🎹Addictive Keys Piano VST Plugin Review - Addictive Keys Studio Grand, Modern Upright🎹
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- čas přidán 28. 08. 2024
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#AddictiveKeys #VST #Plugin
Hello and welcome to the Merriam Pianos CZcams channel. We’ve got another video here in our series on VST’s, and we’ll be looking at the XLN Addictive Keys VST.
VST’s are becoming increasingly popular due to how good they’ve gotten, and are an absolute staple at both home and professional studios alike. We’ll be discussing the Addictive Keys user interface, it’s versatility and our overall impressions of the sound.
Please like the video below, and if it’s your first time to the channel, subscribe and hit that notification bell!
First Impressions:
Addictive Keys is a sample based plugin as opposed to a modeling based, meaning it’s built off a set of pre-recorded core samples. They won’t reveal which piano they’ve sampled, but our guess is a 9 foot Yamaha CFX.
Right off the hop, and this goes for the other ‘Addictive’ products as well, you’ll notice that the interface isn’t particularly intuitive - there’s a definitely a bit of a learning curve when you first dive in. That said, keep watching the video and Stu will go through a quick demo.
There’s the ‘Explore Mode’ which is designed for folks who are new to VST as it essentially streamlines everything.
For those who want to dig further, there’s ‘Edit Mode’, where you can edit a whole bunch of settings, including mic placement, mic type, amp selection, compression, tremolo and the option to add additional layers of effects.
Piano Sound:
They don’t list the maximum polyphony, but we’re definitely hearing some note cancellation implying that the polyphony isn’t all that high.
The presets in general are highly usable, with a nice variety of options, and it’s quite nice to be able to jump right in and have something ready to go. Presets can also have a positive effect on your creativity.
All that being said, the inherent character of the sampled piano really bleeds through regardless of preset, which can be both of a positive and a negative depending on your needs. The core sample is rendered very well and the touch curve is great, so it’s definitely still a viable option.
Summary:
Compared to ‘Addictive Drummer’, XLN’s virtual drum machine, we didn’t find Addictive Keys to be quite as useful, but your mileage may vary. We could definitely see it used effectively for pop tracking, and maybe even some film score related stuff.
Thanks very much for watching!
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the way you played the notes on this vst it made my soul flying on clouds so beautiful i have also adictive keys its monstrious big props to those sound engineers and creators who made this vst
I just found out that if you have a Focusrite interface you can get one of the 4 pianos for free. I'm tryna decide between Studio Grand or Modern Upright
WHich one did you get?
@@WycliffStudios I chose Studio Grand. I always used a 'special..' version of Keyscape. I prefer having an official license for a beautiful grand piano VST, as it is an instrument I always put in my music, like a signature, rather than a 's p e c i a l' version of Keyscape.
@@fredlup607 ahhh, I get you! Good call!
What would you suggest a studiologic SL88 studio with vst or Roland fp30x?
Sound and action primary concern.
I feel like it would be nice if you review keyscape and compare it to previous vsts tested as well as to the digital pianos you've tested, which is something I was always curious about. Anyway great review!
I am very excited that you started to review VSTs. Perhaps, you could also create some episodes about MIDI controllers (I hoped for it for some time).
This is actually the most important issue facing piano consumers today.
What a great piano vst. Extremely useable, beautiful tone. Very convenient and portable when using just a computer laptop and dummy keyboard.
Do you mean MIDI controller? :-)
@@mfurman yep. That’s what I meant, as opposed to a keyboard for a dummy 😂 To be fair there is so much choice out there for VST pianos. I personally have the Ravenscroft 275 library, Native instruments and all the pianos that come with that (Alicia’s Keys , Grandeur etc etc) and I recently purchased Pianoteq 6/7 just to gauge how good physical modelling has gotten. And of course there’s the infamous Keyscape which I don’t own (but it sounds fantastic as far as I can hear). But when I’ve tried to use these live, something just isn’t right. Sound great in a recording, but live I think they can sound a bit lacking in tone and body. Hence my recent Kawai ES 920 purchase.
