Simple Sam Steinway
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slobajudge
Active Member
Does anybody have this Simple sam Steinway piano and also Production voices concert grand to compare ? PV give an offer 60% off, so Concert grand LE is 60$. Now price is close to Simple sam Steinway.
johngrant
Member
Initially, this sample seems to be for folks who want a built in room verb; at least, that's where it really excels. It's easy to add verb to dry samples, but hard to get the kind of natural sounding verb the "room" mic gives to this sample. I don't own, and can't really afford, a Bricasti, which is what you'd need to get the kind of cohesive, authentic room sound that this sample does. It appears to have as many if not more vel layers than the pricey HZP, and is just as realistic, except for the bass, which HZP has in spades.
johngrant
Member
I really like the PV Yamaha, (and as a somewhat patriotic Cannuck) I'm sympathetic to his Steinway, too. But I don't think I bought it (I'll have to check!!!) But the "Sam"--if you like the roomy-verb thing--seems to me to have more, a lot more, high end realism. Let me go out on a limb... a bit...and say that I much prefer this Steinway to the current STeinway chief contenders, which for me are the (pricey) HZP, the Embertone, and the (pricey) VSL everybody's raving about. Yup... I'll probably get strung up for saying that. Of course, it really is personal preference in the end.
BTW... the "JR Rhodes" Bach is a live recording at a REAL Steinway... He does a great job. Useful comparison, I guess.
Rob
stale member
Sorry I didn't see this... custom patch, basically disabling all insert effects. I should have kept some more room though.
MSutherlandComp
Composer
All I can say is, wow. I think this may be my new go-to for that piano concerto feeling.
Here's a noodle with the default patch! No editing of any sort - please forgive my god-awful playing.
Here's a noodle with the default patch! No editing of any sort - please forgive my god-awful playing.
johngrant
Member
Nothing to apologize about! Now did you use the pedal? If so, how's it working for you? I think the sound is VERY real. That is.... I really don't think the most-experienced sound engineer's ears listening via really good monitors could pick this out as a "pianist-vst-recording" as opposed to a "pianist-REAL Steinway-recording". That's not the case with other Steinway vsts.
MSutherlandComp
Composer
I did! The pedaling works fabulously, though I found myself using it a bit less than usual (less necessary due to the natural sound of the room).
CGR
Pianist, Composer & Arranger
A minor thing, but if anyone who has purchased the Simple Sam Steinway is bothered by the aqua blue/green buttons on the GUI, PM me for a customised gold/brass coloured GUI I created for myself.
PS: I have no affiliation with Simple Sam Samples - my background is Graphic Design so these things catch my eye!
PS: I have no affiliation with Simple Sam Samples - my background is Graphic Design so these things catch my eye!
Last edited:
CGR
Pianist, Composer & Arranger
johngrant
Member
The manual is useful, btw; but no info on the mics used. Would like to know that.
VST's like this one make me want to know more about the sampling process, especially for pianos. I spent MONTHS renting different mics to record my own piano performances. No luck. Just couldn't get a "pro" sound. I didn't have the right "hall" or acoustic environment to begin with. And Schoeps, etc, are expensive to rent, and hard to rent unless you're connected and in the business of making studio recordings.
Like most or all piano samples, this one works way better for some applications and types of music than others. Whatever: the sample certainly makes me want to LISTEN, even if I don't always like want I'm hearing. That might have something to do with the absence (apparent) of heavy note sample editing, which editing seems ubiquitous many piano vsts.
My old ears tell me that in this sample everything above c4 has a dead on accurate "room" or "hall" sound. I don't hear that top end "space" (for want of a better term) in ANY other Steinway sample, including the Synchron Steinway demos. So that alone makes this sample attractive.
The downside (again for me personally) is the "close" perspective. It's still very verby, and you lose the uncanny upper frequency accuracy of this vst that makes that part of it so REAL-sounding. It's sort of a take it or leave it sample, which gives you variations on what's basically a room or hall sound as you cycle through "classical" "jazz" "film" etc.
Not sure how this vst would sound played live in a bar....or even in the average office or living room. The better hardware piano synths--Yammy, Roland, Kawai, etc.-- seem to have this market pretty much nailed.
VST's like this one make me want to know more about the sampling process, especially for pianos. I spent MONTHS renting different mics to record my own piano performances. No luck. Just couldn't get a "pro" sound. I didn't have the right "hall" or acoustic environment to begin with. And Schoeps, etc, are expensive to rent, and hard to rent unless you're connected and in the business of making studio recordings.
Like most or all piano samples, this one works way better for some applications and types of music than others. Whatever: the sample certainly makes me want to LISTEN, even if I don't always like want I'm hearing. That might have something to do with the absence (apparent) of heavy note sample editing, which editing seems ubiquitous many piano vsts.
My old ears tell me that in this sample everything above c4 has a dead on accurate "room" or "hall" sound. I don't hear that top end "space" (for want of a better term) in ANY other Steinway sample, including the Synchron Steinway demos. So that alone makes this sample attractive.
The downside (again for me personally) is the "close" perspective. It's still very verby, and you lose the uncanny upper frequency accuracy of this vst that makes that part of it so REAL-sounding. It's sort of a take it or leave it sample, which gives you variations on what's basically a room or hall sound as you cycle through "classical" "jazz" "film" etc.
Not sure how this vst would sound played live in a bar....or even in the average office or living room. The better hardware piano synths--Yammy, Roland, Kawai, etc.-- seem to have this market pretty much nailed.
dzilizzi
Senior Member
This is going to sound weird but I sometimes fix this by playing 2 pianos together in Kontakt. The key is getting the right mix. Sometimes it is easier to mix in the DAW instead.
