How do you use Pianoteq?

I use pianoteq mainly to play with my keyboard in real time at home for my own enjoyment (rarely within a DAW to record a performance with a made by me accompaniment). Therefore, I usually use the standalone version, as I use pianoteq as if it were (in combination with my keyboard and computer) simply a piano.

Last year I began to find out how much would a real piano cost me. I was thinking of maybe buying an upright as I wouldn’t be able to afford a Grand piano and there would be no way of being able to have it fit in the living room of my house.

But I finally decided to keep using my electric piano (midi keyboard) which fortunately has 88 keys with weighted hammer action (or the sort) and which is connected to a laptop computer which audio out is connected to an amplifier to which I have connected two fine and fairly big loudspeakers.

The thing is that many of the virtual pianos I have, being pianoteq my favourite for playing in real time, sound much better than any of the real upright pianos I tried playing at the piano stores which I visited (the pianos I could afford at least). I also took into account that real pianos need to be tuned periodically. And another thing that I considered is that because of having what I have, I can play using headphones not bothering any of the members of my family as they do whatever they ought to be doing while being around, nor will I disturb my neighbours. I can even play and practice at night with no risk of having complaints.

P.s,
I did not mention before and I am adding now that: for writing in music notation or transcribing a score I use Harmony Assistant (from Myriad), I have FL Studio but I seldom use it (just for fooling around and having fun), for what I might use a DAW (sequencer?) for I prefer RealBand (similar to Power Tracks Pro Audio from PGMusic too) and Band-in-a-Box (from PGMusic) to arrange and assemble accompaniments to play along with. To edit audio files I use Acoustica (from AconDigital). Anyway, everything that I do which might be related to making music is on the amateurish side.

For composition the workflow is Finale (for getting basic midi started) > Cubase (as a pianoteq host and mix solution) > Audition (for mastering) if I want to release it as a sample or recording, and for general playback, I just use the standalone.  I don't really give live performances anymore--I just record, and if I gave a live performance, I'd probably just go with whatever they had available for an acoustic, since very few venues have excellent MIDI instruments--they're much more likely to have a decent acoustic which is still better than a low-end MIDI keyboard.  That, and the general population doesn't really get impressed by someone walking onto stage to play a small stage keyboard in the way they are about someone walking up to a 9' concert grand--even if the sound is functionally identical.

I also work a lot with MIDI playback of piano rolls in PTQ for historical research, and for that I just use the standalone.  Personally, I'm similar to the other responses--yes I'd love to have half a dozen to a dozen concert grands that I can choose from at any time, but I don't even the space or funds for one!  And even if I did have an unlimited library of acoustic instruments at my disposal, I'd drive technicians insane with the number of constant nit-picks and changes I'd order to each one.  I'd be out a few thousand a month right there, and that's beyond the costs of the instruments, the acoustic space needed to hear them properly, and proper climate control systems too (which help but still require the best instruments to be tuned at least daily for proper and consistant concert quality).

Great responses, thank you for sharing folks! It gives me a lot of food for thought.

I have to disagree about electric vs acoustic guitar @psterrett! (testing to see if @ works) I compose for both (clean and distortion on electric). Everything I can and do play on electric across genres I play on acoustic, but I don't think electric can handle a lot of the more complex fingerpicking stuff all that well because of the magnetic pickups. I would need to add a lot of complexity in harmonic content and overtones and resonance to feel satisfied in that domain, I think. Maybe there are some acoustic simulators that do that. But I generally prefer to feel acoustic soundwaves hit me from the instrument rather than a speaker... I feel the same about steel string vs nylon. As much as I LOVE nylon, I can play my guitar concerto on either (sounds better on the nylon), but there are a lot of things that just don't translate to nylon string (or electric). For me.

I try to stay away from the digital-like realm for as long as possible. It's something one of my teachers hammered into me. If I go into notation (used to be Encore, now is MuseScore) too quickly during composition then I will likely switch the creative side off and the analytical side on, which is death to my creative process. So by the time I'm ready to notate or record, I have a composition more or less fully internalized (maybe with some notes here and there on paper). An idea typically unfolds and leads me on a journey, as long as I am willing and able to follow it. When I do notate, it is first usually a custom shorthand I do on scratch paper, often because I don't have any staff paper immediately handy!  e.g., if I'm out and about. I find it most difficult to remember the rhythmic feel, I can remember notes pretty specifically. So many nights I go to bed with an idea, I think, "I'll remember it next morning!" and I wake up, and all the notes are there, but they don't sound right!

It would be impossible for me to responsibly own an acoustic piano. Even if I could afford to buy it and maintain it (which I can't) it would have to go against an outside wall in a space with fluctuating humidity and temperature.

My biggest problem with Pianoteq is realistic sound reproduction. As a said above, it is very different for me to hear sound from an amp or speaker than from the instrument.

I only play piano for composition purposes, rarely performance. It'll be a while before I can get those chops back (chronic illness stuff...). So I will be selling my stage piano and, when ready, will buy a compact digital piano. My criteria is that it must sound "good enough" to just turn on and play without annoying me, must have a good full-range sound system, and have some midi recording facilities. I can't always guarantee that I'll have my laptop (shared with my fiancee) available to run through Pianoteq.

