Need good piano VST sound

[timothys_monster]

Hey guys,

I'm currently mixing a song of some friend's band.

It's an instrumental one and we recorded only the MIDI-files of the piano.

I own NI's piano collection but it really sounds crap in my ears in this context. I can deliver you a rough mix so that you can hear what I mean:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ough%20Mix.mp3

Now here is my request
Does anyone of you have a more realistic piano library and wants to support the band by rendering the MIDI with his/her library to get a sound that fits the song better?

I think the rest of the instruments are quite well recorded for the less experience and gear I have so far. But the piano really pokes out

Here is the MIDI-file fo download: https://stash.reaper.fm/21895/Fortelling_Piano.mid
We didn't record on click, but the project has a tempo of 145 bpm.

[Lawrence]

Acoustic Samples F-Grand 320k MP3 (17mb) linked below.

If you like it and think it would make a difference I can up load a FLAC or Wave which would be a bigger upload, 50+mb or more but it probably won't sound much better than the 320k mp3. I have a slow DSL so uploading an mp3 seemed easier / faster.

You'll might get better from some others here though and this one would probably sound different on that same material if you played it while using it, with the velocity response being somewhat different from what I hear in your mp3.

http://theaudiocave.com/reaper/tim_s_f_grand.mp3

Hope that helps a little.

[suleiman]

The free piano one is pretty ace. Possibly the best piano freebie ever.

[Paul99]

First the general story: You know why there almost hundred of sampled piano libraries? A sampled library is not an acoustic piano. That is the biggest problem. You can play a sampled piano which sounds all alone fantastic, but in a mix it becomes a problem. So you have to choose a piano always in a mix. Sometimes a piano can sound rather dull alone, but perfect in a mix.
Extra challenge is when you use a piano both as solo and accompany. Usually it is one of both and then you can EQ it to give it it's own space in a mix.
Now about this song: I don't share your opinion that this piano pokes out.Maybe there is a better piano sound possible but I think it's pretty well placed in the mix.
So my question would be: what do you miss in the piano sound? Is it too bright or not bright enough? And you know you can alter the sound within Kontakt? Sometimes a bit EQ can do wonders for your feeling about a mix. I could do some piano's of mine but as long as I don't know what you're looking for, it's a difficult job to do.

[thequietroom]

Originally Posted by suleiman

The free piano one is pretty ace. Possibly the best piano freebie ever.

+1

Ive tried a few.. this by FAR is the best that I ever found. It sounds great.

[Fictional Substance]

Originally Posted by thequietroom

+1

Ive tried a few.. this by FAR is the best that I ever found. It sounds great.

+Another. Made by Sound Magic. I use it all the time.

[timothys_monster]

Originally Posted by Lawrence

Acoustic Samples F-Grand 320k MP3 (17mb) linked below.

http://theaudiocave.com/reaper/tim_s_f_grand.mp3

Hope that helps a little.

That helps a lot! Thank you very much, Sir.
I like the sound so much more than the one I created in Kontakt.
Here's another rough mix with your piano:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ugh%20Mix2.mp3

First the general story: You know why there almost hundred of sampled piano libraries? A sampled library is not an acoustic piano. That is the biggest problem. You can play a sampled piano which sounds all alone fantastic, but in a mix it becomes a problem. So you have to choose a piano always in a mix. Sometimes a piano can sound rather dull alone, but perfect in a mix.
Extra challenge is when you use a piano both as solo and accompany. Usually it is one of both and then you can EQ it to give it it's own space in a mix.
Now about this song: I don't share your opinion that this piano pokes out.Maybe there is a better piano sound possible but I think it's pretty well placed in the mix.
So my question would be: what do you miss in the piano sound? Is it too bright or not bright enough? And you know you can alter the sound within Kontakt? Sometimes a bit EQ can do wonders for your feeling about a mix. I could do some piano's of mine but as long as I don't know what you're looking for, it's a difficult job to do.

