Keyscape sounds great as always, I like the sound of Ravenscroft - I know there are so many fans of Pianoteq but I don't know, the others sound warmer and more human to my ears...
Pianoteq feels the realest to me when actually playing it, but the sampled pianos do sound warmer and crisper out of the box because of how they're processed. That can make for easier mixing, and can be fun for playing if you get used to that processed sound. But for that real "sitting at the piano" feeling, there's Pianoteq, then there's everyone else. A little tweaking of EQ and EQ3 can effectively add the warmth and crispness of the sampled pianos, but the reverse isn't true: I haven't been able to tweak the sampled pianos to feel more like Pianoteq. I love them all for different purposes, but the more I learn to tweak Pianoteq, the less I find myself reaching for the others. Gotta love these times we're living in. All of these pianos sound amazing!
One thing I find that I run into repeatedly with Pianoteq is harsh ringing notes in the mid-upper key range. It can be SO unpleasant at times. Some presets and mic positions are affected more than others, and you just have to work with it to try to tweak it out of the sound. My biggest gripe with the program.
I would pay to get piano lessens from you, Sam, And I'd get you one or two, three or four, beers no problem lol! Keyscape sounds simply real. It's an honest piece of software that remains almost unparalleled thus far. Thanks for the great videos and I hope we could see some blues and gospel lessons in your splendid channel.
I have Pianoteq and wanted to make the jump to Keyscape - Maybe an update video would be nice - Pianoteq improves quality when lowering the top velocity to around 110 because it eliminates that metallic top end finish (too clean & pure) and adjust dynamic settings in middle (compressor)
I have Pianoteq and Keyscape. Keyscape impressed me on first play, it has a softer and more natural sound, compared to Pianoteq. Especially in Keyscape, the Fender Rhodes palette is impressive (otherwise my favorite e. p.)! I watched you a video on this (F. R. in Keyscape) subject, and I totally agree with you. When I compared the Fender Rhodes, I didn’t compare it, so much, to the Pianoteq variant, but to the A. A. S. Lounge Lizard 4, which is much better. Keyscap’s goes far beyond anything I’ve tried on this subject. Revenscroft seems to me, to have a slightly blurry sound on some pianos, although that impression can be misleading, because there can be settings. Thank you for this video and everyone else, I have already greatly praised your playing, and I do it again. All the best.
Hi, Sam, thank you for your video. I spent half the time looking at your dog, though. I have used Ravenscroft for over a ear. I bought Pianoteq after your video. Ravencroft is Mozart. Pianoteq is Beethoven.
Hey there Sam. First off Yuengling is a good beer to enjoy chillaxing with friends. Doesn't break the bank. On the matter of the comparisons....its appropriate you began with a beer, because like drinks, such as beers, wines, scotches....it all comes down to one's individual preference and taste pallet. It is neither a matter of good or bad but different. But great review and even greater playing and the best of personality sprinkled in.
I literally havem them all from Native Instruments, Keyscape, 300 Grand, Chroma Grand, Spitfire Intimate & Cinematic Grand and some others and i came honestly say my way to go is Keyscape due to its inspiring sound touch and second Noire from native instruments and the famous Giant Upright.
All these sound very good. But for me, Pianoteq sounds more 'alive' than the others in my opinion. Probably due to the difference between sampling and physical modelling methods. I think I understand why some people think otherwise. With those sample-based plugins, they have been extremely picky and precise about the exact microphone placement and recording environments, given they are not really able to change such elements 'after the fact'. Therefore, those settings are very well-balanced and sound great (because they 'had' to be). It's hard to explain, but when hearing a side-by-side comparison like this, I can sense that each note of the sampled pianos were recorded in isolation to one another, in that there is next to no overflow or impact on one note being played upon another, if that makes sense. Whereas with the Pianoteq simulation, it does sound like it is more interactive and 'alive', like a real piano is when you play one. Perhaps for that reason, Pianoteq wins outright for live performances. Whereas the sampled pianos which feel a bit more 'dialed back' and controlled out of the box with their presets fit easily into many people's music productions with little need for further 'tinkering'. Pianoteq could obviously also get close to those sounds due to it's insane level of customisation, but I suspect most users wouldn't want that level of control, or would be willing to spend the time customising each aspect of their own presets to their exact taste. Therefore I believe that for musicians who prefer to play live and also to have as much control over the fine tuning of every aspect of the sound, Pianoteq wins hands down. For other users who prefer more instant gratification with more moderate/tempered presets, the other two sampled options are probably more ideal for their music production scenarios. I personally don't believe that any piano player that has experienced playing real pianos, would ever suggest the sampled pianos offer anything like the same level of dynamic expression or realism for live performance as Pianoteq offers.
I do think Pianoteq has a more realistic environment. I agree with you there. But I also don't mind the more produced feel of some of the other ones. It really just depends on the user!
Well Sam, I definitely like them all!! And for me, it's the vast range of high-quality characteristics which impressed me most. A collection with these 3 VSTi's in it, will allow for having a great piano for any given purpose. If I had to have only 'ONE'... Pianoteq would be it (because of its overall versatility). 🙂
Keyscape is warmer. More midrange content and because that even the room ambiance positions the sound like you are sitting at the piano. The other 2 sound like you are in the audience. Not as warm and more mix ready. Disclaimer - I am a guitar player not so much a piano player though in ever comparison like this I prefer Keyscape even though it would take a little more effort to place it in a mix.
