My little virtual/software piano comparison!
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
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/ What's your favorite piano and what do you think is the most realistic one? Please vote/comment!
Here's a comparison of an excerpt from "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" theme by Dave Grusin, played with different virtual pianos I own. Everyone is a new recording, no MIDI File used (these kind of comparisons are senseless).
00:00 Piano 1
01:22 Piano 2
02:43 Piano 3
04:04 Piano 4
The complete recording of this beautiful theme comes later played with the piano you voted as first place!
SPOILER!
Ok here are now the pianos I used and my opinions:
1: "Pearl Concert Grand" by Impact Soundworks (a Yamaha concert grand)
Pros:
- very realistic (especially for a Yamaha, which is more brilliant in sound);
- strong and realistic "internal" resonance/reverb like in a typical grand piano playing live on stage (more than in any other library I know) (the samples were recorded directly with natural stage reverb)
- different mic positions (combinable)
- nice pp and p samples
Cons:
- many detuned and unclean samples, especially in the lower keys which is really a big problem (the sampled piano seemed to be pretty old)
- hard to control dynamics (playability not good)
- needs pretty long to load in your memory, especially if you use more than 1 mic position (because of so many samples)
2: "Addictive Keys" by XLN Audio (a Steinway grand piano)
Pros:
- good especially for pop songs and accompaniment
- different mic positions (combinable)
- very clean samples (nothing detuned)
- pretty good playability
- pretty fast to load
Cons:
- unrealistic and unnatural software reverb (although I used the best setting)
- not really very fine (p and pp) samples (just reduced in volume)
3: "Ivory II American D" by Synthogy (a Steinway grand)
Pros:
- good for intimate recordings like jazz pieces, partly also classical pieces
- mostly clean samples (except two or three keys)
Cons:
- a bit unrealistic reverb (it is only software reverb, piano was recorded dry and that you can here unfortunately)
- only one real mic position (just a software algorithm for changing between audience and player position I think)
- very low "internal" resonance (it seems that the fade out of a key sound is very quick and short)
4: "Black Grand" by SampleTekk (a Steinway grand)
Pros:
- in some way pretty realistic but also a bit "special" reverb
- pretty good playability
- very clean samples
- very fast to load (needs low performance)
Cons:
- the best version (with convolution reverb) only for GigaStudio which is not longer developed
- in my version only for Windows XP working (so I can't use this much longer in future)
Conclusions:
At the end it depends on the piece you want to record. I think I will use every of these pianos also in future. I just test for every piece which sounds the best before I decide.
What I am finding is this. Piano "technique" and preference is largely a personal experience. How you play the piano and the keyboard you are using at the time makes a significance in how "your" sound is going to be. This was also explained to me by the creator of the original Garritan D software designer many years ago in Hollywood, Ca. I think the comments here in this post confirms exactly what I'm saying. ;) Sooooooo, you pick 1 or 2 or even maybe 3 of the popular brands and buy all three. I have 5 such programs now and the strange thing is they all sound differently every time I load one up. Saving an adjusted preset does nothing for me for that very reason. Load and program as you go. That is what works best for me! The "ear" is a peculiar thing indeed! It was created that way by design I think.
Definitely 3 for me. 1 is a close second, but it sounds a bit too bright and mechanical. 3 has all the warmth as well as the resonance of what sounds like a live piano, and the micing is perfect for such an intimate piece of music. As for 2 and 4, I'm not sure what settings you've applied to the VSTs, but 2 sounds very compressed, as if you were playing on a stage very far from the mic in the audience. 4 takes that mic and pulls it a bit closer, but it still feels as though the piano is far away and on a platform, giving a bit of non-intimacy to the piece. A few notes in 4 buzz, and your musical ornaments don't sound as impactful to me as 3's do.
Please let us know which VSTs you're using for these recordings! I'm interested in checking out getting 3 for myself!
I think 1 and 3 are the best.
Definitely the 3rd one !
Number 1 possibly is "Impact Soundworks Pearl Concert Grand"?
Number 2 possibly is "XLN Audio Addictive Keys"?
Number 3 possibly is "Garritan Abbey Road Studios CFX Concert Grand"?
Number 4 possibly is "SampleTekk Black Grand"?
+ikstephan I added the names of the pianos and my opinions now. Just take a look at the vid descriptions ;)
well…very interesting blind taste! loved it!! for me it was hands down number 4! i loved how "easy" it sounds…and different to the other 3 pianos the low register sounds rich but very very natural! i found all other ones with more or less "artificial" coloring on the low register. the closing of the piece you recorded is perfect for comparing that. one thing to take into consideration is of course the "miking"; some feel more distant than others, so that can alter your perception…
anyway, my least favorite was by far #1. too bright a sound…but maybe that's inherent to yamahas?
