all kinds of VST instruments, and it comes with a lot of built-in (FX) effects already.
It is frequently used by a lot of musicians nowadays, since the steinberg and SONAR products are a lot more expensive.
I have givens some tutorials on it, for people who use it as a DAW for playing the Hauptwerk virtual pipe organ. It has the benefit, among other things, that you can record your MIDI als well as the audio output, on the fly, and edit things afterwards if you like.
You can even play more than one instance of Pianoteq at the same time, or use software synthesers etc.
And its inbuilt mixer makes the mixer software of your soundcard superfluous, and is much more intuitive.
Etc, etc......
The free version of Mulab also supports Pianoteq.
Thanks everybody for all the suggestions. Of all of those the "Reaper" looks the best. I know i said free, but the free options seem to have limitations and Reaper is rather inexpensive. Thanks again everybody.
Bill