It is important to get the EQ/FX (especially REVERB) as well as RMS volume to be identical. I'm not sure I could judge from what I hear. I own both Keyscape and Pianoteq 7. I tend to use Pianoteq most - I find it easiest to dial in my moods - and only Pianoteq contains proper undamped interactions. Maybe compare them totally DRY.
Nice review and playing, Sam. Based on this, it appears that the Korg D1 functions as a great MIDI controller, especially with the RH3. Have you tried it on Native Instruments piano libraries (e.g., Noire, Grandeur, Maverick)? I asked because they sound surprisingly awful on my Roland RD-88 despite tweaking touch settings and all. I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong but perhaps the Korg D1 can function better. Another issues I have about the Korg is the absence of pitch bend and modulation wheels; in which case can you recommend controllers I can use in lieu of these?
@@SamTheBeardGuy I figured it out yesterday, Sam. Using the onboard speakers of the RD88 doesn’t help so I connected it to the audio interface and used studio monitors. I also had to configure the touch on the RD88 and the individual VSTs to match the sound coming out with the feel of the piano. I hope the Korg D1 would feel better than the RD88 when used to control VSTs.
By the way, you can get Ravenscroft for your iPhone, and while it is pared down a little, the sound quality is there. For live work, you can actually get this sort of quality with just a phone!
I just got the iPhone 13 ProMAX with 1TB of memory, so I have plenty of room for that sort of thing. There are some really good 1 and 2 TB pianos for the Kong Module app. I’ve been experimenting with a Roland A88 controller, a Korg plugKEY interface, and my iPhone running the Korg Module with some of their high quality patches. There are also some high quality Rhodes patches, and various other sounds you would expect from a stage keyboard. With that app I can set up a “playlist”, which is just a sequence of tweaked patches that you can step through. I can go up and down through this list from buttons on the A88. The battery life on the iPhone 13 ProMAX is so good you can actually not even bother with power. I have also experimented with a WIDI bluetooth adapter to make the setup even simpler, but that adds a small amount of latency that drives me nuts. It is close, but for now at least, I need the hardwired MIDI control. It is surprisingly competitive with the sound you would expect using a laptop setup, and orders of magnitude more convenient. Kind of mind boggling actually!
Love the clarity on the Ravenscroft, find it so versatile, the most usable for a band or live performance where there are many instruments, some groovy stuff. Also love they C7 from Keyscape, but I find it definetly more intimate or piano focused parts or songs, great ...fat sound? Full? I don't know how to call it, but love it. Pianoteq I liked the Upright. Saludos desde Chile :)
Sam, you are the greatest. I really enjoy watching, hearing your music. Thanks for all your vids and great music. ReLly wonderful. What master keyboard do you like the most?
Yuengling for the win.👍Great video, Sam. These are all pretty solid. I picked up Ravenscroft because it seemed a tad brighter (to cut through rock mixes) after seeing your reviews. Pretty happy with it, so thanks brother.💥👊
Hey Sam, just wanted to let you know that I've found a more professional piano player for my project. Thank you for not answering any of the emails I sent you. Kind regards
I have Pianoteq, sometimes the texture is just right, always very playable too. But at times I feel sampled pianos are better for some tracks, they often have noises in the that makes them more earthy. But Pianoteq is great nonetheless!
Good video, I just sold my Korg d1 cause I found the velocity sensitivity settings weren’t granular enough and of course it has no soft pedal jack. So opting for a native instruments s88 cause it’s brilliantly matched with vst pianos. Despite it not having metal hammers like the rh3 korg keybed. I might regret it but will see. I use Ravenscroft but I tend to have to turn down the dynamics to 80%. Another matched midi controller is the new Roland a88 mk2 which keyscape themselves swear by using. Although it’s only got the pha4 action unlike Roland 2000 pha5 wood keys or fp90
The sampled pianos sound very familiar and pleasing if you are looking for a "recorded" sound ( an impressive , produced sound ) but pianoteq sounds like you are sitting at a piano and feels like you're at a piano. Initially pianoteq sounds a little too new and too precise but if you slide the "age" slider slightly to the right you get ( in my opinion) the nearest to a real piano..having said that, I also like the C7 in the Falcon sampler
One thing I would say is that there is a lot of interaction between the player and the instrument you are playing, especially with PianoTeq. I know that it was important to hear the same notes, so I can see why you did it this way, but in a real way it isn’t fair.
