New Piano sound: Soft Grand

[agcohn]

Just trying out the Soft Grand XL now, and I do really like it after some EQ (Treble +8 / Mids +4 at 3.3khz) which brings out a nice, soft, chime-like, almost electric piano quality. It is definitely soft, but also very smooth sounding / feeling to me, which makes it easy to play. Probably seems best for more solo singer-songwriter types, as the Soft Grand sounds like it will disappear behind a bunch of other instruments.

The only issue is that by testing this I also tested it against the Royal Grand 3D, which I haven't had on my piano in a while, and the Royal Grand impressed me once more.

[FZiegler]

This may also depend on the amplification you use. The Royal Grand 3D is optimised for binaural use (headphones have exclusively channel R on the right ear and channel L on the left ear whereas you usually hear both L and R monitor boxes on both ears, just in a different way).

[agcohn]

I primarily used the Nord Monitors for my testing. The Soft Grand is beautiful sounding (after EQ), but I would say that the Royal Grand sounds just as beautiful in a wider amount of situations (also after EQ).

So in the ever important sample size value comparison on my 1GB Nord Piano 4, the Royal Grand wins out.

[afroskully]

so i finally checked out the soft grand. meh. as far as all of the "quiet/mellow/soft" pianos go, I think the felt is more enjoyable to play, but i have no real need for it.

but... any time a new piano gets released it always makes me wanna check out some others maybe I haven't spent enough time with. I loaded the XL baby upright and I'm really digging the character of this. I played the intro of 'night they drove old dixie down' and it sounds just like the little piano in the big pink house in woodstock! this one will be a keeper for a bit.

[ElectroStrat]

Hi folks,

I just downloaded the Soft Grand L version to my NS4 88. The top two keys do not work (no sound), at least in my setup.

Thanks

Eumel

The medium version also lacks the two highest notes.
It's somewhat logical as Large and Medium versions have the same samples but differ only on the string resonance regions respectively covered.

It's a pity that some of the latest piano sounds have flaws e.g missing soft release (Grand Imperial 6.1 ...).

The Soft Grand piano sound has been updated to v6.2.
I've just tested the Medium version and the issue with the missing two highest notes has been fixed.

I hope that there will be also an updated Grand Imperial version.

[ElectroStrat]

I've played the Soft Grand a while now and I like it.
The low and bottom end are quite different from the Felt Upright.
So I enjoy having a soft/felt sound both from a grand and an upright.

[elsongs]

It's pretty telling that a lot of other posters here, people who are a lot more measured than I am, are disappointed in this latest offering. And indeed, the issue is becoming kind of a big one - WHAT THE HECK WITH ALL THESE CHEESECLOTH PIANO SAMPLES?

I hear ya, and I'm no "Felt Piano Apologist" here, so I'm not arguing with you, but I would say, objectively speaking, that the whole felt/mellow/muted/filtered piano thing is just a contemporary trend that a lot of artists like to follow. A lot of soundtrack, pop and indie music these days have a piano with that kind of timbre. Mainly it's to make the vocals stand out more, frequency-wise, or not get tangled up with other midrange instruments like guitars. I first noticed this with Adele's "Hello," though it's been going on for quite a few years before that song came out in 2015.