@@vacation_generation Very interesting. I was definitely considering Kawai ES 920 at one point but chose MIDI controller approach (Kawai VPC1 was a bit to heavy for me and I read about some MIDI implementation issues). The number of VSTs you have is impressive 😄
This is an awesome review. You should consider doing Keyscape next!
FYI, XLN Studio Grand is sampled from a Steinway D. It's in their description, so it isn't the CFX. Awesome playing and tour of the plug in! :)
I know people rave about Pianoteq, but coming from that video straight to this one, I immediately liked the base sound of Addictive Keys quite a bit more versus anything I heard from Pianoteq.
I believe that it is not only the sound that matters- experience when playing and all the options to modify the sound are equally important. I like Pianoteq Steinway Model D NY very much.
Great to see another VST review!
Great idea to review this kind of things from home during lockdown! Just another idea, what if you make a deeper review of all the apps from digital piano makers? I'm using Chordana right now in my brand new Casio PX770 and I'm surprised of how much things include this app to learn, nobody talks so much about it, a deeper review from your point of view could be very usefull for us, for sure the apps from Yamaha, Kawai, Roland, etc. are quite good or even better than Chordana. What do you think about making videos with that?
Always love all your videos man. Stay safe! Nice-looking home studio, btw!!
Thanks for the insights 🤲🏽❤️
You're welcome! Thanks for tuning in! :)
Hello Stu, I’m glad I discovered you! The information you are providing here is of a very high value. You are making it so easy for seekers and listeners like me to make a well informed decision. So very helpful!!!!! Well, that being said - hats off and a bow to your skills man!!!!! I really do enjoy listening to your improves, progressions, runs… ear candy!!! 😊😊😊
I think you should make a video of how to play the piano from advanced and up. But make sure you have a donation option (at the least) so that you get paid. I’m sure you worked hard and lesions like that should not come free of cost. It’s not fair to you!
Thank you so much and keep it coming!
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for supporting our channel! We're very happy to hear that you've stumbled upon it. I will certainly pass the kind words along to Stu. There have been several requests for Stu to release playing tutorial videos, etc. We have put out a few in the past, but I agree that it would be an exciting prospect! :)
@@MerriamPianos Thank you, Brent!!!
Looking forward to your piano tutorial. If everything is slowed down 4 times a person like me can learn. 🤣 really appreciate it!!
I would be interested in your thoughts on the C7 Grand included in IK Multimedia’s Sample Tank software (also included in their Total Studio 3 Max)
So what keyboard is Stu using with his VST plugins?
That's THE question isn't it... ;) I agree, tell us Stu!
HE FINALLY GETS TO THE POINT AT 3:16. You're welcome.
Curious if Bill Evans was a major influence on his playing. I can almost hear him in the performances.
That would be an affirmative. Endless listening to Bill as a youngster. -Stu
@@MerriamPianos
Yes, your Evans roots clearly run deep, in a good way!
Some great playing.
Addictive Keys and Noire are great VSTs
Absolutely! They are both excellent VSTs. :)
Addictive Keys and Noire are great.
Absolutely! They are both excellent VSTs. :)
by the way you can get this piano vst for free if you buy a focusrite audiointerface.
Thank you for your videos, liked and subed 🙏🏽
Thank you so much for the kind words and subscription! We sincerely appreciate that! :)
convincing demo. thank you.
What are you using as a controller? That's REALLY important info.
thank you for your review!!!
You're very welcome! Thanks for tuning in! :)
Hi Stu, thank you very much for the presentation! Is it possible to change the tuning of the Studio Grand (or the Modern Upright)? Best wishes from Germany...
Yes it is
Does anyone have headphones recommendations when using addictive keys? I have no idea what I should be looking for. Should I look for a USB headphone that I plug into my laptop or should I buy a headphone that I plug into the keyboard?
Appreciate your review.
Thank you! We're glad you enjoyed it! :)
Perhaps I did not search properly on the Internet but is Addictive Keys Piano VST fully (natively) compatible with Mac M1?
Uprights comparison !!