Howdy Sam - first off you are a killer player !!! I’m a babe in the woods to software instruments. I always had a 88 stage piano for gigs . If you have time for a few beginners question , I would be great full. First , is Nord on par with software pianos ? I have an RD-800 . Is any good stage piano , like Roland able to have the “ firepower “” or speed to control software instruments well or is a dedicated controller ( with no sounds ) better? Also is there a problem with latency using software instruments ( that would drive me crazy !!! ) I have a new MacBook Pro You ha Be a great show -thanks Sonny
Nord is great for a lot of reasons. Their pianos sound great as well. It also has some great midi controller features. Any of the mainstream controllers aren't going to have latency issues, so they're all going to work. Software pianos are always going to have an edge, but it just requires more gear.
does the keyscape and ravenscroft have a looping point on the samples ? or have they recorded the full note ( up to a minute sometimes on grand pianos) thanks
I definitely don't know about ravenscroft. All I know about Keyscape is they have a ton of velocity samples for each notes, but I'm not sure about looping points. I have issues every now and then with phasing on repeated notes in Keyscape, which tells me they might not be looped for a minute.
@@SamTheBeardGuy A sick idea for your channel could be to do song breakdowns, like offer your thoughts on how you'd approach/change the song for a different sound etc. 👌
I've been wanting to hear a good comparison between these 3 libraries. I have Ivory II Studio Grands library which is a fairly large sample based library. I nearly bought Keyscape but decided I have no interest in the massive hard drive I would have needed to continue down the samples based path. I think Pianoteq has it right with their Virtual Piano strategy generated via tiny in size libraries. I also think Pianoteq is better at offering the full dynamic range of the best pianos. All three libraries sounded great but someday I hope to own the full Pianoteq library and have it fitting nicely in a normal size hard drive with your basic computer able to drive the music. Thanks for the demo Sam... 😊
Is the 100gb really that much to spare? I get it, it’s a huge amount for music software(all my vsts, and my daw don’t even add up to 100gb) but you can get a nice small external ssd to dedicate to Keyscape for maybe $60.
@@Astrothunder_ Like I already indicated, I have no interest in continuing down the samples based musical instruments path. Don't let my thinking discourage you, there seems to be hundreds of new samples based libraries of musical instruments coming out each year and with drive prices like you suggested you can continue loading up on them...
I hear the same sound on your system that I get. The Ravenscroft is muffled/muted in a very odd way that initially sounds good in a mellow way but it gets really obvious the more you play on it. It's almost like there's a compressor baked into it which I cannot get rid of. When I start changing settings too much it starts getting unbalanced and very unrealistic so i don't know, I've kinda given up on trying to make it sound better.
I definitely didn't like the base Ravenscroft preset, but I didn't feel the same way as you described once I played with other settings. Maybe try some of the mic settings, i feel like it opens up nicely
Pianoteq is not a hit to your storage. It is a hit to usage because it does way more than play back samples. The computer processing is involved in playing it live
I bought a Roland FP-30X to finally learn the piano at 28 (not trying to produce music etc.). In your opinion, which is the best plugin to take the Roland’s sound to the next level? Just started learning about all the available plugins, but I heard about Garritan CFX, Keyscape’s C7, Ravenscroft 275, Pianoteq (to mention a few), are great. What’s your opinion? Also, trying to load Garritan CFX on a Roland FP-30X connected to a desktop PC but I can feel the latency affecting my playing. I can around 2 ms latency but it still feels “slow”. Don’t know if my brain is making this up. How do you load the plugin (VST, Standalone)? How can someone “eliminate” latency, to replicate the feel of a real piano? What is the most responsive (lowest latency) plugin in your experience? Maybe Pianoteq? Currently using Reaper as my choice of DAW (tried Ableton too), I’ve set the Sample Rate to the maximum of 384 kHz that my Chord Mojo DAC supports, which lowered the latency instantly, and now I’m experimenting with the Buffer size, around 128-256 samples, keeping in mind how my system responds, so as to avoid cracks and pops. I’ve also got a Ryzen 3600 system, which handles all this pretty fine I’d say. Still feels kinda slow.
Keyscape was still loader so hard to compare to the Ravenscroft. I think Ravenscroft may have been right there with Keyscape if the volumes were the same, but hard to say. It is a bit of personal choice at that point as I think they are probably equally realistic sounding, but just different pianos. They were both great overall. PianoTeq just has a 'subtle' synthesized thinness to it & is not as real sounding overall...it's not as noticeable in the higher notes or chords, but I can hear it mostly in mid-low chords. Chords just don't resonate as realistically & have the synthesized thinness to them...
Have to agree, Keyscape sounds more realistic. Ravenscroft is not for me. Not a fan of modeling though PianoTeq sounds quite decent similar to the Fantom 8 Stage Grand.
I think PianoTeq sounds the most realistic actually, but, I just like the way Keyscape feels out of the box. It bothers a lot of people but it doensn't bother me
Every time I load Ravenscroft I close it out quickly and return to Pianoteq...disappointing to me. Doesnt sound good playing Ravenscroft with other music...I usually play along with CD music.
It's really the way they produced it after the fact. They would call it a producers piano, it's load and go. It's not for everyone, but a lot of people love pulling up a preset and not having to touch it.
Your playing and musicality are great! Pianoteq is NOT recorded, physical modeling is the process that generates sound! Please inform yourself of that for your next video ;)
Hard agree on that one, I think its extremely annoying especially when playing solo. But pianoteq has so much sweet tweaking options than other plugins dont have.
