# Best traditional piano VST



## elfman (Jan 6, 2019)

I've looked all over the place for a great concert grand. Spitfire has one but it's pretty lightweight and meant to be played over an orchestra, a la Stravinsky and such. I wish they would do a proper Steinway D library in Lyndhurst Hall. I've heard of the Zimmer piano but it looks like it has too many frills and effects that I would never care about using. What is your go-to grand piano?


----------



## styledelk (Jan 6, 2019)

As many here would probably attest, the Embertone Walker 1955 Steinway D is meticulously sampled, and still getting new features.

With some configuration and choosing the right mics, it's suitable for all types of music.

I used it here with the Close Mics, and toned down the pedal, toned up the key sounds, and after recorded turned on the various saturation and resonances. This is with the built in Concert Hall reverb.



Of course, a better piano player will surely coax more from it.


----------



## elfman (Jan 6, 2019)

Wow, this looks and sounds extremely impressive, and at a reasonable price.


----------



## Parsifal666 (Jan 6, 2019)

Garritan CFX is the cream for me; love the Thomas Newman preset.


----------



## elfman (Jan 6, 2019)

The Yamaha was good, but doesn't seem to have the same complexity that the Steinway has. Whether that's due to the two pianos or the sampling, I'm not sure. Probably both. The Embertone is the best I have ever heard. I've seen a couple comments about some slightly out of tune unisons in the upper register, but there's a very easy get around for that.


----------



## Parsifal666 (Jan 6, 2019)

elfman said:


> The Yamaha was good, but doesn't seem to have the same complexity that the Steinway has. Whether that's due to the two pianos or the sampling, I'm not sure. Probably both. The Embertone is the best I have ever heard. I've seen a couple comments about some slightly out of tune unisons in the upper register, but there's a very easy get around for that. I have to own this.



Maybe you should check out the CFX full version, not the lite.

I have the Embertone and it's very good (and cheaper), but the CFX is a higher plane. Many of the (paid) composers I know didn't even bother with another piano vst after CFX.

But, again, the Embertone is cheaper and in this instance you get what you pay for.


----------



## Mason (Jan 6, 2019)

elfman said:


> I've looked all over the place for a great concert grand. Spitfire has one but it's pretty lightweight and meant to be played over an orchestra, a la Stravinsky and such. I wish they would do a proper Steinway D library in Lyndhurst Hall. I've heard of the Zimmer piano but it looks like it has too many frills and effects that I would never care about using. What is your go to grand piano?



At the moment it’s the new VSL Steinway D, and the Grandeur for more cinematic sound. Woodchester Piano or Una Corda for more neo-classical. The Orchestral Grand Piano I’ve found really really bad and not usable at all so I’ve deleted it from my computer. Too bad as I’ve given it 2-3 chances and really wanted it to work.


----------



## elfman (Jan 6, 2019)

Mason said:


> Orchestral Grand Piano I’ve found really really bad and not usable at all so I’ve deleted it from my computer. Too bad as I’ve given it 2-3 chances and really wanted it to work.


Yeah. Like I mentioned before, it's basically useless if you aren't using in the context of a big orchestra. Doesn't really sound or play like a real piano in solo contexts. That's too bad you couldn't make it work. I guess it was only $50.


----------



## transverb (Jan 6, 2019)

This one has a bit of character. Not sure how it would sit with a full orchestra but I love it. 

Galaxy Vintage D


----------



## elfman (Jan 6, 2019)

I gave them all a closer look and after comparing multiple demos from Vienna, Garritan and Embertone side by side, it seems that the Garritan and Embertone have the most intimate sound. I still think the Embertone has a more complex tone.

Vienna seems to sound very far away in every demo. I'm hoping there's a way to dial it in, being a $300 library. They certainly don't demonstrate it if there is.


----------



## fretti (Jan 6, 2019)

Heard good things about the Bechstein Digital from a few people but don‘t have it myself. More expensive than the Garritan or Embertone but maybe also worth a look?


----------



## styledelk (Jan 6, 2019)

The Bechstein is one I've been looking at, too, and definitely want. And I still want Pianoteq, too.

Honestly, I'm more of an upright person. I'm still in search of the perfect upright that has lots of character (The Gentleman is good and all, but it still sounds like it's trying to be a grand.)