The Gentleman Native
Modern U VI LABS
Keyscape Wing Upright
Vsl Bosendofer
Pianoteq U1
Hello, should I use an interface (sound card) to make piano sound from vst higher quality, more realistic? Thank u
Yes, you want an external box. I use PreSonus, but Focusrite, Motu and Steinberg are also good.
@@tedl7538 That’s interesting. I just plug my keyboard directly into the laptop running the vst. What would the audio interface add? I thought the keyboard just fed midi to the vst but I’m still new to all this and would appreciate any education you could provide. All the best, M
BOA NOITE EU GOSTARIA DE TIRAR UMA DUVIDA .TEM COMO MAPEAR O ADDICTIVE KEYS PRA COMANDAR PELO TECLADO CONTROLADOR TIPO O VOLUME PELO MENOS ?
BOA NOITE VC SABE COMO CONFIGURAR OS KNOOBS DO CONTROLADOR PARA CONTROLAR O ADDICTIVE KEYS
Thank you
AKA every coldplay song ever! so true!
Haha fair enough! Thanks for tuning in! :)
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME. On every preset in AddictiveKeys i hear a "thud" sound when each note plays. I guess its the sound of the pianos hammer? Sounds like the keys are being pressed really hard every note and its so frustrating.
I deal with it now by using a highpass filter on the low-end just enough to cut the thud out. Is this the only solution??
The high-pass filter would certainly work to eliminate the thud, but you may be eliminating some critical frequencies from the piano sound itself (particularly in certain registers). That is interesting that you are experiencing the issue on every patch. I have not personally experienced this issue. Perhaps, one of our community members has and found a solution to the issue. Best of luck!
Did you think this is a good realistic Grand piano cover with the right aproche for MIDI recordings? Ok and here is right on topic from other comment done by me to some other yours video!
How the tech been one to use multiple pedals on a MIDI PIANO Since now this offer this opportunity !It has all of them ! I meen i know maybe to buy a 3 pedal on one right ?
Will addictive keys work with a 1.89gb RAM?
While this might be a versatile tool to bring in more sounds into some compositions, the piano itself compared for example to Roland Supernatural Sound, just sounds like there's one tone for each note, no matter how hard you press the key. There is no variation in velocity and it really bugs my hears. So I guess a tool like this is great for other types of sound on a recording, but as soon as you get to piano there's no richness to it.
I own an FP 30 from Roland which as you might know uses the supernatural sound engine. Although the piano is excellent for the price and better than the competition in its league, I'd never say it sounds better than a good VST like the one we heard here. Compared to most sampled digital pianos the VSTs record much more samples for a particular velocity rate, hence the dynamics, if using a good keyboard, show pretty nicely on these.
All the best!
Simply put, Pianoteq is better than either of these two sound solutions
@@stenaldomehilli8809 Perhaps. I would like to hear a version with some velocity on the notes because here there is none. Also, I had in mind the new FP30x/FP60x from Roland, which I understand have huge differences between their older counterparts.
There are many reviews of these on line. To me they are useless without context. What does you (or your client) consider a great piano sound? Eliane Elias, Nat King Cole, Bobby Timmons, Elton John, Billy Joel, Diana Krall, the piano on the Sinatra Capitol recordings, or the latest Tony Bennett? Can you A-B your piano vst in context and get close to whatever you consider your favorite (there is no "best'). It's too bad none of the reviews I've seen show these pianos in different contexts and compare side by side with recordings but I'm assuming there are copyright issues. With this vst and decent ears (and maybe an additional parametric eq) you can achieve very close comparisons. Just watch that cpu usage.
I bought this VST a few years ago and have been using it with my ancient Yamaha P60 that I'm now looking to replace. Anyone has any good suggestion for a replacement for around 1000 EUR give or take? I'm thinking maybe Roland FP-30 or RD-88 or something along those lines. Something portable for general hobby use that works well with VSTs that's ok for casual amateur level classical playing as well as just having fun playing around with?
Per, for just over €1000 you can get the Roland FP-60X or the Kawai ES-520. Yamaha doesn't currently have a portable piano at this pricepoint.
