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Are East West Platinum pianos worth the good deal?


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Hello, I know these have been out for a while. Is the bundle of all 4 for $160 a good deal? Note I will be upgrading my computer with a newer hard drive to be able to hold the 260gb . I would however mostly be doing them on a 61key Arturia keylab MKII vs a 88 key board. Currently using Addictive Keys and the Arturia 5 pianos. thanks for your insight everyone.
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For as massive as the libraries are, I expected better. The room felt too baked into the samples, and I found the timbre a bit uneven.

 

More recent offerings like VILabs TrueKeys, the NI pianos, and Hammersmith are all more pleasing to me.

 

Two cents and all that.

I make software noises.
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I've been testing out all four with ComposerCloud this week (long story but I discovered I had an active EW Composer Cloud subscription that had been auto-renewing for almost two years that I never used, so before it ends on Dec. 3rd I thought I'd test out some things). I really struggle with the velocity mapping on all of them. Even the DYN versions of each are kind of uneven, and they seem to have an odd muted sound when re-triggering that jumps out more than other libraries I've played. I'm using a Motif XF8 as a hammer-action controller and also tried with a Yamaha MX61 with a synth action. They just don't really respond the way I'd expect a piano to respond dynamically, even after trying different velocity curves. They DO sound nice when played back after recording. I use mostly the close mics with a little of the player mic blended in. I particularly like the timbre of the Bechstein. The Yamaha grand has a very present metallic sound at nearly all velocities, which sounds fine even in a trio mix with bass and drums but is just plain strange.

 

I had the same issue with 8DIO's 1985 Passionate Piano. They sound great at low velocities, but don't really go anywhere dynamically or tonally from there until you get to a fortissimo dynamic level and then they're super bright. I feel like a lot of these libraries are aimed at cinematic composers and less at pianists.

 

So overall the EW Platinum pianos sound pretty decent in a recording (particularly the Bechstein), but are just plain weird to play both in dynamics and evenness.

Yamaha: Motif XF8, MODX7, YS200, CVP-305, CLP-130, YPG-235, PSR-295, PSS-470 | Roland: Fantom 7, JV-1000

Kurzweil: PC3-76, PC4 (88) | Hammond: SK Pro 73 | Korg: Triton LE 76, N1R, X5DR | Emu: Proteus/1 | Casio: CT-370 | Novation: Launchkey 37 MK3 | Technics: WSA1R

Former: Emu Proformance Plus & Mo'Phatt, Korg Krome 61, Roland Fantom XR & JV-1010, Yamaha MX61, Behringer CAT

Assorted electric & acoustic guitars and electric basses | Roland TD-17 KVX | Alesis SamplePad Pro | Assorted organs, accordions, other instruments

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I have the composer cloud plus subscription, so I have them also. Not a fan. Compared the other pianos I have (True Pianos & Keyscape), they are weak and not extremely playable. After a few hours testing, I pulled them off my drives.

Custom Music, Audio Post Production, Location Audio

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Thank you everyone for your replies; I have decided in turn to pass on them. My motivation had been to use them to play through my Arturia along with recording in Studio One. However, I've been using the combo of Addictive Keys and Toontracks EZ Drummer for the foundation of my music and that has worked to my liking. I also have UVI Model D and Arturia's Piano V- since I am mainly using them through my 61 key controller I should perhaps stick with what I have. I read from other people as well about the non smoothness of the velocity changes.

 

I have thought about USBing my P125 to the computer to take advantage of more of a dynamic range.

 

@Mighty Motif Max- around the time I joined this forum I had an original Motif 6- I felt as though it was built like a tank and from what I remember it had both Yamaha and a Steinway sample on it.

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Granted - EW"s collection is massive in a wide area of instruments. If pianos are the incentive to give it a try, ok, maybe it"s a pass. But it you are a working composer or hobbyist, their cloud plan is pretty decent compared to cost of other all access plans.

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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