How to make a keyboard SOUND like a REAL piano

[Pratty]

Hi awesome piano players

I have a good yamaha midi keyboard and have just found out about "modules and plugins" that make the keyboard sound like a sampled real grand piano!

I would greatly appreciate any advice at all or were to learn how I go about setting this up. I don't know any good modules that are commonly used or plugins and no idea what sort of laptop would be able to handle live gigs without freezing like all computer I own do haha

I hope you can help me.
Thankyou

 

[Skipp]

Ahh... the infamous search for THE sound.

As you may already know - sound is very subjective, and something one person likes - the other may not.

I hate Korg pianos - even the brand new ones, and some people love them.

Anyway... if you want a cheap, small, low requirements piano VST that sounds
great - take a look at Pianoteq.

Keep in mind those are NOT samples - it's actually a simulation of a grand piano
and it really sounds amazing!

The program is less then 100mb (afaik)

http://www.modartt.com/discover_pianoteq3?pianoteq=1c39d88d3945299208538808b4e73020

 

[goz211]

I'm a Truepianos owner and used it for just over a hundred gigs on a laptop. Great piece of software. Truepianos and Pianoteq both have usuable demos. Both run ok without a top of the range computer.

What model is your Yamaha keyboard?

Good hardware piano modules (all discontinued):
GEM made one that would be top of my list - RP-X
Kurzweil - they had a dedicated piano module and one with extra sounds called the ME-1 (great sounds if you can find one)
Roland - anything thing that takes their SRX-11 card (or a Sonic Cell which has a good piano sound if it's the same as the one in the Juno Stage). Their older JV-1010 can be picked up quite cheaply and has perfectly giggable piano sounds.

Korg Yamaha and Alesis all produced usable piano modules.

Oberheim produced a good one (according to the US Keyboard magazine).

Go for a module rather than a laptop if it's for live use. Easy to set up - no problems in MONO (not all the modelled ones are great if you don't use them in stereo).

Years ago I gigged with a Roland digital piano called an RD-350S - it came out not long after the RD1000. It sounded great through a PA. The module version is called an MKS -20. Only 16 notes polyphony but go for it (for live use) if you find one that's not a silly price.

 

[Pratty]

Pianoteq

Ahh... the infamous search for THE sound.
As you may already know - sound is very subjective,
cheap, small, low requirements piano VST that sounds
great - take a look at Pianoteq

Thanks skip! I really appreciate your advice!!! I'll definatly check it out!!!
Thankyou so much

 

[Pratty]

Modules

I'm a Truepianos owner and used it for just over a hundred gigs on a laptop. Great piece of software. Truepianos and Pianoteq both have usuable demos. Both run ok without a top of the range computer.

What model is your Yamaha keyboard?.

Go for a module rather than a laptop if it's for live use. Easy to set up - no problems in MONO (not all the modelled ones are great if you don't use them in stereo).

Years ago I gigged with a Roland digital piano called an RD-350S - it came out not long after the RD1000. It sounded great through a PA. The module version is called an MKS -20. Only 16 notes polyphony but go for it (for live use) if you find one that's not a silly price.

Thanyou!!! Gee this is amazing I have been able to get such great advice from you genius's!!!!

Were is the best place to get modules from? And also my keyboard is a yamaha p-80 so if I brought a Roland module- how do I know if it's compadible with mine as I don't have a owners manual for my keyboard

Thanks again. Your help and advice is greatly appreciated

 

[Burn4Him]

Check out the italian grand at sythology.com

 

[Pratty]

Check out the italian grand at sythology.com

Ok, cool thanks!
Money wise does it work out better using a MacBook pro with plugins compared to a module??

 

[Skipp]

I alway prefer dedicated hardware over VSTs and computers.

 

[goz211]

I alway prefer dedicated hardware over VSTs and computers.

+1 for live playing

Also (to the OP) what's wrong with the piano sound in the P80 that you have?

