Hi from Seattle

[Julia]

I just signed on today. I'm older than dirt. I've been playing piano for decades. Classically trained performer the whole bit. I've started playing guitar, bass, and decided to do some stuff involving keys again.

* Grand pianos are a royal pain to mic up. I've tried. and besides my workstation is upstairs, making it impossible for use of a USB trigger for Pro Tools. 16' max on that. I could buffer but then I may need more than two buffers.

* So I figured doing the midi keyboard thing. Unfortunately I'm having difficulty finding something that does what I want.

I've got Reason 4, Alicia's Keys and Pro Tools M-Powered 8.

So I thought I'd first say hi up here in this section then post down in the Midi keyboard pre purchase section. I wish they had some application somewhere that allowed you to enter the features you want and it would match you up with several fitting the description. That would make things a lot easier.

 

[Mourndark]

Hi Julia! Great to have you.

I've tried micing grands and I can feel your pain, but never tried operating over that distance! Good luck finding a controller - I'll have a look at your post.

 

[Ian]

Hi Julia, welcome to the forums

 

[Julia]

Mourndark, one thing about miking pianos (see I use the 1960s spelling for it ), is that if you're using any untunable software plugins you have to have the piano tuned using the tuner in the DAW, then sacrifice a goat that there isn't a change in the weather. This and the fact that I've preferred my piano, which is a vintage 1916 model Steinway, tuned to A 430 in Valotti temperament which makes it fantastic for early classical material and Baroque material. I also have yet to see any plugins allow you to change the tuning temperament on a midi track. Equal temperament is the standard these days.

 

[Mourndark]

I've never tried recording a live piano along with software! It's bad enough trying to keep the pianos I usually work with in tune with themselves let alone anyone else! (Mid 20s Bechstein in airconned room next to a radiator, with both on simultaneously. Kawai BG in a basement that is often below freezing in winter. etc.)

I couldn't give examples of any plugins that give you different tunings, but there must be some as my Fantom X8 can do it. I guess you could probably find some sample libraries somewhere of pianos in different temprements. The main problem I have is that there are plenty of descriptions of different temperaments, but not many tables giving the distances from equal, so the feature is a bit lost on me.

 

[Mourndark]

Bingo. I hadn't thought about searching in the context of harpsichords...

 

[Julia]

Yep. Harpsichords. When you hear Bach performed with Werkmeister III you'll understand. Valotti is more for organs than pianos but the Steinway sounded better with this one than with Kirnberger III. You do get a couple of "wolf keys": Gb major and B major. Db major is not great either. But you soon understand why Mozart wrote in the keys he did. And you soon understand why composers resolved certain chords rather quickly.