I love how the Yamaha sounds. . .
what is the better sampled piano for you? not only this pianos, i say all that you are played. thankyou
3
There is something great that #1 has that the others didn't.
+Brian Anderson could you explain it more detailed maybe? I'm interested to know.
+pianomusiclovr (Pianist and Composer) I wish I could explain it for you but I'm having some trouble thinking about it lol. Even though it sounds thinner higher up, for the other parts it sounds real yet very refined, so it's like best of both worlds. It kind of made me realize how appropriate the word "grand" is in the name of these pianos.
+pianomusiclovr (Pianist and Composer) After listening again, you are very right in saying #4 has a special reverb. You can feel it moving! All in all, as far as the sound in this video goes, I like #1 overall, #2 I like the least, I like the natural piano sound of #3, and love the reverb on #4.
These 4 sound very similar in every which way I can think of. Granted I am no pianist BUT I do play. I'm searching for the ultimate best piano software there is BUT I am thinking that a lot of what you hear is actually the performer. Yes that definitely has a LOT to do with what your hearing when a piano is played especially like this! Proof of that are these very recordings you've made supposedly using 4 different software programs.
3 Is the best one. It's probably "Garritan Abbey Road Studios CFX Concert Grand" (Classic mic perspective). For this style of music it's very nice, but I think in general it has way too much reverb, even within the close mic samples. I would have preferred the sound to be more dry.
+ikstephan you are wrong;) See the vid descriptions... In my opinion the Garritan Abbey Road sounds much more realistic than the No. 3, especially in classical perspective. But I don't own it until now. But I think about purchasing it. I like the very clean and perfect samples. Btw: No. 3 is a Steinway, Garritan's one is a Yamaha, so difficult to compare.
This piece must have a pretty strong reverb, because it is very dreamy. It is not the typical jazz piece in my opinion, else I would use less reverb, sure. But for No.3 I used the fewest reverb of all for (more would sound to metallic).
+pianomusiclovr (Pianist and Composer) At least I got 3 out of 4 right! :-) The only one I was wrong about was the only one I own myself... :-D I think that you would like the Garritan CFX, especially for 'dreamy' stuff. If it weren't against the law, I'd sell you my copy cause I don't use it that much. My all time favorite, which I own as well, remains the Ravenscroft 275. I love the sound of that sample set, especially the 'una corda' (with soft pedal down) samples. You should check that out. If you want, send me a midi file and I'll record it for you with the sound I mean.
number 1 is so rich, feels like there's so much space to this! also i lovve yamaha piano sound ^^
The best one for me Number 3: Ivory II American D" by Synthogy
3
I think either 3 or 4 :)
1 the best!
One.
sounds good, have you tried PianoTeq?
+cmorera yes, but didn't like it.
the 1st !!!
Hmm, 3, 4, and 1 sounds good.
But 3 is the best. In my opinion.
+Infinity ßounds (Matthew) Did you read my opinion to the pianos? What do you think about it? Where would you agree or disagree? I'm really interested...
I did, and I agree with you. Number 1 sounds a bit,. Hmm. Bright. And I can't tell much difference with number 3 and 4 though. But somehow I like number 3 more.
Number three for me. Two and four sound slightly artificial. One sounds a bit wooly and boxey. Three plays with ease.
+NFLineast Thanks for you opinion. 3 it's the most popular , the Ivory one. I still vary from 1 to 3 as the most do. I think now 1 would sound better with a bit fewer reverb maybe.
one
Thanks for this comparison. Have you tried 8dio 1928 Steinway ? if so What do you think about it ?
yes I also tried but i was not really satisfied. For me the sound was typical of a very old Steinway, but that's not mine, I like more the newer ones.
All quite nice but 1 and 3 stand out in my mind.
3 hands down. sounds closest to a real piano.
Piano 3 seems the most natural
3rd for me :)
Number one for me. The bass tones are so rich.
+Donald Orgeron Yep. Finally somebody who hear this. That is my opinion too.
That´s my opinion too!
1
3rd for me, 1st sounds quite nice too.
Will be interesting to see which ones they are!
+Boulder king Take a look at the vid descriptions now. There you find the solutions ;)
+pianomusiclovr (Pianist and Composer)
thanks for the reveal! And nice outcome, since #3 is the one i own =)