Yeah, I'm actually aware of that, despite this I decided to ask for it, because I couldn't create a sound in Kontakt which had been already NEAR the sound I had in mind for the song.
You can't change the basic sound of an instrument with only EQ and some other tools.
I want to have a total alternative and think the file Lawrence sent me was quite what I had in mind. Though I should have mentioned before what I was actually searching for!

I don't like Piano One but will try the Sample Tank 3 Free Piano module as well to see if it's even better than Lawrence's AS F Grand.

If someone else will take the pain of loading the MIDI file in Reaper and render it with his/her library... don't hesitate I'll be happy to try more sounds

The direction is something more intimate than my original version but with no proximity effect either. I hope I can make myself some way clear about it. :/

[Dr Bob]

HI

I have Synthology's Ivory Grand II, I can render the MIDI for you and stick in a dropbox for you ...


OK ... as a FLAC ... direct from the synth no fx or anything ... German Concert D Grand

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3336503/Tims.flac

Let me know if you want a different piano ...


dB

PS Just noticed your tempo, and the midi file doesn't have a tempo marker ... so have re-rendered for you ...

pps just changed the stereo perspective to "audience" from "performer", which is probably more what you want ... ;-)

PPS and the one in dropbox is the Bosendofer 290 Grand rather than the German Grand. I have some Studio pianos if you need a different sound.

[m5blackmond]

I don't use piano much, but I've used 4front piano. It's free. It's not great, but it's not awful. If you play with some EQ on it, it sounds OK.

http://www.yohng.com/software/piano.html

[Lawrence]

Originally Posted by timothys_monster

That helps a lot! Thank you very much, Sir.
I like the sound so much more than the one I created in Kontakt.

I'm happy that was useful for you.

I'm not exactly up to date on all the various sampled pianos out there so I don't know how it stacks up against all the rest. That one, Acoustic Samples F-Grand 278 (Fazioli Grand?), is one of the featured instruments in MOTU Mach 5. I think they sell it standalone, http://www.acousticsamples.net/ but you can hear other audio examples of it here on the MOTU page.

http://www.motu.com/products/softwar...struments.html.

[WynD]

Here is another one if you would like to give it a try.
It's the Galaxy Steinway. This is one I use a lot and really like.
No FX or EQ on this.
https://app.box.com/s/lgly6a2599cuq2pw7s21

By the way, I really like the song.

[timothys_monster]

Wow! This community is awesome!

I just listened to the files in the office and they all sound great. Will put it in the mix when I'm home to hear which one fits best.

Thank you all for the comments and support so far!

[vitalker]

Timothy, try this piano collection: http://steplton.ho.ua/Samples/Varish...Collection.zip

[Dr Bob]

Originally Posted by timothys_monster

Wow! This community is awesome!

I just listened to the files in the office and they all sound great. Will put it in the mix when I'm home to hear which one fits best.

Thank you all for the comments and support so far!

Remember I have a lot of different pianos of the same quality, just different sounds ... let me know if you want something to sound in a particular way, and I'll see if I have a piano which can do it. Ivory Grand Pianos II is a very good package, lots of ways to work it ...


Here's a Bight Jazz Grand setup ... the other was perhaps a little to more towards the classical.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ot%20Jazz.flac

Cheers,

dB

[beatbybit]

_good_ piano sound for music?
im hoping for a service like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXrNCak63u0

send the MIDI file, specify mic(s), positions(s), etc.
pay, download the files, be happy.

[timothys_monster]

Originally Posted by beatbybit

_good_ piano sound for music?
im hoping for a service like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXrNCak63u0

send the MIDI file, specify mic(s), positions(s), etc.
pay, download the files, be happy.

Do you mean this?
http://getrealpiano.com/

[timothys_monster]

OK, I have evaluated all the entries being sent

And I'm really happy to say that I can announce one libray/configuration that fits better than the original one and better than any of the others as well.

The "winner" is: Ivory II Bösendorfer 290 Imperial Grand.
Mostly because the basic sound just went well with the rest of the instruments. So I had to add just some subtle EQ changes and a bit of tape saturation. That's what I was looking for.

Again, I want to thank every single one of you for your support and effort!

As soon as I get the mix ready, I will post it here so you can form your view of the piano sound.