Old 04-29-2009, 11:01 AM   #1
msuscorpio
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Default Electric(?) Piano VST?

Hey guys I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to get a piano sound similar to what the band Keane uses on a lot of their songs. Specifically if you listen to their song Everybody's Changing off of Hopes and Fears, I 'm talking about the main line right at the beginning fo the song. I'd refer to do this through midi and a vst's as I don't have a real piano to record and effect...Thanks!
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Old 04-29-2009, 11:13 AM   #2
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My first stop for a piano VST is always EVM Grand Piano. It's free, but a bit of a pain to find right now since their site seems to have disappeared. Oh, and it sounds awesome.
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Old 04-29-2009, 11:25 AM   #3
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The free Proteus has several Pianos. There's also DSK Keys (I think that's what it's called?).

Enjoy!
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Old 04-29-2009, 11:46 AM   #4
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Thanks guys, I'll check into those tonight.
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Old 04-29-2009, 12:31 PM   #5
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the absolute best free piano is the tascam GIGA continuous velocity piano

http://www.tascam.com/details;8,7,51.html

sounds fantastic and has a lot of parameters to tweak. the page linked gives the impression that you have to have giga sampler to use but it is a stand alone app/vsti
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Old 04-29-2009, 12:41 PM   #6
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Don't forget lots of compression
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Old 04-29-2009, 02:20 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bladerunner View Post
the absolute best free piano is the tascam GIGA continuous velocity piano

http://www.tascam.com/details;8,7,51.html

sounds fantastic and has a lot of parameters to tweak. the page linked gives the impression that you have to have giga sampler to use but it is a stand alone app/vsti

Thanks for this!
Very cool
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Old 04-29-2009, 02:37 PM   #8
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it's not free, but i'm liking pianoteq3 quite a bit lately. no library...vst/rtas/au/standalone, mac and pc. it was a free upgrade from pianoteq2 i'd bought quite some time ago.

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Old 04-29-2009, 03:37 PM   #9
Sasu Honka
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It´s not free, but if you search for the "Keane Piano", you should check the GSi EG70:


http://www.genuinesoundware.com/?a=showproduct&b=31

That is the one!
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Old 04-29-2009, 04:06 PM   #10
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I watched a couple of you tube videos and in both they are using a Yamaha CP70, so here's another link to check out, in addition to the one Sasu provided.

http://www.prominy.com/elec.htm
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Old 04-30-2009, 03:46 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lokasenna View Post
My first stop for a piano VST is always EVM Grand Piano. It's free, but a bit of a pain to find right now since their site seems to have disappeared. Oh, and it sounds awesome.
I'm using the Proteus VX pianos or the Ai-APiano02trans Soundfont.
Now i've downloaded the EVM Grand Piano v1.1 but i get no sound at all in Reaper.
Any suggestions?


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Old 05-01-2009, 02:12 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bladerunner View Post
the absolute best free piano is the tascam GIGA continuous velocity piano

http://www.tascam.com/details;8,7,51.html

sounds fantastic and has a lot of parameters to tweak. the page linked gives the impression that you have to have giga sampler to use but it is a stand alone app/vsti
WOW!!! That's really awsome!

Michael
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Old 05-01-2009, 03:32 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bladerunner View Post
the absolute best free piano is the tascam GIGA continuous velocity piano

http://www.tascam.com/details;8,7,51.html

sounds fantastic and has a lot of parameters to tweak. the page linked gives the impression that you have to have giga sampler to use but it is a stand alone app/vsti
Thanks very much for that. How do you install it?
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Old 05-01-2009, 03:40 AM   #14
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Just unzip and execute the CVPiano-GVI-Modeled_Setup.exe
I've got problems while installing it on my Windows XP SP3 getting an error message like "Sorry, you need SP2 or later to install it..."
???
But i found a solution that works: "How to install GVI or GVI-based products on WinXP SP3" http://www.learngigastudio.com/forum...read.php?t=930

HTH

Michael

Edit: It needs at least one tweaking to get rid of the pedal noise which is annoying (IMO). Have a look here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Sl3k...eature=related

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Old 05-01-2009, 03:55 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaJo View Post
Just unzip and execute the CVPiano-GVI-Modeled_Setup.exe
I've got problems while installing it on my Windows XP SP3 getting an error message like "Sorry, you need SP2 or later to install it..."
???
But i found a solution that works: "How to install GVI or GVI-based products on WinXP SP3" http://www.learngigastudio.com/forum...read.php?t=930

HTH

Michael
Thanks Michael mate, I'll try that when I get home. So is that continuous velocity thingy all its cracked up to be? Sorry for hi-jack
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Old 05-01-2009, 04:06 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spikemullings View Post
...So is that continuous velocity thingy all its cracked up to be?
Yes.
BTW while installing it installs Syncrosoft software (license controlling software). But you can deinstall this afterwards via Windows system control. Hasn't any influence.

