Is anyone else bothered by a little 'chiff' sound on note D4 of the Hamburg Steinway D? It's not overly prominent, but now I've noticed it I can't unhear it! I've tried a bit of subtle Spectrum Profile editing, but it seems to alter the tone of the whole piano, which is not what I want. Any suggestions? I'm working with the Chamber Recording preset.
Well, the response is underwhelming! Am I the only Pianoteq user on the entire planet to have noticed that little noise?
Well, the response is underwhelming! Am I the only Pianoteq user on the entire planet to have noticed that little noise?
I will check that out right now, but I'm not really someone who hears a lot of little things in piano sounds. Central c is C4 right?
No, I don't hear any difference with surrounding notes/keys.
Ah yes, a lot of people do get confused by note numbering, it can vary according to software. In Pianoteq, C4 is the octave above Middle C / Central C. The lowest A on the piano is called A-1 and the octave above that is A0. However, on the MuseScore (notation software) keyboard, C4 is Middle C! This confused me for a long time. So, if you want to test this, go to the octave above Middle C, doodle around on C, D and E and see if you notice anything...
You're right Dazric, there is something wrong with this D4.
There is a very simple way to highlight this without being affected by the keyboard response or the strength of the fingers : by setting the velocity curve horizontal and doodling around C4 I was able to easily reproduce this faulty behaviour.
I made the same observation at several velocity levels.
Aha, thanks Gaston! I noticed it because I was recording some simple tunes which are very exposed in that region. It would be a lot harder to hear if you're playing something with fairly dense textures and lots of activity.
I can confirm a swirling sound in the PTQ numbered D4. I had already noticed this swirling Dazric before you posted. It is accentuated when using PSP PIANOVERB which is when I first noticed it. So to answer your question, yes I hear it.
Warmest regards,
Chris
I must confess I can't hear anything different on D4 on HB Chamber Recording, though I'm not quite sure what a "chiff" is supposed to be. Have you turned off the reverb and delay in effects? They affect the sound quite a bit. Also, you can easily see what midi note you are playing by opening Options->Midi panel, in case you are not sure what note D4 is.
I must confess I can't hear anything different on D4 on HB Chamber Recording, though I'm not quite sure what a "chiff" is supposed to be. Have you turned off the reverb and delay in effects? They affect the sound quite a bit. Also, you can easily see what midi note you are playing by opening Options->Midi panel, in case you are not sure what note D4 is.
Hmm, yes, how does one describe a sound? 'Chiff' is the best I could come up with for a slightly annoying, high-pitched little noise that goes with the D4. It's not particularly prominent (especially at lower velocity levels), and I'm aware that some people will either not notice it or not be bothered by it. That's a useful tip about checking the midi panel - as I've said, some software uses a different system for numbering the piano notes.
The note sounds a bit brighter or has a ping to it compared to the notes around it. Is that what you mean?
It's not bothersome to me at all and adds to the quirks that pianos are supposed to have, otherwise, the modeled ones are too perfect.
The note sounds a bit brighter or has a ping to it compared to the notes around it. Is that what you mean?
It's not bothersome to me at all and adds to the quirks that pianos are supposed to have, otherwise, the modeled ones are too perfect.
Yes, that's exactly what I mean! Interesting to get people's views on this (hence the questionnaire). I agree that the piano models tend to be rather too pristine, and I always go to at least 0.12 on the Condition slider for that reason. But to me, this little noise is like one of those tricky buzzes or rattles on an acoustic piano - I find it somewhat distracting. I don't necessarily want to eliminate the noise altogether, I'd just like to be able to tame it without affecting the tone of the whole piano, which I enjoy very much. I've tried EQ and Spectrum Profile, but there always seems to be a trade-off. Looks like I'll have to keep experimenting!
I've had sample pianos that I cannot stand because they have baked in microphone capsule resonance in the sound with certain frequencies/notes . We don't have to worry about that with Pianoteq, just move the microphones to where you like them, or change the microphone type!.
I suggest you can reduce the audibility of this slight character with judicious per key level adjustment and microphone movement. You could also adjust the strike position slightly.
Good, good - all suggestions welcome, keep 'em coming! I hadn't considered the mic types. A change there, plus a little bit of per-note tweaking, might be just enough to make it tolerable...
Edit: just tried changing mics 1 & 2 to C-414 fig8 and a little edit to the strike point of D4. I think it'll do the trick. Slightly darker tone from the C-414s but I don't think I mind that. Brilliant, thanks Key Fumbler.
Ah yes, a lot of people do get confused by note numbering, it can vary according to software. In Pianoteq, C4 is the octave above Middle C / Central C. The lowest A on the piano is called A-1 and the octave above that is A0. However, on the MuseScore (notation software) keyboard, C4 is Middle C! This confused me for a long time. So, if you want to test this, go to the octave above Middle C, doodle around on C, D and E and see if you notice anything...
I'm used to C4 being the middle C because of editing splits in Yamaha Motif Rack and other synths. But maybe my memory is not correct. When researching this topic I came across an article that says that many manufacturers have different names for the middle C from C3 to C5 even. But anyway I wil try to hear an octave higher if I hear a chiff there.It may be a challenge because I hear crickets all the time because of my tinnitus...