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[new] Blüthner 1895 from VSL | SE Vol. 6+7

Just listening now - the dynamics seem really off. Not meaning to be rude but it sounds clunky and disjointed. Did you play it with a weighted controller? Sounds like the dynamic range is missing in the pp-p-mp range.
Yes, I played it on a digital piano, and then manually smoothed it during editing. If it may be of interest, I'm attaching the diagram of the note velocities. No change was made on the default touch curve in the piano player.

To be noted that I created this file with a different piano (the Embertone Walker), so a deeper work might be required to adapt the sequence to the different piano.

Paolo
 

Attachments

  • scriabin-etude-bluther-velocity.png
    scriabin-etude-bluther-velocity.png
    31 KB · Views: 18
Last edited:
Yes, I played it on a digital piano, and then manually smoothed it during editing. If it may be of interest, I'm attaching the diagram of the note velocities. No change was made on the default touch curve in the piano player.

Paolo
Hmmm. Seems like a healthy range of MIDI note velocities. Maybe it's the mic mix which is making it sound 'hard'. What do you think of it?
 
Maybe it's the mic mix which is making it sound 'hard'.
I feel that the Close mics included in the Standard edition are indeed a bit hard for classical music. I'm probably not been able to find the correct mix with the other mics (in particular, the Decca Tree) to make things sound a bit more balanced.

If someone has the Full edition and wants to try, we could test the file with a more complete set of microphone.

Paolo
 
For a comparison, here's the piece played with the old VSL Vienna Imperial:

 
I replaced the old version, and uploaded (to the same link) one that has a very low-volume Close mic pair, very high-volume Decca Tree mics, quite high Mid1/Tail mic.

I also lengthened the sustain pedal in many points, since the decay of this piano is very fast and I think that completely releasing the pedal would cause sort of a hole.

Maybe it is a bit better, now.

Scriabin Etude C# minor (Blüthner)

Paolo
 
I could try later when back to studio...
Al, do you have access to VSL's tutorial files? Testing with their official file would be more revealing.

I’m curious to compare my own version, so as soon as I’m back at my desk I’ll mail it to you.

Paolo
 
Al, do you have access to VSL's tutorial files? Testing with their official file would be more revealing.

I’m curious to compare my own version, so as soon as I’m back at my desk I’ll mail it to you.

Paolo

I've looked but didn't found the Etrude. Do you have a link on VSL site?
 
Ok, just rendered some version via Bluthner Full library. I used the Midi file ptram sent me (from VSL tutorial, as I understood).
Some notes:
- Presets are "as factory" except for the maximum voices (standard 128 -> set to 1024)
- All tracks are norm to -1.0 dB, mp3 256kbit/s. I do have the wav too.
- All the std presets add reberb via a dedicated bus. I left it on
- IMHO the pedal sound is way too high, but again: std presets
- I avoided the "pop" preset

Start with Decca Tree Multi-Mic presets
 

Attachments

  • Bluthner - Concert Decca Tree.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 47
  • Bluthner - Intimate Decca Tree.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 36
  • Bluthner - Player Decca Tree.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 27
  • Bluthner - Ambience Decca Tree.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 11
  • Bluthner - Vintage Decca Tree.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 20
Now Surround to Stereo Downmix Presets
 

Attachments

  • Bluthner - Concert Sur to Stereo.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 21
  • Bluthner - Intimate Sur to Stereo.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 12
  • Bluthner - Player Sur to Stereo.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 15
  • Bluthner - Ambience Sur to Stereo.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 10
  • Bluthner - Vintage Sur to Stereo.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 9
At last I rendered some solo mic only from full lib (Mid 2, Ribbon, Sphere and Surround).
This time I turned the reverb bus OFF, no EQ. So this is the raw sound.
 

Attachments

  • Bluthner - Mid 2.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 27
  • Bluthner - Ribbon.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 38
  • Bluthner - Sphere.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 19
  • Bluthner - Surround.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 15
Thanks for rendering those mic comparisons. Quite a range of difference between the mixes. As a comparison, here's the Galaxy 1929 Bluthner:
 

Attachments

  • 1929 Galaxy Bluthner-Scriabin-Etude in c-sharp-op.2-no 11.mp3
    5.6 MB · Views: 63
Thanks for rendering those mic comparisons. Quite a range of difference between the mixes. As a comparison, here's the Galaxy 1929 Bluthner:

Very different, indeed. But your midi is played and more enjoyable. Do you mind to use that for a comparison?
BTW, I don't have the Galaxy Bluthner, but what settings did you used? Sound seems compressed.
 
Very different, indeed. But your midi is played and more enjoyable. Do you mind to use that for a comparison?
BTW, I don't have the Galaxy Bluthner, but what settings did you used? Sound seems compressed.
Hi Al, are you wanting the Scriabin MIDI file I used? The Galaxy 1929 Bluthner I used was from a recent multi-track project so it had some compression on the master bus. I can render another mp3 without the compression if you'd like. The piano only has a single blended stereo mix (ie. no multi mic options like the VSL pianos) which is fairly close and dry, so requires some production to place it in a space. I used East West's Spaces (Burbank Scoring Stage) plus some light EQ & imaging plugins - nothing too complex.
 
Thanks for the details. Yes, if you are interested I would like to render some variants of your midi with VSL, to have a comparison.
 
Thanks for the details. Yes, if you are interested I would like to render some variants of your midi with VSL, to have a comparison.
No problems. Give me a few minutes and I'll upload the MIDI file.
 
There is a new interesting video on the VSL page that compares all 3 Synchron pianos:
On the bottom of the list you'll find "Synchron Pianos Comparison, by Stephen Limbaugh"
 
Here's the Scriabin MIDI file.
NOTE: for some reason the original MIDI was embedded with data for playback on MIDI Channel 13 - you may need to change this to match the MIDI channel your VSL Bluthner is set to.
 

Attachments

  • Scriabin-Etude in c-sharp-op.2-no 11.MID
    8.5 KB · Views: 10
This are a couple of rendering of the file from CGR. I used the "Concert Sur to Stereo" preset in the first and a custom one in the second.
It seems that at higher velocities there are some vibrations.
 

Attachments

  • Bluthner CGR - Concert Sur to Stereo.mp3
    4.6 MB · Views: 54
  • Bluthner CGR - Custom 1.mp3
    4.6 MB · Views: 24
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