# Art Vista Releases SUPERGRAND - Hybrid Piano



## Hans Adamson (Jun 15, 2016)

Hello All,

Art Vista is today releasing SUPERGRAND, a hybrid piano sample plugin, combining two bestselling pianos - our Malmsjö sample, and our Steinway sample, into a new instrument with a widened range of usability as well as a unique piano sound. The rich singing tone of the Malmsjö GVI sample is combined with the ubiquitous sound of the Steinway "B" sample from Art Vista Virtual Grand Piano 3 to various degrees - from a Malmsjö sound with a Steinway edge, to a Steinway sound with a touch of Malmsjö, never producing exactly a Malmsjö nor a Steinway sound. The combination of the two pianos with such diametrically different sounds allows for piano sounds ranging from intimate to flamboyant.

I would like to thank the composers and artists that have worked with me to produce demos of great beauty and variety. Please see below for the first batch of SUPERGRAND demos. To review all 10 demos please scroll down in the Soundcloud player.

Hans Adamson
Art Vista Productions
http://artvista.net/


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## Mundano (Jun 15, 2016)

Superb beautiful expressiv VI Piano!


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## lucky909091 (Jun 15, 2016)

Awesome piano with a great range of sound possibilities.
A remark besides: this GUI looks really fancy.


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## EvilDragon (Jun 15, 2016)

lucky909091 said:


> A remark besides: this GUI looks really fancy.



Hmmm can't say I agree. Looks a bit tacky, IMHO :/ It'd be much better if dropdown menus were also custom skinned, as it can be done (and it would look more consisten overall, then), and a better stylized logo (which really harkens back to WordArt kind of simple effects from that famous text processor heaps of people are using).

But hey... YMMV.


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## synthpunk (Jun 15, 2016)

sounds very nice, warm, and musical, Han's how would you say the playability is ?


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## Hans Adamson (Jun 15, 2016)

Aesthete, the playability is one of the strengths, it is very expressive and there are keyboard response calibrations for many keyboards.


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## Hans Adamson (Jun 15, 2016)

EvilDragon said:


> Hmmm can't say I agree. Looks a bit tacky, IMHO :/ It'd be much better if dropdown menus were also custom skinned, as it can be done (and it would look more consisten overall, then), and a better stylized logo (which really harkens back to WordArt kind of simple effects from that famous text processor heaps of people are using).
> 
> But hey... YMMV.


EvilDragon,

Obviously interface design is a matter of taste. I wanted to have some fun with this and play on the "Superman" theme, since the piano is a "super" product of our existing piano libraries. The interface have been designed around the functionality, to be simple, yet provide all aspects of control necessary in music production, to make it as versatile a tool as possible. I hope those who use it will find it this way.

/Hans


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## EvilDragon (Jun 15, 2016)

Hans Adamson said:


> I wanted to have some fun with this and play on the "Superman" theme, since the piano is a "super" product of our existing piano libraries.



Didn't think it that way - at least clarifies some things. Alrighty!


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 15, 2016)

Hey, is that Cool Vibes in "Fusion Night?"

And is it really recorded live?

Sounds great, and I have no problem with dropdown menus. The cheesy part of the interface is the Supergrand logo, and it's cheesy on purpose!


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## Hans Adamson (Jun 15, 2016)

Thanks Nick,

I don't know if it is Cool Vibes in "Fusion Night". Eric Marquis created three full-production demos for me. All were great. I will have to direct the questions about the demo to him. Hopefully he is around.


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## Hans Adamson (Jun 15, 2016)

I have replaced the fantastic soundtrack demo "Beyond the Horizon" by Jorge Porras with a new clean version. In the rush to publish the piano, I inadvertantly caused clipping to the piece. Thanks Jorge!


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## artmuz (Jun 15, 2016)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> And is it really recorded live?


