Rocket Man 2 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I am finding that several acoustic piano patches (that sound great solo) get lost and buried in the mix when I play in a band. So, I end up cutting the lows and tweaking the highs on the piano sound in order to "voice" the piano so that it stands out rather than get lost in the mix when playing live. I have heard mention of this in several threads over the years, but I have been unable to successfully query this topic. So, what acoustic piano sounds/patches (and from which keyboard) do you use that will "cut through the mix" so that you don't sound like mush? What works well for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinny Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Yamaha CP33, default "Grand Piano 1" preset. Sounds great in a mix, even in mono. IMHO, of course. If I ever need it to cut more, I use the "Mono Piano" sound. Stuff and things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Roland MKS-20 Piano 3 - cuts like a Yamaha Electric Grand. Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 The Kurzweil triple-strike piano sounds really good in a FOH band mix, IMHO. It's almost uncanny.... Someone started a thread a while back that featured several guys playing different DPs in a band situationand IIRC, a PC-88 (Yes, you heard right!) received a lot of votes. Our own Mr. L and Ian Benamou have posted some nice examples of the PC-3 in a band context, as well. My problems continue to center around getting it to sound good in my monitor. However, for the two-year period of time that I was in a band that used IEMs, it sounded great! "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Maximus_ Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 +1 on Triple strike, always works live, and the Rock piano on my SG-ProX its dated but it cuts trough everything, the JD800 piano its also good, not real sounding by today standards but it will be heard on a solo, on the triton, a tweaked patch using the rom sample of the SG rock piano, but it sounds better on the SG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 +1 on Triple strike, always works live, and the Rock piano on my SG-ProX its dated but it cuts trough everything Yep ! Kurz PC3 and Korg SG rack user here. A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyguy Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Yamaha CP33, default "Grand Piano 1" preset. Sounds great in a mix, even in mono. IMHO, of course. If I ever need it to cut more, I use the "Mono Piano" sound. +1 on the "Mono Piano" Jim Wells Tallahassee, FL www.pureplatinumband.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I generally don't cut the lows as much as the low mids. Then I may boost high mids and MAYBE the highs some. It depends on the baseline patch I am working with. I also change the EQ some from night to night. But yes I have the same problems on the previous generat Kawai stuff. It sounds good at home though ... which is where it will be staying. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Beaumont Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Yes, I never cared for the piano sounds on my SP4 by itself. But every recording I have heard with it in the full band mix sounds great. Boards: Kurzweil SP-6, Roland FA-08, VR-09, DeepMind 12 Modules: Korg Radias, Roland D-05, Bk7-m & Sonic Cell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffLearman Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Nord Electro 2 fits nicely in the mix, despite being a piano that's no fun to play. Yamaha S90ES piano is very inyerface, so it doesn't get lost in the mix. TruePianos Atlantis module (software) is also good in the mix. Though it doesn't stand out in a mix as much as the above, it's a lot better piano overall and especially for solo/intro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b3keys Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I am quite partial to my Yamaha P50m. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c4racer Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Nord Electro 2 fits nicely in the mix, despite being a piano that's no fun to play. Yamaha S90ES piano is very inyerface, so it doesn't get lost in the mix. TruePianos Atlantis module (software) is also good in the mix. Though it doesn't stand out in a mix as much as the above, it's a lot better piano overall and especially for solo/intro. For rock work I use the Brite program, which cuts through anything. For more mellow stuff I use the Natural program. Both are nice. For a more old school blues song the old blues piano works pretty nicely too. This is on the S90ES. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 A good room reverb (I use Eventide 2016) goes a long way to making a piano come out of a mix. Use short reverb times not long ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fusker Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 A timely question, to be more specific, what specific piano patch on the Nord do people find gets the job done? I ask because my gig on Saturday is on a tiny stage, so I only have room for one KB....and I usually use my XS for piano sounds. Thanks! Steinway L, Yamaha Motif XS-8, NE3 73, Casio PX-5S, iPad, EV ZLX 12-P ZZ(x2), bunch of PA stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I am quite partial to my Yamaha P50m. Do you use the stereo or mono sounds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 +1 on Kurz triple-strike. Also, Casio PX3 sounds surprisingly full and "complete" out in the audience. Default Kronos Grand, while somewhat maligned here on the forum, resolves very well in a band setting. Not impressed with Kawai MP4 (don't know how much different more current models are improved), nor with various Roland RD pianos I've used in the past. