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Apologies from me for saying thank you too....l previously deposited for native mk3 but changed my mind to slgrand 88 ....thank you for not letting me regret it....

Well, that's some real words that go from heart to heart ♥ "Only your mind can think of the things you create"

Noire is my goto despite trying the VSL piano's. This piano just works extremely well on a wide range of styles due to it's tweakability. I would love it if NI updated this library to Noire 2 with an additional mic perspective and Una Corda. However, I don't think they captured any other mic perspectives and Una Corda samples in the session and Galaxy Instruments don't want to use modelling to re-create this. I have also started using Pianoteq more seriously on recent projects and think this is constantly improving with each update! I don't think certain aspects of the sound is quite there yet but in other ways I find some things surpass any piano library I've tried. I am considering adding one more piano sample library with multiple mic perspectives and am torn between the Garritan CFX, Ivory 3 and the new Premier Kawai Legend library.

I could reassure that NI sucks. Thanks

beautiful piano playing :)

That's actually useful! I do have a question... Is there a way to record the whole midi notes and then edit each individual articulation? Like let's say you're done and while mixing you realize "this note could use a staccato sound", can you edit that or would you have to delete and re record with the new articulation?

Thanks a lot for doing this. I think having an anechoic room for sampling makes a difference for having a balanced sound between the high notes and low notes. I found the lowest two or even three octaves suffer from too much low mid frequency accumulation because the microphones catch the reflection from the room or piano body. That masks out some of the beautiful harmonics created by the strings and kind of mushes the tones. The other issue I found is that the zing you hear with velocities above lets say 80 or 90 sounds like on-off switch in some sample libraries which makes the sound artificial sounding. I think there need to be modification to the EQ to compensate for that. Perhaps relationship of MIDI velocity to real physics of string resonation energy that reveals that zing is not linear and that's why it leaves a small room of MIDI velocities for that zing to present itself. I tried to change the velocity curves in my MIDI keyboard as well as on the sample libraries I checked but still I couldn't settle in hearing that zing as a continually and gradually increasing experience. Also I think it is important to have mic angles and distances that you don't catch that thud from the keys. I think thud is not musical, is it? Again, I think these are things being picked up by the condenser mic which is more sensitive than ears and positioned too close to the piano wooden internals so the mic picks it up more than the musician's position and ears. Two of the piano sample libraries that I thought would be nice in the next round to be in the comparison are Garritan CFX and Spitfire Hans Zimmer piano. Both have massive libraries which reflect how many dynamic layers are created. I think it is like 20 layers, not sure for Spitfire because a lot of microphones were used which is part of the reason for inflation of the library size. I wished the sample library companies would not create so many varieties but get the best clean and clear and balanced mic and mic position and just focus on capturing more layers to maximize the continuity of the tone and expression in different MIDI velocities. Thanks again.

I ended up adding BBCSO Discover Cellos doubling each of the 2 Cello parts. Also augmented the Musio Cellos with some Tina Guo Dark Cellos.

I imagine Type O Negatives "Red Water" would be an example of Halloween Christmas music? :P czcams.com/video/SzaflC73iTk/video.html

04:58 Can you please explain the difference between these two sliders, as they seem both control 'loudness'? Can you also explain what the green dot just inside the top-right corner of each instrument technique border indicates (the border colour and top-left dot colour seem to indicate the instrument's orchestral section)?

So enjoy your channel.

Very good piano sound. Are you running Logic 11 on an Ipad?

Really enjoyed this, keep up the good work.

Sounds nice. It would not matter if I suddenly had millions of dollars, would I ever return to the Apple ecosystem. Nothing about Apple is cheap or reasonable, and I feel similar in regards to Abobe's offerings I hope Apple is going to pay you for your endorsements

Very helpful review! thank you!

Hi Erick. Thanks for this video. I am new in this. Beginning with FlStudio. Is Musio compatible with this software?

That Keyscape C7 sounds wonderful - exactly how a real Yamaha C7 piano professionally recorded in a studio would sound. 🎹 👌

Thank you, sir! This is great! I have Opus and got it on sale. It’s not line Musio with all the instruments, but there are so many libraries and bring me it’s like a baby that wants everything. What can I do to make myself confident and stable and Shan I learn all what is to learn in orchestrating I can choose my libraries much wiser.

You mean stage left.

This was excellent! I wish you could have added native instruments the gentleman and my absolute favorite pianoteq

Great video! I can’t chord a grand piano, but this piano you are using sounds great, but was thinking of the Native Kontakt SL88 grand. Maybe making the wrong choice but what do you think? Love the Keyscape. Don’t have it!

OK, my knowledge is very limited, but I just watched a video on the historic development of Musio, and I gather that choice of mic positions is coming. If you have this choice then I guess you can choose close-mic which may overcome your reverb issue.

Probably dumb question, but do i need panning for the instruments, or are they already pre-panned?

They don't sound to me anyway all that good that flute sounded like a horn

Have you tried mapping the articulations in Logic? I bought it @199$. I find the layout a bit bewildering. So much stuff. The U.I. is definitely lacking. Thanks.

This requires Sonoma?

