Topic by mowerm

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Topic: "Voicing" with standard or pro?

While I do love the piano's I have in Pianoteq (Steinway & K2) the piano I would actually buy and compose with is a Schimmel K132T upright. I can't entirely explain why but I'm in love with its sound. Sadly I am a few € short of doing that. So, Pianoteq…

Sadly the U4 emulation sounds very bright to my ears, not at all what I am looking for in. This it seems like a good emulation as the U4 I played was very similar and I didn't enjoy it very much either.

However I recently came across a thread talking about acoustic pianos and comparing Japanese & German sound and it was claimed that using "voicing" (which as I understand it involved changing the felt on the hammers to change the sound) you could transform something like a U4 into something more like a K132.

I was wondering if the kind of changes you can make with the Standard, or Pro, editions would allow you to "revoice" the U4 upright?

Thanks.

Matt

Last edited by mowerm (17-03-2019 23:06)

Reply by LTECpiano

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Re: "Voicing" with standard or pro?

Check out the recording posted by Bernard at 18:06 today.  It is a good example of the custom voicing that can be done to the Pianoteq models.

Lanny

Last edited by LTECpiano (18-03-2019 12:37)

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Reply by mowerm

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Re: "Voicing" with standard or pro?

LTECpiano wrote:

Check out the recording posted by Bernard at 18:06 today.  It is a good example of the custom voicing that can be done to the Pianoteq models.

Lanny

Hi Lanny,

Thanks for the response.

I think I see the post you mean and have watched the video but I'm not familiar with that piano so I can't tell how he's changed it for that performance. I don't understand very much about voicing - as much as I got was changing the felt on the hammers - so I'm not quite sure how the controls under the "voicing" panel map to that process.

I'd be willing to upgrade to Standard if I could get the U4 to sound something more like the Schimmel… but the 132 has, as I understand it, an unusual soundboard for an upright so I'm not quite how far you could go in that direction without PT modelling it directly. But I would be interested to find out.

At £100 the upgrade is a little too expensive for me to take a bet on.

Thanks anyway.

Matt

Reply by bm

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Re: "Voicing" with standard or pro?

mowerm wrote:
LTECpiano wrote:

Check out the recording posted by Bernard at 18:06 today.  It is a good example of the custom voicing that can be done to the Pianoteq models.

Lanny

Hi Lanny,

Thanks for the response.

I think I see the post you mean and have watched the video but I'm not familiar with that piano so I can't tell how he's changed it for that performance. I don't understand very much about voicing - as much as I got was changing the felt on the hammers - so I'm not quite sure how the controls under the "voicing" panel map to that process.

I'd be willing to upgrade to Standard if I could get the U4 to sound something more like the Schimmel… but the 132 has, as I understand it, an unusual soundboard for an upright so I'm not quite how far you could go in that direction without PT modelling it directly. But I would be interested to find out.

At £100 the upgrade is a little too expensive for me to take a bet on.

Thanks anyway.

Matt

In a few months, with Pianoteq pro I will work to build a spectrum profile for my 1993 Schimmel C130 upright piano, when it will be tuned again and slightly harmonized (like every year). This profile will be applied to the upright U4 model and then proposed on the Pianoteq fxp corner.
(At this moment I'm working again on the recording I made last summer on our 1899 Erard "grand modèle - model No 2" of 2.48m parallel strings). This Erard is being applied on the Erard 1922 model of the Kivir collection - with big surprises at the moment on the difference between the string lengths of pianoteq on this Kivir model, when we compare on a given note the Partial correspondence between pianoteq pro and the real instrument (need to adjust the length of strings according to the note between 1m and 2,45m - which considerably improves the virtual instrument, without even touching the spectrum profile ... I found this Erard Kivir a little less good since Pianoteq 6, perhaps a problem of modeling the length of the strings with the parallel strings?)
// For Matt, the mp3 demonstrations on the fxp corner show also what we can expect from Pianoteq standard version - in addition to the many possibilities of sound adjustment), which I think really worth it.

Bruno

Last edited by bm (19-03-2019 07:32)

Reply by mowerm

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Re: "Voicing" with standard or pro?

bm wrote:

// For Matt, the mp3 demonstrations on the fxp corner show also what we can expect from Pianoteq standard version - in addition to the many possibilities of sound adjustment), which I think really worth it.
Bruno

Thanks for the pointer. Unfortunately, the demos based on the U4 don't sound particularly different - with a "brightness" perspective - from the stock U4 to my ears.

Matt

Reply by Amen Ptah Ra

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Re: "Voicing" with standard or pro?

Say, Matt, I have read your posts.  Man, just get the demo of Pianoteq Standard downloaded onto your computer and play with all of its parameters  —without any obligation!

You have two different kinds of equalizers (including one with a virtually infinite number of edit points) and Spectrum profile and Soundboard parameters in Pianoteq Standard.  These alone may allow you to arrive at your desired tone, following a short learning curve.

You have also absolutely nothing to lose  —with a free download you can test indefinitely!

Pianoteq 8 Studio Bundle, Pearl malletSTATION EM1, Roland (DRUM SOUND MODULE TD-30, HandSonic 10, AX-1), Akai EWI USB, Yamaha DIGITAL PIANO P-95, M-Audio STUDIOPHILE BX5, Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 DSP.

Reply by Qexl

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Re: "Voicing" with standard or pro?

I'm always happy to say to new or potential new upgraders, that the water is fine - jump on in.

You certainly can make any piano sound much different with all the tools in Standard and Pro (or save up for Studio for ultimate value, if you suspect you will want to collect all instruments). Plainly the best money I have spent on anything in musical life over 40 years. It's a modern miracle to me - after all the years putting up with really queasy MIDI digital products (excellent efforts for the era - so not just a put down etc) but now, Pianoteq is literally the only software piano I bother with.

Take a look at the Pianoteq references page - and you will see the word Grammy there more than 20 times - the list of genuinely stellar music identities who use Pianoteq is surely worth more than just my "yes, you can edit the heck out of it" endorsement I think Modartt is a sincere and modest group - but quietly this software has been progressing marvellously and hasn't stopped.

I've linked this in another thread recently, iirc the person was saying the U4 wasn't convicing..

anyway I think this sums up well, that the U4 (even version 4) is able to be bright, dark, convincing etc. and so on..

Steve Nieve, Man With A Musical Lighter.

I'm sure that if you're loving editing you own unique sounds, this place will become a regular visit for you, and you'll end up with Pro before you know it. It is that good. I am you - a while ago - or was - or something like that

That's my personal and honest opinion and I'm here 'bothering' Pianoteq forum readers because other users of this forum first gave me good reason to look deeper into Pianoteq - and I am so glad I did - there really isn't anything else like it in my workflow.

Small, quick, editable in incredible ways - not limiting me to just particular vibe - remarkable diversity in all things to do with piano, as well as solid effects and excellent VST capabilities.

Pianoteq Studio Bundle (Pro plus all instruments)  - Kawai MP11 digital piano - Yamaha HS8 monitors