The sound of a real piano - captured by Keyscape - is untouchable, but Pianoteq - for what it is - is really nice. To tell the differences between the two, Keyscape is entirely sample-based, but Pianoteq's piano sounds are generated in real-time, from scratch. Pianoteq is apparently the best in the field of purely-modeled piano sounds, Arturia's Piano V is very good as well but not as good as Pianoteq. Not to mention the fact that Pianoteq can simulate tons of other instruments, such as electric pianos, harpsichords, steel pans and as of Pianoteq 8, a classical guitar. The Ravenscroft apparently uses a hybrid of the two technologies, so you can get the best of both worlds with it. I havent taken a really good listen to it yet. Another similar VST using hybrid tech is Universal Audio's Ravel. It sounds gorgeous once you hear the demos but when I tried a 14-day trial demo of it, the playing felt very janky and unpredictable - not in a good way.
Finally, someone who has a Garritan like me! I was beginning to feel left out. ;-D But after listening to the Keyscape, it's a comparison of apples to oranges. I think Garritan is nice, but limited compared to Keyscape. The other day, I was playing along with a Beatles tune (just by coincidence, using my Garritan recorded in the Abbey Road Studio.) When it dawned on me, it felt a bit surreal.
Piano playing experience nothing come close to the Pianoteq, rest all piano vst's are sound textures but not the realism. Tried many Vst's but now no further than Pianoteq.
Keyscape sounds great as always, I like the sound of Ravenscroft - I know there are so many fans of Pianoteq but I don't know, the others sound warmer and more human to my ears...
Hahaha, it's all preference!
The Keyscape sounds amazing each time - it was the warmest and heaviest sound and Ravenscroft sounded great too
Agreed!
Pianoteq feels the realest to me when actually playing it, but the sampled pianos do sound warmer and crisper out of the box because of how they're processed. That can make for easier mixing, and can be fun for playing if you get used to that processed sound. But for that real "sitting at the piano" feeling, there's Pianoteq, then there's everyone else. A little tweaking of EQ and EQ3 can effectively add the warmth and crispness of the sampled pianos, but the reverse isn't true: I haven't been able to tweak the sampled pianos to feel more like Pianoteq. I love them all for different purposes, but the more I learn to tweak Pianoteq, the less I find myself reaching for the others. Gotta love these times we're living in. All of these pianos sound amazing!
One thing I find that I run into repeatedly with Pianoteq is harsh ringing notes in the mid-upper key range. It can be SO unpleasant at times. Some presets and mic positions are affected more than others, and you just have to work with it to try to tweak it out of the sound. My biggest gripe with the program.
@@_trismegistus agreed. Hopefully that will be mitigated in a future upgrade so it doesn’t require user intervention.
I agree, Pianoteq feels real to play, there's something about the texture of chords that sounds right too.
I would pay to get piano lessens from you, Sam, And I'd get you one or two, three or four, beers no problem lol!
Keyscape sounds simply real. It's an honest piece of software that remains almost unparalleled thus far.
Thanks for the great videos and I hope we could see some blues and gospel lessons in your splendid channel.
Thank you! Blues and gospel lessons, not a bad idea.
I have Pianoteq and wanted to make the jump to Keyscape - Maybe an update video would be nice - Pianoteq improves quality when lowering the top velocity to around 110 because it eliminates that metallic top end finish (too clean & pure) and adjust dynamic settings in middle (compressor)
I have Pianoteq and Keyscape. Keyscape impressed me on first play, it has a softer and more natural sound, compared to Pianoteq. Especially in Keyscape, the Fender Rhodes palette is impressive (otherwise my favorite e. p.)! I watched you a video on this (F. R. in Keyscape) subject, and I totally agree with you. When I compared the Fender Rhodes, I didn’t compare it, so much, to the Pianoteq variant, but to the A. A. S. Lounge Lizard 4, which is much better. Keyscap’s goes far beyond anything I’ve tried on this subject. Revenscroft seems to me, to have a slightly blurry sound on some pianos, although that impression can be misleading, because there can be settings. Thank you for this video and everyone else, I have already greatly praised your playing, and I do it again. All the best.
thank you for the support!
Found your channel via search for Keyscape reviews.
Subscribed for two reasons:
1) To help a fellow Texan.
2) Content is fantastic!
thanks!!
Hi, Sam, thank you for your video. I spent half the time looking at your dog, though.
I have used Ravenscroft for over a ear. I bought Pianoteq after your video. Ravencroft is Mozart. Pianoteq is Beethoven.
Haha, Charlie is the stud in the house
Keyscape just feels soooo good smooth like butter the rest are good but very thin and a harsher timbre
they're definitely thinner, which some people like
THE LEGEND STRIKES AGAIN!
The legend hahahaha. You da legend
Hey there Sam. First off Yuengling is a good beer to enjoy chillaxing with friends. Doesn't break the bank. On the matter of the comparisons....its appropriate you began with a beer, because like drinks, such as beers, wines, scotches....it all comes down to one's individual preference and taste pallet. It is neither a matter of good or bad but different. But great review and even greater playing and the best of personality sprinkled in.
that's right! All 3 of these libraries are great
The Title should be: Showdown (Keyscape vs PianoTeq vs Ravenscroft AND Yeungling). Haha just joking, great videos bro! Learning a lot from you.
that's what it ended up being hahaha
Even the stereo image on Keyscape is more realistic. It has the sound that makes you feel inspired to play more.