----------



## transverb (Jan 6, 2019)

styledelk said:


> The Bechstein is one I've been looking at, too, and definitely want. And I still want Pianoteq, too.
> 
> Honestly, I'm more of an upright person. I'm still in search of the perfect upright that has lots of character (The Gentleman is good and all, but it still sounds like it's trying to be a grand.)



I'm looking for that elusive upright as well. Have you tried the 1901 from 8DIO?


----------



## styledelk (Jan 6, 2019)

transverb said:


> I'm looking for that elusive upright as well. Have you tried the 1901 from 8DIO?


No, but I'm going to take a look now.


----------



## transverb (Jan 6, 2019)

My Piano from Fluffy Audio gets some good reviews as well for an upright. 50% ATM.

PS. Don't have any of these. I'm still shopping. Haha


----------



## Parsifal666 (Jan 6, 2019)

I like the pianos in Ark 2, though I'd never recommend them as a main vst.

I still find use for the Gentleman and Alicia's Keys as well.


----------



## Manuel Stumpf (Jan 6, 2019)

My favorites:

Alicia's Keys (NI)
Addictive Keys Studio Grand (XLN Audio)


----------



## Knomes (Jan 6, 2019)

I'm really liking the Ivory II American Concert D


----------



## SoundChris (Jan 6, 2019)

elfman said:


> The Embertone is the best I have ever heard. I've seen a couple comments about some slightly out of tune unisons in the upper register, but there's a very easy get around for that. I have to own this.



Well even I have got quite a large piano collection and many of the instruments work very well for different situations. Overall my go to grand piano collection for a very long time was EWQL Pianos Platinum. In the meantime Embertone released their Walker 1955 Steinway D Concert Grand which is my top favourit virtual piano these days. The sound is fantastic, there are about 7 different mic positions, it even features a binaural mic set, the short notes and the una corda are the best I have ever heared. You get 36 velocity layers and have a lot of control over the sound. But for me the most impressive aspect is that it is so extremely playable. It really feels real when you play it. No else piano was able to convince me in this way before.

I really can totally recommend this piano. This was the demo that convinced me to "buy the Walker 1955 as just another piano library that I definitely would not need but ... well...". How wrong I was. The Walker was one of my best instrument purchases in a long time 



These were tracks I did with the EWQL Pianos Platinum which - before the Embertone one - was my go to piano library and which stil sounds very good, even for it´s age. For Jazz and Classical it works pretty well IMO:
Steinway (first used in a short late romantic solo piece and then as accompaniment for a Violin):



Boesendorfer (first used in a classical concert situation and then in a westcoast style Jazz piece):



Others mentioned the NI Pianos. The Alicia´s Keys works very well for cinematic stuff. It especially shines if you play the low velocity layers and add a good reverb. The NI Gentleman sounds great for Jazz stuff IMO and the NI Grandeur also has a good sound - very classical. The Soundiron Drinking Piano is a nice addition if you needed some "Once Upon a Time in America - Poverty" - kind of feel.

P.s.: Maybe you also should check out the Spectrasonics Keyscape. It is said to be very versatile. I didnt had the chance to test these but a lot of my friends like it a lot.


----------



## elfman (Jan 6, 2019)

SoundChris,

Yes, the Rach demo is what sold me too. Something about the 1955 Steinway + Rachmaninoff just works.

I'm glad you've confirmed their selling point about the extremely playability of it. Being a pianist, that's very important to me.


----------



## Lee Blaske (Jan 6, 2019)

There are a lot of good pianos out there, but I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that piano sampling technology has kind of hit a brick wall. No company, AFAIK, has been able to duplicate what happens in a real piano when multiple notes interact with each other, or more energy (restricts) are added to notes already ringing. Playing multiple pedal-down note samples can build up an unnatural ring.

What we have, in 2019, is pretty decent (especially if in context with other instruments). But I really think it's going to take a major jump in technology to get us beyond the point we're at.


----------



## Ashermusic (Jan 6, 2019)

Lee Blaske said:


> There are a lot of good pianos out there, but I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that piano sampling technology has kind of hit a brick wall. No company, AFAIK, has been able to duplicate what happens in a real piano when multiple notes interact with each other, or more energy (restricts) are added to notes already ringing. Playing multiple pedal-down note samples can build up an unnatural ring.
> 
> What we have, in 2019, is pretty decent (especially if in context with other instruments). But I really think it's going to take a major jump in technology to get us beyond the point we're at.



