What piano sound do you use live?

[The Piano Man]

I’m talking acoustic piano sounds and live. I appreciate it may vary depending on the occasion/song etc. However, keen to hear what you are using live?

 

- Manufacturer

- Keyboard/Module/Software Model

- Program Name/Number

 

Finally, why? What is it about that particular program that works for you?

 

And feel free to include your speakers/amplification etc

[Stokely]

Currently using the Nord White Grand, from a stage 3.   I mostly use stereo in-ears with the band PA.  Otherwise it's mono in-ears or a Yamaha DXR10 used as an amp or overall wedge.

Prior to that it was the Modx and the CFX grand.  It sounded nice in stereo but sucked in mono; the White Grand isn't awful in mono so that's one reason I like it. 

The WG is a nice compromise for rock tones and ballads IMO.   I dislike the ultra-trebly "cut through the mix" pianos (hate that phrase in general) but on the other hand something really round and with a lot of room sound would indeed get muddy.  I don't use any EQ unless the stock patch I am using has it, other than a high pass for the keys at the main mixer.

I think I am also using the Silver Grand on a few layered patches, just didn't bother to change it out.  It sounds almost like a CP70 in those layers, which is nice for 80's style patches.

[CEB]

Korg Kronos.  Depends on the gig.  Really does.  If the mix is not too clutter or too loud I have modified patch based on Lyle Mays model D I use.  For a band mix I always disable all the mechanical noises.  Disabling damper resonance, damper noise, mechanical noise and note release makes the tone cleaner which is what you want in a live band mix.  If I need something for a really loud rock mix I have  a slightly high passed Bright German Grand that works.         If I played my Kurz live I would probably use Recital Grand or Blues Grand.

 

At Home I usually use Kurzweil's Recital Grand. If I want something darker I like Kurz's Smooth Grand 9 ft if playing a slab.... or else my Baldwin SF10

[Dave Bryce]

Kurzweil Forte.  Which program depends on the tune.

 

dB

[erik_nie]

Nord Piano 5-73 with White Grand for more piano based songs and Bright Grand for most others to compete with drums and guitar.

[Docbop]

My Nord S3 mainly use the Studio Grand 2 a very useable sound for recording and live.   If I want some phat solo sound on the S3 then the White Grand.    Then on my recording computer I have Keyscape and so many great AP and EP sounds to choose from.   

[Lou Gehrig Charles]

I use a setting called Pop Piano on my Casios, because it seems brighter and the "regular" grand piano sounds tend to get overwhelmed by drums and guitar.

[DaveMcM]

Casio PX-560M Grand Piano Concert program through either a CPS SpaceStation XL or Motion Sound KP-610s sometimes with a Behringer B1200D Pro subwoofer. The three assignable knobs on the PX-560 are set to low, mid and high EQ. If I need to cut through the mix I can boost the highs and mids a bit or go the opposite direction for softer passages all on the fly. There are several other piano patches I'll use from time to time but the GP Concert is very versatile with a wide dynamic range. I suppose if I was doing a gig that was purely acoustic piano I might take my Generalmusic Promega 3 but the fact is the PX-560M does a great job.

[David R]

Nord Electro 5D - usually the Grand Lady D.

 

Native Instruments’ Grandeur is my go-to software piano if I’m using a Mainstage-only setup. 

[Tusker]

I think it's possible to speak with many different styles of piano voices and a variety of sources, ranging from acoustics to stage pianos to synth workstations to software, etc. I have used all those kinds and love them.

 

At the moment, I am using Pianoteq 8 Standard edition with the NY or Hamburg Steinway for most purposes. For singer songwriter style ballads or atmospheric pianos I sometimes use the U4 upright. What I like most about Pianoteq is the ability to tailor the velocity response very precisely to my touch. I add a bit of early reflection with Liquidsonics 7th heaven instead of the Pianoteq reverb because I usually find that the room I am playing in has its own reverb. So I am creating just the sound of the stage area with the reverb to humanize the piano.

[HSS]

2 hours ago, Docbop said:

My Nord S3 mainly use the Studio Grand 2 a very useable sound for recording and live.   If I want some phat solo sound on the S3 then the White Grand.    Then on my recording computer I have Keyscape and so many great AP and EP sounds to choose from.   

When using my Nord 5d 73, I also usually use Studio Grand 2 in loud band mixes.  For more mellow exposed band stuff, I usually use the White Grand. 

 

At the risk of coming across like an antiquated clueless old fart (which I am), I confess that I still like the old much-maligned Kurz Triple Strike "Pro Piano" sample in loud band mixes when using my old Kurz SP4-7 or even newer PC4-7.   IMHO newer and/or more detailed and realistic AP's don't necessarily work best in loud band mixes.