Keyscape is very inspiring
I couldn't help being distracted by the one random tennis shoe in the background (and seeing what the dog was going to do next)
Hahaha, yeah, I'm sure the 2nd shoe was in the other room
Thank you, I'm going with PianoTeq. Didnt even know about it until I watched your vid :).
Glad I could help!
Ravenscroft é agradável de ouvir. Como me indentifiquei com ele.
I literally havem them all from Native Instruments, Keyscape, 300 Grand, Chroma Grand, Spitfire Intimate & Cinematic Grand and some others and i came honestly say my way to go is Keyscape due to its inspiring sound touch and second Noire from native instruments and the famous Giant Upright.
Keyscape is definitely great out of the box. Love the Noire as well
All these sound very good. But for me, Pianoteq sounds more 'alive' than the others in my opinion. Probably due to the difference between sampling and physical modelling methods.
I think I understand why some people think otherwise. With those sample-based plugins, they have been extremely picky and precise about the exact microphone placement and recording environments, given they are not really able to change such elements 'after the fact'. Therefore, those settings are very well-balanced and sound great (because they 'had' to be).
It's hard to explain, but when hearing a side-by-side comparison like this, I can sense that each note of the sampled pianos were recorded in isolation to one another, in that there is next to no overflow or impact on one note being played upon another, if that makes sense. Whereas with the Pianoteq simulation, it does sound like it is more interactive and 'alive', like a real piano is when you play one.
Perhaps for that reason, Pianoteq wins outright for live performances. Whereas the sampled pianos which feel a bit more 'dialed back' and controlled out of the box with their presets fit easily into many people's music productions with little need for further 'tinkering'. Pianoteq could obviously also get close to those sounds due to it's insane level of customisation, but I suspect most users wouldn't want that level of control, or would be willing to spend the time customising each aspect of their own presets to their exact taste.
Therefore I believe that for musicians who prefer to play live and also to have as much control over the fine tuning of every aspect of the sound, Pianoteq wins hands down. For other users who prefer more instant gratification with more moderate/tempered presets, the other two sampled options are probably more ideal for their music production scenarios.
I personally don't believe that any piano player that has experienced playing real pianos, would ever suggest the sampled pianos offer anything like the same level of dynamic expression or realism for live performance as Pianoteq offers.
I do think Pianoteq has a more realistic environment. I agree with you there. But I also don't mind the more produced feel of some of the other ones. It really just depends on the user!
Well Sam, I definitely like them all!! And for me, it's the vast range of high-quality characteristics which impressed me most. A collection with these 3 VSTi's in it, will allow for having a great piano for any given purpose. If I had to have only 'ONE'... Pianoteq would be it (because of its overall versatility). 🙂
Most people it's usually Keyscape or PianoTeq. Thanks for watching!
Keyscape is warmer. More midrange content and because that even the room ambiance positions the sound like you are sitting at the piano. The other 2 sound like you are in the audience. Not as warm and more mix ready. Disclaimer - I am a guitar player not so much a piano player though in ever comparison like this I prefer Keyscape even though it would take a little more effort to place it in a mix.
It is important to get the EQ/FX (especially REVERB) as well as RMS volume to be identical. I'm not sure I could judge from what I hear. I own both Keyscape and Pianoteq 7. I tend to use Pianoteq most - I find it easiest to dial in my moods - and only Pianoteq contains proper undamped interactions. Maybe compare them totally DRY.
Nice review and playing, Sam. Based on this, it appears that the Korg D1 functions as a great MIDI controller, especially with the RH3. Have you tried it on Native Instruments piano libraries (e.g., Noire, Grandeur, Maverick)? I asked because they sound surprisingly awful on my Roland RD-88 despite tweaking touch settings and all. I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong but perhaps the Korg D1 can function better. Another issues I have about the Korg is the absence of pitch bend and modulation wheels; in which case can you recommend controllers I can use in lieu of these?
you tweaked the touch settings in the libraries themselves? What sounds off, the feel or the sound?
@@SamTheBeardGuy I figured it out yesterday, Sam. Using the onboard speakers of the RD88 doesn’t help so I connected it to the audio interface and used studio monitors. I also had to configure the touch on the RD88 and the individual VSTs to match the sound coming out with the feel of the piano. I hope the Korg D1 would feel better than the RD88 when used to control VSTs.
Thanks for your great videos (and amazing playing!!!) Do you have a video on Garritan CFX? How do you think it compares to these three?
Not yet, but it's definitely in the loose list of ideas of pianos to try if they ever send it to me.
By the way, you can get Ravenscroft for your iPhone, and while it is pared down a little, the sound quality is there. For live work, you can actually get this sort of quality with just a phone!