Michael
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Old 05-01-2009, 07:25 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bladerunner View Post
the absolute best free piano is the tascam GIGA continuous velocity piano

http://www.tascam.com/details;8,7,51.html

sounds fantastic and has a lot of parameters to tweak. the page linked gives the impression that you have to have giga sampler to use but it is a stand alone app/vsti

This is great! I've tried the Pianoteq demo before, but it was too pricey for me, though I've always liked the idea of having a modeled piano, as opposed to one of those massive GB sample libraries apps.

When I tried to install this, it said that the install failed, but it was no matter. I merely took the .dll from the extraction folder and put it in my VST folder, and it loads fine into Reaper as a track FX just like any other VSTi...

... I looked at the tweak video too, but it seems to play as is without any reverb or sustain weirdness. It has very nice velocity sensitivity too. Great find, and thank you!
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Old 05-01-2009, 07:32 AM   #18
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I tried it (the tascam piano), but it seems too much for my system (which admittedly is a bit long in the tooth, an older pentium dual core); pops & crackles galore. And it also managed to crash reaper. :-(
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Old 05-01-2009, 07:37 AM   #19
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Just to get an impression of how the CVPiano sounds:
https://stash.reaper.fm/oldsb/152710/...to-a-dream.mp3

But to come back to the topic... I've just heard the mentioned piece of Keane
(http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2v...changing_music)
I think it's a "normal" Piano sound - so CVPiano could be used - with a lot of tweaking (EQ, Comp, Delay, Reverb) in it.
I'm not the one to tell how to tweak it due to my lack of skills. I've tried it but than gave up...
Hopefully you'll get some tips and hints from the more experienced users here.


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Old 05-01-2009, 08:02 AM   #20
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'Yellow Tools Independence Free' version's E-Pianos and Acoustic Guitars sound really cool. Even better than many commercial ones.

http://www.yellowtools.us/cp21/cms/index.php?id=842

But it is 2 GB download of free samples with their free version and you need to register before you can download. Though its worth that big download as it come with many other decent samples.

Can't say how stable it is with Reaper though.
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Old 05-01-2009, 09:48 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spikemullings View Post
Thanks very much for that. How do you install it?
I glad I'm not the only one who had trouble installing this thing. I got a bit concerned when I installed CV Piano in Vista and the installation progress bar got to 181%. Very strange!

Then I moved the CV Piano libraries and the damn thing stopped working again. But I finally sussed out what to do in the configuration settings.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaJo View Post
Edit: It needs at least one tweaking to get rid of the pedal noise which is annoying (IMO). Have a look here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Sl3k...eature=related
Thanks MichaJo

I must have spent at least half an hour last night trying to get rid of that annoying pedal clunk. I knew there must be a way. But I don't think I would have found that trick of using a breath controller setting. Now that's pretty obscure.

This was a painful VSTi to get working. But initial impressions are that it sounds good.

Pete

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Old 05-01-2009, 10:02 AM   #22
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Originally Posted by stratman View Post
I glad I'm not the only one who had trouble installing this thing. I got a bit concerned when I installed CV Piano in Vista and the installation progress bar got to 181%. Very strange!

Then I moved the CV Piano libraries and the damn thing stopped working again. But I finally sussed out what to do in the configuration settings.



Thanks MichaJo

I must have spent at least half an hour last night trying to get rid of that annoying pedal clunk. I knew there must be a way. But I don't think I would have found that trick of using a breath controller setting. Now that's pretty obscure.

This was a painful VSTi to get working. But initial impressions are that it sounds good.

Pete
hardly seems worth the trouble - I had similare problems and had my computer hang forcing a 'hard' reboot. all hail the real thing, or the small free vst ones, or the 'buy-them-on-a-harddrive'-ones. (- slightly jealous of you guys getting it to work)
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Old 05-01-2009, 11:34 AM   #23
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Well sorry OP I know we're 'jacking this thread a bit.

I can not get this damn Tascam thing working in Reaper.

