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Re: Decisions, decisions (Piano Library)

Postby baekgaard » 25 Feb 2018, 00:45

Yes, there are many options, and its not easy to choose. I tend to go back and forth a bit, change the ones I like to play from time to time.

Just a few notes to some of the comments above:

The Bright is quite useful for cutting through in a band context; I guess this is the closest to some of the sounds found in other stage boards. I'd use this for some types of e.g. gospel tunes.

The Velvet doesn't get much love around here, but I find it quite nice for some types of acoustic jazz ballads -- think Jan Johansson (even though this recording is a bit brighter, I guess). Try to play a split with an acoustic bass in your left hand, and the Velvet in the right, with a bit of stage reverb on the piano, and jam in some Dorian/Harmonic Minor mode, and you have an instant "nordic" jazz sound. Or at least, that's what I think of when I play that :-)

The Italian can be nice also for some other types of jazz, where you want to be able to "bite" without having too large an acoustic fingerprint but still some body.
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Re: Decisions, decisions (Piano Library)


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Re: Decisions, decisions (Piano Library)

Postby themixtape » 25 Feb 2018, 03:08

True... yeah that Jan recording is awesome. Love that old piano sound. Velvet definitely seems similar.

I swapped all the mediums for larges and downgraded the Velvet from XL to L... and the Grand Upright from XL to L... now I'm thinking of going in reverse, again... haha. I don't know. Ughhh.

I think the Grand Upright should stay as M... it's nice but a bit out of tune, I've found... low root note with chord on top... it's nice but I think the Blue Swede is its better-sounding twin.

I have five XLs in right now: Royal, Velvet, Bambino, Amber, and Mellow. I want to try to get one more XL in... probably the Grand Imperial....
Last edited by themixtape on 25 Feb 2018, 03:33, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Decisions, decisions (Piano Library)

Postby themixtape » 25 Feb 2018, 03:34

Here's a good question-- does anyone prefer an L over its XL?

Case in point-- Royal Grand. The Large version (I had it side by side with XL)... is way more bassy/full... the XL has less bass/fullness. I still love the XL but I find that odd...

Also, is Amber nearly identical XL, and L? To my ears, it's REALLY close.
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Re: Decisions, decisions (Piano Library)

Postby kirsty » 25 Feb 2018, 12:31

I have spent loads of time like most of us swapping samples in and out.

A lot of samples I cant say I have heard much difference A / B'ing them with L and XL... even knowing it should sound very different. Most dont sound different enough for me to warrant doubling the space and having to exclude another piano.

Silver is the only one which I found I liked better in XL, in the smaller versions, some of the lower bass keys make a very odd sound and this isnt present in the XL sample. Its so bright and cutting that i think it benefits from the extra detail well.
I found that the XL Bose sounded not as nice to play as the L. If playing strong chords of say a double octave of C's with the left and a C chord in the right hand, the L seems to have lots of power and somehow seems a tad more feeble when the XL was loaded. Couldnt put my finger on it but i didnt prefer the XL.... win win for space.

This could vary across what different people play of course, maybe its more noticable in certain styles of playing that others?

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Re: Decisions, decisions (Piano Library)

Postby fieldflower » 18 Jun 2018, 10:00

fieldflower wrote:On the sample size question...
I did some AB:ing on some of them to find out what I liked and I found the Medium and Large to be almost impossible to tell apart, but the XL had a lot more life than the Large with the individual key samples.
So I have nothing in Large anymore - one or two XL and the rest Medium.

The one I really enjoy having in XL is the 3D grand.
When playing with headphones the combination of the 3D recording and individual key samples is amazing.


Funny how taste changes...
I have found my favourites in the grands and really prefer to have those in XL, so I've gone down from having most of the pianos to only having a handful.
So now I have the Bosendorfer, the Silver and the 3D Grands in XL, and the Amber, the Mellow, the Honky tonk and the Saloon Uprights in Large, and that's that.
The EP's I have all loaded, but they don't take so much room...
Last edited by fieldflower on 18 Jun 2018, 10:30, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Decisions, decisions (Piano Library)

Postby Quai34 » 18 Jun 2018, 21:45

Same for me, All EP loaded, Boise in XL, Fazzioli In XL and that's it (Stage 2, sorry...)
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Re: Decisions, decisions (Piano Library)

Postby maurus » 18 Jun 2018, 23:20

kirsty wrote:I found that the XL Bose sounded not as nice to play as the L. If playing strong chords of say a double octave of C's with the left and a C chord in the right hand, the L seems to have lots of power and somehow seems a tad more feeble when the XL was loaded. Couldnt put my finger on it but i didnt prefer the XL.... win win for space.


That is exactly my impression as well, especially for the Bösendorfer...

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Re: Decisions, decisions (Piano Library)

Postby afroskully » 20 Jun 2018, 15:17

Have to admit, I love these threads that remind me to go back to pianos I once didn't like and give them another chance. The XL grands I've been mostly using lately have been the Bosie and the Silver. There's something about the Royal that rubs me the wrong way... there's a bell like overtone in the upper register that I always hear and it drives me nuts. None of the darker grands made me happy, so I would go to the uprights for a more mellowed out tone if needed. The amber (XL) had been the go-to but I realized if I got rid of some dead weight, I could load up another upright. The grand upright (xl) got the listen last night and I love it. It's a bit more twangy and detuned in the lower register than the amber, but just as present and clear in the upper half.

Doing all that also gave me some room to reload the tack piano. I can finally play Rocky Raccoon the right way again. =)
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Re: Decisions, decisions (Piano Library)

Postby Quai34 » 21 Jun 2018, 03:26

maurus wrote:
kirsty wrote:I found that the XL Bose sounded not as nice to play as the L. If playing strong chords of say a double octave of C's with the left and a C chord in the right hand, the L seems to have lots of power and somehow seems a tad more feeble when the XL was loaded. Couldnt put my finger on it but i didnt prefer the XL.... win win for space.


That is exactly my impression as well, especially for the Bösendorfer...

Never tried the L, neither in Bosie or Fazzioli, maybe I should give it a try, it might help to load other piano type...
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Re: Decisions, decisions (Piano Library)

Postby cphollis » 21 Jun 2018, 03:37

If you have limited piano memory, the L size is what it's all about. String resonance, but not fully sampled at the extremes. Played through great amplification (PA or IEMs) all that I need in my world.
I think I have gear issues ....
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