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Bright Sampled Pianos

CGR

Pianist, Composer & Arranger
I was playing a Hamburg Steinway D at a studio a few weeks ago and was once again amazed at the power and dynamic range of a large acoustic piano. It has prompted me to revisit some of my sampled pianos, including the EWQL grand pianos. Although quite dated and despite the amount of criticism they receive, the EWQL pianos really have that bite and resonance missing in many sampled pianos.

Here's an ending excerpt from a Vince DiCola piece I played (played as is - no editing) using the Yamaha C7 Platinum with Close & Player mics, and EWQL Spaces NY Piano Hall reverb. A huge departure from the cinematic & felt pianos in vogue for the last few years, but if you're looking for a piano to cut through, this will do the job. PS: No affiliation with East West - have paid for everything I have of theirs.
 

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  • EWQL YAMAHA C7 Platinum-Test.mp3
    2.1 MB · Views: 37
I like EWQL pianos, too. There are obvious shortcomings in some aspects, such as dynamic and sound quality, but also the texture of the acoustic piano that no other sampled piano has.
Nice excerpt!
 
Cheers :) 'Texture' is a good word to describe what they captured with these pianos. There's something very 'alive' about them.
 
Thank you for the discovery of the album "Piano Solos" by Vince DiCola (a lot of succession of varied chords, surprising and without repetition). Do you know what piano he played to record the CD?
 
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Thank you for the discovery of the album "Piano Solos" by Vince DiCola (a lot of succession of varied chords, surprising and without repetition). Do you know what piano he played to record the CD?
I think I remember reading it was a Yamaha C7. It certainly has that 80's Yamaha/ USA recording studio brightness. I actually contacted Vince recently about this, but his memory wasn't clear!
 
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