New Piano sound: Soft Grand
-
- Posts: 80
- Joined: 20 Jun 2021, 09:33
- 2
- Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Piano 4
- Been thanked: 13 times
Re: New Piano sound: Soft Grand
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.
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
- Donator
- Posts: 2387
- Joined: 15 Dec 2019, 02:41
- 4
- Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Stage 3
- Location: Germany south-west
- Has thanked: 633 times
- Been thanked: 796 times
- Contact:
Re: New Piano sound: Soft Grand
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).
Stage 3 Compact (Rev.B 2.1 - OS 2.60) - Kawai VPC1 / Yamaha CP33 - Hall of Fame & NeoVent2 - Behringer Flow-8 - K&M stands 18820+18811 / 18953+18952 - Samsung tablet with MobileSheetsPro & AirTurn Duo200 - QSC K8.2s / Fischer InEars
-
- Posts: 80
- Joined: 20 Jun 2021, 09:33
- 2
- Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Piano 4
- Been thanked: 13 times
Re: New Piano sound: Soft Grand
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.
So in the ever important sample size value comparison on my 1GB Nord Piano 4, the Royal Grand wins out.
-
- Posts: 228
- Joined: 11 Sep 2014, 18:28
- 9
- Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Electro 5
- Has thanked: 55 times
- Been thanked: 61 times
Re: New Piano sound: Soft Grand
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.
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.
- These users thanked the author afroskully for the post:
- FZiegler
-
- Posts: 83
- Joined: 29 Jan 2018, 08:24
- 6
- Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Electro 6
- Has thanked: 8 times
- Been thanked: 23 times
Re: New Piano sound: Soft Grand
The Soft Grand piano sound has been updated to v6.2.ElectroStrat wrote:The medium version also lacks the two highest notes.Eumel wrote: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
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 ...).
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.
-
- Posts: 83
- Joined: 29 Jan 2018, 08:24
- 6
- Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Electro 6
- Has thanked: 8 times
- Been thanked: 23 times
Re: New Piano sound: Soft Grand
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.
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
- Posts: 15
- Joined: 02 Aug 2018, 11:20
- 5
- Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Stage 3
- Your Nord Gear #2: Nord Electro 2
- Location: Los Angeles, California
- Has thanked: 2 times
- Been thanked: 9 times
- Contact:
Re: New Piano sound: Soft Grand
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.Gambold wrote: 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?