There are real pianos and there are real pianos. I grew up learning to play on a Gulbransen spinet. When I was at Boston Conservatory, most of my practice time was in the rehearsal rooms which had Wurlitzer spinets.

The virtual pianos I use now all sound and feel better than those


----------



## CGR (Jan 7, 2019)

styledelk said:


> . . .
> Honestly, I'm more of an upright person. I'm still in search of the perfect upright that has lots of character (The Gentleman is good and all, but it still sounds like it's trying to be a grand.)



Here's some additional suggestions for sampled upright pianos:

*A. Clean & Modern:* Addictive Keys Modern Upright (Yamaha U3) - HUGE tweak-ability, and great response & dynamics under the fingers.

*B. Modern with Character:* Chocolate Audio Upright (Italian made Steinbach) - as above.

*C. More Character:*

EZkeys Vintage Upright (same benefits as above)
Sampletekk Rain Piano MkII (Tom Waits style upright piano sound)
Imperfect Samples Braunschweig Upright (pretty touchy on dynamics and not very even to play, but a very realistic, resonant tone).


----------



## Ben (Jan 7, 2019)

elfman said:


> Vienna seems to sound very far away in every demo. I'm hoping there's a way to dial it in, being a $300 library. They certainly don't demonstrate it if there is...


You can make the VSL Synchron Pianos sound closer by dial in the Close and Mid microphones and dial back / disable the build-in algorithmic reverb. Paul shows it in the video "Yamaha CFX Walkthrough" from minute 9:40 - 12:30 ( https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Synchron_Package/Yamaha_CFX#!Videos ).
I did this with the CFX and worked great for me. I don't own the Steinway D, but you have a similar microphone setup, so it should be also possible.


----------



## SoundChris (Jan 7, 2019)

elfman said:


> SoundChris,
> 
> I'm glad you've confirmed their selling point about the extremely playability of it. Being a pianist, that's very important to me.



Yes I totally can confirm this. While I really have got a lot of virtual pianos which I really like soundwise (e.g. the 1928 Steinway Legacy by 8Dio), non of them felt right when I tried to perform with them. I always had to program a lot to get good results. Now with the Walker 1955 it is different. I have tested this instrument quite a lot and also practiced my piano playing on it - especially pieces from Bach´s Well-Tempered Clavier or the English Suites, Rachmaninov Prelude g# or some Chopin Preludes, Impromptus and so on. It really felt great and I am very happy now. My neighbors cant stand it when I practice on my Grand Piano in the evening. With the Walker this problem is finally solved now. Soon there also will be half pedaling - as far as I know this will be a free update. So yes - it is a great virtual instrument to perform and play. For this I prefer the Binaural-Mic Position which simulates the sound experience from the player´s perspective. IMO this really makes a difference and just feels right.


----------



## ptram (Jan 7, 2019)

SoundChris said:


> But for me the most impressive aspect is that it is so extremely playable. It really feels real when you play it.


Like some others, I've some problems with the playability of the Embertone. What we feel, when playing it, is sometimes described as a slight delay, a distance, a lack of connection between the keys and fingers.

Since others, like you, don't find this issue, I wonder what can cause the problem with us. Max polyphony is high, the CPU is not charged, audio system latency is not different than the usual. Are there precaution you had to keep, when configuring your system for this piano?

Paolo


----------



## Casiquire (Jan 7, 2019)

Ben said:


> You can make the VSL Synchron Pianos sound closer by dial in the Close and Mid microphones and dial back / disable the build-in algorithmic reverb. Paul shows it in the video "Yamaha CFX Walkthrough" from minute 9:40 - 12:30 ( https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Synchron_Package/Yamaha_CFX#!Videos ).
> I did this with the CFX and worked great for me. I don't own the Steinway D, but you have a similar microphone setup, so it should be also possible.



Thanks for that, they should really highlight the flexibility more. Some of those close sounds were really pretty.


----------



## jon wayne (Jan 7, 2019)

ptram said:


> Like some others, I've some problems with the playability of the Embertone. What we feel, when playing it, is sometimes described as a slight delay, a distance, a lack of connection between the keys and fingers.
> 
> Since others, like you, don't find this issue, I wonder what can cause the problem with us. Max polyphony is high, the CPU is not charged, audio system latency is not different than the usual. Are there precaution you had to keep, when configuring your system for this piano?
> 
> Paolo


Thanks for your description. I love the sound but couldn’t express how it feels to play. Just a little uncomfortable.


