pianoproducer

Thanks for the info/insight. I watched those YouTube videos prior to purchase, and they definitely helped sell me Austrian Grand. I would love to load your tweaked preset on my system as a starting point for my edits. Do you have any place to upload your *.UVIWS file? If not, I can make a folder on my Google Drive. Happy to share it to your Google Drive. The .uviws preset file is 22.6MB. You can PM me a link to the folder for the upload.

Also meant to mention: I've found the default release setting in the ASDR controls to be way too short resulting in an unnatural truncated sound on note releases.Try a setting around 1.8 to 1.9. Also the sympathetic resonance control is set a little high by default for my taste: https://www.uvi.net/img/cms/austrian-grand/PP_AUSTRIAN_GRAND_GUI_MICS.jpg

I had similar misgivings when I got it as part of the upgraded Keysuite Acoustic bundle last year, but have changed my opinion. My advice is to spend some more time tweaking it and optimising it to your keyboard. Bumping the mid & high dials of the built in EQ helps, and the UVI engine has a limiter which can be inserted under the hood which brings up the body of the tone more. I've found the UVI pianos are a little fussy with getting the best from them compared to Kontakt based pianos. Have you checked out these demos?:

Some fantastic suggestions here, and a heap of stuff mentioned I need to check out. Here's my 3 offerings. The first is in my opinion a masterclass in melodic bass line playing which compliments and enhances the song beautifully: . . . and for something more subtle and completely different:

Great tune. Love the way Oscar lays back on the melody but still sounds cohesive. Very "languid" playing - pure class.

Thanks for the post. Kenny was a once in a generation pianist. I have fond memories of being front of stage at the Melbourne leg of the 'Dream of the Blue Turtles' tour (I was with a Photography student mate of mine who bluffed his way to the stage edge under the guise of being an official concert photographer) and being absolutely mesmerised by Kenny's keyboard playing.

The Live Performance LX system installed in our Steinway D is superb, and unnervingly accurate in capturing all the subtle details of not only performances captured/recorded on the piano, but also in playing back MIDI files sent to us which are played on keyboards & digital pianos (the best results are with MIDI files generated from a performance on a weighted keyboard). We have recorded piano tracks on the Steinway from MIDI files sent to us for numerous albums, as well as capturing piano MIDI during live studio sessions, which gives pianists the benefit of playing more freely, knowing that any errant notes or parts can be tweaked after the fact, and re-recorded in the same space after the session.

This information regarding the Live Performance LX system installed in our Steinway D states otherwise: http://www.live-performance.com/whylx.html

The studio I work at has a Live Performance LX MIDI system fitted to our Hamburg Steinway D. Here it is in action: http://www.pianoproducer.com/the-pianos/ It was custom installed at the time of re-stringing and adding a new set of hammers. The Live Performance LX system was designed by Wayne Stahnke, who was part of the development team at Yamaha for the Disklavier MIDI acoustic pianos. I've also been involved with the installation of a cheaper system called PianoDisc on a few smaller grand pianos (Steinway Model A and a smaller Ritmuller Grand) when I worked with the Australian Steinway Agents about 7 years ago. When done well, they have no negative impact on the piano's structural integrity or playability, but finding a good technician to install and calibrate them accurately is critical.

I found they they take a bit of tweaking to match your keyboard velocity response, but they have a very realistic and full tone, and a good dynamic range, and the mic positions really change up the depth & character of the pianos. I'm sure you'll get a lot of use out of them Steve - would love to hear what you do with them.

I have these pianos Steve - a Yamaha C7 & C3. Very well sampled and scripted, and the Yamaha C3 in particular is a very warm & resonant sampled piano, with a really nice woody hammer attack tone. Not as 'tight' and pristine as the Ravenscroft 275 (I also owned a copy of that for a few years) but a good contrast and alternative. $49 is a steal (you do need the full version of Kontakt). Cheers, Craig

Here's a free one and it runs in the free version of Kontakt Player. Winning! http://www.soniccouture.com/en/products/p58-rmi-rocksichord/

The OP thread is about the Swedish developer SampleTEKK, not Sampletank . . . but thanks for your thoughts anyway

Careful now -- don't imply we haven't had the OP's back here! :wink: (Also, "Back Street Girl" by the Rolling Stones, and "Rocking Chair" by The Band!) Ah! My bad

Recognizable PIANO parts from the 60s . . . and we get organs, electric pianos, clavinets . . . anybody care to name an accordion riff? It also has black & white keys. Here's a piano part from 1967: The Doors 'People are Strange'