I bought Musio 1 perpetual for $300 a few months ago. Currently, it is on sale for $200 (expires April 12, 2024, then back to $399). For me, the Tina Guo Cellos, the Gina Luciani flutes, choirs and specialty percussion makes this collection worth the money, even though I own several expensive Spitfire and Native Instruments orchestral libraries including Komplete 14, BBCSO Professional and Abbey Road One. Musio fills some of the gaps and adds some options. I am a hobbyist, but I have learned enough to understand that while you can create convincingly realistic orchestral works with Musio (I've listened to several on CZcams), other libraries have more controls for fine tuning, such as extra microphone positions, more dynamic layers, more round-robins, and so on. As you pointed out, many of the libraries have room reverb that you can't remove. Such limitations make Musio less suitable for people who make a living creating orchestral mockups for TV, movie and game composition. But for hobbyists, popular music producers, students, and casual users, Musio is a fantastic value, even considering its limitations. A huge advantage is the browser, with its ability to search for, audition and download just the instruments you need, rather sucking up SSD space by downloading and storing massive entire sample libraries you may never use.

Kontakt pianos are my go to. I also mix piano samples in kontakt to get the sound I want. I like the sound of the maverick, grandeur, and the upright (which I've forgotten the name just now 😂) The Kontakt Kawai piano I like too. I have keyscape which is great, but I wish they hadn't just focused on the Yamaha piano and had included a bechstein too. Garritan is OK but not the sound I go for personally. Cinepiano is good but with my keyboard I find it less responsive than say keyscape which is very responsive. I'm with you on the reverb. So many samples have the room sound which you can't turn off. The Ravel is notorious for this. You can turn off reverb but it still sounds like reverb. I like as dry as possible piano sound that I can add reverb or room sound to. I'm more into 70's pop piano. Listen to albums like Elton John, Jackson brown and you won't hear loads of reverb, but a dryer more intimate piano sound which I love. Too many vst creators use reverb to mask the poor quality of their samples. Love your playing BTW. 👍

Noire is my goto for when I want to just sit down and play a nice piano by itself, with Garritan CFX a close second. Both have many dynamic sample layers and are highly customizable with multiple mic positions and timbre controls. Both are based on the Yamaha CFX grand, which I like the more delicate sound of, compared to VSTs based on the Steinway D grand, which I find too brash. I also have all of the Native Intruments pianos from Komplete 14, including Grandeur, Giant, Gentlemen, Maverick, Uni Corda, and Alicia Keys. They're ok, but I'm not wild about them. Piano Colors is also based on the Yamaha CFX, but I don't like the plain piano sound as much as Noire or Garritan. Noire, Piano Colors and Arturia's Augmented Pianos come with elaborate customizable ambiant layer engines, which sound amazing and could be useful, but I mainly am interested in the core piano sound. I have heard from many sources that PianoTeq, Vienna, and Keyscapes are all excellent, but I can't justify the cost, as I have so many piano VSTs already.

VSL pianos are the best 🥇

As I am waiting for my SL Grand to arrive, I came across your video. Thank you for this very informative video!! Very much appreciated!

🙌thnx

Nice review! I myself usually use the AcousticSamples C7 piano, but am also very fond of the Spitfire Jangle Box piano, for a very different sort of character.

I have an acoustic Yamaha grand C1s silent with midi. I also have a nord grand with krk 6 and sub krk7s. My focus is piano. What amplification do you use. Personally can’t get the sound like my grand Yamaha. Am I expecting too much?

A great review - Many thanks.

Thanks. Interesting comparison. A varied selection, demonstrating how different piano samples can sound, in their dynamics, ambience and tone. The only thing I would add is one needs a really good listening environment, or headphones (preferably with crosstalk refinement) to hear these differences. Each with their own quirks. The Dolan was interesting, if a bit noisy.

PIANOTEQ.

Great video

For me, it’s Pianoteq then Keyscape. I’ve been exploring Ivory3 and Pianoverse lately but my go to is Pianoteq!

Great and thorough presentation. I also enjoy Keyscape and use the Giant from NI. But my piano of choice is Ravenscroft 275. My controller is the Kawai MP11se (I had to rebuild the end of key pads myself - the ones that come from Kawai become "sticky"). When I do solo piano, I use a VST for the same reason you do - the difficulty of recording an acoustic piano!! What interface do you use? I use Focusrite Claret - but it does color the sound .... a little. Whatever you are using to do this video - the sound is great; you can really hear the difference between each piano. Thanks again - job well done!!

Great overview! If ever you do a part 2, it would be interesting to get your opinion on modeled pianos. I've been using Pianoteq and liking it a lot! 🎹🎶

Brilliant review!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Eric! I also like The Giant from NI. I used it in my Klavier Momente - Album. I also use sometimes Augmented Piano from Arturia.

Give me your thoughts on your favorite Piano VSTs! Use any of these?

Well I think many Libraries sound best with their own reverb. EWQL has a very good solution with dry sounds. They even have mono possibility. VSL have an acceptable dry mode even in their Synchron Edition. I am using cinesamples in Dorico in NPPE by NotePerformer