 

Disclaimer:  I play in mono at band gigs because IMO that's what works best for FOH and, I confess, because I'm old and lazy.  

[Manolios]

For solo / duo gigs the Yamaha CP4 with the CFX / CF grand sounds, sometimes in mono as well. With a full band, the CK88, here the CFX / U1 and sometimes the S700 are best for my use. For rehearsal and really small gigs, the Yamaha P-121, main piano 1 or the mellow one. 

[Sam Mullins]

For the last several years it was the white grand and bright grand on Stage 3.  Now it is main CFX on Yamaha CK88. 

[The Real MC]

Kurzweil 1000PX since 1989.

[D. Gauss]

i use either a casio cdp-s150 weighted 88 key driving an iphone 6 (actual headphone jack) running pianoteq 8. (23lbs total) or,

for small spaces/subway travel, a casio cts-s1000v 61 key with (or without) said iphone/pianoteq 8. (10 lbs total)

 

[Sunlight2]

Nord Electro 6, Bright Grand, often with the assignable piano filter eq set to 'mid'.

[Stokely]

48 minutes ago, HSS said:

When using my Nord 5d 73, I also usually use Studio Grand 2 in loud band mixes.  For more mellow exposed band stuff, I usually use the White Grand. 

 

At the risk of coming across like an antiquated clueless old fart (which I am), I confess that I still like the old much-maligned Kurz Triple Strike "Pro Piano" sample in loud band mixes when using my old Kurz SP4-7 or even newer PC4-7.   IMHO newer and/or more detailed and realistic AP's don't necessarily work best in loud band mixes.

 

Disclaimer:  I play in mono at band gigs because IMO that's what works best for FOH and, I confess, because I'm old and lazy.  

Interesting, I need to try out the Studio Grand 2.

I also kind of miss the simpler "less character" triple strike in a band mix.   I have an idea that sometimes all the detail and overtones of some pianos can sound almost out of tune when combined with other instruments.   Maybe "out of tune" is not quite it either.     

The mono comment is important to me as well, I often don't have a choice, and I'm always looking for pianos that fare well in mono.  The triple strike never bothered me much in mono when I had to go that way.

[CEB]

Two piano sound that came out of the 90s I would gig with today are:

 

1- Kurzweil Triple Strike piano on the K2600 (barely 90s)

2- Yamaha P50m Piano module.  - This was really cool at the time.

 

Not rushing out to bring these back into service but if they were backline I wouldn't bitch too much.  They worked well.

[Dave Number Four]

YC88, C7 sample for jazz and anything else "pianistic", CFX sample for rock piano.

 

Previously I used garritan abbey road CFX on a laptop for live gigs for a couple years. I still miss the more detailed and realistic samples of the Garritan, but I sure don't miss dealing with the laptop on gigs.

 

 

[Delaware Dave]

gemini module, either the yamaha C5 or the Steinway D.  I also have the Yamaha CFX loaded but rarely use it.  When just using the PC3 I use the PC3's Pro Piano with my custom tweaks to the program.

[Kawai James]

I don't play live terribly often, however my "go to" piano sound for the kind of music I play has been the "Black Upright (Petrof)", which I use on my retro Nord Electro 3.

 

Cheers,
James

x

[Sam Mullins]

7 minutes ago, Kawai James said:

I don't play live terribly often, however my "go to" piano sound for the kind of music I play has been the "Black Upright (Petrof)", which I use on my retro Nord Electro 3.

 

Cheers,
James

x

I loved that one when I was gigging a stage 3. Only used it for a few songs where I didn’t want a grand (e.g. Fiona Apple’s Valentine). but the vibe was great. 

[Justin Havu]

Depends on what I'm doing.

 

On a Sunday morning at church, RD-1000 Piano 1.

 

At a gig, MODX-7, but I use a custom patch.  Main piano is the CFX, but I use the first 5 scenes to change different layering options.  Pads, different EP's, etc.

[Pianoman JC]

Yamaha CP4 CFX mono.

 

 

 

 

 

JC

[Mighty Motif Max]

Most band gigs: Synthogy American Grand (based on Ivory) loaded in my MODX7 and a custom V-Piano patch on my Fantom 7. The American Grand is very good in a band context and is a nice clear-sounding sample. Prior to that I used the S6 sample almost exclusively (it holds up well in mono). The V-Piano is quite nice in a mix as well, but falls short as a solo piano patch.

 

Church gigs with a house-provided Nord Stage 3/Electro 6: Queen Upright 80% of the time, Royal Grand 3D 20% of the time. The Queen Upright is a fantastic sample for anything worship related, and honestly a good general-purpose piano. It holds up super well in mono. If I really want more of a grand sound, that’s when I go to the Royal Grand 3D. Note that none of the house Nords I’ve encountered have had the White Grand available, so I’ve never had a chance to try that live.

