advice on picking the instrument packs, please

Do remember when you buy Pianoteq, that as well as the three instrument packs, you also get access to the following free instruments as part of two projects: "KIViR" (Keyboard Instrument Virtual Restoration) and “Bells and Carillons”

https://www.modartt.com/free_stuff

There are loads of interesting instruments to play and fiddle with, especially once you start layering and morphing the instruments together.

Could I put a word in for the Petrof Instrument pack which will give to access to two beautiful grand pianos, the PETROF 284 Mistral and ANT. PETROF 275.

In the end it is, as you say, very much personal taste, so you will purchase the pianos you really enjoy now, and then justify buying further instrument packs, as we all do, in the future.

Happy playing,
Michael

I don't know why, but the Petrov and Bluethner both sound just a bit too artificial to me.
will try them again tomorrow

what about the uprights (U4)?
not many people mention them on the forum. I am almost decided to get those too, though.

what about my decision to skip the electric pianos? is it a mistake?
I will get the CP-80 e-piano in the free instruments pack at least ;-)

thanks for the responses so far

This:
https://forum.modartt.com/viewtopic.php?id=8839

I would advice you to include the U4 for sure. I find myself using it most than anyone else because of it's character. It's the onlyone that is different in all levels. Of course each pianoteq grand piano has its character, but... all grand pianos are too perfect, right? And this is similar to all of them. U4 is realistically not perfect, flat sounded as an upright, and its tone is very very interesting. Try the a la Monk preset! They've done brilliant work on that. Do you need a perfect piano for classical music? Try the Tall preset. It's like a grand.

I have the Steinway D, B, Petrof, C.Bechstein, U4 and MK electrical pianos. Steinway D and U4 are my favorites, but I love them all.

My advice is to contact Modartt and see if they will sell you the full Studio Bundle (with every instrument) at a prorated price. That's what I did and I've never regretted it.

I was in the same situation a few days ago. A total beginner in the piano world. So I was listening to the official mp3, watching the Phil Best youtube videos, playing a bunch of midi files with all pianos in Pianoteq Trial, and reading other recommendations. Eventually I have picked: Steinway D, Steinway B and Bechstein.
With all the official and customized presets (at https://forum.modartt.com/fxpcorner/index.php, morphing included), the three packs alone give hundreds of possibilities. 

The choice was indeed tough, but you will have access to the demo version of all other instruments in Pianoteq Std, the free KIVR pianos (as others mentioned, they are really great) and the perspective of buying more pianos in the future

On my 'next' list are: Bluthner, YC5, U4 and K2.

If you want the Steinway B, my 2 other choices would be:
- Certainly U4 because it's an upright and honestly it sounds very good, it's very fun to play
- The Bluethner which is a bigger grand, very different from the Steinway B

With these 3 pianos, you are ok for the rest of your life

woow, soo many really helpful replies!
thanks a lot.

i am glad I got some confirmation for the U4. they will definitely be on my list.
so, I only need to make up my mind on the Bechstein, and maybe replace it with another instrument.

(just to double check: I can still access the demos of other instruments after i bought my three instrument packs?)

thanks again ;-)

all DONE!

I sticked to my initial choice, and went for Steinway B, Bechstein, and the U4
thanks again for all the help.

aaand, if I can divert a little bit: what about pedals?

I only have a 'sustain pedal' that switches on/off - how important do you think it is to get a proper pedal that recognises half-pressed sustain etc?
and if it is important: what pedal model would you suggest, that doesn't cost a fortune, but does the job?

I have the pedal from studiologic with 3. But it is a bit loud (which is of course no problem when playing with headphones). and the half-pressed thing - pianoteq said when calibrating it would be good to have one but I don't know: I don't use it half-way-pressed when using it for sustain (I guess?!). PTQ has 11 different pedals but how often will you use the mozart-rail? I'm trying a bit Jazz and Beethoven and Klassik and so on... of course there is modern music with special pedal-use! or what I really like and find interesting:
paul barton: the harmonic pedal - for example, he recorded vivaldis 4 seasons for piano (easy to find on YT with his own beautiful sheets). He has a seperate channel devoted to this pedal! ("piano sounds never heard before" is another video about it by him).

so It is once again: what do you want and what do you need it for and don't get lost?! ha ha

...ah! the felted options: you could also pedal them (its the reversed celeste pedal=)

Get this sorted first:
https://forum.modartt.com/viewtopic.php?id=9071

More sophisticated pedals are relatively unimportant in comparison. Hence the existence of many entry level graded hammer action pianos with single on/off pedals and in contrast absolutely no synth action keyboards with triple piano pedals!

I own the fp-10 and I got around this problem with this : https://www.audiofront.net/MIDIExpression.php with a Roland RPU-3

did I say that I don't like the upright?! - after the comments here I just had to start it up once again. turned of the limiter=), stretched the octaves and "a la monk"

yeah. love it also! and it also has nice resonance=)

Check sound pressure output levels genuinely match and the presets match in direct A/B comparison.

The load presented to the headphone amplifier section can change the performance. Generally less than the differences between the headphones themselves though.
So yes, maybe your sound interface sounds that different to the headphone amplifier in the laptop.
It might also be something in the sound settings in the operating systems.

Yay!  For the Steinway B.

I don't know why it's so attractive - perhaps it's that few of us 'average' people have ever played a 9 foot concert grand; perhaps it's that almost all of us are playing on small keyboards, and that the auditory impression of the 9 foot concert grand just doesn't mesh with what we see in front of us as we play (never mind the wall that's usually stuck in place just behind what we play).

Whatever it is, the B is a delight wrapped up in a midsize package.

And, as its bass got bigger with the upgrade to match that of the real instrument, there's potential to build-out smaller.  In fact, bring back the old pre-7.5 slightly weaker bass response, shorten the soundboard, and each of us could have a PIanoteq rendition of a Model M or a Model L/O in our bedroom or living room.  :-)  Just the thing for an 'at home' Steinway.

Hi WeightedKeys,
I own a triple pedal roland RPU-3 that I connect to the "midi expression blue interface", itself connected to my PC by USB. With the software provided with midi-expression (Midi expression control) I configured the three pedals CC64, CC66 and CC69. It is even possible to modify the curves of these pedals. Then you just have to activate "MIDI expression BLUE" in the MIDI input of pianoteq.
I hope this informations will help you.