The Korg D1(less than €600) looks rather like the old Yamaha P80, which was slim and well built. Like the P80 it has no USB connector and no built-in speakers, but it does have a small screen and Legacy MIDI connectors, so you can use the same adaptor or interface you've been using with your P60. It's a cheap way to get a high quality keyboard action in a robust giggable unit. Logically, it's no featherweight.
Why buy the FP-30X if you can afford the FP-60X? This has a superb action (I'm told) plus good connectivity and functionality and a screen. Many players adore its new enhanced modelled sounds but some players (like me) generally prefer sampled piano sounds. The speakers are a bit weak, but this piano is technologically right at the cutting edge, and is probably the best value for money at this pricepoint.
The ES-520 has a screen too, and a nice action, plus excellent sounds which are backed by amazing speakers. Classical pianists love the Kawai ES range, and the new Onkyo speakers are a bonus.
You mentioned the RD88. Normally, I regard this RD stage piano range very highly, but there are some disquietening comments in the Pianoforever review. But checkout Stu's review too. At face value, it's a great gigging/studio instrument, with the emphasis on gigging. It's very light, and accordingly, it looks a bit fragile.
Look for Stu's comparison between these FP-60X and the ES-520. I recommend trying all these pianos if at all possible.
from your other reviews i wouldn't be surprised if it would be kawai's novus nv 5, that is your personal digital.
btw, since i'm exploring both e and accoustic instruments and thinking about upgrading, i was wondering if uprights (kawai k 800 as e/p (i think it's atx 3 rather than aures) in particular) would allow half sostenuto / una corda as explained in czcams.com/video/3muuvWBI5C4/video.html and czcams.com/video/Gg6auELzMco/video.html ?
thanks in advance and i am surely looking forward more piano vst, like native instruments / spitfire but hopefully some niche gems as well : )
MAJORCOOL !!!
Nice piano
This is not the most interesting VST i've heard like Keyscape, or spitfire pianos, or Pianoteq, yet it sounds better than the absolute majority of digital pianos out there.
Now when I say better I mean more authentic, and that's the thing we as consumers should never forgive Roland and Yamaha and others for. They still give us low fidelity sounds while the technology is there, it works splendidly and the big companies don't care to use it. Nord does surely better than everyone else in this context but The latest Nord piano model gives users 2 Gb of memory... now you tell me, in what other perspective where Gigabytes matter is 2Gb a considerable quantity? The digital piano companies should join us in the 21st century and work harder to satisfy our needs in terms of sound. Otherwise I'll keep my FP-30 and use VSTs for sound until that device breaks apart.
I suspect it's true that manufacturers sometimes hold back with technology, but I hope you're not one of those guys who calls acoustic pianos "real" pianos - implying that a digital piano is just a sad fake. Authenticity/realism, whatever you want to call it, is an illusion.
Can you define what an acoustic piano should sound like? They are all different, and they are still evolving. And so are digital pianos, except more quickly. While the principle task of a digital piano has always been to cover for the absence of an acoustic piano, it may become equally desirable in its own right. But that doesn't mean it has to sound exactly the same. In fact it probably never can, and it shouldn't. In some pianistic applications a good digital piano might sound better (more interesting) than a good acoustic piano costing 10 times the price.
And it's possible that excellence in digital technology will even outstrip acoustic possibilities in the future. They didn't believe it with digital photography, and look what happened!
When you sit down at a Fazioli, do you think. Damn! It doesn't sound quite like that Model D I half remember? Or vice versa? No, you accept it for what it is and get on with playing it. But dp pianists keep getting trapped in a wild goose chase, vainly trying to tweak the dp for that "real" piano sound which they probably only imagined in the first place. If we're not careful we become frustrated sound technicians instead of musicians.
Let's think outside the box. I'm glad we're not still stuck with the harpsichord or the fortepiano for the bulk of keyboard playing.
@@Zoco101 Surely not! I'm not one of those guys who think that digital pianos are just a substitution for the acoustic ones. they certainly make a necessary equipment for every serious musician. We should not forget however that they are strongly related to their acoustic counterparts. The natural sounds which replicate real world instruments are a major part in everybody's music, hence except for having their own place in a musician's home / studio, digital pianos serve as a more affordable way to bring us the commodity of having an acoustic grand or upright, or a whole orchestra if you will, at our fingertips.
