I've been thinking about the question of what pianos I would like Modartt to model, and my answer increasingly tends to be: none.
In fact, I'm increasingly starting to feel that perhaps Pianoteq should move away from modelling real-life pianos such as the Steinway D and concentrate instead on developing its own virtual piano models.
The reason I'm suggesting this is because the K2 has become by far my favourite Pianoteq model. I've increased string length to 274 cm, slightly adapted some settings for the K2 Warm preset, and use Cinematic Rooms Pro as an external reverb (a slightly adapted version of the 'Rear Stage' preset).
The result is, to my ears, a wonderful, immersive and supremely playable piano sound, especially for classical music -- the best I've been able to coax from a virtual piano so far (including all of the sampled pianos I've tried). It also sounds in some ways more like a Steinway D4 to me than the actual Pianoteq model D. I use the K2 every day to practise, play and record a range of classical music, from Mozart and Schubert to Carl Vine and Takemitsu.
As Modartt explain on their website, the K2 "is not based on any specific model but created from scratch by the Modartt virtual piano factory, combining the best elements of several source pianos." As far as I'm concerned, this might be the best Pianoteq strategy for the future. It might also do the most justice to what Pianoteq is about: creating a convincing physically modelled virtual piano. Ultimately, the question of whether or not Pianoteq 'nails' the Steinway (or Bluthner or whatever) sound may not matter so much. What's much more important, in my view, is whether it offers a virtual instrument that feels and sounds real on its own pianistic terms.
If this means abandoning the 'painstakingly modelled real-world piano X' approach (and my experiences with the K2 suggest that this might indeed be the case), so be it. Perhaps the real strengths of Pianoteq lie in its ability to create a virtual piano that is its own thing -- a bit like building an entirely new real-world piano.
Needless to say, I'm writing all of this as a long-time devoted Pianoteq user who has nothing but admiration for the Modartt team. I'd be interested to see what other people think.
Last edited by Pianophile (31-12-2023 14:17)