Insane you can do that on a phone now
I just got the iPhone 13 ProMAX with 1TB of memory, so I have plenty of room for that sort of thing. There are some really good 1 and 2 TB pianos for the Kong Module app. I’ve been experimenting with a Roland A88 controller, a Korg plugKEY interface, and my iPhone running the Korg Module with some of their high quality patches. There are also some high quality Rhodes patches, and various other sounds you would expect from a stage keyboard. With that app I can set up a “playlist”, which is just a sequence of tweaked patches that you can step through. I can go up and down through this list from buttons on the A88. The battery life on the iPhone 13 ProMAX is so good you can actually not even bother with power.
I have also experimented with a WIDI bluetooth adapter to make the setup even simpler, but that adds a small amount of latency that drives me nuts. It is close, but for now at least, I need the hardwired MIDI control.
It is surprisingly competitive with the sound you would expect using a laptop setup, and orders of magnitude more convenient.
Kind of mind boggling actually!
Are there latency issues?
Love the clarity on the Ravenscroft, find it so versatile, the most usable for a band or live performance where there are many instruments, some groovy stuff. Also love they C7 from Keyscape, but I find it definetly more intimate or piano focused parts or songs, great ...fat sound? Full? I don't know how to call it, but love it. Pianoteq I liked the Upright. Saludos desde Chile :)
Keyscape is definitely a little fatter
Way good! Thank you SamTheBeardGuy.
thanks!
When he said "let's do a simple chord progression". Rly ? Is that what u call " simple" ? Anyway great play, love it !
As for me Pianoteq ftw.
Hahaha, thanks for watching!
Sam, you are the greatest. I really enjoy watching, hearing your music. Thanks for all your vids and great music. ReLly wonderful. What master keyboard do you like the most?
Thank you!
Yuengling for the win.👍Great video, Sam. These are all pretty solid. I picked up Ravenscroft because it seemed a tad brighter (to cut through rock mixes) after seeing your reviews. Pretty happy with it, so thanks brother.💥👊
Yuengling is always for the win hahaha. Ravenscroft definitely cuts for that genre.
Hey men, I really enjoy your review and playing. I am building my little music setup. What studio monitors are you using?
yamaha hs80s
Got all the Grands (and more) but Keyscape is absolutely the best of them all as go to piano (and that also counts for the EP's
Keyscape is amazing!
It doesn't do half pedaling, though, is that right? Only full pedal or nothing?
@@_trismegistus Yes, it has no half pedaling. (and also no sympathic resonace which is present in Pianoteq)
Hey Sam, what keyboard are you playiung? is it weighted key?
What's your go-to piano out of these 3?
Hey Sam, just wanted to let you know that I've found a more professional piano player for my project. Thank you for not answering any of the emails I sent you. Kind regards
Keyscape for sure
love synthogy ivory but i think i will give keyscpape a try :)
@@OmerAssraf thanks for watching!
@@FRODOPIANO haven't gotten to try that one but heard great things
What headphones do you use or can recommend? Great comparison as always!
Beyerdynamic 700-900 series. Only a few hundred bucks and I've had mine for atleast a decade.
I have Pianoteq, sometimes the texture is just right, always very playable too. But at times I feel sampled pianos are better for some tracks, they often have noises in the that makes them more earthy. But Pianoteq is great nonetheless!
Yeah it's not for everything. Thanks for watching!
Pianoteq sucks, clear your ears…
Outstanding piano playing
thanks!!!
Good video, I just sold my Korg d1 cause I found the velocity sensitivity settings weren’t granular enough and of course it has no soft pedal jack. So opting for a native instruments s88 cause it’s brilliantly matched with vst pianos. Despite it not having metal hammers like the rh3 korg keybed. I might regret it but will see. I use Ravenscroft but I tend to have to turn down the dynamics to 80%. Another matched midi controller is the new Roland a88 mk2 which keyscape themselves swear by using. Although it’s only got the pha4 action unlike Roland 2000 pha5 wood keys or fp90
The sampled pianos sound very familiar and pleasing if you are looking for a "recorded" sound ( an impressive , produced sound ) but pianoteq sounds like you are sitting at a piano and feels like you're at a piano. Initially pianoteq sounds a little too new and too precise but if you slide the "age" slider slightly to the right you get ( in my opinion) the nearest to a real piano..having said that, I also like the C7 in the Falcon sampler
the age slider really is the key to pianoteq I've learned. Thanks for watching!
One thing I would say is that there is a lot of interaction between the player and the instrument you are playing, especially with PianoTeq. I know that it was important to hear the same notes, so I can see why you did it this way, but in a real way it isn’t fair.
Very true. Hopefully people have seen my indepth pianoteq review and seen that side of it.
Howdy Sam - first off you are a killer player !!! I’m a babe in the woods to software instruments. I always had a 88 stage piano for gigs . If you have time for a few beginners question , I would be great full. First , is Nord on par with software pianos ? I have an RD-800 . Is any good stage piano , like Roland able to have the “ firepower “” or speed to control software instruments well or is a dedicated controller ( with no sounds ) better? Also is there a problem with latency using software instruments ( that would drive me crazy !!! ) I have a new MacBook Pro
You ha
Be a great show -thanks
Sonny
Nord is great for a lot of reasons. Their pianos sound great as well. It also has some great midi controller features. Any of the mainstream controllers aren't going to have latency issues, so they're all going to work. Software pianos are always going to have an edge, but it just requires more gear.
does the keyscape and ravenscroft have a looping point on the samples ? or have they recorded the full note ( up to a minute sometimes on grand pianos) thanks
I definitely don't know about ravenscroft. All I know about Keyscape is they have a ton of velocity samples for each notes, but I'm not sure about looping points. I have issues every now and then with phasing on repeated notes in Keyscape, which tells me they might not be looped for a minute.