No it's not!
I have often played and also recorded that sort of jazz clubs and just wanted to recreate the special ambience


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## artmuz (Jun 15, 2016)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> Hey, is that Cool Vibes in "Fusion Night?"



The vibraphone is sonicouture excellent one!


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## hendyb (Jun 15, 2016)

does this library more geared toward people who doesn't have both virtual grand and Malmsjö library?
if I already have the virtual grand 2, does it mean that it will sound very similar to this library?
are the sample for the virtual grand part exactly the same?


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## Hans Adamson (Jun 15, 2016)

hendyb said:


> does this library more geared toward people who doesn't have both virtual grand and Malmsjö library?
> if I already have the virtual grand 2, does it mean that it will sound very similar to this library?
> are the sample for the virtual grand part exactly the same?


Hello Hendyb,

VGP3 and Malmsjö GVI are two full-featured products that go far beyond Supergrand. Supergrand's strength is the ability to mix qualities from two diametrically different type of piano sounds. No setting in Supergrand will get you a pure Steinway, or a pure Malmsjö sound.

I was working with the release of Malmsjö GVI for Kontakt, when I unknowingly played both VGP3 and Malmsjö GVI at the same time, and I was startled how much life and response there was through the dynamics. When I noticed that I had been playing both libraries, I took note of the settings that had created the beautiful sound, and the idea was born to create a dedicated library for this concept. When I later on started to look into creating the hybrid piano, I realized how much the qualities of the two complimented each other. Where one was lacking in some respect, the other would provide the missing components. The two pianos had been recorded with identical recording techniques, so the stereo image of both were identical. I didn't want this hybrid to be a replacement for either of the two pianos, and it was also not technically possible for several reasons.

Malmsjö GVI contains a large number of samples not included in Supergrand, because Supergrand only includes the very originally sampled wavs: ppp, p, mf, f, whereas Malmsjö GVI includes a derived FF-layer, and also a complete 12 layer sampling of the output of the original Giga Virtual Instrument's DEF filter version. Malmsjö GVI also includes original impulse responses selected specifically for the instrument. Malmsjö GVI includes all previous incarnations of the Malmsjö sample library.

VGP3 is a different beast in both sound and programming. Every parameter that determines the sound of a piano recording has been emulated to recreate a large number of famous piano recordings through time - everything from Arthur Rubinstein, Leon Russell, Elton John etc. Version 3 also offers a hybrid element in sine wave form designed to give the user a way of shaping the sound. The VGP3 sample layers are the same as those included in Supergrand, except for the hybrid content, but the programming isn't there. 

So Supergrand is not a replacement for Malmsjö GVI or Art Vista Virtual Grand Piano 3.


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## Mundano (Jun 15, 2016)

I have to add that SuperGrand sounds incredible rich in overtones, expressiveness and color! The Malmsjö/Steinway switch-knob let you define the Piano's sound in the mix, and you can easily adjust it to cut through the other instruments in the mix without big efforts by equalizing, almost no equalization to none. The color is really awesome, and compare to other piano libraries is incredible richer in overtones and space.. What did you do there Hans?  Congratulations!


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## Hans Adamson (Jun 16, 2016)

I have added a couple of very nice demos for SUPERGRAND. One folk/jazz piece by Sergio Dijs that also features Art Vista Back Beat Bass, and one piano solo by Max Juras. Check it out:


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## Hans Adamson (Jun 16, 2016)

Two additional pieces uploaded: "Pandora's Box" - an orchestral piece by Eric Marquis, and a performance of Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C sharp minor by Matt C. Stevan. See the soundcloud demo player in the post above above.
P.S. Also uploaded Jeton Murtishi's "Thirteen Nights" solo piano composition.
P.S.2 Also added Brian Brylow's "Blues for Little T" 
/Hans


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## Mundano (Jun 16, 2016)

impressed... the variety of musical styles, from classical music, jazz, fusion, funk, folk, blues, to cinematic, and so expressive! The demos are top! SuperGrand is another winner v.i. piano!