----------



## Fleer (Jan 7, 2019)

Apart from the ultimate playability of Pianoteq, these are the grands I heartily recommend for the free Kontakt Player:

- Embertone Walker
- WholeSounds Baldwin
- OrangeTreeSamples Rosewood*
- ImpactSoundworks Pearl
- CineSamples CinePiano
- Wavesfactory Mercury
- Soundiron Emotional
- Bechstein Digital

(* will get a Kontakt Player upgrade). 

As for uprights I gladly second CGR’s advice and add the EZKeys Small Upright. Very special that one.


----------



## sostenuto (Jan 7, 2019)

Ashermusic said:


> There are real pianos and there are real pianos. I grew up learning to play on a Gulbransen spinet. When I was at Boston Conservatory, most of my practice time was in the rehearsal rooms which had Wurlitzer spinets. ****



_Memories  _So much fun practicing daily on home spinet (not even Gulbransen or Wurli) and then asked to do school recitals on new, small (stiff) Grand … 

Fav now is IvoryII Italian …. and NI_K11U pianos for special needs.


----------



## SoundChris (Jan 8, 2019)

ptram said:


> Like some others, I've some problems with the playability of the Embertone. What we feel, when playing it, is sometimes described as a slight delay, a distance, a lack of connection between the keys and fingers.
> 
> Since others, like you, don't find this issue, I wonder what can cause the problem with us. Max polyphony is high, the CPU is not charged, audio system latency is not different than the usual. Are there precaution you had to keep, when configuring your system for this piano?
> 
> Paolo


Hm this is strange indeed. I never had any problems with the playability or any issues at all. Right now I am using the instrument on a Mac Pro 64 GB Ram, 12 Core 2.9 Ghz and am streaming the samples from SSD. Maybe it has something to do with your system or the Kontakt settings?


----------



## Ashermusic (Jan 8, 2019)

SoundChris said:


> Hm this is strange indeed. I never had any problems with the playability or any issues at all. Right now I am using the instrument on a Mac Pro 64 GB Ram, 12 Core 2.9 Ghz and am streaming the samples from SSD. Maybe it has something to do with your system or the Kontakt settings?



I too have no problem with it.


----------



## Rob (Jan 8, 2019)

I must be the only piano player who needs some latency to feel I’m playing a piano... around 10-11 ms is fine for me. Real pianos have latency


----------



## Ashermusic (Jan 8, 2019)

Rob said:


> I must be the only piano player who needs some latency to feel I’m playing a piano... around 10-11 ms is fine for me. Real pianos have latency



Bingo.


----------



## YaniDee (Jan 8, 2019)

For free, this is quite a good piano! (I just noticed this says "blue grand" but the interface and features seem the same)



There is a thread here https://vi-control.net/community/th...-one-version-5-0-for-free.78421/#post-4336069

Even with some limitations, the sound is very good..(I'm not an expert piano player ..)


----------



## BezO (Jan 8, 2019)

Maybe because they're new to me, I've been using the German and Japanese grands from the Arturia Collection a lot. I know NI doesn't get a lot of respect here, so it's probably worth mentioning that my only other options are the Grandeur, which I really like, & the Maverick.


----------



## ptram (Jan 8, 2019)

Rob said:


> I must be the only piano player who needs some latency to feel I’m playing a piano


Obviously, that's not the kind of latency I'm experiencing. The time needed for the mechanics to transfer one's finger strength to the string is not exactly perceived as a 'delay', but as – if I can say – as a 'sympathetic vibration between the player and the music'.

Here is what I did to try to examine this issue: I first performed a very rhythmically clear piece with NI's The Grandeur, a piano that feels 'right' to me.

Then, I simply copied the same sequence to a track with the Walker's Main mics. Separately exporting each track, then loading the resulting AIFF files into a sample editor, resulted in the following comparison. The samples are sample-accurately synchronized.






Why is this happening? Why only on some systems?

