Moddart in the early days wasn’t quite there and I bet when we get to version 10 we’ll be saying once again that “finally our dreams have been answered”. The latest sampled pianos are astounding and they would also pass the “can you tell the difference” test with flying colours. So much of the realized sound of a real acoustic piano comes from being part of that large resonating sounding board and the physicality of being present at a wood ensconced keybed. Most controllers shatter the illusion immediately.
Like modelled amplifiers, virtual pianos capture the recorded sound not the sound as experienced by the player. That may seem obvious but it is something I’ve had to point out to some of my clients over the years. Micing an amp and listening back is not the same as hearing and feeling it rumble at your feet. Likewise for a virtual piano regardless of underlying tech.
Like modelled amplifiers, virtual pianos capture the recorded sound not the sound as experienced by the player. That may seem obvious but it is something I’ve had to point out to some of my clients over the years. Micing an amp and listening back is not the same as hearing and feeling it rumble at your feet. Likewise for a virtual piano regardless of underlying tech.
What does that even mean?
My takeaway is there’s a lot of people who are mad because they have decades invested—financially and emotionally—in a terabyte of samples, and Pianoteq threatens their carefully constructed sense of order that they’re just not prepared to let go of yet. It’s the sunk cost fallacy.
I used to use samples, myself. But I have some songs that need particularly characterful antique pianos, and I was never able to find a sample library that was up to the task. All of the “character”/novelty piano libraries sound like garbage in the context of a song.
But within 10 minutes of trying Pianoteq, I had the piano that had eluded me for years, out of tune exactly to the degree I required for the effect, but not enough to clash with the song. And it remains that I am always 100% confident that Pianoteq will always provide me with the perfect piano for any occasion, to my exact specifications. I am always able to coax out the precise piano sound I have in my head, instead of having to settle for what’s available.
If anything, the only problem with Pianoteq is you have too many options, and they all sound good.
Statistics: Posted by Scotty — Sat Aug 24, 2024 6:23 pm