But I had a play in stand alone mode and I can't honestly say I was super impressed. I think it's a bit uneven (maybe that's to be expected if you are a crap/hack player like me) but I think even Michael's demo shows it's very harsh and synthetic at the higher velocities - around 38-40 secs in especially.

Back on topic a bit, I'll stick to the Yannleo free piano for the time being I think:

http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.p...hlight=yannleo
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Old 05-01-2009, 11:52 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spikemullings View Post
I can not get this damn Tascam thing working in Reaper.
When I first unzipped the download, the files in the picture below were extracted.



After I'd run the exe, I put the folder called 'plugin' (arrowed above) into my VSTi folder. Not sure whether that was quite the right thing to do (bit of a guess), but it seems to work OK in Reaper.

I'm now quite interested in that GSI EG70 in Sasu Honka's post (#9). That sound brings back memories.

Pete

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Old 05-01-2009, 12:19 PM   #25
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glad to see some of you are having success with the tascam piano. i installed it onto a vista system and i must admit i can't remember having any problems. i agree it can sound very bright and sometimes a little synthetic but if you click on the 'gigapulse' button then 'piano pedal up reson norm' you will get to an extensive edit page. here you can choose mic emulation settings. to soften this piano i have found that setting the 'original mic' drop down box to (inv)M149 Emulated (with a cardioid pattern) and the 'replacement mic' drop down box to M149 Emulated (with an omni pattern) does the job. this does successfully take the bright edge off and gives it a little fuller and warmer sound - you can then save this setting.

it really is worth spending some time playing around with the velocity curve and release curve settings on the main 'edit' page. i have read in piano forums that some pianists rate this piano above a lot of payware ones as with a little work it can be made to sound excellent and respond very well to expressive playing. glad that someone managed to find the youtube vid explaining how to get rid of the pedal noise - this was driving me crazy for a long time!
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Old 05-01-2009, 12:52 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spikemullings View Post
I think it's a bit uneven (maybe that's to be expected if you are a crap/hack player like me) but I think even Michael's demo shows it's very harsh and synthetic at the higher velocities - around 38-40 secs in especially.
I agree. I've used the default settings for the little demo.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bladerunner View Post
i agree it can sound very bright and sometimes a little synthetic but if you click on the 'gigapulse' button then 'piano pedal up reson norm' you will get to an extensive edit page. here you can choose mic emulation settings. to soften this piano i have found that setting the 'original mic' drop down box to (inv)M149 Emulated (with a cardioid pattern) and the 'replacement mic' drop down box to M149 Emulated (with an omni pattern) does the job. this does successfully take the bright edge off and gives it a little fuller and warmer sound - you can then save this setting.

it really is worth spending some time playing around with the velocity curve and release curve settings on the main 'edit' page. i have read in piano forums that some pianists rate this piano above a lot of payware ones as with a little work it can be made to sound excellent and respond very well to expressive playing.
I'll try that. This VST with it's default settings is more than a very good basis to start from.

Back to topic: I also was very interested in how one could treat a piano with FX so that it sounds as the "Keane" piano.
In the background, delayed (doubled?), compressed, with reverb, and a little bit boxy sounding.

This was my humble try that i mentioned earlier
Quote:
I'm not the one to tell how to tweak it due to my lack of skills. I've tried it but than gave up...
Probably it just sounds simply bad:
https://stash.reaper.fm/oldsb/152842/TryKeane.mp3


Michael
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Old 05-01-2009, 03:54 PM   #27
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Lounge Lizard EP-3
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Old 05-02-2009, 01:30 AM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bladerunner View Post
the absolute best free piano is the tascam GIGA continuous velocity piano

http://www.tascam.com/details;8,7,51.html
I don't have a computer fast enough to run it.
Its incredibally CPU intensive.

Demo 'True Pianos' - its low on CPU and really is a pianists piano...


Cheers

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Old 05-02-2009, 10:26 AM   #29
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I'm not very familiar with Keane but if you need electric piano emulations, check out GSi (ex soundfonts.it)

http://www.genuinesoundware.com/?a=showproduct&b=37

these are old ones but still very good, and they are tiny because they use physical modelling. There is also newer pianos on that site that cost little but they are nice (well, I only have that VB3 organ, but just check those demos of MrRay73 MkII and Electric Grand EG70).
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Old 05-02-2009, 03:07 PM   #30
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I was pretty impressed with the demo of GSI EG70. But the notes below C2 seem to be flat. Am I doing something wrong? I couldn't find any settings to adjust things.

Pete
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