# A digital piano like Pianoteq?



## Studio E (Mar 31, 2020)

Ok, I know that not everyone likes Pianoteq, but for me, it has seriously been life-changing. When I was 11, we suddenly lived in a house with a Yamaha baby grand. That's where my whole musical life began, in about 1980. After I moved out, there wasn't anything like a decent digital piano back then. Over the years, buying synths and playing in bands, I thought that I had piano sounds I liked, and then we all graduated to soft synths for the last twenty years which brings us to the present.

I don't know how many sampled pianos I have in my DAW but it's a stupid amount. Probably 20+. Even though I liked some of them here and there, at a certain point, I just never felt good about the dynamics of any of them. Then I discovered Pianoteq (ver 6) and I all of a sudden LOVED to play again. I mean seriously, I had written-off me playing and let my skills dwindle horribly because I was using a mouse as much as a keyboard anyway and I hadn't planned on ever playing live again. It just didn't interest me. But then I tried Pianoteq and I seriously play an hour or two everyday just to play.

The only drawback now, is that I am always in my basement studio to play but I'd love to be somewhere upstairs, maybe with a window, and be able to play/practice among the living. So the obvious question is; Is there anything remotely as rewarding to play in the market of Digital Pianos as Pianoteq is to the people who actually love it as I do?

What I see is the Yamaha Clavinovas in the 4k range, and then the Roland Digital uprights which don't have prices in view at Sweetwater. But price aside, I just want to know from others who love Pianoteq like I do; Do these or any other really compare at all? To me, the sound is super important but no matter how good the sound, if it isn't super dynamic or doesn't play well or connect to the keyboard well, it's not worth it.

I really dream of the day I can just plop down in the living room, push one button, and play all I want. I look forward to hearing from Pianoteq people.

Oh, and on a final note, I use a Yamaha S90xs as my DAW controller so I'm used to a really nice solid piano action already.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 31, 2020)

I don't know, but why not put Pianoteq on a laptop and play it upstairs if it's the one you like best? All you need is a controller keyboard and a keyboard amp.


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## Quasar (Mar 31, 2020)

Even though I'm not the Pianoteq fan you are, I get what you mean, because there is something about the live feel between the fingers and the response that piano sample libraries simply don't have. For pure sound, I still prefer my Galaxy Vintage D, but when I just want to "play the piano" nothing comes close to Pianoteq in terms of the "holistic experience" of playing on an ersatz real piano 

But I can't answer your question, because I will never have enough money to know. The Yamaha P and CP series ranges between $500-$2000 won't do it. The Casio stuff I have tried won't do it. I have tried some of the digital baby grands they showcase in music stores and they certainly weren't bad, but couldn't help but think that the sonics were just okay, and that they're made and marketed more as furniture pieces for rich people than for discriminating musicians. I never tried one that I would have bought even if I had Warren Buffet-like money.

There are no Kawai stores anywhere near where I live. I have read that some of the high-end Kawais are fantastic digital pianos both in terms of action and sonic realism. But I have no first-hand experience. Might be worth checking out.

EDIT: Nick's advice is great. It's simple, relatively inexpensive and probably the most practical.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 31, 2020)

Quasar said:


> EDIT: Nick's advice is great. It's simple, relatively inexpensive and probably the most practical.



I mean, if that's the one you like out of 20, why keep looking?

Pianoteq is great, although I'm most enamored of their electric pianos.


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## SupremeFist (Mar 31, 2020)

Kawai CA series. (I have the 97.)


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## Instrugramm (Mar 31, 2020)

Studio E said:


> Ok, I know that not everyone likes Pianoteq, but for me, it has seriously been life-changing. When I was 11, we suddenly lived in a house with a Yamaha baby grand. That's where my whole musical life began, in about 1980. After I moved out, there wasn't anything like a decent digital piano back then. Over the years, buying synths and playing in bands, I thought that I had piano sounds I liked, and then we all graduated to soft synths for the last twenty years which brings us to the present.
> 
> I don't know how many sampled pianos I have in my DAW but it's a stupid amount. Probably 20+. Even though I liked some of them here and there, at a certain point, I just never felt good about the dynamics of any of them. Then I discovered Pianoteq (ver 6) and I all of a sudden LOVED to play again. I mean seriously, I had written-off me playing and let my skills dwindle horribly because I was using a mouse as much as a keyboard anyway and I hadn't planned on ever playing live again. It just didn't interest me. But then I tried Pianoteq and I seriously play an hour or two everyday just to play.
> 
> ...


I've been owning my Clavinova CLP-470 for years now and it was one of my best investments, If I recall correctly I paid around 3000 Euros back in 2012 and still today I often use it to record my songs, since its playability is insanely good. Don't expect weird modular sounds, if it's a solid piano sound you're looking for however, just go ahead and buy one of the higher-end Clavinovas.

(Ps. I actually "record" the piano's own sound via USB and then import it into my Daw, you can however also record midi data.)


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## EvilDragon (Apr 1, 2020)

Roland has their V-Piano technology (also physical modeling) in their RD-2000 and FP-90 stage pianos. Might wanna check those out. Pianoteq is a lot more advanced (especially in case of Pianoteq Pro) but Roland's physmod piano is still nicer to play than plain samples.


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## Virtuoso (Apr 1, 2020)

If price isn't a primary concern have a look at the Yamaha AvantGrand range, which start at $6.5k and go up to $15k. The actions are extremely good and build/sound quality are superb. The higher N2/N3 models have the Tactile Response System - it simulates the vibration of the strings felt through the keys and pedals, which really helps with the whole instrument connection thing. They also have sound board resonance which helps the digital instrument respond more like an acoustic at louder playing levels.

I've had an N3 for almost 10 years, play it daily and still absolutely love it!


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## Arbee (Apr 1, 2020)

SupremeFist said:


> Kawai CA series. (I have the 97.)


Kawai is my choice too, especially if you want an action that is somewhat transferable to a "real" piano.


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## SupremeFist (Apr 1, 2020)

Arbee said:


> Kawai is my choice too, especially if you want an action that is somewhat transferable to a "real" piano.


Better than a cheap upright imo.


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