Pianoteq 6 Standard or Stage ( Mac versions )

Hi midiw,

You can see a checklist here on the Pianoteq 6 product information page.

Pianoteq has a lot of things built into the interface, so keep in mind, some things may be a click away.

Opening "Help", you can select to read the manual - it does contain a lot of info, even if you just skim the contents to see how deep it goes..

There are a few diffs between Stage and Standard:

• Standard has everything included with Stage but an extra instrument at purchase. (Stage = 2, Standard = 3, Pro = 3, Studio = All instruments plus any new ones for a following year which is the least expensive way to get the complete collection in the end - worth considering if you contemplate collecting all over time).

• Can load and fully hear/play Pro edited FXP (preset) files (Stage can't load/play 'deep' edited or note-per note settings - this is pretty good reason to get Standard, if you don't expect or want to do your own deep FXP editing)

• Piano model tweaking *just not note-per-note editing except for volume and detune, so you can experience what you might be able to do with around 30 other deeper params

• Advance tuning (try clicking the little 'u' on interface to get the settings page - you can edit or load tunings (.scl and other formats)

• Microphone settings - kind of god-level stuff compared, +++ worth it IMO

• Load external reverb impulse files - this is handled extremely well in Pianoteq, using it often instead of other reverb units

If you go Pro:

• Thousands of editable overtones

• Note-per-note edit - this capability is like the moment you are bitten by a radioactive spider - what you do with this power is up to you!

• Supports up to 192 kHz audio, whereas Stage and Standard are at 48 kHz

Here are notes copied from the page with commonly sought info:

[1] During registration, you can choose two instrument packs with the Stage version, three with the Standard version and four with the PRO version. [EDIT TO ADD] Modartt: may I suggest that you add mention of the Studio offering here also

[2] In PIANOTEQ Stage, preset loading is limited to parameters that are present in the interface. Presets built with PIANOTEQ PRO can be loaded in PIANOTEQ Standard without limitation.

[3] PIANOTEQ PRO lets you edit 30 parameters for each note on your keyboard. In PIANOTEQ Standard, you can explore this feature with the volume and the detune parameter.

[4] PIANOTEQ PRO offers an internal sample rate of up to 192 kHz. Up to 48 kHz in PIANOTEQ Stage and Standard.

Hope that gives a glimpse.. if you click the link above, you can also click through to more detailed pages for both.. or I should put those here too for simplicity..

Info for Pianoteq Stage

Info for Pianoteq Standard

Info for Pianoteq Pro

Info for Pianoteq Studio

You're most welcome midiw, thank you - nice to help you and anyone searching.

Here's the Pianoteq upgrades page.

The upgrade path in Pianoteq is absolutely fair. If you start with Stage and upgrade to Standard and then Pro will only be 10EU more in total. Upgrade from Stage to Standard has no 'penalty' cost. The 10 bump comes from the upgrade from Standard to Pro.

This way, you can confidently join in with some comfort that you're not financially putting yourself at a disadvantage by starting on even the entry level.

Here's a snapshot as of today in Euros...

Instrument (per)
49

Stage
129

Standard
249

Pro
369

Studio
799

upgrade Stage to Standard
120

upgrade Standard to Pro
130

So if you bought Stage and upgraded > Standard, you'd be even (total 249).

If you bought Standard and upgraded > Pro, you'd be out an extra 10.

Studio is a whole other kind of bargain really but the cost savings across the entire range of instruments is super. To buy Studio to unlock all instruments instead of one by one purchasing the 20 or so of them individually would be where biggest savings are to be found in Pianoteq - but that's only of course if you would want to acquire the collection. (I couldn't resist the extra features of Pro but also realised that I would eventually collect all instruments and this I calculated saved me something approaching 500EU, depending on specials or bundles which do happen occasionally).

I recollect dipping my toes with Standard - which will certainly be a perfectly balanced level of features for most. Stage, just as good as starting point - you may find you are completely satisfied without anything extra - it's not so much that the sound is greatly lesser for home use, but that mainly our ability to edit (like a piano tuner or recording producer) is improved up the range as you'd expect.

If Pro has a question mark, then Standard will answer it quite well. So definitely, if cost is currently a deciding factor, I think Pianoteq is one of the few software items I recommend saving up for.

On upgrading, I chose to stretch myself to Studio and can't tell you how this is still felt to be my best expenditure on software of any kind. I have stated that a few times here and still it holds very true to me - not just for the audio, the instruments, features etc. but the support, community and the great sense of being so unbelievably lucky (while circling the Sol on this 3rd rock by chance) to own such a collection of great instruments which I could certainly never afford to own if they were sitting in a music museum/studio That would cost so many millions, there would be few who would/could. I do feel this is one of the best uses of technology and so happy to have found it.