Now you brought a few justifications on which are mostly unnecessary in my view at least.
First let's separate the ocean from the ship... let's think within some contours that give logic to what we're saying. How acoustic pianos should sound is not determined by any of us, but by the pianos themselves. The digital technology has tried for many years to replicate that sound and in that respect what a VST offers, (especially a good one) is light-years better than what most digital keyboards do.
I absolutely agree that there is music which might sound better on a digital piano because we're used to hear it in digital recordings, just like we need a DX7 sound for the 80s' ballads; but my concerns are different. You know, it's a shame that big companies are not trying to evolve the piano sound with their approach as you're saying. They are simply agreeing to remain within the status quo by not expanding in memory, processing power and so forth. That's why Yamaha, Kawai, and even Nord record one bit of samples per notes and then loop it to imitate notes decaying. That's most probably why Roland's acoustic modeling sounds like sheep bells compared to Pianoteq.
Thank you both for opening a conversation and for your thoughtful approach which is much more artistic than the reasons digital piano companies have for doing what they're doing!
All the best Mike!
P.S. Music is what matters to us above everything else. I completely agree with you there!
@@stenaldomehilli8809 I truly don't know how good these virtual pianos are because I focus on hardware. I need an instrument I can take to gigs, but you've reminded me that I still need to investigate VSTs.
I think my dp is pretty good as they go. I know that I lose myself in the music, particularly while practising, and forget exactly what kind of piano it is I'm playing - so it's a positive experience. What works, works, and its CF sample works for me. I remember that it's a digital piano when I have trouble amplifying satisfactorily at some gigs. If piano sampling technology is behind, well external dp amplification is in the dark ages.
When I said that a digital sound may be better than an acoustic sound in certain applications, I didn't mean DX7 or Rhodes, I meant dp "grand piano" sounds. Such a sound can be valid, though slightly different from the sound which inspires it or from which it is copied.
Samples still hold very well against modelling, particularly for practice instruments, but modelling, as championed by Roland and Nord (?) works better on the big stage (modern music) and may be the future for all dps. Modern music performance isn't about authentic compliance to some predetermined metre. It's about interractive expression (or should be) and it requires instruments with that giggability factor. If I performed more on big stages, I'd have to buy a genuine stage piano.
Meanwhile, though acoustic pianos are often exquisite, they are not sacred relics which we must revere above all other things. They are just instruments, tools for artistry, and they have their limitations. I know that dps are still a bit primitive in their samples/models, but why aim only for the level of sound beauty which is currently attainable when maybe we can improve on it? It's a bit like artificial intelligence: We are more sophisticated than robots and computers, but let's not get complacent about it.
Anyway: Thank you for your polite reply and thought provoking content.
Stenaldo I agree with you. I use vst live and I am pretty satisfied with it. Many people hear beautiful in some keyboards, like Nord or Yamaha and think it's enough. But they are not expressive, at least not to me. With vst I am able to be expressive.
As to the digital piano not leading us to the 21st century sound, I think this is a lost battle. Take the Nord, for instance, with 2gb to be divided with other pianos, each one with 300 mb of size. Compare this with a small vst, with 15gb to 50gb. The digital piano companies have to make magic to compete with this, and they do, in a sense.
FP-30 action with pianoteq 7 and a pair of good monotor speakers..... is the ultimate piano expression! The best technology can offer in 2021.
does this plugin have crossfeed?
Hi! Brent here! That is a good question. I am not intimately familiar with Addictive Keys on that level, so I'm not sure if it has crossfeed. With that said, perhaps, one of our helpful community members can chime in and answer that question.
that is the guy who produced the sims 1 buy mode music
Why is this video 27 minutes long?
Because talking about piano VST plugins is quite addictive! ;)
Edward Norton?? What are you doing here?
you talk a lot :(
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! We try to be as thorough as possible with our product reviews.