It's that time again - what are your top 3 acoustic samples?

[Gambold]

I know, I know - it's been done a hundred times before, often with elaborate polls. But what else are we going to do while we wait for Nord to get back to full steam?

Besides, the past few years have provided some time to fully evaluate the White, both in home playing and band environments, and see if it's truly the flagship sample now, or if the Royal still holds that title. Plus not too long ago the Imperial had a bit of a rebirth in popularity, no doubt due to its surprise positioning as the number 2 piano on the Stage 3 factory load - in XL no less. That's big exposure for the old Bosie.

SO - no polls, just the question - what are your Big Three? I'll start: Bright still rules for me in the band (pop/rock outfit), White is my go-to for home playing, and the Amber when I want to shift gears and play an upright. I use the L size for all of these.

--Gambold

[Gambold]

I have been a very longtime fan of the Imperial XL and my ear/touch are so accustomed to it that I don't do great with others, except in specialized circumstances. Last time I checked, I had the Silver and White XL loaded and I might switch to those every now and then, or use them in layers. Otherwise, I like the Bambino XL for its character and while it's not really "acoustic," I love the CP80 Amped electric grand.

[agcohn]

Gambold,

On my Piano 4, I use the same 3x Acoustic Pianos as you (White Grand, Bright Grand, Amber Grand), but I also add in a 4th (Grand Upright) to the mix. All of them are XL. These are the basis for a bunch of different tonal variations I have programmed with different touch / EQ settings.

1. White Grand XL <<< most dynamic range / expression of all of the pianos. Close your eyes and it feels / sounds the closest to playing a real grand piano. Tonally it is very rich and lends weight and authenticity to any pieces / songs. The sound can feel a little full sometimes, so it isn't perfect for everything, though it adjusts well to different touch / EQ / Compression / Reverb settings. Best for piano practice to me, as it feels like you have the most control over the sound. Generally a happy sounding tone, great for classical music, empowering songs, broadway songs, etc. If I were to try and describe a mood for the piano, it gives me a strong feeling of nostalgia, or of looking back on a life well-lived. If I were to compare it to an orchestra section, it would be the brass section.

2. Bright Grand XL <<< sweeter / cleaner sound than the White Grand, but not as rich. Defaults a little bright, so is best when played softer / slower, but also easily softened through EQ, etc. A little sadder / bluer / jazzier sounding to me than the White Grand. To me this one sounds great with romantic music, but it is more youthful / naive sounding than the White, so maybe the mood is more that of love or life not yet fulfilled. While the White Grand sounds more brassy to me, the Bright feels more like an electric guitar in tone to me.

3. Amber Upright XL <<< beautifully strange / funky sound, that feels almost glassy and bell-like to me. This one reminds me of Tom Waits / Elton John for some reason, great for songs that have unique or unusual perspectives. Adapts really well with different touch / EQ filter settings. The sound of the hammers hitting the strings, is also very interesting, creating a very round, almost water-droplet like effect.

4. Grand Upright XL <<< this one is a little more basic sounding to me, but in a good way… like upright pianos from my youth, more folksy sounding, etc. Like the Amber, this one also has unique sound to the hammers hitting the strings… almost more like a mandolin or harp being plucked. Also takes on a very different character with the SOFT filter.

[Gambold]

I play Pop and Rock music, I only use the Silver and White.

-dj

[M1tsos]

White grand is the best for me.. then i use royal 2 some times..

[Gambold]

Many people on this forum with better ears than mine have chosen the Silver over the Bright for their "cutting" piano, the one that will get through a band mix. I have it loaded and have played it quite a bit - it often has a more "icicle" sound than the Bright so I stick to the Bright for live work. But I'm starting to think that it's the semi-weighted action on my Electro 6 that is not bringing out the best in the Silver. I'm going to see if I can MIDI it over to my SV-2, which has a very nice keybed, and see if there's a difference.

[agcohn]

Many people on this forum with better ears than mine have chosen the Silver over the Bright for their "cutting" piano, the one that will get through a band mix. I have it loaded and have played it quite a bit - it often has a more "icicle" sound than the Bright so I stick to the Bright for live work. But I'm starting to think that it's the semi-weighted action on my Electro 6 that is not bringing out the best in the Silver. I'm going to see if I can MIDI it over to my SV-2, which has a very nice keybed, and see if there's a difference.

I have never directly compared the Silver to the Bright, but I did use the Silver a lot when I first got my Piano 4 around a year ago. It was a good option at first when I was mostly testing the Imperial, Royal Grand and Silver together. However, once I had discarded the Imperial and Royal Grand in favor of the White Grand, Amber Upright and Grand Upright, I found that I never picked the Silver any more. That changed when I loaded the Bright, which to me has a much more pure piano tone than can be adapted / EQ'ed into a variety of different uses.

The Silver just always sounded "old" to me, like I was playing piano in a B&W movie. I'm not sure what it was exactly about it, but I never connected with it personally.

[Gambold]

White Grand XL in 95 % and Bright Grand XL in 5 % of all situations. The White is by far my favourite, even at tunes like Don‘t stop believin‘ or Schickeria I rather add a bit of chorus effect and EQ-treble than look for a different piano sample.

I‘d prefer an XXXL piano sample of 1 GB file size as this could be my one and only then.

Cheers from sunny Germany

[ggoebel]

Royal 3D XL
Compared with my fantastic AvantGrand N3 it's the most realistic piano sample. I just add sometimes a little bit of reverb and EQ to compensate frequency respose on my amp/headphone.

[AllanH]

on Electro 6D, I prefer the Silver (Kawai Shigeru) which cuts through the mix in a Big Band. The White gets a run often as well.

I am enjoying the Grand Imperial (Bosendorfer) when I use the Piano 5 for much the same reason.. cuts through the mix clearly.

( using the Centerpoint Spacestation for nice amplification and subbing to PA during performances)

Cheers from Australia, Allan