Can't decide which grand pianos to choose!

Heya sb56637,

I'd suggest listening to each Pianoteq piano's demos on their pages on the website.. take time to listen "Is this how I like to play - and would I want to sound like this?". You'll narrow it down best that way, I think so anyway - hope that helps.

Give that enough time to be happy completely in your choices But - here's my current feelings if I were considering my first 2 Pianoteq pianos, knowing now, what I didn't then (or something to that effect

If you particularly like both Steinways, could be a fine set, to get them both.

For neo-classical improv I find it's really good to A/B between a large and a smaller piano. With the 2 Steinway pianos, you will have the ability to hear yourself playing 'in the same family' as such - the B, a smaller piano (like a lot of modern recordings) and the D, a larger one (like many concert recordings), allowing you to breathe into those roles, speaking artistically. Depending on your vision etc.. these both can clearly delineate your intent for any given session.

But having said that - I currently particularly enjoy the new Grand C. Bechstein DG. The Grand Ant. Petrof is also astoundingly wondrous to me also.

Since these are larger than the B, maybe I'd suggest either of those, plus the B. That way more variety, as against staying within one family.

Although... aha - it goes on For a large-ish piano, the Bluethner is deliciously inspiring (maybe my first love in the modern grand piano era) - and the Grand Steingraeber is fabulous also as a smaller match perhaps.

The Grand Steingraeber, to me, has maybe the best acoustic feel of a mid to large grand piano - it feels like it's smaller but the sound is wonderfully lyrical, like you might find in a rather smaller piano. As a smaller than D piano, it also has some features which make it very different (Mozart rail & I think a very beautiful una corda pedal sound throughout).. but then, if you really want smaller accompanying piano, make sure you don't miss out on buying or trying the Erard or Pleyel, Graf and others (sorry can't remember the packs they're each in ATM - some free, some paid).. - just fantastic older instruments, some with a sound still entirely modern - you might find many of these to your liking.

The free era instruments might knock your socks off for inspiration - they do for me after years.

You really can't go wrong in the end - any choice is going to be useful and extremely enjoyable IMO from experience - in my case I made a mission to collect them all with Studio version - happy Pianoteq-ing

[edit: withing to within]

Thanks to everyone for the replies! I finally went for the Steinway D and the Ant. Petrof. They definitely didn't disappoint! I liked how both of them have a lot of presets, so I feel like I'm getting more options between bright, dark, or warm tones.

As Qexl mentioned, the free historic instruments are also surprisingly good, although that "florid" honkeytonk timbre always reminds me of the broken "moldy oldie" pianos that I always played in friends' parlours and basements. Except these Pianoteq ones don't have broken keys, and are perfectly tuned, or at least they can be by adjusting them to 440hz.

So if you'll excuse me now, I'm going to put on my headphones now and lose myself in Pianoteq!

In reply David, on tuning - yes ideally I suggest anyone, don't just stick to standard tuning - even if creating modern music (consider how 'kids these days' ((yeh-i-kno-sry;)) use sampled loops of ye olden days piano - effective right? Why not DIY with Pianoteq of course) - if time permits and enthusiasm mounts, it's fascinating to discover more. I'm always discovering new ideas from tuning schemes.

Highly recommend following conversations about different tuning past to present and associated ideas on this forum and beyond.

David, your experience is quite unique and exceptional IMO - so I would take great stock in your opinions (even if I thought you to be wrong - which I don't), so glad to see you out and about, so to speak, to speak! propounding their various virtues.

Always I am attempting to remain mindful of the fact that opinions are not themselves rules - however a mind willing to understand the varied opinions of others, has most chance of gathering to ourselves the most extraordinary from these, to assume one's own improved opinions.

All the more talk of tuning schema the better IMO.

I love Hummel - and make a variance of Hummel 2 ('second bearing plan plus John Marsh's quasi-equal temperament' - from the description in scala file) with a 417 diapason which I feel relaxes the soul yet allows sensible excitation also. Hummel and thousands of tuning schemes are available freely in the Fokker collection often linked to from these forums - recently by dazric - easily found online, scala files search).

I would share it perhaps but in essence I make a single number change (which can be different for everyone - but I do adore Hummel2 as starting point) and remember to include Pianoteq's marvelous "Full Rebuild" (mostly for more modern instruments) vs. "String Tension" (on period instruments with diapason matched more closely) for additional "harmonic" stretching - works so beautifully with it.

Speaking of both the modern C. Bechstein DG or any really. Only some pre-classical music can seem too staid (loses something) with that IMO and broadly speaking - but I can listen to a huge variety of music without wanting to change tuning every 10 minutes with this tuning variant. Currently by coincidence listening to playback of a Handel's I. Adagio - sublime - an almost completely modern sound (little metal but hint, or haunting tails) with still, to me, all the intents left built into the musical key without as much to warrant a modern ear to be sat upright in confused concern - "Is this piano broken" "Sounds like one in a western film in a saloooon". To me, it sounds like a tuning even the composers back into late 1600s would understand. I feel it's my own vision to base my composing on - in perhaps we read of certain composers composing "for" a given tuning. For me, it gives me all the colours in the pallet at hand without quibble.

BTW yes, the Graf is one of my favourite pianos in the historical collection, also a favourite for me, is the 1949 Erard OMGGM (oh my goodness gracious me) almost an overall fav.

The historical collection hooked me in (said before, not sure how many times on this forum - then the Bluethner helped me appreciate modern grands to the extent now, that I'm in a sea of artistic possibilities using the wonders from the past with the tools of the future.

Super! - yeah absolutely love the condition slider at mild levels - esp. since we can right-click it and type in a different random seed. I think if the slider sits around 0.14 is just enough to elicit some real piano slur/singing, seems more realistic than being utterly perfect and also saves us from a lot of note editing just to get this kind of effect by itself.

Hear, hear!  Condition slider at 0.11 - 0.21 makes things REALLY believable, without making them sound 'bad'.

I am a beginner at piano and trying to learn these days by following a program that was recommended to me by my best friend. This one https://musicgny.com/piano-for-all-review/ still early stages. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to play songs on my piano.

Why compromise, just buy the entire package!