 

Campus ministry gigs with more of an acoustic band: either the MODX7 American Grand, stock CFX Grand, or more recently, tweaked version of the Yamaha grand sample in my Hammond SKpro 73 if I will be using enough organ to make switching to the SKpro worthwhile (with its lackluster synth pads with no cutoff mapping to the mod wheel).

 

Solo gigs: I used the PC4 7’ Yamaha sample for a while, then the KSounds Epic Grand for it, but was never happy. These days I’m midi’ing the PC4 to my MODX and using the various MODX pianos. But none of those are quite what I want in terms of the combination of feel and sound. My best old solo gig piano was the Full Concert Grand in my Motif XF8, which was helped by the nice keybed. I also used the AcousticSamples Kawai EX library for the Motif for a different flavor. Since then I had to quit gigging the Motif with my back issues not lending well to a single-man load in/out with that beast. But I’ve gone too many years not enjoying the piano samples I had available for solo gigs. Hence my saving up for a Nord Stage 4. I’ve been tempted to get a cheaper Kawai ES120 to just have a decent piano, but the lack of even a single basic pad sound and the price increase makes it a hard sell.

[John Tweed]

Yamaha CP4, CF Mono if the gig suggests 88 notes.
 

On my new CK61, the CFX mono, which I like more than the one on the CP4.

 

At a regular gig  that has a Casio Bechstein (not sure of exact model) I generally use the “Hamburg” variant, though I quite like the “Berlin” too.

On the iPad I have been using Colossus Piano “U1” (I think).

 

Generally if I’m playing a 61 note board, I’ll use a Wurlie sound instead of acoustic piano if I can get away with it. To my ears that sound sits almost in the same space as the piano, and the real Wurlie (never owned, but played a few) has a very light touch.

I still have my Privia PX3 which has a great mono piano sound for blues gigs. Not so much for solo as the notes die away too quickly, imho.

 

Prior to that I had a couple of Yamahas which I got rid of as soon an I realised that the mono acoustic sounds sucked.

 

The first digital (semi) weighted board I had was an Ensoniq KS32, which was a great live board in its day. Had a Kurzweil micro piano with the Ensoniq but never really bonded with the sound; similarly the Yamaha P50m I liked initially but after a while something about the sound used to annoy me, so that went too.

 

 

[Reezekeys]

Native Instruments New York, which I started using when it was called "Akoustik Piano" back in 2006 - so it's coming up 18 years with the same piano. I'm now on my fourth laptop using it. Last year I used Logic's Autosampler module to sample it and create a Logic sampler instrument that I load into my iPhone and iPad. I use my i-devices on all my local gigs, but still use the laptop for the road gigs (thought I've used my iPhone a few times there as well).

 

I also have the Grandeur and have tried a few others. The Grandeur is very nice on a recording but does not work for me at all on a gig - I'm at a bit of a loss to figure out why, but suspect the samples have more "baked-in" resonances that interact with my speakers and ruin the finger-to-ear thing for me. The New York's samples seem very close-miced with very little or no room at all, just "purer", and the sound jumps right out as you play. The transitions between velocity layers are smooth and it just feels great to me to play. I have absolutely no desire to switch or even try a different piano.

[mcgoo]

Pianoteq Steinway D, Jazz Piano preset with a few minor tweaks. I trigger it from a Roland FP-30x.

[K K]

7 hours ago, The Real MC said:

Kurzweil 1000PX since 1989.

 

Ha - the old K250 samples, they are still surprisingly good even today for live stuff. That's what I feel every time I try it on my old K1200 (they all shared the same piano samples).

[brenner13]

I’m attempting to do mostly organ, but I’m on a lowly Roland VR09. I love it and the band likes it and the audience doesn’t care that it’s a Roland. It sounds pretty dern good. Now I had been using my Yamaha MODX7 for pianos, synth brass, and superfluous synth pads and solos, but my main 70’s and 80’s cover band recently broke up. I hooked up with another band I’ve filled in for here and there. They play more mello 50’s 60’s and 70’s with a small mix of slightly more modern country, so I switched to my Studiologic Numa Compact to cover AC and E Pianos and a few pads and strings, but have been practicing at home on A Kawai ES 100. That piano is really the best I have and I think I want to bring it to the New Years Eve gig instead of the Studiologic. It is definitely far more limited, but the piano sound and feel is the best of what I have available. Gotta have the VR09 for the drawbar action. Tough decision to cover the Piano and EP except I have to use the dreaded transpose buttons on a few songs because this fill-in band plays in some different keys and I’m not quick enough to relearn them. The MODX is the best choice for that reason.

 

Thanks for the question and helping me to decide which tool is best for the gig. I might just take the Kawai as a back up anyway. 😁