Get more "clink"

I'm kind of new to this...what/where exactly is that?

I might know what it is just not know the name?

Also I'm not using Pianoteq Pro, so I can't use the completely advanced features.

Hi Alex,
Would you give us a music link example of this. Preferably the most obvious example you can think of.
Personally I have not got a clue about what you are alluding to at the moment.

In the last audio example, there is a matter of unison width. Another parameter available in Standard version. There is a demo you can download. I think it's possible to get close to the sound you want. Hope it helps.

Somewhere we can all hear that track, see the Steinway grand Piano.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-HsW142T5g

Microphone positioning is going to be a big factor too.

I am new to music recording, so I don't know much about compression and how to do it. Also, to get this close mic configuration, where do I put the mics?

Ok...I just want some natural sounds coming from the piano, because no matter what I do, it will not sound realistic on speakers (it sounds like standard MIDI).

I don't know much either, but perhaps reducing the "dynamics" slider should increase the "compression", without resorting to external sound-engineer-degree-needed stuff.

Way back when, I already used Pianoteq 2 (I think?) to record some tracks and people literally commented what a nice piano I recorded. A lot of it is psychoacoustics and/or skill at the keyboard I think. I can't imagine calling current Pianoteq "generic midi sound", disregarding whether or not you actually like the chosen model.

I've been a professional pianist and producer for 20 years by the way, whatever that counts for. I've used a ton of VST pianos and real grands and uprights both live and in the studio. I'd be interested in a blind test with several VSTs and an actual grand, but I don't have the setup for a pristine grand piano recording atm. I'm pretty happy with what I'm getting from the Pianoteq dual C414 configuration though, if I set it the way I'd set an actual recording if sounds basically as I'd expect.

There are probably a lot of Pianoteq parameter adjustments that could help you achieve this. In the following example (which is probably overdone) I just made a quick adjustment to the mezzo hammer hardness and to the main Equalizer (the pre-effects equalizer).

https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?f...xample.mp3

https://imgur.com/hh0E6JJ.png

I wonder what kind of extra setting adjust people would think is welcome to pianoteq.

What about one more adjust to the hamers?
-Adjust hammer shape/form...
-Or perhaps adjust the hammer deformation in the quick microseconds when it start to touch the string and starting to change shape/density (felts get compressed during impact).
-Or even adjust the speed of such deformation, for compression and decompression.

  I'm not crazy... just wondering how it affect the sound. I bet it change the attack in quite noticiable way.
   This makes me wonder if was such things that Modartt implemented in the new revoicing of piano models that pleased users so much. Finding the very right hammer behavior to fit better the target piano brand that is being simulated.

The pedal noise is to me, by far, the thing that needs the most attention next. It's quite good already, but it could definitely be improved. This is extreme, but crank a piano's volume to the max and then also crank "pedal noise" to the max (you might even need to turn your volume up a bit). Now if you have a continuous MIDI pedal, depress it very slowly. You'll hear the pedal sound engage and reengage over and over again. Same when you very slowly let off of the pedal. A real piano's pedal of course won't do this, and it will be louder or quieter depending on the speed the pedal is depressed.

Of course the pedal usually won't be nearly this loud, so it's not something most people will ever even notice, but when pedaling slowly in a very quiet passage, or when pedaling with a lot of force, the realism isn't quite there. And then of course there's the repedal effect that can be VERY dramatic, which also isn't modeled yet.

I've also tried this with a good MIDI expression pedal, in case my Kawai pedal wasn't sending enough information to give a fair impression, but it doesn't actually make a big difference. I also realize this might be exceedingly difficult to improve, given the nature of MIDI...but perhaps there's some way to solve that puzzle?

EDIT: to avoid hijacking this thread I started a new one about pedaling here: https://forum.modartt.com/viewtopic.php...20#p986820