Paolo


----------



## alexbaroni (Feb 4, 2019)

SoundChris said:


> Yes I totally can confirm this. While I really have got a lot of virtual pianos which I really like soundwise (e.g. the 1928 Steinway Legacy by 8Dio), non of them felt right when I tried to perform with them. I always had to program a lot to get good results. Now with the Walker 1955 it is different. I have tested this instrument quite a lot and also practiced my piano playing on it - especially pieces from Bach´s Well-Tempered Clavier or the English Suites, Rachmaninov Prelude g# or some Chopin Preludes, Impromptus and so on. It really felt great and I am very happy now. My neighbors cant stand it when I practice on my Grand Piano in the evening. With the Walker this problem is finally solved now. Soon there also will be half pedaling - as far as I know this will be a free update. So yes - it is a great virtual instrument to perform and play. For this I prefer the Binaural-Mic Position which simulates the sound experience from the player´s perspective. IMO this really makes a difference and just feels right.


Hi SoundChris. Are you using all Mic´s? Or you liked one and stop on that! I´m afraid to buy all Mics and in fact, using only one. Thank you.


----------



## bigcat1969 (Feb 5, 2019)

Kinda old school, but Sampletekk has a gorgeous Steinway, imo, as well as the mentioned rain piano. The nicer Baldwins have a good sound that is rarely heard in sampling making it traditional but still somewhat unique.


----------



## SAM CA (Feb 5, 2019)

BezO said:


> Maybe because they're new to me, I've been using the German and Japanese grands from the Arturia Collection a lot. I know NI doesn't get a lot of respect here, so it's probably worth mentioning that my only other options are the Grandeur, which I really like, & the Maverick.



How so? NI has some good pianos...Grandeur in particular. I'm very new to the Arturia piano. Not bad at all for the price range.


----------



## BezO (Feb 6, 2019)

SAM CA said:


> How so? NI has some good pianos...Grandeur in particular. I'm very new to the Arturia piano. Not bad at all for the price range.


I agree. The Grandeur is/was my main piano until I got the Arturia Collection. The Giant gets a lot of use too. Many here just don't seem to hold NI instruments in very high regard.

Between NI and Arturia, I'm very happy with my acoustic piano collection.


----------



## SAM CA (Feb 7, 2019)

CGR said:


> ...
> 
> My previous attempts with this have always ending up sounding *weird & phase-y*, but I'm thinking this sounds alright. Opinions?



Right...that's usually the case unless the library has duo patches that are carefully worked out. I wouldn't say you have that phase problem here. To me it seems they're not equally responsive to velocity values. Across the range, one seems to be louder than the other one and that produces 2 different colors.

In general, for solo or any type of piano works I use a single piano. It's just more convincing and you can adapt to that particular piano.

This recording doesn't exaggerate the duo piano setup problems, as it's pretty consistent with the dynamic and feel. Try this with something more involved and you'll notice the issues a lot more.


----------



## SAM CA (Feb 7, 2019)

Speaking of traditional pianos...Emotional Piano from Soundiron for slow and moderate tempo works. It sounds best with ambient/sound design type of music but I use it for traditional piano works as well. Not suitable for playing Etudes and stuff.

Ivory pianos I really love! They're very flexibe and give you tons of parameters to tweak if that's your thing.


----------



## borisb2 (Feb 8, 2019)

I‘m surprised that nobody mentions the Ravenscroft 275 Piano:
https://www.vilabsaudio.com/Ravenscroft-By-VI-Labs

To me one of the best VST-pianos available - with a different, clearer character than addictive keys or grandeur


----------



## keepitsimple (Feb 8, 2019)

borisb2 said:


> I‘m surprised that nobody mentions the Ravenscroft 275 Piano:
> https://www.vilabsaudio.com/Ravenscroft-By-VI-Labs
> 
> To me one of the best VST-pianos available - with a different, clearer character than addictive keys or grandeur


Because it got a bad rap that carried over from pianoworld forum for being too "cold" or "not suitable" for classical music. That's their excuse for hating on it. But don’t worry it has its fans around here. For me it will always be in my top 3. Stunning library.


----------



## SAM CA (Feb 8, 2019)

keepitsimple said:


> Because it got a bad rap that carried over from pianoworld forum for being too "cold" or "not suitable" for classical music. That's their excuse for hating on it. But don’t worry it has its fans around here. For me it will always be in my top 3. Stunning library.



This is probably just one of those forum things. It all starts with someone with some kind of forum history. An opinion gets posted...friends agree...and that opinion turns into "fact" and spills into other forums. I own the iOS version but from what I hear it sounds pretty close to the desktop version. I don't agree with it being too cold for classical music. Yes, it comes with presets that are totally not meant for that type of performance, but then it also has sounds that are suitable.


