How to reduce "punch"?

Which piano and preset are you using? Some of the pianos (Bechstein DG, for instance) do have quite a strong 'umf' in some presets, especially the close mic settings.

I did spend most of my time trying to tweak Bechstein. I tried extreme settings for mic distance and hammer noise and hardness. Also for string length, sympathetic resonance... Tried different mics. Whatever I do, punch is persistent.

I also tried with Petrof and Steinway D, but much less extensively.

Bechstein is the reason I bought Pianoteq. Should I just accept that Bechstein can't be that (artificially) mellow?

It is still strange to me that when I move mics all the way to the right, I still get prominent hammer punch. It wouldn't happen in live setup. I think.

I'm searching for one youtube video that has 'no punch' sound I would like to replicate, but I forgot a name of the composition so it takes time to find it.

Any ideas which Pianoteq piano or preset could give me the sound I'm searching for?

There are a few "felt-like" pianos in the Pianoteq FXP Corner, by others and myself.

I've made the following FXP (quite a few requests for felt piano type):

"Concept piano" FXP with a felt feel, ability for very soft playing, with still spark and rattle (middle pedal).

Concept piano Audio demo.

Some things to note,

obvs. just return whatever slider closer to defaults to bring back that aspect closer to reality if you need.

Hope it works at least as a starting point, I'll probably actually really enjoy using this myself.

Give it time, you'll eventually know what tool does exactly what to your sounds

Cheers.

P.S. IMO Gilles' advice is #1 re hammer sound.

[EDIT to remove an errant "The"]

Depending on the material being played, you might be able to blunt the note attacks by using a compressor effect with a fast attack setting. (The other settings being 'whatever works for your material', assuming anything does).

I was here in last two days, reading all your suggestions and trying to make this work. I was hoping I would finish it today to post so you can hear what kind of material it is. It is very minimalistic, almost 'one note at a time' material. But I failed.

No matter what I do punch is still bothersome. Eq (high pass at around 100hz), compression (fast attack time), low hammer noise, low hammer hardness (which gave a harp-like sound, almost as electric piano; I actually wanted full grand piano sound with as little hammer attack as possible)... I will study fxp's to try to figure this out.

It is somewhat underwhelming that Pianoteq lack tweak ability, I guess because of realism. Which is kinda strange to write.

But, thank you all for taking time to help me. I got replies in the same day, which was awesome.

...and you did try to reduce hammer noise, as someone else suggested?

I've uploaded an FXP:
SteinwayD274ConcertGrand1
In the FXP Corner.
I'm not sure how people insert their links to theirs

Pro version.
Basic tweaks among others;
OUTPUT: Dynamics and Volume.
Gain from the Effects Panel and Soft Pedal from Voicing.

What if there were absolutely no hammer sounds in a piano?

Here's a default Pianoteq preset, C. Bechstein DG Recording 2:

Same improv MIDI as above and below but with normal piano preset with hammers

And here's one example (of trillions possible) with most impact and hammer response removed, with some pushed elements. It uses the same MIDI improv as the audio I linked in a previous comment with a group of edited differences. It's not clinical by any means, it's somewhat produced (by nature of killing off transients artificially will probably lead to non-reality but would be interesting to try in earnest maybe), but anyway gives a general idea of what overtones and swarming swelling tails of musical sonic mana can be 'left behind' when the trademark sounds and more sparkling tones from striking the strings is removed from a piano sound:

Hammer Horrors audio, same MIDI as above

The FXP for fun - it's one way I like using Pianoteq, replacing synth pads and making atmos, so it might be usable for others in their work.

Hammer Horrors FXP

Sounds like Modarrt needs to emulate the Viola Organista designed by Da Vinci and built by Sławomir Zubrzycki in 2012.  There is also a series of them made by Akio Obuchi, but I haven't heard samples of those models.  There were a few of this kind of automated violin built between 1500 and today under the name Geigenwerk in German or Viola Organista in Italian, but Zubrzycki is the one that has received the most attention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv3py3Ap8_Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR_-4OXJeNI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB4_o_SR2WY

I'm having some fun with Qexl's 'Hammer Horrors', too. For an extra spooky effect, try setting an unequal temperament such as 1/4 meantone. It's ALIVE, mwahahahahaaa.....

Uoww!

Really incredible, I never imagined that such an instrument existed.

This is another advantage of being a Pianoteq user and participating in a forum with smart people.

Thank you Don.

Ha yeah, I like that - imagining sliders for cabinet density, resonator types, size, glass, string, pipe/wind, plastic, metal, bows, hammers - kind of a virtual box of possibilities beyond the expected. But Pianoteq is probably enough a miracle for one lifetime.

Still love returning to the vids above (really quite love the viola tones) and the related ones coming up on the Youtube side-bar, some of which are also pretty inspiring. There have been and still are some fascinating instruments.

Interestingly, in retrospect, viewing all these it becomes kind of more and more obvious why the piano kind of ends up becoming basically the default for so much repertoire.