What do you rely on for live pianos when not using software pianos? Something like a Nord?
I had been using a Roland, but it crapped out on me a few weeks ago. So I'm in the market for a new live.
I have both keyscape and ravenscroft… but seem to reach for keyscape 90% of the time
Same
Sam is the best piano player in the universe... literally 💥💥
hahaha, no way.
@@SamTheBeardGuy A sick idea for your channel could be to do song breakdowns, like offer your thoughts on how you'd approach/change the song for a different sound etc. 👌
@@sporcaputtana i like that idea!
Great video. Which one you would recommend for record
Keyscape
I have them all. I've long since uninstalled Ravenscroft and everything else with the stench of UVI on it.
What do you have against UvI?
Great video. Sample 4 piano vs keyscape which one as better quality
Ravenscroft or CFX Garritian if you only could hav one??
Probably Garritan
I've been wanting to hear a good comparison between these 3 libraries. I have Ivory II Studio Grands library which is a fairly large sample based library. I nearly bought Keyscape but decided I have no interest in the massive hard drive I would have needed to continue down the samples based path. I think Pianoteq has it right with their Virtual Piano strategy generated via tiny in size libraries. I also think Pianoteq is better at offering the full dynamic range of the best pianos. All three libraries sounded great but someday I hope to own the full Pianoteq library and have it fitting nicely in a normal size hard drive with your basic computer able to drive the music.
Thanks for the demo Sam... 😊
pianoteq is great!
Is the 100gb really that much to spare? I get it, it’s a huge amount for music software(all my vsts, and my daw don’t even add up to 100gb) but you can get a nice small external ssd to dedicate to Keyscape for maybe $60.
@@Astrothunder_ Like I already indicated, I have no interest in continuing down the samples based musical instruments path. Don't let my thinking discourage you, there seems to be hundreds of new samples based libraries of musical instruments coming out each year and with drive prices like you suggested you can continue loading up on them...
I hear the same sound on your system that I get. The Ravenscroft is muffled/muted in a very odd way that initially sounds good in a mellow way but it gets really obvious the more you play on it. It's almost like there's a compressor baked into it which I cannot get rid of. When I start changing settings too much it starts getting unbalanced and very unrealistic so i don't know, I've kinda given up on trying to make it sound better.
I definitely didn't like the base Ravenscroft preset, but I didn't feel the same way as you described once I played with other settings. Maybe try some of the mic settings, i feel like it opens up nicely
Wow great jazz scale!!
:)
I have ravenscroft275 and keyscape but keyscape is my go to... I love the bright C7
The C7 sounds great!
@@yusefbrenav amazing piano I don't ever really use the grand piano C7 I always go to the Bright live its amazing in the mix!!!!
What keyboard/controller are you using?
nowadays korg d1
Why do all these “vs” videos end with me going “I should buy all of them just in case”
Because we’re all musicians with no self control hahaha
Nice bro
Very informative
Thanks!
Pianoteq is not a hit to your storage. It is a hit to usage because it does way more than play back samples. The computer processing is involved in playing it live
I bought a Roland FP-30X to finally learn the piano at 28 (not trying to produce music etc.). In your opinion, which is the best plugin to take the Roland’s sound to the next level? Just started learning about all the available plugins, but I heard about Garritan CFX, Keyscape’s C7, Ravenscroft 275, Pianoteq (to mention a few), are great. What’s your opinion?
Also, trying to load Garritan CFX on a Roland FP-30X connected to a desktop PC but I can feel the latency affecting my playing. I can around 2 ms latency but it still feels “slow”. Don’t know if my brain is making this up. How do you load the plugin (VST, Standalone)? How can someone “eliminate” latency, to replicate the feel of a real piano?
What is the most responsive (lowest latency) plugin in your experience? Maybe Pianoteq?
Currently using Reaper as my choice of DAW (tried Ableton too), I’ve set the Sample Rate to the maximum of 384 kHz that my Chord Mojo DAC supports, which lowered the latency instantly, and now I’m experimenting with the Buffer size, around 128-256 samples, keeping in mind how my system responds, so as to avoid cracks and pops. I’ve also got a Ryzen 3600 system, which handles all this pretty fine I’d say. Still feels kinda slow.
Ravenscroft 275
Literally nobody has done an Arturia Piano V3 vs Pianoteq comparison video. Would be awesome if you could make one :)
I've thought about it. I want them to send me one haha
@@SamTheBeardGuy Ah man haha. Arturia - send this man Piano V3 asap!