 

[Pratty]

Cool thanks guys
Does anyone know of a good module for live playing?? Also does 1 fit all cause it's midi? Or if you have a yamaha keyboard do I need a yamaha module meaning "Can you mix the brands?"
And what's a commonly used one? Because I have a Yamaha P-80


Thanks heaps everyone

 

[goz211]

I'm confused - what is it that you want or need that your P80 doesn't do?

 

[Pratty]

I'm confused - what is it that you want or need that your P80 doesn't do?

Hi goz

I'm just trying to find out if there is any device and a part on this forum that discuss's how to get that sampled sound of a true grand piano from a digital midi keyboard.

 

[Skipp]

Now I'm confused too...

Getting sound from a MIDI keyboard? MIDI keyboard as in a regular controller (they have no sounds you know), or a MIDI keyboard as any regular synth?

And what does "Get that sample sound" mean? If you have a keyboard,
most likely you will have a grand piano sound in it - it depends on the age of the keyboard and the
manufacturer how good the sample is.

You really can't expect a great piano sound from an old keyboard.

Then again, you could always plug it into your computer and use a VST of some sort

The rest of it - is just pure tweaking and variations on the same sample set.

 

[Pratty]

Thanks guys yes that's exactly what I mean but what are some good hardware modules or units that have velocity layers aswell as tweaking knobs (equalizers) that can plug into my midi keyboard
(for the signal I play to pass through the module device to my amp)

 

[goz211]

Thanks guys yes that's exactly what I mean but what are some good hardware modules or units that have velocity layers aswell as tweaking knobs (equalizers) that can plug into my midi keyboard
(for the signal I play to pass through the module device to my amp)

You'll need to help us out with more info before we can give you advice.

(1) Are you asking how to get a better piano sound than the one in your P80?

(2) EQ? What do you want to do - roll off some bass or ...?

 

[Pratty]

Hey Goz thanks mate

Yes 1) is exactly what I want to do but to also have those velocity layers like a vst but for it to be a piece of hardware instead of loading it all into a laptop that can get virus's and shutdown for no reason- is this possible? Is the velocity built into the vst? Or is it built into the keyboard. My p-80 has some layers, wieghted keys and midi out...

 

[Pratty]

But can a vst or sounds loaded into a module become recognized by velocity if your keyboards default pianos only have say 3 layers?.....

 

[keysmccarthy]

Can I swoop in on this thread? Been looking for a great piano sound myself, and theres no point starting a new thread to ask about practically the same thing.

Checked out the Pianoteq etc, sounds great. But, Im looking for a dedicated sound module (hardware) to plug in to my Korg SP-200. Can anyone suggest a good module? (Possibly with other great sounds in it too).

I'd be grateful for the advice as usual,
Thanks,
keysmccarthy

 

[goz211]

But can a vst or sounds loaded into a module become recognized by velocity if your keyboards default pianos only have say 3 layers?.....

The answer is yes (if I understand what you are asking).

Any keyboard with a midi out can be used to control a module with a midi in.

You could also play a VST - provided you have some way of connecting your keyboard to the computer - MIDI or some of the recent keyboards have a USB option.

Your P80 will send on/off and velocity (how loud/soft) messages right across the range - not just at 3 fived levels.

 

[goz211]

Can I swoop in on this thread? Been looking for a great piano sound myself, and theres no point starting a new thread to ask about practically the same thing.

Checked out the Pianoteq etc, sounds great. But, Im looking for a dedicated sound module (hardware) to plug in to my Korg SP-200. Can anyone suggest a good module? (Possibly with other great sounds in it too).

I'd be grateful for the advice as usual,
Thanks,
keysmccarthy

Hello there - sorry to do this to you but - what's wrong with the piano sound in your Korg?

You can run Pianoteq in a hardware VST host. Do a search for "Muse Receptor." There's a cheaper option SM Pro's VMachine. I don't own and have no direct experience of either - just lots of web research (and I decided against either).

(Controversial statement coming up) - the best hardware piano module is (according to the web chatter I've seen) the one made by GeneralMusic which is no longer produced - the RP-X. If I saw one that wasn't a silly price I'd probably buy it.

Good luck (and are you sure the stock sound in your Korg isn't fine and dandy?)