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## Iskra (Jun 16, 2016)

Hi all,

I did one of the demos (Aldapeko, a children's folk song from the vasque country here in Spain) and I really liked the tone of Supergrand. Very easy to customize and adapt for your needs with three (literaly three) movements of your mouse. When moving the dial the piano sound changes dramatically, so it's really like having multiple pianos into one single instrument. I already told Hans that it's amazing that he captured the full expression of piano while keeping the HD footprint reasonable. So I really love it. 
In the demo I just used one of the presets with two small adjustments (put the limiter off and EQ on the instrument itself a little).
Not to derail the thead from Supergrand, but Hans was kind enough to let me use BackBeat for the demo, and the above also applies to this acoustic bass as well. Super-customizable, nice and deep tone (something frequently missing on acoustic bass samples if you're into modern jazz). When moving the dial towards the 'bop' side you get the earthy, modern bass sound, when moving it to the rockabilly side, it's not only suited to rockabilly, but I see it great for manouche, klezmer, and the like. 
All in all, great instruments!


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## SymphonicSamples (Jun 19, 2016)

There's some lovely demos here indeed, the Piano has a gorgeous open dynamic range which is super impressive for such a low HD/memory footprint. Wonderful library Hans and beautifully captured. It's made me further look into the Virtual Grand Piano 3


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## Allen Constantine (Jun 20, 2016)

SymphonicSamples said:


> There's some lovely demos here indeed, the Piano has a gorgeous open dynamic range which is super impressive for such a low HD/memory footprint. Wonderful library Hans and beautifully captured. It's made me further look into the Virtual Grand Piano 3



True words Matt! What an amazing sound. So crisp and yet so subtle! I have a custom preset from HZP which sounds almost the same.


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## Mundano (Jun 20, 2016)

Hans Adamson said:


> I have replaced the fantastic soundtrack demo "Beyond the Horizon" by Jorge Porras with a new clean version. In the rush to publish the piano, I inadvertantly caused clipping to the piece. Thanks Jorge!


You are welcome and thank you!


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## Maxfabian (Jun 24, 2016)

Great work Hans!!

It was really a pleasure to make some demos for The Supergrand. I will definitely recommend this product.
It has a wonderful warm and personal tone. Keep up the good work!


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## Hans Adamson (Oct 7, 2016)

I have uploaded eight new very nice demos for SUPERGRAND (Malmsjö/Steinway hybrid piano). The new demos are interspersed with the previous batch.

"Sympathetic Villain" - by A Valdez
"Strongly Conflicted" - by Brian Brylow
"Remember Me" - by Armin Kandel
"Jesus Love Me" - Variations In C by Dave Merkel
"Turmoil Within" - by Brad Jerkins
"Seven Sisters" - by Lincoln Jaeger
"Improvization 2" - by Joshua Cipolla
"Happy Birthday" - Performed by Dimitris Tsaknakis


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## germancomponist (Sep 8, 2017)

Huh ...., we have missed this. What a great Sound, Hans!

Just downloading.


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## CGR (Sep 9, 2017)

germancomponist said:


> Huh ...., we have missed this. What a great Sound, Hans!
> 
> Just downloading.


Yes, the Supergrand is a unique sampled piano - such a rich, resonant tone. Hans really does have some kind of magic going on with his sampled pianos!


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## germancomponist (Sep 9, 2017)

After playing some hours I underline what you say very bold!

This piano is one of the best I know! Maybe it is much underrated because of it's name "Hybrid-Piano" and the looking of the GUI, or because it is sooooo cheap, or because it is only 2 GB?

Hans for sure has golden ears, catched the souls from both pianos and used his soul while he did this great VST instrument.


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## Hans Adamson (Sep 10, 2017)

Thanks Gunther! I am so glad you like it, and I appreciate your comments.

/Hans


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