@@jamie.goodson Yes @Arturia you guys need to send one like asap bro
Keyscape was still loader so hard to compare to the Ravenscroft. I think Ravenscroft may have been right there with Keyscape if the volumes were the same, but hard to say. It is a bit of personal choice at that point as I think they are probably equally realistic sounding, but just different pianos. They were both great overall. PianoTeq just has a 'subtle' synthesized thinness to it & is not as real sounding overall...it's not as noticeable in the higher notes or chords, but I can hear it mostly in mid-low chords. Chords just don't resonate as realistically & have the synthesized thinness to them...
So you expect the other piano to react exactly the same to your playing? 🧐
If I remember correctly I played all of them, and also dragged around midi and compared that way too. There's no perfect way to compare.
Keyscape is really cool
I having issues with my steam folder using keyscape
Pls could you help me?
There is some fortissimo issue with pianoteq :/ if it wasn't for that it would be perfect
Interesting, I've never noticed that
The ravenscroft sounds very close to Grandeur of native instruments.
Have to agree, Keyscape sounds more realistic. Ravenscroft is not for me. Not a fan of modeling though PianoTeq sounds quite decent similar to the Fantom 8 Stage Grand.
I think PianoTeq sounds the most realistic actually, but, I just like the way Keyscape feels out of the box. It bothers a lot of people but it doensn't bother me
I have keyscape cant get it too sound right anybody have any idea what it could be, using reasons
hard to tell without knowing more. Tell me more info.
Every time I load Ravenscroft I close it out quickly and return to Pianoteq...disappointing to me. Doesnt sound good playing Ravenscroft with other music...I usually play along with CD music.
Thanks for sharing and watching!
Pianoteq - just in the room and real
for me I think of 'is this piano being played in front of me, or recorded?' on that basis pianoteq wins out for me
a lot of people think that as well. Just a more real sound
To my ears, it's Pianoteq and I don't think it's that close. I don't want a compressed pre-rolled sound, I want realism.
to each their own!
Keyscape is just more full and crisp . It has to be the way they recorded it .
It's really the way they produced it after the fact. They would call it a producers piano, it's load and go. It's not for everyone, but a lot of people love pulling up a preset and not having to touch it.
what your take on 2 sensor action vs 3 ?
Keyscape takes it here....they are all great though
I definitely have a preference… hahaha
"maybe I'm not good enough", => selling all my synths and focusing on my day job.
hahaha
Ill be honest, I am not a big Jaz fan. But you sir, make that piano sing.
Hahaha, well, I'll be honest, I'm not a big classical fan. Thanks for watching though! Always appreciate when the other genres give me a visit.
@@SamTheBeardGuy pleasure is all mine.
Keyscape baby.
das right
I'm here in Lancaster, PA yuenging is nice and tasty
Yessssss. It’s so good
Your playing and musicality are great!
Pianoteq is NOT recorded, physical modeling is the process that generates sound!
Please inform yourself of that for your next video ;)
yeahhhhhhhhhh, I mispoke. I was using the word recorded interchangeably with created, and that was a miss.
He does note this like 2 seconds after this dude. Wow.
The attack on the pianoteq is so obnoxious and it holds it back really bad
you think? It doesn't bother me.
Hard agree on that one, I think its extremely annoying especially when playing solo. But pianoteq has so much sweet tweaking options than other plugins dont have.
you forgot Ivory II :)
hahaha, soon
The sound of a real piano - captured by Keyscape - is untouchable, but Pianoteq - for what it is - is really nice.
To tell the differences between the two, Keyscape is entirely sample-based, but Pianoteq's piano sounds are generated in real-time, from scratch. Pianoteq is apparently the best in the field of purely-modeled piano sounds, Arturia's Piano V is very good as well but not as good as Pianoteq. Not to mention the fact that Pianoteq can simulate tons of other instruments, such as electric pianos, harpsichords, steel pans and as of Pianoteq 8, a classical guitar.
The Ravenscroft apparently uses a hybrid of the two technologies, so you can get the best of both worlds with it. I havent taken a really good listen to it yet.
Another similar VST using hybrid tech is Universal Audio's Ravel. It sounds gorgeous once you hear the demos but when I tried a 14-day trial demo of it, the playing felt very janky and unpredictable - not in a good way.
Beer review pls!!!!
not opposed!
Pianoteq electric piano sounds better!
Pianoteq does have a great electric
if i was rich, I'd pay you to play for me one day.....
one day....
lol, let me know
The Best is garritan cfx
I keep hearing that... need to get my hands on it.
Finally, someone who has a Garritan like me! I was beginning to feel left out. ;-D But after listening to the Keyscape, it's a comparison of apples to oranges. I think Garritan is nice, but limited compared to Keyscape. The other day, I was playing along with a Beatles tune (just by coincidence, using my Garritan recorded in the Abbey Road Studio.) When it dawned on me, it felt a bit surreal.
Yes. This is the best by far
I really like garritan but my God, the hiss drives me nuts
Piano playing experience nothing come close to the Pianoteq, rest all piano vst's are sound textures but not the realism. Tried many Vst's but now no further than Pianoteq.
With all due respect 15 minutes into this video and you’re still talking? SMH
that's interesting, since at 4:18 I start playing
In its home market, Yuengling is considered horse piss.
bunch of idiots haha