Finding the perfect harpsichord VST is clearly an impossible task especially if you are wanting to use the instrument for a solo album. I have to say that this is not the case for pipe organ. Between Hauptwerk and Grandorgue that are truly stellar sample sets out there including the excellent Piotr Grabowski organs available for free. I can sit for hours playing one of those and forget it is a sample instrument. Linn Records used a Hauptwerk instrument on their recent Monteverdi Vespers recording and my own demo solo tracks prove that people are easily fooled!
Back to harpsichords. I've tried 'em all at this point barring Cinesamples, I think. This one is not an option for me because they failed to include both single manual 8 foot stops (in similar fashion to the VSL instrument). Such a strange choice!
The top choice for me is OT Berlin series with the Italian, in particular, being really nice to play. The problem with the French model is that there are a couple of out-of-tune notes and for some reason it does not sound quite as focused as the Italian. Listening back to my harpsichord CDs, I consider both the OT instruments "hollywood"-esque which is to be expected, I suppose, but it's certainly not a dealbreaker.
The Hauptwerk Ruckers from Sonus Paradisi is also really excellent. My struggles here are finding natural-sounding reverb solutions either algo or IR to make the instrument fit in a convincing space. Otherwise, the instrument is consistent with a lovely soundboard resonance. It has a very "present" treble but I assume that with the right reverb this could be tamed somewhat.
As an aside, I'm still trying to figure out the decisions made to mike the Mietke model in the way they did (the bass notes are squarely heard only in the left speaker!). Panning the signal really messes with the phase coherence. I guess the only way to save it is to listen back from a distance or physically record the output from the speakers to get more natural crossfeed. Also, the trills are just terrible-sounding on my digital piano (due to no decay time as you get by default in Kontakt?). If anyone has a solution for either of these issues, I'd love to hear it as the timbre that is presented is really top-notch.
The others, including free offerings, are discounted from consideration due to lack of aforementioned soundboard resonance. Further, Soniccouture had it's own out-of-the-box issues like mis-tunings, intrusive "tuned" release samples etc and, TBH, the Ruckers (the reason I bought it) is a little pinched/harsh in the treble. Pianoteq should be given an honorable mention for playability but, honestly, it just sounds fake (like Organteq currently does).
I'm also looking at clavichord options if I can't live with any of the harpsichords but so far none have convinced me. I've yet to buy the Wavelore one because with the very limited demo compass it is impossible to get an accurate impression of how it will sound with real pieces of music and reverb. Users' performances on YouTube are not convincing me at all despite good playing. The rest just sound totally awful. The pianoteq one is modelled on a Nazi Germany-era piano-frame monstrosity so hardly equates to the sounds heard on Christopher Hogwood's "Secret Bach" disc!
To summarize: help! If you know how to fix the serious issues present in Spitfire Devine please let me know. Likewise, if you have tips for placing the Hauptwerk Ruckers in a good natural and convincing space, do write back! Also, if you can explain the weird Miekte miking, trills, and how to fix/improve I would be very grateful!
I'm pretty much ready to record the Bach French Suites but struggling to move ahead when the instruments are not sounding as good as I'd like...
Back to harpsichords. I've tried 'em all at this point barring Cinesamples, I think. This one is not an option for me because they failed to include both single manual 8 foot stops (in similar fashion to the VSL instrument). Such a strange choice!
The top choice for me is OT Berlin series with the Italian, in particular, being really nice to play. The problem with the French model is that there are a couple of out-of-tune notes and for some reason it does not sound quite as focused as the Italian. Listening back to my harpsichord CDs, I consider both the OT instruments "hollywood"-esque which is to be expected, I suppose, but it's certainly not a dealbreaker.
The Hauptwerk Ruckers from Sonus Paradisi is also really excellent. My struggles here are finding natural-sounding reverb solutions either algo or IR to make the instrument fit in a convincing space. Otherwise, the instrument is consistent with a lovely soundboard resonance. It has a very "present" treble but I assume that with the right reverb this could be tamed somewhat.
As an aside, I'm still trying to figure out the decisions made to mike the Mietke model in the way they did (the bass notes are squarely heard only in the left speaker!). Panning the signal really messes with the phase coherence. I guess the only way to save it is to listen back from a distance or physically record the output from the speakers to get more natural crossfeed. Also, the trills are just terrible-sounding on my digital piano (due to no decay time as you get by default in Kontakt?). If anyone has a solution for either of these issues, I'd love to hear it as the timbre that is presented is really top-notch.
The others, including free offerings, are discounted from consideration due to lack of aforementioned soundboard resonance. Further, Soniccouture had it's own out-of-the-box issues like mis-tunings, intrusive "tuned" release samples etc and, TBH, the Ruckers (the reason I bought it) is a little pinched/harsh in the treble. Pianoteq should be given an honorable mention for playability but, honestly, it just sounds fake (like Organteq currently does).
I'm also looking at clavichord options if I can't live with any of the harpsichords but so far none have convinced me. I've yet to buy the Wavelore one because with the very limited demo compass it is impossible to get an accurate impression of how it will sound with real pieces of music and reverb. Users' performances on YouTube are not convincing me at all despite good playing. The rest just sound totally awful. The pianoteq one is modelled on a Nazi Germany-era piano-frame monstrosity so hardly equates to the sounds heard on Christopher Hogwood's "Secret Bach" disc!
To summarize: help! If you know how to fix the serious issues present in Spitfire Devine please let me know. Likewise, if you have tips for placing the Hauptwerk Ruckers in a good natural and convincing space, do write back! Also, if you can explain the weird Miekte miking, trills, and how to fix/improve I would be very grateful!
I'm pretty much ready to record the Bach French Suites but struggling to move ahead when the instruments are not sounding as good as I'd like...