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Dave Ferris, why did you delete your post? I wanted to listen to that clip later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 A good room reverb (I use Eventide 2016) goes a long way to making a piano come out of a mix. Use short reverb times not long ones. For live (which is what we are talking about here), I find reverb hinders cutting instead of helping. Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinny Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I always cut 'verb from all my patches when playing live. Stuff and things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket Man 2 Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 A timely question, to be more specific, what specific piano patch on the Nord do people find gets the job done? I ask because my gig on Saturday is on a tiny stage, so I only have room for one KB....and I usually use my XS for piano sounds. Thanks! For the Nord Stage88 Classic, I use: Yamaha Grand (preset #1), straight, fuss with the reverb. Yamaha Grand (preset #1), tweak the lows down, highs up. Rock Piano (an AD patch)--it has a lot of compression, good for lead-work. On the XS: House Piano (it's mono): With the 3 band parametric eq.: lows down, mids up, highs 'way up. Monaural Grand MW (Voice Pre1 A16) sounds clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mogut Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 On the Motif XS8 "S700 for XS"... no tweaking... cuts beautifully! -Greg Motif XS8, MOXF8, Hammond XK1c, Vent Rhodes Mark II 88 suitcase, Yamaha P255 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 A good room reverb (I use Eventide 2016) goes a long way to making a piano come out of a mix. Use short reverb times not long ones. For live (which is what we are talking about here), I find reverb hinders cutting instead of helping. While I generally agree, the 2016 room reverb is the exception. Its room reverb algorithm somehow lifts stuff like snare, vocals, and piano out of the mix. A lot of FOH sound guys have 2016s in their rack for that reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Hmm, interesting. Will try to check it out. Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fusker Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Cool! I'll try it out. Steinway L, Yamaha Motif XS-8, NE3 73, Casio PX-5S, iPad, EV ZLX 12-P ZZ(x2), bunch of PA stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e-keys Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Not to leave our Roland. How bout the srx complete 11 piano rock grand patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewImprov Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Yes, I never cared for the piano sounds on my SP4 by itself. But every recording I have heard with it in the full band mix sounds great. +1 here. Same goes for the stock Wurly and clav patches, don't sound like much alone, but they sure do fit into the mix well. The stock Rhodes, IMHO, sound excellent on their own as well as cutting through the mix. Turn up the speaker Hop, flop, squawk It's a keeper -Captain Beefheart, Ice Cream for Crow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket Man 2 Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 On the Motif XS8 "S700 for XS"... no tweaking... cuts beautifully! I have an early XS8. Mogut, where is the above patch. I have never seen it. I wonder if that's on a later version of the XS8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I've always found that piano sounds that I pick/modify for a particular pop/rock song sound horrible by themselves compared to the sounds I would pick for solo playing. Much of this has to do with the style of music and the way the piano is processed on the original. When I pick a piano sound for a cover, I don't go for the best sounding piano, I go for the one that sounds most like the original. Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 On the Motif XS8 "S700 for XS"... no tweaking... cuts beautifully! I have an early XS8. Mogut, where is the above patch. I have never seen it. I wonder if that's on a later version of the XS8. Perhaps the Motif XF8? I thought I read somewhere that the S700 sample can be loaded into the XF. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeyMoe Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Roland "Nice Piano" on the XV series (xv88 or XV5050) with a little reverb sounds great in the mix...... Montage 7, Mojo 61, PC-3, XK-3c Pro, Kronos 88, Hammond SK-1, Motif XF- 7, Hammond SK-2, Roland FR-1, FR-18, Hammond B3 - Blond, Hammond BV -Cherry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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