My workflow is generally > idea > rhythm tracks and song parts > structure > arrangement and instrumentation > some form of notation (whether a lyric sheet, or a lead sheet, or full score) > demo recording > rework the track > real recording

I'm trying really hard to get back to a place in life where I can do the whole process again. It has been 15 years or so (almost half my lifetime! Sheesh)...I have a stockpile of stuff. I have a 30 minute guitar concerto I have yet to record or notate...composed back in 2015. available only in my head and through my hands...Am almost healthy enough, and almost have the rest of my life cleared up and uncluttered so I can focus on the things that truly matter (health, relationships, music, writing, regenerative agriculture), but there is a lot of work to dig myself out of holes I've gotten into.

Love hearing how other people work. Always gives me food for thought. Thank you for sharing!

I am very new on the topic of playing the piano. My main instrument is playing the bass guitar but I try now also to compose some own songs. Some years ago I was searching a digital piano for my daughter but the sound of those devices were not really realistic. Inspired from the great piano sounds which you can find on the old ABBA records my dream was to find a device which I can use for homerecording and also for composing. Then a good friend give me the hint to take a look on Pianoteq ....and that's it - I am exited. My goal at the moment is to use it on a "standallone"-Expander which I am connecting to a Master-Keyboard (88 keys) - as easily as possible to use. I want to use it simply to try out some musical ideas and also for recording......maybe on stage in the future.

That's a very interesting point of view. I kind of feel the same way between the open, creative side of things, and the more critical, analytical side.

That has happened to me too. I take for granted that if it's worthwhile, I'll remember and continue to work on (or play with) an idea, so I drop it (that is, I stop thinking about it and intentionally forget about it for the time being), but sometimes later, if it comes back to mind, I can't remember the original rhythmic structure or some other  important structural element(s).

I can agree with all of that, and it's interesting to hear about another person's story. My health issue was an aggressive cancer, now in remission so far. But I had to reassess and simplify my life too. I'm curious what "regenerative agriculture" means.

Do you have a some of your creative work online (at YouTube, SoundCloud, etc.) that other people can access and listen to?

Best wishes in your ongoing experience and personal journey.

BTMASS, just a thought but I would think latency should be ok with your setup. Asio4All (free to download) set to 128 samples gives low latency.

I found no improved performance with a Zoom USB 3 audio interface so I use Asio4All without question.

And regarding your post ethanay, I have gone back to using a music manuscript book, pencil (rubber tipped) first before final ink. The best way to compose.

Pianoteq is sounding so great and very inspiring to play, Steinway Model B wide for the last month, really haven't wanted to change this preset! I will, at the end of a writing session sometimes play back a 'recently played' to make sure everything is as it should be. When completed and I'm fully practiced I will video a performance.

I no longer edit my audio (midi) as this seemed unnatural, I prefer mistakes knowing it's my honest effort. I found in the past, editing wrong notes more difficult than actual playing also.

Hi MeDorian - with the best will in the world, I hope you're wrong ;-) and the MOTU M4 makes some difference, although looking at the specs for the Zoom USB 3 it does look very similar in its capabilities (ulp!).  I already use ASIO4All and have followed the advice of Molten Music on YouTube to reduce the latency by making sure the Surface Pro is doing all it can to help.  Fingers crossed!!

Will do MeDorian.  Unfortunately, MOTU products (in the UK at least) are pretty much all backordered, so it won't arrive until the end of this month.  Hopefully!

i´m nothing a Pianist, and anyway not a producer.

I just play pianoteq live at home !
standalone, or in a host just with a added Reverb and probably a delay too,
Or: i create wild FX setups in a host, using gig Performer3 now as my new discovery,
......and using Pianoteq as my sound-base to create from there very synthetic and electronic sounding , ...well, Synth-Sounds, haha.

i use mostly the K2 model since it has a enhanced Keyboardrange, and i used to reprogramm some things for my (electronic/wilder) uses.

if your looking for host porgramms:
H-AU is a freeware host for mac, its perfect for simple things and some midi CC programming.
Gig Performer then is a living dream becoming true. ( check plugin alliance for sales / right now is still one going on i belive )
For example do i create a Piano main Audio path, but create also a second audio path dedicated to go thru delays and reverbs,
and would add there a tiny bit of EP sound ( pianoteq too) plus a even more tiny bit of a syhth sound, beside the main Piano also been mixed to the FX path.
i can create sounds that would outperform any of todays Hardware this way. Mainly in direction Ambients, Piano Ambients, soundscapes,
or just playing Piano that has the "soundscape" as a very subtle underlying "soundambience" present.

for off screen playing: i just shut down my 40" screen, donne !

Welcome to the forum! Nice wordplay on your name, I was sure that's was it was when I saw it pass...

I'm a new user on pianoteq and I mainly use it with the standalone on a PC. A roland Fp-10 as a controller and an old very good seinnheiser HD540 on my head, choosing the "Steingraeber warm" preset ( my favorite at the moment). Playing and playing is a wonderfull experience and I enjoy playing hours and hours despite my poor pianistic technic...
Note than a good setting of the velocity curve is fondamental... and obviously a good sustain pedal...
On the other hand the playing on my JMLAB loudspeakers (however very good for music listening) don't convince me very well, I can't immerse myself in the music as with my headphone ( has anybody the same experience ?)
In conclusion I really love pianoteq... I've never had so good sensations with my acoustic upright)
(Please excuse me for my english)
Yves (France)

Hehe, excellent, I hadn't noticed it

So, I guess that to make it more "international French", it could have been "FranceWas"...but that doesn't sound very alive