----------



## keepitsimple (Feb 8, 2019)

SAM CA said:


> This is probably just one of those forum things. It all starts with someone with some kind of forum history. An opinion gets posted...friends agree...and that opinion turns into "fact" and spills into other forums. I own the iOS version but from what I hear it sounds pretty close to the desktop version. I don't agree with it being too cold for classical music. Yes, it comes with presets that are totally not meant for that type of performance, but then it also has sounds that are suitable.


You're right, you nailed it. The iOS version is a stripped down version of the *Close mics* in the full version. You get the same close mics samples only but you have no control on mechanical noises, Sympathetic resonance or pretty much anything else. It's a plug & play version with presets to boot and they did a great job with that (The desktop version does not have presets, you have to tweak everything from scratch). I would go for the desktop version if i were you, just to access the extra mics. I use the side mics in combination of the close mics and it sounds very convincing to me.


----------



## SAM CA (Feb 8, 2019)

keepitsimple said:


> You're right, you nailed it. The iOS version is a stripped down version of the *Close mics* in the full version. You get the same close mics samples only but you have no control on mechanical noises, Sympathetic resonance or pretty much anything else. It's a plug & play version with presets to boot and they did a great job with that (The desktop version does not have presets, you have to tweak everything from scratch). I would go for the desktop version if i were you, just to access the extra mics. I use the side mics in combination of the close mics and it sounds very convincing to me.



I see! In that case I don't see why people would just call any library "cold" just like that. I bet you if you were to post blind test recordings, the same people would post all kinds of contradicting opinions. I'm not saying this is always the case. There are products that just sound bad, but when it comes to opinions on character, genre, playability..etc.... you really have to provide some kind of convincing evidence. For me to say this or that library is too cold for something means nothing...absolutely nothing at all! 

Here's my Ravenscroft iOS demo. I used a 61 keys but will probably record one with a 88 key soon. 



If this is a stripped down version of the close mics, I can only imagine what you can do with more pics and settings.


----------



## keepitsimple (Feb 8, 2019)

SAM CA said:


> Here's my Ravenscroft iOS demo. I used a 61 keys but will probably record one with a 88 key soon.
> 
> 
> 
> If this is a stripped down version of the close mics, I can only imagine what you can do with more pics and settings.



I've seen this video man and i cringe everytime i see you using a 61 keys for piano haha. Use your damn Kronos.

Here's my setting with Side + Close mics.


----------



## SAM CA (Feb 8, 2019)

ha ha ha...everybody hates me when I play a 61 keys. 

Great demo by the way! Overall tone is great and balanced. The lows are lovely as well.


----------



## whiskers (Feb 8, 2019)

Parsifal666 said:


> Garritan CFX is the cream for me; love the Thomas Newman preset.


Imma need to hear that preset. Pretty please?


----------



## HiEnergy (Feb 9, 2019)

My go-to piano is still TruePianos. The Atlantis model sounds quite convincing to me.
But IANAP (I am not a pianist)


----------



## ptram (Mar 18, 2019)

ptram said:


> Like some others, I've some problems with the playability of the Embertone. What we feel, when playing it, is sometimes described as a slight delay, a distance, a lack of connection between the keys and fingers


Ok, here is what can be: the Sample Start knob, in the Response page, is sort of an offset into the sample. The most to the right you turn it, the snappier the response seems to be. By default, this knob is set nearly all to the left, so there is some 'slowliness' in the beginning of the sound. Something that may be desirable for smoother piano playing, less so with classical pieces.

Paolo


----------



## CGR (Mar 18, 2019)

ptram said:


> Ok, here is what can be: the Sample Start knob, in the Response page, is sort of an offset into the sample. The most to the right you turn it, the snappier the response seems to be. By default, this knob is set nearly all to the left, so there is some 'slowliness' in the beginning of the sound. Something that may be desirable for smoother piano playing, less so with classical pieces.
> 
> Paolo



I've seen this referred to as 'Pre-attack' in Production Voices pianos (the subtle sound of the hammer mechanism before the hammer strikes the strings). It can add some realism to softer, slower pieces, but it's best to use it at render/bounce stage (playing with it on can make the piano feel sluggish).


----------



## DerGeist (Mar 18, 2019)

keepitsimple said:


> I've seen this video man and i cringe everytime i see you using a 61 keys for piano haha. Use your damn Kronos.
> 
> Here's my setting with Side + Close mics.



I'm currently working on a Rachmaninoff piece on a 61 key Nord Electro!


----------

